“Exactly.”

“Is the sheriff that dumb, that he can’t see the obvious?”

“No, but he’s using Mama to get at me.”

“I thought he was the one who promoted you in the first place. Why would he want to get at you?” I couldn’t figure that one out.

“Because I’m too good at my job.” Kanesha shrugged. “Next year he’s up for reelection, and he has this crazy idea that I’m going to run against him.”

“Are you?”

“Not yet.”

Neatly, coolly said. I admired the woman’s sangfroid. “Even so, he’s not going to be able to railroad Azalea on this. When it comes to court, he’d be a laughingstock.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean he’s not going to push it as far as he can, do his best to humiliate me and my family. I am not going to let that happen.”

Tidwell had better watch his back. He’d made an enemy now, an implacable one.

“It won’t. Your mother has some powerful allies, you know.” I told her about the Ducotes’ visit, and she relaxed, almost imperceptibly.

“That’s good to know. And I appreciate the fact that you are willing to stand up for Mama, too.”

“I am,” I said and decided it was time to get everything out in the open. “One thing puzzles me, though. I know your mother despised Vera, but I don’t know why. I can’t imagine Azalea has a strong enough motive to want to kill Vera.”

“That’s just the problem.” Kanesha’s tone was cool. “Mama and I both have reason to want that witch dead. Vera Cassity as good as murdered my cousin.”

SEVENTEEN

“Murdered your cousin? How horrible.” That was the last thing I expected to hear. I felt a paw on my shoulder—the tone of my voice made Diesel anxious. “It’s okay, boy, I’m all right.” I patted his paw, and he settled back down.

“He didn’t die by her hand,” Kanesha said. “But he might as well have.”

“What happened? I’m sorry. I know it must be painful for you to talk about.” I hated to make her dredge up sorrow-laden memories, but I needed to understand the situation.

Kanesha shrugged, but her gaze hardened. “Johnny Golliday was my mother’s sister’s only son. Her only child, as a matter of fact. He started getting in trouble when he was thirteen or fourteen, nothing too serious. At least, no felonies. But my aunt was always there to bail him out. He was in his twenties when he got mixed up with a rougher crowd, started getting into bigger trouble. Spent some time in jail.”

Suddenly Kanesha got up from the chair and began to pace. “Johnny going to prison like to’ve killed my aunt. My mother, too. They’re both proud women, and Johnny was the first one in the family who ever spent time behind bars.” She came back to the chair and gripped the back of it with both hands as she looked at me. “But he was doing better, had a job, was living at home, helping his mother take care of his father who was a quadriplegic.” Her voice cracked slightly.