But then I realized at this point in Azalea’s story, she was still in the bathroom, and the Cassitys were out in the hall.

“How long did this go on?” I asked.

Azalea considered that. “Few minutes, I reckon. Kept opening the door just enough to peek out, but there they was, still fussing.”

“Could you hear what they were saying to each other?”

She nodded, reluctantly, I could tell. “Some of it. Never heard such words before in my life. Miz Cassity had an ugly way of talking when she be angry. Miss An’gel wouldn’t ever talk like that.”

“No, I’m sure she wouldn’t. Now, could you tell what they were arguing about?”

“About him tomcatting around on her. That ain’t a Christian way to behave. You marry somebody, you don’t run around like that.” She shook her head. “But when you married to poison like her, well, can’t say as I blame him too much.”

“Did you hear any threats from either of them?”

“No, ’cepting him saying he was going to divorce her, and she telling him he could try, but she’d take ever’ bit of his money.”

That was a powerful motive. Vera’s refusal to give Morty a divorce, along with the monetary threat, might have goaded him past endurance—and then he pushed her down the stairs as a solution to his problems.

“Anything else you hear that sounded bad?”

“No, sir. They both got real quiet then, and when I looked out I saw them going into a room down the hall.” She paused. “Well, I know I saw her. That big ol’ skirt she was wearing, you couldn’t miss. I reckon I thought he was in front of her, but I can’t be sure.”

“Do you think he had time to reach the stairs and head down?” If my scenario were to hold together, then Morty probably would have gone into that room with Vera.

“Maybe.” Azalea didn’t appear too certain.

I’d come back to that.

“What did you do after they went into the other room?”

“I was gonna go down the stairs, but I heard her talking. The door was open about halfway, and I didn’t want them seeing me if I went past.”

“Was that when you remembered the back stairs?”

Diesel was getting restless. I felt his head butt against my thigh twice, and I stilled him by scratching his head. He purred in response. As long as he received some attention he would be okay, and I could continue questioning Azalea.

Azalea nodded. “I ducked back down the hall and opened the door. Had to find the light switch, and when I did, it didn’t do a whole lot of good. I was gonna go back and try to get down the front stairs, but then I heard her out in the hall again. So I started down. Had to go kinda slow. Them stairs is so old I was afraid some of ’em might be rotten.”

Now we were getting to the critical part. I tried to keep my tone calm as I asked my next question.