Midge swung her gaze to Jolene. “I warned you about digging into things that don’t concern you. If you care about your teaching job—”

“Actually, it does concern us and I think you know it,” Dulcie cut in. “We know you painted Angel Beaumont’s room and that you were friends with Laura Beaumont.”

“I want you both to leave. Now.” Midge started to take a step toward the phone as if to call for help, when Jolene finally spoke.

“You were the one who saved Angel that night.”

All the air seemed to be sucked from the room. Midge swung around, almost lost her balance and had to grab the countertop to keep from falling.

Dulcie also turned in shock to look at Jolene. Why hadn’t Jolene told her this?

Midge looked as if she might have a heart attack right in front of their eyes. She stumbled to the table and sat down heavily in one of the chairs. “Who told you that I—”

“It doesn’t matter,” Jolene said, sounding calm as she took a seat and Dulcie did the same.

Midge was staring at Jolene. So Midge really hadn’t suspected that Jolene was Angel?

“Were you also responsible for me coming back here?” Jolene asked.

“A committee of parents were involved in the hiring,” Midge said. “I don’t know who suggested you. I didn’t know...”

“Why were you on that road that night?” Dulcie asked.

“I went there looking for John,” Midge said in a tiny voice. “His pickup wasn’t there.”

“You must have seen the killer.”

Midge shook her head. “All I saw was Angel. I started to go toward the house, but I couldn’t leave the girl. I could see that something horrible had happened. She had blood all over her.” Her voice broke. “I got out of there. I took the girl and went home. John was there. He’d been there the whole time cleaning so we could move into the house.”

“He hadn’t just gotten back from Laura’s?” Dulcie asked.

“He hadn’t been near Laura’s. I checked his truck. The engine was ice-cold. He told me she’d broken it off with him, said she’d fallen in love.”

“With Ben Carpenter?” Dulcie asked.

Midge pursed her lips. “That’s what I heard.”

“You were the one who put the note on my car, weren’t you?” Jolene said.

Midge looked embarrassed. “I was trying to protect you.”

“Or protect yourself?” Dulcie said.

Jolene rose to leave. “Thank you,” she said to Midge and started toward the door.

“That’s it?” Dulcie said when she caught up to her sister outside Midge’s house.