on her face as she walked across the porch to join them, they could
tell she was still fuming.
Ryan stood up as soon as he spotted her coming toward him. He waited
for her to take her seat, then pulled up another chair to face her.
Cole leaned back against the railing and folded his arms across his
chest.
She sat on the edge of the chair, her back straight and her hands in
her lap. She was furious all right, and if she became any more upset,
Cole thought smoke would start pouring out of her ears.
He leaned back, content to let Ryan question the woman while he watched
her. He knew he was being rude, he didn't care. The woman was
magnificent. He searched for a flaw, hoping that if he found one, he
would be able to get past his fascination with her.
Ryan was also staring intently, and Cole wondered if he was playing the
same game.
"We appreciate your cooperation, " Ryan began. "And we're both sorry
about the trouble earlier."
"I don't believe I'll be much help with your investigation, " she
said.
"But I'll be happy to answer your questions. Then I'm going to leave
this horrible town and never look back. The town is charming, I'll
admit, and the waterfalls are spectacular, but the people are a bit
backward, and since the rumor was put in the paper, it's been very
difficult. I'm happy I'll be getting back home."
"Where is home? " Ryan asked.
"St. Louis. I had planned to leave a couple of days ago to meet some
friends in Salt Lake City, but then I became ill and had to delay my
trip."
"Are you feeling better now? " "A little, thank you. The doctor told
me I was fortunate because I have only a mild case."
"Are you originally from St. Louis? " Cole asked.
"I grew up in the east, " she explained. "I moved to St. Louis to be
near close friends." She turned back to Ryan. "I thought you wanted
to talk about the robbery."
"We do, " Ryan answered. "Do you remember what time you were in the
bank? " She took several seconds to answer. "As a matter of fact, I
do remember. I was inside the bank at two o'clock, give or take ten
minutes. I stood in line, but I don't remember any of the other people
who were there. I wasn't paying any attention to them. I'm sure
someone will remember seeing me there.
Are you writing down every word I say on paper? " Ryan glanced up and
smiled. "I'm trying to, " he said.
"Why? " He leaned back in the chair, finished jotting down his notes,
and then said, "There have been so many robberies, it's the only way I
can keep the information straight. Does it bother you? " She shook
her head. "No, I simply found it curious, that's all." Sheriff Sloan
interrupted the questioning when he came lumbering up the steps. He
looked sheepish, and as soon as he saw the marshals' hostile
expressions, he turned around and tried to leave.