Free Point of Betrayal by Ann Roberts

wonderful girl, but she was incredibly clingy. She couldn’t understand when it was over.”
    Ari’s gaze traveled to Sam, who’d grown tense, but he didn’t disagree with her. She began to wonder about the relationship between mother and son.
    “First, since I can’t interview the police detectives assigned to the case, I’ll need to ask you some review questions. I know Sam was home alone when Nina was killed, but where were the rest of you?”
    “I was at a school music concert,” Evan offered. “I’m the assistant principal where Nina worked.”
    “I was at my boutique at the John Wayne Airport, closing up,” Georgie said.
    Steve motioned for another drink and said, “And I was at a charity function for the fire department.”
    “And that’s why they came after me,” Sam summarized. “I have no alibi.”
    “Can any of you think of a reason why someone would want to harm Nina?” Jane asked.
    “I’m certain it had something to do with her occupation,” Georgie said. “She had some rather unseemly dealings with parents and students.”
    “Do you remember any specific examples?”
    Steve pointed his fork at Evan. “What about that Michaela girl? She mentioned her a few times. Wasn’t there a problem with the mother’s boyfriend?”
    Evan cleared his throat, and Ari sensed he was hesitant to discuss students with his family. “Well, Nina suspected there may have been some abuse by the mother’s boyfriend—”
    “That guy is nuts,” Sam added.
    “Sam, please,” Evan said. “We’re still talking about a family at my school.”
    Ari grabbed her pen. “What’s the little girl’s name?”
    “Michaela Glass,” Evan answered. “She was one of Nina’s favorite kids. She’s incredibly bright and optimistic, despite having a mother with a drug problem who chose an allegedly abusive boyfriend. Their names are Eden Glass and Bobby Arco,” he added so she could write them down.
    “So Bobby Arco didn’t like Nina interfering?”
    “He threatened Nina at one point,” Sam said. “Told her to stay out of his business or she’d regret it.”
    “When did that happen?”
    “About two weeks ago,” Evan said.
    “Was there anything else?”
    Evan shrugged. “It’s hard to say. They were constantly showing up at the school, and Nina had many conferences with Michaela. I imagine there was a lot Nina kept to herself.”
    Ari turned to Sam. “Did Nina ever talk about her journals?”
    “Sure,” Sam said with a nod. “She wrote in her journal constantly.”
    “You never told us that,” Georgie interjected.
    “It’s not important. It was private.”
    Ari glanced up. “Do you know where she kept her recent journal or her old journals?”
    He shook his head. “No, we didn’t talk about it. I knew they were very private, so I didn’t press.”
    The meals arrived and after sending her tri-tip back three times, Georgie was finally satisfied. Ari and Jane had both ordered the Catch of the Day, a roasted bass that was absolutely delicious. Ari couldn’t imagine how Georgie’s dinner could have been so sub-par that it needed to return to the kitchen repeatedly, but she noticed the men catered to her every whim, asking her continuously if she was all right or enjoying the meal. Ari sensed they weren’t particularly worried about Sam’s fate, and she imagined they’d hired an excellent attorney in case Sam was charged with the murder.
    “Tell us about your boutique, Georgie,” Jane asked. “You have several locations, don’t you?”
    She smiled as the conversation returned to her. “Yes, my store Bare Essentials is located in nearly every airport in California. We sell travel products for those who forgot their toothbrush or who want something unique like a neck pillow made from feathers.”
    “You do your own art?” Ari asked.
    “Yes, it’s a passion. Have you seen those painted wine and martini glasses?”
    “Oh, yes,” Ari said, though she was not sure she ever had. “They make