Free Dead Man's Puzzle by Parnell Hall Page B

superior smirk. “And just who are you?”
    “I’m sorry. This is Cora Felton,” Chief Harper said. “You might know her as the Puzzle Lady. She’s an amateur detective who’s often been invaluable in my investigations.”
    “Puzzle? What do you mean, puzzle?”
    “She has a crossword puzzle column.”
    “Oh, for goodness’ sakes! I thought you were a police matron, someone who searched female prisoners. I thought that was the rather tenuous excuse for your presence. Are you telling me you have none?”
    “Watch it, buster. Just because you’re rude doesn’t mean you’re not guilty.”
    “I beg your pardon?”
    “Someone sent your great-uncle poison chocolates. It might have been you.”
    “The poison was in chocolates?”
    Harper put up his hand. “We’re not giving out any information.”
    “She just did. What’s this about chocolates?”
    “There’s nothing about chocolates,” Chief Harper said irritably. “Miss Felton was using that as an example. As a figure of speech. No one is saying the poison was administered in chocolates, and we would thank you not to venture such a theory.”
    “Now you’re trying to gag me?”
    “It’s a temptation,” Cora muttered.
    “What was that?”
    “Of course I’m not trying to gag you,” Chief Harper said. “You can tell the press anything you please. I’m just suggesting for your own good you might want to steer clear of irresponsible statements people might tend to pounce on, give you grief for. Just a friendly hint.”
    “I’m glad to see you’re friendly. I think I can take care of myself. Are you telling me you have no information on the crime?”
    “Not at the present, no.”
    “What about the assessment of the estate?”
    “I made no such assessment.”
    “You allowed a lawyer to.”
    Chief Harper was keeping his temper with difficulty. “I was not aware of an inventory being made. When it was brought to my attention, I immediately asked if you had authorized it.”
    “And put a stop to it?”
    “Yes.”
    “You stopped the lawyer in mid-inventory?”
    Chief Harper hesitated.
    “You didn’t stop her in mid-inventory?”
    “She had already stopped.”
    “Had she completed her inventory?”
    “You’d have to ask her.”
    “You didn’t ask her if she’d completed her inventory?”
    “It wasn’t high on my list of questions.”
    “You sound facetious, Officer. Are you being facetious?”
    “It’s entirely possible. I’m just sitting here having stuff dumped in my lap from all directions. You come here from San Antonio to bawl me out for not keeping a closer eye on the effects of a distant dead relative you didn’t even know you had, I am not going to take that kindly. I hope you see my position.”
    “I hope you see mine. If I’m the principal heir, no matter how remote the relationship, I want what’s coming to me.”
    “Oh, you’ll get what’s coming to you all right,” Cora muttered.
    “What was that?”
    Harper stepped between them. “If you want your inheritance, then you’ll do everything you possibly can to help me clean up this unfortunate situation.”
    “That’s how you see it? As an unfortunate situation?”
    “Well, it’s hardly a fortunate one,” Cora said. “Now, unless you’d like to confess to this crime, why don’t you get the hell out of here so Chief Harper and I can solve it.”

Chapter 21
    “Well, would you believe that,” Cora said when she’d finally succeeded in throwing Overmeyer’s heir out of the office.
    Chief Harper looked a little dazed. “Huh?”
    “The nerve of that man. I’m surprised you didn’t pin his ears back.”
    “That might have been easier to do if he weren’t right. Why were you and Becky Baldwin snooping around the cabin?”
    “ Snooping is such an unpleasant word, Chief. Almost sexist, don’t you think?”
    “How is that sexist?”
    “It implies women.”
    “Women snoop?”
    “That’s what it implies.”
    “If it implies it because they do it,