Circle of Blood (Forensic Mystery)

thick, and her eyes were a pale blue—the same palette, Cameryn remembered, that had appeared on Mariah’s perfect features. The door was just swinging shut when Cameryn cried, “No! Please! I’m a student up at the Fort, and I just need to ask you a few simple questions. It’s for my class and so far no one will help me. I mean, nobody’s home anymore. I’ve been knocking on doors all morning.”
    Since Fort Lewis College was only two miles away, claiming to be a student there should make a good cover. She held her breath as the door swung back open. “What class?” the woman asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
    “Psychology. This is my first year. Please, it’ll only take a few minutes. You’d really be helping me out a lot.” When the woman hesitated, Cameryn turned her attention to the baby in the woman’s arms. The child had the same champagne coloring as the mother, along with fat, cherubic cheeks. “Is that a boy or a girl?”
    "Girl.”
    “She is so cute ! What’s her name?”
    “Adriel.”
    “That’s a pretty name! I’ve never heard it before. That’s, like, the prettiest name ever. If I have a baby girl someday, I’ll have to remember that name. Hi, little Adriel!” Cameryn could tell she was going over the top, pressing too hard, but she worried the door might slam shut any minute, so she filled space with a torrent of words. When she looked up, the woman was smiling.
    “All right, all right—I’ll bet part of your psychological experiment is seeing if you can get into a house by charmin’ the baby.” There was something familiar in her voice, something Cameryn couldn’t quite place. “You’re sayin’ it’s a short survey?”
    “Ten questions, that’s it.”
    “Well, if you don’t mind that I’ll have to feed Adriel here while we do it, come on in.” The woman opened the door wider.
    “Thanks so much! My name is Cameryn, by the way.” Cameryn extended her hand.
    “I’m Ruth.” Ruth gave Cameryn’s hand a quick shake. “Don’t look at my house—it’s an awful mess. That’s what happens when you’ve got a lot of kids. Follow me.”
    Contrary to what she’d said, the house, although cluttered, was clean. Photographs of children marched up the wall like stair steps, and a piano, buried beneath a flurry of sheet music, had been topped with more family pictures in shiny silver frames.
    “How many kids do you have?” Cameryn asked, stepping over a Tonka truck as she followed Ruth’s retreating figure.
    “Seven.”
    “Wow! Seven kids!”
    “Yeah. I get that a lot. Have a seat at the table there. Sorry, just move that cereal bowl. The rest of ’em are in school—thank heavens for mornin’ kindergarten. Can I get you anything?”
    Cameryn slid into a vinyl-covered chair. “If it’s no trouble, I’d love a cup of coffee.”
    “Sorry, I can’t help you there. We’re members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, so we don’t drink coffee.”
    “Oh. I didn’t know that—I mean that you don’t . . .” Cameryn blushed, feeling as though she’d committed a faux pas. “Um, then, could I have some tea?”
    Ruth smiled and pulled the tray off a sage-green high chair. With an expert motion she slid Adriel inside and snapped the tray back on. “We don’t drink tea, either. Except herbal, and I don’t have any. How about some juice?”
    “Juice would be great. Or water. Anything’s fine.”
    “Let me get this one settled, and I’ll get it for you.”
    The kitchen opened directly to the family room, which had been turned into a kind of playroom. A toy plastic kitchen lined one wall and there was an old rocking chair that looked as though it was a family heirloom, carved in an intricate pattern across the top. Cameryn noticed a large photograph, this one featuring what must be the whole Gilbert family in a studio portrait with an artificial backdrop that resembled green suede.
    “Do you mind if I look?” Cameryn asked, gesturing toward the portrait.
    “Go right ahead. Four girls, three boys, ages ten down to nine months. That’s my husband Charlie, the one who’s responsible,” she said with a laugh.
    “What does your husband do?”
    “He works for a company called Lore International. He’s out of the country right now—been gone all week.” Ruth looked at her, her face hopeful. “Do you babysit?”
    “Not very often,” Cameryn said. “You know, because of school.”
    “I never can get anyone to do it. Here’s your