Deep Waters

interview." He caught Charity's eye. "I'll see you and Winters later. Say, four-thirty?"
    "We'll be here," Charity promised. "But I don't think there's much more we'll be able to tell you. Come on, Newlin. We've got a shop to open."
    When they arrived at Crazy Otis Landing a few minutes later, Arlene came flying out of Bea's cafe. She threw herself into Newlin's arms.
    Radiance, Bea, Yappy, and Ted trailed out to watch the reunion.
    "Newlin, I was so scared." Arlene raised tearful eyes to search his face. "Are you sure you're okay?"
    "Yeah, sure." Newlin stroked her hair with an awkward, soothing touch. "Thanks to Charity. She remembered a couple of kids in a truck parked behind my pickup. One of 'em was able to give me an alibi."
    Arlene turned to Charity. "I don't know how to thank you, Ms. Truitt. I've been a fool about the Voyagers and those spaceships and everything. It's bad enough knowing all my money is gone, but if Newlin had been arrested for murder on top of that, I don't know what I would have done."
    "Don't be too hard on yourself." Charity patted her on the shoulder. "Everyone's got a right to dream."
    "Well, from now on, I'm keeping my dreams right here on earth." Arlene squared her shoulders. "And the first thing I've got to do is get a job. I don't have anything left in my bank account."
    Newlin's jaw tightened. "I didn't murder Gwendolyn Pitt, but I sure ain't gonna weep over her grave. She stole a lot of money from a lot of people."
    "Why don't you come inside and have a latte, Newlin," Bea said in a motherly tone. "Then you can go to work."
    "Thanks." With one arm around Arlene's shoulders, Newlin went into the Whispering Waters Cafe.
    Radiance looked at Charity. "Good thing you remembered seeing those people in the truck. Newlin's an outsider here in town. And everyone knows how much he detested Gwendolyn Pitt. It would have been real easy for people to assume that he killed her."
    "You saved that boy a heap of trouble," Yappy agreed. "Nice going, Charity."
    Ted chuckled. "Something tells me you've got a friend for life in Arlene."
    Charity hardly heard him. She was looking at the Closed sign in the window of Charms & Virtues. It was well after ten, and there was still no sign of Elias.
    "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rick Swinton stumbled backward as Ellas came through the doorway of the motor home. "Get out of here, Winters. You've got no right barging in like this. I'll have you arrested."
    "Sit down, Swinton." Elias closed and locked the door. "You and I are going to have a little talk."
    "Fuck off."
    "Sit down." Elias moved forward.
    "Damn you, if you think you can just—" Rick retreated. The back of his knees hit the edge of the built-in couch. He sat down hard. "You can't come in here like this."
    "I just did." Elias smiled slightly. "Don't worry, we'll both be leaving in a few minutes. Right after we talk."
    "What the hell do you want to talk about?"
    "Let's start with your private bank account." Elias pulled a sheet of paper from the inside of his jacket. "The one you've been using to siphon off funds from the business account Gwendolyn Pitt set up for the Voyagers' so-called contributions."
    A startled expression flashed in Rick's eyes. It was gone almost instantly, concealed behind a look of aggrieved anger. "I don't know what you're talking about."
    "I'll be glad to spell it out." Elias tossed the paper down onto Rick's lap. "I used your social security number and a telephone to access the records of both accounts. The pattern is clear. You've been channeling funds from the business account into your own personal account on a regular basis. Now, since Gwendolyn Pitt is too much of a businesswoman not to have noticed, I'm betting you covered the transactions with phony receipts and contracts." *
    "You can't prove a damn thing."
    "No, but that's the way embezzlement is usually done. Fairly routine stuff, and you don't strike me as an original thinker. An audit should be able to piece it all together."
    "Bullshit."
    "The good news is that it looks like most of the money Gwendolyn Pitt got from her Voyagers is still around. It's sitting in your personal account, Swinton."
    "That's a lie."
    "No. Among other things, it's a motive for murder."
    "Murder." Rick stared at him, mouth agape. "You can't pin Gwendolyn's death on me."
    "If I go to Tybern with the information I uncovered about your bank account juggling act, he'll jump to the obvious conclusion. He'll assume you killed