Failure is Fatal Page 25

  “Thank god, the car.” I activated the automatic door opener.

  “And Adam killed Marie, but why?”

  “It was what Der figured. A crime of passion with a hint of self-protection. She rejected him for Ryan. Adam couldn’t understand that Ryan and Marie were just good friends. Adam doesn’t think that way about friendships with women. When he put the moves on her in her car that night in the mall parking lot, he was incensed that she preferred Ryan to him. And there was the possibility that she might get Ryan to tell about the stories planted in my research. She was a danger to him, so he killed her, then threw the knife in the trash. It wasn’t his knife anyway. The wheels were in motion to pin the murder on David. As the investigation proceeded, Adam simply encouraged us to look at others as suspects. But as smart as he was, his hate got the best of him and led him to make mistakes.”

  “It sounds to me as if his biggest mistake was underestimating you.” Annie untied her plaid scarf from around her neck as she settled into her seat.

  “He always underestimates others, particularly women. He’s a real bright guy to whom no one has ever said no or for whom no one has attempted to set limits, certainly not his parents and then not the fraternity, which he ran for his own benefit. Unfortunately for all of us and luckily for him, he found people who shared some of his egomania, but whom he could manipulate like Melvin Chaffee, President Evans, even Captain Rodgers, people who thought they were smart enough to control him but instead were being used by him. These guys all have egg on their faces. Can you imagine how it must feel to have one put over on you by a college student if you truly believe you’re much savvier than students are?”

  “So what now?” said Annie.

  “Hungry?”

  “Sure. Always.”

  “Good,” I said. We’re going up the road a few miles to a little Bar-B-Que place and meet Guy there for lunch.”

  “Guy?”

  “Sure. You remember Guy. Tall, muscular. Smart, funny, blue eyes.”

  “I know who Guy is. I’m just glad that…”

  “What?”

  “I’m just glad we’re having lunch, that’s all. I’m hungry. Bet you are too.”

  I nodded, applied pressure to the accelerator with my good foot and smiled with satisfaction as the SUV leaped ahead. My stomach let out a low growl. I could hardly wait.

  The End

  Biography

  Lesley retired from her life as a professor of psychology and reclaimed her country roots by moving to a small cottage in the Butternut River Valley in upstate New York. In the winter she migrates to old Florida—cowboys, scrub palmetto, and open fields of grazing cattle, a place where spurs still jingle in the post office, and gators make golf a contact sport. Back north, the shy ghost inhabiting the cottage serves as her literary muse. When not writing, she gardens, cooks and renovates the 1874 cottage with the help of her husband, two cats and, of course, Fred the ghost, who gives artistic direction to their work.

  She is the author of a number of mystery series (Microbrewing Series, Big Lake Mystery Series, Eve Appel Mystery Series and the Laura Murphy Mysteries), a standalone mystery (Angel Sleuth) and numerous short stories.

  Visit her on her website: www.lesleyadiehl.com.