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ôIt was easy. In and out like a flash. I was afraid someone would see me, but nobody did. I didnÆt even try to hide or cover my tracks. At that point I was beyond caring.ö She took a thoughtful sip from her cup. ôI used to do some shooting back in the day, and Norwell had a bow and arrows lying around, from the club. It just seemed appropriate. With her always pretending to be Cupid, while in actual fact she was just a monster.ö

ôAnd then you dropped NorwellÆs key card on MeghanÆs desk.ö

ôYes. And I honestly thought that would be the end of it. With my tormentor finally dead, I thought I would be able to breathe againùto be free at least. But Norwell kept pining for her. He didnÆt have to say it, but I could feel it. He was still in love with the woman, in spite of everythingshe had done to me. So I finally broke down and told him. All of it. The bullying, the boyfriend she stole from meùthe reason I moved to the other side of the country, away from my friends, my familyùsimply to be as far away from her as possible. And you know what he said? That he didnÆt believe me. That I was making it all up out of sheer spite. And that if he could, he would have left me for Valina.ö

ôAnd so you decided to kill him, too,ö said Odelia.

ôI didnÆt really decide anything. I was simply so fed upà IÆd forgotten my laptop at home, so I slipped out of the parent-teacher meeting to quickly fetch it, making sure nobody saw me, since itÆs frowned upon to just disappear like that. I found Norwell in the basement, dusting off his cherished bottles, which he probably cared for more than me or the kids. He was crying, said he missed her so much. Said I couldnÆt understand what she had meant to him. As if she was the love of his life or something. I got so angry, so I just broke one of his precious bottles, just to get back athim. And when he lunged at me, in a reflex action I held it out to defend myself. It accidentally hit him in the neck, and before I knew what was happening, he was lying there, bleeding out. And I should have felt pity, or remorse, or regret, but all I felt was satisfaction and relief. In the end he had let me down. Me and the kids. So I wiped my prints, dropped the bottle, tore down those bottle racks to make it look as if someone had ransacked the place, and walked out.ö

ôAnd returned to the school.ö

ôNobody had even noticed I was gone. It was so easy, just like with Valina. As if I was invisible.ö She looked up. ôSo how did you figure it out?ö

ôWe talked to some of the parents. They did notice that you were gone for a while, Emma. And once we knew that, we checked traffic cameras along the route you took, and tracked your movements. It wasnÆt difficult to pinpoint the exact time you passed.ö

ôIÆm not sorry I killed them, you know,ö said Emma. ôThe only thing IÆm sorry about is that my kids will grow up knowing their mom killed their dad. And my parents, of course. TheyÆll be devastated.ö

And as Chase led her away, Odelia heaved a deep sigh.ôGood work, Max,ö she said. ôToo bad it was Emma. She was the last person IÆd expected.ö

ôItÆs something Kingman said that triggered a memory,ö I said. ôOr several ones, actually. Emma once told us something about a bullying campaign she was very passionate about, explaining that it was a campaign close to her heart. And then there was the fact that she and Valina had gone to the same school together. She also mentioned during a book club meeting that sheÆd once been betrayed by a boyfriend who left her for another woman, and somehow all those elements suddenly clicked. And of course when you look back, it was always obvious that it must have been her: she would be the most obvious person to have access to her husbandÆs key card, or his archery club gear, and we knew that her husband had been having an affair with Valina.ö

ôYeah, it all seems obvious now,ö said Odelia. ôBut it certainly wasnÆt obvious before.ö

ôPoor woman,ö said Dooley. ôBullying is a terrible thing, isnÆt it, Odelia?ö

ôOh, yeah. It can really traumatize a person for life. With terrible consequences.ö

Chase had returned and took a seat behind his desk.ôRight,ö he said. ôAnd now for the paperworkàö

In a few words, Odelia related to the cop what IÆd told her.

He rubbed his nose.ôI better not put that in my report. The DA might frown upon the testimony of a cat, though the defense will have a field day and might even be able to get the jury to let Emma off with a suspended sentence.ö

ôI doubt it,ö said Odelia. ôShe did confess.ö

ôYes, she did.ö He smiled at me. ôGood job, Max. You made us all look good again. And now if youÆll excuse me, folks, looks like IÆll be here all night, writing this all down!ö

Chapter 30