“Did you talk to Mike about his job?”

“Mike talked to me first," Jane said. She recounted the conversation.

“So it's common knowledge that somebody pushed the rack over on Stonecipher," Shelley said.

“Well, at least that there's something fishy about it. Maybe if he hadn't been so thoroughly disliked, people might just think the police had time on their hands.”

Shelley had brought along a thermal mug of coffee and took a long, cautious sip. "You know, somebody must have liked him. Didn't he have adherents to any of his causes?"

“Oh sure, but then he'd move on to another cause and lose them. Nedra Payne practically worshipped him when he was campaigning to outlaw smoking everywhere, including inside people's own houses. She even tried to get me to sign her petition. I wished I'd come to the door with a cigarette so I could have blown smoke in her face. A cigar would have been even better."

“Nedra Payne?" Shelley asked.

Jane blew out her cheeks like balloons. "Oh, that Nedra Payne. The woman with the figure like Kentucky."

“Right. He was her hero until he lost that one, then he got on the thing about the fast-food restaurants, and she took offense because he made some slighting remark about how she obviously wasn't interested in her health or she wouldn't burden her heart with all that extra weight. And she told me all this, expect‑ ing sympathy. I just looked at her and said, 'What's your point, Nedra?' “

Shelley laughed. "You're getting better and better, Jane."

“You're my role model. Shelley, what's your take on this? Who would actually kill the man?"

“I haven't got any idea. I know it wasn't me and I'm fairly sure it wasn't you," she added with a grin. "Jane, are you absolutely certain you didn't hear any voices while you were in that bathroom?"

“Oh, a sort of general rumble. There were so many people around.