“That may be,” the sheriff admitted. “You say Clem hasn’t been here tonight. In that case, who rode the mare?”
“I don’t know anything about it,” the woman maintained sullenly.
“Didn’t you hear a horse come into the yard?”
“I never heard a sound until your car stopped at the entrance to the lane.”
“I suppose you never saw this before either.” The sheriff held up the black hood which had been found in the barn.
Mrs. Davis stared blankly at the cloth. “I tell you, I don’t know nothin’ about it, Sheriff. You ain’t being fair if you try to hang that fire onto Clem. And you won’t find him hidin’ in the house.”
“If your husband isn’t here, I’ll wait until he comes.”
“You may have a long wait, Sheriff,” the woman retorted, her lips parting in a twisted smile. “You can come in though and look around.”
Not caring to follow the sheriff into the house, Penny and her father bade him goodbye a moment later. Tramping down the lane to their parked car, they both expressed the belief that Clem Davis would not be arrested during the night.
“Obviously, the woman knows a lot more than she’s willing to tell,” Mr. Parker remarked, sliding into the car seat beside Penny.