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Most women who meet Barbara Jean for the first time have a problem with her.”
    “You’re saying I’m jealous of her and I would try to get her convicted of murder because of something that petty?”
    “No, of course not. I just want to know what you’re going to say to the sheriff, Annie.”
    “I’m sorry. I have to go, or I’ll be late meeting him.” Annie disconnected the call. Flynn called right back, but she let it go to voicemail. When he called twice more, she put her phone on vibrate and stuffed it into her bag. Then she left the house.
    Her feelings were hurt. She’d thought Flynn knew she wasn’t the type of woman to do what he suggested. Especially with all she had suffered in the last few months and when she was a child.
    Behind the wheel of her car, she gave a few moments to self-pity and then drew in a deep breath. Flynn was hurting all over again, so she decided to put his attitude down to just that and forgive him.
    “But that doesn’t mean he’s getting off easy,” she muttered.
    Annie started the car and shifted the gear into reverse. As far as she was concerned, Flynn had thrown out a challenge. He intended to investigate Wesley’s murder, and he didn’t want her involved. Well, he got her, whether he liked it or not. If she couldn’t work with him, then she would work alone.
    Now where to start? She supposed she should begin with learning everything she could about Wesley and his family. Also, she needed to find out if Barbara Jean was the type to marry a man and then poison him. Asking Flynn was out of the question. Who else could she get to know?

Chapter Six
    A nnie studied the jeans lying across the bed. Now that the weather had turned cooler, she couldn’t get away with wearing just capris or shorts, although she loved them. The stretchy material felt better across her belly, hips and thighs. Denim on the other hand was a problem—both because of the weightier material and because she refused to buy too big a size so they were roomy enough.
    “Here goes nothing, Shadow.”
    The dog stirred on the area carpet and raised his head. He blinked at her. She had the impression, in the short while she had Shadow, he’d already figured out how nuts she was and accepted it.
    “Don’t look at me like that,” she gently scolded him. “You know how hard it is to get these darn things on.”
    Annie went through the ritual, hopping around the room barefoot while she jiggled the extra pounds into the jeans. At last, with moisture beading her forehead, she fell over on the bed and worked the button into place.
    “I thought I wasn’t that vain, Shadow.”
    The dog made a small noise.
    “You’re saying I’m lying to myself?” She chuckled. “Fine. Being a little vain makes me feel normal, and that’s important for someone like me.”
    This time the dog made no sound at all other than a snort as if he’d fallen asleep on the boring conversation. Annie sat up and bent to touch his head, thought better of it, and finished dressing.
    She was still considering what to do with him. His owner was likely to be in jail for at least two years, and Annie didn’t want to send him to an animal shelter. She was the last person to keep a pet, what with all the hair. At least she’d gotten him on the tail end of summer, but what about next spring?
    Quaking to think of the shedding, Annie pushed the thoughts from her mind. Next year could look after itself while she maintained sanity now. Besides, she looked at Shadow as another way to overcome her illness.
    Annie fixed herself breakfast of toast, scrambled egg and cheese while letting Shadow outside for a while. Rather than having a fence, her property was surrounded by trees and bushes.
    A dog could squeeze through anywhere, but Shadow was trained to do his business and not wander off. She was glad, although she sometimes thought she should put him on a leash and walk him properly for her own exercise. That hadn’t happened yet.
    When she left the