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to tell me that my sister could rot in jail for all eternity, and how my horrible murdering sister turned her niece into an orphan.
    I stood there waiting to be mentally or maybe even physically slapped, and hoped all the neighbors didn’t see. Once again I gave myself a mental kick for being so insensitive and knocking on this woman’s door in her hour of grief. I tried to justify my standing on Maddi Wickersham’s doorstep by telling myself it was my hour of grief as well. If my sister got put in prison I had no idea what my family would do.
    I was just about to apologize for intruding and take my leave when Maddi stepped aside and opened the door wide.
    “Why don’t you come in out of the heat? I think you just might be able to help me.”

 
     
     
Chapter 12
     
     
    Mrs. Wickersham ushered me into a house that, despite its grand appearance from the outside, was very cozy and inviting on the inside. And cool.
    “If you don’t mind, we can sit in the kitchen. The kids are waiting for me to let them get back into the pool. I told them to get out while I answered the door. We can see them from the window. Okay, girls, you can go back in. I’m going to be in here with a friend if you need anything.” Maddi called from the back door.
    I looked out the window. There were four girls of various ages swimming in a large rectangular built-in pool. The area around the pool was dotted with borders of flowering plants and wicker furniture with blue and white cushions. It looked heavenly and I wondered if Maddi might have a bathing suit I could borrow.
    “Is iced tea okay?”
    “That would be nice.”
    “Lemon or lime?”
    “Lime, please, and no sugar.”
    “Just the way I like it,” Maddi said, and handed me a glass.
    “Is that Moshi out there?” I asked.
    “Yes. As soon as the police called yesterday, I picked her up immediately. I didn’t want Ruth coming to get her. In a few days I’ll go get all of her stuff from the house and bring everything here. Poor little thing. She was up all night crying for her mother. It broke my heart. The girls are out of school at the end of the week, but I called this morning and said they won’t be back until fall. I put them all in the pool this morning hoping it would help Moshi to just play and be with her cousins. My middle daughter is the same age as Moshi. She’s going to live with us. My sister made sure of that in her will. It was the one thing she wouldn’t give in to. Victor wanted Moshi to live with his mother.” Maddi gave a snort. “Right, like that would ever happen.”
    “You don’t like her?”
    “I’m sitting here with you. My husband is at work. In a normal family, I guess we would be in mourning and would be all gathered together, but we’re not. I’m brokenhearted for Moshi, but not because she lost her father. She should have her mother with her. That man killed my sister. I know he did, and I was hoping you could help me prove it.”
    Maddi got up and walked to the window and looked out at the girls.
    “I didn’t want them to come in here and hear what I have to tell you.”
    I took a sip of my tea and then put the glass down on the marble counter. “So, why don’t you start at the beginning?”
    “You’ll help then?” Maddi’s blue eyes were wide.
    “My main goal is to find the person who killed Mr. Sanjari because I can assure you it wasn’t my sister.”
    “Why do the police suspect her?” Maddi asked.
    “Mr. Sanjari inspected my sister’s new sunroom and didn’t sign off on it. The morning after when Sam, that’s my sister, dropped the kids off, she and Victor had words and some people heard. All she was doing was trying to find out why he wouldn’t sign off. They used a very reputable designer and contractor.”
    “I know your sister. I’ve met her a couple of times and she’s an attractive woman.”
    “Yes, I think she’s very pretty. Is that important?”
    “I’ll bet Vic said that maybe they could work something