Swan Song (Julie O'Hara Mystery Series) by Lee Hanson Page B

Joe. Sabrina is worried .”
    “Do you think she lied for him?”
    “I think it’s possible.”
    “Okay. What else?”
    “Kate Winslow said that Dianna was ‘ in love’ . That was Kate’s impression just two days before Dianna died at the end of January. I don’t think she was in love with Lincoln Tyler. Apparently by her own choice, she hadn’t seen him in two months.”
    “So there’s another guy.”
    “Bingo,” said Julie. “People who knew Dianna have described her in a lot of ways. Barry Costello said she was beautiful but not vain, that she was generous, a volunteer with kids. Sabrina Nolen said she was fun to be with. They’ve talked about Dianna’s other faces, too. Kate Winslow said she was ambitious and somewhat secretive. Evelyn Hoag said she tended to be naïve.
    “One thing’s for sure, though; Dianna made an indelible impression on people she interacted with. At some level, they miss her. They all wanted to talk about her.
    “All, except for one person: Lee Porter.
    “Looking back on it, I realize that Porter said virtually nothing about Dianna . When I spoke with him, I noticed right away that he was reluctant to talk to me, but I presumed it was about the complaint against Bay Street Realty. Seasoned attorney that he is, he took full advantage of my preoccupation with that complaint. By focusing my attention on Mike Menello, Lee Porter took himself completely off my radar.”
    “And Porter is married ,” said Joe.
    “Right. Dianna told Kate there were some ‘issues’. Her baby’s father being married to someone else would certainly qualify as an ‘ issue ’. It would also be a naïve and hopeful way to describe the situation, which fits with Evelyn Hoag’s description of Dianna believing ‘in happy endings’.”
    “So you think Evelyn Hoag knew about it.”
    “If it was Lee Porter, she would have had to. Dianna couldn’t contact Porter at his home. Their communication would have gone through the office. Plus Evelyn and Dianna were ‘close friends’. And how did that friendship come about? Maybe because Evelyn was a confidante , is my guess. As Porter’s secretary, she was probably an unwilling facilitator for the two of them.”
    “So, now what? We can’t confront Lee Porter with guesses.”
    “No. Our only shot is Evelyn.”
    * * * * * 
     
    Chapter 19
    E velyn Hoag arrived at Julie’s condo at half-past five the next evening. Thanks to Joe’s hurried trip to the market, Julie had managed to prepare a platter of French bread, smoked turkey, sliced apples and Brie. The two women sat on the balcony, Julie with her back to the lake and her booted leg propped on a chair. Sol, always comfortable with women, was lying near Evelyn who was relaxing and enjoying the view. In between sips of Chardonnay, she absently stroked his back.
    “I’d already made up my mind to contact you, Julie. I owe that much to Dianna.”
    “Thanks for coming here,” said Julie. “I haven’t tried to navigate a restaurant yet with these crutches.”
    Prior to Evelyn’s arrival, Julie had prepared for the questions she would ask about Lee Porter. When she opened the door, the first thing Evelyn asked about was the boot, for which Julie was completely un prepared. Not wanting to alarm her or divert their conversation, Julie had quickly come up with a plausible story. “A running injury,” she’d said. “I snapped my fibula. I won’t be able to run again for at least three months.” Not until that moment had Julie realized just how much she missed her morning run around the lake.
    As planned, Julie proceeded with the assumptive tactic she’d used on the phone.
    “So when did their affair start, Evelyn?”
    “About two years ago. Amazing, isn’t it? Keeping something like that a secret here in Orlando. But they met outside of town and went to secluded inns in out-of-the-way places, like Mt. Dora and Lake Helen.” Her face suddenly contorted with pain. “Oh,” she said, leaning