LITMIR.BIZ

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her glass down abruptly.

      “That’s right,” she replied, grateful her voice was just as steady as Lily’s gaze. “Cole and I were lovers six years ago. It ended badly.” Perhaps her candor would head off any more questions.

      The older woman seemed to relax, as if she’d been expecting evasion, even lies, and was relieved to hear the truth.

      “You don’t have to tell me anything more,” she said as she selected a cookie from the silver tray. Her engagement ring, studded with precious stones, flashed a rainbow of colors in the sunlight. “I haven’t said anything about it to my son, but I thought I remembered your name.”

      “You may have noticed some awkwardness between us,” Annie replied without thinking. “I’m sure Cole resents my presence as well as my involvement in this case.” Now why had she added that? His mother would naturally take his side if she knew the details Annie had no intention of revealing. Heat climbed up her cheeks, heat that had nothing to do with the temperature of the air around them.

      To her surprise, except for a flicker of satisfaction, Lily’s expression remained pleasantly friendly as she bit into a delicate lemon wafer. Annie was relieved the older woman wasn’t going to grill her. Taking the opportunity to change the subject, she opened the folder she’d brought with her and uncapped her pen. One by one, she dealt with the list of questions she’d jotted down earlier.

      “You weren’t wearing the ruby bracelet at the hotel?”

      “No,” Lily replied without hesitating. “I’d lost it before then.”

      “But you didn’t tell Ryan. Why was that?”

      “Because it was valuable, and I knew he’d want to replace it right away,” Lily explained. “That’s the way he is. I thought someone who knew it was mine might find it.” Her smile wobbled around the edges. “I guess I was right.”

      Her explanation carried the ring of truth; Annie figured a jury might buy it. “How many people knew you were going to be at the Austin Arms that night, besides the staff?”

      Lily thought for a moment. “I’m sure my name was mentioned in the advance publicity about the banquet,” she recalled. “Anyone reading the newspaper could have known.”

      “Did you see anyone that night who might have wanted to cause Sophia harm?” Annie hoped that Lily might remember something, anything, that would give her a new lead.

      Lily’s smile was wry. “I’m sure the woman had a few enemies, but I don’t recall anyone in particular other than the names I already gave the police. Do you have a copy?”

      Annie nodded. She had a list of everyone registered at the hotel that night, as well as the other names the police had come up with.

      “I told them a while ago Sophia had tried to bribe me to stop seeing Ryan,” Lily said. “When that didn’t work, she threatened me. I don’t suppose telling them was the smartest thing to do.”

      “Being honest is never a mistake,” Annie told her. “Especially if you’re innocent.”

      “You haven’t made up your mind about that yet, have you?” Lily asked, smiling.

      Annie surprised herself by smiling back. “I’m working on it.” She was beginning to like Cole’s mother. Despite her own words, she was starting to question Lily’s guilt.

      She appeared physically fit enough to have committed the crime, but Annie doubted Lily had the strength to overcome the other woman while remaining totally unscathed herself. Except for one unexplained bruise on her upper arm, Lily hadn’t had any scratches or other injuries indicative of the kind of fight suggested by the condition of the suite.

      Thanking Lily for her time, Annie closed the notebook. For now, her questions had been answered to her satisfaction. Lily had heard the rumors about Sophia’s affairs, but she had no idea with whom the other woman had been involved.

      As Annie took a healthy swallow of her iced tea, Lily suddenly snapped her fingers. “I just remembered something else,” she blurted. “I don’t know how I could have forgotten, but the way Sophia acted was just so hurtful to Ryan that I must have tried to put everything about her out of my mind.” Her dark eyes sparkled with excitement.

      “What is it?” Annie asked hopefully.

      “This is third-hand gossip, at least,” Lily said with a nervous laugh, “but you could check with Ryan for more details. He heard it from his niece, Eden.”

      “Heard what?” Annie prompted.

      “Eden said that Sophia did have an argument with someone at the Austin Arms, where she was killed.”

      “The night of the murder?” Annie exclaimed, gaping. “And Eden witnessed it?”

      “Wouldn’t that have been convenient?” Lily asked. “No, it was a while ago, and Eden didn’t actually see it. Her husband—well, they weren’t married at the time—he was the one who was there. When the argument turned nasty, he became concerned for Sophia’s safety, so he stepped in. From what he said, she didn’t appreciate his interference. She turned on him like a shrew, demanding that he mind his own business. The whole scene must have been very unpleasant.”

      Impatiently Annie waited for Lily to continue. Instead Lily plucked the fresh mint from her glass and sniffed it with obvious appreciation.

      “Who was the man?” Annie demanded.

      “Eden’s husband?” Lily asked, blinking.

      Annie struggled for patience. “No, the man with Sophia.”

      “Oh, I thought I told you.” Lily dropped the mint back into her glass. “It was Clint Lockhart. Ryan’s first wife, Janine, was Clint’s sister.”

      “Do you think he and Sophia were involved?” Annie asked. “Is he attractive?”

      Lily shivered delicately. “I certainly don’t think so, but there’s no accounting for some people’s taste. I guess you could say he was handsome in a very obvious way, though. I didn’t know him well, but he had an arrogance about him that made me uncomfortable. As though he expected women to drop at his feet.”

      In Annie’s book, the man sounded like a possible suspect. “I know the type.” She made a note to call Eden. “He doesn’t work here anymore. Do you know why he left?”

      Lily shrugged. “I don’t think Ryan ever mentioned it.”

      “I wonder if the police questioned him,” Annie muttered as she leafed through the file Cole had given her.

      The housekeeper came out and asked if either of them wanted more iced tea. Annie declined absently.

      “Thank you, Rosita,” Lily replied. “The cookies were wonderful.”

      The older woman was grinning widely as she left. “She’s worked here since she was fourteen,” Lily remarked when Rosita was out of earshot. “And she claims to be psychic. Isn’t that remarkable?”

      “Uh-huh.” Having found the appropriate statement, Annie read it in silence. Her shoulders slumped with disappointment. “Unfortunately, Clint Lockhart has what appears to be an airtight alibi,” she told Lily. It didn’t sound as though he could have killed Sophia, but he certainly had been involved with her in some way. He might know more than he’d told the police. Perhaps it would be worth Annie’s time to check him out, after all.

      “Do you think Ryan would have a snapshot of Lockhart I could borrow?” she asked.

      Lily frowned. “Sure. There are a lot of family photos in the den. I’ll get one on the way out. But why do you want a picture of Clint?”

      “Call it a hunch.” Shoving the papers back into her bag, she gave Lily a reassuring smile. “You’ve been a big help,” she said. “I’ll keep you posted.”

      “I appreciate

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