LITMIR.BIZ

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was a simple enough question, but it didn’t feel like the right thing to say. He would have preferred to hear Emerson belt out a denial, tacking on some outrage that anyone was accusing him of cheating on his wife. There was something else that bothered him, too.

      “You know Laney?” Owen asked him. “Elaine,” he corrected. He waited because he had already seen the recognition in Emerson’s eyes.

      “I know her,” Emerson stormed. “She’s the PI who pestered me with calls about her sister. I told her to back off or I’d get a restraining order.”

      Arching his eyebrow, Owen shifted his attention to Laney and she acknowledged that with a nod. So, before tonight, Emerson had known about Laney’s accusations, but he hadn’t said a word about it to Owen. Something he should have done. Then again, maybe Emerson hadn’t considered Laney enough of a credible threat.

      “Emerson?” a woman called out, causing the man to groan.

      Owen wasn’t pleased, either, or especially surprised when Emerson’s wife, Nettie, came hurrying through the front door, heading straight for them. “When you didn’t answer your cell, I called the house, looking for you,” Owen explained to Emerson. “Nettie answered, but I didn’t tell her about Laney or the attack.”

      Emerson nodded and gave a resigned sigh. “Something like this won’t stay quiet for long.”

      No. It wouldn’t. And Nettie’s expression was sporting a lot of concern. Ditto for the rest of her. Nettie was usually dressed to the nines, but tonight she was in yoga pants and a T-shirt. Her blond hair hadn’t been combed and her eyes were red, as if she’d been crying.

      “God, you’re all right.” Nettie threw herself into Emerson’s arms. “I was so worried.”

      Owen glanced at Laney, and as expected, she was studying the couple. There was a different kind of worry and concern on her face. She was looking at them the way a cop would. No doubt to see if there were any signs that this was a marriage on the rocks because of a cheating husband. No signs, though. Emerson brushed a loving kiss on Nettie’s forehead before he eased her away from him.

      “Could you give Owen and me a minute alone?” Emerson asked his wife. “I won’t be long. It’s business.”

      Nettie studied him a moment and nodded before her attention went to Owen. Then Laney. There was no recognition in Nettie’s icy gray eyes.

      “I’ll wait by the reception desk,” Nettie said. She whispered something to Emerson, kissed him and then walked out of the office.

      Emerson didn’t do or say anything until his wife was out of earshot and then he tipped his head to Laney. “Anything she tells you about me is a lie, and I’ve wasted enough of my time dealing with her. Are you okay?” Emerson added to Owen. “Is Addie okay?”

      Again, that bothered Owen. As Addie’s uncle, it should have been the first thing for Emerson to ask. Of course, Owen had verified the okay status when he’d had a quick chat with Emerson earlier, so maybe Emerson thought that was enough.

      But it wasn’t. At least it didn’t feel like it was.

      Owen silently cursed. He hated that Laney had given him any doubts about Emerson. Especially since there was no proof.

      “Addie’s fine,” Owen answered. “Francine said she would text me if Addie has any nightmares or such.” Owen cursed that, too, but this time it wasn’t silent. Because there could indeed be nightmares.

      “I’ll check on her first thing in the morning,” Emerson volunteered. “Anything else you need or want me to do?”

      Owen muttered his thanks and then nodded. “You’ll have to make a statement about Laney’s accusations.”

      Emerson gave another of those weary sighs. “I’ll come by in the morning to do that, too.”

      Owen was about to ask him to go ahead and do it now. That way, Laney couldn’t say that he’d given Emerson preferential treatment. Of course, she’d likely say that anyway. However, he didn’t even get a chance to bring it up because Kellan appeared in the doorway. One look at his brother’s face and Owen knew that something else was wrong.

      “I just got off the phone with San Antonio PD,” Kellan said, looking not at Emerson or Owen but at Laney. “They found your assistant, Joe Henshaw.” Kellan paused. “He’s dead.”

       Chapter Four

      The shock felt to Laney like arctic ice covering her body. She blinked repeatedly—hoping she had misunderstood Kellan, that this was some kind of cop trick to unnerve her. But she knew from the look in his eyes that it was the truth.

      “Oh, God.” That was all she managed to say. There wasn’t enough breath for her to add more, but the questions came immediately and started fighting their way through the veil of grief.

      “How?” she mouthed.

      Kellan’s forehead bunched up, but he spoke the words fast. “He was murdered. Two gunshot wounds to the chest. That’s all we know at this point because the ME has just started his examination.”

      Murdered. Joe had been murdered. The grief came, washing over her and going bone-deep.

      “Joe’s apartment had been ransacked,” Kellan added a moment later. “Someone was obviously looking for something.”

      “Terrance,” Laney rasped, though first, she had to swallow hard. “Joe was looking for him, and Terrance could have done this.”

      Since neither Owen or Kellan seemed surprised by that, she guessed they’d already come to the same conclusion. Good. If that snake was responsible, she wanted him to pay. But then if Terrance had killed Joe, he’d done it to get back at her.

      She was responsible.

      This time she wasn’t able to choke back the sob and Laney clamped onto her bottom lip to make sure there wasn’t another one. Sobs and tears wouldn’t help now. Not when she needed answers. Later, when Owen and Kellan weren’t around, she could fall apart.

      “The San Antonio cops found him in his apartment,” Kellan went on. “It appears someone broke in and killed him when he stepped from the shower. No defensive wounds, so it happened fast.”

      That last part was probably meant to comfort her. To let her know that Joe hadn’t suffered. But in that instant, he would have seen his attacker and known he was about to die.

      And all because of her.

      Joe had not only been looking for Terrance, he’d also been looking for the safe-deposit box with those pictures. Someone had killed him because he’d been following her orders.

      Laney groped around behind her to locate the chair because she was afraid her legs were about to give way. Owen helped with that by taking hold of her arm to help her sit. He was studying her, maybe to gauge her reaction. That was when she glanced at Emerson, who was doing the same thing.

      “I suppose you’ll say I had something to do with this, too?” Emerson snapped, his words ripe with anger.

      Laney didn’t have a comeback. Couldn’t even manage a glare for taking a swipe at her when she’d been dealt such a hard blow. But then the swipe only confirmed for her exactly what kind of person Emerson was. Not the sterling, upstanding DA of Longview Ridge. A man who was capable of striking out like that could be capable of doing other things, too. Like cheating on his wife. Of course, it was a huge leap to go from that to murder, but Laney wasn’t taking him off her very short suspect list.

      “Emerson,” Owen said, no anger in his voice, though there seemed to be a low warning, “come back tomorrow and I’ll take your statement.”

      Owen got a slight jab, too, when Emerson flicked him an annoyed glance. However, the

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