Page 38 of Accidental Murder

“Shouldn’t you be there?”

“The art speaks for itself. It either sells or it doesn’t. I have a rep.” Peter shoved his hands into his pockets. “He’s optimistic.”

Silence fell between them.

Kayla broke it. “I need you to leave.”

He blanched.

She wished she could make him feel better, but she couldn’t. Not now. She went to the foyer and unbolted the front door.

He followed, shuffling his feet. Before exiting, he turned. “Goodbye, Ash. I’m sorry for not being what you want.”

Kayla watched him descend the stairs, closed the door, and rested her head against the cool wood to find her composure.

A minute later, there was a rap on the door. She swept the door open, expecting to see Peter. She recoiled when she saw Dennis, his cheeks ruddy and gaze dark. He tugged at the collar of his windbreaker and let his arms fall to his sides.

“Captain, is there something I can do for you?” she asked icily.

“I was in the neighborhood and wanted to make sure you were all right.”

Her anxiety skyrocketed. Dennis must have seen Peter leaving and waited for him to drive away before approaching.

“I’m fine. Thank you for stopping by. Good night.” She tried to close the door, but Dennis propped a hand against it. Hot anger crawled up her neck. She urged herself to remain calm.

“Your uncle,” he said.

“What about him?”

“He contacted me. He thinks we should question the blind date Kayla met.”

“Makes sense.”

“I think so, too.” He shifted feet, clearly at a loss. “It’s amazing how much you look and sound like her.”

“We were identical twins.” She gave the door a nudge, but Dennis resisted.

“I loved her. She never understood how much. If there was anything I could do to bring her back . . .” He shook his head. “I . . . I . . .” Unable to finish, he studied his shoes for a moment before gazing again into her eyes.

Kayla couldn’t believe it. Dennis had never groped for words. She might have assumed it was an act, but she couldn’t detect a hint of deceit in his face. She saw grief. Pure unadulterated grief. Did that mean he was innocent? “I appreciate that, Captain. Good night.”

“If you ever want to talk, call me.” He slid a hand into his pocket.

Kayla tensed. Was he going for a gun? A knife?

He pulled out a business card and handed it to her. Without another word, he retreated down the steps and lumbered to his Corvette.

Kayla closed and bolted the door. Pulse racing, she hurried into the living room and peeked outside. Dennis hadn’t driven off. He was sitting in the driver’s seat of his car. He lit a cigarette and blew out a stream of smoke.

When she checked again five minutes later, he was still there, the hot glow of his cigarette acting like a beacon.

She shuddered. Was he there to protect her, or was he waiting for her to drop her guard?

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Even though Dennishad driven off, Kayla was edgy later on. She fumbled everything she touched. Copying the client files from each of the thumb drives into folders on the new laptop was taking forever because of all the miscues she was typing on the keyboard. Once she completed the task, she created a data mining program to search each file for keywords:secret,clandestine,covert,murder, death, ordrugs,and the phrases:eyes onlyorpersonal.

Knowing the search could take all night, she decided she needed another project to hold her attention. She picked up Ashley’s laptop from the desk, set it on the opposite side of the bed, and searched the Internet for information about crimes by strangulation. How strong did someone have to be?