Page 75 of Accidental Murder

Megan wondered how much of her investigation she would need to reveal in order to gain his cooperation. A lot, she suspected, judging by his cool gaze. “There are a couple of suspicious deaths we’re looking into that might be linked to your niece’s murder. For one, Sara Simmons?—”

“Committed suicide.”

Megan waited for him to add more. He didn’t. So she didn’t, either. Two could play the strong and silent game.

Macintyre broke the stalemate. “What a tragedy. Everyone assumed Sara was happy. She was a woman of superior intelligence. She had a beautiful daughter. A loving husband.”

“Sara’s husband wasn’t sure about his wife’s mental health. According to him, she had been remote and distant to her child.”

“Sara could be consumed by her projects.” Macintyre drank some of his coffee.

“Had she been working on something that might have driven her over the edge?”

“Not at Wilkerson.”

Megan wondered if his insider knowledge of Sara Simmons’s work habits had been revealed in the bedroom. Did she have the right to ask? Sure she did. The doctor’s name had cropped up three times in the investigation. “Taylor Simmons claimed his wife was having an affair. There are rumors you and she were intimate.”

“Me and Sara? What a bunch of rot.” He barked a laugh. “She was a colleague whom I admired very much. But involved? Us? Ridiculous. And if you don’t mind my asking, what, if anything, does this have to do with my niece? Are you getting any closer to solving her murder?”

“We—”

“You had a suspect and he’s dead.”

Megan nodded solemnly.

“You mentioned there were suspicious deaths other than Sara’s,” the doctor said. “Who?”

“An archaeologist client of Kayla’s had an allergic reaction to soy on Wednesday.”

“That’s a shame.”

“But because of the timing, both deaths look?—”

“Fishy.”

Megan hated how he kept cutting in. “Yes.”

“Why are you investigating Sara’s death?” Macintyre asked. “That’s outside your domain, isn’t it? She died in Redwood City.”

“RCPD and SFPD are cooperating.” Megan pushed her cup of coffee away, irritated by how she’d let this interview get away from her. “Dr. Simmons didn’t leave a note.”

“She jumped off a bridge!” Macintyre slapped the table. “From what I heard, her BMW was the only car there. There were no other tracks, no signs leading to foul play. Plus she died before Kayla. Sara’s death has no relation at all to my niece’s death. Move on.”

The good doctor was right. Sara had died first. Another theory popped into Megan’s head. What if Kayla’s death was related to Sara’s and not the other way around? “Sir, I’m going to ask again. What was your relationship to Sara Simmons?”

Macintyre stood up. “You’re insufferable. She and I were colleagues. And for your information, she was not having an affair with anyone. She adored her husband. She would never do anything to hurt him.”

“Except kill herself.”

Macintyre stiffened. “If you have nothing further, I have a meeting.”

At a bar?Megan wanted to ask but squelched the urge. She forced a smile. “Thank you for your time.”

He left, and she bussed their cups to the garbage.

Someone gripped her arm. Sara pivoted and regarded the woman. She was the pretty redheaded nurse who had been sitting with a group of nurses at a nearby table.

“Ma’am, you’re a policeman, right?” the redhead asked, her voice frothy.