Page 73 of Chance of a Lifetime

“About?”

So, he still wanted to pretend nothing was wrong. Well, too bad. She was sick of the secrecy. Something was eating at him, and before the day was over, she was going to get to the bottom of it. “Okay, let’s start with Isabelle Horvath. You were glaring at her like she kicks puppies or something.”

Liam scoffed. “I did not care for her at all. She’s a vain, petty, jealous woman. Like a shallow aristocrat sitting in her flashy house, full of overblown self-importance. A shrew is a shrew, no matter how finely dressed.” He slumped in his seat and added, “No amount of money can hide that.”

“Geez. Tell me how you really feel,” Cora said. When he continued to scowl, she asked, “Do you think she could’ve killed him?”

“No. She’s the size of a teacup, and John was a big man. The killer would have to be someone with considerable strength. Character flaws aside, I don’t see her as the murderer.”

“I don’t, either, but we can’t rule her out just yet. I’m curious to see what Captain Thompson finds out from Mrs. Brady today, now that they’ve identified the possible murder weapon.”

Liam grunted something in acknowledgment and Cora could practically feel the tension rolling off him in waves.

“You have to tell me what’s going on,” she blurted in frustration.

“Nothing’s going on, Cora.” He stared out the window. The trees grew so close together along the highway, it was like driving through a tunnel of green leaves and dappled sunlight. Liam’s knee bounced up and down and he wouldn’t look at her. “Trust me, I’m fine.”

Trust him? She almost laughed. Sitting there with his fist clenched tightly around his phone and his jaw set, he couldn’t have appeared less fine. “How about you trust me?” she countered. “If there’s something going on, maybe I can help.”

“I do trust you,” he said with feeling.

Finally, an answer she believed. “Then why won’t you talk to me?”

Liam’s mouth opened like he was going to speak, then he changed his mind.

Cora’s phone rang again, and this time when she answered, Captain Thompson’s voice boomed through the car like angry thunder. “Where are you?”

“We’re just a few minutes away,” Cora said in alarm. “What’s going on, Captain?”

“A hell of a lot. I want you and Liam in my office the minute you get here, do you understand?”

“Yes.” He hung up before she had a chance to ask anything further. She looked at Liam in confusion. “I wonder what that was about?”

When he didn’t respond, she lapsed into silence, mulling through Isabelle’s interview in her head. If everything Isabelle said was true, then John had been in emotional turmoil that night. He’d told Isabelle he was going to get something that would make it up to her. According to Mrs. Brady’s account, several pieces of very expensive jewelry had been stolen. Maybe John drove home, knowing Margaret was away at her sister’s place for the night, and he intended to bring Isabelle some of that jewelry. But if that’s what he’d tried to do, why did he end up dead in his own house?