Page 147 of Family Affair

She schooled her features into a calm expression. “It’s quite normal to feel distressed when someone passes away, Detective.”

“The manner of her death was not natural. Did you know why she died?”

“I heard she overdosed on some medicine.”

“Deliberately so. A suicide, even though the family went to great length to conceal that fact.” It was a bait to gauge Coco’s reaction, to see if she already knew.

She didn’t take it and only raised her eyebrows to indicate she heard him.

Equally expressionless, he continued, “Mrs. Sheffield is the latest person from Cade’s inner circle who left us before her time.”

“She was his mother, but I’m not sure they were close enough for an inner circle,” Coco felt compelled to point out. “Please let me pass.”

Fat chance.

“I’ll have a moment longer of your time, if I may.” It wasn’t a request. “I’d be obliged to hear your take on a relationship Maureen Sheffield had with her son Cade.”

“I already told you, I don’t think they were close. Cade hardly mentioned her.”

“WhatdidCade mention to you?” Smirnoff’s kindly eyes were very, very keen.

Belatedly, Coco realized he’d managed to trip her into revealing her continued interactions with Cade.

Anger stirred. “Cade mentioned that he was grateful for my agreement to corroborate his alibi and apologized for the scene that happened at the station. There really isn’t more to the story.” It was an outward lie, and Coco though idly that she was now one ofthem, a keeper of secrets. Once you keep one, you can’t stop sliding down that slippery slope. “If you had seen my farce of an identification procedure through instead of passing the buck to Detective Willis, you could have asked me your questions at the station. Now, take it up with him to compare notes.”

Smirnoff’s face acquired a regretful expression. “Detective Willis is no longer able to continue the investigation, I’m afraid.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. A very unfortunate development. He compromised his integrity by conducting clandestine meetings with Cade Sheffield. Off record.” Smirnoff rocked on his heels, his eyes scrutinizing Coco. “Naturally, he is off the case on the grounds of unethical investigative practices. He’s in big trouble, if I might add. He’s been suspended.”

Coco’s calm countenance slipped. “What? Detective Willis?” Did Cade know about it? He must, if he and Willis were consistently in touch. “I’m sure the meetings were part of Detective Willis’s strategy to catch Cade,” she said for Smirnoff’s benefit.

He chuckled. “Detective Willis puts too much stock into Cade Sheffield’s profile as a decorated war hero. A military man himself, Jack’s too quick to trust a fellow veteran. But I’ve dealt with criminals for more years that Jack’s been alive. Straight and narrow folks can turn to the life of crime for any reason. Teachers. Doctors. Clergy. I’ve seen it happen too many times to put faith into someprofile.”

“You have no basis to suspect Cade, profile or not.”

Some of her vehemence showed, and Detective Smirnoff chuckled in satisfaction. “I see you feel strongly about Cade, but you’re wrong. I have plenty of reasons to suspect him. We both know he didn’t turn up in Atlanta just for the 4th of July.” Smirnoff gave her this knowing look, like he and Coco shared an inside joke.

They didn’t.

“I told you before that it was only my assumption, but I have no reason to think differently.”

“We analyzed Ward Williamson’s phone records. Guess whose number he called twice in the week leading up to June twenty-fifth, the day Cade came to Atlanta?”

Coco maintained a stubborn silence.

“Yes, Cade Sheffield’s. And the calls were picked up. Cade and Williamson did talk on the phone, that’s a fact. So you see, Ms. Milroy, Cade has not been honest with us. But you probably already know that, don’t you?”

“That’s another baseless assumption on your part.”

He shook a finger at her like she was in grade school. “You know more than you let on. No, don’t deny it. We still can’t completely count out Ward Williamson’s neighbor who believes he saw you coming to the preacher’s house.”

“Ward Williamson’s neighbor is not right in the head.”

“And how do you know that, Ms. Milroy?”

Damn him, he caught her again. She couldn't tell him about meeting Virgil in person for it would lead to revealing the whole story. She was the keeper of secrets now. “Jack Willis told me.”