Page 6 of Last Seen Alive

Trent went to the end of the driveway and waited for her to catch up.

“What’s going on? Ryan and Hudson have been assigned the case?” she blurted out.

He nodded, wishing he’d had the chance to break it to Amanda before they arrived.

“Crap.”

“You must see that you’re close to this one.”

“Seriously?” She glared at him, her mouth tightening.

He hated being at odds with Amanda; her fiery temper lived up well to the stereotype assigned to redheads. But there were times he needed to stand his ground. He even thought she admired him when he did. “You must see it? You are involved with Logan, and the dead woman was his wife.”

“You make it sound like we’re together.”

“Well, aren’t you?” he fired back.

Her cheeks went a bright red.

“Even if it was only for tonight, Amanda, you and Logan have a history. But can I ask you this, do you really know him?”

“I dated him for a few months.”

“Then you know everything about his relationship with his wife? What went wrong, for instance?” He waited, but she didn’t respond. Not in words, anyhow. Her body language and facial expression were saying plenty. She’d crossed her arms and her lips were pressed together, the corner of her mouth angled downward. Closed off, defensive. “And that’s a no.”

“Trent, just stay out of it.”

“Listen, this is a mess.”

“You don’t think I know that? His ex-wife is in there—”

“Ex? I thought they were still married?” His mind went immediately to the gold wedding band on the woman’s finger, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it to Amanda just yet. Besides, she may have noticed it for herself. Why pour salt on her wound?

“They are… but he hasn’t seen her in a very long time.”

“How long?”

“I don’t know… a few years.”

“A guess then? You don’t really know?”

“I just admitted that much.”

“Then, how do you know what’s happened here—with absolute certainty?”

“I don’t, but no one does yet.”

“Logan might.”

“If he killed her, yeah, but he didn’t.”

“And you know that for sure?”

“You know what?” She threw her arms in the air. “I’m done talking.” She left him standing there and returned to Logan.

The detectives were gone now, probably having entered the home to look around. A van from Crime Scene pulled up and parked, and investigators unloaded with their gear. Trent watched them, but his mind was on Amanda. What the hell sort of mess had she gotten herself mixed up in?

FOUR