Page 3 of Little Hidden Fears

“Noelle’s husband. I ran upstairs to see what all the fuss was about and found him hovering over Noelle’s body. At first, I thought she’d passed out. Dominic said she wasn’t breathing, and I called 9-1-1. Not that it mattered. She was already dead.”

“What was the cause of death?”

“She was strangled. And I ... I just can’t imagine why anyone would do something like that to her.”

The tears came fast, and Zoey shoved a hand back inside her bag, pulling out a small package of tissues. She blotted her eyes, and I waited.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“You’ve just lost a close friend. It’s understandable. Can I get you something to drink?”

“A glass of water would be nice. My throat feels like sandpaper.”

I nodded and headed for the kitchen, grabbing her a glass of water and iced tea for myself. I returned to my office and handed her the glass, and she gulped half of the water down, using her hand to wipe the excess moisture off her face.

“This past month ... it’s been hard,” she said.

“I bet.”

“Four weeks ago, I was about to get married, and then a single moment changed everything.”

“Did you postpone the wedding?”

“We did. I can’t think straight, let alone go through with the wedding right now. Lucas, my fiancé, has been great, and so supportive. If I’m being honest, I think he’s a bit relieved—about the wedding, not Noelle’s death. The truth is, I was the one pushing to get married.”

“Didn’t Lucas want to get married?”

“Oh, yeah. It’s just ... he’s been married before, and it didn’t last long. The marriage was over in less than a year, but the trauma he went through left him with emotional scars. He’d vowed never to marry again.”

“Why did he agree to give it another shot?”

“I’ve never been married before. It’s always been a dream of mine, and he knows it. The day he proposed he said he never thought he’d ever be able to love anyone enough to walk down the aisle a second time until he met me.” She looked at me, her eyes glossing over my left hand. “Are you married?”

“I was also married once before, and much like Lucas, I never planned to marry again either. Then I reunited with Giovanni, a man I went to college with, and ... well, we admitted we’vealways had feelings for each other. We’re getting married in August.”

“What a great love story.”

Indeed.

But she wasn’t here to talk about weddings.

She was here to hire me to solve her friend’s murder.

“Before the lights went out at your engagement party, how many guests were still at the house?” I asked.

She tapped a finger on the desk, thinking. “Let’s see ... including Noelle, Dominic, Lucas, and me, there were three other couples. Oh, and Kiera, Noelle’s daughter.”

“How old is her daughter?”

“She’s five. Cutest little thing you ever did see. I can’t imagine what she’s going through.”

“Where was Kiera when her mother died?”

“Upstairs, in bed.”

“Did she see or hear anything?”

“She said she didn’t.”