Page 32 of Little Hidden Fears

“She did, and Noelle even told me the man’s name, but no matter how much I’ve thought about it, I can’t recall it.”

“You know it’s a man. That’s something.”

Was it possible Noelle had confronted the man?

If she had, and if she’d said something like he needed to turn himself in or she would do it for him, it was a perfect motive for murder.

Zoey’s phone made a dinging sound, and she grabbed it, reading the text message she’d just received. A few seconds later, she shot out of her chair, saying, “I gotta go. Lucas wants to meet.”

“Good luck.”

“Hey, thanks, I need it. And about earlier ... will you apologize to your coworkers for me? I was a bit snippy with them when I first arrived.”

I nodded. “Will do.”

CHAPTER 13

Simone poked her head inside the door, her eyes darting around.

“You two can come in,” I said. “Zoey’s gone, and she apologized about her behavior.”

Simone breathed a sigh of relief and entered the office.

Hunter followed close behind.

Both ladies walked to my office and sat down.

“So ... how did it go?” Simone asked.

“Better than you think. It took some time, but I got her to calm down.”

“How?”

“She asked if we had any gin, and I found a bottle in your office. I made her one drink. Hope that’s okay.”

Simone swished a hand through the air. “Yeah, sure. Whatever works. What was her deal, anyway?”

“She found out about Dominic right before she came here, and she was already having a bad start to her morning. Her fiancé pulled the plug on their wedding last night.”

“Why?”

“I get the feeling Zoey’s been erratic since Noelle died. I’m sure it’s been hard for him to handle. He did text her while she was here, though, and asked to meet, so maybe there’s still hope for the two of them.”

Hunter nodded, folding her arms as she leaned back in the chair. “Let’s talk about the case. What can you tell us about it?”

I told them about the engagement party, the power outage, and Noelle’s murder. Then I talked about my visit with Dominic and what we discussed before his suicide.

When I finished, Simone shook her head. “Man, I feel so bad for the child. Both parents dying so close together. How’s she doing?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to check in on her. I’m planning on doing it today.”

“Who’s the girl with, do you know?”

“Noelle’s mother. She lives in town.”

“Have you met with Silas about Noelle?”

“I have.”