Page 16 of Memory of Murder (Colby Agency: The Next Generation #3)

“Oh, no,” Farrell insisted. “She’d already picked out names and nursery furniture. She said she just had to know so she could tell Neil. She was adamant that he should know the truth.”

When Anne said nothing more, Jack asked, “Mrs. Farrell, did Mary mention who the father might be if not Neil Reed?”

Another fervent shake of her head. “No. She wouldn’t talk about it.

When I asked she grew very upset…angry, even.

” She looked Jack directly in the eyes. “But I can tell you one thing for certain—Mary Morton was a good woman. Kind and loyal to a fault. Whatever happened, she didn’t mean for it to happen.

As good a person as she was, she was only human.

” Beatrice shook her head again. “Still, I cannot imagine how the situation came about. The next thing I knew, Neil was dead and Mary had been charged with his murder. I tried to see her, but they wouldn’t let me.

They said she didn’t want to see me, but I didn’t believe them. ”

“Did you tell the police about the paternity test?”

Farrell looked away. When she turned back to Anne, tears sat on her lashes. “No, I didn’t. Because I believed with all my heart that Mary would never have hurt Neil or anyone else. I wasn’t about to give them any more ammunition to use against her.”

“I’m sure she appreciated that,” Anne said softly. “Do you recall the name of the lab?”

“Well, you would think so. I stared at the brochure for several seconds. I guess I was a bit stunned. But I don’t recall the name. It’s been a long time.”

Anne nodded.

When the silence lingered, Jack pulled a business card from his pocket and passed it to the former teacher. “I hope you’ll call if you think of anything at all that might help us.”

She stared at the card a moment and nodded, then she placed it on the table. Her hand went to Anne’s. “I am so sorry if this news hurt you, but please don’t hold it against your mother. However the question of paternity came about, she suffered enough when Neil was murdered.”

“I guess I don’t understand. If Mary was such a good person, why did no one stand up for her at trial?” Anne held up a hand. “I recognize that you did by not telling the police about the paternity test, but why no one else? No other teacher? None of her other friends? No one?”

The pain in her voice and on her face twisted a knot in Jack’s gut. He had known this would be hard. But that didn’t make watching it happen any easier.

“Perhaps you don’t realize how powerful Preston Reed was at the time,” Beatrice said quietly.

“Throughout his life he has stayed behind the scenes. Never put himself out there for political office. But make no mistake—he ran things. Three days after his son was murdered, his wife had a heart attack and died. He was devastated. The rumor was that he blamed Mary for his wife’s death as well as his son’s.

No one would have dared to step on Preston’s toes.

Your mother was doomed from the moment she was charged. ”

Anne thanked Mrs. Farrell, but she didn’t say another word until they were in the car driving away.

“Is there a way to find out what lab she used?” She turned to face Jack.

“We can try.” He slowed for the upcoming turn. “The one she used may have gone out of business or been gobbled up by another one, so I wouldn’t count on finding the exact place.”

Anne sat back in her seat and chewed on her lips.

“She mentioned in the journal about an issue, but she also said that it turned out okay.” She shook her head.

“That was also the point when she mentioned her friends had basically abandoned her. It has to mean something. The trouble—the new job—all of it was somehow connected.”

“I agree, and my money is on Langston. After all, he was one of the best friends. The chances of an encounter occurring were far more likely and would certainly have created the rift between Mary and Eve.”

“Could have been another teacher,” Anne argued. “Or the principal.”

Jack shrugged. “Could have been. But schools aren’t exactly the best place for secrets.

I would bet money that someone—Mrs. Farrell, for sure—would have known if something was going on there.

” He sent Anne a sideways look. “I don’t know about you, but I got the impression Mrs. Farrell felt the incident would not have been something Mary agreed to. ”

Anne stared out her window. “Maybe she just doesn’t want to think badly of Mary.”

Jack wasn’t going any further down that road.

Although, next to money, an affair was a major motive discovered in murder investigations.

The biggest sticking point in Jack’s opinion was the fact that her closest friends, meaning the Langstons and Carin Carter Wallace, hadn’t appeared to know.

Based on the statements the three gave in court, if they had known anything else negative, it would have come out of their mouths.

Unless…it involved the future senator.

Jack’s attention shifted to the rearview mirror. A black sedan had been following them since leaving Farrell’s neighborhood.

Coincidence? Maybe.

Only one way to find out.

“Brace yourself.” Jack made a sudden right.

The tires squealed. Anne grabbed the armrest, then shot him a look. “What the heck, Jack?”

The sedan didn’t make the turn.

Jack relaxed the narrowest margin. “Almost missed my turn.” He didn’t want to worry her until he had no choice.

“Maybe next time you could give me a little more warning.”

“You got it.” But then, at the next intersection, he swore under his breath.

The black sedan had taken a right at the next block. It was back.

The driver was male. Sunglasses on.

“Brace yourself again.” Jack punched the accelerator and made a hard left.

He continued to turn here and there until he was confident the sedan wasn’t reappearing.

When he felt it was safe to slow down, he glanced at his passenger. “You up for an early dinner?”

She sent him a pointed look, her grip on the dash loosening. “If it means you’ll stop driving like a crazy person.”

He laughed. The sedan by now would be waiting for them at their hotel since he wasn’t able to keep up. “Sorry about that, but we had a tail, and I wanted to give him a hard time.”

She groaned. “They’re already watching us?”

“They are. Actually, I’m surprised it took this long.” He flashed her a smile. “But this is good.”

Anne made a face. “If you say so.”

“It means they’re worried,” he explained. “If they had nothing to hide they wouldn’t be worried.”

She turned to him, and a smile spread across her pretty face. “You’re right. This is good.”