Page 105 of Pretty Poison

Were these the acts of someone who’d experienced abuse firsthand or just a selfless man? What was it Grant had said to him?We all have skeletons.Perhaps his philanthropy came from a place of guilt.

Rocky pulled up Helen’s interview and played it back. He fast-forwarded to the parts where she discussed her fights with Tess over Bob and her desire to kill him. What were the odds Grant hadn’t overheard those arguments? Had he learned that he only existed because his father had forced himself on his mother? Had Grant learned about his father pushing Tess down the stairs and causing her to go into early labor? More importantly, had Grant Duncan learned at age fifteen how easy it would be to kill the man who’d done those awful things to his mother?

Could Grant’s hostility toward the investigation stem from a fear of getting caught? Proving the man killed his father would be impossible. Rocky had no actionable proof to give to the authorities. What about the insurance policy? If Tess hadn’t forged the form, then it was someone who was looking out for her. Helen claimed she didn’t do it, and Rocky believed her. Grant had motive, and as a director for Hamilton’s company, he’d have access to the man’s signature.

Would he have let his mother go to prison? It was the only part that didn’t make sense. Was his faith in the justice system that strong? After years of working with abused kids, he had to know better. What would he have done if the jury had convicted her? Or would he have never allowed it to go that far? Rocky couldn’t imagine a scenario where Grant allowed his mother to go to prison, even if she had been the guilty one.

Rocky rested his elbows on his desk and funneled his fingers through his hair. He had so many questions but suddenly no longer wanted the answers. He set Tess’s investigation on the back burner and focused on doing deep-dive background checks on the candidates for Lillian’s board of directors.

As his dossier claimed, Grant’s background was spotless, which didn’t change the opinion solidifying in Rocky’s mind. He just didn’t know what, if anything, he was willing to do about it. Rocky had made a big dent in the stack of candidates when Trudy ran him out of the office.

He hadn’t planned to go to Grant’s house on his way home; he’d just headed there on autopilot. Instead of driving past the spooky house, Rocky parked in front of it when he spotted the silver SUV in the driveway.

Rocky hooked the leash into Fiona’s harness, and the two of them made their way to the front of the house. Grant answered on the second ring, but this time he was fully dressed. He held a paintbrush in his hand and had a smear of burgundy paint across his handsome face.

“I’ve caught you at a bad time again, I see.”

“At least I’m dressed. Who’s this?” Grant asked. He didn’t reach for her and just waited for her to react. Fiona surprised Rocky by stepping forward and sniffing his hand. She wagged her tail and nuzzled her nose against him. Fiona made a soft whining noise like when she sensed a storm brewing inside Rocky.

“This is Fiona,” he said, then formally introduced them.

“She’s beautiful.”

Rocky smiled. “Thanks. We think so.”

“I forgot you’re married.”

“And I forgot to ask how your date went that night,” Rocky countered.

Grant shook his head. “I’ve given up on men,” he said dramatically. “I’ve decided to spend my energy on fixing up this old house.” He looked at Fiona. “Maybe I should get a dog, yeah?” She just wagged her tail. Grant stepped aside and said, “Come on in. You can ask your questions while I paint, but no making fun of my awful skills.”

“Actually,” Rocky said when Grant started to turn away. “I didn’t come here to interview you.”

“Cookies?”

Rocky laughed. “No.”

“Bibles?”

Rocky shook his head.

“No vacuums either?”

“Fiona wants to hoover up food, but no,” Rocky said. “I’ve come to tell you that we’re no longer pursuing your mom’s investigation.” He hadn’t talked it over with the guys, but he knew they’d support his decision.

Grant cocked his head and studied Rocky. “Why? You were so persistent.”

This was the hard part. If Rocky told Grant precisely what he thought, he’d force the man to admit or deny his role in either his father’s death or the attempt at insurance fraud. Anything he said could incriminate him, and Rocky wasn’t looking for that. This wasn’t his cross to bear. He didn’t have to right every wrong, just the ones within his power.

Rocky wasn’t sorry Bob was dead. If given a chance, he’d dig up the man’s ashes and piss on them. As far as he could tell, Rona Danielson wasn’t a real person. Maybe her name was a combination of a romance book heroine and the nickname Mr. Miyagi gave Daniel inKarate Kid.Did it matter? Not really. If Tess, or anyone associated with her, had forged the life insurance form, they hadn’t gotten away with it. That was enough for Rocky. He thought his fictional hero, Sam Spade, would agree with him.

But he did hope Grant found some peace. If Rocky was right, this had been weighing heavily on the man’s conscience for twenty years.

He took a deep breath for fortitude and said, “You know why.”

Grant’s mouth went slack, and his eyes took on a blank expression as if his mind had left the building.

“Grant?”