Page 26 of Pretty Poison

You love me,Felix fired back.Everything okay?

Rocky assured Felix he was fine and gave him a quick explanation of why Asher had shown up with a duffel bag in hand. There’s no way Marla missed that detail or left it out of her story, although she might have embellished it a bit.

We still on for breakfast?Felix asked.

Absolutely.

See you then. Gotta run. Dinner’s ready.

Rocky started to tell Felix to pass his greetings on to Jude, but his avatar disappeared before he got a chance.Fucking Felix.

He pulled up the file notes for Tess and scanned over the detailed timeline he’d created, which dated back to the late sixties when Tess, an army nurse, met Bob Duncan, an army pilot. The couple married within a year of returning to the States and started a family soon after. Since none of Tess’s or Bob’s friends, families, or coworkers were willing to speak to them, Rocky had been forced to rely on public records, employment history, property searches, and printed articles about the couple. The latter mostly came after the third husband passed away, and rumors circulated that Tess had killed all three husbands.

Bob’s obituary didn’t state the exact reason he’d died, but the family had requested donations be made to the American Heart Society. Since anyone could request a death certificate, Rocky had ordered Bob’s, which listed congestive heart failure as the cause of his death.

Very little was known about her marriage to Donald Trout, aka husband number two. The only thing Rocky found was his obituary notice in the paper. It didn’t say much about the couple and had only identified Tess as his surviving spouse. Rocky had uncovered their marriage certificate. The couple married fifteen years after Bob Duncan died and were still married when Donald Trout died nearly two years later. Rocky had obtained a copy of Mr. Trout’s death certificate too, which stated his cause of death was advanced stage COPD.

Tess married Arnold Hamilton four years later. She stayed off everyone’s radar until Jennifer Blossom, the claims adjuster, declared the beneficiary change form was a forgery. Previously, his policy was to be paid out to his four adult children. The alleged fraudulent form included a payout for Tess. Arnold Hamilton wasn’t just an average citizen. He owned one of the largest trucking companies in the Southeast, with assets totaling in the billions, not millions.

The couple had only been married for a year before Arnold’s death, and he hadn’t changed his will to include Tess. Jennifer had explained to Rocky that all large life insurance payouts are closely scrutinized before the company releases the funds. During their interview, she acknowledged a person’s handwriting changes over the years, especially when age or illnesses contribute to shakiness. She even went as far as to say she would’ve paid out the claim had her company not received an anonymous tip alleging that the witness on the form was a fictional person.

When Jennifer dug further, she uncovered it was true. No one by that name resided at the address provided and never had. The phone number listed on the form was also a dead end. Jennifer then delayed releasing the funds and hired a handwriting expert, who compared recent known samples of Arnold Hamilton’s signature to the one on the beneficiary change form. It was close, but even Rocky suspected it was forged. That didn’t mean Tess was the one who’d done it, but both the insurance company and a federal prosecutor hadn’t felt the same way. They’d determined Tess was the only one to gain from the fraudulent act and pursued a conviction.

A case is only as strong as the evidence presented to the jury, and the prosecutor’s case had been as shaky as Bambi’s legs during his first time on the ice. Rocky hadn’t been surprised by the hung jury or the subsequentnot guiltyverdict. Rocky had no way of knowing whether Tess was innocent or guilty, but no one should be sent to prison on such flimsy evidence.

Rocky sat back in his chair and thought about what he knew, which wasn’t a lot, and what he didn’t, which was a fuck ton. Then he pulled out a legal pad and a pen from his middle desk drawer. He wanted to form a backup plan if he couldn’t convince Grant Duncan to help him, so he started by making a list. His top strategy was to contact lawyers from both sides of the aisle. The prosecutor and the defense attorney were rising stars and probably had big ambitions. Saying no to publicity wasn’t likely. The second option was a road trip to Augusta, where Tess had lived with Bob, and to Albany, where she’d lived with Donald. He’d knock on the doors of anyone who knew the couples. Coworkers. Neighbors. Friends. Family. He’d find out who was the nosiest person in their circles and hit them up.

Rocky paused to think of another alternative to speaking to Tess herself but lost his train of thought when he heard Asher moving around in the bathroom, which abutted his office. When the shower turned on, Rocky pushed his chair back from his desk so hard he crashed it into the wall behind him, rattling the bookcase. He heard a soft thump and looked down to see his battered old copy ofThe Maltese Falconhad fallen off the shelf and onto the floor.

Rocky saw it as a sign and logged out of his program before exiting his office. He’d get nothing accomplished with Asher showering. Rocky wouldn’t be able to stop himself from thinking about how Asher looked wet. He grabbed his battered paperback off the floor and headed outside to enjoy the evening. Children’s laughter carried on the breeze, joining the birds serenading him. He dropped down in the chaise and closed his eyes, willing serenity and peace to find him.

Control what you can. Let the rest go.

Isn’t that what Karen was teaching him? After several rounds of mindful meditation, the heaviness in his chest eased up, and his body felt more relaxed.

I got this.

It was his last conscious thought until a noise jarred him awake sometime later. He blinked in the dark, trying to figure out what had woken him and why his body was so stiff. The second question was easy to answer when he remembered lounging on the chaise after dinner. The chair was comfortable for short reprieves but couldn’t replace a bed.

What the hell had woken him?

The clouds shifted, allowing a sliver of moonlight to wash over his yard and deck. That was when Rocky saw the shadowy silhouette of a huge man standing over him.

“Fuck!” Rocky shouted as he jackknifed into a sitting position. His outburst triggered barking from a few dogs in the neighborhood.

“It’s just me, Ford,” Asher whispered. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“Why were you hovering over me while I slept?” Rocky grumbled as he rose to his feet. “And you didn’t startle me. I recognized your shadow right away.”

“Why’d you let out the girlie scream, then?” Asher asked.

Once Rocky’s eyes adjusted to the dark, he noticed Asher held a familiar aluminum foil container in his hands. It provided him with the perfect explanation for his outburst. “I smelled butter and cinnamon.Mycinnamon rolls, to be more precise.”

“Oh,” Asher said. “Since we’re married, half of these rolls are mine.”

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Rocky asked, marching toward his husband. “First, you turn my whole world upside down by moving to my city, and now you’ve helped yourself to the baked goods my friend made for me.”

Asher retreated a few steps but not out of fear. Rocky saw the brilliance of his white teeth flashing in the dark. The smug son of a bitch was smiling over Rocky’s irritation. “Your friend liked me, and I don’t think she’d mind you sharing your cinnamon rolls.” Asher took another bite and moaned. “That’s not really the issue here, though, is it?”