Page 117 of The Body in the Backyard

Bella lowered her magazine, her eyes looking slightly less cartoon puppy without the fake lashes and troweled-on makeup. “Do you have any idea how hard it is to book appointments here? I had to schedule this trip six months ago, and I already had to cancel my seaweed body wrap and sugar scrub this afternoon for our interview. I’m not canceling the rest of it just because Griffin didn’t get hurt.”

“What interview?”

“Didn’t Griffin tell you? Channel 50 is doing a special interview with us about our harrowing experiences.”

“Yeah, you look real harrowed.” Nick took an irritated sip and nearly choked on the thick sweet liquid. “What the hell?” He scowled down at the cup.

“That’s the hot cocoa. Isn’t it divine?”

“Tell me why you shouldn’t be my number one suspect right now,” he said, then hazarded another taste of the cocoa. It was good. Really good.

“Because I love him and I would never ever want to hurt my Griffy Wiffy Bear.”

“Errrr!” Nick made the buzzer sound.

“Shhhhh!” hissed the woman with the e-reader.

“Sorry. Sorry,” he whispered. “Wrong answer.”

“Fine. If you don’t want to believe that Griffin and I are in love, believe this. He is worth more to me alive than dead. His family won’t let him add me to his will or life insurance policy or bank accounts until the marriage is official. If something happens to him before we get married, I get zip-a-dee-doo-dah.”

“There are other reasons besides money to hire someone to commit murder.”

“Well, none of those reasons apply to me.” She haughtily turned a page in her magazine with glossy pink nails. “I’ve worked hard to get where I am today. I’m not about to let someone with a grudge and a few hired guns ruin all my plans.”

“Really? How is hiding away at a spa going to help keep your fiancé alive?”

“You’re the one who’s supposed to be keeping him alive. That’s what rich people do. They hire not-rich people to solve their problems.”

“I’d be more inclined to make sure he doesn’t get his ass murdered if I knew he’d actually pay when this is all over.”

“I can make sure that happens,” Bella insisted earnestly.

“Yeah. Right. I’ll believe that when I see it.”

“Fine. What if I help you in another way?”

“If you even think about hitting on me right now, I’m dumping this cocoa on you and telling everyone you touched my no-no spot,” he warned.

She rolled her eyes. “You want to be paid, and I want this wedding to happen. We’re on the same side. I can give you information.”

“What kind of information?” Nick asked.

“What do you want to know?”

“Griffin’s medical leave. Tell me about it.”

She hesitated before answering. “He was in a car accident, and then he couldn’t work for almost three weeks.”

“I’m not buying that you’re as dumb as you pretend to be. And I’m sure as hell not as dumb as you think I am.”

“I’m telling you the truth. There was an accident.”

“When?”

She tapped a fingernail to her chin. “I remember it was May because I hadn’t switched to my humidity tamer hairspray yet. He had to go away for some kind of special treatment. What does that have to do with someone trying to shoot him?”

“What kind of treatment? Did he leave the country?”