Page 35 of The Perfect Hosts
“I’ll walk him out, Sully,” Mia says. “And I’ll come back with an iced tea for you.”
Once outside, Mia pauses in front of the koi pond. “Did you know koi can go all winter long without eating? Once the water temperature hits about fifty degrees, their metabolism comes to a stop, and they hang out at the bottom of the pond until spring. Wish my metabolism worked that way.”
Jamie senses that Mia wants to talk about more than fish, so he waits her out. She examines her cast, flexes her fingers. “You know, it’s not us you should be looking at,” she finally says. “There are a lot of people who hate Wes Drake.”
“Yeah?” Jamie says, keeping his eyes on the sleek, long-bodied fish undulating through the water. “Why’s that?”
“Wes is a big flirt,” Mia says, and Jamie looks up. “Let’s just say that not too many husbands would dare leave their wives alone with him,” Mia says resolutely. “And the ones who have would like nothing more than to see Wes Drake blown to bits.”
“Seems like a pretty extreme reaction to infidelity,” Jamie says.
Mia shrugs and glances down at Jamie’s ring finger. “How would you feel if your wife was screwing one of the richest, most handsome men in town?”
“I wouldn’t like it,” Jamie admits. “But I wouldn’t resort to committing a federal crime and murder an innocent woman in the process. Do any of these husbands have names?”
Mia hesitates.
“Mrs. Preston, if you have any information that might help us solve a murder,” Jamie says, “I suggest you tell me now.”
“Rumor has it that Johanna Monaghan was having an affair.” Mia looks toward the house anxiously. “And you didn’t hear this from me, but lots of people think she was sleeping with Wes.”
Jamie tries not to show his surprise. So the midwife was screwing her best friend’s husband. “We’ll look into it,” Jamie promises. “So did Wes ever try and hit on you?”
Mia gives a half-smile and nods. “Of course he did. The man’s shameless.”
“But you didn’t go for it?”
“Hell no, I’m not stupid,” Mia says and laughs. “Wes might be one of the richest men in the county, but I’m married to the richest. I’d have too much to lose. Besides, if I had an affair with Wes Drake, that might be something Sully would kill over.”
Chapter 15
Madeline
Madeline pulls herself away from the window and moves to their home office—a spacious area with large windows that provide plenty of natural light and another stunning view of the mountains. She takes a seat behind the desk made from reclaimed barn board and taps the mouse, bringing the computer to life. She logs into their business email account and is greeted with a flood of messages. Her stomach drops when she clicks the most recent email.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Drake,
My name is Adrian Sheehan, and I’m a journalist with theABC World News Tonight, and I would...
Madeline hits Delete. After seeing the news helicopters flying overhead, she should have known this was coming. She deletes several more interview requests from MSNBC, CNN, Reuters, and the Associated Press. Anxiety twists her gut with the realization that the story has gone national.
There are also emails from friends, business contacts, and the equestrian riders she helps train, asking what happened and whether they are okay. There’s an email from Sully Preston letting them know that Mia has a broken wrist, and that hehopes that Wes, Madeline, and the baby are okay, that Dix turns up safe and sound. The words Sully chose, at first glance, seem innocuous, but Madeline can’t help sensing an undercurrent of contempt. She shivers and wonders if Agent Saldano has spoken with Sully and Mia yet.
Absent-mindedly, she clicks on another email.
I’d like to be able to say I’m sorry for what happened to you, but I’m not. You got what you deserved, and I’m just sorry everything didn’t burn to the ground right along with you and your baby.
Madeline pushes back from the desk as if slapped. It’s from an email address she’s not familiar with, and it’s unsigned.
The house is quiet. Too quiet. She turns on the television and is met with a panel of women discussing a huge, blown-up photo from the gender reveal. In one hand Wes is holding his rifle in the air and the other is resting on Madeline’s pregnant belly. They are both smiling broadly while the crowd behind them is clapping and cheering. The headline above the photo readsGender Reveal Celebration Turns Deadly.
Before Madeline can change the channel, a video appears on the screen that shows Wes and Madeline both aiming the rifle at the old truck in the meadow and pulling the trigger, followed by two explosions, one after the other, the second knocking the videographer and his camera to the ground. Screams and cries fill the smoky air until the video blessedly fades to black but then is replayed, this time in slow motion. The video credit readsBrady Lipton. Brady works at their bank in Nightjar. She wonders how much money he got for the exclusive video. The panel discussion ping-pongs from the obsession with traditional gender norms to the wastefulness of the top two percent to a demand for accountability, including filing murder charges against the father- and mother-to-be.
Madeline frantically presses the Off button. Instant villains. That’s all anyone is looking for anymore. What about the threatening email or Sully Preston? She has to tell Agent Saldano about the emails. She rushes to the kitchen and finds the business card he gave them. She stares at it a long time before deciding to wait for Wes to get home.
From below comes a dull pounding, and it takes a moment for Madeline to realize that someone is knocking on the back door. She hurries from the room and shuts the door tightly behind her, half expecting to find Lucy standing there, arms folded, but the hallway is empty. Madeline carefully navigates the steps, holding the railing with one hand and her belly with the other. Has the baby dropped? Johanna had explained that when this happens, it can mean the baby will be coming soon. A pang of grief so sharp nearly sweeps Madeline’s legs out from beneath her. How will she get through the rest of this pregnancy, labor, and the birth without Johanna? Johanna was her only friend, her confidante, and she had come to rely on her so completely in the past several months. Of course she has Wes, but female friendship is different. There is a knowing, a comfort, and a connection that only sisters of the soul can have, and Johanna was that sister.
The knocking continues, and Madeline picks up her pace. Breathing heavily, she opens the door, and standing in front of her is Mellie Bauer, dressed in the same type of scrubs the hospital had given her. She tries to hold back her surprise, but it must be written all over her face because Mellie is instantly contrite.