Page 39 of Three Girls Gone

“Yet, it seems Nick Potter was,” Amanda pointed out.

“The exception. We were friends before he came to work with me.”

“All right, so no employee has dropped off any papers after hours or other such things?” Trent asked. He had his tablet out now and was making notes on it.

“No. When I come home, I shut business off.”

“That can’t be easy when you’re the owner.” Shehad a hard time separating work from home, and she was a cog in the machine.

“It’s not, but it’s necessary and only fair that I be present with those I love.”

“Any new friends or acquaintances?” She hadn’t missed that he hadn’t answered this part yet.

He shook his head.

“Fair enough,” she said. “Do you know if your wife made any new connections?”

“My wife and I have open communication. If she had, she would have shared that with me.”

“And no workmen around the house going back to the fall?” She reiterated her question from a moment ago. They’d asked about maintenance people on their first visit but not with consideration to the revised timeline.

“It’s a rather new house, so no.”

“What about strangers to the door, offering to do yardwork even? One of them could have gotten into the house.” She felt like she was really grasping, but she had to do what she could to get Vincent thinking.

“I work long and unpredictable hours. Jean is busy with her friends and charities, but she never mentioned anyone. Mara might be the best to ask about laborers turning up.”

“We will be talking to her again,” Amanda said.

“Again? Then you already know that she has nothing to do with what happened to Hailey.”

“She’s not a suspect at this time. But what about new hobbies you and your wife may have taken up? Any exercise classes or new charity causes?” Thinking the killer was wrapped up in a goodwill organization sliced at her humanity, but evil knew no bounds.

“No.” Vincent didn’t meet her gaze, and his eyes had this blank quality to them.

He was probably consumed with guilt. Any respectablehusband and father took the role of family protector seriously. But he had failed to keep Hailey safe, and that must sting, even if it wasn’t really his fault. “I’d like to ask about your parents?—”

“Don’t tell me you suspect they’re involved somehow?”

She gave him a tight smile. “Not where I was heading with that question, but do they live local?”

“Yes.”

“Do they ever come sit with Hailey or invite people into the home?” she asked, getting to the point of her interest in the older couples.

“They come over the odd time to watch Hailey.”

“When was the last time?” Trent asked.

“Last summer? Before that? I can’t remember. They’re usually here when Jean and I are home.”

“Okay, thank you, Mr.Tanner,” she said. “We’ll be in touch if we have any further questions or information to share.”

Vincent nodded but remained seated.

Amanda and Trent saw themselves out, and back in the car, Trent turned to Amanda. “Off to speak with Mara Bennett again?”

“Seems like the right next step to me.”