Page 13 of Wild Fever

Given the nature of his employer, that wasn't unusual.

“Did the security staff from the company elaborate on the issue they were dealing with?”

Janice shook her head. "Nobody with the company ever says much. It's all cloak and dagger. Always has been.”

"Where are your children?”

"Chad is at football practice, and Felicity is at a piano and voice lesson."

"How old are your children?" I asked.

"Chad is 17, almost 18. Felicity just turned 16.” Her eyes filled with sadness again. "They're going to be devastated. I don't know how I'm going to tell them.”

It was a task I didn't envy.

"Did they both have good relationships with their father?"

Janice nodded. "Preston was a great dad.” Her eyes filled again, and she blotted them dry. "I don't know what to make of this affair. I'm just having a hard time understanding why he would do something like that to me.” Her throat tightened, and her eyes filled, bouncing from one emotion to the next. “We met in high school. We’ve been together ever since. He's the only man I’ve ever loved.” She could barely finish the sentence before losing it again.

She sobbed into the tissue.

"I'd like to talk to some of Preston's friends,” I said. “People he might have confided in. Can you give me names?"

I had no doubt that Janice would be on the phone with Preston's friends as soon as we left, grilling them about the potential affair.

“You should talk to Dave Calhoun,” she said. “They’re golfing buddies. That's who he was supposed to be with today. I sure have some questions for him." Rage brewed in her weepy eyes.

"I bet you do. Do you have contact information for him?”

She nodded, wiped away the tears, and found her phone. I gave her a card, and she texted me Dave's information.

In a casual voice, I asked, "Have you been here all afternoon?”

"I went out and ran some errands. I picked up some stuff at the grocery store, then I dropped by the salon to get some product."

"What time was that?”

Janice thought for a moment. "Oh, I guess that was around noon. I got back here about 2 o'clock. Maybe 2:30 PM.”

I thanked her again and offered our condolences, then JD and I showed ourselves out. We stepped onto the veranda and made our way back to the Porsche.

"You think she knew about the affair?" JD asked.

"She sure seemed surprised by the news.”

"Maybe that was all an act. I mean, what better way to kill your husband than hire someone who looks like his girlfriend to go to his boat and blow his brains out?”

I gave him a doubtful look.

He shrugged innocently. "I know, it's a stretch. It sounds crazy. But we’ve come across crazier scenarios.”

We hopped into the Porsche and set out for STT-X. I had plenty of questions.

10

STT-X had a futuristic office building not far from the beach on the north side of the island. As one would imagine, the compound was highly secure. A chain-link fence topped with concertina wire surrounded the facility, and a guard booth with a candy cane gate kept unwanted visitors at bay.

Jack pulled up to the booth and flashed his badge.