Page 21 of Wild Wolf

"What were you trying to get open?"

His brow wrinkled again. "Look, what's with the ridiculous questions? I told you, I was here all night. My girlfriend can verify that. I didn't kill my ex-wife. Although, I had plenty of reasons. I think I’d be justified if I did."

That probably wasn’t the best thing to say to law enforcement during a murder investigation.

"Can you think of anybody else who may have wanted your wife dead?"

Grant chuckled. "Can I! Look, Hannah had a gift for ruffling people's feathers. She could get under just about anyone’s skin, and she liked doing it. And in that circle of degenerates she ran around with, it could be anybody.”

"What circle?”

His face twisted with annoyance. "Scout and that crew. That woman is 36 and acting like she’s 16. You’d think having a kid would settle her down, but it just made her worse.”

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, she brings a bad element around. Drugs, alcohol, guys. Who knows where some of these people come from? I tell you, it was pissing me off. There were people around the house that I didn't want around my kids.”

"Was your wife doing drugs?”

"Ex-wife. And I don't know what she was doing. If I could prove it, I could certainly get the kids taken away from her. But that's not an issue now. Where are they?”

"They’re with Carolyn right now.”

A look of disdain curled his lips.

“The Department of Children and Families will handle the case. I assume you'll be given full custody. But I don't know the specifics of your situation.”

"Well, Carolyn’s got another thing coming if she thinks she's going to take my kids.” Anger flared his face and bulged the veins in his temples.

"Are you familiar with a woman named Sutton Duvall?”

Grant’s face tightened. "I know Sutton.”

"Do you think she's capable of something like this?"

"I think anybody is capable of anything, given the right situation and motivation.” Peterson thought about it for a moment. "After what happened last year, I'm sure Sutton had plenty of reasons, though it seems like a little bit of a stretch. Still, with the way those women are about these stupid competitions, you never know. People have been killed over less.”

That much was true. I'd seen people kill someone over $0.50. In certain neighborhoods, you’d get shot for looking at somebody the wrong way.

"Is there anybody else you can think of?”

Grant took a deep breath, then exhaled. "There is one person you should look into.”

JD and I waited for him to continue.

12

“It was a couple years ago when it happened,” Grant said. “Really terrible. For everybody involved.”

"What happened?”

"You need to talk to Loretta Montgomery. She's been harassing Hannah ever since the accident.”

"Accident?”

Grant took another deep breath. “Hannah was driving down Palm Harbor Lane when a young girl chased a ball into the street. She ran out between two parked cars. Hannah jammed the brakes, but it was too late. There was nothing she could do.”

JD and I both winced.