Page 31 of Risk of a Lifetime
Betsy crossed her arms in defiance. “Now’s a heck of a time to worry about how she survived.”
“Don’t fight me. Answer the question.” He heard his tone and couldn’t stop the harshness. He shook his head. “Sorry. Let’s start again. Has anyone made any threats against Marcy? Given her a hard time for any reason?”
Glancing at the door, Betsy dropped her arms, concern etched her face. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing maybe, but I don’t like coincidences.” He watched the doorway, ready to change the subject the moment his ex-wife pushed through. “Is there anything, anyone you can think of?”
She walked around the car, watching the same doorway. “The jeweler’s wife over in the next county was none too happy about how their divorce turned out. Blamed Marcy for telling the husband he should stop giving in to the wife’s money demands.”
From the evidence so far, and his previous cases, the scene didn’t speak of something so simple being cause for this kind of retaliation. “Go on. Anybody else?”
“Representative Benson and his wife were clients of Marcy’s. He didn’t like the fact they ended up in a nasty divorce.” Betsy’s words looped together with speed to get them out before her sister reappeared. “Wife ended up with a big chunk of their property in the settlement. He served Marcy papers for being a fraudulent counselor.”
JB straightened. How dare anyone call her a fraud? She was one of the truest, most caring people he’d ever seen. Plus professional. “What happened?”
“His campaign chairman told him to let it go. Wouldn’t want to bring up the divorce on the campaign trail.” Betsy smiled. “He’d have lost every woman’s vote in the district.”
“Why?”
“Most people figured his wife’s bruises and her broken arm were from her klutziness. No telling what might have come to light in a trial.”
“Get hold of Deputy Evans and tell him what you told me about these people. Okay?”
Betsy nodded.
“Got it.” Marcy rushed out the back door, waving the phone overhead.
“About time.” He glanced back at her sister and lowered his voice so Marcy wouldn’t hear as she approached. “For the record, I’m going to make sure nobody hurts her.” He braced his arms on top of the driver’s side.
“Never said you wouldn’t.” Betsy caught JB’s gaze when she looked across the car. “By the way, why are you back in Crayton?”
“Just tying up some loose ends of dad’s estate.”
“That all?”
“That’s all.” He hadn’t even bothered to think before he’d answered, yet hearing the words made him realize how much he’d shoved Marcy into the back of his mind and had moved on with his life. That really was the only reason he’d come back to town. Now that he’d seen her, however… “Why?”
Betsy fiddled with the zipper on her coat. “No reason. Just being friendly.”
He held the driver’s door for Marcy. She slid in and buckled up, then he bent and kissed her cheek. That didn’t make up for his come-on, shut-down a while ago, but it was at least a start. “I meant what I said. Be careful. What time will you be home?”
A pale, reddish fluster showed in her cheeks. “Well, it’s about 10:30 now. I’d say by 5:00.”
“I’ll bring a pizza from Joanie’s. Okay?” Keys in hand, he headed to his truck. His surveillance techniques were about to come in handy. He’d give them space, and they’d never know he was anywhere around.
“Sure. Sounds good.” Marcy shifted into gear. “No—”
He grinned. “Onions.”
“I was gonna say black olives.” She sped away.
He’d give them a head start, or she’d pull off the road and give him an earful. The woman knew how to make a scene when she wanted to. He pressed speed dial on his phone for the police station and waited by his truck, giving her time to think he didn’t plan to follow.
“Deputy Evans.”
“This is JB. I talked to Betsy about anyone who’s given Marcy a hard time in the past few years.”
“You need to stay out of this and let us do our investigation.”
