Page 53 of Little Bitter Truths
I stood, looking at Bryan.“I’ll walk out with you.”
I said goodbye to Renee, and she asked me to say hello to Mia for her.
I told her I would.
Bryan paused next to his car, but he didn’t open the door at first.“What you said earlier about the wrong sister being murdered, is it more of a guess, or …?”
“It’s a working theory.A strong one, at this point.”
“I hope Mia’s taking precautions.”
“We’re doing everything we can to keep her safe.”
“Good,” Bryan said.“I hope the two of them can reconnect when Mia feels ready.Renee puts on a brave face, but losing Wren has affected her more than most people realize.”
“I’m doing everything I can to solve this case so Wren’s loved ones have the closure they need to move on.”
He nodded, got into his car, and pulled away, leaving me standing at the edge of the driveway.As I walked toward my vehicle, I noticed the woman who lived next door was in her front yard, watering a row of flowers that lined the walkway that led to her porch.She was in her late sixties or early seventies and dressed in a floral blouse and slacks, her silver hair pulled back into a low bun.
We made eye contact and she said hello.
“Hi,” I said, making my way over to her.
“Are you a friend of Renee’s?”
“My name’s Georgiana, and I’m a private investigator.I came to talk to Renee about her cousin Wren.”
“Broke my heart to hear about what happened.”
“Are you the neighbor who stopped by Renee’s house the night Wren died to return a dish?”
She nodded.
“Do you remember what time you returned it?”I asked.
She considered the question.“It was afterJeopardybut beforeDateline.At the time, she didn’t know what was about to happen to her cousin, of course.”
“Did you stay long?”
“Just a few minutes.We chatted, I gave her the dish, and came home.A couple days later, when I saw her again, she told me about the home invasion, and that Wren had died.Poor dear was devastated.Why are you here?”
“I had a few questions for Renee.We’re investigating the case as a homicide now.”
Her eyes narrowed.“If you’re a private eye, I suppose you’re trying to rule her out as a suspect, right?”
“I’m talking to everyone who has been in Wren or Mia’s lives.”
She moved a hand to her hip.“I can say with all honesty that Renee isn’t capable of murder.Bryan isn’t either.He was at work that night.”
“How do you know?”
“The police stopped by a few days after Wren died and asked me some questions.I told them the same thing I’ve told you.They said they’d also spoken with Bryan’s boss, who confirmed he’d been at work all night.”
I said goodbye to the neighbor, and as I pulled away from the curb and began heading back to Cambria, my mind began focusing on other suspects, those still in question.
Who had the most to gain from the murder?
Or was it about something different, something I hadn’t considered yet?
