Page 35 of Dead Man's Alibi

Once the handcuffs were secured, Hayes moved through the office toward the back.The officers had a grip on either of Nate’s arms, and they pushed him toward Hayes and the back exit.

Likely, no random neighbor would see what they were doing if they went out the back, so no grapevine information would make it around Marietta.People might speculate about two cops and a detective going into the office, but Honor’s Edge worked with the police on cases sometimes, so hopefully people wouldn’t think much of it.

But what would Sam think when she came back, the office was empty, and she couldn’t get a hold of him?This was going to upend what minimal progress she’d been making, and it justkilledhim that he couldn’t do anything about it.

Once at the back door, Hayes opened it and held it open, gesturing for the officers to take Nate outside.

Which meant that for a moment, Nate was eye-to-eye with Hayes as he passed.Nate didn’t know who else to blame for this except Hayes.So, even knowing he should keep his mouth shut, he couldn’t quite help himself.

“Was it to spare her feelings or were you afraid she’d kick your ass if you tried to pull this in front of her?”

Because hewasglad Sam wasn’t here, that she didn’t have to see this.Hayes should be glad, too, because Nate had no doubtshewould have ended up in handcuffs, and Hayes would have ended up with a bloody nose.

If he was lucky.

Hayes’s jaw clenched, but he merely shrugged.“You can thank me later.”

The officers pushed, but Nate held his ground.“You think she’s going to come crying to you?That’s what this is really about?That’s pretty fucking pathetic.”

Hayes’s expression didn’t change, and his voice was mild when he spoke.“Who knows what Sam might do when faced with yet another person in her life turning out to be a murderer.Now, are you resisting arrest, Bennet, or are you going to make those feet move?”

It was a good thing he was cuffed, Nate thought dimly through the haze of rage.“I want my attorney, Hayes.”

“Oh, we’ll follow procedure, Bennet.First things first, you’re coming on down to the station.”

Chapter Thirteen

A coffee shop in Bozeman

Sam was gritty-eyedand shaky, but she all but burst into the coffee shop Olivia Underwood had agreed to meet her at, believing, with a fervency that probably wasn’t healthy, this was the break they needed.

Something had to break, orshewould.

Sam scanned the interior of the trendy coffee shop.There were a couple of women sitting by themselves, but the one who looked over with sad eyes and nervous hands seemed like the right target.Sam made a beeline for her.

“Olivia?”she asked when she approached the table by the window.

The woman nodded.She had her hands curled around a mug.Her nails were perfectly manicured in a shade of deep purple, and she wore an array of gold and silver rings and bangles on her wrists.She was dressed in a turtleneck that matched the manicure, perfectly winged eyeliner, and a slicked-back bun without a hair out of place.

But no amount of makeup or facades could hide the bags under the woman’s eyes.“You’re Ms.Price?”

Sam slid into the seat across from her.“Call me Sam.”

Olivia nodded, her eyes on the window.The sunlight made the blue seem nearly translucent.Or maybe that was the tears she was clearly holding back.

Boy, could Sam relate.“I’m sorry about your friend.”Sam had thought Jules Hyatt a nuisance atbest, but the woman was still a person who had family and friends and a life.

And hadn’t deserved to have someone take it from her or all the people left behind.

The woman’s grip on the mug tightened, but she nodded.“Thank you.I’ve already answered all the police’s questions.I don’t really know what more I can tell you.I… don’t even know why I agreed to meet you.”

“I know, and I can’t imagine how awful it is to keep having people bring it up.”Except she could indeed imagine.

Constantly being asked questions and not knowing how to answer them but wanting to.Needingto.

“It is, but no one’s been arrested.”The woman blinked a few times, no doubt trying to hold back tears.She moved her gaze to Sam.“I was the one who pushed her to go the private investigator route when she started worrying about Michael having an affair.I got divorced a few years ago and I… I wanted her to take all the steps I didn’t because I didn’t know any better.”

Sam nodded.This wasn’t the information she wanted, but she could tell it was the information Oliva needed to get off her chest.