Page 110 of Hell Hath No Fury

“What do you think? Do we have one killer or two?”

“We?” The trooper glared at him. “The onlywehere is Lukan and me. And I believe it’s time for you to show what you’re hiding there.” He reached over and slapped Matthias’s knuckles.

Matthias couldn’t argue. They’d already given him more information than he’d expected. He opened his hand, revealing the ring, then placed it on the table in front of Fergusson.

“What’s this?” He removed a pair of reading glasses from his breast pocket, stuck them on his face, and picked up the jewelry.

Matthias remained silent as first Fergusson, then Lukan, inspected the band including the inscription.

“Where did you get this?” Fergusson asked.

“Fran Goodwin, the woman who discovered Jones’s body while she was metal detecting? Saturday morning, we encountered her at Emma’s farm. I made her show us what she’d found, since technically Emma owned it. Fran emptied her pocket.” Matthias pointed at the ring. “That was part of the haul. Emma didn’t take a good look at any of the stuff right away, thinking it was all junk. Then last night—or I guess it was early this morning—she sorted through it and found that.”

“This Goodwin woman found it on the Anderson farm?” Lukan asked.

“I don’t think so. We confronted her a couple hours ago, and she admitted she might have picked it up while hunting at another location.”

Lukan returned the ring to Fergusson before asking, “Did she mention which location?”

“No. I’m not sure I believe her anyway.”

“Why’s that?” Fergusson asked.

“Her reaction when we showed her the ring was too intense. From what I’ve seen of Fran Goodwin, she doesn’t metal detect in the hope of finding valuables. Her house is basically a museum of rusted junk from the area farms.”

“She’s a relic hunter,” Lukan said.

Matthias turned to him.

“That’s the term they use for someone who searches for archeological stuff like musket balls, old buttons, maybe some coins rather than precious metals.” Lukan must have realized both Matthias and Fergusson were eyeing him. “What? My brother’s into metal detecting and took me out with him a time or two.”

Fergusson glared at his partner. “I imagine he wouldn’t toss aside a gold or platinum ring if he happened across it, though.”

Lukan shrugged. “Probably not.”

Fergusson brought his gaze back to Matthias. “So maybe that’s the case here. She doesn’t go in search of shiny baubles, but if she came across one, she wouldn’t want your girlfriend laying claim to it.” He hiked a snide eyebrow. “Unless it really was hers or her sister’s.”

Matthias wasn’t taking the bait this time. “Fran didn’t act like she was relieved to get it back for monetary reasons.” He pointed at the band Fergusson was holding. “You ask me? That has personal meaning to her. She made too much of a show of reading the inscription and is a horrible actress. She knew full well what was engraved inside.”

“You think this was a gift from Jones to Fran Goodwin?” Fergusson asked.

Matthias shrugged. “I know she didn’t want to give it back to me.Andshe doesn’t have an alibi for the time of Winslow’s death.”

Fergusson scowled in thought. “It’s interesting that she’s the one who found Jones.”

“That’s been troubling me, too,” Matthias said, “but I can’t figure out why she would intentionally uncover the body if she’s the one who buried him.”

Lukan came forward, propping an elbow on the table. “I can think of two reasons.”

Matthias looked at the trooper’s eager face.

“One: she really did love the man and didn’t want him left there in an unmarked grave, even if it was her doing. And two: she wanted to throw suspicion away from her. She expected us to think exactly as you are, Detective Honeywell.”

ChapterThirty-Three

The Washington Hospital had built multiple additions over its long history. In the course of the various add-ons, a courtyard of sorts had been created. The outdoor space surrounded on all four sides by brick exterior walls now served as a garden with paths and benches where patients could sit with visitors, or employees could escape the stress of their jobs for a few minutes.

Emma was glad to find the space deserted when she, Eric, and Nell pushed through the glass doors. Nell eased onto a bench under a shade tree and set her crutches to one side. Emma joined her and set Nell’s “clear liquids diet” dinner between them, along with a can of ginger ale and some saltines Emma had purchased from the gift shop. The crackers may have been a cheat to her sister’s food restrictions, but a minor one, Emma figured. Eric remained standing. He and Emma had decided to ignore their rumbling stomachs rather than chowing down on real food in front of Nell.