Page 204 of A Better Man

“Of course not.”

“Did you think about it, about him, every day?”

“No.”

“Did you think about what might’ve been, if Vivienne hadn’t done that? How your life would be so different?”

“No.”

“Did you arrange to meet her? Offer her something she wanted?”

“No.”

“Money, maybe?”

“No.”

“Did she suggest the bridge?”

“No.”

“Did you push her off?”

“No!”

“Did you want her dead?”

Pause.

“Yes.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

As soon as Reine-Marie walked into the kitchen, she could see she was interrupting.

“I’m sorry,” she said, stopping at the door. “Is something wrong?”

“Non,” said Isabelle. “We were just chatting.”

Though that was clearly not true.

“I was going to make breakfast,” said Reine-Marie, going to the fridge. “Why don’t you continue your chat in the study?”

Isabelle Lacoste smiled and nodded. “Merci. I think we will.”

“Where’s Armand?”

“Out for a walk. He took the dogs. Is Monsieur Godin still asleep?”

“Yes,” said Reine-Marie. “I looked in but didn’t want to disturb him. Is Jean-Guy with Armand?”

“Non,” came the familiar voice.

Jean-Guy had gone to the study to print something and now returned to the kitchen holding the papers. “But I do need to find him. Be back soon. Don’t let Isabelle eat everything. You know what she’s like.”

Reine-Marie smiled and watched him go.

The home settled. The bacon sizzled and popped. The coffee perked. The fire in the woodstove roiled as the women went into the study to continue whatever they were talking about, and Jean-Guy left to find Armand.