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“No. Thinking she had…that was hard.”
He nodded. Still looking pained and a decade older than he had the last time she saw him, he said, “I don’t think I’ve ever said thank you. I know how much you did. I shouldn’t have let you. I suppose I was selfish to accept what you offered. I should have found a way—” His Adam’s apple bobbed.
“Oh, Dad.” She jumped up and went to him, half sitting on the recliner arm and bending to give him a hug. “I love you. I’d have been selfish not to help. I don’t regret a thing.”
He scrutinized her in a penetrating way, as if really seeing her for the first time. “I hope that’s true.” He tried to smile, although his eyes had a sheen. “I do love you, Beth. All of you, of course, although I know Matt wouldn’t believe me if I told him.”
Even Dad wouldn’t believe her if she said Nonsense! Of course Matt loves you! Beth didn’t know that he did. She’d discovered recently how tired she was of her brother’s resentment. “So, you weren’t a baseball coach,” she said.
Dad tried another smile that wobbled. “To think she was dead all that time, her body right here. I felt so angry, so disappointed in her, and she never deserved any of it.”
And Dad didn’t deserve to be left beating himself up when his wife had done things to make him so mad and disappointed.
Beth barely hesitated. “You need to know that Detective Navarro has found some evidence that makes him believe Mom was having an affair.”
His gaze seemed to turn inward. “I…suspected that, too,” he said softly. “I wasn’t entirely honest with the detective.”
“I had no idea.”
“I’m glad,” he said simply. They were both quiet for a minute. Finally, he said, “Do you know what he’s found?”
“I found a pair of diamond earrings and a matching pendant in her jewelry box. I didn’t recognize them and, when Detective Navarro took them to a jeweler, he valued the set at around twenty thousand dollars.”
“Twenty thousand?” Her father stared at her in shock. “But…where did she…?” His shoulders slumped. “I should have known that she wanted things like that. I could have done more to—”
Beth hugged him again. “Dad, no woman needs anything like that. How she could accept that jewelry—” Her voice shaking, Beth couldn’t finish. She hadn’t realized how much anger she held.
Her father patted her thigh. “She loved you. Don’t doubt that.”
“I’ll…try not to.” She hesitated. “Dad, were any of your or Mom’s friends artistic?”
He looked startled. “Why on earth—?”
“Oh, an unframed drawing and a couple of watercolors I found. I thought someone you knew might have done them, and that’s why Mom kept them.”
His forehead creased, giving her the sense he had taken her question seriously, but after a moment he shook his head. “Not that I can recall. Your mother did enjoy art fairs, you know.”
“I haven’t forgotten, since I went with her to a few.” She forced a smile, even if she was still choked with anger. “You know, it’s getting toward dinner time. Shall I—”
He tried to smile. “Thank you for offering, but I’m not at all hungry. I’ll get myself something later. You should go home. Or—I never think to ask whether you’re dating anyone. You’d bring him over to meet me if you became serious about a man, wouldn’t you?”
Her stomach knotted. He’d already met the man she was dating. And she could not bring herself to say I’m actually seeing someone now. Um, it’s Detective Navarro. So she lied.
“There’s nobody serious at the moment.” Well, that wasn’t really a lie. “And of course I’d bring him to meet you.” She kissed his cheek and rose to her feet. “If you’re sure…”
“I’m sure.”
“Then I’m going home.”
He actually started to push himself to his feet before she shook her head. “Don’t get up. Call if you need anything, okay?”
