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“Love and hate,” Deke said, raising two crossed fingers, “are both powerful emotions.”
Tyler stood. “I’m not talking anymore. I’m calling my lawyer.”
Alex studied him. “We haven’t made any accusations.”
Tyler shook his head. “I’m the estranged spouse. That puts me at the top of the list. I know how it works. Throw me under the bus and tell everyone you’ve closed the case.”
Alex took a deliberate step into Tyler’s space. His voice was low, but his words were as cutting as broken glass. “Sheriff Radcliff, I go by the evidence and only the evidence. I don’t care about statistics or the easy way out. If you’re innocent, then we’re square and you won’t see me again.” His tone dripped with ice. “But if you’re lying to me, Radcliff, I’m going to nail you to the wall.”
“I was in law before you got out of high school. Take your best shot.”
Alex’s even white teeth flashed into a very unfriendly smile. “I will.”
Alex thought back to the numbers in Deidre’s personal phone, found in her purse. Leah. Sister. Husband. Work. And the name Tracy Donovan.
He pulled up in front of a brick office building located north of the city. Straight lines, neatly trimmed hedges, and a parking lot with sharp right angles; it wasn’t a surprise when he glanced at the sign out front, which read Hall Engineering.
He parked and moved inside the building, straight toward the desk of a receptionist. She had frosted blond hair, pale skin, and dark brows that made her round face look a little off balance. She glanced up at Alex, her expression clicking from bored to interested in a blink.
“Can I help you?” She tugged a phone headset from her ears and rose.
“I’m here to see Tracy Donovan. I understand she’s an engineer.”
“Can I tell her who’s here?”
Alex pulled his badge from the breast pocket of his jacket. “Alex Morgan, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.”
Her eyes widened. “Sure. Be right back.”
She vanished around a corner, leaving him a moment to pace the carpeted lobby. Within seconds, whispered conversations buzzed as the receptionist wove her way through the maze of cubicles.
A tall woman with short, dark hair appeared in the reception area. She wore no makeup, a black pantsuit with a white shirt, and very sensible flat black shoes.
“Agent Morgan?” Her voice was crisp and sharp, like the lines of the building.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“What’s this about?”
“Deidre Jones. Is there somewhere private we can talk?”
A frown wrinkled an already stoic face. “There’s a conference room right here.” Her strides were efficient, no wasted movement, and she twisted the door handle with a sharp flick of the wrist. She flipped on the lights in the room and held the door open for him until he entered, then quietly closed the door behind him.
Alex waited until she sat before taking a seat across from her. “Thank you for your time.”
“What’s going on with Deidre?”
“When’s the last time you saw her?”
The frown deepened. “It’s been a few months. We went out for drinks. What’s going on?”
He tapped an index finger on the polished wood table. “She was found dead in her apartment this morning.”
Tracy’s mouth dropped open before she raised fingertips to her mouth. “Dead? That doesn’t make any sense at all. What happened?”
“She was murdered.”
Tracy leaned back in her chair and squeezed the bridge of her nose. “You’ve got to have made a mistake. Deidre could take care of herself.”
“I agree. She was a top-notch detective. One of the best.”
“Who would kill her?”
“That’s what I’m trying to find out. Can you tell me anything about her? I’ve spoken to people who worked with her over the past few years, but no one knew much about her personal life.”
Tears glistened, and Tracy had to clear her throat a couple of times before she could speak. “We’ve been best friends since first grade. Our mothers were friends.”
“As I understand it, her parents are dead and she has a sister. Is that right?”
“Yeah. Her sister’s name is Joy. Joy Martin.”
“She’s scheduled to arrive in town this evening.”
“Joy and Deidre didn’t get along and hadn’t spoken in a couple of years.”
“Was there bad blood?”
“Joy loved Deidre, but she didn’t like Tyler. They got into a bad fight a few years ago. Deidre took Tyler’s side.” She shoved out a breath. “Lately, Deidre said her work and her friends were her family.”
“Was she having trouble with anyone?”
“Her divorce wasn’t all that smooth. Tyler wanted to save the marriage. She didn’t. We spoke on the phone from time to time but hadn’t seen each other because she was consumed by the divorce.”
“Why didn’t she want to work it out?”
“He resented her work and he wanted kids. Though she’d always said she’d like a couple, she loved her job too much to slow down. He felt cheated when she finally made the decision not to have a baby.”
“Did Radcliff make any threats against Deidre?”
“He would call her cell and leave long ranting messages about why they shouldn’t divorce. He sent her letters. Would leave cards on her windshield. But he never said anything threatening. I really do believe the guy loved her.”
“I didn’t find any messages on her phone or letters in her town house.”
“She deleted or tossed them all. She figured he’d get tired of bothering her and back off.”
“Would you say he was stalking her?”
She considered the question. “He was annoying, but he never threatened her. I heard a couple of the messages and I felt sorry for the guy. He did love Deidre. She loved him but said their priorities shifted.”
Had Tyler’s desperation to save his marriage turned deadly? “He said she was having an affair.”
“Deidre made some unfortunate choices.”
“She was seeing David Westbrook?”
“Yes. They met through their running group.”
He’d seen David at Rudy’s the other night before he’d entered the bar. Deidre had been talking to Leah. David had been hovering. “How long had they been together?”
“Since October. But she was planning to break it off. He’s a lot of fun, but she knew it wasn’t going anywhere long-term.”
“Did David want more of a relationship?”
“No. He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t form lasting relationships. She did say he wanted to ask out a friend of hers in the running group.”
“Leah?”
“Yeah, I think. Deidre was fairly certain Leah wouldn’t go out with him.”
“Why?”
“Jumpy. Deidre was sure she had some kind of trauma in her past. And David was too pushy for Leah. You know, she was gun-shy.”
Alex had guessed the same about Leah. And yet she’d gone out with him. “Anyone else who might want to hurt Deidre? What about neighbors?”
She wiped away a tear. “She wouldn’t have known them that well. She told me over the phone she didn’t hang around it much.”
Alex pulled out a card. “If you think of anything else, would you call me?”
She accepted the card, glanced at it, and then met his gaze. “How did she die?”
“She was stabbed.”
Her face paled as she sat back in the chair. “God. Could this be related to the case she was working? I know the case was putting her under a lot of pressure. She wasn’t sleeping well because of it.”
“What did she tell you about the case?”
“Said it was a cold case. Said if she could collar this guy it would ‘close the hymn book.’”
“She said it just like that.”
“Yeah. Just like that.”
“I can contact you if I have more questions?”
“Sure. Whatever you need.”
Alex waited until nearly six in the evening before he began knocking on Deidre’s neighbors’ doors. Most would be home from work and, if they weren’t settled down for dinner yet, they’d at least have dragged in the door, poured a drink, or marshalled kids to do homework. One way or another, they’d be home.
He knocked on the first door. Inside, he heard classical music and the bark of a small dog. Seconds later, footsteps and then the rattle of a chain. A tall slim woman with red hair opened the door. “Can I help you?”
“I’m with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Agent Morgan. I have questions about the woman next door.”
