“Where were you last night and early this morning?” Livvy went on, giving him a broad time range since they didn’t know exactly when Zadie had been murdered.
“Home in Copper Creek,” he said, referring to a small town about ten miles away. “And I was alone so, no, I don’t have an alibi. But I didn’t kill her.” Anthony leaned in. “I’m betting Chloe did though.”
“Chloe?” Ethan repeated. “Why would you think that?”
Anthony opened his mouth and appeared to be on the verge of rattling out a quick answer and an equally quick accusation, but then he seemed to throttle back. “I need to start from the beginning.”
“Please do,” Livvy commented.
But Anthony took a couple of moments and a few deep breaths. “My mother, Ivy Milbrath, was murdered when I was ten years old. Someone ran her off the road and down a steep bluff.” He paused again. “She was a surrogate at New Hope.”
Ethan felt the slam of surprise and figured Livvy was having a similar reaction. “Go on,” he prompted.
“My dad ran out on us when I was a toddler, and Mom didn’t have any particular skill set. So, a friend of a friendhooked her up with New Hope, and she had two kids for other couples. Then, something went wrong. I’m not sure what, but even though I was ten, I could tell my mom was scared. Shortly thereafter, she was killed.”
Ethan held up a finger to pause Anthony, and he did a quick search on Ivy Milbrath. Sure enough there was a cold-case file on what was classified as a suspicious death.
“Twenty-eight years ago,” Ethan muttered.
He heard Livvy’s quick intake of breath and knew why. It’d been twenty-eight years since she’d been found in Renegade Canyon.
“After my mom was murdered, I went to live with my aunt, and she adopted me. That’s why I have a different surname than my mother,” Anthony said when Ethan motioned for him to continue. “Four months ago my adoptive mom died, and I was going through some of my bio mom’s old things that had gotten boxed away. I found a diary.” He took it from his pocket and slid it across the table to them. “Go to the page I’ve dog-eared.”
Ethan did, and the words practically jumped off the page at him. “‘Chloe’s on the warpath again,’” he read aloud. “‘Chloe’s jealous of her lying, cheating husband, and she accused me of sleeping with him. As if. The man is slime. But I don’t think Chloe believed me, and when she’s like this, she’s dangerous as hell. I think I should go to the cops.’”
“She didn’t go to the cops,” Anthony said. “She didn’t get a chance because someone killed her.”
“And you think that someone is Chloe,” Livvy stated.
“I do,” Anthony said with complete assurance, “and after I found that diary, I went to the San Antonio police, but I could tell they weren’t going to do anything. So, I took matters into my hands.”
That wasn’t something a cop wanted to hear. “How?” Ethan demanded.
“I arranged to meet Zadie. I figured she’d know the ins and outs of New Hope. And yes, I started dating her hoping I could get answers about my mother.”
Ethan thought about those lies that Sunny had caught Anthony in. That explained why he’d known about the root cellar and the different color paint.
“Did your mom ever take you to New Hope when you were a kid?” Ethan asked.
“More than that. We lived there during the two surrogate pregnancies.” Anthony paused. “I was worried about Chloe or Franklin recognizing me, but they didn’t.”
Ethan believed that. If they remembered him, they would have likely said something during the interview. Then again, maybe Chloe and/or Franklin had stayed quiet to find out what Anthony wanted.
“Did you find anything to connect to your mother’s death?” Livvy came out and asked.
Anthony cursed under his breath. “No. But I’m sure something is there.”
Maybe, and if so, perhaps whatever it was could be found with a warrant. If Grace managed to get one, that is. Getting one for the grounds would be a cinch since Sunny had been attacked outside, but a judge might not be willing to extend the search to inside a medical facility.
“I’m guessing you were very upset when you didn’t come up with proof,” Ethan commented.
“Of course I was,” Anthony snarled. “And then Zadie caught me snooping around in some files and told me to get out.”
“Files?” Livvy questioned. “When and where was this?”
“In Chloe’s office about a month ago. Zadie was livid and said if I didn’t leave right away, she’d tell Chloe, who would probably have me arrested. So, I left and figured I’d have to find another way to get what I was looking for.”
“How?” Ethan pressed.
