“Someone did. There were half-eaten portions of bread and cheese. Bare grape stems. Either someone ate, or they went to great lengths to make it look as if the two of you had eaten.”
“Detective Fowler never mentioned anything about the food or the table.” She looked at the table. “But if we didn’t eat, that would mean…”
Dear God, she couldn’t even say the words.
“It would imply that the men,” Chance said for her, “who murdered your husband and attacked you ate before they left or prepared the table as if someone had eaten.”
CHAPTER SIX
White Cottage
Scenic Drive
Hollywood, 10:00 a.m.
Rory stopped to have a last look at the cottage before getting back into the car. The hurt swelled inside her all over again. How was it possible that the tragedy of that night had been over two years ago and the truth about who killed her husband still had not been found? Was no one doing their job in all this time?
“Rory.”
She looked across the hood at Chance who had spoken just as a car door slammed. Her attention swung to the street, as did his.
The ostentatious sedan that sat on the otherwise empty street was one Rory recognized well. But it was the woman who had emerged from the vehicle that sent dread spreading through her.
Eudora Harris.Pete’s mother.
Blond hair expertly twisted into a bun, form-fitting peach-colored sheath showing off her youthful figure, Eudora stood at the end of the driveway, effectively blocking their path.
“How dare you come here,” the woman snarled as she took a few steps in their direction. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“Hello, Eudora.” Rory braced for her former mother-in-law’s anger. This would not be pleasant. Not that she blamed the woman. She thought Rory killed her son—her only child. Ofcourse she would spew vitriol at the sight of her. Still, Rory had other reasons to despise the woman.
Eudora glanced at Chance then. “I heard you had hired some private detective to try and confirm your lies.” Her attention swung back to Rory, her face twisted with fury and hatred. “Why waste your time? You know what you did. We all know what you did. You’re wasting your time and the taxpayers’ dollars by resurrecting this investigation. Scottsboro doesn’t need to see a rehash of that nightmare. I—” she slapped a hand against her chest “—do not want you or your minion here.”
Rory wished there had been a time when she felt something for this woman, but Eudora had made sure that never happened. She had disliked Rory from the beginning. The only thing they ever shared was love for Pete. Well, and grief after his death. This behavior from her was not surprising. Rory had expected Pete’s parents to still hate her, maybe even more than ever after the conviction was overturned.
“My agency rented this cottage for the week, Mrs. Harris,” Chance said.
His words had no effect on the woman. She remained standing at the end of the driveway, arms crossed over her chest, and staring at Rory. “You need to leave this town,” she warned. “You are not welcome here. Whatever you believe you can prove with your lies is never going to happen. You will go back to prison where you belong.”
Anger kindled deep in Rory’s belly despite her best attempts to tamp it down. She stepped away from the car. Started toward the older woman. She didn’t look back, but she sensed Chance had followed her. “I’m sorry you lost your son,” Rory told her. “But I lost my husband. You should be glad the police are looking into the investigation again, because the persons who killed him got away with it. Don’t you care that they’re out there, living their lives as if they did nothing wrong?”
Eudora laughed. “There you go again, trying to pretend innocence. You killed him.” Her gaze narrowed; her face hardened. “And whatever it takes for however long it takes, I will make sure you spend the rest of your life in prison.”
With that, she did an about-face and stormed back to her extravagant car. She climbed in and sped away.
“So that was the matriarch of the family,” Chance said as her car faded in the distance.
“That was her.” Rory felt suddenly tired. “She hated me from day one. She and her husband were certain Pete was too good for me. I had no business intruding in his life. But the truth was, he intruded in mine.”
Chance put his hand at the small of her back and ushered her to the passenger side of his rental car. “How so?”
Rory reached for the door handle but hesitated before opening it. She smiled. “He saw me at the school. He had attended Caldwell as a kid. He and his family are big donors to the schools. He served as the MC at one of our staff events. From that night until the night he was murdered, he saw me or called me every day. Every single day.” She gave her head a shake. “I tried to ignore him at first. I was dating someone else, and in truth, I could not imagine what a Harris would want to do with me. He was the most eligible bachelor in the county. He could have anyone he wanted.”
Chance leaned against the car, his eyes searching hers. “But he wanted you.”
She laughed softly. “Apparently. And there was something about him…something that I couldn’t resist. So I decided to see where things went. You know the rest.”
Rory opened the door and got into the car. Chance readied to close it but paused. “You do not give yourself nearly enough credit, Aurora Harris.”
