There was that. “But has that probability changed? If he helps me now, his job may still be in jeopardy. I’m sure the family would ostracize him. Basically, he’s facing the same potential losses now that he did then. So why speak up now?”
“Which could possibly mean he sees things differently now,” Chance offered. “Or he sees an opportunity that he didn’t see then.”
Rory wasn’t sure she understood. A frown lined her brow, emphasizing the distant ache that had started there. She really hadn’t slept well last night. The vandals combined with the fact that a stranger, basically, was in the house with her made staying asleep difficult. She considered the man seated on the other side of the table. Admittedly, he didn’t feel like a stranger…but he was, and maybe on some level her mind had become obsessed with that fact, not allowing her to sleep deeply enough.
She asked, “What sort of opportunity do you mean?”
“He has time and experience in the department now. What better way to achieve that next step up the career ladder than to bust open a big case? This is a big case, Rory. It stayed in the headlines for a long time even after you were sentenced. It’s already back in the headlines now, and the new trial date hasn’t even been set. He could right a grievous mistake, which makes for even bigger headlines. There are plenty of people who like to see the underdog win. The Harris power element may not carry the same weight it did before.”
She saw where he was coming from, but for the most part, the scenario wasn’t a pleasant one. All it did was confirm the idea that she couldn’t trust anyone beyond her brother and this man—a virtual stranger. How sad was that? Yes, it would be greatif at least part of the community got behind her…but could she really count on that?
“I realize it’s not something you want to hear,” he went on. “But it’s important that we carefully analyze all aspects of the case, including the people around you, then and now. We have to understand more than what they’re telling us—assuming they tell us anything. The motive for their actions is equally important.”
“The search for hidden agendas,” she agreed with a shake of her head. “Whatever happened to people saying what they actually felt? Or, better yet, just telling the truth.”
“Sadly,” Chance warned, “it’s no longer that simple.”
He was right. Nothing was, she admitted silently.
“Let’s talk about your former mother-in-law.”
Rory laughed. “She always disliked me. Always. Before I was involved with her son, I was just a nuisance to be tolerated.”
“The two of you had some sort of relationship prior to your meeting Pete?” The possibility appeared to surprise him.
It was a small town. Everyone knew everyone else. “Not really a relationship.” Rory thought about how to explain the situation. “The Harris family donates heavily to the local schools. Really, they give a tremendous amount of support, and I wouldn’t want to in any way belittle what they do when it comes to community support.” She thought back to the early days of teaching. “I obviously knew of the family, but I didn’tknowthe family. When I was selected as teacher of the year, that changed really fast.”
“How so?”
“Eudora is the one who bestows that honor each year. We met for the first time at the annual gathering where the awards are given.” Thinking back, Rory had to shake her head. “After my name was announced and I walked up to the podium—while we waited for the applause to settle—she said in an aside that I shouldn’t let it go to my head. I later learned that it was expectedfor a new, young teacher to receive the award every other year. It was a self-esteem boost. There are never enough teachers, and extra incentives are always a good thing. But Eudora went a step further. She suggested that it was always the prettiest one who was chosen—leaving me to believe it wasn’t about merit.”
“Seriously?”
Rory rolled her eyes. “Seriously.”
“It would be interesting to know if she said something similar to past award winners.” He made a distasteful face. “Wow.”
“Yeah,” Rory agreed. “No matter what she said, I know several past winners, and I have to say, they really are outstanding teachers. I honestly believe she just didn’t like me for whatever reason, and she wanted to make sure the award didn’t go to my head.”
“How long after that before you met Pete?”
“It was the next school term. Seven months.” She laughed then. “The first time he took me to dinner at their home was tense. He’d told his parents that he’d met someone, but he didn’t say who. When we arrived, it was very obvious that Eudora had gone all-out. She wanted to impress Pete’s new girlfriend. When she saw that it was me, well, let’s just say she was startled. She was discombobulated the entire evening. His father remained oddly quiet. When he drove me home, Pete apologized repeatedly for their odd behavior. He kept saying he wasn’t sure why they were acting so strangely. But I knew.”
“Did you ever tell him about her remark when you received the award?”
“No. She was his mother. I didn’t want to be that person—you know, the girlfriend who rats out her soon-to-be mother-in-law.”
“I’m guessing she wasn’t so nice about her own feelings.”
“Oh. No.” Rory shuddered at the memories. “She called me the next day after that dinner and asked me to lunch. We’dbarely sat down when she proceeded to tell me all the reasons I was not fit to be her son’s girlfriend.”
Chance leaned back in his chair, his expression puzzled. “She just out and said it, did she?”
“Eudora is not one to mince words. She was very frank. Her son had a bright future that she insisted involved great wealth and enormous power, including political influence. He would be moving up in the world, and the woman at his side was immensely important to his image. I did not fit that image in any shape, form or fashion.”
His eyebrows reared up. “I’m sure you had to tell Pete about this.”
Again, Rory shook her head. “No. I talked to Aunt Lulu about it. She suggested I keep quiet and allow Eudora enough rope to hang herself. I wasn’t happy about the idea at first, but as it turned out, Lulu was right. The more I ignored Eudora’s warnings, the harder she tried to thwart our relationship. The more she tried, the more obvious she became. Even Pete had started to notice. The last straw was only a week before our wedding when she offered her son an exorbitant sum of money to dump me and move on. Pete was infuriated. She walked back the offer, of course. Insisting that she was only trying to protect him since she’d learned some very bad things about me.”
