Page 71 of Trust No One

“She was . . . friendly. I guess bygones, et cetera. Then I left. Ken and I grabbed a drink at the bar across the street. And I quickly remembered why we’re getting divorced.” I cradled my cup.

“Who do you think poisoned Maria?”

“I still can’t wrap my head around the idea she was poisoned. Are you sure this wasn’t an accident?”

“Very unlikely. The high levels in her bloodstream didn’t happen by chance.”

“Why poison Maria? She doesn’t have any money, and she’s not in line to inherit anything from the Hale estate.”

He sipped his coffee. “Maybe it had nothing to do with money. Gabe had money problems, but he admitted he’d flirted with Amy, and I suspect it was more than that.”

“I was just thinking about Amy.”

“Why?”

“I found a picture. Wait. I’ll get it.” I hurried upstairs, grabbed the yearbook, and returned. I opened to Amy’s page, where I’d tucked the Polaroid.

Judson studied the picture but did not touch it. “Who’s the guy with her?”

“I don’t know.”

“Detective Hutchinson interviewed Amy in your mother’s case.”

“Why? Mom had dementia. Tragic, but no one did anything wrong.”

“Your mother was fifty-five and didn’t have major health conditions beyond the stroke.”

“You sound like you think someone killed my mother.”

“Your mother’s case remained on Hutchinson’s radar for a few years.”

“The medical examiner conducted an autopsy,” I said. “He listed Mom’s death as natural.”

“I doubt he looked that hard. No one wants to kick the Hale hornet’s nest. Can I keep this?”

“What are you going to do with the photo?”

“A long shot. But you never know.” Silence settled between us before: “I’m tracking Amy down today. I’d like to talk to her.”

“About possibly killing my mother? Why would she do that?”

“She was obsessed with you. Maybe she thought she was doing you a favor.”

“And Maria?”

“Amy was sleeping with Gabe.”

I shook my head. “When Mom died, Amy lost her job and home when I closed the house. Hardly a ‘favor’ from a pal. And Gabe is an ex-con with no money.”

“The heart wants what the heart wants.”

“Right.”

“Did you ever see Amy with Gabe in high school?”

“They crossed paths when she worked here. He lived on the property.”

“Did she mention him?”