Page 150 of Only Be Mine

I hesitated.

Trevor answered, gently. “Wedding nerves. He was close with Seth Peterson - there was some tension there. Normal things.”

Normal…

The word landed smoothly, sanding down the edge of memory.

The detective looked at me. “Does that align with your recollection?”

“Yes,” I said. “It does.”

Another note.

“Did John have any enemies?” he asked. “Anyone you’re aware of who might have wanted to harm him?”

My stomach twisted. I shook my head. “No. He was… good. He didn’t fight with people. He didn’t make enemies.”

Trevor squeezed my hand once, approving.

“Were there any financial concerns?” Marshal asked. “Debts? Legal issues?”

“No,” Trevor said. “John was stable. Employed. Responsible.”

The detective’s pen paused mid-line.

“Mr. Reeder,” he said evenly, “I’ll ask that you let Mrs. Reeder answer when possible.”

Trevor didn’t bristle. He smiled apologetically.

“Of course,” he said. “I just want to make sure nothing gets misunderstood.”

“I appreciate that,” Marshal replied. His gaze sharpened - not hostile, but alert. “Mrs. Reeder?”

I swallowed. “No. There weren’t any problems like that.”

He wrote again.

There was a brief silence before he continued.

“You were out of town when we confirmed the identification,” he said. “Can you tell me where you were?”

“On our honeymoon,” I said softly.

“St. Lucia,” Trevor added, smooth as silk. “We returned two days ago.”

Marshal looked up. “Congratulations. I’m sorry the timing was… this.”

Trevor nodded solemnly. “So are we.”

The detective studied us for a moment longer than necessary. I felt like a specimen under glass.

“Mrs. Reeder,” he said carefully, “I want to ask you something difficult.”

My pulse quickened.

Trevor’s hand stilled in mine for just a moment, then resumed its gentle pressure.

“In the years since John disappeared,” he continued, “did you ever suspect someone close to you, someone he trusted, might have been involved?”