Page 227 of Taken Away

“Did Mabel ever trust Walter again?” he asked.

Patsy went still for a long moment.

“She trusted Walter with the present.”

Burke looked up.

Patsy’s gaze had moved to the planner too.

“She wasn’t sure she could trust him with the future.”

Burke let that sit.

Then he turned the page in his notebook.

“What about Red Stephens?”

Patsy blinked, as though the name had pulled her back from another room entirely.

“Red?”

“Harold’s friend.”

“Oh, I know who Red is.” A little smile touched her mouth. “Everybody knows who Red is. Mostly because Red makes sure of it.”

“Did he ever bother Mabel?”

Patsy tilted her head.

“Bother her how?”

“Come on too strong. Make her uncomfortable. Give her a reason to be afraid of him.”

Patsy considered that, then shook her head.

“Red talked bigger than he ever lived.”

“That so?”

“That man couldn’t hurt a fly. He's all talk.”

Despite himself, Burke laughed.

Patsy smiled too, but then her face sobered.

“He flirted. He bragged. He wanted people to believe he’d had more power over women than he ever did. But Mabel was never afraid of Red Stephens.”

Burke made a note.

“And Bennett?” he asked.

Patsy’s expression changed at once.

“No.”

It was the sharpest answer she had given him.

Burke looked up.