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Knowing they can’t arrest me without the proper evidence, I hurry down the sidewalk enraged.

I check my phone and am already ten minutes late. Five minutes later, I make my way inside the deli and see my best friends seated by the window. They wave, and I’m trying really hard not to let those men ruin my day.

There’s already a big glass of sweet tea waiting for me. I sit in the booth next to Katie with a sigh.

“I win. You’re buying my lunch,” Gemma tells her.

“You two placed bets on if I would be on time, didn’t you?” I glance at them.

“Technically, no. We placed bets on how late you’d be.” Gemma grins.

“I said five to ten minutes,” Katie says, and I stare at Gemma.

“I guessed fifteen to twenty.” Gemma shrugs. “I know you too well.”

Belinda greets me with a menu, but I don’t take it. “Grilled cheese and tomato soup, please.”

“Good choice.” She nods with a grin, then walks away. The place is packed with the lunch rush.

“Someone piss on your avocado toast this morning?” Gemma finally asks because I’m being quieter than usual. Typically, I have a million things to discuss, but right now, my mind is racing.

Lowering my voice, I tell them what happened outside of the shop. I repeat every word of the conversation, and I’m still as shocked as they look.

“I never thought I’d be a person of interest in a murder case.”

“What the hell?” Katie hisses, and concern is written on Gemma’s face.

“Just because I had sex with the man doesn’t mean I wanted him dead. He was actually a great lover, and I woulda hit it again.” I wink. “I mean, well, if he were alive. May he rest in peace.”

Katie snorts. “It’s always the quiet types, you know?”

I think of Archer and how well he balances my personality. He’s not my usual type, but he’s quickly becoming the only man I want. Eric was nice and a great booty call, but there weren’t sparks. He didn’t take my breath away. There’s no comparison between the two other than them both being my brother’s friend.

“Tyler’s gonna flip his shit,” Gemma says. “But maybe he can get Serena to help you? She’s amazing.”

“I know. And please don’t tell my brother just yet. I’d love to be able to process it all before he starts playing bodyguard.” I suck in a deep breath; my anxiety is starting to get the best of me.

“Everything’s gonna be okay,” Katie says. “The whole town can vouch for seeing Eric’s wife slap the blush right off your cheeks.”

I roll my eyes. “Now is not the time for jokes.”

“Oh, I wasn’t joking.” She laughs and bumps me with her elbow.

“The bottom line is I need to figure out what I’m gonna do. This is the last thing I wanna be dealing with. I have big plans for the boutique this year, and I don’t want that getting around and ruining my reputation.”

“I don’t blame you, and you know we wouldn’t let that happen.”

“I wonder what really happened to Eric, though,” Gemma mumbles.

“I’ve been thinking ’bout this in true crime style and have tried to put the pieces together,” I say.

Gemma lifts a brow.

“I think his wife suspected he was cheating, so she hired a private investigator. Otherwise, I dunno how else she would’ve found out. None of you knew until she blurted it out to the entire town. Anyway, when she got confirmation, she planned her ultimate revenge and waited for him to come home. It’s a classic scorned lover’s tale. Thousands of books and movies are out there with the same premise. Typically, the simplest answer is the right one. At least that’s what all the crime documentaries I’ve watched taught me.”

“You and your Crime TV.” Gemma chuckles.

“But Eric went home in May, and he wasn’t murdered until October,” Katie points out.