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“And this was with his approval?” Sam asked.
“Of course.”
“What type of relationship did you have with—Phillip?”
“Like I said. It was very informal. We got along splendidly. I was very shattered by his death.” She brought a hand up to cover her mouth as if she were trying to suppress tears. “I’ll never forgive you Ivy for what you did.”
“I didn’t kill him.” She felt panic begin to stir in her gut. “I don’t know what ye saw, but ye were mistaken.”
Sam ignored Ivy’s outburst and continued. “It was my understanding Mr. Hendrickson was very, er, attached to his staff. Particularly the female staff.”
“What are you implying? That he made advances to other members of the staff? That’s simply not true.”
“What do you mean by others?” Sam asked. Ivy hadn’t caught that, but swung her head toward the woman who always felt like a younger sister.
She looked appropriately confounded and twined her hands together. “Well you said Phill—Mr. Hendrickson made unwanted advances toward Ivy. I assumed you were asking if I was aware he was making other unwanted advances.”
“Ms. Taylor, I never said that.”
Ivy could have hugged him. Something inside actually erupted to life and she even felt herself standing taller.
“She was accused of having an affair with him.” The woman snapped.
Sam shook his head. “Then that would have been with her consent.”
Becky’s eyes began to look irritated as she shot a look between the two of them. “What exactly are you trying to get at, Mr. Michalski? You’ve completely lost me.”
“I apologize, Ms. Taylor,” he said, sounding sincere even if his expression did not. “Let me rephrase the question. Were you aware of Phillip Hendrickson’s illicit activity?”
“Of course not!”
“And yet, you seemed to be under the belief he made improper advances to Ms. McGregor.”
To Ivy’s surprise, the woman’s eyes turned red with rage as she spun around and scowled at Ivy. “That was because she always flaunted herself at him, teasing him. Phillip always wanted what he couldn’t have.”
“That’s not true!”
Becky continued, ignoring Ivy’s protest. “She pretended to be so sweet, so innocent, but I knew differently. She had manipulated Phillip the same way she is manipulating you, Mr. Michalski.”
“No!” Ivy’s gaze flew back to Sam’s face, horribly afraid to see doubt in his eyes. He had already once questioned her innocence, would he again? To her relief the only thing she recognized in his expression was a look of cold hard determination as he kept his steely gaze on Becky.
“Did you have sexual relations with Phillip Hendrickson?”
Color flooded the woman’s cheeks. “That’s none of your business!”
“I take it that is a yes.”
“I think it’s time you left.”
“Was it with or without your consent?”
Her jaw clenched as she glared at him. “Phillip loved me!”
Her outburst threw the kitchen into silence. Ivy blinked, staring with disbelief at the woman. She had been unaware of the girl’s affections toward Phillip Hendrickson. True, she had seemed particularly friendly with him, but Ivy had simply related it to the woman’s bubbly personality.
“And you loved him,” Sam stated rather than asked.
She glowered, shooting fiery darts toward Ivy. The answer was clear in her eyes. Ivy’s mind reeled.
