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“And you agreed?”
“Not happily. But my daughter seems to trust you.” A weighted pause. “I hope that trust is warranted.”
“It is,” Blake answered quietly. “You’ll have firsthand evidence of that—soon. Reserve judgment till then. Establishing trust takes time.”
“Yes, it does.” Monty took another gulp of coffee. “To be blunt, I’m not convinced we have any blackmail scheme here. I’m leaning toward it all being a setup.”
“You think James staged everything.”
“In a word? Yes.”
“I can’t say that shocks me. But even if it’s true, how does it tie into Frederick’s murder?”
“Not just Frederick’s. Rhodes’s. And I’m not sure it does. The MO was wrong for blackmail from the beginning.” Monty cleared his throat. “Let’s digress for a minute. While I was questioning your grandfather, I got the distinct impression that you had your own doubts about Rhodes’s death being a suicide.”
“I did and I do. The pieces just don’t fit.”
“I agree.” Monty lay another of his cards on the table. “I’ve had Jenkins at Pierson & Company all morning. He brought in a computer whiz, who’s analyzing Rhodes’s hard drive as we speak. I’m hoping they find something.”
“Something the killer deleted.”
“Right. Rhodes’s uptight manner, his paranoia, and his phone call to your grandfather—he knew something. Something that got him killed.” Monty blew out a breath. “Tell me about Louise Chambers and your uncle.”
“They were involved. On again, off again for more than a year.”
“Did it start when your aunt was alive?”
“Not to my knowledge. But can I swear to it? No. I wouldn’t put it past Louise. She goes after what she wants. But Frederick—he’s less clear-cut. Very ethical. Not the type to have an affair. Plus, he was consumed by Pierson & Company. Between that and my aunt Emily, he had his hands full.”
Monty motioned for Blake to wait. “What’s the scoop with your aunt? Was she a shrew?”
“Not at all.” Blake shook his head. “She was frail and sickly, for as long as I can remember. Especially those last couple of years, when her health took a rapid nosedive. During that time, Frederick was totally devoted to her.” A frown. “On the flip side, I doubt they had a viable marriage during those final years. Emily’s failing health prevented it. So, could Frederick have taken up with Louise? I suppose so.”
“I didn’t know your aunt was chronically ill.”
“She had a heart condition. Even as a kid, I remember her popping nitroglycerin tablets. Toward the end, it was really bad. She was frail and weak, to the point of being housebound.”
“For how long?”
“A couple of years, I’d say. She became a total recluse. She stayed in their apartment and saw no one.”
Something was nagging at Monty. He just wasn’t sure what—yet.
“What about Pierson & Company?” he asked. “Was Emily involved in the business?”
“Nope. Not even when she was stronger. She never walked into the building.”
“Okay.” Monty processed that. “I think we’ve covered enough for now. Oh, except for one thing. Devon’s going through with her date with James tomorrow night.”
Blake’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Why?”
“Because I asked her to. She’ll be wearing a wire. And I’ll be listening.”
“I see,” Blake replied slowly. “She’s hoping to get some kind of confession.”
“Uh-huh.” Monty set down his cup. “Here’s the part where you earn your trust wings. Not a word to anyone—especially your grandfather. Not about tomorrow night, and not about my suspicions that James set up the whole blackmail scheme. Edward will move heaven and earth to protect James. I won’t. Will you?”
“I’m being tested,” Blake assessed flatly.
