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“The one time he reached me, I hung up on him.”
“Did he ever issue threats against your husband?”
“Of course not!”
“Did he ever suggest to you that if your handicapped husband was out of the picture, you’d be free to come back to him? Instant divorce. That kind of thing. Did he ever suggest that he might remove your husband?”
She looked at him aghast. “If he had, don’t you think I would have acted on it? Reported it?”
His smirk insinuated much.
She drew herself up straight. “No, Mr. Rodarte. Griff Burkett never posed a threat to either Foster or me.”
“That you know of.”
She was about to speak when she realized that it was a valid speculation. Hedging, she said, “He never threatened me.”
“But he could have threatened your husband without your knowledge.”
“Foster never said—”
“But Burkett could have.”
Reluctantly, she nodded.
Rodarte glanced at his mute partner, his expression tongue-in-cheek. When his attention came back to Laura, he said, “Did Burkett ever mention a hideaway? Ever talk about a friend with a lake cabin, or a private getaway, someplace he may be laying low now?”
“Nothing like that. He didn’t confide in me. We didn’t talk much at all.”
Too late she realized she’d walked right into that one. “No, I guess not,” Rodarte said, leering and casting his partner another glance. “Mrs. Speakman, it goes without saying that if you hear from Burkett, you’ll contact me immediately.”
“Of course.”
“I’m posting some men here at the house.”
“Is that necessary?”
“Burkett may have come here last night for the two of you,” he said quietly. “He didn’t know you were going to be in Austin, did he?”
She shook her head slowly, stunned by the thought that Griff would want to harm her. “It wasn’t decided that I would go until early yesterday morning.”
“So when Burkett came here last night, he expected you to be here, too.”
“I suppose.” She closed her eyes, trying to imagine Griff in a murderous rage. His hands were large and strong, but they could be gentle. Were they also capable of violence? She couldn’t imagine that. Could she?
“I advise you to keep someone with you,” Rodarte said. “Actually, I’d rather you move to an undisclosed location until Burkett is apprehended.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“Do.” He looked around the room and silently consulted Carter, who closed his notebook and slid it back into his breast pocket. “I guess that’s all for now. Unless you can think of anything else that might be pertinent.”
She shook her head absently. Then she remembered a question she had wanted to ask him. “Who reported the murder?”
“Nine-one-one got a call.”
“From Foster?”
Rodarte shook his head. “The ME said he wouldn’t have had time. He wouldn’t have been able. And there was no phone near him.”
