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“We were each busy doing our thing. I started out a beautician in the salon. When the owner got ready to retire, I got a small business loan and took it over.”
“And obviously made a success of it.” Wanting to get back to the subject of the hostility between the two men, she said, “With Ledge away, you were left free for the competition.”
“Believe me, Rusty was never competition, but he took advantage of Ledge’s absence. He tried numerous times to get something going with me, even after he married and started his family. Anywhere I happened to be, he would show up and make sure that people saw us talking.”
“Insinuating that there was something between you.”
“Exactly.” She looked sorrowfully into the near distance. “Judy, his wife, believed there was. Still does. She despises me. Little does she know how much I despise him.”
“Why don’t you tell her?”
“Have a showdown? Her accusing, me denying?” She shook her head. “That would only spawn more gossip. But Rusty knows full well how much I detest him. I made it plain to him that I wouldn’t have anything to do with him, even if Ledge didn’t exist.”
“He didn’t take no for an answer.”
“He doesn’t,” she said.
“He still pursues you?”
“Not as openly. He stopped doing that when Ledge came back. Ledge may be the only person in the world who intimidates him. Which, of course, makes Rusty even more resentful of him.”
She paused before adding thoughtfully, “But their feud isn’t only about me anymore. It’s evolved over the years. It’s over something that runs much deeper.”
“What?”
“You’ll have to get that from one of them.”
Unsurprised by her evasion, but also frustrated by it, Arden said, “Do you know what it is?”
“Aspects of it. Not everything.”
Arden covered her hesitation to continue by taking a sip of her drink. “I think their conflict has something to do with the night my father disappeared.”
Crystal’s eyes widened fractionally, indicating to Arden that she had knowledge of the night in question. Her guard went up again. “What would be the connection?”
“Ledge was arrested that same night.”
Crystal replied with a soft yes.
“He claims Rusty set him up.”
“He’s certain of it,” Crystal said.
“Do you believe that’s the case?”
“I believe Rusty is that unscrupulous.”
“So do I.”
“I didn’t know you had met him.”
“Not until today. He intercepted me this morning as I was leaving the courthouse.” She explained why she was at the courthouse in the first place, and then told her how the encounter with Rusty had come about. “He more or less trapped me between my car and his. That’s how it felt, anyway. He poured on the charm, but I couldn’t wait to get away from him. He gave off sinister vibes.”
“I know the vibe you mean,” Crystal said. “Once you’ve had experience with someone like that, you know to watch for it.”
Arden was struck by the gravity of her tone and waited to see if she would elaborate. But she didn’t, so Arden continued.
“But besides my meeting with Rusty, something else disconcerting happened while I was there. I learned from the detective who furnished me with the investigation reports that Ledge had acquired copies of them. Only days ago. Did you know that?”
