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“Hush. I don’t want to know that.”
“You grew up on a farm!”
She looked guilty. “It was hard. Pigs are cute. But bacon is delicious. It’s a real moral dilemma.”
He smiled, which he suspected was her end goal, because she looked pleased with herself.
“He’s also tracked your aunt’s phone,” she added, scrolling through the messages from Antoine.
“Oh?” Gabe leaned over to see the screen. “Aunt Gigi’s in Fort Lauderdale?”
“She was sixteen days ago. That was the last time her phone was in use. It’s been turned off since then. I’m betting she’s on a cruise.”
“That makes sense. She takes a lot of cruises with her friends.” And that made him feel so much better. He relaxed, drawing, if not an easy breath, then an easier one, at least.
“I’ll ask Antoine to run checks on her credit cards. If she is on a cruise, she’d probably be using them for buying souvenirs in whatever ports they stop in.” She looked over her shoulder. “That’s April’s car. Cross your fingers, Gabe.”
“Fingers and toes.”
She took his hand and held fast. “We don’t mention Xavier, okay?”
He huffed, offended. “I didn’t! I didn’t even blink when Mrs. Royce asked about him.”
“And I was very impressed.” She brought his hand to her lips for a quick kiss before letting him go. “It’s showtime. Let me talk to her first. She’s alone, and I’m less intimidating.”
Antoine had outdone himself, getting them all the details of April Frazier’s life. She worked for an insurance broker, was married to a pharmacist, and had three children—Nadia, age thirteen, Josephina, age ten, and Hanna, age eight—and she’d apparently stopped at the grocery store on her way home from work.
The latter was Gabe’s own observation, as he could see the grocery bags in the back seat of her car as she pulled past them into her driveway. “Tell her I’ll carry her groceries,” he offered.
“You’re sweet.” Molly approached April’s car as the woman was getting out. “Hi,” she called. “My name is Molly Sutton. I was hoping I could talk to you for a moment.”
Gabe got out, shut the door, and leaned against it. He’d let her take the lead, but he would be her backup if things went south, as she would say.
“I’m not interested in whatever you’re selling,” April said with frosty politeness. She was about forty, tall, thin, and angular. Her medium brown hair was pulled into a ponytail and she wore yoga pants. “Please go away.” She started toward her house, her cell phone in hand. “I have 911 ready to dial, so leave.”
“I’m not selling anything. I’m a private investigator. I’d like to ask you about Nadia Hall.”
The woman stopped abruptly, then turned slowly, her mouth open in shock. “What?”
“I’m investigating a murder, and I think the victim was Nadia Hall.”
April lifted her hand to her mouth, her eyes filling with tears. “Oh my God. Oh my God.”
“You knew her?” Molly asked.
She lowered her hand and nodded. “Yes. She was my best friend in the world. I...” Her eyes narrowed. “How did you know about her, and how did you find me?”
“How I know about her is a long story. How I found you is a shorter one. Both you and Nadia still have Myspace accounts. I tracked hers to yours, then used Facebook and the white pages.”
April blinked. “Wow. That’s... Wow. I didn’t realize Myspace still existed.”
“Well, I’m grateful that it does.” Molly gestured toward Gabe. “This is Gabe Hebert. He’s my partner. His father was the police officer who found Nadia’s body.”
April leaned to one side, giving Gabe the once-over. She must have been satisfied, because she nodded at him. “Why isn’t your father investigating?”
“He did,” Gabe said. “But he died recently, and I’ve taken up his investigation.”
“You’re a cop, too?”
