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She nods. “Yes, one.”
I say nothing in response. I let the sentiment hang in the air. She may not understand, but I’ve just leveled the playing field some.
“Did you know Ms. Jepson had a restraining order against Chris Larsen when you reached out to him?”
“I told you I didn’t.”
“Were you aware that Ms. Jepson was sleeping with your brother?” She clears her throat, realizing that clarification is necessary. Her discomfort brings me a sense of enjoyment I haven’t felt in a long time. “With Johnny?”
“No.”
“Did you suspect?”
I think about all the times I felt like someone was watching me. All the times I heard noises coming from upstairs and how when I called no one answered. I shake my head. “No.”
“Did Davis know?”
“I don’t think so.”
“You’ve stated that Ms. Jepson wanted to sell Magnolia House. That she went so far as to find a buyer.”
I don’t see what this has to do with her murder, but I’m afraid she might. She’s trying to connect dots that aren’t there. “That’s correct.”
“He was your neighbor. This potential buyer?”
“He was a developer. Looking for a property grab.”
“To your knowledge, did Ms. Jepson have a relationship with him?”
“I have no idea. She only told me they spoke once.”
“Did Davis think they were having a relationship?”
“If he did, he never told me.”
“The family moved after the murders?”
“It lowered the property value, I assume.”
“As you mentioned before, it’s your opinion that Ms. Jepson was using your brother to urge him to sell your bed and breakfast?”
“Johnny wanted the money.”
“He told you this?”
“More than once.”
“What do you think, Ruth?” Her eyes narrow. “I want your opinion. What do you think Ms. Jepson stood to gain from any of this?”
Opinions aren’t facts. She knows this. I think about her question for a long moment before answering. “I don’t know. Money. A comfortable life. Love. Or what she thought was love.” What everyone wants. I pause just long enough to shrug, and that’s when the hypothetical answers end and the real one begins. “I don’t know. Only she can answer that.”
“Except she’s dead.”
She says this to try to goad a reaction out of me. It almost works. I know Ashley is dead. I saw. Believe me, I saw. “All I know is that she was obviously running from something. And that something found her.”
“Ah, that’s right.” She toys with a bracelet on her left wrist, and I can see that she’s running out of patience. This is good and bad. It means she’s losing steam, but also that she’s about to play hardball. “Davis suggests he walked in on Ms. Jepson on Johnny after Mr. Larson murdered the two of them. But the evidence doesn’t show this to be the case.”
“So I’m told.” I glance at the clock and back at her. I think about Magnolia House and what I would be doing right now if I wasn’t here. “I don’t know. I wasn’t there.”
