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Damn. She forgot to ask him about whether he spotted anyone near her brother’s house when he tried to return Sam’s wallet. Considering how good a lawyer Benson was, she was sure he would have asked Preston that question during the trial.
Ariel was rather angry at herself at how she’d handled things today, but that was water under the bridge. It was time to move on.
When she pulled in front of her apartment, she sat there, trying to decide what to do. She needed to eat, and even though she would probably be seeing Beth tomorrow, Ariel wondered if she might be free tonight, so she called her best friend.
“How did it go?” Beth asked.
“Good, I think.”
“Tell me that Preston was even hotter up close.”
Beth was an eternal romantic. “I didn’t notice.”Liar. “By any chance are you up for some dinner? I’m starving.”
She laughed. “I ate a little while ago, but I’ll join you for a drink. Where?”
Ariel needed something a bit more special than the Mountain Diner. “How about Harmony’s Steakhouse? My treat.”
“Wow. You must be upset.”
Beth knew her well. “Perhaps. I need to change out of my uniform, and then I’ll head over there.”
“Meet you there.”
Once in her house, Ariel tossed on a dusty rose colored dress with a modest neckline that had long sleeves to ward off the evening chill. After she twisted her hair into a loose bun, she slipped on some matching high heels. Dressing up always made her feel better. A little lipstick and some blush, and she was ready.
Since it was chilly out, she grabbed a long coat. Even though she really didn’t have the money to spare for a nice dinner, she’d been under a lot of stress lately and needed to pamper herself. After locking up, Ariel slipped into her car. Betty, thank goodness, cooperated and started right away.
One plus of living in a small town was that most places were close to her apartment. Harmony's Steakhouse, which was situated in the center of town behind City Hall on Pebble River Road, was no exception. The parking lot sat in back. Even though she didn’t spot Beth’s car, Ariel hurried inside. It was a Friday night, so she hoped a table would be free. Thankfully, a few sat empty.
The hostess smiled and led her to a booth near the back. “When your friend arrives, I’ll let her know you’re here.”
“Thanks.” As soon as she sat down, Ariel began to relax. The sconces on the walls illuminated the room with a soft, relaxing glow. White table clothes with candles and flowers added to the ambience, as did the soothing jazz music. Too bad Beth was her date and not some handsome man, but her brother had to be Ariel’s top priority for now.
“Hey,” Beth said as she slipped in across from her a few minutes later. “You look nice.”
“Thanks, so do you.”
“I’m determined this year to find someone. Who knows? He could be here now.”
“I think our best hope of finding someone is when he walks into the clinic with a dog or cat that needs help.”
“I’ve been saying that for the last six years and so far, no luck.”
Beth was pretty and sweet. She’d be a great catch for anyone. What was wrong with the men of Wildwood?
The waitress came by and handed them menus. “Can I get you two something to drink?”
“A glass of Cabernet,” Ariel said.
“Same here.” As soon as the waitress left, Beth grinned. “Spill. I want to hear all of the details.”
Ariel started at the beginning and listed her questions, along with Preston’s responses. “He brought up a good point about who might have killed Sam.”
“Really? Who?”
“Preston didn’t have a name, but he said it was possible the murder wasn’t about Samantha at all, but rather about Trent. Preston was speculating that my brother could have owed some creep money, and when he failed to pay him back, the person killed Sam.”
“Wow. That’s out there, but still in the realm of possibility. To be honest, though, I came here for therealdetails.”
