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“But if she did? Someone else could have picked it up?”
Someone. Sophie. That was the name they wanted him to give. Not that he was going to do it. “Yeah, at any time between that day and the next time the office was cleaned, which was almost a full week later. And a whole lot of people come into this office in a week’s time.”
The man persisted. “Including your sister.”
“I don’t recall.” He blessed his reputation as being Mr. Cool. Considering the number of times he’d gotten angry recently, he was lucky he didn’t let his temper rise with these guys.
Lyons frowned. “She already admitted she was here that week.”
“So, why’d you ask me?” Mick shot back.
Lyons stepped away and Willis took over again. “Does your sister have a temper? Like you?”
Mick chuckled. “Me? I don’t have much of a temper. As most of the town will tell you, I’m a lover not a fighter.” His voice continued just the right amount of self-deprecation and charm.
Willis merely tilted his head, looking confused. “Well, that’s interesting, considering the incident at your college.”
Damn.
“That was a fluke.”
“And at the Mainline Tavern last week. A few people said you were looking for trouble.”
Damn again.
Mick leaned back in his chair, giving them both a rueful, man-to-man look. “Look, both of those occasions involved woman trouble, and I never laid a hand on anybody. It was me being mad at myself for being a stupid sucker.”
They shared a look, one every man on earth knew and had worn in his life. They understood that much. Mick relaxed a bit.
“And you say neither you nor Ms. Lamb touched the gun?”
Mick nodded. “That’s correct. Louise was the only one who touched it, so I assume the only fingerprints on it would be hers…and the killer’s. Have you already gotten Louise’s fingerprints to compare them?”
The detectives exchanged a look. Mick sensed the men were annoyed with one another. “We, uh, will be obtaining Ms. Flanagan’s information shortly. She’s been sequestered with the victim’s brother, helping him through his grief.”
Louise and Pastor Bob? He almost laughed, thinking the officers were mistaken. Then he remembered that day on the street when Louise had told him how the pastor was helping her. Maybe helping her by giving her someone else to focus her attention on, once she’d gotten her ridiculous crush on Mick out of the way?
It wasn’t out of the question. Louise was a nice, honest young woman. Pastor Bob was only in his forties and had probably been lonely since the death of his wife. He could think of worse matches.
“So,” Mick continued, “as soon as you rule out Louise’s prints, and focus on whomever else’s are on that gun, you’ll be able to eliminate other suspects. Including my sister. Right?”
Lyons responded. “We’re not free to discuss the details of the case, Mr. Winchester.”
Mick was ready to tell him to stuff the details of the case when they all heard the ring of a cell phone. Lyons answered and spoke quietly, then listened for several long moments. Willis leaned forward in his chair, and Mick had the feeling this phone call was important.
As Lyons finished his call, a smile appeared on his dour face. That was the first one Mick had seen today. After he’d disconnected, he looked at his partner. “It’s in.”
“And?”
“It’s a match.”
AS SOON AS Caro heard from Hildy that Sophie Winchester had been taken in for official questioning for the murder of Miss Hester, she raced home to Mick’s house. It was late Saturday morning, and the cast and crew were preparing for the second-to-last elimination episode. A big one. Not that she cared. She’d been out of the trailer thirty seconds after Hildy had come in, not even telling anyone she was leaving.
When she arrived, she saw a black sports car in Mick’s driveway. Inside, she followed the sound of voices to the media room and found Mick involved in a discussion with his cousin, Jared, and Jared’s wife, Gwen. Mick saw her, stood and gave her a quick hard kiss. “You heard.”
She nodded, then extended a big thermos. “Hildy sent this.”
“Hildy’s coffee is the best,” Jared murmured.
