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Lila smiled. “Me.”
Chapter Eight
GINNY WAITED UNTIL THEY WERE OUTSIDE, STANDING AT THEbottom of the long driveway next to her car, before talking again. She wasn’t sure what to make of Lila’s last comment. Pointing the finger at Jared and Aaron... but about what?
Pete followed her lead on the silence but beat her to the first comment now that they were alone. That’s what he did. Raced to be the first. He lacked discipline and experience, but you’d never know that, because he wasn’t afraid to speak up. “She’s weird, right? It’s not just me.”
“It’s not.”
“Like, emotionless or something. But very attractive.”
Ginny fought back a groan. Pete didn’t possess an internal filter that signaled when he should just shut up. She used to give her son “the look” when he spouted off the wrong thing at the wrong time. It worked because he generally knew what was okay to say and when. Late into his twenties, Pete had yet to learn those skills.
He started yammering, like he often did. “Look, that face and those stylish clothes. She’s like Old Hollywood. Allbuttoned-up but yet not really. Reddish hair, sort of... it’s a hot look.”
Working with him was exhausting. “Her hair is brown. Circle around to your point, please.”
“She looks like she could break a man in two, if you know what I mean.” When Ginny didn’t show any reaction, Pete shrugged and kept going. “But there’s a bit of a Stepford wife, trophy thing happening. I bet Aaron enjoys showing her off.”
“Do you know how annoying any of what you just spouted off is?” She doubted it.
Ginny had her own assessment. Lila came off as capable and determined. Strong and fully in control. She’d been blessed with a striking face. Pale, perfect skin highlighted by the right shade of red lipstick. A body honed by exercise or surgery or something that worked for her.
She possessed the perfect mix of pretty with a whiff of mystery. Ginny could imagine men at the yacht club falling over themselves to flirt with her, and her not reacting at all. A hard-to-get-and-hard-to-please vibe pulsed around her.
“She doesn’t seem...”
Ginny rolled her eyes. “I dread however you’re going to finish that sentence.”
“Real.” He made a humming sound. “Not at all like the cuddle-in-bed type.”
“Are you done?”
“You told me I need to learn to assess people. What I got from her was pretty but really chilly.”
“Possibly.” If Aaron didn’t walk in the door soon, she’dneed more time with Lila. Stockpile more questions. Engage in extended observation and try to gather insight from those who knew her. Right now the picture was blurry and confusing. Ginny sensed Lila made it look that way on purpose.
“She could be a hell of an actress,” Pete said.
That’s exactly what she was and why Ginny found her so intriguing and so damn dangerous. “She’s a former trial lawyer and a current real estate agent. She can play the game when she needs to. Don’t be fooled.”
Pete leaned against the side of her car and folded his arms across his stomach. “But what game is she playing? Certainly not grieving wife. She’s not weepy or worried.”
Pete earned his spot on the investigative team. He’d done some great work on a series of thefts that ended in a murder. He’d spied the bit of video footage that tied it all together. The move fast-tracked his career. Jumped him ahead of others, which didn’t exactly make him the office favorite.
She tolerated him. His know-it-all attitude grated, but she wanted to believe he meant well. He wanted to succeed, and she could understand that.
She took him on because her boss ordered her to. She’d gotten on the sheriff’s bad side, through no fault of her own, and now she stepped carefully. But she demanded respect, and lucky for Pete, he gave it to her... usually.
He had a pretty serious blind spot and no self-awareness about his weaknesses. He faltered when it came to some basic human interactions, as people who hadn’t experienced thatmuch living tended to do. He saw people as one thing or another. He lacked nuance. He hadn’t seen the worst and didn’t appreciate the dense fog of gray he was about to wander into.
“She doesn’t give much away.” When Pete just stared at her after the comment, Ginny listed off a few of the things she noticed during her short meetings with Lila Ridgefield. “She’s skilled. Dodges questions. Half answers. Pivots away from difficult topics. Feeds me information I didn’t ask for.”
“Is she socially awkward or is this something else?”
“This feels practiced. Careful.” The question was whether the games came from a general survival instinct or were part of a ruse to keep them guessing about her missing husband. “Tell me about what you saw in the house.”
They got a rare glimpse inside. This early into an investigation—barely having started—they didn’t normally poke around in the potential victim’s possessions. When Lila offered, Ginny didn’t think she could say no. Now she wondered if the early look was meant to throw them off.
