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“If I have to, I will.” At this point, chances were slim that I would need to do anything to avoid arrest. The scene was clean. I made sure of it. Whatever evidence the feds thought they had wouldn’t come back to me or anyone associated with the Ashby family or business interests. “You worry too much, Thomas.”
His smile was small, but I saw it. “Or maybe you don’t worry enough, Sadie.”
I shrugged. “Maybe you’re right, but the fact remains that I’m not worried, so you shouldn’t either. I need a drink.”
I pushed away from my desk with a sigh and made the short trip to the bar to pour myself a glass of Velvet Fire. Virgil did well for himself with that whiskey.
The phone rang on my desk, and Thomas answered it in his stiff, cultured way. “Sadie Ashby’s office. What can I do for you?” He nodded and turned to me. “Officer Howard.”
I smiled and took the phone, ignoring the tingle that shot through me when Thomas’ fingertips brushed mine. “Howard, how are you today?”
Howard Sullivan was one of the many law enforcement officers who were happy to earn a little extra cash for providing me with intel.
“Good, thanks. Are you up for a friendly chat, Ms. Ashby?”
Shit, the cops wanted to talk to me. “At the café on Washington?”
“Yep, on Washington, but I think it’s locally owned. Our chat should happen soon.” Howard ended the call abruptly, and I turned to Thomas.
“Bad news?”
I nodded. “The feds are on their way here to talk to me. Jameson Ellison is coming with them.”
Thomas gave a short nod of acknowledgment and straightened his shoulders. “I’ll get the refreshments ready.”
“Perfect. I’ll call the boys. They should be here for this.” I looked at the half-full glass with longing and left it on my desk as I went in search of Jasper, Virgil, and Calvin.
By the time the law came to my door, my sons were seated around the dining room table, Jasper to my right, Cal and Virgil to my left. Beck sat between Agent Marshall and Officer Ellison on the other side of the table.
It was clear this was Beck’s show, and as a powerful woman myself, I respected that. Not enough to take it easy on her, but enough to answer her silly questions without my attorney present.
“Sadie,” she began as if we were old friends.
“Ms. Ashby,” I corrected her. “Sadie is reserved for my friends. Friends like Jack.”
The mention of her father had the intended effect of knocking Agent Beck off her game. “Interesting, but my questions today are about more current events. The night Dietrich Mueller and Bonnie Ashby were murdered, where were you?”
“Ah, yes. Jack and I became good friends after a while. He was such a good listener.”
The truth was her father had been a damn good employee and losing him wasn’t something I took lightly. Not now and not then.
“Do you have an alibi for the night your daughter-in-law was killed?”
“He needed extra cash to help take care of his child, a smart kid too. A daughter, I think?” I let my gaze linger on Beck to let her know I knew why she was so preoccupied with my family. “Jack needed the money, so I offered him a job transporting goods for one of my companies.”
Agent Beck sucked in a shaky breath. “If you can’t account for your whereabouts Ms. Ashby, you’ll be bumped up from person of interest to suspect.”
I sat back in my chair and grinned. “Interesting.”
“Not really. Now answer the damn question.” She was getting annoyed and that would make her interrogation sloppy at best.
“What night was that? Specifically?”
Beck scoffed. “You don’t remember the night your daughter-in-law was killed?”
I shrugged. “It’s been a terrible tragedy for the family. I thought you, of all people, would understand that I was too stricken with grief to worry about things like calendars and timelines.”
She stopped shuffling her papers and glared at me. “Leavehimout of it.”
