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Nice of her to say that, but Jon didn’t buy it. He was older and should have manned up. Lack of communication had nearly destroyed them, but he was determined to make sure it didn’t happen again. Not with Annie and not with Kylie.
Eight
Annie hadn’t been to Marquette since Nate had died. It was the largest city in the U.P., but Annie thought it still held on to its small U.P. flavor with its local shops and breweries. It was a major shipping port for iron ore, but she had always loved it for its outdoor beauty. She often brought Kylie here in the winter to marvel at the northern lights glimmering along Lake Superior. There were no northern lights out in June, but the luxurious green everywhere was nearly as compelling.
The Fraser home was a palatial marvel of turrets and curved windows that surveyed the blue waves of Superior. Eyeing it, Annie guessed it to be at least ten thousand square feet with a quarried stone exterior and a copper roof. The gardens were massive, and the fragrance of roses and lilies filled the air. There were no vehicles in the circle drive, but then the place boasted a four-stall garage with another detached building out back. The rumble of a riding mower came from somewhere in the area.
She got out of Mason’s SUV and followed him to the double doors that appeared to be handcrafted walnut. “Did you call ahead?”
Mason reached for the doorbell. “Nope. Surprise questions are usually more truthful.”
Before he could press the bell, the garage door to their left opened, and a red convertible backed out into the sunlight. Annie wasn’t one to recognize hood ornaments, but it seemed expensive. The driver was a blond male in his thirties, and he frowned when he spotted them in front of the door. At first Annie thought he might drive away without speaking to them, but Mason lifted his hand and hurried down the steps to block the guy’s drive with his burly form.
The man’s scowl deepened, but he put the car in Park and leaned his elbow on the window opening. “Sheriff Kaleva, isn’t it? What can I help you with?” His congenial tone was at odds with the caution in his hazel eyes.
He had the chiseled good looks of a male model or a movie star, and Annie didn’t see a wedding ring on his tanned left hand. His gaze sharpened as it settled on her, and a shiver went down her back at his predatory smile. She’d run into her fair share of male attention, and she was immune to his type. But she could see where he likely succeeded when he set his mind on pursuit of a woman.
Mason glanced at Annie and nodded for her to take the lead. “I’m LEO Pederson.” She stepped closer to read the man’s expression. “You’re Brandon Fraser?”
“Obviously.”
“We’re investigating an abandoned car in the Kitchigami Wilderness Preserve. It’s a BMW registered to your wife, Michelle Fraser.”
“In the Ottawa National Forest? That’s a ways from here.” A slight twitch and widening of his eyelids were the only indication he gave of surprise. “We’re separated.”
“Not divorced?”
“She disappeared and couldn’t be served with papers. I decided to let it ride until she showed up again.”
“Seems generous of you. Was there ill will between the two of you?”
He fixed her with a stare. “There usually is when people get a divorce.”
“When did she disappear?”
“She left me a year ago.” His clipped voice held forced boredom.
“Have you heard from her at all during that time?”
“If I had, I’d be divorced by now.”
Annie made a mental note to ask Mason to check with Marquette police about any domestic incidents. There was a barely restrained fury and contempt in his manner that put her back up. The whole thing puzzled her.
“Any idea why she would rent a condo and never live in it?” Mason asked.
Brandon flinched. “She wasted money like that? Typical Michelle. No thought for how hard I work. She has never learned the value of a dollar. Nice cars, designer clothes, expensive shoes—that’s all she has ever wanted.”
He spoke of her in the present tense, which Annie took as a positive sign that Michelle might still be alive. “What about her relationship with her parents, siblings?”
“Her mom is still alive, and she gets along fine with Michelle. Too well. She’s always babied her. Her dad died in a mining accident, and she doesn’t have any siblings. That’s how we met seven years ago. I went to her house to tell her mother about Adam’s death. Michelle was eighteen, and I was twenty-one, but she acted so responsible and mature. At least at first. It wasn’tuntil we were married that I realized she only married me for my money.”
Annie didn’t want to assume anything since this was Brandon’s version of the truth. “Could we get her mother’s address?” Mason had already tracked down her mom, but she wanted to see how much Brandon would cooperate.
He snatched his phone from the car’s console and swiped through it. “I’ll text you the info if you give me your number.”
Annie rattled off her phone number, and he punched it into his phone. Moments later, her message alert dinged. “Got it, thanks.”
She spared a glance at the entry. The woman lived in Munising near Pictured Rocks. They could make a run over that way. They could all go kayaking after she spoke with Michelle’s mom. Maybe it would be some bonding time with Jon and their daughter.
