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She thought about that for a minute.
Sam wanted to tell her to hurry up as she noticed the clock on the stove moving toward three thirty.
“He’d been unusually harsh in his comments about Liliana lately.”
“How so?”
“He said she expected too much from him, was always on him for missing things with the kids, but when he decided to cut back on his work, she freaked out about the financial implications. He was angry with her for putting him in an impossible situation.”
“And he told you this even though you were also upset about his decision?”
“It came out during the argument with Rory. He said everyone expected so much of him, and he couldn’t seem to make anyone happy. We asked who he meant by everyone, and he said Liliana had been making him feel like shit for missing so much with the kids. But he said she certainly enjoyed the lifestyle his income provided.”
“She worked, too, though, right?” Sam asked.
“She did, but he made most of the family’s income. She worked around the kids’ schedules, so her hours were somewhat limited.”
“Did Marcel indicate what his plan was for continuing to pay the family’s bills on half his regular income?”
“Not to us.” She got up to get something from a cabinet and returned with baby food and a small green spoon.
The baby lit up at the sight of the spoon, sparking the old familiar yearning in Sam that hit at the strangest of times, like now when she had a million other things to think about, including the three children who’d made her a mother.
“What else can you tell us about his relationship with Rory?” Sam asked.
“As I mentioned, they were like brothers. They’d been friends since med school, and their families were close, but he was very upset about Marcel making a decision that impacted all of us without even talking to us first, especially when his lawsuit was having a much bigger impact on us than it was on him. It was all over the local infertility groups online, and people were canceling withusbut not him.”
“Can you think of anyone else who might’ve wanted the family dead?”
“Everyone loved them. The kids…” Her eyes filled as she shook her head. In a whisper, she said, “They were beautiful.”
Sam put her card on the table and gave the usual spiel about calling if she thought of anything else that might be relevant. As she went through the motions, she felt like she was wading through quicksand, unable to find her usual groove.
“Thank you for your time,” Sam said.
“I really hope you figure out who did this,” Dr. Harvey said.
“We’ll do our best.”
“If I may… It was very nice to meet you, although I wish it had been under different circumstances. My husband and I are supporters of you and your husband.”
“Thank you. We appreciate it.”
Back outside, they got into the SUV, and Sam asked Vernon to take them to HQ.
“How’re you making out?” Vernon asked, glancing at her in the mirror.
“The usual frustrating bullshit at this point in any investigation,” Sam said. “Everyone loved them. The kids were beautiful. No one can think of any reason someone would want to kill them. Yada, yada, yada.”
“The lawsuit is an interesting twist,” Freddie said. “Didn’t see that coming.”
“Me either.” It was a very interesting twist that she couldn’t work up an ounce of enthusiasm over. Feeling overheated in the car, she unzipped her coat and rested her head against the cool window.
“Are you okay, Sam?” Freddie asked in a low tone.
“Yep.” What the hell was wrong with her? She lived for this stuff, but she couldn’t seem to find the groove she needed to oversee a complex investigation. Was it because of the crap with Nick’s mother? Possibly. Even though they’d made up, their argument over her asking Avery Hill to investigate his mother had rattled her. The uneasiness of an unusually harsh encounter with Nick remained as Avery’s investigation blew up into a scandal Nick and his team had to deal with.
She knew better than anyone how even a mention of his mother affected Nick and worried that when the dust eventually settled, as it always did, he would blame her for bringing this down on him.
