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“That bad?”
“My ex stole all my money, left me with all his debts, and ran off with someone who I thought was my best friend.”
“Damn, I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago. I dream of running into him one day and...well, I guess I better not elaborate, considering you’re a federal agent. But it is a great deal of money at stake. So for now, I’ll continue to live in a house that is far too big, with my little brother.”
“Sort of like Jocelyn Point and Dak and Alex.”
“I never really thought of that, but you’re right. By the way, Senator Silkwell was very close friends with our family. My grandfather and father supported all of his campaigns, and the Bing name means something in Maine. I had relatives in state government, and one of my great-uncles was a long-serving congressman.”
Devine thought of something. “Was it your family that chartered a jet to bring the senator back from Washington when Alex was attacked fifteen years ago?”
“Yes. I believe it was my uncle or grandfather. How did you know about that?”
He shrugged. “Just putting two and two together.”
“We couldn’t believe that someone would attack Alex.”
“Were you here when it happened?”
“No, I was still doing my medical residency out of state.”
“Okay. Can you email me your report on Earl, with a set of pictures of the body?”
“Of course. You’ll have it straightaway.”
“I hear Charlotte is really nice. Might be worth it to give up the bucks and live your life on your own terms and not someone else’s.”
“Yes,” she said dully. “It certainly might.”
He left her there staring down at a dead body.
CHAPTER
45
ON THE WAY OUT HEbumped into Fred Bing, who was looking upset.
When Devine commented on this, Bing said, “Small business ownership is not all it’s cracked up to be. I had two people call in sick and a delivery I really needed did not come in.”
“Your sister told me about the unusual trust arrangement with your father.”
Bing sighed and leaned against the wall. “It actually wasn’t unusual for him. It was a simple power play all the way. He didn’t really care about keeping this place going. He did it for his inheritance. And he made sure that my sister and I have to do the same.”
“It sounds like a shitty thing to do to your kids.”
“On the plus side, I actually enjoy what I do. I mean, despite the day-to-day hiccups.”
“And you like the outdoors, your sister told me.”
Bing’s face lighted up. “I spend my workdays in the dark with dead bodies and grieving families. So I like to spend my free time in the sunshine with nature. Strikes a nice balance.”
“She also told me about her disastrous marriage.”
Bing’s smile faded. “Stuart Guillaume was the world’s biggest jerk. I could have killed him for what he did to my sister.” He blanched. “I mean...I didn’t mean that I would...”
“Relax, Fred, there’s no law against thinking about killing someone. And if he’d done that to my sister,I’dbethinkingthe same thing.”
