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In the article, Pierce was quoted: “I fell in love with Madelyn during that dinner, but I feared I’d chase her away with a quick proposal.”
The accompanying photos were staged. The couple looked happy, and the piece didn’t reflect the fact that Pierce’s children were unhappy with the engagement.
Twenty-seven-year age difference. Catherine didn’t understand what a beautiful young woman had seen in a man old enough to be her father, other than money. Of course, psychologically there were a host of other issues to consider—was Madelyn’s father in her life? Did she equate love and sex with older men? Had she been abused or groomed from a young age to be attractive to older men—or to want an older relationship herself? Catherine wouldn’t be able to determine any of that until she sat down with Madelyn Jeffries. But the fact that she had left the boat before the explosion that killed her husband,andthere was substantial money involved, suggested a strong motive.
Reviewing her notes, Catherine had three focus points: West End Charter as the target, either for business/insurance reasons or as a domestic terrorist attack; Neil Devereaux as a target by an as yet unidentified criminal Neil put behind bars, or related to the cold case he was investigating; and Pierce Jeffries as a target of his young wife.
She updated the whiteboard and added her notes. This helped her to visualize the information and discern connections that might not otherwise be obvious. She wished she had a private room to do so. Catherine didn’t like having to explain her shorthand to strangers, but Matt had assured her that this conference room was theirs to use for the duration of the investigation.
Her phone beeped. It was a text from Kara Quinn, the LAPD detective who Matt had brought onto the team—that seemed an odd arrangement to Catherine.
Kara’s text read:Jeffries not the target unless a business motive pops.
Catherine frowned. How could Kara possibly know that after just one interview with the widow? Jeffries was by far the wealthiest person on that boat; he was worth more than a quarter of a billion dollars.
Kara was unqualified to make that determination, and if she had evidence to prove her assertion, she should be more specific.
Catherine almost picked up the phone to call her, then thought better of it. This would be better to discuss during their debriefing later that day.
A wealthy businessman with heirs and a young wife was clearly a potential target. If Madelyn Jeffries wasn’t the perpetrator, her stepchildren could be. Perhaps they didn’t want to share their inheritance with her. This was a potentially volatile situation, and worth looking at closely. Family dynamics were complicated.
Her phone rang and she made a huge mistake—she answered it before looking at caller ID.
“Catherine Jones.”
“I have been trying to reach you for a week, Catherine.”
She automatically straightened her spine, even though her posture was already perfect. “I’m sorry, Mother,” she said automatically. She glanced up, relieved the door was closed.
“On Friday, what time will you arrive?”
“I won’t be coming.”
Silence. Charlotte Harrison had mastered silence as a weapon long before Catherine was born.
“I’m working. I’ll call you later.”
“Unacceptable,” Charlotte said. “There is a memorial service at the church Friday evening, seven p.m. You will be there.”
“I will likely not be there, Mother.”
“Your only sister was murdered a year ago.”
“Stop.” Catherine did not want to do this now.
“I spoke to Chris,” said her mother. “He’s bringing Elizabeth. I thought you had reconciled with him.”
The last thing Catherine wanted to do was talk to her mother about her marriage. She and Chris went through a rocky spot, and that was on her. But they were good—not that she would share that with her mother, who would make a snide comment designed to make her feel small and worthless.
No, actually, the last thing Catherine wanted to do was talk to her mother about Beth. She missed her sister more than anything and would have died to save her. Deep down, she knew that her mother would have preferred that outcome.
“Mother, I’m working on an important case and I don’t know that we’ll be finished by Friday.”
“This is more important.”
“I can’t have this conversation now.”
“This is the problem, Catherine Anne. You have always put work before family. It’s why Chris left you.”
