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I nodded. "Like damaging photos of someone. Blackmail material. Or company secrets."
"She works at a school, not a company. I don't think there are any trade secrets there."
I could see the amusement in his gaze. "True, but when we're brainstorming, there are no bad ideas. You think outside the box when you're creating your art, so I know you can do that now."
"All right," he said. "Drugs. She could be dealing drugs to the kids at the school, and she was ripping someone off or double-dealing."
I frowned. "I don't like that suggestion."
"You said to think outside the box."
"That's too far outside. My mother isn't a drug dealer."
"All right. Let's go further back. She ran away from your life. Maybe she took something with her, and someone finally caught up to her. They want it back, whatever it is. It could be something personally damaging, like photos or bank statements, evidence of fraud, something that someone would desperately want back."
"Inspector Greenman seemed to think that there's a connection between her past and what's happening now," I admitted.
"You need to find out more about her past, and you're in the right position to do that. You can talk to your father, your mother's old friends, relatives. There must be someone who can give you more information about her life."
"My dad isn't calling me back, which is odd."
"And also suspicious," Kade said, a speculative gleam in his eyes.
"My father isn't a violent man or a criminal."
"But your mother did leave him."
"Maybe she just didn't love him anymore. Maybe she never loved any of us." That thought was depressing. "What did you and my mother talk about? You said you'd been in her house a few times, that you'd kept in touch the past two years. What was your friendship based on?"
"Art. That's what we talked about ninety percent of the time."
"And the other ten percent?"
Kade shrugged. "She asked about my family, my life, how I'd gotten started in art, what motivated me, that kind of thing."
"Did she give you money?"
His face tightened. "She paid for the painting in her house and another one that she said she gave to a friend. She didn't just hand over cash. I don't take charity, Brynn."
"But you're living in her house, and you're not paying rent," I couldn't help pointing out.
"I offered to pay. She refused. She said she wasn't planning to rent the place, and that it was only for a few months. So, I accepted her generous offer. But I'm not a freeloader."
"I didn't say you were. I'm just trying to figure out your relationship."
His gaze bored into mine. "As I told your sister, it's not your business."
"Yes, it is. Everything about her is my business. Why are you being cagey? You just told me I have to figure out her life, well you're in her life."
He sat back, crossing his arms in front of his broad, muscular chest. "Fine. I'll be direct. There is nothing sexual between us and there never has been. She was a mentor, a supporter, and a friend. That's it."
"Why didn't you want to say that before?"
"Your sister wanted to make me into a problem. I didn't like her attitude. But you're asking for a different reason. You just want to find the truth."
"I can't leave until I do. It would be different if I could talk to her, if I could just ask her what the hell happened. But I have to put the puzzle pieces together without her."
"I get that. I want to make it clear that I'm not part of the puzzle."
