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Julia drew in a deep breath. “As well as can be expected.”
Jo glanced back at Chris, standing again with Naomie’s parents. “This has to be all that much harder when you’re going through a divorce from the family.”
Julia gave a curt nod. “My soon-to-be-ex didn’t show, which helps. I’m sure he’ll be at the family services, so he probably figured he’d give me this space. Cecile and Fred have always been good to me, but Pete is Fred’s brother, and those types of ties bind tight.”
“So many life stresses all at once,” Jo said. “I’m so sorry.”
Julia’s eyes narrowed and flicked over Jo’s face. “It hasn’t been my favorite few months, no.”
Jo made a quick calculation—Julia wasn’t stupid, and she wasn’t the sort of woman who played games. Any attempts to dance around the subject would just offend her and lose Jo the element of surprise.
“You remember last night, we mentioned there had been some fraudulent grant applications submitted to Triple-B, one by Madison?” Jo asked.
“I do. Were you able to talk to Sandra about it?”
“We were. But something else came to our attention. I mentioned Naomie called us the afternoon before she died, upset and concerned about the fraud. We’ve had a chance to look at her phone records now, and were surprised to see that the minute she hung up, she called you.”
Julia’s lips drew into a tight line. “She calls me almost every day. Usually more than once.”
“But she didn’t mention the money situation to you at all?” Jo asked.
Julia’s arms crossed over her chest. “I told you she didn’t.”
Jo allowed her brow to crease. “That strikes me as strange. Whatdidyou talk about?”
Julia gestured an arc in front of them, one arm still tight across her chest. “The memorial. It was a short conversation.”
“Huh,” Jo said, brow still creased. “If you were talking about Madison, I’d think she’d be even more likely to tell you someone had committed fraud in Madison’s name.”
“She had a lot on her mind, and obviously Madison’s death was our focus. She was probably just trying her best to get through what was a very bad day,” Julia said.
“You two were close, right?”
Tears filled Julia’s eyes. “She was the best friend a person could have.”
“So it’s hard for me to understand why she wouldn’t tell you about a disturbing issue that cropped up at the business you both loved. You’re exactly the person she’d turn to.”
Julia’s crossed arms tightened. “I don’t know what to tell you. She didn’t say anything to me. There’s nothing I can do if you think I’m lying.”
Jo popped her brows. “Oh, I think it’s very possible she didn’t tell you. But in that case, I have to ask myselfwhyshe didn’t tell you.”
Julia didn’t flinch and she didn’t color, but as the implication of the question landed, her pupils constricted to near pinpoints—a sign of anger or fear. Either way it meant there was something she wasn’t saying.
“Naomie was a strong, considerate person. She probably didn’t want to disturb me with another fire to put out, at least not until she had more information,” she said, voice deceptively smooth and controlled.
Jo hadn’t expected Julia to admit to anything, but the reaction told Jo she was on the right track. “You’re probably right. She must have intended to tell you after she talked to Rhea.”
“That must be it.” Julia’s face didn’t move.
“I do wonder, though—why didn’t you tell us she’d called you yesterday?”
Julia’s eyes narrowed so quickly it looked like a twitch. “Why would I? Like I said, we spoke almost every day, sometimes more often. You asked me if she’d told me about the money, not whether or not we spoke.”
Before Jo could respond, a scream rent the air behind them.
CHAPTERFORTY
Jo and Arnett whirled toward the source of the scream.
