Page 67 of Innocent Intent

The following day, Davis found himself following closely behind Tia Murphy as she navigated from her duplex in midtown to Buckhead Village District, where she parked and grabbed a coffee, then proceeded to peruse in and out of several shops. He kept his distance, watching as she purchased items from high-end stores, swiping her card like she didn’t have a care in the world. After an hour of watching the same thing and realizing there wasn’t much to gain, Davis decided to make an introduction, catching the young woman as she chose to break for a bite to eat at a local café.

He caught her by surprise when he eased into the seat across from hers at the corner patio table she’d selected. Davis smiled when the young woman scowled at his presence initially, then something flashed behind her eyes before a smile followed, and she completely took him in. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Murphy. Mind if I join you?”

“You’re already seated, so asking if you can join me is redundant.”

He smiled charmingly. “You’re right.”

“Do I know you?”

“No, but I know you, and I think it’s time you and I had a chat.”

“You know me?”

“Know of you, I should say. I’m Detective Davis. I’m working the Williams case.” Davis watched her intently, searching for a reaction. There wasn’t one that held any significance.

“Am I supposed to know what you’re referring to?”

Davis smiled again. “Maybe not. Jerrod Williams, who you know as Niles Anderson, Cassidy’s husband. You are Tia Murphy, her assistant, correct?”

She smiled smugly. “You’re here, so you already know the answer to that, Detective.”

He nodded. “I do.”

“So what can I do for you?”

“I was hoping to ask you a few questions. There are several things I need clarification on, and I was hoping you could help me out.”

“I’ll answer whatever I can, but I’m not sure there’s much I can help with. Most of what I do for Cassidy is handled by way of working remotely.”

“But you have spent time with Cassidy and Niles in their home. You’ve seen them together. You have been privy to how they interacted with each other.”

“Well, yes. But not often. I’ve had very little access to Cassidy’s home or her personal life. She’s a very private person.”

“She is. But from the time you’ve spent around them, what would you say their relationship was like?”

She frowned slightly. “They were happy. She loved him, he loved her. I envied them, if I’m being honest.”

“Why so?”

She shrugged. “When you were around them, you just sensed that they loved each other. You know how you see couples, and they just vibe. That was Cass and Niles. They felt right together. The way he looked at her, you could see in his eyes that she was special to him, which is why it’s so devastating to find out their entire marriage was a lie. I still can’t believe that. It felt so real.”

“People are good and make you believe what they want you to.”

“Yeah. Guess that’s what he did because Cass loved the guy. She had no clue who he really was.”

“Did you?”

Her composure faltered. Davis caught it. There was something there. “Did I what?”

“Did you know that Niles Anderson was not who he claimed to be?”

“No.” She made a face. “How would I know?”

“You worked intimately with Cassidy. You were around them. Maybe you saw or noticed something about her husband—”

“I wouldn’t have noticed anything about him. I worked for Cassidy, and like I said before, I didn’t spend much time around them.”

“But you did spend enough time around them to note that they loved each other. That they vibed.”

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