Page 45 of In the Arms of a Hero

“So you didn’t see him when he was here the other day?”

“I told you, no, I didn’t. And before you ask, the last time I talked to him was almost two weeks ago. I’ve been keeping my eye on the stock market as I do every day, and I thought he’d made a few dubious trades and wanted to talk to him about them.”

“How long has he been your financial planner?”

“We’ve been with his company for a long time. Probably close to fifteen years. Our previous broker retired, and Bill took his place. Overall, not a bad broker, but he still needs some seasoning, if you ask me.”

“And did you lose heavily with these dubious stock tradings?”

“I’m not going to discuss my financial situation with you, Detective. But I will say I’ve made money through hard work, some inheritances, and smart investing. You can’t get upset about every fluctuation of the stock market, but I’m also not going to sit around and bleed money if I think something needs to be done.”

“If you didn’t know he was coming through here, can you explain why he might have ended up in this area?”

“I don’t make it my habit to know what other people are doing and certainly not why they’re doing it!”

“Is there a chance your wife made an appointment with him?”

At Sam's question, Aaron watched as Harry’s face reddened to an alarming shade and wondered if the man was going to have a stroke. He jumped to his feet and shook his fist.

“I tell you, he wasn’t here! How dare you insinuate that Ruthanne tried to meet with him! Now, if you’re finished with these questions, I’m going to check on my wife. She had only met Bill a couple of times, but she’s a caring person, and this news has been upsetting.”

Aaron and Sam took to their feet and followed Harry back to the front door.

“Thank you for your time, Mr. Malroney. We’ll be in touch.”

“The next time you want to ask me anything, make an appointment, and I’ll be sure to have my attorney present!”

When they stepped out onto the front portico, Aaron was surprised the door didn’t slam behind them. Neither spoke until they climbed back into their car and made it all the way down the drive and onto the road.

“I could’ve sworn from his reaction that Harry really didn’t know Bill Gaston was coming to the Eastern Shore,” Aaron said.

“I agree, but he’s too smart to admit to anything. Something still doesn’t add up, though.”

“And his wife?”

“She was a surprise. It’s hard to imagine anyone married to Harry, and I certainly wouldn’t have guessed a mild-mannered woman.”

Aaron thought back to their interactions. “She seemed to have the magic touch with him, that’s for sure. But her reaction to Bill’s death was strong for someone who’d only met him a couple of times.”

“I thought the same thing. Let’s check into her and Harry’s phone records.”

22

Belinda opened her door, and Bess walked in. It didn’t matter that they saw each other almost every morning—living next door to each other gave them the special bonus of being able to pop in whenever they wanted.

Her sister wore pink sweatpants and a bright purple shirt with the words, “My mouth isn’t a bakery. I don’t sugarcoat anything!” emblazoned on the front.

Snorting, Belinda said, “Come on in. I’ll get some wine.”

“I wanted to tell you that a woman stopped by today to ask about your photography. She saw your flyer in the coffee shop's window and wanted to know more about you.”

“I wasn’t sure anybody would see that flyer?—”

“See! I told you it would work if you put it there!” Bess bragged while grinning.

“What did you tell her?”

“The truth. I told her you were the most kick-ass photographer on the Eastern Shore!” Bess scrunched her brow. “I asked her if she was interested in wedding photography or family shots, but she didn’t say. She wasn’t a young woman, so maybe the mother of a bride.”

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