Page 150 of Over the Edge

“That’s my conclusion.” She told him about the exchanges she’d witnessed and the endearments Heidi had used.

“A love triangle.” He frowned as he buttered a biscuit. “That puts a different spin on motives.”

“I’m not certain how much love was involved, based on Dr. Oliver’s comment to me last night that it was all about the money, and that killing Heidi’s husband was the only way to get it.”

Jack took a sip of his coffee, his expression thoughtful. “I wonder if she had a prenup.”

“That angle never occurred to me, but it would fit.”

“Should be easy to confirm. As we dig into this case, I expect we’ll discover all kinds of interesting personal data that will help us pin down motives for all parties.”

“You think Dr. Oliver will cooperate with the investigation?”

“Doubtful. Guys like him lawyer up. But it may be a moot point anyway.”

Lindsey stopped eating. “Why? Is he badly injured?”

“Not from the fall on the catwalk. His attempt to eradicate his tattoo, however, led to infection—and sepsis.”

That explained the sore arm.

“Is that blood poisoning?” From the little she knew about that malady, it could kill very fast.

“Yes. The doctors aren’t giving him great odds.”

Exhaling, she set her fork down and rested her hand on the table. “It’s all so surreal. Hard as I try, I can’t reconcile the caring therapist I knew with the cold-blooded killer who shot James Robertson in his own kitchen and turned on a patient he was trying to help deal with trauma.”

“Just goes to show how the upright image some people project to the world can mask a dark soul.” Jack’s jaw hardened, and a muscle clenched in his cheek.

“I guess you see a lot of that in your work.”

“Too much. But I also cross paths with people like you, who renew my faith in the human race.” He covered her hand with his, his features softening. “And my sisters are a daily reminder that good exists in this world. You’ll like them.”

They were veering back into personal territory.

Fine with her.

“I can’t wait to meet them.”

“Plan on it in the very near future. Why don’t we finish up here and I’ll take your statement so we can get the official business out of the way and give other, more important things our full attention?”

A trill of anticipation zipped through her, and she picked up her fork. “I’m on board with that.”

Jack steered the conversation to lighter topics while theyate, refused her offer to help him clear the table, and morphed into detective mode as he took her statement.

The instant they were done, however, he closed his notebook, stood, and extended his hand. “A scene change seems in order. Shall we go into the living room?”

Despite her protesting muscles, she pushed herself to her feet and took his hand.

He led her into the adjacent room, where the couch had been restored to its usual function, the blanket and pillow that had helped transform it into a makeshift bed neatly piled on a side chair. After settling her on the cushions, he crossed to the fireplace and flipped on the gas logs. Once the flames were dancing in the grate, he returned to the sofa and sat beside her.

Close.

Very close.

They’d definitely moved into personal territory.

He reclaimed her hand as he angled toward her. “I know last night was a nightmare for you, but I want you to know it was a nightmare for me too. All those hours I was racing around trying to find you, I kept thinking that God surely wouldn’t bring someone like you into my life, give me a glimpse of an amazing future, then snatch you away before we had a chance to really get to know each other.”

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