Page 29 of Ruthless Cross

"I'm happy to hear that. But you still haven't cleared my mother."

"No, but I'm not trying to railroad her. I would love some other leads."

"I would, too, but I really don't know anything, Flynn."

"You might know more than you think. You said your mom mentioned being jealous. Did she give you a name?"

"Yes. Gretchen Vale. She was apparently at the event last night. My mom was annoyed by that and the fact that Gretchen and Arthur were constantly on the phone to each other. Apparently, Gretchen was getting a painting for him or something like that, so it could have been completely innocent."

"There were a number of calls between her and Arthur," he admitted.

"Then why are you talking to me instead of her?"

"Savannah spoke to her last night, but I'm planning to do a follow-up interview."

"Savannah is the agent you brought as your date. Are you two involved?"

"No. She works for me. Savannah was there because Arthur requested that I bring a date for cover. He wanted anyone who saw us talking to think we were just having a casual conversation."

"I wonder what he wanted to ask you."

"I wish I knew."

"You should talk to this Gretchen person. We should go find her after this. I'd like to know why she was calling my mother's husband, too."

He smiled at the new light in her eyes. "I don't know how Arthur could have ever thought you were not a fighter, Callie."

"I do fight for people I love."

"Is there someone else you love, besides your mother?" It probably wasn't a question he should have asked, but he was curious.

"I love my friends, but if you're asking about a boyfriend, I don't have one at the moment. Actually, I haven't had one in a while. I've been busy building my career. And when I'm not cooking, I'm usually dealing with my mom. Although, I have to admit that while I didn't want her to fall for Arthur and marry him so fast, her marriage did give me some freedom."

"Why didn't you want her to love Arthur?" he asked curiously. "He's a good man."

"He might be. He might not be. I'm not sure either of us knows anymore. But it wasn't just about that. When my mom falls in love, her emotions run wild. It's like the love endorphins make her crazy. And that's when her mental health starts to fall apart. Her romance with Arthur was a whirlwind; it felt chaotic. I didn't believe she was thinking things through, but when it comes to love, nothing can stop her."

He thought about her comments. "Was she that way with your dad, too?"

"They met when they were young, so it wasn't as fast. They dated for four or five years before they got married. But she was very much in love with him. And she could get a little obsessive about it."

"In what way?"

She hesitated. "It doesn't matter."

"I'm not going to use it against her," he said, hoping that he was telling the truth.

"I'm not sure I believe you."

"Did she think your dad was cheating on her, too?"

She stared back at him, a troubled gleam in her eyes. "Yes, she did. It's what she thinks when she feels insecure, and she often feels that way. She had a difficult childhood. Her father left the family when she was eight, and I think she always felt abandoned by him. That feeling extended to other men. At least, that's what one of her doctors told me."

"Her first breakdown came after your dad's death. What about the second one, when you were in high school?"

"That was after a bad breakup. She'd been seeing this man, Martin, for almost a year when he decided to end it. She went off the deep end. It took her over a year to get back to herself. Now, Arthur is dead, and she's alone again. I just don't know how many times I can bring her back from the brink."

"I know you think that's your job, but it's really not."

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