Page 38 of Exposure of Murder

“Do you know who?” asked Adam.

She shook her head. “Some guy with connections. He never mentioned his name, although…” She hesitated. “I remember him calling someone Viper. You know how he liked to give people he didn’t like nicknames?”

Adam nodded.

“Could this person have killed your father?” Adding in another suspect was giving Ethan a headache. How many more people wanted Thornton dead?

Maggie shrugged. “Who knows? He alienated half the people in this town.”

“How about you? Did you wish him dead?” asked Adam, who leaned forward in the chair.

She shrunk back like he’d hit her. Her face contorted with anger. “You bastard. You come into my home and accuse me of killing my father.”

Her voice trembled with rage as she stood. “Get out.” She pointed toward the door. “Get out now.”

Ethan and Adam stood. They walked past the fireplace, and Ethan noticed a picture of Maggie with a good-looking dark-haired guy seated in a booth in what looked like the Harvest Moon. Was this the boyfriend? He sure wasn’t about to ask, since she was kicking them out. As he opened the door, he turned to Maggie. “Thank you for your time, and again, I’m sorry for your loss,” said Ethan.

She slammed the door in his face.

They walked to the truck. The cold air felt good after the stuffiness of Maggie’s house.

Adam blew out his breath. “Wow. Defensive much?”

“Hurting more,” replied Ethan.

“Think she did it?”

Did he? She sure had motive, maybe opportunity, since no one could alibi her whereabouts, but means? Maggie was about five feet six, not tall enough to knock David out unless he was sitting, and it didn’t sound like they spent much time together. He was her father, not that it made a difference, but still.

“Let’s see if we can find any clues in Thornton’s house.” Ethan dialed the office to get Sheila Frankenburg’s address. A minute later, he turned the phone off.

“Got it.”

They drove to the outskirts of town, where the Rustic Table was located.

Ethan hadn’t eaten there since he proposed to Corrine. They’d sat outdoors on the wooden deck overlooking Beaver Lake, also known as Beaver Pond until one hundred years ago, when trappers decimated the beaver population. Twinkling string lights and fire pits warmed the night. It was magical. He was so in love. Corrine purchased a new dress that shimmered in the night.

Inside, the restaurant was a blend of rustic charm and elegance, with lots of wood and stone. Large potted plants dotted the interior. Piano music enveloped them in a mystical world.

He couldn’t remember everything they ate but remembered that the grass-fed beef tenderloin from a local farm was the best he ever had. Bah, enough with memories.

His stomach rumbled. But they wouldn’t stop to eat today, not until after they searched David’s house. Ethan wondered if Jane might enjoy going to the Rustic Table with him. It was more upscale, something she was probably used to. But then again, it wasn’t a place he frequented all the time. He couldn’t deny the differences between the two of them. Country vs City.

Stop.

What was happening to him that he couldn’t stop thinking about Jane? And why was he categorizing her when he didn’t really know her? This was never him. At least it wasn’t until he got his heart broken.

Ethan turned right onto a narrow dirt road. It was now midafternoon, and sunlight dappled through the barren trees. They pulled up to a small, weathered house tucked behind overgrown bushes. It looked neglected, with peeling paint and a sagging porch. Did Thornton actually live here? Ethanremembered the man as always being impeccably dressed and fastidious about his surroundings.

They stepped out of the truck and walked up a weedy path to the steps. The wooden boards groaned under their weight.

“I hope the inside is better,” Adam said as he tried the door handle and found it unlocked. The door creaked open.

Inside was dark and musty. He tried the light switch. Nothing.

“Grab the flashlight from the truck, will you?” Ethan said to Adam.

He stood in the doorway and glanced around. He was in a small living room cluttered with boxes and old newspapers.

---