Page 74 of Deception

His answer came a little too fast and way too loud. “Isn’t this a little sudden? How long have you known this woman?”

“That’s hard to answer.”

Ever the lawyer. “I don’t see why. Days, months, years? That doesn’t seem so difficult.”

“She works for the company but...”

The picture was becoming clearer. “Were you having an affair before Mom died?”

“No!” Then he repeated the word a little softer. “No. I loved your mother, but our marriage wasn’t the easiest—you should remember that. We fought all the time.”

How well she did remember. Weariness pressed her shoulders down. She rubbed her eyes. “I’m too tired to deal with this tonight. Can we discuss it in the morning?”

He patted her arm. “Sorry to drop it on you like this, but—”

She pulled away. He wasn’t sorry, and Madison didn’t want to hear him justify his actions. “I’m going to bed.”

He took a step back and stared at Madison like he’d never seen her before. And maybe he hadn’t.

“I hope you sleep well,” he murmured.

“You too.” Without another word, she strode out of the kitchen. Once in her bedroom, Madison collapsed on the bed.He’s getting married?

Something poked her in the back, and she pulled it out. The letter from her grandfather. Nadine must have put it there. Another thing she couldn’t deal with tonight or at least until she had a shower.

Half an hour later, Madison laid the unopened envelope on her dresser and crawled into bed.Tomorrow...

A creak outside her bedroom popped her eyes open. Had she even been asleep? The lighted clock on her dresser showed 1:00 a.m., so she’d slept a little.

She cocked her ear toward the door. There were three or four boards on the stairs that made a noise if someone stepped on them. She listened for more creaks. Hearing nothing, she climbed out of bed and grabbed her gun.

The hallway was empty, as was the stairs. Her imagination? Probably. Just as she turned to go back to bed, a light bumping sound from downstairs arrested Madison. She held her breath, waiting, and another bump rewarded her—like the sound a file cabinet made when it was off track.

She thought about calling for her dad and dismissed it. If he was the one prowling around, she wanted to know why. Madison eased down the stairs, avoiding the creaky boards, and tiptoed to the entrance hall. A faint glow came from the end of the hall ... the kitchen or the study? Maybe her dad had gotten hungry. She peeked around the corner.

The light plainly came from the study and was probably onlyher dad. If not, she had the element of surprise on her side. Madison crept down the hallway, sidestepping other boards that she remembered creaking.

From the doorway she had a plain view of her grandfather’s file cabinet and her father rifling through it. The sight rooted her to the floor. Part of her wanted to burst into the room and demand to know what he was doing, but the investigator in her overruled the impulse. She silently retreated to her bedroom.

Madison returned her gun to its holster, then slipped into a terrycloth robe and opened and closed her bedroom door loud enough to be heard. This time when she reached the entry hall, the light came from the kitchen.

She mentally smoothed the frown from her face and walked into the room. “Couldn’t sleep, either?”

Her father looked around from where he sat at the bar, a piece of the caramel cake in front of him. If nothing else, he thought on his feet.

“No. I, ah...” He pushed the cake away. “It bothered me that I dropped my wedding plans on you at a time like this.”

As well it should have, if she could believe it. She held his gaze as he studied her face.

“What’s your problem?”

“I fell awake. Came to get a glass of water.”

Confusion crossed his face. “You what?”

She shrugged. “If you can fall asleep, why can’t you fall awake?”

“I don’t believe I’ve ever heard that expression before, but it’s logical.”

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