Page 5 of What the Wife Knew

He reshuffled the papers into a tight, orderly bundle. “Lawyering.”

“Yeah, I get that. I mean thebeing decentpart.” The concepts of decency and niceness always stumped me. I wasn’t raised with either. I grew up in a household driven by petty grievances... and some not so petty. You schemed and looked for an advantage to win every battle, and everything was a battle. The steps were clear. Study. Wait. Attack. That was on the good days. “You’re not name-calling or looking at me like I’m beneath you.”

“Sounds like you’ve known some awful people.”

“Your social set excels at that sort of thing.”

He smiled. “It’s also your social set now.”

“I dare you to tell the neighbors that.”

He sighed in the way older wealthy dudes did when they wanted to bring a conversation to a close on their terms. “Despite your reservations, which are understandable under the circumstances, Richmond did provide for you but there’s a significant chance of Kathryn contesting the agreement now that he’s dead.”

Annoying but not a surprise. “She’s the gift that keeps on giving.”

“I believe she would say the same thing about you.”

The distinctivebongof the doorbell echoed through the house in a deep, rich tone that could only be described as overly dramatic. Less drama would be a nice change.

I made a mental note to disconnect it as I picked up my cellphone and clicked on the security system app. The house sat behind a gate and that gate should be locked, sending a bigkeep outwarning to anyone who wandered by, including anyone with the last name of Dougherty.

The video filled my screen. “Oh, shit.”

“Kathryn?”

“Worse.” I flipped the phone around to show Elias the image.

“Ah, yes. Detective Sessions. The other reason I’m here.” Elias nodded. “He has news about the preliminary findings relating to Richmond’s death.”

“Funny how you forgot to mention that interesting tidbit before now.”

“I did say that I consider myself your attorney, and you will need an attorney for the next few minutes. So, since I’m here...” Elias ended his speech with a shrug.

Asshole. “Why exactly do I need your services this fine morning?”

“They believe Richmond’s death was not due to an accidental fall. It looks more like he was hit with something first.” Elias’s stare grew more intense. “Possibly a bat.”

Chapter Four

Her

Present Day

Detective Dominick Sessions’s stomping footsteps signaled his entry before he appeared in the doorway of the wood-paneled library. With a long stride and his chin up, he stalked into the room and stopped next to the intricately carved floor-to-ceiling fireplace.

The stale stench oftrying too hardwound around him in an invisible cloud. He wore gray dress pants and a blazer in a slightly different shade of gray. The outfit said a lot about the wealth he tried to portray versus the wealth he actually possessed. A forty-something hometown boy who gave off a whiff ofnot in my townas he looked around the room.

Outmaneuvering him shouldn’t be a problem. Dodging Elias’s haunting “bat” reference might not be so easy.

As Elias suggested, I sat on the cream-colored couch positioned in the center of the room. Letting Elias play fetch and welcome the detective into the house gave me a few minutes to think, and now that reprieve had ended.

The detective nodded in my general direction. “Mrs. Dougherty.”

Still hated that name. “Did you need something, Detective?”

Elias didn’t sit. Didn’t shuffle or fidget. He stood, holding a pen. He somehow commanded the room even though the taller, bulkier detective outweighed Elias’s runner’s frame by at least forty pounds.

Elias jumped right in. “You said you have news.”

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