Page 68 of Skeletons in the Closet

“Whoa, wait. I don’t get it.” Fox glanced at Doyle, who shushed him.

“How did Beth die?” I asked bluntly.

“We don’t know.” Doyle’s voice was carefully controlled, quiet so it didn’t travel. “Preliminary autopsy report came back with few answers, but—”

“Don’t do it, man,” Fox warned. “You know who he’s working with as well as I do.”

I glanced at Fox, who was doing his best to look intimidating. It wasn’t working. I zeroed in on Doyle instead, who seemed to be contemplating.

“But?” I prompted, perching my hands on my hips.

Doyle shared a look with Fox, who threw his hands up.

“But there was a fresh injection site. It’s possible it was suicide, but since we didn’t find a needle or vial of anything near the body, it’s unlikely. We’re more apt to believe someone killed her.”

“Injected with what?”

“We don’t know yet. Thus far, it’s been undetectable.”

I frowned. “That doesn’t make sense.”

Doyle shrugged. “Initial bloodwork is clean. No visible organ damage. Nothing to indicate an overdose. Of course, we’re still waiting on a bunch of tests, but the answers are hazy so far.”

“Then maybe she wasn’t injected with anything.”

Doyle held my gaze, unspeaking. It was clear he knew more than he was saying.

I didn’t want to push my luck. It was enough.

“Okay. Thank you.” I turned to go.

“Wait. You got anything to share?” Doyle asked. “That’s how these things usually work.” He swung a finger between us.

I considered the fight Beth had with her husband, the unknown man she’d met at a sleazy motel and stayed with for half the night. I considered the emails. The articles from the newspaper. Nothing was conclusive. We didn’t know who the elusive bastard was, and Beth’s husband would be an automatic suspect anyhow if they were considering murder, so there was no point shining a light on him.

Could she have killed herself? Noah had. Was there something we were missing?

I shook my head. “No. Nothing right now.”

Aslan scanned me head to toe. “All right. Make sure Krause knows who did him this favor. If he learns something that could help, I expect him to give me a call.”

“I’ll pass it along.”

I didn’t linger and made my escape, digging my phone from a pocket the second the elevator doors snapped shut.

16

Diem

Ever since Tallus’s phone call, I’d been pacing the office, mulling over the whole convoluted case, trying to figure out what the fuck I was investigating.

Faye had come seeking answers about her cheating husband. Fine. Great. We’d looked into Olivia, the woman we were sure was Noah’s mistress, only to discover a breadcrumb trail of emails suggesting Olivia may have been covering for a friend’s infidelity.

Beth.

But there was a snag. The elusive bastard. Who was he? Why had there been emails from him included in the discussions surrounding Noah? More importantly, his email referred to athey.They don’t know. Who the fuck wasthey? Didn’t know what? About the affair? About something else?

I stopped at my desk and popped a few squares of gum from a pack. My skin itched, and my fingers were aching to do something. Taking up the fidget spinner, I whirled it around andaround as I continued making tracks on the shit-brown carpet underfoot. Back and forth.

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