Page 82 of Little Buried Secrets

“About what?”

“When I arrived at Warren’s house today, his wife, Cass, was leaving.”

“When you say leaving, do you mean to run errands, or …?”

He shook his head. “She put a suitcase in the car. Five minutes later, she was gone.”

“Did Cass say where she was going?”

“Not to me. I questioned Warren about it, and he said they’d gotten into an argument, and she’d decided to spend Christmas Day with her sister.”

“Did he tell you what the argument was about?” I asked.

“He did not.”

“When I was at their house they were all over each other for the first part of my visit, and then when I brought up the allegations I’d heard about Warren, Cass’ mood changed. She got it in her mind that everyone in town has been spreading rumors about Warren, and she worried he might lose his job over it. Warren tried to downplay the situation, and it didn’t work. Cass felt like he wasn’t taking it seriously enough and she shut herself in the bedroom.”

Whitlock opened the car door and turned to face me. “After you left, I’m guessing the argument got worse. I arrived, and by then, she’d decided to leave.”

“Did Warren seem upset over it?” I asked.

“He did, but not as much as he could have been. I get the impression he’s passive by nature. Everything seems to roll right off the guy, even when he’s accused of being inappropriate with one of his students.”

Whitlock got in the car and set the to-go container on the passenger seat.

“Aside from Warren’s lackadaisical attitude, what do you think about him?” I asked.

“Seems like a nice guy to me. Doesn’t strike me as the type of person who would murder someone, but all types of people commit murder, even passive ones. Oh, and one more thing … we looked over the surveillance video from the night Sebastian was supposed to meet with Margot. It checks out.”

“He was there, the entire time?”

“He arrived and departed when he said he did. Doesn’t mean he couldn’t have killed her and found a way to get to the restaurant to give himself an alibi.”

“I’d say he’s innocent,” I said. “I’ve felt that way for a few days now. Plus, when you consider the timetable, and the fact Margot was driven to the hiking trail and what happened there, I don’t see how he could have made it back in time.”

“I agree.”

It was a relief to cross Sebastian off my list.

One down.

Several more to go.

CHAPTER 33

I woke up Christmas morning and decided to push the pause button on the investigation and spend the day with Giovanni and Luka instead. It allowed me the time I needed to reflect on where the case was so far and what to do next. It wasn’t easy taking a day off, not even when it was a holiday. But sometimes taking a step back helped me see a new path forward. I spent the day relaxing, clearing my head, and making a game plan for the week. By seven, I was in bed.

The following afternoon was Margot’s funeral. Many of the town’s locals had gathered to show their support for Rae and her family. It made me stop and think about what a tight-knit community we were, and even more so in times of crisis.

I’d been inside the chapel for less than ten seconds before an all-too-familiar voice could be heard, shouting over all those who had gathered.

“Yoo-hoo, Georgiana. Over here.”

I squinted, staring through the crowd until my eyes came to rest on my mother and stepfather who were seated in the third row. To ensure I’d heard her, she stood up, waving at me with both hands like we hadn’t seen each other in years. As I walked toward her, my stepfather placed a hand on my mother’s arm and leaned toward her, no doubt whispering a suggestion that she sit back down. Harvey had never been one for a spectacle, which proved to be difficult at times, given my mother’s boisterous, over-the-top personality.

My mother shrugged Harvey off and bounded my way, wrapping her arms around me in a tight embrace.

“Well, my goodness, I didn’t notice at Sunday dinner, but you’re turning into a slip of a thing,” she said. “Have you been eating? Have you been getting enough sleep? I should say not, by the looks of it.”

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