Page 18 of Little Empty Promises

Leave me with Grumpy McGrump Face in my time of need.

Foley looked at me, and I looked at him, and he hunched over, arms stretched out, pressing his hands onto his desk.He closed his eyes and huffed a long sigh.

“I’ve always come to you when I’ve been hired to investigate a murder, offering to share information and suggesting we work together,” I said.“I don’t know what more to say.Cordelia’s sister asked if I would take the case, and I said yes.”

“You’ve said what you wanted to say.There isn’t anything more to discuss.”

Knowing the next thing I had queued up to come out of my mouth wouldn’t bode well for either one of us, I stood, heading for the door while I still maintained the slightest sense of decorum.

“If you want to talk about my conversation with Cordelia’s sister sometime, let me know,” I said.“I have other places to be right now.”

“Hang on a minute, Georgiana.Don’t go.”

“I don’t have it in me to continue this conversation.If you’re going to keep talking to me the way you have been, I’m done listening.I can only hold my tongue for so long, a fact you well know.Do yourself a favor and … you know, stop before you push me too far.”

“I’m not … I didn’t mean to upset you.It’s not you I’m angry with, all right?I have a lot on my mind.”

I had a hand on the doorknob.

Leaving would be easy.

But everything in me said staying was what he needed right now.

I turned.

“Care to talk about whatever’s going on with you?”I asked.“You’re upset about something—it’s obvious.”

Foley seemed to be considering the olive branch I’d extended.

“Maybe later,” he said.“I would like to know what the sister had to say.Stay for a bit, and I promise to make up for my previous behavior.”

He took a seat at his desk, and I remained standing, leaning against the wall as I thought about where to begin.“Cordelia wrote her sister a couple of letters before she died.Did you know?”

“Nope.Go on.”

“She read the first one and didn’t respond, and then she received a second one close to the time Cordelia was murdered.She didn’t read it until after she learned Cordelia was dead.”I reached into my handbag, pulling out the envelopes Claudette had given to me.“I want to keep these, but you can make copies.”

He glanced at the envelopes.“What’s in the letters?”

“Before I get into the letters, you should know Cordelia and Claudette were estranged and had been for decades.”

“For what reason?”

“They were both in love with the same man.”

Foley raised a brow.“Ohhhh.That’ll do it.”

“It seems Claudette knew him first.She fell for him, and then he met Cordelia, and his affection shifted from one sister to the other, according to Claudette.”

“Are you referring to Marlon Bennett, or are we talking about a different man?”

“It was Marlon.In Cordelia’s first letter, she tried to make amends with her sister.The second letter is much the same except for the ending when Cordelia makes a comment about fearing for her life.”

“She give a reason why?”

“She did not, but Claudette believes her sister had seen or overheard something that led to her murder.”

“Funny thing to suggest, given they weren’t in contact with each other, isn’t it?Pure speculation on Claudette’s part, if you ask me.”

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