Page 3 of Little Merry Murder

Delilah gave the question some thought. “Mmm, less than ten minutes, I guess. I understand your need to ask these questions, but my son didn’t kill her.”

“He was arrested, which means the police believe he did.”

“It seems like it’s always the husband who gets blamed when the wife gets murdered, no matter what evidence the police have to the contrary.”

Not always.

And when they were, it was for good reason.

In domestic murder cases, 76 percent of female victims were killed by someone they knew, and 34 percent by their intimate partner.

Delilah was so fixated on her son’s innocence, she was biased, which was understandable. But questioning her wasn’t getting me anywhere. I needed a different approach.

“Has Owen hired a lawyer?” I asked.

“Yes, he’s represented by Jasper Hamilton. Do you know him?”

I nodded. “He’s good. He has an impressive track record for winning his cases.”

“Gooddoesn’t mean he’ll prove Owen’s innocence, no matter how many cases he’s won. He’s had losses too, which means I can’t count on him alone to come through for us. If this does go to trial, there’s a chance it won’t go in Owen’s favor. It’s the reason why I came to see you.”

I was interested in taking the case …ifher son was innocent.

“What do you say?” Delilah asked. “Will you do it?”

I sat a moment, wrestling with my feelings. Given the police had made an arrest, the case was a bit different from many of the others I’d taken.

“I’ll take the case on a trial basis,” I said.

“A trial basis? What do you mean?”

“I need to speak with your son, look over the evidence, and get more details about what happened to Claire. If I believe your son is telling the truth, I’ll continue investigating, and I’ll promise you this—if he’s innocent, I’ll prove it.”

“And if you decide he’s lying?”

“You said yourself that he’s innocent, so you have nothing to worry about.”

“I suppose you’re right.”

She offered me a slight smile, and I hoped I’d just lightened the weight she’d been carrying, even if for a moment. For me, the weight was just beginning, and I wasn’t looking forward to the tough conversation I was about to have with Chief Foley.

CHAPTER 3

Foley sat behind his desk, glaring at me but saying nothing. I’d explained my reason for being there, my involvement in the case, and the support I was hoping but not expecting to receive from him. At the moment, it seemed he was in shock—and no doubt trying to decide how to handle the situation.

We’d worked together on several homicide cases in the past and had always done a decent job of not stepping on one another’s toes. This time, things were different. Foley was certain Owen was guilty.

And to throw an additional wrench into the mix, Foley was married to my sister. Not only did we interact on a professional level, we had a personal relationship as well. If we were on opposite sides about who murdered Claire, I guessed there’d be a fair amount of turbulence between us.

I’d never cared for long silences, and I had just hit my breaking point.

“Is there anything you’d like to say?” I asked.

“There’s a reason I haven’t spoken, you know. It’s the only way I can control my temper.”

“I’m not saying Owen’s innocent. I won’t know until I investigate more. If you’re right, and he’s guilty, I’ll drop the case.”

“I’ve told you he’s guilty. There’s nothing more to say, Georgiana.”

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