Page 107 of Call Back

I got up and got her a glass of ice water. “Feel better?” I asked after she took a long gulp.

She shook her head. “I don’t deserve you.”

I released a bitter laugh. “I know plenty of people who’d say the same thing but mean the opposite.”

She continued to shake her head. “I know things.”

That caught my attention. “What kind of things?”

Her eyes lifted to mine. “I think Bill James might have killed Emily.”

I nearly lost my balance as the room swayed. “What makes you say that?”

“I found a file with her name on it in his office. I saw it on his desk yesterday morning.”

I blinked. “Why would he have a file on Emily?”

“Exactly. Why?” She paused. “But that’s not all. He had a file on you too.”

Another wave of panic washed over me, and I sat down before it could pull me under. Belinda was confirming my suspicions. Momma’s suspicions. “You think he’s going to kill me?”

“It sounds preposterous, doesn’t it?” she asked with a tiny giggle.

“I didn’t ask if it was preposterous. I asked if you thought he was going to kill me.”

“Honestly,” she said, her eyes full of tears. “I don’t know.”

“Why would he want to kill me?”

“I don’t know that either.” She took another sip of wine. “But I can’t go to the police. Those files aren’t exactly hard evidence that he may have murdered anyone, and Roy would kill me. But I know I have to protect you.”

“So your plan is to keep me in your fortress until Roy comes home?”

“No.” Her eyes met mine. “We’re going to snoop in Bill James’s office.”

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