Page 23 of Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

“I didn’t mean that,” Belinda said. “I meant you haven’t heard anyone talk about her?”

“Honestly? No, but then again, I left for LA when I was a kid and only just came back a few months ago. I knew Magnolia’s mother was from here, thanks to Sweet Briar’s mayor who told me he invited Magnolia to be the guest of honor at the Boll Weevil Parade, plus the café down the street has half a wall dedicated to her.” Then I added, “To Magnolia, that is, not her mother.”

Belinda darted a glance back to Magnolia, then returned her gaze to me. “Maybe you could make some introductions for us, and then we can ask the questions?”

I tilted my head to the side. “I could do that if that’s what you want. I’d still need more information to know who you’d need to talk to. Do you know any of the names of her friends from high school?”

“I don’t know anything about her life in Sweet Briar,” Magnolia said, sounding exhausted. “She rarely talked about her life here. I didn’t even know she owned property outside of town. I only found out last week when an attorney down here notified me.”

I suddenly remembered her mother had died about a week before the serial killer tortured her, and my heart softened a little more. “Perhaps the attorney can help with some answers. Who was her attorney?”

“Wilber Cooper,” Belinda said, “but we talked to him on the phone a few days ago and he said he didn’t know anything. We’re supposed to go see him later to get the keys to the house.”

“Where’s the property located?” I asked.

Belinda exchanged a glance with Magnolia, then faced me. “North of town. Like Magnolia said, she didn’t even know her mother owned property. This was all a big surprise, but it turns out her mother had more than a few secrets, and Magnolia has lived with far too many secrets most of her life. She needs answers.”

Magnolia glared at her sister-in-law, who didn’t seem fazed in the least. Then her glare faded, leaving her pale and empty. She seemed broken, like the displays of outrage were just fronts that took too much out of her.

“You should know,” Belinda said, “that we’re meeting with another investigator in an hour. We want to explore all of our options.”

“With Pierce Robbins?” I asked. When she nodded, I said, “He’s a good investigator and has a ton of experience…” I let my voice trail.

“But?” Belinda asked with a guarded look.

“Sometimes Pierce’s experience goes to his head. Sure, he’s racked up a lot of hours working cases, but honestly we all do pretty much the same thing—skip tracing, find proof of a cheating spouse, even serve subpoenas, and after you’ve been doing a job for years and years, well, I’m sure it’s easy to become complacent. I’m new enough that I treat every job with fresh eyes and enthusiasm. Pierce will find out what he can, but he won’t make it his priority…unless you give him permission to tell the world that Magnolia Steele was his client.”

Magnolia sat up straighter. “No. If we hire you, you need to sign an NDA.”

“I have absolutely no problem with that,” I said. “If I can be candid…?”

Belinda nodded. “Yes. Please.”

“We don’t have time for bullshit,” Magnolia said in an icy tone.

“Of course,” I said with a nod. “As I was saying, honestly, I don’twantto publicize that you are or were my client. I’m already considered a joke by much of the world, I was even before theDarling Investigationsshow, and most people would see this as a publicity stunt. I don’t need that kind of attention.”

“So you’re saying you don’t want us as your client?” Belinda asked.

“No,” I said, sitting up straighter. “I’m not saying that at all. I’d love to help you and, at the risk of sounding brash, I think I’m in a better position to help you than Pierce is, simply because most of the people in town like me and will be willing to talk to me. Pierce has a reputation of being a little brusque, and it sometimes turns people off.”

“So you’re saying we should just hire you?” Belinda asked in a guarded tone.

“No, absolutely not. Iwantyou to talk to Pierce. Hiring an investigator isn’t like hiring an electrician to rewire your house. Sure, you want a competent contractor who shows up on time and does a safe job so your house doesn’t burn down, but a PI is different. The client needs to feel a connection to the investigator they hire. They need to feel comfortable sharing deep, dark secrets.”

“I don’t have any secrets to tell you,” Magnolia said. “This is about my mother.”

“Who left town and never came back, and owned property you knew nothing about.” I paused, then said softly, “You may not have any secrets, but it sounds like your mother did.”

She glanced down at her lap.

“I honestly have no idea why your mother left,” I said. “Maybe she had a fight with her parents and never wanted to see them again. Maybe someone broke her heart.”

Magnolia’s gaze jerked back up to mine.

“Or maybe she simply felt stifled here and never looked back after she left. The point I’m trying to make is that this could unearth some delicate information that might be life-shattering or it might be nothing.” I leaned closer. “But I promise you that I will treat it with discretion and respect. You’ll be my top priority.”

Magnolia glanced around the office and then back at me. “Because we’re your only clients?”

---