Page 161 of Collect the Pieces

“Okay.” I nod quickly.

The doorbell chimes again.

“Go,” he urges.

I hurry to the front door and slowly open it a fraction. Two men in dark blazers stand on the porch. “Hello? Can I help you?”

“Are you Margot Cedarwood?”

My stomach tightens.

“Yes. How can I help you?” I stare at the two men. One older with cartoonishly bushy eyebrows, making him look like a runaway from the Muppets. The other one’s younger and more polished—his eyebrows impeccably waxed and shaped. What an interesting duo.

The younger one—smooth brows—flashes a badge at me. “Investigator Thomas with the Empire Police Department.”

I unclench about fifty percent. The other officers were from Slater County. I haven’t killed anyone in Empire, have I?

“…My partner,” Mr. Thomas finishes. I missed the name of his partner. Damn.

“How can I help you?” I ask, opening the door wider.

“Do you know a Daniel Muldoon?” the smooth-browed detective asks.

Annoyance immediately twists in my chest. “Unfortunately.”

Shoot, why’d I have to say it like that? What if Daniel’s dead or something? I’ll be their number one suspect.

Creaking over the floorboards behind me draws my attention. I glance over my shoulder.

Did Jigsaw kill Daniel after Iexplicitly asked him not to?

The older cop raises his bushy eyebrows. “You were romantically involved?”

“Yes,” I answer more respectfully this time. “Engaged, actually.”

“Who ended it?” Thomas asks.

“I did.” I frown. “Why are you asking me about Daniel?”

The younger cop tilts his head, peering past me into the foyer. “Can we come in?”

Refusing will make me look suspicious.

“I suppose.” I open the door wider and step back. “Let’s talk in here.”

I lead them into the parlor. They settle onto the couch, while I perch on the edge of a chair, my posture deliberate—poised, alert, in control. Like I might have to jump up and attend to business any moment now.

The smooth-browed detective leans back, crossing one ankle over his knee. “Can you tell us more about your relationship with Mr. Muldoon?”

“I already told you. We were engaged. I broke it off. There is nocurrentrelationship.”

The older detective nods, tapping a thick finger against his knee. “But you arranged his grandmother’s funeral here, correct?”

“Yes.” My voice tightens. “Well, he called my father to arrange it, but I ended up handling most of the preparations for Mrs. O’Leary.”

“How would you describe their relationship?”

A chill slides over my skin, sweeping away my annoyance. I sit up straighter and clasp my hands in my lap. “From what I remember, it was…cordial. Mrs. O’Leary was a very nice woman. Daniel was…respectful…”

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