Page 2 of Final Cost

“You drove around,” Detective Smith says, enunciating each word with perfect clarity. “That’s what you want me to believe?”

I shrug. “Why not? It’s the truth. What happened to my wife?”

The two of us regard each other in a rigid silence. Her gaze flickers to the two uniforms, who have drifted over to stand behind me. Maybe they think I’ll run. Maybe they plan to cuff me. But I doubt they have anything on me other than the standard spousal suspicion. Meanwhile, Maddie and Daniel are still standing outside of Detective Smith’s line of sight, their heads together in worried murmurs.

“We’ve had an APB out on your wife since the fire the other night,” Detective Smith finally says.

“Yes, and…?” I say.

“And, one of our patrol cars saw her Jaguar parked near the beach a little while ago. He headed down there to check things out. Found her lying face up at water’s edge. My team is processing the scene right now.”

“That’s how she got found. What killed her?”

She studies me long and hard. “Someone crushed the back of her skull with something big and heavy?—”

“Christ,” mutters Daniel, and there’s a choked cry from Maddie.

“— Possibly one of the rocks in the area,” Detective Smith concludes.

It’s all too easy to imagine someone enraged enough at Ravenna to do just that. “I see.”

There’s a pause.

“You see how this looks, Mr. Winter?” Detective Smith leans her elbows on the table and hunkers in, her penetrating gaze zeroed all the way in on me. “You and Ravenna were estranged. You told me so yourself. The other day, she tried to kill your new girlfriend, Tamsyn. And now Ravenna turns up dead. Now it’s a straight line from A to B that you found her and killed her in a fit of rage. Or hired someone to find her and kill her. God knows you have the resources.”

“I didn’t kill her. And if I did, I’d like to think I’m smart enough to have a better alibi.”

“Good point,” says Detective Smith, nodding thoughtfully. “You know who else had a motive to kill Ravenna? Your new girlfriend, Tamsyn. Wonder whatheralibi is for last night.”

The words hang in the air like an anvil midway to dropping on my head.

Crushing. Horrific.

The healthy fear I feel about keeping myself out of jail is nothing compared to the icy terror that instantly encases my heart at the thought of Tamsyn in any sort of peril. Physical, legal, financial, emotional. Doesn’t matter. If there’s one thing about me—one thing I willalwaysdo—it’s protect Tamsyn from any sort of danger. If there’s one thing I willnevertolerate, it’s someone threatening her.

I don’t give a fuck how many badges the someone is wearing.

I rest my elbows on the table, leaning in and mirroring Detective Smith’s posture. “Tamsyn Scott had nothing to do with this,” I say, and the vibrating fervency in my voice sounds like a rattlesnake to my own ears. I can only imagine how it sounds to Detective Smith. “Leave her out of it.” I stand. “If there’s nothing else…? I need to call my lawyer.”

She also stands, her pleasant professionalism still perfectly in place. But she’s got a hawk’s keen eyes, and I’d be a fool to underestimate her for one second. “Thanks for your time. We’ll stay in touch.” A delicate pause. “We’ll also need to see your security tapes from last night.”

I figured she would, but she doesn’t say it in awe’ll clear your name and find the real culprit ASAPkind of way. It’s a lot more,I’m going to nail your ass to the wall the first chance I get, you arrogant fuck,and that’s what worries me.

“You have a warrant?” I say, matching her tone.

Her narrowed eyes tell me she doesn’t appreciate the paperwork, but she recovers quickly. “I’m happy to observe the legalities, Mr. Winter. Oh, and now wouldn’t be the time for you to hop on your private jet and fly off somewhere without checking in with me first.” With that, she raps her knuckles on the table and walks off, her uniforms trailing behind her.

I exchange swift glances with Maddie and Daniel as she goes. They seem shell shocked. Uncertain. Whether it’s because of concern or suspicion toward me, I don’t know and don’t give a fuck right now.

My mind is too full of all things Tamsyn and how much I miss her. How wrecked I’ve been without her. I’m wondering how best to keep her close while I work my way through this ordeal. I’m thanking God I had the foresight the other day to put a team in place to protect her.

Most importantly, I’m wondering how I’m going to get her back now that Ravenna is dead.

2

Tamsyn

“There you are, Mary Poppins,”Mrs. Hooper says in her booming Texas twang the second I leave my bedroom in her Upper East Side townhouse and join her in the marble extravaganza of the airy kitchen, where she’s got a spread of bagels, cream cheeses and enough toppings to fuel every local brunch for the next week or so. She uses her remote to mute the TV on her morning news show and hits me with all hergood morning, Sunshineenergy. “Did you sleep well? I was about to come upstairs and give you the mirror test to make sure you were still alive.”

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