Page 36 of Gage
“Gage Newsome. He works for the government, but he’s helping me in an unofficial way. He’s going to help prove that I didn’t kill Steven.”
“Of course you didn’t kill Steven. I can’t believe the police haven’t caught the person who did murder your husband. Anybody who knows you could tell them you wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
Right now, if Suzanna could get her hands on the person who viciously murdered Steven in cold blood, she’d be happy to unleash her berserker side. Sometimes she wondered if they’d ever catch the real killer.
“It might help if the police were looking for the real killer instead of thinking I murdered my own husband. If Detective Jansen had his way, I’d already be behind bars awaiting trial. Better yet, he’d expect a confession. Elizabeth, the evidence against me, it’s piling up and there are no other suspects. I’m afraid they are going to blame me.”
“That will never happen. There isn’t a jury anywhere that would convict you. Everybody knows you were devoted to Steven, and he adored you. To think for even a minute that you’d do some so…so heinous, it’s preposterous.” She waited for a moment before adding, “You know, Donald said you were asking about Sandoval Enterprises. Wasn’t that the company Donald and Steven were planning on doing business with? Movingmicrochips or something. You know I can never remember the stuff they talk about for work.”
For some reason Elizabeth’s laugh sounded exaggerated and phony, almost forced. Shaking her head, she let it slide. Maybe she was under a lot of stress. After all, her husband had taken on shouldering all the responsibility for Dawkins, Inc., since Steven’s death. That had to be a massive amount of strain on their relationship.
“Yes, Sandoval Enterprises was going to do security courier work for Dawkins, Inc. There was a problem, though, and the contract had to be canceled.”
“Well, you know I don’t pay much attention to everything at the company, that’s Donald’s bailiwick. I much prefer spending my day dealing with the foundation’s charity work.”
She remembered Elizabeth worked for a charitable organization centered in New York City with a branch office in Dallas. One that helped pregnant teens and unwed mothers get medical care and housing. They would also help with connecting the teens with a reputable adoption agency if they decided not to keep their babies.
“I bet you’re busy with their big gala event. That’s happening soon, isn’t it?”
“Less than three weeks ago. Everything is crazy busy, but it’s an organized chaos.” She paused for a moment and Suzanna could hear paper rustling, and guessed Elizabeth was flipping through the pages of her day planner. Old school, she refused to give up writing things down instead of keeping them on her phone or tablet. Steven had loved to tease her about pulling her into the twenty-first century, since her husband worked in the tech industry.
“Suzanna, I know you were just in Dallas yesterday, but I wondered if you planned to be back here any time soon? I’dreally like to sit down and talk with you about a few things, if you can make the time.”
“Oh, I’m not sure. I hadn’t thought to be back there unless the police needed to talk with me.”
“Where are you? I know you mentioned New Orleans. Have you gone back there?”
“Actually, I’m still in Texas. A little town called Shiloh Springs. It’s a lovely place, beautiful countryside, and the people are so wonderfully friendly. I’m staying with a family who owns one of the larger ranches here. It’s a family that Gage knows…”
“Gage? One of the men you mentioned who was with you yesterday when you visited Donald?”
“Yes. Elizabeth, if you need me, you know I’m there for you.”
She heard what sounded like a muffled sob, before Elizabeth came back on the line. “I think Donald is going to ask me for a divorce. I can’t be one hundred percent positive, but I think he’s cheating on me—with his assistant.”
Suzanna pictured Donald’s assistant, Cheryl, having seen her the day prior. She remembered a tall woman with olive complexion and dark hair, impeccably dressed. Her brow wrinkled as she tried to remember if she’d seen any kind of connection or attraction between the two, but couldn’t remember anything that triggered in her head. In fact, Cheryl had been almost invisible for most of the meeting, hovering in the background. And she couldn’t imagine Donald having an affair. He didn’t seem the type, but then again she didn’t have a lot of experience with cheating husbands. Steven had been loyal and faithful, to his memory of Mary and to her.
“I can’t believe it. Are you sure?”
She heard sniffling. “I can’t be sure of anything anymore. But he’s changed. Always working late or taking long lunches whenever I try to reach him. He’s distant and he’s taken tostaying up all night in the library instead of coming to our bed. What else can I think?”
“Have you tried talking to him about it? Maybe there’s a logical explanation.”
“I can’t. How do I ask my husband if he’s having an affair? You know me, Suzanna, I’m not good with confrontations. That’s why I was hoping you’d be back in Dallas. I need somebody to talk to, to see if I’m making too much of this. Building things out of proportion when it might be nothing.”
“Tell you what, Elizabeth, let me see if I can be in town tomorrow. Maybe we can have a lunch meeting, and if what you suspect is true, I’ll be there if you want to talk to Donald. How’s that?”
“Suzanna, you are a true friend. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Let me make a few arrangements here. I’ll have to bring one of my bodyguards, but they’re very good at their jobs and you won’t even know they’re there.”
After a second’s pause, Elizabeth said, “That’s fine. I still can’t wrap my head around somebody trying to kidnap you. This world is getting to be a crazy place. You don’t know who you can trust, or who’s out to get you, do you?”
“True. Okay, I’ve gotta run. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Thank you. I can’t tell you how much it means, knowing that you’re there for me.”
Finishing the call, she headed back to the kitchen. “Sorry for the interruption. That was Elizabeth Blackthorn. Donald told her about our visit yesterday. She wanted to know if we could meet. I told her I could be back in Dallas tomorrow and could meet her for lunch.”
