Page 88 of The Replacement Wife

“They don’t, and I get why. Everyone, including law enforcement, thinks Josh was a bit too interested in Candace’s estate and how to get a piece of it, even though most of it was out of his reach.”

“Does he need the money? He’s creeping me out lately, but I never thought he was after a fortune from the women he dated and married.”

“First, everyone likes money. Never forget that.” Shelby shot her a look that saidyou know I’m right. “Second, one very disturbing thing I’ve noticed in this job is that when there’s a lot of money at stake, like piles of it and the bigger the better, principles can weaken. People whowould never, do.”

“That’s disturbing.”

“Very. But money or not, there’s one piece of evidence that is likely to prevent any case against Josh about Candace from going anywhere.” Shelby hesitated a few seconds, as if to purposely ratchet up the curiosity. “Neighbors.”

Uh...“Excuse me?”

“I’m not sure if you remember the neighborhood where Josh and Candace lived.”

“Sure. Pretty. Rolling hills.” Elisa had been jealous of the neighborhood and its amenities once upon a time.

Shelby took a photo out of her file. It showed two houseswhere their backyards met. She pointed as she talked. “This blue house belonged to Josh and Candace. This one behind their old house sits on an incline. The back is terraced and on two of those terraces are outdoor living areas—this one includes a gazebo—all looking down on Josh and Candace’s property.”

The peepers. That’s how Candace had referred to them. Said they were nice but intrusive. “Candace complained because even with the fence and the hedges the older couple who lived on this higher lot could see right into the backyard. She said she felt like she was on display. She’d go swimming, and they watched from their patio.”

“Lucky for Josh they were outside on the day Candace died.” Shelby slid the photo back into her file. “They describe Josh and Candace hanging around the pool, seemingly having a good time. Laughing and joking. They were drinking and the music was on. Candace went inside and a short time later screamed. They described it as blood-chilling. A horrible sound that cut off abruptly.”

Elisa closed her eyes, trying hard not to hear it.

“Josh ran inside as soon as Candace’s scream ended. They could hear him yelling.”

“The fall.” Elisa had refused to look at the crime scene photos. She’d wanted to remember Candace as strong and stunning, fully in control and walking around.

Shelby nodded. “The husband rushed down to the house but couldn’t get inside because of the property’s fence and gate lock. But, and here’s where Candace’s family’s theory gets derailed, the man did see Josh through the double set ofFrench doors at the back of the house. He was giving Candace CPR. The neighbor’s wife called 911 about the same time Josh did, and the first responders showed up almost immediately.”

“I’m not sure what to ask.” But Elisa understood the bottom line—Candace’s death likely was an accident. Either that or a brilliantly designed sham that depended on neighbors lying, which seemed unlikely. She wasn’t sure that changed anything, except maybe lowering Josh’s body count.

“The couple insists there wasn’t any time lapse. That they saw the sequence of events in real time and that sequence only fits the theory of an accidental fall,” Shelby explained. “I talked to the prosecutor and he can’t figure out when or how Josh would have killed Candace.”

Elisa’s mind focused on that message from Concerned to Abby about the accident Concerned insisted was anything but. “Why did Candace go up those back stairs she feared so much? There was the main staircase and another bathroom.”

“She’d been drinking. They were playing around.” Shelby sighed. “It all fits, down to the one blow to the head and the blood evidence.”

“That’s good.” No, it was, but Elisa didn’t feel one ounce of relief. “What does it mean for the other women?”

“I’m only talking about Candace. I’ve had some trouble getting anyone in the police department to talk to me about Abby. Not sure what that means, but I’ll push harder.”

“They told me the case was closed.” That’s when Elisa could get them to return a call.

“Let me do some digging. I have contacts in the office.”

That’s why Elisa hired Shelby—to do the things and talk to the people she couldn’t. Still, it killed her not to be in the middle, looking around and asking questions. “And Lauren?”

“I’m still gathering information on Lauren. That file has been closed for a while, so it’s taking more time, but—and don’t get too excited—”

“Too late.”

“I did talk to my contact in the police about Lauren and why her case hadn’t played a bigger role in the investigations into Candace and now Abby. As you suspected, the detective—”

“Detective Burroughs.”

“Right. A contact of mine who used to work with Burroughs admitted two dead wives was a problem and would have gotten more attention if the detective there hadn’t been looking out for Josh. He’s a big ‘but this will ruin his future’ kind of guy. Word is he retired early because he used that phrase one too many times when dealing with sexual assault cases.”

“He sounds like garbage.”

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