Page 88 of Enticing the Fixer

But they’ll know I wouldn’t sell.The words are in my head but don’t go anywhere else. She grabs my lower legs and shoves them into the floorboard. Is she in on it with Ethan? Where is he? My eyes twitch, but all I see is the leather of her driver’s seat. My face is smashed into the cushion, and my spine screams from the awkward position.

“Everything’s all better now.” She claps her hands and slams the door shut.

What in the fuck? This is crazy. Why did I never consider Marge as the culprit? My mouth dries, and as much as my brain tells my tongue to move, I can’t make it follow the command.

My father. She killed my father. How? Why? Don’t be stupid. You know why. Money. It’s always money. But Ms. Graham? She’s been with my dad for years, and she was my biggest supporter. My biggest fake supporter.

She slides into her seat and lays the cloth over my face again. All thoughts disappear as black moves from the periphery of my mind until it covers everything.

Chapter Forty-Six

Leo

“Thank God.”

Ethan’s words make no sense. Unless he knows the gig is up, and he’s covering his tracks. Murder is a big deal.

I pace Kinsley’s office with my phone shoved between my ear and shoulder. I don’t have the evidence I need to pin Jack’s murder on Ethan. What do I have? I have nothing. Lay it out there and see what comes out. That’s the best I can do. “I expected you to be upset that the company wasn’t getting sold.”

“I never wanted it sold.”

“Kinsley said you warned her and constantly brought up selling.”

“Yes, I did,” he sighs. “I was warning her, so she didn’t get hurt. There were too many people on the board fighting for the sale of the company, and I had no idea what they were willing to do. Preston’s son is in jail. Curtis is so far in debt; I don’t think the company selling will do him a damned bit of good. Hell, he’s probably banking on taking the money and putting it all on the roulette wheel. He’s always looking for quick money. And that leaves Samantha, Ian, and Marge at the table. Any one of them could be behind Jack’s murder.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stand. “So you think Jack’s death was more than a hit and run?”

“Yes, I do. It’s too convenient for it not to be. The board met at 4 o’clock, and there was a huge shouting match between Curtis and Jack about selling the company. Jack was adamant about not giving up his legacy. When I spoke to him, he was headed home. But somehow, he ended up on 16thand Valley after midnight. That doesn’t make sense. Unless there was a reason, he changed his plans.”

“I see.” I straighten my shoulders and march to the window. The sun has set, and the lights from the barges are faint. “Who else was at the celebration?”

“Everyone.”

“Was anyone gone?”

“Ian left early.” He pauses for a second. “And I didn’t see Samantha after 9 o’clock. The rest of us left an hour later when the party was over.”

“How long does it take to get to the street Jack was killed on?”

“Thirty to forty-five minutes depending on the traffic, but at that time of night, it would lean toward the shorter duration.”

Curtis took the money without blinking. No real negotiation at a discounted rate. Preston barely gave up a fight. Ethan is singing like a canary. Unless he’s a better liar than I think, he’s not the culprit.

The unassuming little old lady withwhatat stake?

“Were Marge and Jack ever a couple?”

Ethan clears his throat. “A few years ago, she asked him out, but he wasn’t interested. He told her that Kinsley and his company come first, but I think it had more to do with their age gap. She was ten years older than him.” The clock on the wall ticks. “I think she was angry that Jack saw Valeria, who was many years younger than him.”

“My thoughts exactly. Did others know they were dating?”

“I’m beginning to think the wrong people did.”

“Yeah. I think you’re right.”

After I hang up with Ethan, I dial Kinsley’s number. No answer. Again. Dampness pools on my palms as my stomach curls into a knot. She’s mad but is she mad enough to ignore my calls for this long? “Valeria?”

“Yes,” her muffled voice comes from the outer office.

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