Page 156 of State of Denial

“I’ve been thinking about her—her work, her life, her clients. Maybe we’re focusing on the wrong party when looking for motive.”

“Like in the Beauclair case,” Freddie said, referring to the assumed name the twins and their parents had lived under after their billionaire father was threatened by a former business partner. They were murdered in a home invasion by someone the wife tangled with after a traffic accident. Throughout the investigation, they’d focused on the obvious threat to the father, until the evidence pointed them in a whole other direction.

“Yes.” Sam ran her fingers through Alden’s hair. “We were so sure it was related to him. Like how could itnotbe?”

“I’m going through the rest of her social media posts, texts and emails tonight.”

“Sorry I didn’t get to it all today.”

“No worries. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

“You’re doing all the right things, Freddie, by continuing to follow up even though you have suspects. Just keep pulling the threads.”

“For the record, it’s easier when you’re telling me which threads to pull.”

Sam laughed. “I’m sure it is, but this is great experience for you.”

“If you say so.”

“I say so, and I’m the boss of you.”

Next to her, Scotty grunted out a laugh.

Sam grinned at her son. “Go home and take a break. You can start fresh in the morning.”

“I might just do that.”

“That was an order, not a suggestion.”

“You’re not the boss of me after hours.”

“Oh, sweet grasshopper, where did you ever get that idea?”

“Buh-bye.”

Sam was still laughing when the line went dead. “He amuses me. I’m not the boss of him after hours. Whatever. I’m always the boss of him.”

“And he wouldn’t have it any other way,” Scotty said.

“How about you? Are you okay with it?”

“Duh. I didn’t have to say yes to being adopted by you. Poor Freddie didn’t have a choice. He’s stuck with you.”

“Very funny.” Sam loved him so, so much. “And I’m extremely lucky you chose to be adopted by me, even if I know it was all about my husband.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Scotty said, dead serious now. “It was about both of you.”

“Really?” Sam asked in a higher-than-usual pitch.

“Of course it was. As much as I love him, and I love him a lot, I never would’ve agreed to come live with him if I didn’t also love his wife just as much. I can’t believe you think it was all about him.”

“He is pretty great,” Sam said with a small smile.

“He sure is, but so are you, even when you’re full of yourself, like you were just now with Freddie.”

“That’s just our vibe. You know that.”

“I do, and for some strange reason, he loves you, too.”

---