Geneva was Jackie’s younger sister and—not to speak ill of the dead—the one who’d gotten all the looks. According to Eve, by the time Geneva was twenty, she had won every beauty pageant in the state. Vera mentally rolled her eyes. And dear old Jackie got all the bossiness and judgmentality. Vera knew little about the sisters other than what Eve had told her. Luna rarely talked about Jerome’s family. With good reason, it seemed.
“Sheriff, I’m glad you’re here.” Geneva turned her attention to Bent. “You need to listen to what I’m saying.” The woman was literally vibrating with fury. “I know what my sister said in her text messages to me just this morning—right before that ... that Boyett girl murdered her.”
Vera clamped her jaw shut to prevent herself from defending her sister. It was best to let Bent handle this. The woman had clearly lost her mind. To ensure her sister didn’t launch a rebuttal either, Vera pulled Eve close. “Go inside and make sure Luna is okay.”
Eve nodded and sent Geneva one last blistering look before disappearing into the house. Vera took a breath and turned back to the ridiculous situation at hand. Unlike Jackie, who’d preferred to dress comfortably and didn’t bother with makeup, Geneva outfitted herself as if she were headed to a meeting with the mayor himself. Her makeup and hair were meticulously done. No gray in sight and not one wrinkle. Frankly Vera didn’t see how she accomplished the latter without the assistance of BOTOX. Also unlike Jackie, Geneva maintained her figure, also according to Eve, as if her life depended on it. Vera had to hand it to her, she looked damned good for a woman on the back side of fifty.
“See for yourself.” Geneva thrust her cell phone at Bent.
Bent accepted the woman’s phone and scanned the messages.
Geneva glanced at Vera with suspicion in her eyes. “Jackie has been having trouble with Luna since she and Jerome got married. We were all worried about the situation, and now look, Jackie is dead.” Her lips tightened with the fury vibrating in her words.
Vera held her own anger in check. “When you saywe, Mrs. Fanning, who do you mean?”
“Jackie, her husband, me, and my husband.” The way she glowered at Vera as she answered warned that the question had only made her angrier.
“Jerome has never mentioned any trouble.” Vera hoped like hell he hadn’t. Luna surely would have revealed an issue at that level.
Geneva huffed a breath. “Of course he hasn’t. He does all in his power to make her happy.” She shook her head. “But I’ll bet he changes his mindnow. Your sister killed his mama, and there is no way he’s going to forgive that.” She pointed a finger at Vera. “You Boyett sisters should all be in jail. You killed Luna’s mother. And what about all those other bodies found in that cave on your farm? Jackie said that girl would be the death of her.”
Before Vera could launch a rebuttal, Bent stepped in. “Mrs. Fanning, I don’t see anything here that suggests Mrs. Andrews was concerned for her safety. I reviewed those same text messages on her phone earlier today.” He passed the phone back to the older woman. “What I do see is a woman who wasn’t happy with another’s choices.”
“You would see it that way,” Geneva snarled. “I guess I’ll just have to call another law enforcement agency if you refuse to properly investigate what I am telling you was a murder!”
Vera thought of the time stamp on the receipt from the hardware store. A lump swelled in her throat. No way. The time stamp had to be a mistake.
Bent held up his hands. “Mrs. Fanning, you’ve made an accusation, and I have an obligation to look into it. Rest assured we will investigate the situation. For now, I believe everyone involved would be best served if you go home and let us do what needs to be done. Under the circumstances, you need to stay clear of Luna and her home.” When the woman would have argued, he added, “Anything you do could interfere with the investigation.”
This appeared to appease her. “Very well then. I’ll go home and inform my husband that you are taking this seriously.”
Of course she would. Her husband was on the county council. She would throw that bit of leverage into the mix. Vera despised that sort of attempt at intimidation. Well, the woman was wasting her time. Bent would not be intimidated or blackmailed or pushed around. Frankly Vera didn’t see how the man kept his cool.
“You keep me posted on Mr. Andrews’s condition,” Bent called after her as she stormed away.
Fanning gave him a nod as she climbed into her SUV. Vera said nothing until the woman was flying along the driveway, headed for the road.
“I cannot believe she would do this. No one who knows Luna would believe such an absurd accusation.” Vera glanced at the frontdoor, dreading even the idea of Luna going through a ridiculous investigation like this.
“You’re right.” Bent rested his hands on his lean hips. “But I have to look into it, or it’ll only get worse.”
Vera understood. “I’ll let you explain that to Luna. She’ll take it better coming from you.”
Bent chuckled. “Thanks.”
They found Eve and Luna in the kitchen. Vera was glad her little sister had been far enough away not to overhear what was happening on the porch. She walked straight up to her and hugged her.
“I’m so sorry this is happening.” Vera drew back and gave Luna a sad smile.
“That woman is out of her mind.” Eve looked to Bent. “Can you make her stop throwing those unfounded accusations around?”
“It’s a free county,” he reminded Eve. “Luna could sue for defamation. But, in my opinion, the best way to handle the situation is for me to prove her claims are baseless.”
Luna turned to Bent. “I understand she’s upset, but this is preposterous. As much as I wished Jackie would stay out of my marriage, I would never have wished her harm, much less harmed her myself.” Luna sighed. “No matter how much the hateful woman deserved it.”
Vera groaned. “Never say that out loud again. Ever.”
Luna wilted against the island. “You know what I mean. I couldn’t do anything to make her happy.”
