Vera had seen that barn. It was huge. Heated and cooled. Not your typical horse barn, for sure. The apartment was even nicer. Definitely not a hardship to live there.
“Maybe it was a newlywed thing,” Vera suggested. “Alicia may have felt she and her new husband needed their privacy.”
“No,” Carter countered, “it was a bitch thing.”
Well all right then.
“Were Jose and Renata upset with this change?” Bent glanced out the large south-facing window, where Vera had already spotted thecouple walking toward the house. He slipped his phone from his pocket as his attention settled back on Carter.
“At first.” Carter settled her delicate cup back into its saucer and placed both on the coffee table. “But when I invited them here, it was all okay.”
“Did there appear to be any hard feelings?” Vera asked. Most anyone would feel slighted by being kicked out of their home for such a seemingly selfish reason.
“Mostly they were worried and afraid, as anyone in their position would be.”
“What position is that?” Bent no doubt understood what she meant, but he wanted her to say as much.
“They don’t have their proper papers yet.” Helen glanced back at the kitchen, where the screen door had just whined, announcing the couple’s entrance into the house. “Thomas was working on taking care of that. I’ll check in with his attorney and ensure the ball hasn’t been dropped, given what’s happened.”
“I’ve been wondering,” Vera ventured, “with such an elaborate barn and outbuildings, why no animals?” Seemed a good lead-in to throw out a couple of questions about the first wife.
Carter took a breath. “There used to be horses as well as goats. Mostly horses. Lena loved horses. She was a dressage champion, you know.” Carter looked away a moment. “After she died, Thomas couldn’t bear to look at them. He sold them all. The goats too.”
Understandable, given the circumstances. “Previously,” Vera said, “you stated that you were home all weekend. Catching up around the house. Is there anyone who can vouch for your whereabouts?”
Carter didn’t look surprised by the question. She’d given it once already in the initial interview. Her answer came without hesitation. “Renata and Jose. We were all here all weekend. Cutting grass. Doing some repairs. We don’t get extended days off often. I can make you a list of all we accomplished, if you like.”
Renata and Jose stepped into the room, both looking to Carter for instructions.
“Come on in. Have a seat. Coffee?” Carter glanced from one to the other. Both declined the coffee and claimed the two remaining chairs in the fairly large conversation area.
Vera’s cell vibrated in her pocket. She tugged it out. A text from Bent.
Go outside w/ Renata.
Vera put her phone away and stood. “Renata, why don’t you and I go out onto the porch?”
Carter looked surprised at the request but didn’t question it. She wanted to, though. Vera could see it in her eyes.
As Vera and a visibly reluctant Renata started for the door, Bent asked, “Jose, did you have any reason to suspect your position with Mr. Wilton was in jeopardy? Did the two of you have any disagreements?”
Renata glanced back as they exited the door, and Vera closed it behind them. “Let’s sit.” She gestured to the rocking chairs. Folks in the South liked their rocking chairs. There were a couple on Vera’s porch too.
Renata glanced at the door. The poor woman looked terrified.
“Don’t worry,” Vera urged. “I just have a couple of questions. The sheriff will ask the same questions of Jose and Helen.”
Renata nodded but still appeared immensely nervous.
Vera opened the notes app on her phone. “Can you tell me the things you and Jose and Helen did around here over the weekend?”
She hesitated a long moment, tucked a stray hair behind her ear. “We clean everything up.” She nodded emphatically. “Miss Helen likes her home to be well maintained.”
So not only did these two pay rent, but they also did work around the place as well. Vera supposed the three had worked out some sort of negotiation.
“What kind of cleanup?” Vera tried to think how to get more specific with the question without feeding her answers. “In the yard or in the house?”
“Yes. Yes.” More nodding. “We cut grass. Pull weeds. Pick up sticks and ... trashes.”
