Vera blinked the ridiculous thought away and shot to her feet. She produced a smile that felt as stiff as she imagined it looked. “Thanks, Jenny.”
Collins flashed her a smile before turning back to the sheriff. “I’m assuming this information stays between the three of us until we have additional facts.”
Vera should’ve been grateful the new ME appeared to want to be a team player, but trust never came that easy for her.
“I find that’s the best course of action in most situations,” Bent confirmed.
“Mum’s the word then.”
Bent saw her to the door. When he’d closed it, he leaned against it and eyed Vera. “We have a problem.”
“A big problem.” Vera walked toward him, worry expanding inside her so fast that the air trapped in her lungs, and it was just going to stay stuck deep in her chest along with the scream she wanted to expel.
When she stopped in front of him, he reached for her hand, cradled it in both of his. Warmth spread instantly through her, allowing her to breathe again.
“We both know,” he offered quietly, “Luna would never do something like this without one hell of a good reason.”
“No reason will be enough for her husband or for the woman’s family.” Vera knew exactly how that would go.
Bent nodded. “You need to talk to her, Vee. Make sure she was at the hardware store until right before she called you.”
The fact that they hadn’t checked Luna for any indications of an altercation loomed like a dark cloud in the back of Vera’s head. If she’d scratched Jackie, there could have been genetic material under her nails. Just another detail that would come back to haunt them if this turned into a murder investigation.
Vera resisted the urge to shake her head. This just couldn’t be right.
“I’ll confirm the timeline.” What else could she do?
“I’ll keep Fanning calm until we have everything we can find to support what we both know.”
Vera wasn’t sure there would ever be enough ways to properly show her appreciation to this man.
Like a light bulb turning on, Vera abruptly understood the one thing she could do. Determination flowed through her, steadying her frazzled nerves. She could find the person who actually pushed Jackie down those stairs because it absolutely could not have been Luna.
10
Wednesday, September 3
Boyett Farm
Good Hollow Road, 8:00 a.m.
“What do you mean, she’s gone to Nashville?” Vera stopped pouring coffee into her mug to glare at the screen of her cell.
Eve heaved a big breath into the phone. “She wanted to be there with Jerome during his father’s surgery. She left half an hour ago.”
Vera shoved the carafe back into the coffee maker. “Why didn’t you call me? I could have gone with her.” Even the idea had her mentally groaning. She had not one but two cases to deal with. Luna taking off on her own right now was not another worry Vera needed.
“She’s a grown woman, Vee,” Eve argued. “You’re being ridiculous. She’s not a child, and being pregnant does not make her disabled.”
Vera resisted the nearly overwhelming urge to roll her eyes. She hated doing that, but everybody around her was constantly doing or saying dumb shit, and it made her head want to explode. “Eve.” The fact that her name came out unnaturally calm should have had her sister worried. Vera did not feel even in the region of calm. “I am aware that Luna is fully capable of driving anywhere she likes,Butmy concern is that Geneva Fucking Fanning will be there and cause a scene, which willNotbe good for our little sister’s mental well-being.”
She started to pace the room as the worry expanded like a balloon being overfilled.
“Oh,” Eve chirped.
Vera stopped in the middle of her kitchen and held her tongue until another wave of fury had passed. “You see my point then.”
“I really don’t think that will be a problem. Jerome would never allow his aunt to be mean to his pregnant wife. I’m certain of it.”
