Helia huffed. “He had…issues. You know…” She gestured to her crotch area.
Jess tipped her head. “He had erectile dysfunction issues?”
Heat crawled up her neck. “He did with me. Maybe I was the problem, though?”
“You are not the problem,” Collin muttered.
Carter darted a glance at him before clearing his throat and turning back to her. “While you two were together, the only drugs you saw him take were to address ED?”
She nodded.
“And have you seen him lately?” Carter asked.
She shrugged. “Here and there.”
“Meaning?” Jess pushed.
“I saw him at a fundraiser at the Hayeses’ two months ago. Then again at the grocery store a few days after that. He’s also been delivering orders here the past several months.” She paused. “Actually, now that you ask, it’s kind of weird. After we broke up, I could go ages without seeing him. But in the last, maybe four or five months, he popped up, not exactly like a whack-a-mole, but more frequently than usual.”
“What kind of deliveries did he make?” Jess asked.
“Stuff from the business. Wine pourers, glasses, that sort of thing. Some of our higher-end weddings like to put together adult-style goody bags for their guests. Gina’s company often supplies products for those.”
“And the Hayeses’ gala?” Carter asked.
“That was…weird,” Helia said, pulling up the memories from that night. The event hadn’t happened that long ago, but charity blowouts in Napa Valley blended into each other. Even ones with fireworks. Although how they’d managed a license and permission for that, Helia wasn’t going to guess.
“Weird?” Carter pressed.
The inflection in his voice hinted that he already knew why. “He approached me and wanted a second chance. I turned him down,” she answered flatly.
“Fucker,” Collin muttered again, making her lips twitch. A man was dead. She shouldn’t be laughing. But Collin’s running commentary was keeping her grounded. It wasn’t every day the police questioned her about a murder.
“Did the conversation get heated?” Jess asked.
“Sugar Raymond told you it did, didn’t she?” she asked, not hiding her irritation. Turning to Collin, she explained, “Sugarmoved here six years ago. Divorced, widowed, and divorced again, she’s been after Justin foryears.
“The conversation was intense on Justin’s part,” she continued, returning her attention to the detectives. “He tried cornering me a few times throughout the night, but I managed to slip away. When he finally got to me, I figured I’d let him have his say, decline, then move on.”
“And what did he say?” Carter asked.
Helia wrinkled her nose. “I know this sounds weird, but I don’t actually remember. I kind of tuned him out while he was talking. Sundaram had a huge wedding two days later, and rather than listen, I took the time to work out some kinks in the timing I needed to sort through.”
A deep chuckle sounded from beside her, sending a little frisson through her body. Carter and Jess, on the other hand, stared at her, their expressions cautiously blank.
“You remember nothing of what he said?” Carter clarified.
“I remember him asking me for a second chance,” she replied. “After that, I knew my answer would be ‘no way in hell,’ so I didn’t feel the need to listen to the rest.” She paused, then added, “The wedding went off beautifully. Those ten minutes he had me cornered were very productive.”
Another chuckle from Collin. Another head tilt from the detectives.
A beat later, they shared a look. Silent communication passed between them before they rose in tandem. She and Collin did the same.
“Thank you for your time, Helia,” Carter said, holding his hand out. She shook it, then Jess’s.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t help more. I know very little about his life since we ended things,” she said.
“If you remember anything unusual, you know where to find us,” Carter said, moving across the room.
