“And she came across evidence of the drug trafficking?”
“Yes, apparently.”
“How?”
“Riley never spelled it out to me, though Killian may be able to extract more from her. I also don’t know what aroused Shannon’s suspicions to begin with. I mean, she clearly thought something was up at Baker, but I don’t know what gave her that idea.”
Kelly pressed a fist against her mouth, appearing stricken. More so, I realized, than she had at the press conference the day after Shannon’s body had been identified.
“What is it, Kelly?” I asked. “Doyouknow?”
“I think it was something I said.”
I held my breath, no idea what was coming next.
“It was the day after Christmas, right before Shannon and her family were leaving for Belize on vacation. Oh, sure, they had the condo in the Keys but they wanted anadventurethis time. I made some fairly cutting comments to Shannon about how the Blaines seemed to be the beneficiaries of far more fruits from Baker Beverage than the rest of the family, particularly at a time when a competitor was eating our lunch. Shannon defended Cody, pointing out, per usual, that he also pulled down a salary as president, but—”
The fist was back against her mouth, smothering a sob this time.
“Are you thinking your comment began to weigh on her? And she decided to investigate.”
“Sure sounds that way. I should have looked into it myself or hired someone to do it. I was too busy trying to figure out who my husband was banging.”
“You can’t blame yourself, Kelly. Sooner or later, Shannon would have probably wondered why they were living so large and started prying without that prompt from you.”
“You think he killed her simply because she found out the truth?”
“No, not simply that. Riley said Cody tried to convince Shannon to stay quiet, and if she had, he wouldn’t have hurt her. But he realized she was going to turn him in. It must have been an agonizing decision for her, and it’s probably why she started going to mass again. She was searching for spiritual guidance.”
“She wouldneverhave tolerated Cody trafficking in drugs.”
“Because of your cousin?”
“That but also because of my father and what he built. Man, I can’t believe any of this. And those poor little kids.”
“Are you going to take them?”
“Yes. Though I’ll be raising them on my own. Doug and I are over.”
She collapsed against the back cushion, and I sensed that she needed time alone. She might not have been close to her sister—and she may have always envied her—but she had hardly wished her harm. I said goodbye softly and saw myself out.
When I reached the hotel in an Uber, it was late afternoon, and I kept my eyes lowered as I trudged through the lobby, loathe to the idea of chatting.
Still, there was no way to miss him. His face was like a beacon—the hawkish nose, those mysterious dark brown eyes taking me in from his perch on the orange sectional.Beau Regan.
“Omigod,” I said, rushing toward him. “Wait, what are you doing here?”
“I know, sneaky of me. I couldn’t wait any longer to see you, so I drove up as soon as I’d dumped the equipment at my studio.”
I kissed him and then collapsed into a hug. It was intoxicating to feel his arms around me and take in the musky scent of his cologne.
“I’ve been so worried about you,” I murmured into his sweater.
“I’m really sorry. It was all a bit of a nightmare down there.”
“Why don’t we go upstairs and talk?”
As soon as we were in the room, we flopped on the bed, and I tucked my head into the crook of Beau’s shoulder.
