Ford’s jaw hardened. Clearly, he suspected Reese was lying. “Looks like I’m done here—for now. If anything else comes up, you can be sure I’ll be in touch.” Ford strode out of the office without closing the door. Both uniformed officers fell in behind him as he crossed to the executive-floor elevator and disappeared inside.
Kenzie sank back down into the chair, trapping her hands between her knees to keep them from shaking. Reese closed the office door, then returned and stood directly in front of her.
“Are you okay?”
Her eyes flooded with tears she’d managed to hold back until now. “Oh, my God, Reese. What have you done?”
His jaw firmed, his usual control back in place. “Did you kill your ex-husband?”
Kenzie wildly shook her head. “No! Of course not!”
“Then I bought us some time.”
“Time? Time for what?”
“Time to figure things out.”
“Like what?”
“Like how to prove you’re innocent of murder and who the hell killed your ex-husband.”
“You lied to a police detective, Reese. You could be arrested. You’re the CEO of Garrett Resources. Your job could be in jeopardy. You could even be thrown in jail.”
“I’ll clear things up once we get rolling. I’ll talk to the police, tell them I got the dates mixed up. That we were together Thursday night not Saturday.”
She brushed away the wetness on her cheeks. “And you think they’ll actually believe you? They’ll accept your word you just made a mistake?” She swiped at another errant tear. “I can’t believe you did that. I can’t believe you would risk yourself that way.”
Gripping her shoulders, Reese eased her up from her chair. “You don’t think you’re worth it?”
She swallowed, her heart squeezing at the look on his face. “I didn’t kill Lee.”
“I know, honey. We’ll figure it out, but we’re going to need some help. Why don’t you go wash your face while I call my brother?”
Her throat ached. She still couldn’t believe Reese had lied for her. He had stepped completely out of line for her. It made her feel warm all over.
Since she didn’t have any idea what else to do, she turned and headed out the door. As she walked toward the hallway, she saw Louise standing next to her desk, her eyes wide and worried.
“The police were here when I got to the office,” the older woman said. “Is Griff okay?”
“Griff’s fine. Unfortunately, Saturday night his father was killed.”
“Killed? You mean in a car accident or something?”
“Lee was murdered, Louise. The police are trying to find out who did it.”
Louise’s eyes widened. She looked at Kenzie with concern. “Oh, dear. Poor Griff.”
“I don’t know how to tell him. He and his dad were never close, but still... Lee was his father.”
“Do the police have any idea who did it?”
Kenzie pressed her lips together and glanced away.
“Wait a minute. Surely they don’t think you had anything to do with it?”
Kenzie sighed. “It’s complicated, Louise.” She shoved her dark hair back from her face. “I’m afraid you’ll have to excuse me. I need to use the ladies’ room.”
Leaving her assistant staring after her, Kenzie headed down the hall. In the last few days, her life had been turned upside down. First, Griff had landed in the hospital. Then the custody suit. Then she had seduced her employer, a man she respected and admired, putting both of their jobs at risk. Now Lee was dead, she was a suspect in his murder, and Reese had lied to give her an alibi.
