“Then is Ranger now your top suspect?” she asked, wanting to focus on what was less threatening and the reason he was here.
“No, my money is still on Pierre. Whoever killed your mother managed to get in and get out without leaving anything behind as evidence. I’m not sure Ranger could achieve that, given his drug use. In any case, Ranger is now in custody so we’ll have full access to question him once he’s clear minded and as soon as he gets out of the hospital.”
“The hospital?”
He grinned. “Yeah, once he shot me, Luke shot him in the lower leg. At least we managed to take down a meth lab, and Ranger will be facing a number of serious charges.”
“That’s a good thing,” she replied.
“Tell me about your relationship with Jason Webber.”
She stared at him in surprise as the question seemed to come out of thin air. “Why would you want to know about that? Is this really a part of your investigation?”
“Angelique, I need to go back in your past and figure out who might have a beef with you. The one part of your life we haven’t discussed so far is your relationship with Jason. So, how long did the two of you date?”
This was the very last thing she’d expected to be talking about tonight, and she found herself reluctant to go back to that painful part of her past.
She released a deep sigh. “We dated for just a little bit over a year.”
“And who broke up with whom?” He gazed at her with open curiosity.”
She hated the old feelings the conversation evoked inside her. She hated to even think about the man who had lied to her for months. “I broke up with him. I found out he had been cheatingon me all throughout our relationship, and once I learned that, I immediately tossed him to the curb.”
“How did he react when you broke up with him?” Daniel asked.
“He was upset and of course told me my information was wrong and he wasn’t cheating on me, but I was certain of my facts because I had spoken to the woman he was cheating on me with. He called me a couple of times after that, but I told him there was no going back and that I never wanted to see him again.”
“Do you believe he was angry with you?” Daniel leaned a little closer, bringing with him the scent of his attractive cologne.
“Certainly he wasn’t angry enough to attack me in the middle of the night with a knife.”
“How did he get along with your mother?”
“Actually, very well. Mama liked him because she could see how happy he made me. Of course, when she found out he was a liar and a cheater, she was very angry with him. But Daniel, this was so long ago, and Jason has dated dozens of women since then. I can’t imagine how any of that has anything to do with the crimes you are now investigating.”
“He broke your heart,” he replied as he gazed at her softly.
She flushed and broke eye contact with him. She focused on the wall just over his shoulder. “He taught me all I need to know about men, so in the end I believe he did me a big favor.”
“Angelique, not all men lie and cheat,” he countered.
She released another deep sigh and looked at him once again. “We’ve had this discussion before, Daniel, and you aren’t going to change my mind. I will never again fully trust another man with my heart.” She frowned, wanting to change the topic. “Besides, you haven’t told me anything about your past relationships.”
“There isn’t a lot to tell,” he replied. “The most serious relationship I had was a little over two years ago when I started dating Allison Gregory. Do you know her?”
She frowned thoughtfully and then slowly shook her head. “No, I don’t believe so.”
“She was a receptionist in one of the dental offices in town. Anyway, we started dating, and after three months it was decided she’d move in with me. Almost from the very beginning after that there were problems.”
“Problems like what?” she asked curiously.
“Well, like the first thing she did was quit her job. I didn’t really have a problem with it because I made enough in my job to support us. But what I did have a problem with was then her job became all about controlling me.”
She was finding this all fascinating and hoped he’d continue to share with her about his failed relationship. “I have a nice bottle of brandy in the kitchen. Would you like to have a glass with me?”
“Sure,” he agreed. “That sounds good. A little alcohol is surely warranted on a night when I got shot.”
She got up from the sofa. “Sit tight and I’ll be right back.” It was definitely an evening of surprises. First the fact that he’d been shot, which explained why he didn’t stop by with his report earlier, and now the glimpses into his past. It didn’t take her long to pour the fragrant amber liquid into two glasses and carry them back to the living room.
