“We have one with our doorbell in front,” Saul said.
But not in the back or even on the garage, so Saul could have easily slipped out and returned without anybody seeing him.
“We are going to canvass the neighborhood to see if anybody saw you,” she said gently.
“I don’t care,” Saul said. “I didn’t kill my wife. If I had found out about the affair, I would’ve talked to her. I would’ve tried to make things right. I certainly wouldn’t have murdered her.”
Laurel nodded, noting the deep lines extending from his eyes. They could be a result of sorrow, or they could be guilt. “Have you ever met a woman named Delta Rivers?”
“No,” Saul said. “Why? Is she one of the victims?”
“I can’t discuss that,” she said. “How about Haylee Johnson?”
Saul frowned. “Haylee Johnson. That name is familiar, but I can’t think of who she might be.”
His son leaned forward, his eyes glittering behind the stylish glasses. “You do know the name. She was the woman dating Jason Abbott, the serial killer who murdered Aunt Sharon.”
“Oh,” Saul said. “That’s right. I remember the name, but I never met the woman. Why?”
Steve looked up at a family portrait over the fireplace that depicted the four Bearing family members. “Haylee Johnson’s body was found yesterday. She’s another victim of this guy. I heard about it onThe Killing Hour.”
“She’s another victim?” Saul asked. “What could Teri and that woman possibly have in common?”
Steve pushed his glasses up his nose. “According toThe Killing Hour, Fish and Wildlife Officer Huck Rivers is a suspect in the killings. Rachel Raprenzi cited a confidential source, but she’s asking more questions than providing answers. You know him, Agent Snow. What do you think?”
“I don’t think he’s the killer,” she said.
But could she prove it?
Chapter 28
Laurel finished drying a plate and handed it to Huck to put away in his cupboard.
“Another wild night,” he murmured, looking over his shoulder toward the crackling fire.
Laurel’s entire body felt as if it had been through a meat grinder. “This suits me. Thanks for making dinner.”
He chuckled. “I’ll make scrambled eggs anytime you want.”
That had been exactly what she needed.
“Go sit down by the fire,” he said. “Do you want ice cream for dessert?”
She perked up. “Absolutely. I didn’t know you had ice cream.”
“I bought a carton the other day. Do you want chocolate or butterscotch topping?”
“I’ll take both.” Yet another advantage to being pregnant—no guilt about eating sugar. She walked over to sit on the sofa and extended her feet the way Huck always did, then leaned back to shut her eyes. A wet nose instantly pushed against her hand, and she started petting the dog. Taking that as encouragement, he hopped up onto the sofa and spread himself across her lap.
She opened her eyes and looked down. “I’m pretty certain you’re not supposed to be up here, buddy.”
He closed his eyes and pretended he was asleep. She wasn’t in charge of training him, so she would leave any correction to Huck. Plus, it felt good to have the dog on her lap. She looked over to the corner where Fred stretched out on Aeneas’s bed by the fireplace. The cat opened one eye, seemed to judge everything was good, and went back to sleep. He sure had made himself comfortable at Huck’s with very minimal fuss.
“Have you heard from your mom?” Huck asked from the kitchen.
“Yes. She and Dolores are having an absolute ball at the spa. They had their pictures taken and their auras read from the photographs.” The procedure hadn’t made any sense to her, but as long as Deidre and Dolores enjoyed themselves, she was happy. More importantly, they were far away from Genesis Valley right now.
Her phone trilled, and she lifted it to her ear. “Agent Snow.”
