Sasha’s eyes flickered between us. She hesitated for half a second before stepping back and opening the door wider. “Of course. Come in.”
She led us into a small but tastefully decorated living room. Hints of her fairy lineage came through with her dozens of woven baskets, plants, and crystals. A candle burned on the coffee table, and I was pretty sure it was lavender-scented.
“Do you know why we’re here?” Zane asked.
Sasha shook her head and motioned for us to sit on her sage sofa. “No. Is everything okay?”
“I’m afraid we have some bad news,” I said. “Mari Quinn is dead.”
Sasha gasped, and her hand with the drink flew to her chest, nearly spilling the green liquid. “What?” She blinked back tears. “No. That can’t be right.”
I watched her carefully as she spoke. The gasp had been just a little too loud, and I was pretty sure the tears weren’t real either.
“Are you sure?” Sasha demanded.
“We’re sure,” I said.
She shook her head and sat down on the flowered chair across from us. “I just can’t believe this.” She set her drink down on the end table next to her. “Why would someone murder Mari?”
I glanced at Zane. “Who said anything about Mari being murdered?”
Sasha’s eyes went wide. “Well, I mean. I guess I just assumed she was murdered. Why else would PADA be here, right?” Shesmoothed her hands down her leg. “I’m not sure why you’re here though. I mean, I know the Quinns, yes. We were very close in high school, and we keep in touch still, but…”
I’d had enough of her games. “Tell me about your relationship with the Quinns. More specifically, with Hunter Quinn.”
The smile slid off her face. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“I think you do, Sasha,” I said. “Can you tell me where you were today around two o’clock?”
“I had an appointment with my accountant.” She stared me in the eye. “And yes, Hunter Quinn is my accountant. I’m not sure what my having—”
“That’s a nice bracelet,” I said. “A gift?”
Sasha slapped her hand over the bracelet and narrowed her eyes. All pleasantness was gone from her face. “I know what you’re getting at. You want to know if I’m sleeping with Hunter. Yes, I am. Did I kill his wife? No. Mari and I were friends before she started to date Hunter in high school.”
“So you knew Hunter and Mari in high school?” Zane mused.
“Yes. There was a group of us who ran around together.”
“Who?” I asked.
Sasha again ran her hand down her lounge pants. “Well, I guess it was Rayna Halter, Mari and Hunter, me, and Reed Masterson.”
I frowned. I’d heard the name Reed when Mari and Rayna were arguing in the parking lot. “Who is Reed Masterson?”
Sasha waved her hand dismissively in the air. “He’s nobody, really. I couldn’t tell you the last time I saw Reed. Maybe a year or two? I don’t know.”
“But you guys were close in high school?” I asked.
Sasha scoffed. “In high school, yes. But not so much now. Rayna and Reed dated for a while before it went south our senior year.”
“Where did you go after your meeting with Hunter today?” I asked. “I assume it ended around two o’clock?”
“That sounds right. I did a little shopping, got some coffee, bought some flowers, and then I went to the grocery store. I was home around three or a little after. I know because I saw my neighbor, a retired teacher, getting her mail from the mailbox, and we get our mail around three. I then went inside, called my assistant at my store, and told her I wouldn’t be coming back, and for her to close down around five o’clock.”
“On Valentine’s Day?” Zane asked. “You own a confectionery store, right? Weren’t you swamped?”
“No. There are a couple other candy stores in town here that citizens can choose from. I get mostly guests who are staying out at the resort as customers.”
