Sad.
“Does Natalie have someone else lined up?”
“No, and I know that worries her.”
“I wonder if she’d be interested in the woman who cleans for me. I think she’s in the market for another client or two.”
“My guess is yes.”
“I’ll find a way to pass on her name without breaking your confidence.”
“Thanks. Any news on Micah’s investigation?”
“There’ve been a couple of developments, but so far they haven’t led to any conclusive evidence that his death was more than an accident.”
“If therewasmore involved, I hate to think that person is roaming around free and poised to get away with murder.”
“You and me both.” Especially since he had no clue about the motive.
Not to mention the fact that Cara was still taking walks around the lake. Alone.
“But why would someone hurt Micah?”
“I can’t answer that yet. And until this is resolved, you may want to be extra cautious.”
She didn’t respond for several seconds, and when she did, a thread of trepidation wove through her question. “Are you suggesting I could be in danger?”
“I wouldn’t go that far. But as I said the night you and I and Natalie had dinner, I don’t like coincidences.”
“I think Natalie figured out one of the coincidences, if that makes any difference.”
“Which one?”
“The kitchen fire. While we were working today, she told me she’d solved that mystery.”
“What’s the story?”
“I don’t know. All she said was that it had been a silly mistake.”
Be that as it may, taking that off the table didn’t alleviate his suspicions about Micah’s death.
“Even if there’s an explanation for that incident, a few elements of the crime scene bother me. I’m not letting this go yet.”
“I admire your perseverance.”
“We’ll see where it leads.” But at the very least he could talk to people who had a connection to Natalie or were regular visitors to her place, check alibis for the time-of-death window Rod had identified. Paul Coleman, the housekeeper, Steven, and anyone else Natalie saw on a consistent basis. Even Cara, to cover all the bases.
But he’d start with the others. The woman he was talking to was definitely not a killer.
“In terms of using caution, do you think I should stop taking my walks around the lake? I do carry pepper gel, and I stay alert to my surroundings.”
“To be honest, I’d prefer that. But I’m not going to tell you what to do. It’s your call.”
“I appreciate that. If Jack were here, he’d be much more heavy-handed.”
At her wry tone, his mouth flexed. “Are you saying you have an overprotective brother?”
She snorted. “Is the pope Catholic?”
