He left the room, and she heard him lock the door on the other side. Sighing, she frowned. Already, she missed him. The rest of the day was going to be very boring.
* * * *
DENTON WAS DETERMINED, and he wouldn’t let anything get in the way. He’d convinced himself that he needed that minor distraction when he kissed Courtney last night, but now he would do what he was being paid for and find Albert’s killer. He wouldn’t allow himself to think of the beautiful woman who sighed like an angel and kissed so passionately. And he definitely wouldn’t daydream about his future and how he’d love to settle down with the perfect woman and have children. And thinking about living in a small town with his family and changing professions would have to come later, too.
It hadn’t taken him long to reach the Greenwood estate. The butler, Mr. Tibbs, let him in.
“Good afternoon, Tibbs,” Denton greeted nicely.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Reed.” The older man arched a bushy white eyebrow. “If you have come to speak with Master Terrance, he is not here.”
Denton’s enthusiasm waned slightly. “When will he return?”
“Not for a few days. He is traveling to Stumptown.”
“Stumptown? Did he say why?”
“He just said he was looking into purchasing a fishing boat.”
Denton wanted to roll his eyes, and at the same time, he squashed the jealous feelings of not knowing what it was like to havethatmuch money. “Then, I’ll have to speak to him when he returns.” He glanced around the spacious hallway. “Is any of Albert’s children at the estate today?”
“Master Clive and Miss Louise are here.”
“Splendid.” Denton’s hopes lifted again. “Can you tell them I’m here? I’d like to speak with them in the parlor.” He nodded toward the nearest room.
“Yes, Mr. Reed. I’ll fetch them now.”
As Denton moved into the room, his gaze partook of all the marbled statues and busts used as decorations. Mr. Greenwood must have had an obsession with these. Denton was willing to bet he’d find them in every room on the estate's main floor.
He walked to one that looked to be the size of the bust that smashed Albert’s head. As he picked it up, he weighed the object in his hands. In his mind, he pictured a petite woman like Courtney trying to lift it high before quickly bringing it down and whacking someone over the head with it.
Denton shook his head. There was no way Courtney could do this, which meant... He frowned. Perhaps he should take Louise off his suspects’ list since she was petite like Courtney.
That left Clive. The man had a gambling problem, and if he knew that his father had changed the will, Clive might want to lash out at his parent.
“I hope you are here to bring us some good news, Mr. Reed.”
Denton jerked out of his thoughts and turned toward Miss Greenwood. She wore a black mourning dress, and her dark red hair was pulled back in a tight coil at the back of her head. Her face was pale, and the color of her hair only made it worse. He’d never seen her look so drab. Black was definitely not her color.
“Good afternoon, Miss Greenwood. I actually don’t have any good news to give you, not yet.”
She scowled. “You didn’t find Miss Mills?” She huffed. “Then what have you been doing these past few days?”
Denton didn’t like it when people assumed he wasn’t doing his job, but he held his tongue under the circumstances. “I did find Miss Mills.” He nodded. “I questioned her, and I don’t think she killed your father.”
Louise gasped loudly. “You’ve got to be joking. Of course, she killed Father. She was about to marry a man twice her age, and she wanted out.”
“Miss Greenwood,” Denton said, trying to stay calm, “I’ve been a bounty hunter for a few years. By now, I think I’d know what makes a person guilty and what makes them innocent.” He stepped closer to her. “Please, let me do my job. I assure you, I know how to find a killer.”
She shook her head. “You may be Terrance’s friend, but you’re not mine, and I don’t have any faith in you at all. You probably took one look at Miss Mills and decided that someone that lovely couldn’t possibly be a murderer.” She folded her arms across her chest. “Miss Mills probably batted her long eyelashes at you, and you fell head-over-heels.”
Denton received the impression that Louise was jealous of Courtney. Then again, Louise really wasn’t considered that pretty. He was sure that when men looked at her, they only saw dollar signs. Her rotten temperament was something most genteel women didn’t possess, either.
“Miss Greenwood? Did you actually see Miss Mills kill your father?”
“Of course not.”
“Where were you that morning? Maybe you saw something that might lead me to the killer.”
