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“So you killed her?”

“It was an accident,” Henry said, more sweat pouring down his face, his collar damp with perspiration. “I didn’t mean for it to happen, but she kept telling me I was wrong. Then she told me she was done. That she was leaving Winslow Financial, and she turned to leave. I don’t know what came over me, but I picked up a rock and hit her. But I didn’t mean to kill her. I just wanted her to talk to me. She shouldn’t have walked away from me.”

Henry’s arm swung wildly, still holding the knife. He shook like a leaf, his face contorted with rage. This must have been what Leigh saw that night. A man so possessed by rage that he didn’t have control of himself.

And now Alli wanted to walk away from Henry. He wasn’t going to allow that either. She knew his secret, and he couldn’t let her go.

He was going to kill her, too.

It was funny how a person feels when they are facing death. A surreal moment. She could feel everything. She could hear each heartbeat, feel each breath as she inhaled and exhaled. She could feel every cell in her body so alive at this very moment.

One thing was for sure: she knew she didn’t want to die.

You want me dead, Henry? You’re in for the fight of your life.

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

After Alli left the office for Leigh’s condo, Sam sat down at his desk, thoroughly disgusted with himself. He knew what he was doing was wrong, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself. A huge part of him wanted to let her close, to let her comfort him. But there was also that part that wanted to put distance between them. It was reminding him loudly that he could get hurt, and that caring for people and letting them into his life was dangerous. Shutting it all down was easier. He had practiced it so much, after all.

He found himself idly shuffling through the photos on his desk that Terri had given them. Everyone looked so young and happy. Even his father had almost smiled in one of the pictures.

He would have been close to my age now.

Leigh would have been even younger. He paused on one of the photos that was taken at a shareholders’ meeting. Rick stood a few feet from Leigh, talking to an investor, and Leigh stood next to Henry, who had a full head of hair back then and didn’t look nearly as smarmy as he did now. Had time and exposure to Joel corrupted the man? Had Henry once been a decent guy?

It was then that Sam noticed it. He hadn’t seen it before, but he did now that he was studying their faces.

Henry’s hand was on Leigh’s waist. It wasn’t a casual touch either. He had placed his hand there like it wasn’t the first time.

And the way they were looking at one another…

Shit, was Henry Hannah’s father? Had he been lying when he said that he barely knew Leigh? Because this photo made it look like the relationship was far closer than mere colleagues. It was…intimate.

You lying sack of crap.

It didn’t matter if Henry had once been a decent person. He wasn’t one now. And if he’d lied about this, what else was he lying about?

Picking up his phone, he dialed Henry’s number.

No answer. Not surprising, though. Sam would be the last person Henry would want to speak to.

He picked up his office phone and dialed Miranda’s extension. She was Henry’s assistant, and had probably been running the department for years, if he were honest. Henry certainly hadn’t been doing it.

“What can I do for you, Sam?”

“This is going to sound like a funny question since Henry doesn’t work here anymore, but do you know where he is? I wondered if he had a hangout for weekday mornings.”

It sure hadn’t been the office. Maybe the local golf course or driving range?

“I don’t know where he went when he wasn’t here, but I can tell you where he is now. He was always losing his phone and asking me to find it, so I set up location sharing. I can look it up if you want me to.”

“Please do. I hate to ask, but it’s important.”

Sam and Henry were going to talk again.

“Just give me a second, okay? While I’m looking him up, can I just say thank you for firing Henry? Things are already running more smoothly.”