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Noah, who naturally wasn’t sweating at all, said, “Did you have any idea that your mother was dating Louis Fisher before he crashed your meeting at the church?”
Carter’s eyes darkened. “My mother was not dating Louis Fisher. He’s full of shit. I don’t know what his angle is but he’s a liar.”
“I hate to be the bearer of bad news,” Josie said, “but it appears from phone records that Mr. Fisher and your mother were in a relationship.”
He stared at her for a long moment before swiveling his head toward Noah. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“I’m afraid it’s true,” Noah said.
“But—but she never said anything. Why would she keep it a secret?”
“Maybe she thought you and Dean would react badly to her seeing Louis Fisher,” Josie suggested.
“Well, yeah! He’s only four years older than me! It’s sick.”
“Mr. Fisher seemed to think the age difference didn’t matter,” Josie said. “They were both adults.”
Carter’s lip curled in disgust. “I mean, yeah, but it’s just weird. What the hell would she see in him anyway? It just doesn’t sound like my mom. She was all about her family and the church. She didn’t need some scumbag hanging around.”
Through the tall vinyl privacy fence that surrounded the Wests’ yard came the sounds of children shouting, then water splashing. Noah asked, “What makes you think Mr. Fisher is a scumbag?”
“Maybe because he preyed on an older woman living alone? Because I just got a weird vibe from him? Even my wife felt uncomfortable around him. You can ask her.”
Josie wasn’t about to tell him just how accurate his and Erin’s instincts were. “Had you had a lot of contact with Mr. Fisher before your mother’s death?”
“No. I never even talked to him. I knew who he was because he volunteers a lot, but that was it. I’d seen Mom talking with him at those types of events but she’s kind to everyone. I never would have thought there was more to it. It’s just sick.”
“What can you tell us about the men your mother dated before him?” Noah asked.
“That’s the thing. My mom didn’t date.”
“Ever?” Noah said. “Or she just kept that part of her life private?”
“She didn’t date,” Carter repeated.
Josie felt a light mist of cool water on her neck and face. A quick glance around and the excited cries of children told her it was coming from the yard next door. She could only hope it continued. “What about when you were kids?”
If Carter noticed the thin drizzle coming from his neighbor’s yard, he gave no indication. “I have no idea. We hardly saw her to begin with. She had to work ridiculous hours to support me and Dean. She didn’t have family or a support system, and we were really young when she started out as a doula. Shit, not that much older than my girls.” He shuddered. “Why are you asking about back then?”
“Mr. Fisher told us that he saw her with another man a couple of weeks ago,” said Josie. “Older than her, average build, gray hair. She told him the gentleman was an old friend. Does that sound like anyone you know?”
“It was probably someone from the church.”
“It wasn’t. Mr. Fisher didn’t recognize this man.”
Carter’s brow furrowed. “Wait, do you think the guy Fisher saw is the killer?”
Noah sidled even closer to Josie, and she knew he was seeking the cool mist as well. He said, “What we think is that we’d like to talk to this old friend.”
“Can you even trust what Fisher says?” Carter asked. “I’m telling you, he’s creepy. Did you check him out?”
“We’re looking into every possibility,” Noah answered.
“Right now, we’re trying to track down her ‘old friend,’” Josie said. “How about someone in your lives who helped her out when you and Dean were kids? Maybe not someone she dated, but a friend or neighbor?”
“It was just me and my brother,” Carter said. “Mom’s only other living relative was her mother, who disowned her as soon as she got pregnant with me. Even after Dad left, she wanted nothing to do with any of us. Mom worked overnight a lot. The pay was better and she didn’t have to find childcare. She tucked us in, locked the apartment up and went to work. She showed me how to set an alarm clock so I could wake up before she got back, make sure Dean ate some cereal or fruit or whatever was there and that we were both dressed for school. She’d come, drive us to school and pick us up later.”
“She did everything herself?” Noah asked.
