why.” Emily blinked back the sting of tears. She’d made it this far without breaking down, she wasn’t about to now. “You showed up at my father’s funeral and claimed to be his friend, took advantage of my vulnerability.”
“Perhaps I should come back later.”
Emily’s gaze swung to the man she hadn’t even noticed until he stood and spoke. He’d been sitting right there at the conference table. It startled her that she’d looked right over him. But her emotions were raw, her attention focused on one thing only.
“That won’t be necessary, Daniel,” Victoria said. “Daniel Marks, this is Emily Hastings.”
Her confusion momentarily overriding her fury, Emily looked from Victoria to the man and back. Did she not get it? How could she sit there and offer polite small talk?
“Miss Hastings,” Victoria went on before Emily could lodge another demand, “is the daughter of Detective Carter Hastings, the victim in the homicide investigation I was in the process of telling you about.”
Victim. Emily’s outrage roared again. “I want to know why you didn’t tell me the truth.”
Victoria’s gaze settled on Emily’s then. It was the first time Emily had really looked into the woman’s eyes since storming her office. She looked as weary and disheartened as Emily felt, maybe even a little angry. But she had no right. No right at all.
“Miss Hastings, I had no idea until this morning that my son was in any way implicated in your father’s case.”
Emily was about to argue, but Victoria held up a hand.
“To my knowledge my son never even knew your father. However, the police seem to think differently and I intend to find out how and why. That’s where Mr. Marks comes in.”
Of course she would want to protect her son, but if he was a murderer…
“I can’t help but feel like you’ve taken advantage of me,” Emily said bluntly. “I gave you those letters.”
She didn’t care what the man in the room had to do with anything. This concerned Victoria Colby-Camp and her son. An ache speared through Emily. Not now. She didn’t want to feel any of this until she’d finished what had to be done.
Victoria took a deep breath. Her struggle with her emotions was evident but gave Emily no comfort.
“There’s nothing I can say to make this any easier, Miss Hastings. But if it helps at all, I want the truth as badly as you do. If my son was involved with your father’s murder, I will know it. I won’t give up until I have all the answers for myself, as well as for you.”
Emily was taken aback. Could she really mean that? No. That was impossible. Any mother would first and foremost want to protect her child, even if that child was a grown man. “Talk is cheap, Mrs. Colby-Camp.”
“That’s why I’m here,” the man spoke up, reminding Emily of how Victoria had referred to him. He moved a step in Emily’s direction and offered his hand. “I’m Daniel Marks. Victoria has hired me to investigate this case. I’m not employed by the Colby Agency. Victoria and I have never met before today. I have no reason not to be objective. You have my word on that.”
Emily looked from his sincere expression to his hand. “As I said,” she responded with no intention of being polite, “talk is cheap.”
He smiled and something about that smile made her feel a little less manic, a little less certain that somehow the Colby Agency would find a way to clear a killer.
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