when Lucas was just four. Luella was just a baby back then.”
Rachel watched as the woman’s thoughts wandered. The awfulness of losing a husband and the good memories of Luella had to feel like sorrow sprinkled with sugar.
“That must have been very difficult,” Rachel said.
Gloria smiled, the sorrow remaining. “It was such a long time ago. And Joseph is a wonderful man.”
Rather than continue down that line, Rachel asked, “Lucas and Luella weren’t adopted?”
“We decided not to arrange for Joseph to adopt them, in memory of their father.”
She could see Joseph being the kind of man to go along with that. An insecure man may not be so understanding. Lucas was a lot like that, too. As that thought popped into her head, the hurt churned on a new wave. “Why did he lie?” Rachel asked. “Does he think I had something to do with Luella’s murder?”
“I think he needs to investigate every possibility.”
The neutral way she answered told Rachel that he hadn’t ruled out any possibility.
“I didn’t know about Luella until after her murder,” Rachel said, feeling obligated to, as though she had to defend herself. “I saw it on the news.”
“Joseph told me.”
One morning she’d awakened like any other, with the sunrise, the news and a cup of coffee while she prepared for work. Her new schedule. She’d finally arrived. She was one of the commuters in the traffic report. Might seem insignificant to most, but she’d never had a job with hours that coincided with rush hour.
Then a breaking story had come on with video of Luella Palmer’s crime scene. When the screen changed to her place of residence, she’d recognized the house instantly. Jared had taken her there on a few occasions, not often, but often enough to keep her from becoming suspicious. Luella must have been traveling or out with friends. She’d stood there, stunned with a mounting storm of emotion. Betrayal, disbelief, a surreal unreality. He couldn’t have...
But he had.
How could he?
Next, the news showed Jared Palmer walking into the police station for questioning. The husband was always one of the first suspects, but what motive would he have?
“He tried calling me afterward,” Rachel said. “I didn’t answer. I never wanted to talk to him again. I didn’t even want to hear his explanation, because to me, there was no explanation worthy enough to hear. He lied about being married. He made me the other woman without my awareness.”
“Why didn’t you go to the police?”
Had Lucas already judged her for not doing so? She had to be careful how much she said. “I wanted nothing to do with him. I had nothing to do with Luella’s murder. I didn’t even know she existed. I wasn’t with him the night she was killed. For all I could see, he could have killed her. What if he lied to police?” Part of her had hoped he’d be sent to prison. If she could have helped that process along, she would have.
Gloria leaned back, crossing one leg over the other. “Lucas has always believed Jared killed her.”
“Why? What has he discovered?” Surely, Lucas must have unearthed something. And then another thought came. “If he’s so convinced Jared killed Luella, then why go after me?”
“Your affair, of course.” Gloria bestowed her with a shrewder look. “And the fact that you didn’t go to the police.”
Rachel didn’t back down. But neither did she offer any further explanation. No one would look out for her except herself, and revealing too much could draw danger to her door.
“And I wouldn’t say he’s gone after you. He just...needed a way to get information.”
Rachel wasn’t sure she liked this woman. She put on a friendly front, but boy, look out for what lay beneath.
“I should get going.” As she stood, she saw Lucas step out from the entry.
She froze with shock. How long had he been there? Had he listened to her conversation with Gloria?
“Hello, Rachel.”
The way he said Rachel had her on edge. She replayed all she’d said. Nothing too terrible.
Hearing Gloria stir, she watched her stand and smile at her son. “Lucas.” Going there, she hugged him. It all looked genuine. “I can’t imagine what’s brought you here.”
In other words, she had a crystal clear idea. He held his mother, but hard eyes targeted Rachel.
Why did he look at her like that? The kissing. His touches. The passion. None of that mattered now. Flustered, unable to grapple with the conflict between him last night and him now, she stepped toward the entry, intending to pass Lucas and his mother. She would have walked right past them, but Lucas moved in her way.
“You’re not going anywhere.”
What would he do to stop her? Rachel stepped back and out of his reach. Passion had stolen her mind last night. Today she saw his true agenda. She should have never let down her guard. She’d sensed something off in him. She should have listened to the silent warning.
Well, she’d listen now.
“You told my mother you haven’t spoken with Jared,” he said.
Why had he zeroed in on that? What interest did he have in Jared, other than his possible involvement in his sister’s murder?
“I didn’t,” she said. “Not after I found out he was married.”
“But you have talked to him.”
She began to have a bad feeling. How would he know if she’d spoken with Jared or not?
“He tried to restart things with you,” he said.
His mother turned sharply to her, and Rachel drew her head back, an involuntary flinch.
“How do you know that?” Then her jaw went slack as the reason came to her. “You spied on me?” Not only had he lied to her, he’d spied on her! He knew about Jared. Furthermore, his ex-wife was trying to restart things with him. All the distrust she felt with Jared rushed forth with Lucas. She refused to be victimized again.
Giving him a shove, she went to the door.
He caught up to her, taking hold of her arm and pulling her back toward him. “What are you hiding, Rachel?”
“Let me go.” She’d feared consequences like this, both the danger to herself and those close to her. While she even now didn’t second-guess her decision, she often wondered if she should have been braver.
“Tell me about your job at the insurance company. It was Jared’s, wasn’t it? You worked for him.”
Oh, God, no. This could not come out now. She yanked her arm free and left the house.
Lucas followed her. She walked down the street.
“If there’s something you know, you have to do the right thing and tell me.”
She ignored him and kept walking.
“Rachel.”
“Leave me alone. I wish you well and that you find your sister’s killer. I don’t know anything that will help you or the investigation.” She glanced pointedly at him. “If I did, I’d have gone to the police.” If she had something concrete.
“The smallest detail could change the direction of the investigation,” he said.
The smallest detail...
Telling him about the first and last time she saw his sister wouldn’t hand him the killer, and she didn’t qualify what little she did know as a small detail. Or the things that had occurred afterward. But dare she reveal anything?