Best Kept Secrets(107)

If they had, I would have told them to leave me out of it."

"Why? Your sentiments match theirs perfectly."

"That's right, they do, but I don't make veiled threats. I

told you to your face to get your ass back to Austin. Besides,

I'm not a joiner, never have been. Group projects aren't my

thing."

"That still doesn't explain why you didn't tell me that the

airfield was yours, when you've had so many opportunities

to do so."

"I didn't because I knew you'd blow it all out of proportion."

She drew herself up. "I am not blowing it out of proportion.

You own this airfield free and clear, and you've got big plans

for expansion and improvement."

He came off the stool slowly and loomed above her, no

longer amused. His eyes were icy. "How do you know about

that?"

"I did my homework this afternoon. Representing myself

as your secretary, I called three commuter airlines and asked

about the status of our application for service. If they had

never heard of you, I would have known my hunch was

wrong."

She gave a dry laugh. "They'd heard of you, all right.

They were very anxious to extend their congratulations to



you for ME being guaranteed the racing license. All three

are excited about your charter service ideas and are currently

preparing proposals. They'll be in touch as soon as their

market research is completed. By the way, you owe me ten

dollars in long-distance charges."

He grabbed her arm. "You had no right to meddle into

my business affairs. This hasn't got a goddamn thing to do

with your murder case."

"I have every right to conduct this investigation as I see

fit."

"Just because I own an airfield that will prosper if that

racetrack is built, doesn't mean that I took a scalpel to

Celina."

"It might mean that you're protecting whoever did," she

shouted.

"Who? Angus? Junior? That's crap and you know it."

She wrested her arm out of his grip. "You've hampered

this investigation every step of the way. You've got a badge,

so that's supposed to make you an officer of the law. Ha!

Now that's crap!

"You don't want me to discover the killer, whoever he is,

because any indictment would mean bye-bye racetrack and

the end of your money-making schemes. No wonder your

loyalty to the Mintons is so steadfast," she said scornfully.

"It has nothing to do with friendship or compensation for

past favors. You're selfishly protecting your financial interests."

Her breasts quivered beneath her sweater when she pulled

in an uneven breath and added, "I might just as well tell

you, I think you're it."

"What, the murderer?" His voice was sibilant and sinister.

He backed her against the fuselage of the airplane he'd been

tinkering with before she had arrived.

"Yes. I think you killed her. I think I know why."

"I'm all ears."

"You loved Celina to distraction, but she betrayed your

love. I was a constant reminder of her betrayal, even before



I was born. You couldn't forgive and forget, but Junior could.

He welcomed the chance to take your place. He began to

court her, and his efforts were effective.

"When you noticed that she was falling in love with him,

you just couldn't stand losing her to your best friend and

chief competitor, so you killed her. If you couldn't have her,

then, by God, nobody, especially Junior, was going to."

He let one eyelid sink into a slow, congratulatory wink.

"Very good, Counselor. But you got a big, fat problem with

that pile of tripe.'' He took a step closer and lowered his face

nearer hers. "You can't prove it, not a frigging bit of it. It's

all conjecture. You've got nothing on me, nothing on anybody.

So, why don't you just make life easier on all of us

and give it up?"

"Because I can't."

He heard the desperation behind her words and knew that

he was more than halfway to breaking her.' 'Why can't you?''

he taunted.

"Because I want to punish whoever killed her."

"Uh-uh," he said, shaking his head. "You're not doing

this for Celina. You're doing it for yourself."

"I am not!"

"Your granny built Celina up to be larger than life in your

eyes, and you can't forgive yourself for coming along at the

wrong time in her life and messing it up."

"Now who's talking psychological bullshit?" she asked

angrily. "I know enough about you to know that you're

selfish, Reede Lambert. The idea of another man touching

what you considered your personal property would be intolerable