The Wife Who Knew Too Much(83)

“I had nothing to do with Nina’s death,” I said to Connor. “And you know that.”

“I’m not accusing you of killing her,” he said. “I don’t believe you’d do that. But you have a criminal record for selling drugs. You were here at Windswept the night she died, along with your ex, who attacked Steve Kovacs. What the hell am I supposed to make of that? You know how bad it looks?”

“Yes, bad enough to get me arrested for a murder I didn’t commit. I’m surprised you’re upset, given how convenient that is for you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Look, I’m sorry I never told you about Derek. I was waiting for the right time. Those were his drugs, not mine. I didn’t even know they were there. I only pled guilty because they offered me a misdemeanor with no jail time, and my lawyer said it was the best deal I could get.”

“You expect me to believe that?”

“It’s the truth. And here’s another truth. You’re the one with the motive to kill Nina. Not me. What would I gain from her death?”

“What would you gain? Me. This house to live in. Clothes and vacations, servants, private jets.”

“You had that, and you cared about it more than I ever could. Yet, you were about to lose it. Nina was going to divorce you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Yes, I do, Connor. I know it for a fact.”

“How?”

I sat down on the bed. Nina’s journal was hidden under the pillows, inches from my fingers. I was itching to pull it out and toss it at his head. If only the police were listening in, I would have. But the recording device in the ankle bracelet was not a transmitter. They couldn’t hear me in real time. The only way to summon them was to push the panic button. How was I supposed to do that with Connor standing over me?

“Because, I know you were planning to use my record against me. At least, Julissa was.”

Connor’s jaw dropped. “Ju-Julissa?”

“Why else did you two show up at my restaurant Memorial Day weekend? She knew all about me. She set me up,” I said.

I’d been trying hard to keep my voice steady, but it came out small and shaky and filled with sorrow. Hot tears started rolling down my cheeks. We stared at each other, everything between us so broken. He hung his head.

“Nooo,” he said. “Tabby, no.”

“No, what? Are you saying it’s not true? Then explain this.”

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the photo. It had gotten crumpled along one edge. I smoothed it against the fabric of my jeans. He stared at the picture in stunned silence.

“This is very much how I remember you. Back then, that summer when we fell in love—I thought. But here you are with her, not long afterward.”

“You got that from her room?” he asked.

Let him believe I’d found the photo in Juliet’s room. That way, I’d protect Gloria, who had at least tried to help me.

“She’s not who she says she is,” I said. “She wormed her way into working for Nina under a false name. Then the two of you killed Nina for the money.”

“That is completely wrong. Please, tell me you don’t believe that. You can’t.”

He grabbed my hands, but I pulled them away.

“You brought me here to take the fall for Nina’s death. You were with Juliet this whole time.”

“No. I completely deny it.”

“Don’t lie. It’ll just make me hate you more.”

There was a tortured look in his hazel eyes. “I’m not lying. Tabby. How can you think I faked my feelings for you? It’s the most I’ve ever felt for anyone.”

“You faked your feelings for Nina. I know that to be true. So, why not with me, too?”

That brought him up short. “Well, okay—maybe. I mean, not exactly, but there’s some truth to what you just said. Since we’ve been together, I’ve changed. I sincerely have. Still, I deserve your doubts. I see that, because of my past.”

He rubbed his eyes, which were red and watery. He was fighting tears.

“Please, hear me out. I’ll tell you the whole truth, even if it makes you hate me. But you have to try to see my side, like I’m doing, with you and the drugs. At least keep an open mind. Please?”

“Yes. I’ll try. Go ahead.”

“This will only make sense if I start at the beginning. Okay.”

He took a deep breath. “I met Lissa in college, and we were together briefly. The relationship meant more to her than it did to me. Honestly, I still had you on my mind, and that’s not a lie. I wasn’t happy with myself. I was confused. My grades suffered. I left school for a while. Lissa and I broke up. She was fragile. Mental health issues. She had a tough upbringing—foster homes until she got adopted when she was ten. She actually attempted suicide after we broke up. I felt guilty, and protective of her. So I kept in touch. Not out of love. It was obligation. And friendship. Maybe it was more to her, though.”

He paused for breath. I watched his eyes. I believed he was telling the truth about Juliet, but so what? His sob story didn’t change the facts that Nina had been murdered and I was being framed.

“You think your protectiveness of her justifies what you’ve done?”