All Dressed in White (Under Suspicion #2)(19)

Alex gave Laurie a concerned look. She knew he was thinking that this was a very different version of Jeff than the one she’d heard from Sandra. “Do you think that’s why people were so willing to believe that she just got cold feet? Maybe she felt too guilty to call things off after you stayed by her side through her treatment.”

“Amanda wasn’t like that, at least not anymore. By the time she finished the cancer treatment, she’d lost twenty pounds, but was tougher than anyone I knew. And if anything, once the police got done questioning me, they had turned the whole thing around. Supposedly it was Saint Jeffrey who didn’t want to go through with the marriage. Apparently I’d rather kill a woman than face the shame of breaking up with her. Plus, I assume you know about the will.”

“Sandra mentioned it. It took Amanda’s family by surprise.”

“If I cared about money, would I be a public defender? If it had been up to me,” Jeff said wistfully, “we would have had a tiny wedding in New York City. Amanda and her family were the ones who believed in big, lavish ceremonies. I never wanted their money, and I still don’t. Even though I’ll never believe that Amanda just walked away from a wonderful life, I still try to hold out some small hope that, somehow, she’s still alive.”

“When did you realize she was missing?” Laurie asked.

“She didn’t show up for brunch on Friday morning. At first, we thought she was sleeping in. I tried calling the room to see if she wanted me to send up some breakfast. When she didn’t answer, I went to check on her. Meghan came with me. Amanda didn’t answer. We looked all over—the gym, the beach, the pool—and finally asked the hotel for a key. When I saw her wedding gown laid out across the bed, I was so relieved. I could imagine her trying it on one last time and leaving it out. But then Meghan told me Amanda tried the dress on before the dinner the night before. That’s when she told me they never actually saw Amanda go back to her room. It was obvious that something was seriously wrong. Housekeeping had not made up her room that morning. The bed had not been slept in on Thursday night.”


Jeff’s description of his moment of panic when he realized that Amanda had not slept in her hotel room seemed too authentic to be fabricated. Then Laurie reminded herself that he’d had over five years to rehearse his story.

“Mr. Hunter,” she said, “it’s obvious that many people suspect you in Amanda’s disappearance and that you want the opportunity to clear your name. We want to take on this case. Since I’m sure you’ll want to see it eventually, I took the liberty of bringing the standard release we ask people to sign before production.” She reached into her briefcase and slipped him the agreement.

“If I do the show, I assume that all of this would be fair game? The will. My relationship with Amanda. Were we actually happy? Was I cheating? Did she leave me at the altar? Why did I marry her best friend?”

Laurie was not going to lie to the man. “Yes, those are the kinds of things we’d get into.”

He was nodding slowly as he flipped through the pages, taking it all in. “Okay.”

“I can send you our previous specials if you want to re-watch them and get back to us with any questions.”

“No, I mean, okay, I’ll do it.” He walked to his kitchen, grabbed a pen from the counter, and began signing.

“Well, that’s great.” Laurie couldn’t remember a time when anyone had agreed this easily. Alex gave her a quick wink when Jeff wasn’t looking.

“You sound surprised,” Jeff said, handing her the signed agreement.

“No, just pleased.”

“I’m no Alex Buckley, Ms. Moran, but I’m a good lawyer, and I can read a witness’s expression. You were surprised because part of you thinks I may have killed Amanda, in which case the last thing I’d want is to sit down on camera and talk to you about her disappearance. So, Alex, I look forward to being on the receiving end of one of your trademark cross-examinations, because I didn’t do anything to hurt Amanda, and never could have.”

“This is your chance to tell the world that,” Laurie said.

“What anyone thinks about me is less important. I just want to know what happened to Amanda. Because I know she didn’t leave that resort on her own.”





21





Meghan White was greeted by the smell of something delicious roasting in the oven when she got home. Jeff was in the kitchen wearing the apron she’d bought for him last year, the one that said, “Real Men Bake Cookies.”

“That smells glorious.” How lucky she was to have married a man who could cook. Everything about Jeff made her feel lucky. He was sweet and funny and her closest confidant. He was her best friend. She was waiting for the right moment to tell him the news. “What are we having, Jeff?” she asked.

“Rosemary and garlic lamb chops. You claim they’re your favorite.”

He greeted her with a hug that was longer than usual.

When he finally let go of her, he was looking at her as though something was wrong.

“Is everything okay?” Meghan asked.

“Sit down.”

“You’re scaring me, Jeff.”

“Just sit. Please.” Once she did, he poured her a glass of prosecco and waited for her to take a sip, but she did not.