Twilight at Blueberry Barrens (Sunset Cove #3)(48)

She scooted closer to him. “Good.”

He punched in the number and it rang a couple of times before Olivia picked up. “Hello?”

“Olivia, it’s Drake Newham.”

“Drake, how good to hear from you. How are you doing?” Her voice held wells of sympathy, maybe even a hint of tears on her end.

“Surviving. I’m investigating what happened here in Maine, and I wondered if I could ask you a few questions.”

“Of course. I still miss her so much.” She broke off on a sob. “How can I help?”

“Did you know Melissa was leaving Heath for Wang? That she was going to China?” There was a long silence, and he thought he heard another shuddering sob escape her. “Olivia?”

“I’m here. Yes, of course I knew. Melissa told me everything since the day I first met her at a frat party when we were eighteen. I tried to talk her out of it, you know. She thought Chen was just misunderstood.” Olivia made an incredulous sound. “She said his father forced him into crime and he never ordered any of the terrible things he was accused of. She was so blind.”

“How did they meet?”

“It was all my fault! He’d given money to my women’s shelter, and I held a dinner to thank the donors. Wang took one look at her and was smitten. He kept showing up where she was and bought her extravagant gifts. At first she wasn’t interested, but she was starting to feel a little taken for granted. Heath was busy with his work, and he was extremely focused on Wang. I never understood why he took the case. He seemed to hate Wang. The next thing I knew Melissa was going to leave him for Wang.”

“Did Heath talk to you at all about it?”

She went quiet for a long moment. “He showed up here one night. He was livid. It was right after he’d found out.”

Drake rubbed his forehead. It wasn’t what he’d wanted to hear. “You think he could have harmed Melissa?”

She gave a tiny sob. “Oh, Drake, I’ve agonized over this, but I think he was angry enough that if he’d had a gun, he might have shot her. The betrayal was so horrible.”

His fingers were numb from gripping the phone so tightly. “I still can’t believe Melissa would get close to a man like that.”

“I know, but some women are drawn to that bad boy. I think Melissa thought she could help him leave his life of crime. There was talk of eventually moving to Australia and putting his crimes behind him. I’m sorry, Drake. I loved her. She was like a sister.”

“Thanks for your help, Olivia. I’ll be in touch.” He ended the call and told Kate what he’d learned. “She thinks Heath might have been capable of hurting Melissa.”

Her blue eyes held tears, and she took his hand. “Does this change anything for you?”

He gripped her fingers and shook his head. “I still don’t believe it.” But his words held no conviction, even to his own ears.





TWENTY-THREE


Kate’s steps dragged as she went home after a full day. She’d enjoyed the girls, then Drake had invited her to watch a movie again. Though the wise thing would have been to say no, she agreed. Her head was full of all the questions about the deaths on the cliffs, as well as her uncle’s intentions.

It was nine by the time she entered her yard, and her steps quickened when she recognized Luke’s truck in the drive. Claire and Luke sat on the porch swing in the dark. Claire wore khaki shorts and a cute orange top and was cuddled against Luke.

Jackson ran past her to leap onto their laps. “You big moose.” Luke laughed and scooted over to make room.

Kate disarmed the alarm and opened the door. “Why didn’t you call me? I would have come right down.”

“We were enjoying the gorgeous night. A little late, aren’t you?” Claire’s voice held amusement.

Kate’s cheeks heated as she entered the house with them on her heels. “We watched a movie after the girls went to bed.”

“Hmm.”

At Claire’s noncommittal noise, Kate turned and shook her head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” A dimple came and went in Claire’s cheek. “Just glad you’re enjoying yourself.” She went ahead of Kate to the kitchen and headed for the coffeepot. “We came to crash in your spare room. The hotel didn’t have a room tonight because of the festival, and I’m not quite ready to go back to our place.” Jackson followed her. He loved her nearly as much as he loved Kate.

“Of course! But you and Luke can have my bedroom. I like the smaller bed in the spare.”

“I told her you’d say that,” Luke said.

Kate handed Claire the bag of coffee beans. “You should have called me.”

“Well, I did, but I got your voice mail.”

Kate frowned and reached for the purse she’d slung onto the back of a chair. As she dug out her phone, she saw the pouch Jackson had found and pulled it out too. The phone showed two missed calls. “I accidentally had it silenced. Sorry.”

“What’s that?” Luke gestured to the pouch.

“Jackson found it in the field this morning. I don’t know who lost it.” Turning it over in her hands, she examined it more closely.

Who would have dropped it in the middle of her blueberry field?