Whisper of Bones (Widow's Island #3)(5)

Sarah recoiled. “What?”

“Holy shit.” Ms. King’s mouth dropped open.

“Jason’s body was found on the beach of Camilla’s Island this morning,” Tessa explained.

Sarah stood still. Her body seemed to be paralyzed, her gaze locked on Tessa. “That doesn’t make any sense. What would he be doing on Camilla’s Island? He fishes, but other than that, he hates nature.”

Logan noticed that she spoke of her husband in the present tense.

“We don’t know what happened yet,” Tessa said. “It’s possible he died elsewhere, and his body simply washed up on the beach.”

“Oh, my god.” Sarah reached for the back of a chair. Her legs wobbled.

Logan moved forward, caught her by the arm, and steered her toward the sofa. She collapsed onto it as if her knees had given out. The blood had drained from her face, leaving her makeup bright and garish on her pale skin. Logan sat next to her.

Tessa sat in the chair, angling her body to face Sarah. “I need to ask you some questions.”

Sarah nodded.

Ms. King lit a cigarette, dragged deeply, and blew a plume of smoke toward the ceiling. “He was a jerk, but I never thought anyone would actually kill him.”

“Mom!” Sarah’s voice was tight.

Ms. King shrugged. “It’s no secret that you left him. You’re here, not there.”

“Please stop.” Sarah’s mouth flattened. A tear rolled from her eye and slid down her cheek.

“Ms. King, we really need to question Sarah in private,” Tessa said in a firm voice.

“Sure. I have to go to the store anyway.” Ms. King turned and left the room with reluctant steps, leaving a trail of smoke in her wake.

“Thank you.” Sarah pressed a hand to her forehead. “I know she only wants the best for me, but sometimes she can be a little too . . . direct.”

Tessa took a small notepad and a pen from the pocket of her uniform jacket. “When was the last time you saw Jason?”

Sarah reached for a tissue from a box on the end table at her elbow. “I don’t know. A week ago?”

“What was the nature of your meeting?” Tessa asked.

“Accidental.” Sarah’s lips pursed, as if the memory was unpleasant. “I ran into him in the grocery store.”

Tessa clicked open her pen. “How long have you been separated?”

“Three weeks.” Sarah blotted her eye with a tissue. “When I first left, I imagined him chasing after me, begging for me to come home.” Bitterness glittered in her teary eyes. “He didn’t.”

“Why did you leave him?” Tessa asked.

Sarah looked away. “He was never home. All he did was work. For the past few months, he’s been short tempered and snapping at me for the smallest things.”

“Jason wasn’t always like that?” Tessa lifted her pen.

“No.” Sarah shook her head. “When we first got together, he was so sweet. He’d bring me flowers and buy me jewelry. But lately, he’s been a bear to live with.”

“Do you know why he was upset?” Tessa asked.

Sarah shrugged. “He was worried about the business.”

Tessa made a note. “In what way?”

Sarah’s body stiffened. “Work was drying up on the island.”

“Was there a specific incident that made you decide to leave?”

Sarah blinked, her frown deepening. “Winter was getting to me. I wanted to fly down to Palm Springs for a few weeks. Jason said no. He wouldn’t even give me a reason. He just told me I was a spoiled, ungrateful bitch.” She crumpled her tissue in her lap. “I mean, he’s always had a temper, but usually when he yells at me, he makes it up to me later.” One hand rose to finger a gold pendant in the shape of a feather. “This time, he didn’t seem to care.”

A few seconds of silence passed as Sarah’s gaze turned inward.

Logan turned to face Sarah more directly. “How often did Jason go fishing?”

Tessa had checked registration records. Jason owned a thirty-foot fishing boat.

“He hasn’t had much time lately,” Sarah said. “Which made him more irritable.”

“Where does he keep his boat?” Logan asked.

“At home.” Sarah sniffed and nodded. “He picked the house because of the dock.”

“Did he fish in the winter?” Logan prodded.

“Yes,” she said. “He likes it better without all the tourists.”

“Can you drive the boat?”

She met his gaze for a second, then answered with a reluctant “Yes.”

Does she know Jason’s body was dumped at sea?

Tessa leaned forward. “Did Jason have a will?”

Sarah wiped her nose.

“Who benefits from his death?” Tessa asked.

Sarah stared at the wall opposite her. “I inherit the assets acquired during our marriage, basically the house and the money in our joint accounts. The assets Jason accumulated before our marriage get divided equally between me and his kids.”

Tessa’s brows knitted. “Did you have a prenup?”

Sarah looked away. Logan could see the wheels turning in her mind as she weighed her answer. Finally, she said, “Yes.”