Whisper of Bones (Widow's Island #3)(6)

“What were the terms of the prenup if you divorced?” Tessa pressed.

Sarah shredded her crumpled tissue. Anger hardened her features and aged her a few years. Was she mad because Jason had made her sign a prenup or because Tessa was asking about it?

A few heartbeats passed before Sarah said, “Jason and I would have split our marital assets.”

“So Jason’s additional assets were protected in the event of a divorce,” Tessa said.

“Yes.” Sarah tensed.

Logan jumped in. “Do you know what that portion of Jason’s estate is worth?”

“No.” Sarah shook her head. Her eyes shifted to the ripped tissue in her hands. “I don’t have access to those accounts. They’re in Jason’s name.”

There was something in her eyes that made Logan do a double take.

Calculation.

Sarah blinked it away and rearranged her poker face. Did she know more than she was saying?

“Who is Jason’s lawyer?” Tessa asked.

Sarah gave her the name and number of an attorney in Seattle.

Tessa wrote it down. “Do you know of anyone who was angry with Jason or would benefit from his death?”

Sarah examined her thumbnail. “His ex-wife. She was bitter about their divorce. When we were first married, she would leave nasty messages on our voice mail.”

“How long did this go on?” Tessa asked.

“A few months. Jason had his lawyer send her a letter, and she stopped.” Sarah lifted her chin. “But she still hates Jason.”

Gee. I wonder why, thought Logan.

Tessa tilted her head. “How do you know?”

“You can’t completely avoid someone in this town. We’d run into her now and then.” Sarah’s eyes narrowed. “I could tell from the way she stared at him that she still held a grudge.”

“How did Jason respond?” Logan asked.

“He didn’t.” Sarah lifted her chin. “He was over it. He’d moved on with his life, but she clearly hadn’t. She’s the one you should question.” Her tone sounded final.

Logan wondered why wife number one hadn’t killed him years ago.

“I have one more question,” Tessa said. “Can you account for your whereabouts between one thirty Monday afternoon and four o’clock Tuesday morning?”

Sarah nodded. “I was here, with my mother.”

“All day?” Tessa clarified.

“Yes.” Sarah swiped a finger under her eye. “I was having a hard day. We binge-watched The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. We watched the whole first season. Then I went to bed.”

“What time was that?” Tessa asked.

“I don’t remember exactly,” Sarah said. “Sometime around ten, I think.”

“Thank you for your time.” Tessa stood. “We’ll probably need to talk with you again.”

“OK,” Sarah said.

“Again, we’re sorry for your loss.” Tessa headed for the door.

Tessa and Logan walked back to the SUV. Tessa climbed in and started the engine, her gaze on the white house. “What did you think?”

“I think she isn’t as sad as she’s pretending to be.”

“I got the same impression,” Tessa said.

Logan considered the size difference between Jason and Sarah. “Jason was not a small man. Do you think she would be strong enough to move her husband’s dead body?”

Tessa tapped a finger on the wheel. “I don’t know. Dead weight is tough to maneuver. But she could have had help. We don’t know where he was killed yet. She might not have had to move him far.”

“True.” Logan fastened his seat belt. “We need to search Jason and Sarah’s home.”

Tessa checked her phone. “Perfect timing. The search warrant just came in.”

“You need a warrant to go into a victim’s house?” Logan had thought a corpse’s residence would be fair game for the police.

“Legally, the house is also Sarah’s residence. If I find evidence that implicates her, I don’t want to worry about any potential inadmissibility. Besides, the warrant also gives us access to the McCoys’ phone and financial records. I want to know how much money Jason had.”

“Money is a great motivation for murder,” Logan agreed.

“Especially if you’re an unhappy wife who won’t get an extra dime if you divorce your husband.” Tessa pulled away from the curb and turned left out of the residential neighborhood.

Jason and Sarah lived on Widow’s Bay. The landscape rolled by Logan’s window. Twenty minutes later, the vehicle slowed in front of a narrow driveway marked by two boulders. Tessa turned into the driveway and stopped in front of a stone house. A thick black plume of smoke poured from a window on the side of the house.

“Damn it!” Tessa shoved the gearshift into park and flung open the car door. “The house is on fire.”

The smell of smoke hit Logan’s nose. Clammy sweat broke out on his palms. He climbed out of the vehicle and stared at the house. Sick dread filled him as he watched the dark cloud swirl into the sky. He beat back the image of another fire half a world away, when a suicide bomber had blown up a vaccination clinic full of women and children. He would be useless if he allowed himself to be sucked into a flashback. Tessa needed him.