Maybe he thought Eve’s style of writing was better, but I had learned to accept what I could do and what I could not. Things I mentioned about the few times we had been in the same house as Edward ever since we took the job made the detective’s eyes appear to gloss over, possibly since Eve already told him most of it. He sat straighter, alert detective mode, when I told of the dead man’s connection to our mother.
“Your mother’s getting married?” he asked, penning notes.
Eve wore a grim expression. “That’s what she said.”
I was ready to blurt that we didn’t want her to, but second thoughts told me not to. Letting him know our feelings about that and the ensuring argument with the man who was now dead probably was not something we’d want to mention.
The detective wrote more while Eve and I sat quietly. I became aware of the pulse on the right side of my neck. He stared at me. “You two had completed your work at Mr. Cancienne’s house and were retrieving your tools when you found him, is that right?”
Eve had told him that, so much better worded than I could have thought of. “Correct.”
“And all of the remodeling he wanted done there was complete?”
No, we had planned to remodel the downstairs bathroom, too. “We finished everything he wanted us to do.” A bead of sweat ran between my breasts.
“Is there anything else you want to tell me?”
I shook my head and saw Eve doing the same, both of us with tights lips pulled low at the outer edges and eyebrows lifted in our innocent expressions. “No, nothing,” I said, although the words came out higher pitched than normal.
I hoped he wouldn’t notice, but then considered his job was to detect. Detect problems, inconsistencies. He kept a hard stare aimed at my face, and I wanted to squirm like a guilty student seated in front of a principal. I managed to swallow twice under his watchful eye. My exhale sounded too loud when he turned those hard eyes away toward my sister. I became aware that she was experiencing the same emotions I just had and needed to remind myself we were guilty of nothing.
“You know this isn’t the first time you two have been around murders.” Detective Wilet leveled his gaze from one to the other of us.
“But we didn’t do anything wrong,” Eve reminded.
“We became victims.” I jutted out my chin. My body had finally healed after I’d been shot.
“Yes. Thank you for coming in. I may be talking to you again.”
Relief swept like a downpour through my body while we left his office. Why, I wasn’t certain, although I had a feeling he would tie us both to our customer’s murder, and I did not want to deal with that.
No, we didn’t do it. But would we again need to prove that was true?
Chapter 4
I drove Eve home and tried, with little success, to keep from looking at houses near hers where things had occurred that caused much of our stress. What was happening now was most important, I told myself, parking behind her garage door that she opened with her remote. We walked through the garage she kept as immaculate as her Lexus and lovely home and into the kitchen while the garage door rolled down quietly behind us.
Eve punched quick numbers into the alarm beside her door and spun toward me, hands flying up at her sides. “Sunny, what’s going to happen once he finds out we had an argument with Edward and then he fired us from the job?”
I tightened my jaw. “I know. That’ll look suspicious on our parts.”
Her torso swayed back. “We’re sunk.”
That sentiment struck me, too, but only for an instant. “Oh, come on, sis. We didn’t really do anything.”
She kept eye contact with me for long moments. “Right, but there’s the sin of omission.”
Again, we weren’t guilty, I reminded myself. I didn’t need to tell her, but determined the painful experiences we would need to go through. A ring from her front doorbell drew our attention. On edge, I went with her to the door, where she looked through the peephole. Her entire demeanor changed. A smile brightened Eve’s face, bringing one to me, too. She unchained, unlocked, and opened the door.
“You’re here,” Eve said and stepped forward, arms up and then around the neck of her caller.
Dave Price looked at me over her shoulder while a jealous tinge ran through me. He shared the hug with her, but let her go before she moved her arms away from him. Then he moved forward and hugged me. I hugged back, enjoying the feel of his broad shoulders and the comfort of being close to him. We stepped apart.
“I heard what happed and wanted to see if I could help.”
“Come in,” I said, and we all moved from the foyer into the den. As usual, my emotions started battling each other when considering him. Although we hadn’t told Eve that he and I were a couple, planning to be a more committed one, he learned of a murder we were involved in and showed up at my sister’s house, not mine.
“Have a seat,” Eve said, and he settled himself in a cushioned chair. She and I took the marshmallow-soft sofa, she taking the side nearest him. “I’m not sure what you could do, or even anything we can do about what happened. Sunny and I haven’t discussed it much yet. But it sure is nice for you to come and offer.” She did something I hadn’t seen her do in a while—my sister batted her eyes at him. She was leaning toward him so far she could have fallen off the sofa, and I was sure she would want to land on his lap. And she’d want me to leave. I would not.
“I knew you two would be together right now,” he said. “Sunny, I went by your house and when I didn’t see either of your vehicles, I figured you’d both be here.”
I allowed a small smile on my lips. He had gone to my place first.
Eve’s phone rang from her purse she had left in the kitchen. “Excuse me,” she said and went to get it.
Dave spoke to me, voice lowered. “I hope you’ve gotten over your silly anger about what I said about your mother’s engagement.”
I really hadn’t thought of it. Possibly I thought of couples being engaged after a future bride announced their exciting news and showing off her ring. I stared at Dave, realizing my mother had announced her news to us—or Edward had, and maybe that was a reason we’d been so shocked. And hurt? Did she have a ring? New brides didn’t always have one for engagements, but we didn’t even let our mother have time to show it if she had one on her finger.
“Sunny?” Dave’s stare made me realize I had been in my own world, thoughts back at the manor.
“I’m sorry. No, I’m not mad anymore.”
“That was Mom.” Eve’s quick return into the room surprised me. “She said arrangements have been made. The funeral’s tomorrow.”
Giving us a moment to let this sink in, Dave glanced from one to the other of us. “Will you be there?”
Eve and I made eye contact. We held it in place, neither of us changing expression, neither saying a thing.
“Of course,” I said, and she nodded.
“I didn’t know him, and I have a major job to take care of, so I won’t go. But if I can do anything to help you or your mother, please let me know.” He spoke to both of us and then stood.
Eve gave him a hug, holding on an extra-long moment. “You are so sweet.”
I rose from the sofa and gave him a brief squeeze around the neck. “Thank you so much. Right now I’m not sure of anything you can do, but we’ll let Mom know you offered.”