Hers By Request
Page 34
“But if it wasn’t the Hijacker, then who shot my dad?”
“The gun was registered to Admiral Wyndham and considering where we found the vehicle, he became our number one suspect.”
Amanda snapped her mouth shut. “The Admiral? I can’t believe he would shoot my dad.” She frowned. “Wait. Wasn’t he at sea when my dad was . . . murdered?”
Agent Baley nodded. “He was. An airtight alibi.”
“Then . . .?” Marian said.
“When I went to question Admiral Wyndham he indicated that he had purchased the gun for his wife since she was often down here alone while he was at sea. When I asked to speak with his wife, he told me she had gone back to Annapolis the night before to attend some society luncheon the next day. But there was no luncheon. We caught her at the airport before she managed to get on a flight to Rio.”
This time Dev felt his own jaw drop. The flirtatious Mrs. Wyndham? Seriously? He traded astounded looks with Amanda.
“But why? I don’t understand this at all,” Marian said.
“It appears that Mrs. Wyndham had a serious obsession with your husband, Ma’am. She often frequented the clubs where he played, usually sending him a drink. In fact, she heard about this town by listening to his conversations with the bartender. That was partly the reason she convinced her husband to buy property here. That night, she apparently overheard him chatting with the bartender about opening up this cottage for the summer so she drove down ahead of him, engineered a flat tire, and waited for him to drive by. It was pouring rain so rather than fixing the flat, your husband offered her a ride home and said he would fix it the next day. Unfortunately, when she attempted to seduce him, your husband not only refused her invitation but laughed in her face.” He shrugged. “In a fit of rage, she took the gun out of her purse and threatened to shoot him. She said she never actually meant to pull the trigger but he grabbed the gun and it just went off. Apparently the bullet hit his carotid artery and he bled to death in a matter of minutes.”
“Oh my god, I cannot believe this. This woman, who hired me to produce her party, killed my father? This is absurd. I mean she’s a little wonky, true. And she obviously enjoys men . . .” Amanda’s voice trailed off.
The color drained from her cheeks and Dev picked up her glass. “Here, drink some of this. You look like you’re about to pass out.”
“That’s what she meant, Dev.” She grasped his arm, her eyes wide with shock. “The day they got dad’s car out of the bay and I, uh, got a little lightheaded? After you left, she said something about how I was stubborn—just like him.” She clapped her hand over her mouth as her eyes filled with tears.
Dev reached in his pocket for his handkerchief, handing it to her as the tears spilled over.
“That woman murdered my husband? And all these years she’s lived scot-free and spent her summers not a mile away from us?” Marian’s eyes snapped with anger. “That bitch!” She clutched at Jack’s arm. “And she had the gall to hire you? The daughter of the man she murdered? She must be sick. She must be crazy.”
She turned to Agent Baley. “She won’t get away with this because she’s crazy, will she? Please tell me she’s going to jail.” Tears spilled unheeded down her cheeks. “I want to strangle her myself, for taking Frank away from me.” She buried her head against Jack’s chest and sobbed. Jack wrapped his arms around her.
“No, Ma’am, she won’t get away with murder. Crazy she may be but her intent to flee the country proves she knew what she did was wrong. She’ll spend the rest of her life in prison.” He stood up to leave.
Amanda stood also, using Dev’s handkerchief to blot her cheeks. Dev snugged her against his side and held out his hand to the FBI agent. “Thank you for all of your hard work, Agent Baley.”
“If it weren’t for Miss Adam’s persistence we never would have found her father, so she gets a big part of the credit,” he said. “Even though he didn’t turn out to be one of the Highway Hijacker’s victims, I’m glad we were able to finally resolve the mystery of his disappearance for you.”
That night, after slow and tender lovemaking had drained the last of the tension from Amanda’s shoulders, she lay cuddled against him, her breathing slowly deepening toward sleep. Dev brushed a kiss in her hair and sent a prayer heavenward to thank his best friend for the gift of life and the chance to live his with Amanda Adams.
Coming soon from Karen Ann Dell
and Soul Mate Publishing:
HIS BY DESIGN
Zoe Silvercreek was determined to make Blue Point Cove a haven for local artisans and her gallery a showcase for their works. She’d begged, borrowed, and bet her future on her ability to make her dream a reality. She’d better succeed because she wasn’t about to forfeit what she used as collateral for the loan.
Jeff Petrosky was a sculptor, currently making ends meet as a handyman. His sister was the real artist in the family, but he’d sworn to keep her secret—at least until the day he’d saved up enough money to pay for the surgery that would repair the damage to her pretty face.
The renovation of Zoe Silvercreek’s gallery was a godsend. In exchange for his labor, he’d get Zoe to display ‘his’ paintings. He knew they’d bring in the money he needed for Jenny’s surgery. Once she was healed, and willing to be seen in public, they could drop the ruse and she could claim the paintings as her own.
Working with the luscious Ms. Silvercreek would test any man’s willpower, but he’d keep his hands, and his heart, to himself. Nothing would interfere with this chance to save his sister.