Murder Under the Desert Moon
Page 22
"My ex-husband wasn't a bastard," she said flatly. "We just wanted different things for the remainder of our lives."
"Right." Loring's hand strayed to his smartphone, obviously tempted to take notes. "I heard you had a vacation house here. I suppose you're just staying here while you decide what to do next?"
"It's a lovely little cottage," Helen said with intentional vagueness. Where was Tate, anyway? How long did it take to fill out a few papers and ask for hearing? She glanced at the counter, where he was still chatting with the clerk.
Loring either didn't pick up on her disinterest or pretended not to. "Perhaps I could stop by the cottage sometime and have a chat."
"I don't have anything to say to the press."
"Sure you do," he said. "Just because you're not the state's first lady anymore, that doesn't mean you've got nothing interesting to say. I'm sure the local citizens would love to hear your opinions."
"I believe the weather has been unusually mild recently," she said. "Is that what you had in mind?"
"I was thinking more along the lines of discussing why you're here in the courthouse today."
She might not want to antagonize him in ways that would reflect badly on her husband, but she didn't care whether he liked her or not. "I'm trying to get people to leave me alone."
He laughed, believing, like everyone else, that she was joking. "Are you planning to get restraining orders against everyone in town?"
"If necessary," she said. "Excuse me while I go ask my lawyer to amend the paperwork."
A DOSE OF DEATH
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