“That means Alicia found her backbone at some point,” Maddie said. “She found her breaking point.”
“Or she figured that Trevor was such a cheapskate that he couldn’t possibly walk away from all that money,” Nick interjected. “Trevor didn’t value his marriage, but his ego was tied up with the money he’d been bringing in. Alicia was about to change his comfort level ... and by a great deal.
“Vincent said that Trevor hid money in accounts that didn’t have Alicia’s name on them,” he continued. “He might’ve thought that meant she had no claim to the money, but that’s not how things work. Bank accounts are tied to Social Security numbers. That means he couldn’t hide the money.”
“And my understanding is that each state has worksheets when it comes time for divorce,” Maddie supplied. “It’s pretty basic. Alicia would’ve only gotten money for Aaron for another year, but Catelynn is a minor — and a special-needs minor at that — so she might’ve gotten money from him for a long time to come.”
“I’m not sure how comfortable I am knowing that you’ve researched divorce worksheets, Mad.” Nick’s eyes twinkled. “You’re not already thinking about throwing me over, are you?”
Maddie shook her head. “Dad told me. When he and Mom divorced, he used one of the worksheets and then was going to add money to the final tally for me. She didn’t want anything to do with it, though.”
“She cut him out of your life instead,” Nick said. “She knew if she went after child support that he would be entitled to visitation. She didn’t want that.”
“Right. The worksheets are pretty straightforward, though. I looked them up on the internet after Dad and I talked about it. I don’t remember exactly what was in them, but I’m guessing that Trevor thought he could bulldoze Alicia into agreeing to a smaller number and she refused.”
“If she was a walking doormat for their entire marriage, why would she refuse?” Kreskin asked.
“Because she was willing to be a doormat to get what she wanted,” Maddie answered without hesitation, her mind working fast. “She was willing to take all the crap Trevor dished out as long as she got the outcome she wanted.
“It was a tradeoff,” she continued. “She gave up her self-esteem to keep the marriage intact. That was more important to her, although I’m not sure why. I get that she made vows, and I like the idea of pledging myself to Nicky for the rest of my life, but our relationship is different. He doesn’t purposely hurt me.”
“So, you think that Trevor and Alicia had some sort of unspoken deal,” Kreskin mused. “He cheated and got away with it and she kept the marriage intact. He broke the rules when he asked for the divorce.”
“And that’s when she started fighting,” Maddie agreed. “Fighting was her only option because he was taking away the one thing she truly wanted.”
“That sounds a little pathetic,” Nick admitted. “I don’t understand wanting someone when they don’t want you back.”
“It’s the delusion,” Maddie said. “Alicia convinced herself that their marriage was sustainable. I’m going to guess that she really loved him. The fact that he didn’t really love her was a tear, but it was one she probably convinced herself they could get over.”
“Like that he would eventually grow to love her?” Kreskin queried.
Maddie bobbed her head. “Or that he did love her and simply didn’t realize it. People can convince themselves of the strangest things if they put their minds to it. That’s how I ended up in Detroit for so long. I told myself that coming home would ruin Nick’s life.”
Nick growled as he shifted closer to her. “That was an absolutely moronic thing to believe. You made my life better by coming back. I didn’t know things could be this good.”
“And we’re back to the schmaltz,” Kreskin complained, shaking his head. “You two are nothing if not predictable.”
“We’re fine with that.” Nick grinned before kissing Maddie’s cheek. “Love, I know you’re going to be working here all afternoon — and that’s going to entail looking for Trevor’s ghost, too — but I want you to promise me that you’ll be careful. No wandering off into dark and abandoned places on your own.”
“I have no interest in finding trouble before the wedding,” Maddie said truthfully. “I just want to hear what he has to say about what happened ... and about why he was such a jerk.”
“We can’t use what he says as a basis for conclusion in our investigation, but at least it will tell us if we’re on the right path,” Kreskin said. “As of right now, we can’t arrest Alicia. Our evidence is all circumstantial and flimsy. The judge could toss it, and depending on how things go, we might not be able to arrest her a second time. We have to be patient.”
“The good news is, if Alicia did kill Trevor, it was because she completely lost it in the face of yet another disappointment,” Maddie offered. “I doubt she’s a danger to anyone else. Trevor broke her so she paid him back. She won’t feel that way about others.”
“Let’s hope,” Nick agreed. “If she decides to point herself toward a second target, something tells me it will be Marla.”
Maddie hadn’t even considered that. “Should we warn her?”
“Not yet. If Alicia is innocent, Marla will ruin her reputation in less than two hours flat. We’ll assign a uniform to watch Marla without being obvious. I think it’s our best shot.”
“I’ll look for Trevor this afternoon and see if I can get answers out of him,” Maddie promised. “I’m guessing you guys will be following up on various threads of your investigation.”
“You guess right.” Nick gripped her hand. “You should eat the rest of your lunch. You have a long day ahead of you.”
“I kind of lost my appetite. If you come back for dinner, though, I promise to try again.”
“Deal.”
NICK AND KRESKIN SPLIT up so they could canvass the fairgrounds. They weren’t exactly expecting to find answers at a festival, but since they were already there, they wanted to scan faces in case they were struck by inspiration.
Nick paused long enough to grab a soda from one of the vendor booths and was debating which direction he wanted to turn when he almost smacked into a face from his past.
Cassidy Dunham, her strawberry blond hair falling in waves around her shoulders, feigned surprise to see him. Nick knew better, though. She’d been nothing but a pain since he broke up with her after Maddie’s return to Blackstone Bay.
“Cassidy,” Nick greeted her, his voice neutral. “How are you?”
“I’m fine.” Cassidy flashed a smile that didn’t make it all the way to her eyes. “How are you?”
“I’m ... great.”
“I’m sure you are.” Something Nick couldn’t identify flashed through Cassidy’s eyes before she regrouped. “How are the wedding plans? You’re getting close to the big day, right?”
“We are. Less than a week. The wedding is going to be great.” At one time, Nick probably would’ve gone out of his way to refrain from talking about the wedding because he knew it would hurt Cassidy’s feelings. That time was in the rearview mirror. Cassidy continuously tried to throw wrenches into the mechanics of his relationship with Maddie. He hoped the wedding would finally be the end of that.
“I didn’t realize it was so soon. I mean ... I didn’t get an invitation or anything.”
“It’s just friends and family.”
“And I guess I’m not a friend, huh?”
“No, you’re not.” Nick was firm. “We want those we love to be there. We didn’t want an extravagant party, though. It’s going to be those closest to us and that’s it.”
“Well ... congratulations.”
“Thank you.” Nick assumed that was the end of the conversation, but Cassidy’s hand on his forearm told him otherwise. He barely managed to hold back a sigh. “What, Cassidy? What is it you want to say this time?”
“I don’t want to ruin things for you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” she started. “It’
s just ... I think we should clear the air.”
“What air is there to clear?” Nick challenged. “We’ve been over things so many times I’ve lost count. I’m sorry you got hurt when I broke up with you. Things didn’t work out how you thought they would and that’s difficult. I get that. I’m not sorry Maddie is back, though, and I’m most definitely not sorry that we’re getting married.”
“I don’t expect you to apologize again.” Cassidy was rueful. “Honestly, I wasn’t trying to make you feel guilty. It’s just ... I’m sad. I thought we would be the ones getting married — you and me — but that’s not what happened.”
“If you believed that despite what everyone told you about my dating schedule, then I don’t know what to tell you.” Nick worked overtime to keep the cruel thoughts he’d been holding back for months from escaping. “Even if Maddie had never come home, things wouldn’t have worked out between us. We’re not well suited.”
“I don’t happen to agree, but it doesn’t matter.” Cassidy held up her hands in mock surrender. “You made your choice. You’re happy with your choice. I can’t change it so ... I have to move on.”
“I thought you had moved on,” Nick pointed out, referring to her boyfriend David Bennet. He and Cassidy had been involved for months.
“We’re trying and it’s going well.” Cassidy forced a tight-lipped smile that seemed more deranged than happy. “I didn’t stop you because I wanted to talk about this, though. I know you’ve moved on and see me as nothing more than a pest.”
“Oh, that’s where you’re wrong,” Nick intoned. “I see you as a danger to Maddie, not just a pest. You’ve stood by while she’s been in trouble more than once. I don’t think you’re harmless by any stretch of the imagination.”
Cassidy pressed the tip of her tongue to the back of her teeth as she shifted from one foot to the other, discomfort rolling off her. “I won’t ever hurt Maddie. I’m not an idiot ... and I’m not the sort of person who would hurt someone else to get what she wants.”
“I certainly hope not.”
“I’m here to discuss something else with you.”
“Oh, really?” Nick was understandably dubious “What would that be?”
“Trevor and Marla.”
Nick stilled, surprised. Cassidy was tight with Marla — although their relationship had suffered growing pains of sorts over the past few weeks because Cassidy blamed Marla for some of her actions — and that meant she had inside information. “You know about Marla’s affair with Trevor?”
“She hasn’t exactly been keeping it quiet, and she’s downright furious that Maddie is telling people about it now that Trevor is in the hospital,” Cassidy replied.
“Trevor died about two hours ago,” Nick countered.
“Oh, really?” Cassidy’s expression shifted. “That changes things.”
“I still want to know what you were going to tell me.”
“It’s just ... I feel guilty telling you now. It kind of makes Marla look like she had motive for this.”
Intrigued, Nick tilted his head. “Marla has motive for killing Trevor?”
“I guess that depends on how you look at it.” Cassidy was suddenly nervous. “Maybe I should get going. Good luck with your wedding. I hope the day is everything you want it to be.”
Nick snagged Cassidy by the arm before she could hurry off. “Tell me,” he prodded. “If you don’t, I’ll lock you up for lying to an investigator.”
Cassidy sighed, resigned. “I guess I can use that as an excuse when Marla tries to claw my eyes out, huh?”
“I think that’s a fine idea.” Nick folded his arms over his chest and waited.
“Marla is pregnant,” Cassidy blurted out.
Whatever he was expecting, that wasn’t it. “With Trevor’s baby?” He was flabbergasted. “Oh, geez. That can’t be good.”
“She did it on purpose, too,” Cassidy added. “She told me before she stopped taking her birth control. She wanted to trap Trevor because she thought that was the added push he needed to finally file for divorce from Alicia.”
“Did Trevor know?”
“She told him as soon as she found out.”
“What did he say?”
“He wasn’t happy,” Cassidy replied. “He accused her of trying to trap him. She denied it, of course, but she was giddy because she thought her plan was working. She expected Trevor to tell Alicia what was going on any day now. Then they were going to move in together and start planning a life.”
“Did you ever consider that Trevor did tell Alicia?” Nick challenged. “Perhaps he told her right before his gun started going off.”
Cassidy’s mouth dropped open, horrified. “I ... did not think about that. Do you think Alicia killed Trevor because she found out he was having a kid with Marla?”
“I don’t know.” Nick felt sick to his stomach. “This changes things, though. I mean ... big time. Thanks for the information, Cassidy. I’ve got to go.”
“Wait,” Cassidy called after him before he’d taken more than a few steps away. “How about we catch up over coffee before the wedding? I can make time.”
Nick shook his head. “No. I appreciate the information, but we’re so done they should think up a new word. Have a good life, Cassidy. I hope things work out for you. I really do. Stay away from Maddie, though. I’m not messing around on that front.”
Twelve
Nick’s next step was obvious. He had to track down Marla. The question was, where should he look.
Since he made it a point to avoid spending time with the woman, he wasn’t sure where to start. He could’ve asked Maddie, but he didn’t want to burden her when she was in the middle of readings. She was having a good time, embracing the legacy left to her by her mother, and taking pride in bringing money into the family coffers. He wouldn’t take that away from her.
Plus, well, Marla made Maddie nutty. Once his fiancée found out the latest tidbit she was likely to fly off the handle. Nick wanted to delay that.
He texted Kreskin to tell him he was tracking down a lead and then headed downtown. He poked his head inside Christy’s salon to search the faces, but the shop owner stopped him before he could quietly depart.
“Do you need something?” Christy asked, confused.
“I was just checking to see who was in here.”
“Are you looking for Maddie? I thought she would be in her tent. She’s been excited about this festival all week.” Christy’s fingers were busy as she snipped at a woman’s hair. “I’ll tell her you’re looking for her if I see her.”
“I’m not looking for Maddie. She’s in her tent and having a grand time.”
“Then who are you looking for? If it’s your brother, he’s running late. We’re going to the festival together this afternoon. This is my last client of the day.”
“It’s not John.” Nick averted his gaze. Christy was like a shark. She could smell blood in the water. She was naturally suspicious, and the look she shot him now was proof of that. “I’m sure I’ll find the person I’m looking for on my own. Thanks, though.”
Christy scampered after him when he tried to escape through the door, catching him on the front walkway before he could hop in his vehicle. “Hey!”
Nick jolted at the sound of her voice. “What?” He was nervous when he turned. “I’m not doing anything.”
“See, the thing is, if you were anyone else, I would think you were about to do something stupid,” Christy supplied. “You’ve got ‘I’m about to cheat on the woman I love’ eyes.”
Nick balked. “I most certainly do not! I would never cheat on Maddie.”
“I know that.” Amused despite herself, Christy chuckled. “You’re up to something, though. You’re a terrible liar and I can tell you’re doing something you don’t want to own up to. Just tell me and I’ll help you.”
“What makes you think you can help?”
“Because you stopped at my salon for a reason. That makes me believe you thought whoe
ver you were looking for might be here. It’s obviously a woman, right?”
Nick sighed, resigned. Maddie would find out eventually and he really did need guidance. “I need to find Marla.”
“Proctor?” Christy made a disgusted face. “Please tell me someone has stuffed her in the trunk of a car somewhere.”
Nick cocked an eyebrow. “You’re going to regret saying that if something ever happens to her.”
“I don’t think so.”
Nick waited.
“Fine. I might regret it a little.” Christy didn’t look convinced but she accepted it. “Why do you want Marla?”
“I need to talk to her.”
Ever shrewd, Christy pursed her lips. “Why?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Except I want to know.”
“I can’t tell you right now.” Nick was firm. “I just need to talk to her.”
“This is pure torture,” Christy groused. “You know I hate it when people don’t share gossip with me.”
“I do, but this is more than gossip. I need to talk to her. And, no offense, but I’ll be telling Maddie the most recent update before I tell you. She would kill me otherwise.”
Christy brightened considerably. “Okay. I can live with that. Maddie will tell me as soon as she knows anything. She’s good like that.”
Nick wasn’t convinced that was true, but he simply smiled. “Do you know where she is?”
Christy nodded. “She’s hosting an open house at Madge Williams’ place. Her kids are selling the house.”
“That was quick. She only died a week ago.”
“I guess they know what they want.”
“Yeah, well … thanks for the tip.”
Christy saluted. “You’re welcome … and I’ll be tracking Maddie down for gossip as soon as I can get clear of this place. You’ve been warned.”
MARLA WAS SITTING AT THE KITCHEN table in the Williams house when Nick let himself in. Since it was an open house, he didn’t bother knocking. Marla, who thought she was alone, used the corner of a fact sheet to pick between her teeth and almost fell out of her chair when she caught sight of Nick.
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