“How could she not know what was going on?” Hugo snorted. “And if she’s so innocent, why didn’t she lose all her money like the people who trusted her?”
“How do you know she didn’t?” Skye asked. “Come to think of it, how do you know all this to begin with?” If Wally’s officer hadn’t been able to find out where Rise had last worked, how had Hugo? Of course, Zelda was fresh out of police training, and Hugo had years of practice being a bastard.
“It was easy. I asked around. They paid cash for the building and have no loans or investors. That’s all a matter of public record on file at city hall.” Hugo righted his chair, sat back down, and picked up his video game. “As to the other, who in his right mind gives up a six-figure income to open up a bookstore in Podunk, Illinois?” His voice was an insinuating purr. “I knew there was a scandal somewhere, and once I found out where she used to work, I just looked online until I found it.”
Skye ran the scenario in her head. Since Rise hadn’t been sent to jail, her name wouldn’t have been associated with the case. Furthermore, since men like Rise’s boss usually accepted a plea bargain rather than go to trial, she wouldn’t have had to testify against him.
Hugo was immersed back in his game by the time Skye said, “I have one more question.”
“Yeah?” He lifted his brow in a “What now?” expression.
“Did you find out who her clients were?”
“Nah.” He shrugged. “I didn’t care. Just the fact she was involved in such shady dealings should be enough for the old biddies to chase her out of town. Or at least give her something other than my cars to worry about.”
Skye looked at him in distaste. “That’s pretty cold, Hugo, even for you.”
“Hush.” He put his finger to his lips. “Do you hear that?”
“What?” Skye listened, but the showroom was silent.
“That’s the voices of all the people who care what you think.”
“You are so not funny.” Skye paused, trying to figure out how to ask whether Hugo had an alibi for the night of the murder. He certainly had a motive. “It’s a good thing Rise wasn’t the one murdered last week. Since you hate her so much, you’d be a prime suspect.”
“Hey, Victoria and I were at our church’s Las Vegas night last Saturday between seven and midnight.” Hugo threw back his head and laughed. “I won the grand prize, a flat-screen TV, and the drawing was at eleven o’clock, so I have hundreds of witnesses to prove I was in Clay Center during the time of the murder. Including two priests, a deacon, and the entire choir of St. Mary’s.”
After calling Wally and filling him in on Hugo’s alibi and Rise’s past, Skye headed over to Kayla’s wake. It was scheduled from four to eight p.m., and Skye had a feeling she’d better be there for most of that time. Even though Kayla had been out of high school for a year, if she was as well liked as Neva had claimed, there would probably be a lot of kids attending, and emotions were bound to run high.
Skye was surprised to see that the funeral home’s lot was already packed. It was exactly four thirty, and although the visitation had officially begun thirty minutes ago, small-town etiquette dictated that the family be allowed the first half hour to themselves. Then again, Kayla’s friends were probably too young to know that.
After Skye had made several trips up and down the rows, someone finally pulled out and she could park. She hesitated for a moment before opening the car door. She had meant to go home to change but had run out of time. The green dress Wally had bought her was beautiful, but she preferred to wear a more somber color for a wake.
Once Skye was out of the Bel Air, she quickly crossed the asphalt and pushed through the funeral home’s double glass doors. At the top of the foyer steps, she paused and looked at herself in the mirrored wall. She tugged on the fabric, a gorgeous cashmere knit that clung to her curves. Was it a bit too sexy for this situation? The V neckline and shorter-than-usual hem made her a little self-conscious, but she had vowed not to cover herself in yards of polyester just because she weighed more than
Taking a deep breath, she hiked her tote bag higher on her shoulder, straightened her spine, and walked through the archway. It was too late to do anything about her outfit now, and she had more important things to worry about than her appearance.
The overpowering scent of flowers and the hum of numerous conversations assaulted her as she stepped inside the viewing room. Stopping, she scanned the chairs. Most were occupied by teenagers and the elderly. Perhaps Kayla’s parents’ friends would come later, after they got off work.
After signing the guest book, Skye joined the long line of people waiting to pay their respects. From her place in the back, Skye studied Kayla’s mother, Kara. She hadn’t had much time to observe the woman when she and Wally had made the death notification. Kara had collapsed on the sofa sobbing, and Kayla’s stepfather had immediately hustled them out the door before Skye had been able to form an impression of the couple.
Now, seeing Kara formally dressed and made-up, Skye thought she didn’t seem old enough to have a nineteen-year-old daughter. Her pale oval face was flawless, and her long blond hair fell in a straight curtain to the middle of her back. Kayla’s stepfather, Mick O’Brien, stood next to his wife, looking uncomfortable in a shiny navy suit.
Mick’s bored expression, and the way he gripped Kara’s elbow whenever she hugged someone for too long, convinced Skye that Neva had been correct about the family dynamics. It was clear that this man had not cared about his stepdaughter and totally dominated his wife.
Skye moved slightly so she could see the first row of the seating area, the one reserved for close relatives. She was curious to get a look at Kayla’s extended family. Only three chairs were occupied. Neva sat in one, with twins who appeared to be five or six on either side of her.
They were cute little boys, and Skye assumed they were Kayla’s half brothers. They appeared to have inherited their mother’s fair hair and complexion. Seeing them made Skye wonder whether Kayla had looked like her biological father. She’d heard that he had been killed in a hunting accident before his daughter was born.
The woman in front of Skye had just walked away after speaking to Kara and Mick, and Skye hadn’t moved forward yet when she heard Mick hiss to his wife, “How much longer do we gotta stand here?”
Either Mick didn’t feel it was necessary to hide his impatience, or he was the type of guy who had never had to pretend and thus never learned how.
Kara’s cornflower blue eyes were shiny with tears, and she jerked her arm from his fingers. “
Skye saw Mick’s freckled face flush an unbecoming red, and as he reached for Kara, Skye stepped between them. Keeping her back to the obnoxious man, she said, “Mrs. O’Brien, I’m Skye Denison. I was with Chief Boyd when he told you about Kayla, but I also knew her from the gifted class at high school. You have my deepest sympathy.”
Kayla’s mother clutched Skye’s hand. “She was amazing, wasn’t she? Did you know her final project at film school last year won an award?”
“No, I didn’t. But I understand she was very talented. I’d like to see some of her work sometime.”
Before his wife could respond, Mick put his palm on Skye’s shoulder and propelled her down the line, saying, “Thank you for coming.”
Skye found herself facing Neva as the older woman stood and moved into her path.
The principal’s eyes were red rimmed, and it took her several tries before she was able to speak. “What have you found out?”
“Nothing I can talk about.” Skye tried to steer Neva to a more private location, but she refused to budge.
Neva swallowed hard and frowned. “That’s what I was afraid of. The police are giving up, aren’t they?”
“Definitely not. It’s only been five days since the murder was discovered.” Skye spotted a pair of overstuffed chairs screened by a huge flower arrangement. “Come sit with me and I’ll tell you what I can.”
Once they were seated, Skye scooted as close as she could without her knees bumping against Neva’s and lowered her voice. “The police are pursuing this case as if the primary objective of the crime was murder, not burglary.”
“Really?” Neva studied Skye, her expression hopeful. “Who do they suspect?”
“Unfortunately, everyone on their first list has an alibi.” Skye was careful to tell as much of the truth as she could without giving away the fact that they thought the intended victim was Rise. “They’ll start looking elsewhere
