“Is there anyone else you can think of who would have benefited from Dr. Nance’s death?” Adam asked.
She tried not to read anything into the question. “Not really. His wife has been dead for years and they didn’t have any children. According to Lila Wilkes, he has a nephew in Atlanta and some cousins scattered about, but he wasn’t close to any of them.”
“Do you know if he was ever sued for malpractice? Or threatened by a patient or bereaved relative? Someone out for revenge, maybe.”
“Not that I’m aware. Belle Pointe is a small town. I’m sure I would have heard through the grapevine if there’d been any trouble of that nature. Given Dr. Nance’s standing in the community, it would have caused a scandal.”
“What about business deals that might have gone sour?”
She started to relax again. His questions were routine and entirely expected. She was making too much of his elusion. “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”
“Romantic entanglements?”
She frowned. “You’re the second person who’s mentioned something like that to me today. Tom Brannon suggested that Dr. Nance and Dessie might have had a relationship at one time. I don’t think it likely. I never saw anything but friendship and respect between them. Maybe I wasn’t looking. Even now, it’s hard for me to picture Dr. Nance in a romantic relationship. Or even on a date, for that matter. I always assumed he was still madly in love with his wife.”
“That’s a little naive,” Adam said. “I got to know him pretty well before my grandmother died. He talked a bit about his wife. He was barely forty when she passed, still a young guy. I’m sure he loved her deeply, but he didn’t seem like a man stuck in the past to me. I had the impression he’d moved on a long time ago. He even talked about a couple of his relationships that had ended badly.”
That stopped Nikki cold. “Relationships? Plural?”
“Apparently he got around.”
She stared at him in shock. “You’re telling me Dr. Nance was a player?”
Adam grinned. “He didn’t put it quite like that. He did say there was one involvement in particular that he wished he could take back.”
“Don’t mind me,” Nikki muttered. “I’m just a bit speechless at the moment.”
“Because he was human?”
“Because I’m apparently oblivious. Did he happen to mention a name?”
“He was too much of a gentleman for that.”
“Did he say why he regretted the relationship?”
“She became obsessive. When he broke things off, she stalked him for a time. I got the sense she made his life pretty miserable.”
Nikki stared at him wide-eyed as something fell into place. “Wait. You think this woman, whoever she is, took his watch, don’t you?”
“It’s a theory.”
“You think she killed him?”
“I’m not willing to go that far out on a limb yet.”
Nikki was glad for the darkness that covered her sheepish expression. Talk about jumping to conclusions. Of course Adam didn’t suspect her. She needed to get over herself. “I don’t know what to say. First I find out Dessie Dupre has a secret life and now Dr. Nance.” She tucked back her hair, a habit she had when distressed or confused. “I can’t believe he told you all those intimate details about his life. He never even told me he was retiring.”
“Sometimes it’s easier to talk to an outsider. I wouldn’t take it personally.”
“I’m not.” But she couldn’t help feeling remorseful and perhaps just a tiny bit jealous. Why hadn’t Dr. Nance come to her when he needed help? Why hadn’t he told her about all the problems he’d been having at the clinic? Had she been so wrapped up in her own life that he’d felt she didn’t have time for him? She shook her head. “He had a stalker. I’m still blown away by that. I wonder what else he didn’t tell me.”
“That was a long time ago,” Adam said. “Maybe you’d already gone off to college when it all went down. Besides, everyone keeps secrets.”
Nikki glanced away, discomfited once more by the intensity of his gaze. She wanted to ask about his secrets, but she didn’t want him probing into hers. “I should get going.”
“You don’t need to rush off.”
“I’m not rushing. It’s late and I’ve had a long day. I’m sure you have, too.”
“Nikki?”
Her heart thudded at the way he said her name. Butterflies quivered as their gazes connected. “Yes?”
He hesitated for the longest moment. “Be careful going home. Maybe I should follow you back into town.”
Was she disappointed or relieved at the way the evening was ending? “I appreciate the offer, but it’s not necessary. I’ll be fine. We’ll talk soon, okay? Tomorrow is Sunday. I’ll be home most of the day. Maybe we can get together and hammer out the details of our arrangement. That is, if you were really serious about working together.”
He nodded. “I’ll call you.”
She could feel his eyes on her as she started up the steps. She told herself to be cool and keep walking. Don’t turn around. Don’t let him know you’re interested. It was way too soon to let down her guard.
She made it all the way to the top of the stairs before she glanced back.
Chapter Ten
The next day, Adam drove into town on a mission. The streets were quiet, and the hush deepened as he left the business district behind and entered one of the upscale neighborhoods that bordered the downtown area. The houses here were older and eclectic, ranging in styles from colonial to Victorian to sprawling ranches. Many of the homes displayed fresh face-lifts, the cosmetic renovations complementing the meticulous lawns and lush gardens.
Locating Dr. Patience Wingate’s address, he drove by her house twice to make sure he had the right place. Then he pulled to the curb at the end of the street and lowered his window, letting the warm, fragrant breeze drift through his vehicle.
He wouldn’t be able to stay in one spot for too long. In a quiet neighborhood like this, he’d
