He sighed. “It’s probably a groundless concern. Truman could have died from smoking in bed, for all I know. R.L.’s troubles are probably due to a disgruntled insurance customer, someone whose claim was denied for one reason or another, so he blamed the agent who sold him the policy. None of that would have anything to do with Bud.”
“You’re probably right. Why would anyone suddenly be after three old buddies?”
“Exactly. Makes no sense at all. They’ve all lived here in Edstown their entire lives. They never caused any trouble, never made any enemies that I know of. They were all hard workers—R.L. had the insurance company, Truman owned a car sales lot, and Bud operated his own electrical contracting company until he retired a few years ago. They were all successful, in their own ways. They had enough money to hunt and fish and travel a little, but they all lived fairly modestly for the most part. Bud jokes that he spent most of his earnings on alimony for his two ex-wives, but he lives comfortably in his double-wide, and he’s actually stayed on pretty good terms with his exes.”
Teresa nodded, sensing that Riley needed to talk for a while.
“What I’m saying is that I can’t imagine why anyone would have a grudge against my uncle or his friends. They’re not the type to make enemies like that. So Truman’s death must have been an accident—or one of Eddie’s arsons—and R.L.’s shooter had to be an angry insurance customer. It’s the only explanation that makes sense.”
“It does sound reasonable.”
“So why do I have this gut feeling that there’s something more I need to know?”
The worry and frustration in his voice made her instinctively want to reach out to him. To pat his hand and reassure him, the way she would her son. And yet there was nothing even remotely maternal about her reactions to Riley.
“I’m sure your police chief friend will be investigating the shooting extensively,” she said. “If there’s anything for you to be concerned about, Chief Meadows will probably uncover it. I’ve heard he’s good.”
“He’s very good. If anyone can find answers, it’s Dan.”
“There you go, then,” she said bracingly. “You can relax and let the police handle everything. I’m sure once your uncle has rested and seen his friend again, he’ll feel much better—and so will you.”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
She could tell he’d made an effort to speak confidently, but there was still concern reflected in his silvery-gray eyes. He forced a smile. “Thanks for letting me unload on you.”
“I know you’re very close to your uncle. I can understand why you’re so concerned about him.”
“Actually, it felt pretty weird taking care of him today. Bud’s always been the one who thought he had to look out for me.”
“Families look out for each other.” Or so she’d heard.
Propping his elbow on the table, Riley rested his chin on his fist as he studied her face. “Do you have family, Teresa? I know you lost your husband and your parents, but is there anyone else? Grandparents? Cousins? A favorite uncle of your own?”
“A few cousins, none close. I was raised by my grandmother after my parents died, but she passed away a few years ago. I’ve lost touch with my aunts and uncles.” She didn’t add that Darren had alienated most of her family. He hadn’t cared for any of them, and he’d convinced Teresa that they weren’t particularly fond of her, either.
It had only been when their marriage was falling apart that Teresa had finally seen through Darren’s charm and promises, that she had finally realized he had deliberately separated her from her family and the friends she’d had before their marriage. His insecurities had made him want to keep her to himself, totally dependent on him.
“What about your husband’s family?”
Teresa wasn’t comfortable discussing Darren with Riley—she didn’t usually talk about her late husband with anyone—but she answered his question. “He has a sister. She lives in California. I haven’t seen her since before Maggie was born. His mother still lives in Tennessee, just outside of Memphis.”
“Do the children see their grandmother often?”
She hesitated, tempted to brush off the question with a monosyllabic answer. But Riley had been so candid with her she felt compelled to answer honestly. “My mother-in-law is one of the reasons I moved here. She’s a bitter, neurotic woman who divides her time between feigning illness, fighting with her neighbors and threatening to take my children away from me. They don’t enjoy being around her, and neither do I. I couldn’t take it anymore.”
She bit her lip before she could babble any further. Riley had only asked a simple question, and she’d answered in more detail than she’d intended. Apparently, he wasn’t the only one whose tongue had been loosened by this impromptu chat session.
He wasn’t smiling. “She threatened to take your children away from you?”
“Periodically.” She tried to speak matter-of-factly, intending to change the subject very quickly. “Every time I refused to cater to her whims. She’s never had a case, of course, and she wouldn’t really want to be bothered with the full-time care of two young children, anyway, but she made it a hobby to call me every so often and threaten to file a custody suit.”
“On what grounds?”
“Why, that I’m an unfit mother, of course.”
She’d never heard Riley utter an expletive, but he did then, making her blink in response. “Have you talked to Serena about this?”
“Of course. She has assured me she’ll represent me in the unlikely event that Edna actually files suit. She promises there’s no way Edna could ever take my children. But it did become…bothersome,” she said, settling for an understatement.