Sadie's Game (Ashby Crime Family)

But her cheeks flushed, almost covering up the freckles that dotted the bridge of her nose. She flashed a smile in Jasper’s direction and leaned forward. “These pretty blue eyes see everything, and they see them crystal clear.”

“Or maybe they’re so desperate to see some things that they completely miss others.” Jasper sat back and smiled as he folded his arms over his chest, drawing Beck’s gaze to the biceps he usually kept hidden behind fancy three-piece suits.

Beck’s rosebud lips pulled into a smile. Her blue eyes lit up with that fire that comes from sparring with someone on your level. “Or maybe you just want me to think I’m off, so I’ll stop looking into the past.”

Jasper shrugged. “It’s your time. Waste it how you see fit.”

“I will, thank you.” She jutted her chin out defiantly and fell back in her chair when Marshall cleared his throat. “Since you claim to know nothing about the murders of your daughter and a local do-gooder, how about you tell us what you know about the string of dead priests?”

Ah, the little bitch was good, trying to throw me off. I blinked as innocently as the Catholic schoolgirl I’d once been. “Dead priests? Oh, you mean the crimes your colleagues falsely accused my daughter-in-law of committing? Which then led to her being kicked out by her family and sent her on a downward spiral to drug abuse? That’s what I know about those murders, Agent.”

“That’s not an answer, Ms. Ashby.”

“Really? Well, it’s the only answer I have for you.” She had nothing, less than nothing on those murders, and I wouldn’t even entertain her questions.

“Bonnie has long been cleared of those murders, which means the murderer,” she looked from me to Jasper, “or murderers are still out there. Free to kill again.”

Jasper shrugged. “With all the sex abuse allegations that follow the church, it could be millions of people in and out of the state of Nevada. Have you looked into complaints against those priests? Former parishioners?”

Agent Beck grunted her frustration and fell back in her chair like a child throwing a tantrum. “You’re right, it could be anyone. Including her.”

Jasper laughed. “What motive?”

Before Agent Beck could say whatever was on the tip of her tongue, Marshall stopped her with a hand to her forearm. “Motive isn’t everything as you well know, Mr. Ashby.”

“No, but it would definitely help if you had one. Which you don’t.” Jasper didn’t mince words and he was fiercely protective of his family, which would not work in Agent Beck’s search for the truth.

I let out a long sigh and let one hand dramatically drop to the table. “I’m bored with this now. If you have any further questions, Agent Marshall, direct them to my attorney. Thomas will give you his card on your way out.”

Marshall nodded and pushed away from the table, standing tall despite the tired droop of his shoulders. “Thanks for your time, Ms. Ashby.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Beck shot back, her voice thick with sarcasm young people thought made them sound so smart. “This investigation isn’t going away anytime soon, Sadie.”

“It’s gone on for long enough without any leads, wouldn’t you say? Maybe they ought to put someone more capable in charge.” My raised brow sent her nostrils flaring in barely restrained anger. She’d looked as if she’d liked to throw a punch if not for that badge attached to her hip. Interesting.

Her bark of laughter let me know just how much I got under her skin. “You can’t buy your way out of this, and as soon as I find that one little mistake you forgot about, I’m going to cuff you myself.” Beck smacked the heavy dining room table with both hands before she sent me and then Jasper a withering glare and stomped off in a huff.

As soon as we had the room to ourselves, Virgil said, “Well, that was interesting.” His low laugh added some levity to the moment.

But even that couldn’t stop the shiver of unease that went through me at Agent Beck’s words. I thought back to the murders. I’m convinced I didn’t make any mistakes in that room that night, I was sure of it. I didn’t make mistakes anymore, period.

But Beck’s certainty had me doubting myself and my thoughts, inevitably, turned to that fucking prick Mueller and what had led to his ultimate demise.

Chapter Three

Sadie

“I know you and Bonnie have seen one another.”

Both Bonnie and Mueller were so confident that no one knew about their clandestine meetings, but they weren’t appropriately secretive. Mueller was, but Bonnie went straight from the mansion to her meeting spots with Mueller, making it easy for Thomas to track her when I asked him to.

“In fact, you’ve been seeing her since shortly after she gave birth to my granddaughter.”

Dietrich Mueller sat back in the bistro chair with a sigh and gave me a reluctant nod.