Hour Game (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell 2)

“Lucky he’s on the case again,” said King.

They left the house, but when Michelle started to walk over to the car, King took her arm. “It’s a beautiful day. I feel like a stroll,” he said, giving her a look.

“Where?”

“You’ll see.” He took out of his pocket the tissue he had used to clean up the coffee spill and sniffed it. He smiled at the result.

“What is it?” asked Michelle.

“Not a huge surprise, but Remmy enjoys a little bourbon with her coffee.”

CHAPTER

38

KING’S CHOICE OF VENUE

took them to the rear grounds. They wandered over to the spot where they could see Remmy’s bedroom window. King gazed at the house where the servants lived and then back at their employer’s window.

“If someone were really looking,” he said vaguely.

Michelle said, “Mason definitely has a thing for Remmy. Maybe he hopes to become the new man of the estate.”

King glanced over and saw the woman walking toward the stable.

“Let’s go talk horses.” As he was turning away, an image at one of the second-story windows caught his attention.

It was Savannah, staring at them. Yet she was gone so quickly that for an instant King wasn’t even sure she’d really been there. Yet she had been. And the look on her face was clear: she was terrified.

They both greeted Sally Wainwright over by the stable. Her cheerful disposition wasn’t evident today.

“God, I’m thinking about quitting,” she said.

“Because Battle was murdered?” asked King.

“And four other people,” said Sally as she looked over her shoulder as though for an attacker. “This was a nice, quiet town when I got here. Right now I’d probably be safer in the Middle East.”

“I wouldn’t do anything rash,” said Michelle. “You’ll probably live to regret it.”

“I just want to live,” Sally shot back.

King nodded. “Well, then maybe you can help us find the killer before he strikes again.”

Sally looked shocked. “Me! I don’t know anything.”

“You may know something important, only you don’t know that it is,” said King. “For instance, can you think of anyone who might have intended Bobby Battle harm?”

Sally shook her head—too quickly, in King’s mind.

“Come on, Sally, whatever you say goes no further.”

“Sean, I really don’t know anything.”

He decided to try a different tack. “Why don’t I throw out some possibilities, and then you can jump in if they trigger anything?”

She looked doubtful. “Well?”

“Battle was a wealthy man. People benefit from his death, right?”