She hesitated just a second too long.
“You still think I did.”
“It’s an open investigation. I—”
“Nah. Don’t hide behind that lingo, not after all the years we were friends. Be honest with me.”
“You want me to be honest? You look guilty as hell. All the times you lied to my face. And Tina Nash? You were sleeping with her? What were you thinking?”
“I didn’t mean for it to happen.”
“So, what—you just fell into her repeatedly?” Amanda crossed her arms, felt the heat in her cheeks.
“I loved Alicia, but she wasn’t always there emotionally. And I need more than just the physical. I want to be with a woman who is actually with me—mind, body, and soul.”
Silence fell between them for a few seconds, and she turned to leave.
“Thank you,” he said.
She faced him. “I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this because I’m not about to stick someone in jail without solid evidence against them, and you have received a threat. As an officer of the law, I am duty-bound to investigate the matter.”
“Good. Then you’ll see I’m innocent. In the meantime, what happens to me?”
“An officer will be here to get you shortly.”
“You’re putting me in a holding cell? Amanda, please don’t do this.”
His desperate plea, the sound of her name coming off his lips, tore her apart. The only thing giving her solace was her ability to hide behind the badge. She was just doing her job.
Trent pulled into the parking lot for New Belle, and Amanda pointed to Harold Armstrong’s Dodge Ram.
“Right model too,” she said. “Maybe we had it right in the first place. He found out about Alicia’s plan to sell, and he did what he felt he had to in order to protect his financial future.”
“Could be. And with Eve and her lawsuit against New Belle, Armstrong could have been worried that it would hurt the company.”
“Except Tony really didn’t seem to be.”
Trent shrugged. “Two men, two viewpoints.”
They both got out of the department car and went over to the truck. She looked closely at the tires.
“Are you looking for mud?” Trent asked. “You really expect to find some after this long?”
“You never know.” She moved from the front driver’s side to the front passenger’s side. A few moments later, she was shaking her head. “Nothing so far, but still have the two back wheels to go.” She didn’t see any mud until the last tire—driver’s side rear. “Look.” She pointed, pleased that she’d turned up something for her efforts.
“We’ll ask him how he got mud on his tire.” He smirked. “Sounds like a line from a country song.”
“I’ll trust you to know that. As for how the mud is there, I’m quite sure I can tell you already.”
Trent got the door for her, and Amanda went straight to the front desk. She observed a large poster displayed on an A-frame. An ad for Abandon, New Belle’s latest fragrance. She noted the brand tagline again: Dare to live the life you deserve.
“Good morning. Welcome to New Belle. How can I assist you?” This receptionist wasn’t the one who’d been there last time they visited.
Amanda went through the brief introductions and asked to speak with Harold Armstrong.
“Mr. Armstrong is currently on a conference call. He should be finished shortly, though.”
“Please let him know we’re here,” Amanda said. “In the meantime, we’d like to speak with Scarlett Dixon.” They’d met her before. Scarlett was Alicia and Tony’s assistant.
“One minute.” The receptionist smiled as she picked up the receiver and placed a call.
Amanda’s plan was to talk to anyone who knew where Tony Bishop kept his stamp. They didn’t have reason to suspect Scarlett Dixon before, but maybe she had a motive to want Alicia Gordon and Eve Kelley dead that they weren’t aware of? Or maybe she was working with someone in this deadly game? Did she stand to lose something if New Belle was sold or fell into receivership? As Alicia’s assistant, it was feasible she might be privy to personal information as well—specifically that Alicia took a sleeping aid.
A second or two later, the receptionist said, “Scarlett will be right down for you.”
“Thank you.”