“I suppose I assumed—” He broke off in a pretense of not wanting to finish what he’d already implied.
“Assumed?”
“Well, don’t you look first at family members, in this kind of circumstance?”
“We do, of course, but we also look at friends, co-workers, clients.”
“You’re suggesting…what?” Longley donned outrage as easily as he did other emotions. “That she stumbled on some illegal or immoral action I’d taken practicing law, so I had to silence her? Or do you assume that we had a fiery affair that ended badly?”
“She was a beautiful woman.”
Facial muscles tight, the attorney said, “She was attractive. I meet many attractive women, Detective. I haven’t killed one yet.”
He hadn’t denied having sex with some of them, Tony couldn’t help noticing.
“And did you have an affair with Christine?”
Longley shot to his feet. “I did not, and I resent your implication. I’ve given you all the time I can afford.”
Tony nodded and took his time getting up. He even smiled. “I’ll be in touch if I have further questions, Mr. Longley.” He was at the door before he stopped and turned back. “Oh, you might want to check any records you still have for the day she disappeared. Being such good friends with the Marshalls, I’m sure you remember it. I’d be glad to cross you off my list if you can provide proof that you were traveling or in court all day, for example.”
The attorney’s glare felt like a laser sight on Tony’s back as he left.
* * *
BETH FOLDED THE flaps on the last cardboard box and sagged. She had wilted hours ago, but hauling every box into the shade or even into the garage hadn’t made sense. So she’d plastered on the sunscreen, worn a straw hat she’d had forever and endured.
Poor Officer Webley looked as relieved as she felt. Patches of sweat darkened his uniform under his arms and across his back. He’d fetched a towel from the trunk of his car and used it throughout the day to wipe sweat from his face.
“Nothing here,” she said.
It was hard not to notice that the top of his head was very sunburned. The officer looked to be in his twenties, and maybe he hadn’t wanted to draw attention to his bald patch by applying sunscreen. She had seen him pat it with the towel a few times when he thought she wasn’t looking.
“I vote we both get out of the sun,” she said. “Thank you for your help, Officer.”
“Is there anything I can do…?”
“Nope. I’m going to pop in the house and talk to my dad, then go home and take a cool shower.”
He worked up a weak grin. “The shower sounds good to me.”
He went out the gate between the garage and house, and Beth let herself in through the French doors.
Her father sat in his recliner, looking toward the photos on the mantel and doing absolutely nothing. Beth couldn’t remember ever seeing him without a book or journal at hand.
“Dad?”
He blinked and looked at her. “Are you done?”
“Yes. Nothing. Officer Webley is gone.”
“I hope you were careful with the sunscreen.”
Startled, she studied him anew. The comment was out of the ordinary for him.
“I tried,” she said. “It’s hard when rivers of sweat are washing the stuff off as fast as you put it on.”
“You’re so white-skinned. I remember how easily you burned as a child.”
He’d noticed?
“I still do.” She went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge. “Do you want anything?”
“No, thank you.”
Sitting on the sofa, she guzzled half the bottle, then pressed it to her hot forehead. After a minute, she lowered the bottle. “What were you thinking about?” she asked.
“I was…remembering,” he said slowly. His face had lines she’d never seen. “I’m not quite as oblivious as you think I am, Beth. I knew your mother was planning to leave me. I didn’t know what I could do to stop her. If she wasn’t happy, it didn’t seem right to prevent her from going. What I never believed was that she would leave you kids.”