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  Her forehead wrinkled in surprise. “You went to see Barry? Why?”

  “Oh, um ... I had some hypothetical questions about what would happen to Roy’s estate should it be revealed that he had a child out of wedlock. I wanted to know if that would affect what Vera was due to inherit.”

  “What did he say?”

  I shrugged. “He said there were a lot of factors, including whether or not the other woman signed off on a financial stake.”

  “I didn’t know that.” She straightened in her chair. “Is an agreement signed before a death still legal in a case like this?”

  I nodded. “Apparently so.”

  “I ... well ... huh.” She looked conflicted. “Do you think someone killed Roy because of money?”

  “It’s possible.”

  “I bet it was Vera.” Erin’s expression darkened. “She refused to let that poor man go even though it was obvious he didn’t love her. The more he tried to escape, the tighter she clung to him. It was pretty sickening.”

  The vehemence pooling off her made me distinctly uncomfortable. “I think she’s just frightened. She’s never been on her own. I don’t know that she’s broken-hearted about his death but I don’t think she wished him ill.”

  “No, she’s evil.”

  “Well, Barry said that Roy’s estate is probably going to be a nightmare to unravel if there are other children out there.” I thought of Dakota. “Someone will have to put in a claim and go through a DNA test if it comes to that.”

  “Can you even do a DNA test when someone is pregnant?”

  I shrugged. “I was thinking more along the lines of children who already exist. Vera said there might be one or two running around ... and even if Roy managed to get the mother to sign off, there’s still the possibility of battling over the estate in court.”

  “But ... that doesn’t seem right. I mean, if you sign off, you sign off.”

  “I don’t think anything is simple when you’re dealing with law enforcement,” I replied. “Either way, I don’t look for Roy’s murder to be solved anytime soon. The money would likely be held up until Vera is cleared as a suspect. The insurance company won’t pay out to a murder suspect.”

  Erin rubbed her chin. “I’m surprised that she hasn’t been arrested yet. She’s the one with the most to gain from his death.”

  “There are questions about the logistics of the murder.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Roy was killed behind the restaurant, but his vehicle was found over here. Hunter said they’re checking it for prints and he expects a hit. I guess we’ll see.”

  “I guess.” Erin’s expression was momentarily cloudy and then she forced a smile. “So ... what’s going on with you and Hunter? Once he dumps Monica, is it smooth sailing back to one another?”

  Ugh. That was a question I didn’t — and couldn’t — answer. “Nothing is going on with Hunter,” I repeated. “As for me ... .” I trailed off, my gaze drifting to the funeral home across the street. “I just remembered, I have to talk to Sebastian about something. It was nice talking to you.”

  I was eager to make my escape.

  “Okay, but the questions about Hunter aren’t going anywhere,” she said mischievously. “The fact that he spent the night with you on your couch is going to come up at some point.”

  “Not today.” I headed for the door. “Good luck on the job search ... and I hope things work out well with your old guy.”

  “You and me both, honey.”

  28

  Twenty-Eight

  Sebastian reclined on one of the settees, flipping through a heavy book. He straightened, pasted a businesslike welcoming smile on his face, and then deflated when he saw it was me.

  “It’s nice to see you, too,” I snickered.

  He held up a placating hand. “Nothing personal. I thought you might be a customer.”

  “Sorry. I don’t plan to die anytime soon. Although, if Monica has her way, my mother might be in here soon pulling a Vera and picking out everything I hate.”

  Sebastian’s expression changed from disappointment to amusement in an instant. “I heard the big gossip.” He shifted so there was an open spot on the settee and patted the cushion. “Sit down and tell me absolutely everything.”

  I scowled. “There’s nothing to tell.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. You two spent the night together. There’s definitely something to tell.”

  Defeat washed over me. There was no way this gossip would die down anytime soon. “He slept on the couch.” I was morose when I plopped into one of the chairs. I didn’t want to sit next to Sebastian in case he tried to wrestle me down and demand answers. He was built, strong enough that it wouldn’t take much effort to hold me in place.

  “But I heard you slept with him,” Sebastian countered. “That’s more than just friendship.”

  “I ... .” Something occurred to me. “Wait ... how do you know we slept on the couch together?”

  He shrugged. “That’s what everyone is saying.”

  “Yeah, but ... how can they possibly know that?”

  “Honey, gossip runs faster in this town than the mayor when he has the trots,” he deadpanned. “Once one person knows, everybody knows.”

  “Except the only two people who should know we slept on the couch together are Hunter and me. There was nobody else there.”

  Sebastian faltered. “Well, maybe he told someone.”

  I shot him a “get real” look. “Really? You think that came up in random conversation, do you? Besides, he spent the entire morning at my apartment installing a security system. The only time he left was to get blinds and a few tools. He went to the store and immediately came back. There’s no way he just volunteered that information out of nowhere.”

  “I guess.” Sebastian turned pensive. “Maybe someone made it up and just got lucky. Stranger things have happened.”

  “If you were making up that story, wouldn’t it make more sense to say we were in my bedroom? That’s more likely. Sleeping together on the couch — and nothing more happened than that, gutter mind — isn’t the assumption most people would jump to.”

  “I guess that’s true.” He studied my face. “What are you thinking?”

  “That someone saw us.” That was the only thing that made sense. “The sliding glass doors give an open view of the entire living room if you’re on the balcony looking in.” A small shudder ran through me at the thought of someone watching us sleep. “Who told you Hunter and I were on the couch together?”

  “Let me think.” Sebastian chewed his bottom lip. “I know I heard it this morning. I was getting coffee at the shop. Dana Sandusky was in there getting her usual white chocolate decaf mocha, but she wasn’t talking about you. She was talking about being constipated. She’s pregnant, and apparently that’s a thing.”

  I made a face. “Thanks so much for that visual.”

  He chuckled. “It was Erin Higgins.” He bobbed his head after a moment’s contemplation. “She was in there getting tea. She seemed upset, looked pale. She said she was feeling sick to her stomach and didn’t sleep most of the night. She told me.”

  I thought back to the conversation I’d had with Erin only minutes earlier. “I just ran into her at the coffee shop. Now that you mention it, she brought up Hunter and me being on the couch, too. It didn’t click at the time. Does she live there or something? At the coffee shop, I mean.”

  Sebastian chuckled. “No, but Roy’s office is just down the street. She made regular runs because it was her job to keep the agents caffeinated. She’s a big fan of the peppermint tea. Janice — she’s one of the workers there — said she heard Erin was pregnant and that’s why she liked the tea. It settles her stomach.”

  “Pregnant?”

  He shrugged. “It’s probably Bobby Buttons. Those two can’t stay away from one another. It’s a little disgusting.”

  It sounded plenty disgusting. “But ... she didn’t mention being pregnant.”<
br />
  “Why would she? No offense, but you’re barely back in town. It’s not as if you two know each other all that well.”

  “No, but ... .” Something clicked into place. “She said she was dating an old guy.”

  His eyes widened. “Okay, maybe she would open up to you.”

  “She said that she and Bobby had sexual chemistry but that he refused to get a job.” My mind was working at a fantastic rate. “She said that she decided to go after a man who could take care of her financially. She didn’t care that he was old.”

  Realization dawned in Sebastian’s keen eyes. “You think she was messing around with Roy.”

  It made sense, and yet there was something off about the assumption. “When I first questioned the workers about Roy’s death, Erin was out front. She seemed genuinely broken up. She said that he was a good boss as she sobbed. Sandy Gellar was there, but she said that Roy regularly gave Erin disappointed looks. She was really snarky about it, as if she knew something but wasn’t sharing.”

  “Well, Sandy is excellent with gossip,” Sebastian agreed. “If Erin was pregnant by Roy, though, everybody in town would know about it. Nobody in Shadow Hills can keep a secret.”

  “What if it’s more than that?” I asked. “You said that everyone in town was mad at Roy for borrowing things and not returning them. When Hunter went to his house, he found a pristine garage that had recently been cleaned. What if Roy had something really gross going on in his garage?”

  “Like what?”

  “Like ... .” What? I was a fiction writer and my mind immediately went to the preposterous. I felt as if I was on to something, though.

  “Like an underground adult film enterprise,” a voice volunteered from the rear door, causing us both to jolt.

  When I turned to see who had entered the building, my heart lodged in my throat. Erin stared at us with unreadable eyes. “You just couldn’t leave it alone, could you, Stormy?”

  “I ... .” It felt as if something big was about to happen, but I couldn’t wrap my head around what it could possibly be.

  “This is all your fault,” Erin muttered, scraping her foot against Sebastian’s pristine hardwood floors. “None of this would’ve happened if you’d just kept your nose out of my business.”

  I was confused. “I didn’t stick my nose into your business.”

  She rolled her eyes. “If you weren’t digging, if you didn’t know, then why did you ask me all those questions about the guy I was seeing? Why did you tell me what Barry had said?”

  I struggled to catch up. I considered myself relatively astute when it came to reading people and figuring things out, but I was at a genuine loss. “I was just talking out loud.”

  She shook her head and heaved out a sigh. “You know. You know because Barry told you. He covered for Vera and Roy for years, but when Vera decided it was time to get out, he saw an opportunity. I knew he couldn’t be trusted.”

  I swallowed hard and slid my eyes to Sebastian. He looked as confused as I felt. “Do you know what she’s talking about?” I asked.

  He shook his head, but there was something about his stare that told me he was ahead of me on this one. “There were rumors,” he said. “They’ve been going around for years.”

  “Rumors about Roy knocking up his employees?”

  “Well, yes, but those weren’t the rumors I mean. Roy didn’t exactly hide his proclivities. Vera was better about it, but in a town this size even she couldn’t keep a secret.”

  “So ... Vera did what?”

  “Vera came up with an idea to make movies,” Erin answered for him, her tone bitter. “She conducted research online and found there was a niche for films featuring older men and young women. Roy could never keep it in his pants, so she thought they might as well make money off his impulses.”

  “Did you know about this?” I demanded of Sebastian.

  “I heard some things,” he hedged, distinctly uncomfortable. “I thought it was made up. You know how this town is. There are people still spouting that rumor that Maude Jenkins is really a man because she’s been able to sprout a full beard since menopause. I didn’t think it was real.”

  I wanted to kick him. If he’d shared that bit of gossip from the start it might not have taken us so long to realize what was happening. “You are unbelievable,” I hissed. “I’m taking your gossip card away as soon as this is over.”

  “It won’t be long until it’s over,” Erin promised, her eyes — once so full of life — somber and dead. “I can’t afford for this story to get out. I have to silence you.”

  “Silence us?” Sebastian’s voice hopped. “How are you going to do that? Do you have a gun? Or a knife? I once saw a horror movie where the killer used a fire poker to carry out a bunch of murders.”

  “Stop giving her ideas,” I hissed.

  “I’m not going to do anything,” Erin promised. “But they ... .” She inclined her head toward the front door. While we’d been distracted by Erin, two people had entered through the front door without a sound.

  “Vera,” I said on a note of disgust.

  “And Barry,” Sebastian added. “This is quite the gathering of minds.”

  “It’s a waste is what it is,” Barry snapped, shaking his head. He had a hand in his coat, making me think he had a weapon stashed. Erin was acting the same way, so we’d gone from outnumbering her to being outnumbered — and that didn’t take into account the potential weapons. We had to distract them until we came up with a plan ... or someone came looking for us ... or we could find a way to escape. There had to be a way.

  “I don’t understand what’s happening,” I said, opting for honesty. At the very least I needed answers. “What is all of this?”

  “It was a business plan,” Vera replied blandly. “Roy was a terrible husband, but he was great when it came to money-making ideas. He also had a porn fetish, which is how I knew what sort of disgusting scenario would sell. He was always buying it, so we decided to turn it into a financial investment. You know, old guy mows lawn naked and pretty young thing comes over to help ... and gets so hot she just has to have him.”

  The images she stirred in my mind were disgusting. “So Roy and Erin filmed a bunch of movies and you sold them?”

  “Not just Erin,” Vera countered. “You need variety if you’re going to pull off something like this. You need props and professional lighting with pink gel bulbs to soften the wrinkles.”

  “I think I’m going to be sick,” Sebastian complained.

  He wasn’t the only one. “How many women did Roy do this with?”

  “Knowingly, only Erin. Unknowingly, ... .” Vera trailed off, mustering a demented smile.

  “I think I’ve got you beat on feeling sick,” I said to Sebastian, grim.

  “This whole thing is absolutely disgusting.”

  “You’re saying that Roy had sex with anyone who would fall for his crap and filmed them without their knowledge,” I volunteered. “You guys made money off the backs of innocent young women.”

  Vera’s eyes narrowed. “They were hardly innocent. Each woman who was with him knew that he was married. That didn’t stop a single one of them. They were all trying to trap him, get pregnant, and take his money. They earned what they got.”

  “And Tina?” Even though I knew it was wrong to out her, I desperately needed to understand. “She didn’t seduce Roy. She was blackmailed into having sex with him or risk losing her job.”

  “Tina ended up with all of my money,” Vera fired back. “She lives in a better house than I do. She has money in the bank, unlike me. That little brat of hers has a future. I couldn’t even have children. She should consider herself lucky.”

  “Yes, I’m sure she feels grateful to have been used for your disgusting practice,” I muttered.

  “Nobody got hurt,” Barry argued. “It was a quiet operation. None of the women filmed even knew until Erin opened her big mouth.” He glared at the younger woman. “She set all of this in moti
on. Unfortunately, you’re going to suffer the fallout. There isn’t much I can do about that.

  “I knew when you came to the office asking questions that you were going to be a problem,” he continued. “I compared notes with Vera. She said you’d been poking your nose into her business when she was here making arrangements for Roy’s funeral. When Erin called and told us about the conversation the two of you had this afternoon it became apparent we had to silence you.”

  “But I didn’t know anything,” I argued. “Until right now, I had no idea what you guys were doing.”

  “So you say,” Vera said. “We can’t take the risk. We’re at the end of an odyssey now. We have to make sure that things play out as they were meant to.”

  “What odyssey?” I snapped. “You killed Roy. Why? He was the reason you were making money.”

  “He was also the reason we lost all the money,” Vera shot back. “Tina was hardly the first woman to come up pregnant by Roy. There were two payouts before her. By the time she got her cut, we had almost nothing left. The nest egg we’d managed to put together with the movies was gone.

  “I only agreed to the movies for the money,” she continued. “I figured he owed me after the years of betrayal. He swore up and down that the movies were a great idea. They would keep him busy and allow us to survive. We were surviving, and building, and then this one turned up pregnant.” She extended a finger in Erin’s direction.

  “Don’t blame this on me,” Erin hissed. “It would’ve been fine if he didn’t want to add yet another woman to the mix. He was supposed to stop with me.”

  This kept getting more convoluted. “So ... you were in love with him?”

  Erin snorted. “Oh, please. I already told you that I love Bobby, even though he’s a total loser.”

  “He is,” Barry agreed, ruthlessly bad-talking his own son. “He’s as lazy as they come. Erin had a plan to get the money for them to live on. Bobby couldn’t know how she managed to come by it because he never would’ve forgiven her. We had a lie ready for that. He’s not very bright. He would’ve believed she inherited from a dead relative. Everything was going along smoothly and then ... baby.”