Allison Brennan - See No Evil

It had already cost her half her family’s wealth-Matt’s inheritance-to see Emily. Julia had dropped the probate lawsuit when Crystal consented to a one-day-a-week visitation. At least Emily had a secure trust fund that Crystal couldn’t touch.

“Emily has a history of delinquency,” Will said, the friendly good guy gone and the hard-nosed cop in his place. “Runaway, vandalism-”

“You don’t have to quote her rap sheet to me, Detective,” she snapped, angry with herself for losing her temper. “I know Emily has problems. She’s been working hard to turn her life around. You don’t know her mother-”

“No, I don’t. But I’m about to go interview her.”

“I have a question for you, Will,” she said, trying but failing to keep the prosecutor out of her voice. “Why was there a lag time between the nine-one-one call and the call for an ambulance?”

Hooper’s eyes narrowed. “I was just about to ask Crystal Montgomery.”

“Why?”

“She didn’t tell anyone her daughter was in the house.”

Julia’s chest tightened and for a moment she almost couldn’t breathe. She whirled around, pushed the pocket doors into the wall, and strode across the hall to the living room. Will was behind her, but he didn’t stop her. The back of her mind ran scenarios: Why was he baiting her? Was this a game to see what kind of reaction Crystal had? Was Emily in deeper trouble than she knew? Julia was almost blind with anger when she opened the living-room doors.

Poised and classy, Crystal Montgomery emanated old money, though it was Chandler old money that had bought her style. A forty-something former fashion model in a chic business suit, a petite version of Professional Barbie, Crystal Montgomery was a viper in disguise.

Crystal’s mouth opened and closed, her eyes narrowed, and she glared at Julia. “What are you doing here?” she snarled.

“You found Victor dead and you didn’t even check on Emily? What’s wrong with you?”

“Don’t talk to me.”

“Answer my question!”

“I’m not on trial. I don’t have to answer your questions, Julia.”

Fists tightening, Julia whirled around to collect her temper. Think about Emily. Protecting her niece was the most important thing. She glanced at Detective Hooper, still standing by the door, a blank expression on his face.

Crystal saw Will at the same time. Her voice turned softer, worried, a hint of a tremble. “Detective. She…she killed Victor, didn’t she?”

“What?” Julia slowly turned to face her sister-in-law. “How can you even think such a thing?”

“The crime lab is on the premises and they have yet to make their report,” Will said formally, closing the wide living-room double doors behind him. “I have a few questions, if you don’t mind.”

“I refuse to allow Julia to be involved with this investigation,” Crystal said. “Isn’t there some conflict of interest? She’s related.”

“The inner workings of the District Attorney’s Office are far beyond my influence,” Will said noncommittally, but Julia registered the concern in his eyes.

“I’ll call Andrew Stanton myself.”

Will hardened, and Julia couldn’t help but feel a hint of glee that Crystal had shown her colors early on. No cop appreciated a threat to call any superior.

To avoid putting Will in a difficult position, primarily because she wanted him on her side, Julia said, “I’m leaving. But this isn’t over, Crystal. Don’t screw with Emily.”

“You’re blind, Julia. You always have been.”

Julia firmly shut the door behind her and gathered her wits. How could she be so certain of Emily’s innocence?

Beautiful, smart, destined for something wonderful, Emily wouldn’t have killed anyone. She was just sixteen, dammit, and even with all her problems an honor student.

But what were Emily’s problems? Running away three years ago had been a shock. Worse, Julia hadn’t even known Emily had run. Crystal didn’t tell her. It wasn’t until she came by the following Sunday morning to pick her up that Crystal said her daughter hadn’t come home from school on Tuesday. That had been five days previous. Emily could have been kidnapped, raped, or murdered. The prosecutor in Julia had envisioned every scenario with increasing dread.

Crystal had notified the police and filed a missing persons report forty-eight hours after Emily didn’t return home from school, but there was no evidence of foul play, no ransom request, nothing.

That was when Julia took matters into her own hands and hired a private investigator.

She straightened and everything became clear. Connor Kincaid. She couldn’t be involved in the investigation-she knew the DA would have a fit considering how politically charged this case promised to be-but Connor was a pit bull when he cared about something. And he cared about Emily. He’d tracked her down after three torturous months and brought her home.

He’d made it clear that finding Emily three years ago when she’d run away was the last time he planned on talking to Julia, but Connor wouldn’t turn his back on Emily when she needed him.

And she needed him, now more than ever. There was no way Julia could trust Crystal with Emily’s welfare. The police, though more than competent, had a multitude of cases on their plate. And the press…Julia didn’t even want to think what was going to be in the newspapers and on television over the coming days. She’d managed to keep a low profile, especially after Matt died, but the vultures always circled around the money and tragedy that surrounded the Chandler name.

She pulled out her cell phone and looked up Connor’s number in her electronic address book. She’d had to swallow her pride to call him three years ago to find Emily, but she still had his number. Just in case.

His voice mail picked up. “Kincaid here. Leave a message.” Beep.

Why was her heart pounding? She cleared her throat. “Connor, it’s Julia Chandler. I have a job for you. It’s about Emily.” She left her number and hung up. She hated using Em’s name, but he’d never call back if he thought it would help her.

“Counselor?” Jim Gage came down the stairs and cocked his head. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to check on my niece, Emily.”

Gage didn’t look surprised. “She’s at the hospital. Where’s Hooper?”

“Talking to the victim’s wife.”

“Would that be your sister-in-law?”

“Unfortunately.”

“You shouldn’t be here.”

“I haven’t touched anything. Tell me what happened.” When Gage didn’t respond, she added, “I’m going to hear about it when I get to the office.”

Detective Hooper stepped out of the living room, closed the doors behind him, and glanced from Julia to Gage. “Well, that didn’t go over too well. Mrs. Montgomery’s calling her lawyer.”

“Why?” Julia asked. “Is she a suspect?”

“She has an alibi.” He paused, uncertain.

“Will, I just told Gage that I’ll hear all the details anyway. You know that. Just spill it.”

“I can’t imagine a mother not worried about her teenaged daughter after she discovers her husband murdered,” he said simply. “It just doesn’t ring true.”

“You don’t know Crystal Montgomery. She’s a sociopath,” Julia said.

“What?”

“She’s narcissistic and a pathological liar. My brother was married to her for ten years and I had to fight for visitation of my only niece after he died. She would never think of Emily first, second, or last. It’s all Crystal, all the time. The phrase, ‘it’s all about me’ could have been coined just for her.”

Julia cleared her throat. “Look, I need to know what happened to Victor. Emily couldn’t possibly have killed him. I know my niece.”