Adrianne Byrd - Deadly Double

Ming watched as tears slid down the widow’s face. She couldn’t help but imagine how distraught she would be if anything ever happened to Conan. But she did know what she would do if he ever cheated on her.

“Did you believe him?” Tyrese pressed.

Trisha hesitated.

Ming read that she was weighing whether to tell the truth or let sleeping dogs lie. “Let’s just say that he didn’t end it. Do you think this woman might want to cause him harm?” An awkward laugh burst from her chest. “Why? Ambrose is harmless.” Ming and Tyrese didn’t answer. “What?” Trisha asked. “You know something I don’t?” “We’ll ask the question.” Ming knew by the way the woman’s body jerked that she’d inadvertently ruffled Trisha’s feathers. Simmons took the reins. “Where was your husband going this morning, Mrs. Turner?” “To work.” “Does he always to work with a packed suitcase and an airline ticket to Brazil?” Trisha blinked. “His flight was at ten o’clock this morning.” Ming added gently. “He wasn’t on his way to work.” The widow’s tears dried instantly as her shoulders drooped. “That bastard.” Ming leaned forward. “Can you still not think of anyone who might want to harm your husband?” “He was probably with her that night,” Trisha said, as if she hadn’t heard Delaney. “With whom?” Tyrese and Ming asked in unison.

“I should have left him a long time ago,” Trisha rambled. “But he was such a good provider. I’ve been out of the work force for over twenty years, and what would all my friends think if I couldn’t hold my marriage together?”

Ming frowned and was momentarily thrown for a loop by such a Dark Ages comment. “Let’s slow down, Mrs. Turner. What night was he with someone else?”

Trisha crossed her arms. Anger radiated from her. “Friday night,” she said in a sharp clipped tone. “I heard him leave the house around midnight. He was only gone for a couple of hours. He probably thought I wouldn’t wake up.”

Dr. Bancroft was murdered early Saturday morning. Ming glanced over at her partner to see if the same suspicion had crept into his thoughts. “What time did he return home?” “Three o’clock. I remember because I read the clock on the nightstand. Tyrese reached inside his jacket for his small notepad. “But you suspect that he was with his mistress?” “Most likely.” Trisha’s lower lip trembled, a sign that a barrel still raged inside of her. “Do you know who she is or where we might be able to find her?”

“A few years ago, I hired a private detective to follow him around. I thought if my suspicions were correct, that I could leave him with a clear conscience. But I never did.”

Delaney and Simmons waited patiently.

“I have a file on the affair at home if you want to see it.” Trisha blew her nose and struggled to pull herself together. “Do I know who she is? How can a woman ever forget the name of the whore who’s made a mockery of her marriage?” Ming fought the urge to comfort the distraught woman, but she encouraged her to take her time. Trisha nodded, gathered herself, then finally responded. “Her name is Michelle…Michelle Andrews.”

Chapter 21

Despite it being a convenient way to avoid William, Josie grew restless from lying in bed. She needed to come up with a plan. She couldn’t just let Michelle still her life. She sat up and watched the fading sunlight slide through the blinds.

How on Earth had she allowed someone to do this to her? Just as quickly, she realized that she had allowed anything.

As the soft rap on the door, she turned to see William ease into the room. It magnetic eyes captured her attention, but when he smiled his lips triggered a memory—one when she and William lay naked in front of fireplace while his lips kissed every inch of her body.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, bursting her memory bubble.

Josie glanced away. “Better.”

The room was filled with too many atoms or something because it was suddenly hard to breathe and even more difficult to keep her eyes averted.

“Well, I thought you might want to get out of the house. Stretch your legs for a while.”

She perked up at the possibility. “You mean I can actually be a part of the world again?”

He clapped and rubbed his hands together, and his dimpled cheeks made an appearance. “I think you deserved it. Fresh air along with my company. You’re lucky girl.”

Josie laughed and got up from the bed. “ Nothing is going to attack us out there, is it?”

William touched the fading scratches on his face. “ Just the occasional tree branch.” He chuckled. “ We are nestled against a national park. Generally, there’s no campers out here this time a year, so the most will run up against our deer.”

“Then I’m game.”

The moment Josie stepped out the front door and into the cool breeze of autumn her spirits lifted to wondrous new heights. The cast of the fading sun and the winds gentle caress welcome her back to the land of the living.

“It’s beautiful out here,” she commented as he gave started around the world blanketed with red and gold leaves.

“Yeah, it’s nice.” He let the way across the long wooden porch, then helped her down the small stairs that deposited them onto a paved cul-de-sac next to the garage.

Despite the light sweater, Josie reacted to Williams touch as if it were pressed against their flesh. It seem the longer they were around each other, the stronger the attraction. She met his azure gaze and was almost certain the same emotions flowed through him.

Once they reach the graveled road, she glanced around, and asked, “ so where are we going?”

“I figure we can cut through here,” he said, pointing to all the walls and trees. “A few feet up, there is a hiking trail. We walked along it for while.” She nodded, but dinner I started in the opposite direction. “ Where does the road lead?” “At the bottom of the hill is state Highway 354.” “And the main interstate?” A memory teased her. William shrugged. “We’re about twenty minutes from I-185. Why?” “What else is near here?” “Well, there’s Callaway Gardens.” “Callaway Gardens?” she perked. “Yes. It’s a…” “Then we’re in Pine Mountain?” “You know the area? “My father played golf at Callaway all the time. He has a little place not too far from it. Maybe we can check it out?” William blinked, then shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

Josie flashed him a smile and reached for his hand as though it was the most natural thing to do. It felt like sliding on an old dress and marveling at how well it fit. They fit, they always had. “Sorry.” She released his hand. “Don’t be,” he said, reclaiming her hand. “It’s all right.” Her breath hitched in her throat as her heart skipped a beat. The man could still affect her like no other.

For the first few minutes of their walk, the only sound came from the crunching of leaves beneath their feet. After a while she cast long side glances at the man beside her and wondered what he was thinking.

The hiking trail wasn’t so bad; at most, it was a curvy, paved walkway around a mountaintop. Before long, they reached an overlook with a picturesque landscape of the setting sun.

“It’s magnificent,” she whispered. Her gaze danced odd the myriad colors splashed against the sky. “Have you ever seen anything this beautiful?”

“Of course. I’m looking at her.”

Surprised, she turned and met his sincere gaze. In an instant, her emotions tangled into a large mass within her chest. She found herself wishing he would gather her into his arms and kiss her senseless, but such an act would be like opening a can of worms.

He brushed his hand along the side of her face. “It’s good to see you back on your feet again.”