fire over thirty years ago.”
“An article about her is in the file you stole from Mr. Worthington's computer.”
Jack shrugged. “I don't know her. How could I? She died when I was an infant.”
“You have no idea why the article about her death would be filed with your information?”
“No.”
“It could have been a mistake on Mr. Worthington's part,” Tess said. “He must have had many files on people. It was probably meant for one of them.”
"We don't know that of course because the computer is missing," Detective Johnson said.
Tess stopped herself from rolling her eyes. She understood his suspicion.
Detective Johnson sat back, studied Jack and then Tess. “You're free to go, but I'd like you to stay in town.”
“Mr. Valentine has business that takes him to Washington,” Tess said.
“Stay available.”
Chapter Fifteen
“That wasn't so bad,” Jack said once they'd left the station.
“It was bad enough.”
“What do you mean?”
Tess rubbed her gloved hands together. “It's freezing. Let's get some coffee.”
His eyes lit up. “How about dinner?”
“We're still working. How about coffee?”
“How about ice cream? There's place just up the street.”
“It's 10 degrees and you want ice cream?”
“Ice cream is 32 degrees. It will warm us up. Come on. I'll buy you ooey gooey chocolate chunky decadence.”
She did like chocolate. “Two scoops?”
“Two scoops,” he agreed slinging his arm around her shoulders and guiding her up the street.
Tess sat in the ice creamery with a double scoop of chocolaty ice cream on a cone. The place was empty except for Mr. Sorenson, the owner who was busy wiping off the counter. Tess figured that everyone else was having a hot chocolate in the java joint across the street. The ice cream was cold, but Tess had to admit, it was good.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”
“Must be disconcerting to be out talked, considering you're a lawyer.”
She looked up at him over her ice cream. “It would be different if we were in court.”
“After what I saw today, I don’t doubt it. But now I know where you are vulnerable.”
Tess shivered, not from the cold ice cream, but from his use of the word “vulnerable”. She didn't like being vulnerable. She hated even more that he was right. Somehow with him, she was very much at risk.
“The way to your heart is through chocolate.” He grinned and then bit into his own ice cream. Chocolate was her Achilles' heel. But she wasn't about to let it become the way to her heart.
"Maybe we can get to the business at hand," she said.
“So what did you see that I missed in that interview?”
“It's not something you missed. They didn't have anything new except that Lauren didn't do it. Getting a ticket is a pretty good alibi. But there is no doubt that you're at the top of the list."
“That I figured out yesterday. Do you think I'm the only one they're looking at?”
“Officially, no." She lapped up a drip of ice cream before it could land on her hand. "But unofficially, I think they're focused on you and only you. There is strong circumstantial evidence. They just need proof to back it up.”
"There is no proof. I didn't do it."
"Jack, proof comes in all forms. Innocent people go to jail all the time."
Again there was that flash of heat that came to his eyes when irritated. "So what do I do? I'm not going to sit around while they take evidence and skew it to make me a murderer."
"I think you should hire a private investigator."
“A private investigator?”
“I think the best way to get the attention off of you, is to offer up more compelling information on someone else. And the only way that will come to light is if someone else is looking into it.”
“More compelling than the son and the daughter-in-law lied?” He ignored the drip of his ice cream that fell on the table.
"That is compelling, but it has to be proven." She reached over towards him with her
“An article about her is in the file you stole from Mr. Worthington's computer.”
Jack shrugged. “I don't know her. How could I? She died when I was an infant.”
“You have no idea why the article about her death would be filed with your information?”
“No.”
“It could have been a mistake on Mr. Worthington's part,” Tess said. “He must have had many files on people. It was probably meant for one of them.”
"We don't know that of course because the computer is missing," Detective Johnson said.
Tess stopped herself from rolling her eyes. She understood his suspicion.
Detective Johnson sat back, studied Jack and then Tess. “You're free to go, but I'd like you to stay in town.”
“Mr. Valentine has business that takes him to Washington,” Tess said.
“Stay available.”
Chapter Fifteen
“That wasn't so bad,” Jack said once they'd left the station.
“It was bad enough.”
“What do you mean?”
Tess rubbed her gloved hands together. “It's freezing. Let's get some coffee.”
His eyes lit up. “How about dinner?”
“We're still working. How about coffee?”
“How about ice cream? There's place just up the street.”
“It's 10 degrees and you want ice cream?”
“Ice cream is 32 degrees. It will warm us up. Come on. I'll buy you ooey gooey chocolate chunky decadence.”
She did like chocolate. “Two scoops?”
“Two scoops,” he agreed slinging his arm around her shoulders and guiding her up the street.
Tess sat in the ice creamery with a double scoop of chocolaty ice cream on a cone. The place was empty except for Mr. Sorenson, the owner who was busy wiping off the counter. Tess figured that everyone else was having a hot chocolate in the java joint across the street. The ice cream was cold, but Tess had to admit, it was good.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.”
“Must be disconcerting to be out talked, considering you're a lawyer.”
She looked up at him over her ice cream. “It would be different if we were in court.”
“After what I saw today, I don’t doubt it. But now I know where you are vulnerable.”
Tess shivered, not from the cold ice cream, but from his use of the word “vulnerable”. She didn't like being vulnerable. She hated even more that he was right. Somehow with him, she was very much at risk.
“The way to your heart is through chocolate.” He grinned and then bit into his own ice cream. Chocolate was her Achilles' heel. But she wasn't about to let it become the way to her heart.
"Maybe we can get to the business at hand," she said.
“So what did you see that I missed in that interview?”
“It's not something you missed. They didn't have anything new except that Lauren didn't do it. Getting a ticket is a pretty good alibi. But there is no doubt that you're at the top of the list."
“That I figured out yesterday. Do you think I'm the only one they're looking at?”
“Officially, no." She lapped up a drip of ice cream before it could land on her hand. "But unofficially, I think they're focused on you and only you. There is strong circumstantial evidence. They just need proof to back it up.”
"There is no proof. I didn't do it."
"Jack, proof comes in all forms. Innocent people go to jail all the time."
Again there was that flash of heat that came to his eyes when irritated. "So what do I do? I'm not going to sit around while they take evidence and skew it to make me a murderer."
"I think you should hire a private investigator."
“A private investigator?”
“I think the best way to get the attention off of you, is to offer up more compelling information on someone else. And the only way that will come to light is if someone else is looking into it.”
“More compelling than the son and the daughter-in-law lied?” He ignored the drip of his ice cream that fell on the table.
"That is compelling, but it has to be proven." She reached over towards him with her
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