took it and returned a
hearty handshake. "Keep the Vanessa thing under your hat, at least until
the investigation is complete."
Silverman nodded; he
wasn't going to tell. "I might be out of work soon, so if you change your
mind about that show?"
Nathan smiled, "If
I do, you'll be the first to know."
Silverman returned the
smile and nodded to Archer and Laurel before he rose from the bench and trod
back into the house.
Nathan was staring at the stone and
mortar beneath his feet, remembering the day that Rock and his friend James
laid down the patio. It was a spring day, but the sky was overcast, and the air
cool. Still, the pair was soon sweating from their toils, carefully working on
their hands and knees until the circular patio was complete. Hours of work
reduced to thirty seconds of time-lapse video.
But Jaqui loved it.
Her Rock had made it for her. And it was usually sunny in the garden. It was
the thing she would miss most about the house.
"Nathan?"
Laurel asked.
"Yeah?"
"You want another
iced tea?"
"No. Just give me
a minute?"
"Alright, Nathan."
Laurel and Archer were
talking with each other, but he could tell they both had one eye on him. So he
closed his eyes and thought of his parents, Douglas and Anne. He imagined their
faces, ebullient and proud as he raised the state championship wrestling trophy
above his head. Their hair not yet tinged with grey. His life and theirs still
filled with so much promise and so few worries… Nathan opened his eyes and
looked down at his hands.
"My name is
Nathan Miller. And I'm going to find out who killed you, Rock Franklin,"
he whispered.
"What's that?"
Archer asked.
"Let's get back
to work," he told them.
Chapter 9
Carlota informed them that Vanessa was
resting in the guest room on the second floor so they sent the housekeeper to
ask if they could chat with her. Carlota returned shortly and escorted them up
the stairs to a bedroom overlooking the street where they found Vanessa seated
in a bay window peering out the lace curtains, watching the throng below. She
dismissed Carlota with a smile and a nod, but did not directly acknowledge
Nathan or the others. Laurel checked that the hallway was clear and closed the
door behind them.
There was only one
chair in the room, a solid wood seat with a high back that was paired with an
equally handsome roll top desk; Nathan moved the chair close to Vanessa and sat
down. Archer and Laurel stood in the background, but didn't crowd the pair.
Archer spoke as Nathan
was settling in, "Miss Scott, would you like to have an attorney present
while we talk?"
Vanessa finally looked
at Archer and it was clear to Nathan that she'd been crying. Then she shook her
head.
Either she was
innocent, or she knew she was caught. But which one would it be?
Nathan reached out and
took her hand, as well as her mind into his own. "I know you're hurting
right now and I know why."
Vanessa's eyes grew
wide with fear.
"But it's
alright. You don't have to be afraid. You come clean with us, it'll ease that
burden you're carrying," Nathan said in his most soothing voice.
"If you already
know? Then why?" Vanessa asked.
"Because we need
to hear it from you. And your confession will do you good," Nathan told
her.
She nodded and sighed,
"I'm not a bad person." And she thought of her first time with Rock:
how she should have stopped him, but didn't; how she loved finally being taken
by him, after so much longing; how she couldn't wait to do it again. But that
was all gone now…
"You loved him,"
Nathan said.
Vanessa sniffed, "We
loved each other ." She'd never felt such love before.
"When did it
start?" Nathan asked.
It started the day
that they met. But it was already too late. He'd been swept away with Jaqui.
And why not? Jaqui always held the spotlight. Next to her, Vanessa looked
plain. But then things changed. They changed . "A couple of months
ago."
"Did he know what
Jaqui was planning?"
"I didn't tell him. But he could see what was
hearty handshake. "Keep the Vanessa thing under your hat, at least until
the investigation is complete."
Silverman nodded; he
wasn't going to tell. "I might be out of work soon, so if you change your
mind about that show?"
Nathan smiled, "If
I do, you'll be the first to know."
Silverman returned the
smile and nodded to Archer and Laurel before he rose from the bench and trod
back into the house.
Nathan was staring at the stone and
mortar beneath his feet, remembering the day that Rock and his friend James
laid down the patio. It was a spring day, but the sky was overcast, and the air
cool. Still, the pair was soon sweating from their toils, carefully working on
their hands and knees until the circular patio was complete. Hours of work
reduced to thirty seconds of time-lapse video.
But Jaqui loved it.
Her Rock had made it for her. And it was usually sunny in the garden. It was
the thing she would miss most about the house.
"Nathan?"
Laurel asked.
"Yeah?"
"You want another
iced tea?"
"No. Just give me
a minute?"
"Alright, Nathan."
Laurel and Archer were
talking with each other, but he could tell they both had one eye on him. So he
closed his eyes and thought of his parents, Douglas and Anne. He imagined their
faces, ebullient and proud as he raised the state championship wrestling trophy
above his head. Their hair not yet tinged with grey. His life and theirs still
filled with so much promise and so few worries… Nathan opened his eyes and
looked down at his hands.
"My name is
Nathan Miller. And I'm going to find out who killed you, Rock Franklin,"
he whispered.
"What's that?"
Archer asked.
"Let's get back
to work," he told them.
Chapter 9
Carlota informed them that Vanessa was
resting in the guest room on the second floor so they sent the housekeeper to
ask if they could chat with her. Carlota returned shortly and escorted them up
the stairs to a bedroom overlooking the street where they found Vanessa seated
in a bay window peering out the lace curtains, watching the throng below. She
dismissed Carlota with a smile and a nod, but did not directly acknowledge
Nathan or the others. Laurel checked that the hallway was clear and closed the
door behind them.
There was only one
chair in the room, a solid wood seat with a high back that was paired with an
equally handsome roll top desk; Nathan moved the chair close to Vanessa and sat
down. Archer and Laurel stood in the background, but didn't crowd the pair.
Archer spoke as Nathan
was settling in, "Miss Scott, would you like to have an attorney present
while we talk?"
Vanessa finally looked
at Archer and it was clear to Nathan that she'd been crying. Then she shook her
head.
Either she was
innocent, or she knew she was caught. But which one would it be?
Nathan reached out and
took her hand, as well as her mind into his own. "I know you're hurting
right now and I know why."
Vanessa's eyes grew
wide with fear.
"But it's
alright. You don't have to be afraid. You come clean with us, it'll ease that
burden you're carrying," Nathan said in his most soothing voice.
"If you already
know? Then why?" Vanessa asked.
"Because we need
to hear it from you. And your confession will do you good," Nathan told
her.
She nodded and sighed,
"I'm not a bad person." And she thought of her first time with Rock:
how she should have stopped him, but didn't; how she loved finally being taken
by him, after so much longing; how she couldn't wait to do it again. But that
was all gone now…
"You loved him,"
Nathan said.
Vanessa sniffed, "We
loved each other ." She'd never felt such love before.
"When did it
start?" Nathan asked.
It started the day
that they met. But it was already too late. He'd been swept away with Jaqui.
And why not? Jaqui always held the spotlight. Next to her, Vanessa looked
plain. But then things changed. They changed . "A couple of months
ago."
"Did he know what
Jaqui was planning?"
"I didn't tell him. But he could see what was
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