the temptation to offer comfort. She needed real help more than she needed empty reassurances. “Let’s get all the facts on the table, okay? How did Chandler end up at Swan Ridge? Did he come back here with you after dinner that night?”
“No. I told him I was coming here and that he should stay in Richmond, that I didn’t want him anywhere near me.”
“He agreed?”
“He said he’d stay in Richmond and come down here later to pick up a few things. I made it a point to be out of the house all day yesterday to avoid another confrontation.”
“Where? Were you with anyone?”
She shook her head. “I took the boat out.”
“And stayed on the water till eleven?” he asked skeptically.
“No, till dusk.”
“Where do you keep the boat?”
“At the marina at Colonial Beach. I didn’t think we should keep it here because of…well, you know.”
“Because my brother owns the marina,” Tucker said, realizing anew in just how many small ways they had managed to keep their lives from intersecting. “What did you do next?”
“I stopped over there and had dinner.”
“Did you see anyone you knew?”
“No. The restaurant was almost empty.”
“Would the waitress remember you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe. We talked about her daughter and the trouble she’s having in school and about standardized testing. I know a lot about it, because it’s one of Larry’s campaign issues.”
“Did you mention Larry? Did she realize he was your husband?”
“No. At least, I don’t think so. His name never came up.”
“What time did you leave there?”
“Around ten-thirty, maybe a little later.”
“Then what?”
“I drove home. When I got to Swan Ridge, his car was in the driveway, so I knew he was inside. I almost turned around and left, but I didn’t want to act like a coward, not in my own home.”
“So you went in, and that’s when you found him?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have help working at the house?”
“Just Mrs. Gilman, but she only works when I call her. I hadn’t let her know that I was back in town.”
“Is that unusual? Wouldn’t you normally call her to get the place ready for your return? Maybe to go in and dust, stock the refrigerator, whatever?”
Her face paled. “Yes, but I…I didn’t this time.”
Tucker could see exactly how suspicious that would look to a jury. “Why?”
“I was too upset after I saw Larry that night. I came straight down here without calling. I just wanted to get away from him, to be alone.” Her gaze clashed with his. “It looks bad, doesn’t it? Like I didn’t want anyone around so I could kill him?”
“That’s one interpretation,” he agreed. “But your explanation is just as logical. The man had just given you a taste of how vengeful he could be. It’s little wonder you wanted to get away from him as fast as possible.”
“Will people believe that?”
He met her gaze. “I do.”
“Thank you. It’s more than I deserve.”
“Look, let’s get one thing straight,” he said bluntly. “I might hate what you did to me, but I don’t think you’re capable of murder.”
Relief spread across her face, only to fade in an instant. “Tucker, what should I do?”
Because he knew exactly how fast things would spin out of control once word of Chandler’s death started to spread, he said, “You need to hire a criminal attorney, someone from Richmond, I think. Do you know any good lawyers down there?”
“The city is crawling with them, though most of the ones I know don’t like to get their hands dirty with anything as messy as murder.”
Tucker nodded. “Then we should call Powell Knight. If he won’t take the case, he’ll recommend someone who will.”
“Powell Knight who bloodied your nose over me in the fifth grade?” she asked incredulously. “He’s a lawyer?”
Tucker chuckled. “He stopped the assaults before law school. He’s been walking the straight and narrow for years now. And he owes me. My nose is still crooked.”
Liz smiled for the first time since she’d begun talking. “It is not. It just has a little character.” She lifted her hand as if to touch it, then drew back with a sigh.
“Why does life have to be so damn complicated?” she asked wistfully.
“Keeps it interesting,” Tucker said. He might have said more, but common sense and practicalities kicked in. “Do you have a cell phone with you? Why don’t you make that call to Powell? I’ll see if I can’t rustle up some clothes for you to wear, then I’ll call the station and have a deputy meet us at Swan Ridge.”
“Do you have a stash of women’s clothes around here?” she asked, regarding him with curiosity.
“No. I’ll call my sister.”
“No,” Liz said at once, looking panic-stricken. “Tucker, you can’t call Daisy. She already hates my guts for what I did to you. She’ll be furious that I dragged you into the middle of this mess.”
“I would have been dragged into it one way or another,” he said, shrugging off her fears. “It happened in my jurisdiction. If you don’t want me to call Daisy, do you have any better ideas?”
She hesitated, her shoulders slumping. It was tantamount to an admission that she’d maintained few real friendships in Trinity Harbor. He almost felt sorry for her, but he steeled himself against the reaction. She’d made her choices. Her grandfather had been an important man in Trinity Harbor. She would have basked in the same respect shown him if she hadn’t hurt a Spencer.
“I’ll call Daisy, then. You don’t even have to see her. And she doesn’t need to know what’s going on, or even who the clothes are for.”
“You shouldn’t have to lie to your own sister on my account.”
“It’s an omission, not a lie.”
“I doubt she’ll see the distinction once she hears the whole story.”
“Let me worry about Daisy. You call Powell.”
