To Love and To Perish by Laura Durham

Author:Laura Durham
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

Chapter 20

“What do you mean there was a murder at Maxwell Gray’s party?” The cell phone slipped from my hands and clattered to the floor. “I just came from there.”

“We know.” Detective Hobbes looked somber. “Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?”

Ian stepped aside to let the men in. Each wore blue jeans topped with a wool blazer, but Reese’s black jacket looked stylish while Hobbes’s brown tweed made him seem even more frumpy than usual. I motioned for them to take a seat while I scooped up the parts of my cell phone. I guessed I’d have to call Richard back later.

I sank onto the couch wordlessly while Detective Hobbes took out a pen and clicked it a few times. My head began to pound. I knew I should have warned Kate and Gail about Byron. He must have overheard us and decided to get rid of Gail before she could tell the police. If only I’d gone back and told them. But it was too late. I assured myself that Kate was fine. Byron didn’t have as much of a reason to kill her, and he’d never try to get rid of them both.

Ian looked down at my shaking hands and took a seat next to me, draping an arm around my shoulders. Reese watched us then walked to the window while his partner took a seat across from me in the yellow armchair. Hobbes took a pocketsized notebook out of his tweed blazer and clicked his pen a few more times.

I steadied my voice. “I don’t know how much I can tell you, Detective. I wasn’t even at the party when the murder took place.”

“She’s been here with me for the past half an hour,” Ian confirmed.

Reese took in my mussed-up hair and high heels kicked off to the side of the couch. His eyes flitted to the glasses of wine on the coffee table. “I can see that.”

My cheeks warmed and I shot Reese a defiant look, then turned away from him and focused on his partner. Why did I care what Reese thought of my personal life? Aside from a little harmless flirting and some definite chemistry, we’d never had any sort of relationship.

“Did you see Stephanie Burke while you were there?” Hobbes asked.

“Stephanie?” I looked back and forth between the detectives. “Why do you want to know about her?”

Hobbes looked up from his notebook. “Because she was found strangled with a camera cable in Mr. Gray’s equipment closet.”

My eyes widened. I could feel the blood rushing in my ears, and I breathed deeply to keep from getting sick. “Stephanie was murdered tonight?” I couldn’t believe it. I’d been sure that the victim was Gail. Stephanie didn’t make any sense. Who would want to kill her? I didn’t think she’d been around long enough to make any enemies.

“Miss Archer?” Detective Hobbes waved a hand in front of me, and I heard his voice faintly through the ringing in my ears. “Did you see the deceased at the party tonight?”

I snapped back to reality.

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