Evidence of Life - By Barbara Taylor Sissel Page 0,30
on the desk and his nose in some file, and when he looked up, Abby watched his surprise morph into consternation. “Abby!” He took his feet down and straightened himself.
“I couldn’t stop her,” the assistant said from behind Abby.
“It’s all right, Jessica.” To Abby, he said, “I’m glad you came. I’ve been meaning to call you. Do you want something to drink? Coffee? Iced tea? Jessica, do we have iced tea made?”
“I don’t want any iced tea,” Abby said. “I want you to explain why you would discuss holding a memorial service for my husband and daughter with my mother-in-law without a word to me.”
Joe dismissed Jessica, asking her to close the door. He asked Abby to have a seat and she did. She wanted to appear cooperative so that he would tell her what he knew. Because he knew something; he was hiding something from her. She was convinced of it.
He spent some time apologizing. He should have been in touch with her, checked up on her.
Abby interrupted him. “Why did Nick go there? Why did he go to the Hill Country in April?”
“What do you mean? I suppose he went to relax, to spend time with Lindsey.”
“It’s too late for secrets.”
“Secrets?” Joe seemed perplexed, but Abby didn’t trust him.
She persisted. “You know about the surveillance tape; Dennis—Sheriff Henderson told me you saw it. So did I. It’s not Nick; it couldn’t be.”
When Joe didn’t answer immediately, Abby’s heart paused. “You don’t think it was him, do you?”
“I couldn’t say. The film quality was—”
“But Nick was here in his office working that day. He couldn’t have been in San Antonio, too.”
“I remember he was here that morning, but after that, I don’t know.”
“You’re saying Nick didn’t come back from lunch that afternoon?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Well, he was home at the usual time that evening.” Abby said this as if it were carved somewhere in stone, as if her memory of that day were photographic, unimpeachable, but, like Joe, she wasn’t sure.
He brought up Adam, as if that might distract Abby, saying it was a mystery to him why the authorities had released Adam on bail. “I heard they didn’t even bother taking his passport.”
Abby spoke over Joe. “You suspect Nick, don’t you? That’s why you haven’t called, because you couldn’t face me!” She could scarcely hear her own voice over the frightened thumping of her heart.
Joe denied it. He said his oversight had nothing to do with who was or wasn’t on the surveillance tape. He was annoyed at her now, and while she could see that he pitied her, too, he was struggling to maintain his composure. Abby had worked here once; she could read the signs; she knew patience wasn’t his strong suit.
He said, “Look, I told the San Antonio D.A. when he questioned me that Nick was cleared of all suspicion back in December when the business about the missing funds was exposed and Adam was arrested.”
“And?” Abby prompted.
“And nothing,” Joe said shortly. “But the whole thing with the surveillance tape is up in the air. Even the ID of Adam Sandoval is shaky. Until he’s caught or other evidence comes to light, any discussion of who is on the tape and what they’re up to is pure speculation.”
A taut silence fell.
Abby broke it. “Nick was supposed to testify for the prosecution when Adam was brought to trial.”
“Nick and a half dozen others who work here. This isn’t about taking out witnesses. You’ve watched too many movies.”
“But who’s to say—?”
“There’s nothing there, Abby. Trust me.”
But Abby didn’t. She couldn’t, and she looked through the window behind Joe, taking a moment to gather herself.
He said, “I remember when Nick first talked about bringing the suit against Helix Belle. He’d heard from those folks, the Rileys. Friends of your family, aren’t they?”
“We knew them, but only slightly. We met them when Jake played Little League.”
“I didn’t want anything to do with that case.” Joe fiddled with his pen, keeping his eye on it. “There wasn’t an attorney in town who wanted to touch it. It still surprises me that Nick took the risk. I didn’t think we’d see a dime. I remember asking him where he intended to work once he drove us into bankruptcy over it.”
Abby didn’t like the bitter edge in Joe’s voice, but she understood it. She’d been unhappy with Nick, too. But who could have known how complicated it would all get? On that Sunday afternoon two years ago when Doug and Wendy Riley