Maggie, Isabel, and Camille that had gotten her through it.
“Did anyone call Sully?” Emily asked, wondering if Maggie’s brother was aware of what had happened.
“I called him,” Maggie replied, working to stifle her sobs, “but it just went to voicemail. I didn’t want to leave that kind of message on his phone.”
“I’ll try him again for you,” Jonathan offered.
“Thanks, hon,” Camille said, lightly patting her husband’s back. “Maggie, dear, have you had anything to eat this morning?”
“No,” Maggie replied softly, her tears subsiding.
“Why don’t you let me make something for you? You’re going to need your strength today.” Camille went to the kitchen and Jonathan stepped outside to make the call to Sully.
“Is Isabel on her way?” Emily asked.
“No, Alex said she had to go into work today, you know, that big FBI case she’s workin’ on.” Maggie walked to the sofa and dropped onto it. She leaned into the cushions and put the back of her hand against her forehead, closing her eyes. “The trial starts next week and she has to tie up some final details. He said he’d let her know what was happenin’ and have her stop by as soon as she could.”
Emily remembered Isabel mentioning the trial. She also recalled having told Isabel she’d drop something off to her last night that would have Lucas’s fingerprints on it so she could have the FBI run the prints first thing Monday morning. That’s when she realized the crystal paperweight was still in her purse. With the murder last night, she had forgotten all about it. Keeping it now seemed unnecessary, but how could she return it without being noticed? She decided to keep it awhile longer.
Jonathan stepped inside from the porch. Before he went to help Camille in the kitchen, he told everyone about the call to Sully. He said Sully was going to head straight down to the police station to find out what was happening with Josh, and he’d let Maggie know as soon as he knew anything.
Emily watched Colin from across the room as he took a seat next to Maggie, promising they were all going to do their best to help her through this nightmare. Emily knew he understood Maggie’s heartache as much as she did. All three of them had violently lost someone they loved.
Colin took Maggie’s hand and spoke softly to her. Emily couldn’t hear all of what he was saying, but his tenderness and compassion fanned the flame of her affection for him. She would have to thank Ernie later, for calling him last night.
He patted Maggie’s hand and caught Emily’s gaze as he stood and walked over to her. “I’m going to go call on Ernie and see what I can learn from him.”
Emily pushed up on her tiptoes and gave him a quick kiss. “Thank you, Colin.”
“For what?” He seemed puzzled.
“For being you. I saw how gentle you were with Maggie just now.”
“You and I both know what she’s going through. I simply wanted to help. But what I need to do now is go and talk to Ernie.”
“I want to be there,” Emily said, “hear what he has to say.”
“I think it’s best if I go alone, talk to him man to man.”
“You mean detective to detective?”
“Something like that.”
“I’m a detective. A private detective.” She poked a finger at his chest, feeling like maybe he didn’t think she was on par with them. She tried not to react the way she had in the beginning of their relationship when she used to prickle at what she considered to be his condescending attitude toward her lack of experience. They’d gotten past that. She had experience now—heck, she carried a gun and taught self-defense classes.
“I remember,” he said with a grin. “Who do you think nicknamed you the smokin’ hot lady PI?”
“So why are you shutting me out?” Emily asked.
“I think Ernie will be more forthcoming if it’s just him and me. That’s all. Don’t get your panties in a twist.”
“You know I hate it when you say that.” Emily frowned.
“I know,” he chuckled. He glanced over at Maggie, sitting with her eyes closed and her head leaned back on the sofa. “Stay here with Maggie and Camille and I’ll let you know what I learn from Ernie.”
Before she could protest again, he was out the door.
CHAPTER 14
Colin walked into the Paradise Valley police station and surprised the receptionist working the front desk. “Hey, Stella!” he shouted, echoing the classic Tennessee Williams line from A Streetcar Named Desire.
She