"I don't like to get into her business but I've heard them arguing more often than not. Nasty stuff. Name calling. Accusations. If you ask me, Austen thinks he made a mistake by getting married."
"Why?"
"Who knows what goes on in someone else's marriage?" Zach turned away, working loose a carabiner on the rope he carried. "All I know is, he spent a long time as a rich bachelor and now he's got a wife who's curtailing most of his fun. I don't think they have a pre-nup so there's only one way out of it for him and that's when Sophie’s six feet under!"
Chapter Ten
I thought about Zach Gallo's unpleasant comments on the drive back to Montgomery. Instead of giving me new suspects to contemplate, he first pointed his finger at the Takahashis' work crew and then directly at Austen! His opinion of all of them jarred me. Although I only met Manny Ortega a couple of times, and David once, they made a good impression as hardworking, loyal men and Austen appeared to trust them implicitly. How far did that trust go? Would Manny lie to Austen? Would Manny cover for Austen? Would he “arrange an accident” if his boss asked him to? The idea wasn't implausible but I struggled to see it happening in reality. For one thing, Austen already told me about his pre-nup. He didn't stand to lose a penny in a divorce, something that Zach apparently didn’t know. Plus, there was the small matter of the racist slant I got from Zach's comments. He certainly didn't hesitate in pointing the finger at the construction crew.
Regardless of Zach's unsavory comments, I still had to examine them both. I was sure Zach said one correct thing: Sophie was a rich woman. And the work crew probably weren't. Someone might have coveted her wealth and demanded more than she was prepared to give. That supplied a big enough motive to do her harm, even if it were a spontaneous act of aggression.
Similarly, as much as I disliked the idea of investigating Austen and his relationship with Sophie in more depth, I needed to get some other opinions about the couple. Did anyone else notice a streak of animosity from Austen toward his wife? Were there any telltale signs of dissatisfaction observed in Austen's married life?
From what I witnessed so far, Austen was a kind man renovating a home to make it ready for a new family he hoped to bring into the world. Instead of doing that, he was crippled and devastated by his wife's injuries. I barely knew the guy; could his acts of love really be an act? Just because he was absent the scene when Sophie fell didn't mean he couldn't have arranged it.
Yet, if that were the case, why would he ask me to investigate? It didn't make any sense.
By the time I pulled into the small parking lot behind Lily's bar, I was still contemplating the merits of the case. The only conclusion I drew was: either Austen or Zach was lying. While I thought about it, I switched my sneakers for heels and headed toward the back entrance.
"Hey!" Lily waved me over to the bar where she and Ruby, her bartender and our mutual friend, were polishing tall-stemmed wine glasses.
"It's quieter than usual in here," I remarked as I slid onto one of the barstools.
"Happy hour just ended," said Lily. "It'll pick up shortly. Enjoy the lull while it lasts."
"What can I get you?" asked Ruby.
"A small glass of cabernet, please."
"Remember when we used to call it "that red stuff"?" asked Lily with a roll of her eyes.
"I'm much fancier now," I replied.
"Coming up, one fancy cabernet." Ruby stepped away and poured my wine, placing it on the bar in front of me. "Is that Maddox?" she asked.
I looked over my shoulder. Maddox strolled towards us in a slim-fitting, dark gray suit that enhanced his broad shoulders and neat waist, where I was fairly sure he concealed his gun. His white shirt was open at the neck and he appeared more than ready for a haircut as usual. "It is."
"You're crazy," she said. "Who would leave that?"
"Have you seen her husband?" asked Lily.
"Have you considered polygamy?" countered Ruby.
"Shush, you two," I said, waving them to be quiet.
"If anything happens to your husband, do you still have dibs on Maddox?" whispered Ruby.
"Of course she does," whispered Lily. "It's the law."