made me distinctly uncomfortable. “I think she’s just frightened. She’s never been on her own. I don’t know that she’s broken-hearted about his death but I don’t think she wished him ill.”
“No, she’s evil.”
“Well, Barry said that Roy’s estate is probably going to be a nightmare to unravel if there are other children out there.” I thought of Dakota. “Someone will have to put in a claim and go through a DNA test if it comes to that.”
“Can you even do a DNA test when someone is pregnant?”
I shrugged. “I was thinking more along the lines of children who already exist. Vera said there might be one or two running around ... and even if Roy managed to get the mother to sign off, there’s still the possibility of battling over the estate in court.”
“But ... that doesn’t seem right. I mean, if you sign off, you sign off.”
“I don’t think anything is simple when you’re dealing with law enforcement,” I replied. “Either way, I don’t look for Roy’s murder to be solved anytime soon. The money would likely be held up until Vera is cleared as a suspect. The insurance company won’t pay out to a murder suspect.”
Erin rubbed her chin. “I’m surprised that she hasn’t been arrested yet. She’s the one with the most to gain from his death.”
“There are questions about the logistics of the murder.”
“What do you mean?”
“Roy was killed behind the restaurant, but his vehicle was found over here. Hunter said they’re checking it for prints and he expects a hit. I guess we’ll see.”
“I guess.” Erin’s expression was momentarily cloudy and then she forced a smile. “So ... what’s going on with you and Hunter? Once he dumps Monica, is it smooth sailing back to one another?”
Ugh. That was a question I didn’t — and couldn’t — answer. “Nothing is going on with Hunter,” I repeated. “As for me ... .” I trailed off, my gaze drifting to the funeral home across the street. “I just remembered, I have to talk to Sebastian about something. It was nice talking to you.”
I was eager to make my escape.
“Okay, but the questions about Hunter aren’t going anywhere,” she said mischievously. “The fact that he spent the night with you on your couch is going to come up at some point.”
“Not today.” I headed for the door. “Good luck on the job search ... and I hope things work out well with your old guy.”
“You and me both, honey.”
28
Twenty-Eight
Sebastian reclined on one of the settees, flipping through a heavy book. He straightened, pasted a businesslike welcoming smile on his face, and then deflated when he saw it was me.
“It’s nice to see you, too,” I snickered.
He held up a placating hand. “Nothing personal. I thought you might be a customer.”
“Sorry. I don’t plan to die anytime soon. Although, if Monica has her way, my mother might be in here soon pulling a Vera and picking out everything I hate.”
Sebastian’s expression changed from disappointment to amusement in an instant. “I heard the big gossip.” He shifted so there was an open spot on the settee and patted the cushion. “Sit down and tell me absolutely everything.”
I scowled. “There’s nothing to tell.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You two spent the night together. There’s definitely something to tell.”
Defeat washed over me. There was no way this gossip would die down anytime soon. “He slept on the couch.” I was morose when I plopped into one of the chairs. I didn’t want to sit next to Sebastian in case he tried to wrestle me down and demand answers. He was built, strong enough that it wouldn’t take much effort to hold me in place.
“But I heard you slept with him,” Sebastian countered. “That’s more than just friendship.”
“I ... .” Something occurred to me. “Wait ... how do you know we slept on the couch together?”
He shrugged. “That’s what everyone is saying.”
“Yeah, but ... how can they possibly know that?”
“Honey, gossip runs faster in this town than the mayor when he has the trots,” he deadpanned. “Once one person knows, everybody knows.”
“Except the only two people who should know we slept on the couch together are Hunter and me. There was nobody else there.”
Sebastian faltered. “Well, maybe he told someone.”
I shot him a “get real” look. “Really? You think that came up in random conversation, do you? Besides, he spent the entire morning at my apartment installing a security system. The only time he left was to get blinds and a few tools. He