Silent Storm

“Were you home all weekend?”

Nona nodded. “I’m without wheels at the moment, so yeah, I was home.”

“You didn’t see anyone come in or out of Ricky’s house?”

“No.”

“No strange cars in the neighborhood?”

Nona looked startled. “What are you getting at, Marly?”

“I’m just covering all the bases.”

Nona’s eyes were like saucers. “You don’t think someone murdered Ricky, do you?”

“Like I said, these are just routine questions. Nothing to be alarmed about.” But Marly wasn’t certain if she was trying to convince Nona or herself. “How did Ricky seem to you on Saturday night?”

“Okay, I guess. But I got the impression he and Crystal weren’t exactly getting along. If you think someone killed poor Ricky, maybe you better go talk to her.”

Marly intended to, but it wasn’t a conversation she looked forward to. She closed her notebook and stood. “That should do it for now. Thanks for your cooperation, Nona.”

She shrugged. “Least I could do for Ricky. Like I said, we had our differences, but we go way back.” She came around the counter and walked Marly to the door.

“I’ll be in touch. As soon as we hear back from the medical examiner, I’ll let you know.” Marly opened the screen door, but before she could step outside, Nona put a hand on her arm.

“Marly?”

She turned.

Nona bit her lip, looking for the world like a woman who needed to get something off her chest.

“What is it, Nona?” Marly urged gently.

“You want to hear something…weird?”

“What?”

Nona hugged her arms to her chest. “I’ve been having these really crazy-ass dreams lately. I didn’t think much about them at first, but now after what happened to Ricky—” She broke off, her gaze moving past Marly to the open front door. Her uneasiness was so palpable Marly suddenly had the urge to glance over her shoulder.

“What kind of dreams?” she asked.

Nona glanced away. “I’ve been dreaming about…hurting myself.”

Marly tried to hide her shock. “What?”

The words tumbled out of Nona. “I have this real sharp knife in my hand, see, the kind Daddy used to take hunting. You know, to skin rabbits and stuff. Anyway, I’m moving it toward my wrist. Real slow like.” She demonstrated with her finger.

Marly stared at the woman’s wrist in fascination, watching Nona’s finger move closer and closer to the vein.

“I know what’s about to happen, but I can’t stop. It’s like…something’s making me do it,” Nona whispered.

What I am suggesting is that they were somehow compelled to do it.

A chill raced up Marly’s spine. “Everyone dreams crazy stuff.” She’d certainly had her fair share of nightmares lately. “It’s only natural with everything that’s going on around here.”

“I know, but…” Nona’s blue gaze met Marly’s. “What freaks me out is…I had that dream on Saturday night, probably just about the time Ricky was pulling that trigger.”

CRYSTAL BISHOP STARED at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. She had every reason to be pleased with herself, she decided. She was finally back where she belonged—in Joshua Rush’s life and in his bed. And if she had her say in the matter, she wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.

Of course, if she’d had her way, she never would have left in the first place. Their separation had been all Joshua’s doing. After the tacky scene with Marly in his office that day, he’d been worried about what she might tell people, the rumors she might spread about him out of spite. And in his line of work, Joshua couldn’t afford even a breath of scandal.

So he’d convinced Crystal that the two of them had to play it cool and keep their distance until the breakup with Marly blew over. He had to have—what had he called it?—plausible deniability if she started flinging around accusations.

But to Crystal’s surprise, Marly hadn’t said a word to anyone about what she’d seen that day. Crystal wasn’t so sure if she’d been in Marly’s shoes that she would have been so discreet. But then, finding her fiancé in bed with a younger, prettier, sexier woman probably wasn’t something Marly wanted to get around.

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