Page 111 of Hell Hath No Fury

“Okay,” Emma said to him. “Out with it. What do you know about Sonny and Tina? And Fran?”

Eric gingerly ran a hand over his broken and wrapped ribs. “Like I said, I’ve only heard rumors.”

Emma glowered at him.

“All right, as long as you understand this is all hearsay.”

“We’re not in a court of law.”

Eric lowered his hand. “It’s been pretty well accepted that Sonny had three passions in life. Making money, whether aboveboard or not, getting drunk out of his skull, and seducing women. The first two are well documented, so I have no doubt the third is also true.”

“Fran?” Emma asked.

“Apparently he’d been seen somewhere with Fran Goodwin on his arm a few years ago. I heard one rumor that he was contemplating leaving Ashley, but nothing came of it. I’m not sure which of them broke it off, but then Fran was dating somebody else, and Sonny was back to being a family man. For a while.”

“How many affairs did he have?”

“I wouldn’t know. As I said, rumors. People who ran with him liked to make snide remarks. Like, ‘I wonder who Sonny’s sleeping with this week?’”

“What about Tina?”

Eric kept his gaze on Nell, who’d managed to open the cellophane package and was nibbling on a saltine. After a few moments, he said, “I had opportunities to see the two of them together a few times. Months ago, we had a business meeting, and Tina was all smiles, hanging on Sonny’s every word. I could tell from the way she looked at him that she was, at the very least, infatuated.”

“What about Sonny?”

“He was a flirt and a charmer, but he wasn’t in love with her. You ask me, the only person he was ever in love with was himself.”

Emma thought back to high school, when Sonny had been the star football player and Ashley the gorgeous head cheerleader. Emma had always seen them as the perfect couple; madly in love. Was she remembering it wrong? Or was she mistaking love with teenage lust? Likely, considering she’d been a teen at the time, too. “I wonder if Ashley knew.”

“That I don’t know.” Eric shook his head. “But I imagine she must have. Everyone else around town seemed to be aware. She had to at least suspect.”

“Poor Ashley,” Nell mused as she picked up the can of ginger ale and thumbed the tab.

“Yeah,” Emma agreed. No wonder Ashley was on drugs. A drunk and philandering husband, leaving her to care for their daughter… Another thought struck Emma. The engraved ring that Fran had been so desperate to keep. “I wonder if Sonny was in the habit of giving expensive gifts to his lady friends.”

Eric appeared puzzled by her question.

“Maybe Sonny really did give Fran that ring.”

Eric’s eyes widened. “He promised to leave Tina the entire company.”

“Then changed his mind.”

“And left it to Patrick Winslow instead.” Eric’s lips parted in a devious grin. “Sounds to me like Tina had motive to kill both of them.”

“Killing Winslow wouldn’t get her the company back,” Emma said. “At least I don’t think so. Matthias needs to ask what happens to North Star now.”

“Her motive might be much simpler than that,” Eric said.

Nell raised a hand to interrupt. “I know where you’re going. Spite. Tina was royally pissed at both of them. Hell hath no fury?—”

Eric finished the sentence. “Like a woman scorned.”

Emma thought about it. Tina Neidermeyer had ties to both victims. Was angry with both victims. Emma stood and reached for her phone. “I need to call Matthias.”

* * *

Matthias returned to the table after taking Emma’s call and found their meals had been delivered. Both of the troopers were devouring their meals.