Page 112 of Hell Hath No Fury

After sitting and unwrapping his silverware, Matthias asked, “With Winslow dead, who stands to gain control of North Star Developing?”

“We don’t know yet,” Lukan said around his fish sandwich.

Fergusson swallowed and wiped his mouth. “We’re meeting with the attorney tomorrow morning. You still think this is about the money?”

Matthias shrugged. “Love and money. The two big motives for murder.”

“Did your girlfriend have information we should know about?” Fergusson gestured between himself and Lukan.

“Not anything that would help in a court of law. But…” Matthias shared what Emma had told him about Fran’s and Tina Neidermeyer’s alleged romantic relationships with Jones.

Lukan held his sandwich without taking another bite. “Love and money,” he echoed. “Neidermeyer might be motivated by both.”

“It would be especially intriguing if we find out the business reverts to her in the event of Winslow’s death,” Fergusson mused.

“It makes more sense than the Goodwin woman all of a sudden becoming vindictive, if, as you say, her relationship with Jones ended years ago.”

“I agree,” Lukan said.

“So do I.” Matthias settled the napkin on his lap. “I’ve had Jones’s murder pegged as a crime of passion. Not premeditated. Not with a shard of glass being the murder weapon.”

Both troopers nodded their heads while chewing.

“Jones’s death was a result of momentary rage.” Matthias picked up his Reuben. “I can definitely see Neidermeyer going ballistic. Fran? Not so much.”

A slow smirk spread across Fergusson’s face. He swallowed. “Then again,” he said, “you have a history of being a poor judge about how violent a seemingly meek woman might become.”

* * *

Matthias had been quiet since he returned from his meeting with the state troopers. Emma recognized his simmering anger and knew it wasn’t directed at her. She also knew to give him time rather than pry. He would tell her what was irritating him when he was good and ready.

After leaving Nell in her room under Eric’s watchful eye, Emma and Matthias returned to the hotel. He’d brought her takeout from the Pub on Main, which she dived into while he plopped onto the bed with the TV remote and began scrolling. While eating the monster salad, Emma opened her laptop.

After a couple of minutes, he muttered, “How can there be so many stations and nothing but crap on any of them?”

“That’s one reason I don’t own a television.”

“Another being you don’t have space for one.”

She caught him grinning at her in the mirror’s reflection. “This is true.” She swiveled to face him and decided to venture a few questions. “Is Fergusson going to look into Tina as a suspect?”

“Right now, they’re looking into both Tina and Fran.”

“Looks like Eric and Nell have fallen off their suspect list.”

“It does.” Matthias clicked off the TV and tossed the remote onto the bed. “So we have no real reason to stick around.”

“Except for Nell being in the hospital.”

“Are they still planning to discharge her tomorrow?”

“Provided she does well in PT.”

“Then what? Is she moving back into Eric’s guest room?”

“For one night.” Emma, Eric, and Nell had discussed this topic after Emma’s phone call to Matthias. Then they’d tracked down the social worker, who’d succeeded in making arrangements. “Friday morning, she checks in to rehab.”

“Good,” he said, his tone genuinely pleased.