Page 120 of Hell Hath No Fury

Matthias had to admit, nothing about this home suggested the owner valued luxury.

Fergusson must’ve reached the same conclusion. He skimmed back through his notes. “You mentioned going to school with Emma Anderson.”

“That’s right.” Fran again glanced at Matthias, then settled back into the armchair. “We graduated in the same class.”

“Along with Greyson Jones, I understand.”

The moment of composure vanished at the mention of Sonny Jones. “Yes,” she said flatly.

“So, you’ve known Mr. Jones a long time.”

“Yes.”

“How well did you know him?”

She shot a scowl at Matthias, as if this was all his fault, before turning her glare on Fergusson. “I believe you already know. Orthinkyou do.”

“Okay. Why don’t you clear up any misconceptions I might have?”

Fran crossed her arms and broke eye contact, her mouth clamped shut, lips forming an inverted U.

Fergusson narrowed his eyes at her. “You were in possession of a ring, am I correct?”

Her angry gaze slid to him, but she didn’t reply.

“Is the ring yours?”

She didn’t speak. Neither did Fergusson, Lukan, or Matthias. The three of them were all well versed in the power of silence.

Fran was not. She began to squirm. It took less than a minute for her to break. “It was a long time ago.”

“What was a long time ago?” Fergusson asked.

She lowered her gaze to her lap. “We bumped into each other at a little local bar. It was shortly after Daphne was born. Ashley was no longer interested in Sonny. Or at least that’s what he said. He was drowning his sorrows. We talked. He was sweet. And sad. And glad for my company. We met there after work a few more times. He was so charming and attentive. Then one night, I—” She ran her tongue over her lips. “I asked him over to my place. Not here. I had a little apartment in Washington at the time.”

“How long did the relationship go on?”

“Almost a year.”

“Who ended it? You or Mr. Jones?”

Fran’s face came up, her eyes sparking with indignation. “I did.”

Matthias wasn’t sure he believed her. He’d seen her face when Emma returned the ring.

“Why?” Fergusson asked. “Why end it?”

“I should’ve done it sooner.” She choked a laugh. “Hell, I shouldn’t have let it start in the first place, but it took me a while to figure out the kind of man Sonny really was. Longer to decide being alone was better than being with him.”

“What kind of man was he really?”

Her face went still. “Cruel.”

Fergusson shot a look at Lukan and then at Matthias. This wasn’t the answer any of them expected.

Matthias shifted slightly to hide his next movement from Fran. He pointed to his left ring finger. Fergusson gave him a subtle nod of understanding.

“Tell us about the ring,” the trooper said softly.