Page 27 of Hell Hath No Fury

Fergusson shrugged in capitulation. “Fine. I’ll be in touch.” He turned to Matthias. “Are you demanding a lawyer for yourself as well? Or are you going to answer my questions?”

He shot a look at her and tipped his head, signaling her to go. To Fergusson, he said, “I don’t need a lawyer.”

As Emma strode away, she overheard Fergusson’s next question to Matthias. “But your girlfriend does? Is that it?”

ChapterNine

“Emma Anderson had nothing to do with Jones’s death.” Matthias glared at Fergusson, trying hard to remember they were both cops, both on the same side.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Positive. She’s been with me the entire time we’ve been here. Her car’s back in Erie, so she has no way of getting around without me knowing about it.”

Fergusson lifted his chin, staring down at Matthias. “It’s too bad you didn’t have this kind of control over another one of your girlfriends.”

It was a low blow, and Matthias’s jaw clenched so tightly that his teeth ached.

Fergusson must’ve seen the ire on Matthias’s face. He took a step back but didn’t apologize.

Matthias forced his fists to relax before he gave into temptation and landed a punch in Fergusson’s solar plexus.Stay on track.“I’m telling you, Emma couldn’t have done it. Move on to a better suspect.”

“Okay. How about Eric Baker?”

Matthias suddenly understood the look Emma had sent him moments ago. She must’ve let her friend’s name slip.

“Huh,” Fergusson said and made a note. “She didn’t want to talk about him either.”

“We haven’t seen him since we’ve been here.” Matthias wasn’t about to provide an alibi when he didn’t even know for sure where Eric had been.

“Have you spoken with him?”

“No.” The truth. Matthias didn’t volunteer that Emma had.

“Do you know where he is?”

“No.”

“As I understand it,” Fergusson said, “Eric Baker was behind the land deal gone bad between your girlfriend and the victim.”

Matthias wondered where Fergusson had learned that tidbit and immediately knew the answer. Patrick Winslow. Matthias held the trooper’s gaze without speaking. While he didn’t intend to provide Eric with an alibi, he also had no plans to sacrifice him to Fergusson either.

“Fine. I’ll track him down and ask him myself.”

Smart move, Matthias thought.

“Since you and your girlfriend have been inseparable the whole time you’ve been here, I assume you were present yesterday when she and Mr. Jones got into it.”

“Into it?” Matthias echoed with a short laugh. “Emma told him no. Apparently, Jones was the type who didn’t take no for an answer.” As Matthias said it, he wondered who else had tried to tell Sonny Jones no.

Fergusson exhaled loudly as he closed and pocketed his notebook.

“Are we done?” Matthias growled.

“I’m doing my job. You’d be asking me the same questions.”

He had to admit, Fergusson was right about that.

“Look, Honeywell, we’ve worked enough cases together that I know you’re a good detective. Help point me in the right direction.”