Archer frowned. “Do divorces normally take that long?”
“Only if they’re contested.”
“You said before that your in-laws…sorry, former in-laws didn’t want the divorce sullying their name. Is that why Russ fought so hard to stay married?”
“Russ fought the divorce because that’s what his father wanted him to do.”
“Did you file because he cheated?”
“Among other things.” She sighed. “I should make something clear up front. My marriage was a fight I should’ve tapped out of a long time ago. The cheating just gave me the tangible excuse I needed to get out.”
“And the prenup?”
“That was one of the things I was trying to fight on my end.” A slight shake of her head. “Not because I’m greedy or wanted to take him for all he had.” That wasn’t it at all. “When we first got engaged, I was young and in love. I didn’t care about the Montgomery fortune. I just wanted to be married to Russ.”
“You didn’t read it before you signed it,” Archer guessed.
“Like I said, I was an idiot. At the time, I was willing to agree to whatever they wanted if it meant being able to marry the man I loved.” Boy didthatcome back to bite her in the ass. “But it didn’t matter, because Russ came over that night to tell me he was done fighting the divorce. In fact, according to the copy of the divorce agreement he brought with him that night,he’d instructed his attorney to not only give me what I originally asked for, but double that. Plus he agreed to let me keep the house, and he and Eddie were going to buy me out of my third of the firm so I could make a clean break and open my own practice.”
“So just like that, he up and changed his mind? Why?”
“That’s what I asked. He claimed he was tired of fighting and that he just wanted me to be happy.”
“Did you believe him?”
She shrugged. “He seemed sincere enough. But I’ve fallen for his lies so many times before. I learned to keep my optimism in check where Russ was concerned.”
Another flash from that night filled her mind’s eye, and this time, it brought with it a rush of emotion Cassie wasn’t expecting. Blinking away the sudden onslaught of moisture in her eyes, she took another drink of her water to hopefully conceal the sadness she felt over what happened.
“Here.” A paper napkin appeared before her.
Looking up, she found Archer staring back at her with empathy as he waited for her to take the kind offering. “Thank you.” She used the rough napkin to blot the corners of her eyes. “Sorry.”
“You lost someone you cared about. That’s nothing to apologize for.”
“You’re right.” A strong nod. “I wasn’t in love with him anymore. That ship is long gone. Hell lately, I didn’t evenlikehim much. But yeah…I did still care.”More than I wish I did.“Russ was a bad husband, but he wasn’t a bad person. Not really. And he certainly didn’t deserve what happened to him.” Cassie used the napkin to catch another tear. “No one deserves to die like that.”
“I’m sorry you had to see that.”
She pictured Russ lying there, motionless on her kitchen floor. “It could have been me, Archer,” she whispered softly. “If I’d gone with a glass of wine instead of the tea, itwouldhave been me.”
She’d be dead instead of Russ. And her killer would have gotten away with murder.
They still might if you don’t get your butt in gear and catch them.
“I’ll find the person who did this, Cassie,” Archer rasped the solemn vow as if he’d read her mind.
He’d made that same promise, earlier, back in his office. And like then, she believed he meant it. She just prayed he found them before they found her.
3
“I’ll come getyou when I’m done.” Archer motioned toward the choice of leather chairs positioned around their welcoming reception area.
Glancing at the otherwise empty space, Cassie looked back at him and asked, “You don’t think your team will want to talk with me, too?” A quick shrug of a shoulder hoisted up the thin strap of her purse that had started to slip. “I’m assuming they’d have their own questions for me.”
“We typically discuss new cases as a team first,” he explained.
They also never agreed to take on a new client without first discussing it as a team. But this was different.Shewas different.