The fork clattered onto the plate.Marlene wiped at her face with the heel of one hand.
“Janet Holt.”
For a second, Connor thought he had misheard.
“Janet?”
“Sandra’s sister,” Marlene said.
A direct connection between Warren and Victor.
“I know who Janet is.”
“I found messages months ago on his socials.Not enough to prove anything.Victor said I was being paranoid.He said she was helping with some community fundraising thing and I’d turned it ugly in my head.”Marlene shook her head.“I wanted to believe him.God help me, I wanted to.”
Connor pictured Janet Holt standing beside Sandra after Warren died.Quiet, attentive, near enough to touch.Renee on Sandra’s other side.Two women holding the widow steady.
Holding her, or steering her?
Marlene kept talking.“Then I discovered he had a hidden phone.A cell phone that he used in another name, but he told me it was just a work phone.He lied so smoothly I started wondering if I was losing my mind.”
“What did you plan to do when you came back?”
“Catch him.That’s all.”Her voice rose.“I wanted to see it.I wanted proof, because if I had proof, he couldn’t make me feel crazy anymore.”
“Did you go home first?”
“I drove past.His truck was there.Lights were on.”
“What time?”
“Around eleven-thirty.Maybe a little after.”
“Did you go inside?”
Marlene looked at Morimer, then back at Connor.“Yes.”
Connor’s jaw tightened.“You told everyone you stayed at your mother’s.”
“I know.”
“What did you find?”
She set the plate on the table with shaking hands.“The television was loud.Even louder than usual.I remember thinking he’d fallen asleep watching some old movie.I called his name from the hall, but he didn’t answer.”
Connor saw the room again.Victor in the armchair.The television volume raised.Blood on fabric.
Marlene swallowed hard and sobbed.“Then...Then I saw him.Blood...”
“Was anyone else there?”
“No.I swear.”
“Was the door locked?”
“No.”
“Did you touch anything?”