“That’s right, they do, but I don’t make veiled threats. I told you to your face to get your ass back to Austin. Besides, I’m not a joiner, never have been. Group projects aren’t my thing.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell me that the airfield was yours, when you’ve had so many opportunities to do so.”
“I didn’t because I knew you’d blow it all out of proportion.”
She drew herself up. “I am not blowing it out of proportion. You own this airfield free and clear, and you’ve got big plans for expansion and improvement.”
He came off the stool slowly and loomed above her, no longer amused. His eyes were icy. “How do you know about that?”
“I did my homework this afternoon. Representing myself as your secretary, I called three commuter airlines and asked about the status of our application for service. If they had never heard of you, I would have known my hunch was wrong.”
She gave a dry laugh. “They’d heard of you, all right. They were very anxious to extend their congratulations to you for ME being guaranteed the racing license. All three are excited about your charter service ideas and are currently preparing proposals. They’ll be in touch as soon as their market research is completed. By the way, you owe me ten dollars in long-distance charges.”
He grabbed her arm. “You had no right to meddle into my business affairs. This hasn’t got a goddamn thing to do with your murder case.”
“I have every right to conduct this investigation as I see fit.”
“Just because I own an airfield that will prosper if that racetrack is built, doesn’t mean that I took a scalpel to Celina.”
“It might mean that you’re protecting whoever did,” she shouted.
“Who? Angus? Junior? That’s crap and you know it.”
She wrested her arm out of his grip. “You’ve hampered this investigation every step of the way. You’ve got a badge, so that’s supposed to make you an officer of the law. Ha! Now that’s crap!
“You don’t want me to discover the killer, whoever he is, because any indictment would mean bye-bye racetrack and the end of your moneymaking schemes. No wonder your loyalty to the Mintons is so steadfast,” she said scornfully. “It has nothing to do with friendship or compensation for past favors. You’re selfishly protecting your financial interests.”
Her breasts quivered beneath her sweater when she pulled in an uneven breath and added, “I might just as well tell you, I think you’re it.”
“What, the murderer?” His voice was sharp and sinister. He backed her against the fuselage of the airplane he’d been tinkering with before she had arrived.
“Yes. I think you killed her. I think I know why.”
“I’m all ears.”
“You loved Celina to distraction, but she betrayed your love. I was a constant reminder of her betrayal, even before I was born. You couldn’t forgive and forget, but Junior could. He welcomed the chance to take your place. He began to court her, and his efforts were effective.
“When you noticed that she was falling in love with him, you just couldn’t stand losing her to your best friend and chief competitor, so you killed her. If you couldn’t have her, then, by God, nobody, especially Junior, was going to.”
He let one eyelid sink into a slow, congratulatory wink. “Very good, Counselor. But you got a big, fat problem with that pile of tripe.” He took a step closer and lowered his face nearer hers. “You can’t prove it, not a frigging bit of it. It’s all conjecture. You’ve got nothing on me, nothing on anybody. So, why don’t you just make life easier on all of us and give it up?”
“Because I can’t.”
He heard the desperation behind her words and knew that he was more than halfway to breaking her. “Why can’t you?” he taunted.
“Because I want to punish whoever killed her.”
“Uh-uh,” he said, shaking his head. “You’re not doing this for Celina. You’re doin
g it for yourself.”
“I am not!”
“Your granny built Celina up to be larger than life in your eyes, and you can’t forgive yourself for coming along at the wrong time in her life and messing it up.”
“Now who’s talking psychological bullshit?” she asked angrily. “I know enough about you to know that you’re selfish, Reede Lambert. The idea of another man touching what you considered your personal property would be intolerable to you.”
Her expression was triumphant and challenging. “What did you find the hardest to forgive, Reede? That Celina went to bed with another man? Or couldn’t you forgive yourself for not taking her when you had the chance?”