“You’re right. It’s not. And after what Feliks tried to do to me last night, I think I deserve to know.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose and loosed a heavy sigh. “It’s better if you don’t.”
“You can’t shut me out! You said it yourself, I already know too—”
“Steven’s farm,” he surrendered in a low voice. “The grass on Feliks’s Lincoln came from your ex-husband’s farm.”
I fell back a step. Of all the things I’d expected to hear, this wasn’t it.
“There has to have been some mistake,” I said through a tight throat. “Theresa would never have been stupid enough to take her fling to Steven’s farm.”
“You’re assuming they were there for personal reasons. What if it was business?”
Ms. Hall and I share a purely professional relationship.
That’s what Feliks had said. But that made even less sense. “Steven just bought the farm last year. It’s not for sale.”
“If it isn’t for sale, what was Feliks doing there?”
I didn’t have an answer for that.
“Now do you understand why I didn’t want to tell you? If I can prove Feliks was conducting illicit business on Steven’s farm, and if a lawyer can prove you or your kids stand to benefit in any way from that business, then your involvement compromises the whole case.”
“My involvement already compromises your case,” I argued. “No one has to know.”
“Feliks knows, and he can use it against me in court.”
“He can’t prove I know anything about your case. I told him we were romantically involved.”
There was a challenge in the dark shine of Nick’s eyes. “Are you going to tell your ex the same thing when we roll up on his farm?”
So that’s where Nick was going. To the farm. I could either let him drop me off at home and spend the rest of the day wondering what he’d found there, or I could make him take me along.
“He won’t be there,” I said, my legs a little unsteady at the thought. “He’s got the kids.”
Nick chewed his lip as he studied me, his knuckles white on his hips. He pitched his voice low. “I can do this without you, Finlay. The less you know, the better off we both are.”
I wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince, him or me. The only thing I knew for certain was that Harris Mickler was buried on that farm, and I couldn’t let Nick find him. “I’m coming with you.” I snatched the keys from his hand before he could object. If Nick was going anywhere near that farm, I’d be damned if he was going without me.
CHAPTER 36
“You’re sure Steven isn’t here?” Nick was wound tight as a drum as he turned down the long gravel drive into the farm. My own stomach was already tangled in knots, and the ruts in the road weren’t helping matters. I swallowed the urge to be sick on the floor mats of his car.
“He has the kids until Monday.”
“Is anyone else here?”
I recognized the red VW bug parked in front of the sales trailer. “Bree. She works in the office.”
“Does she know you?”
“Yes.”
“Then this’ll be easy,” Nick said, swinging his car into the space beside Bree’s and slinging open his door. “Follow my lead.”
A pit opened in my stomach as I followed him to the trailer. He held the door open for me, but I lingered just outside. “Should we be here?” I whispered. “I mean, shouldn’t we have a warrant or something?”
“I’m just in the market for some sod.” He pasted on a wholesome smile and directed me inside.
Bree looked up from her computer. “Hey, Mrs. Donovan! It’s so good to see you. But Steven’s not in.” Her head cocked as if I should have known. “He’s off today.”
“I know. He’s got the kids. They’re probably at the animal shelter looking at puppies.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet.” She clutched her heart. I could practically hear her ovaries exploding. Nick raised an eyebrow. I gave a short nod in answer.
He suppressed a wry grin and introduced himself. “I’m a friend of Ms. Donovan.” He placed a particular emphasis on my honorific, his hand moving to my lower back, a little lower than it had before in the lab. Bree’s eyes followed it, and I could see her tuck that morsel of information away. “I’m looking to dress up my yard, and Finlay tells me you’ve got quite a nice selection of sod.”