If there was one thing Finley hated, it was a liar. Unless she was the one telling the lie for a damned good reason.
Had Derrick lied to her?
She blinked away the thought.
“Fin,” Jack begun.
She held up a hand. He’d done and said enough already. She imagined the fact that Sophia had visited the Preacher yesterday wasn’t lost on him any more than it was on her. What was it he’d said? She was marked? Holy hell.
Olivia took a step back as if fearing there was about to be an explosion. She shook her head. “I told you I was worried, but you blew it off. Now my mother is dead and my sister is missing. My sister who never leaves the house. Someone must have taken her.”
There she went, shifting blame again.
“We’ll search the house once more, and then we’re calling this in.” Finley hesitated. “What about the cameras? Doesn’t your security system have cameras?”
Olivia nodded. “I checked the system. Hoping to learn what happened. But the cameras were turned off.”
Of course they were. Finley turned to Jack. “You stay put. I don’t want you dropping so much as a hair anywhere else in this house.”
He didn’t argue with her. Just sat down and pressed his palms together as if he might pray. Too damned late for that too.
Finley kept Olivia with her as they moved through the massive home. Olivia’s former room was like Finley’s at the Belle Meade house—just a room with no personality other than a random photo here and there of the twins. Cecelia’s room, on the other hand, would have made a great episode of Hoarders. Stuff—clothes, soiled dishes, towels—was everywhere. The bed was piled high with photo albums and more stuff save for a narrow place on the right side where she presumably slept. There was no television. No radio. No phone.
“Did you find Cecelia’s cell phone?”
“It’s not here.”
Finley faced her. “Have you ever known your sister to leave the house?”
Olivia hesitated.
“I’m asking if she’s truly agoraphobic or if the illness is a cover.”
Olivia looked away. “I’m not entirely sure.”
Lie.
“Don’t lie to me again,” Finley warned.
“I believe she has left when it suited her. In my opinion the agoraphobia thing is the way she kept Mother under control.”
Maybe not the whole truth, but part of it. “All right, let’s keep going.”
Half an hour later it was clear Cecelia was not in the house or the attached garages. Another twenty minutes were necessary to check the pool house and detached garage as well as the gardening shed.
Back in the kitchen, Finley explained to the younger woman what would be happening next. “The police will want to question you. Jack will be with you throughout the questioning. He’ll let you know when to talk and when not to. If he speaks, you be quiet. Do not give any additional information. Answer the question asked as concisely as possible. If you don’t know the answer, say so.”
Olivia nodded. “I remember from last time.”
Jesus Christ. This was going to be a shit show.
Finley ushered Olivia to the small table in the kitchen and had her sit. Then she grabbed Jack by the arm and prodded him into the massive entry hall.
“Are you up for this?”
He worked up a glare and directed it at her. “I’m fine. It’s just—”
“This whole thing is a bad idea, Jack. You are personally involved and—”
“Sometimes you can’t help being personally involved. Shit happens.”
Okay, so she couldn’t argue the point. She heaved a breath. “All right.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry. This is just . . .”
“Yeah, well, time to call it in. Am I doing it, or are you?”
He reached for his cell. She put a hand on his to stop him. “I’ll do it.” She started to suggest he keep Olivia calm, but frankly, she seemed calmer than anyone in the house other than the dead woman upstairs.
Finley stepped out onto the veranda and made the call. Her next call was to Matt. She didn’t want him blindsided by this. He wanted to rush over, but they both recognized that would be a mistake.
The ambulance arrived first. Someone had to do the official call on the victim’s status. Two police cruisers arrived next and began the protocol of securing the scene. When the detectives arrived, Olivia and Finley were separated and interviewed individually. Then Jack had his turn. Luckily, neither of the detectives was one Finley had pissed off recently.