Finley felt weary of her waffling and decided to move on. “Were you aware your father was having an affair with Cherry Prescott?”
“Did Cherry tell you that?” Olivia scoffed. “Cherry has no room to talk about anyone. She was in tight with Holmes. You can ask Cecelia. Cherry was very close to him. Almost like an old married couple who liked playing around with other people.”
“Cherry says she didn’t really know him.”
“She’s lying.” Olivia’s hand went to her throat. “Oh my God. She worked with my father for nearly a year. She was like his personal assistant. She would have known the security code.”
Finley opted not to confirm.
“She worked with Dad in his home office on several occasions. She was always coming in and out.”
“How did your mother feel about that?”
“She was busy with her own interests.” Olivia looked away.
“I need to know what that means, Olivia.” Finley already understood, but she wanted the daughter’s side of things.
“She had other men. They both cheated on each other. It was like a game they played. Always trying to one-up each other.”
Sounded like the couple had enjoyed the pain of hurting each other. Not unheard of.
“I’m going to follow you back to your hotel,” Finley said. She was fed up with the sisters going back and forth with their stories. She had someone else she needed to see. “I want you to stay there until you hear from me or Jack. Don’t let anyone in, and if you hear from Cecelia, call me immediately. If she shows up at your hotel, demand to meet her in the lobby or restaurant where there are other people.”
Olivia nodded. “I’m sorry I’ve caused so much confusion, but I did try to warn you the first time we met.”
Finley wasn’t so sure if it was Olivia who had warned her about Cecelia or the other way around on their first meeting. Didn’t matter. Right now, the only thing she wanted was to get to Bethany Briggs.
Rainbow Room
Printer’s Alley
Nashville, 10:30 p.m.
Bethany and her fiancé were seated at the bar having drinks. No doubt after already having had a lovely dinner and catching a snazzy show. The Rainbow Room was famous for both. Finley sat at the opposite end of the bar and sipped a glass of overpriced white wine while she waited for Bethany to spot her. Bethany really needed to speak with her live-in housekeeper. She had been only too happy to give Finley her employer’s location. Not that Finley was going to tell.
The bride-to-be laughed and snuggled up to her future husband. Happy. Carefree. The world at her fingertips.
Then the happy lady spotted Finley. Her bright, carefree expression fell. Finley hitched her head and slid off the bar. She walked to the ladies’ room without glancing back. Bethany would follow.
She wouldn’t dare blow off Finley’s unspoken request.
The elegant ladies’ room was unoccupied, which made what Finley had to do considerably easier. Bethany walked in, fury darkening her carefully made-up cheeks.
“You’re not supposed to bother me again.”
Finley walked over to the door and locked it, then leaned against it. “I’m sorry, am I bothering you?”
Bethany’s hands settled on her designer-clad hips. “What do you want?”
The patent fact that she didn’t threaten to call her daddy spoke volumes about what she had to hide. Finley was counting on the weight of guilt and fear.
“You lied to me, Bethany. You said you and Cecelia never had anything to do with Holmes, but I have proof you did. In fact, Cecelia was crazy about him. The two of you hung out with him on numerous occasions at a place called Paradise.”
Bethany’s lips tightened together in a flat line. Red rose up her throat and spread across her cheeks.
“There are photos of you and Cecelia hanging all over him. How do you think the DA is going to feel when he sees those?” This part was fiction, but Bethany couldn’t be certain. Like the owner said, everybody used those photo booths. It was the thing to do.
“That’s a lie,” she snarled. “I was—” She caught herself. Clamped her mouth shut.
“You were too careful? Made sure no photos were left on the bulletin boards?”
No answer. Oh yeah. Finley had her now.
“I’m not interested in outing your past to your fiancé or to your father,” Finley assured her. “All I need is the truth about Cecelia and whatever relationship she had with Holmes. Anything you know about either of them could make all the difference.”