“Courtney Burns?” Elliot repeats. He’s stalling for time. He knows very well who Courtney Burns is.
“That’s right.”
“She, uh…” Elliot squirms. “She used to be my receptionist. About five or six years ago.”
“And what happened to her?”
“She, um…” I can almost hear him swallow. “She killed herself. It was very… unfortunate.”
“Wow.” Detective Hanrahan shakes his head. “Two dead secretaries in five years. That’s pretty bad luck.”
“Right.” Elliot drops his eyes. “Like I said, it was unfortunate. But Courtney had… a lot of problems.”
“I’m sure she did.” The detective’s light blue eyes are locked on my husband. I get this horrible sinking feeling in my chest—that nice guy routine from a few minutes ago was just to get us to let down our guards. The detective thinks Elliot killed Brianna. It’s so obvious. “Anyway, I’ll leave you to your breakfast. But don’t go anywhere. In case we have more questions.”
After the detective leaves, I shut the door behind him. My fingers are shaking so badly I can barely turn the deadbolt. I rest my forehead against the cool plaster on the door.
“April?”
I feel Elliot’s hand on my shoulder, and I instinctively jerk away. I turn around to face him, and I’m shocked by how pale his face is. Bobby is at the doorway to the kitchen, watching us. We need to keep our voices down.
“I can’t believe this,” Elliot murmurs.
Despite everything, I feel a surge of rage. “Why are you so upset? Brianna was threatening to destroy our lives.”
“No, she wasn’t.”
I snort. “Of course she was. She wanted you to leave me.”
He doesn’t deny it. I remember Brianna’s conviction that Elliot would leave our family to start over again with her. She seemed so sure. Maybe she was sure about it because he told her he would.
“I didn’t want her dead,” he says in a low voice.
Well, I did.
Elliot glances back at the kitchen—Bobby is gone. “And I’m screwed—a seven-year-old is my only alibi. At least you were at your book club.”
I take a deep breath. I couldn’t work up the nerve to tell the detective, but I should tell Elliot. He’s my husband and my lawyer, after all. “I never went to the book club.”
His brown eyes fly wide open. He takes a step back. “You… what?”
I don’t want to tell him the story about how they kicked me out. So I tell him a portion of the truth. “After everything that happened with Bobby, I just didn’t feel like being judged. So I didn’t go.”
“So where were you for over two hours?”
“I went to Taco Bell. I drove around.”
“You just drove around? By yourself?”
“Who else would I be with?”
He’s staring at me, a strange look on his face. “April…”
Oh my God, he thinks I killed her. I see it all over his face. I’ve got a motive and no alibi. I am so screwed. Whoever did this set me up good.
“Elliot.” I’m trying to hide the hysteria I’m feeling inside. “I didn’t kill Brianna. You have to believe that.”
He just shakes his head. “I… I better get to work…”
I try to reach for him, but this time he’s the one who jerks away.
I see it all unfolding. Detective Hanrahan finds out Elliot got Brianna pregnant. He discovers my alibi is bullshit. He takes my picture around Brianna’s neighborhood, and maybe somebody thinks they recognize it. And that’s all it will take.
I look out the window at the house next door. The lights are on inside and I see a silhouette in the window. Maria. She’s been watching. She saw the police come to my house. She knows they were questioning us.
She’s behind this. My life was perfect until she showed up in our neighborhood. Brianna was talking to her just yesterday, and now she’s dead. I should let Detective Hanrahan know about Maria’s friendship with Brianna. I would have told him all about that burner phone she’s got hidden in her purse, except I didn’t think he would believe me. He’d think I was making it up to take the suspicion off myself. And in the meantime, Maria would probably throw that phone in a dumpster where nobody would ever find it.
I just wish I understood. Why is she doing this to me? I never did anything to this woman. And ever since I met her, it seems like she’s been determined to ruin my life. I bet she really did lure Bobby to her house the first day, like he said she did. She’s been wanting to scare me.
She hates me. She’s been targeting me.
And the only way to prove it is to get that burner phone.
Chapter 35
I can’t seem to focus on anything today. I wanted to record an episode of my show—I figured snickerdoodles would be an easy one, because I make those all the time. But I burned my first batch, then when I tasted the second batch, they tasted terrible. I think I forgot the salt. My heart wasn’t in it today.
I just keep thinking about what happened to Brianna. And that stupid burner phone.
Maria must be responsible for what happened to Brianna. And if I could get that phone, I could prove it. But how could I get my hands on it?
In the early afternoon, I see Maria take off for her job. She’ll probably be gone until the evening. Shortly after, Sean’s truck leaves their driveway. The Cooper household is empty.
It would be a perfect time to look around. I looked in Maria’s purse the other day, and the phone wasn’t there. Granted, Maria may have the phone in her pocket, like she must have when she snapped a picture of me being apprehended by the security guard. But this morning when she left, she was wearing a dress. There was nowhere for her to put a phone. I would guess with the police asking questions, she might not want to be carrying it around. And even if I can’t find her phone, there’s got to be some other evidence around of her connection to Brianna. I’m convinced I can find something.
Anyway, it can’t hurt to have a look around.
I have just slipped my feet into my ballet flats when the doorbell rings. I race over to answer, but I check the peephole first this time.
It’s Detective Hanrahan again. Oh God. I’m not in the mood for this.
I take a second to compose myself. I pat my blond hair, which feels disheveled, but there isn’t much I can do about it. I plaster a smile on my face and throw open the door.
“Hello, Detective!” I say brightly. “How can I help you?”
He returns the smile, and the fine lines around his light blue eyes crinkle. “Could I come in for a minute, Mrs. Masterson?”
“Of course!” I exclaim, like I’m absolutely delighted that this man who is investigating the murder of my husband’s mistress is entering my home. “Can I offer you some coffee? Or maybe some homemade cookies?”
“Oh right.” Hanrahan snaps his fingers. “You got that cooking show. Something Secrets…”
I get a sick feeling in my chest. How does he know about my show? Has he been investigating me? I’d prefer he knew nothing about me. “Sweet Secrets.”
“Right. Sweet Secrets.” He nods. “I saw the one where you were making chocolate chip cookies. That was a good tip with the sea salt. If I ever find myself making cookies, I’ll go ahead and do that.”