Chapter 14
Carter Residence
Helen reminded herself to breathe again. She had to keep everyone calm for however long this investigation took.
Renata shook her head, her dark curls swaying with her frustration, and warned, “I don’t like this.”
“It’s fine,” Helen assured her for the third time. “Everything went exactly as it should have. We have nothing to worry about.”
This reaction was her only problem with these two. Why the hell could they not just stay calm? They were through the worst part.
“They ask a lot of questions already,” Jose argued. “Now they want to talk to us again. This can’t be good.”
Funny how they could both speak such good English when it was only the three of them. Helen wondered sometimes if she could actually trust either of them. Everything depended upon trust. Maybe she was the fool here.
“Good Lord, Jose,” Helen half shouted. “What do you expect? Thomas was brutally murdered.” She glared from one to the other.
“So were the others. When people get murdered, there are questions. Lots of questions. We work for Thomas. Of course the police have more questions for us. Until the investigation is over, we just have to do what we have to do.”
“It’s easy for you,” Renata tossed back at her.
Was she really going there?
“Today was not about your immigration status!” Helen shook her head and paced the floor.
“This was about a horrific tragedy that has to be investigated by the police. All you”—she sent another glacial stare at each one—“have to do is stay calm and answer the questions asked of you. It’s that simple.
We have nothing to worry about. Like I said, this is exactly what is supposed to happen when a tragedy like this occurs. ”
Valeri Erwin, the sneaky little opportunist, was the one who needed to worry. Helen knew exactly what she had been up to. Too bad her little plan had backfired. She was the reason everything had gone so wrong so quickly. This was her damned fault.
Now they were all being looked at as suspects.
“If you’re sure.” Renata stood, looked to Jose. “Let’s go home.”
“One more thing,” Helen said, waylaying the two. When they looked back at her, she warned, “Don’t talk to the reporters. They’ll only make this worse for us.”
They shared a look and then went on their way.
Helen watched as they walked out the back door. She dropped into a chair at her kitchen table.
She put her face in her hands and let the tears flow.
Her shoulders shook with the sobs. She was so tired and so frustrated.
Besides losing her husband all those years ago, this was the hardest thing she’d ever had to do.
There was a time when Thomas Wilton had been almost like a brother to her.
She drew in a ragged breath, scrubbed at the dampness on her face.
But he wasn’t. Friendship was all well and good, but blood was thicker than water.
Now here they were. If only she had paid better attention, she would have seen this coming. She should have known the past would never be forgotten. Some things could not be forgiven.
It was Erwin and Alicia who had ruined everything.
This could have been prevented if only . . . Too late for if-onlys now.
Deep breath. Helen scrubbed away the last of her tears. But she had to be strong. She could do what had to be done.
There was no other choice.