DD entered my office dressed in a pair of bootcut jeans, a long white tunic sweater, and white lace-up snow boots. Her eyes were puffy and red. She half smiled before pivoting on her heel and staring down at an exuberant Lord Berkeley, who ran circles around her feet.
“What a cutie,” she said. “Maltipoo?”
“Westie.”
Lord Berkeley put his best paw forward. DD couldn’t resist and bent down to pick him up.
“Sorry,” I said. “I usually don’t bring him to the office when I meet with clients.”
“Oh, don’t be. He’s adorable.”
She ran her fingers up and down his body a few times before placing him back down on his bed. I motioned to the chair opposite my desk, and she sat down, resting her hands on her jeans.
“Can I get you anything?” I said. “Water, tea, coffee?”
“Water’s good.”
I grabbed one out of the mini fridge next to my desk and handed it to her.
“I’m not even sure what I’m doing here.”
“I recognize you from Wildwood,” I said.
“Yes, I saw you with Mr. Langston. I really should apologize. It wasn’t my intention to eavesdrop, but I overheard you say you were a private investigator.”
“Were you there when the accident happened?” I said.
The color drained from her face. She twisted the cap off the water and took a sip and then another.
“The woman who died yesterday, Charlotte Halliwell…”
Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes. I reached for a tissue and handed it to her.
“She was my sister,” she said.
I thought of my own sister, and for a moment flashes of memories from the past filled my head. I pressed my eyes shut and then opened them again, trying to focus.
“I’m sorry, I had no idea,” I said. “Take all the time you need.”
She dabbed her eyes with the tissue. “I need a minute to get myself together.”
I nodded and waited.
A few minutes later, she’d calmed down and displayed much of the composure she exhibited when she first entered my office.
“Why don’t we start from the beginning?” I said.
“You mind if I smoke?” she said.
I did mind, a lot in fact. But I also realized if she had a cigarette, it might help her keep it together, for the moment anyway. My office was devoid of ashtrays, but I managed to find a small glass dish in one of my drawers. I took it out and slid it toward the other side of the desk.
Audrey reached into her bag, pulled out a narrow cigarette and rested it on the edge of her lips. She cupped the lighter in her hands and lit up. She took a long drag and cocked her head to one side, spewing forth a stream of smoke. I resisted the urge to plant my fist under my nose and cracked the window instead.
“I went to Wildwood yesterday to meet my sister for lunch,” she said. “We’d talked on the phone the night before, and she said she wanted my advice and suggested getting together after she finished skiing for the day, but she never showed. After you left, Mr. Langston called me into his office and told me about the accident, but it doesn’t make any sense.”
“You’ve experienced a shock. I’m sure nothing makes sense right now.”
She took another drag from her cigarette and smashed the butt into the plate. “You don’t understand. Everyone says it was an accident, but what if it wasn’t?”
Audrey looked me in the eye, gauging my reaction. I tried my best not to look perplexed.
“Do you have reason to believe otherwise?”
“I thought so, but now I’m confused. It’s hard to separate my head from my heart right now, you know?”
She sank down in the chair, tapping her finger on the side of her face. “Oh to hell with this. You want the truth? I’m going to say it like it is. And if you think I’m a nut job, oh well. But I need to get it off my chest before I explode.”
“Go on,” I said.
“I don’t believe my sister’s death was an accident. In fact, I know it wasn’t. Charlotte was murdered.”