Chapter 6
Claudia’s confidence finally cracked.
Only slightly.
Her eyes dropped to the gate record.
Mark saw it.
Richard saw Mark see it.
For several seconds none of them spoke.
Then Claudia shrugged.
“So what?”
Richard leaned back.
“You were on Red Mountain Road the night Sarah died.”
“I never said I wasn’t.”
“You let my family believe you were nowhere near her.”
“I wasn't asked.”
Richard’s thumb slowly rotated his signet ring.
Claudia watched the movement.
Everyone in the family knew what that gesture meant.
Richard was forcing himself to remain calm.
“What happened?”
Claudia’s voice became cool again.
“Sarah found out Mark and I were seeing each other.”
Mark closed his eyes.
“She followed us.”
“Where?”
“A restaurant near Aspen.”
Richard’s breathing slowed.
Not because he was calmer.
Because he was listening harder.
Claudia continued.
“She confronted us in the parking lot. She screamed. Mark tried to calm her down. Then she got into her SUV and left.”
“And crashed.”
“Yes.”
Richard turned to Mark.
“Is that what happened?”
Mark nodded.
Too slowly.
Richard’s security chief placed another file on the table.
“This came from the insurance archive.”
Photographs.
Mark’s sedan had undergone front-end repairs the morning after Sarah died.
Headlight.
Grille.
Passenger-side fender.
Mark’s jaw tightened.
Richard touched one photograph.
“You told insurance you hit a deer.”
“I did.”
“Where?”
Mark hesitated.
Claudia suddenly stood.
“This is ridiculous.”
Richard did not look at her.
“Sit down.”
She stared at him.
Richard’s voice became softer.
“Do not make me repeat myself.”
Claudia sat.
The security chief added one final sheet.
The repair shop had photographed something lodged behind the damaged grille.
A fragment of red wool fabric.
Sarah had been wearing a red wool coat the night she died.
Mark stared at the photograph.
May you like
His face no longer looked angry.
It looked afraid.
