“Not by a long shot.” Christi reached for her mug. Hesitated. If she drank any more of the strong brew it would no doubt curdle in her churning stomach.

“Would you rather have a glass of water?”

Apparently he’d honed his intuitive instincts through the years.

“If it’s not too much trouble.”

In silence, he rose, filled a glass with ice and water, and set it beside her mug.

“How long were you married?” He retook his seat.

“Too long.” She sipped the water, letting the coolness sluice down her throat. “Thirty-four eternal months, to be exact.”

“How did you end up in Dallas?”

“He claimed it was a better base for his investment business. In hindsight, I think he just wanted to remove me from familiar surroundings—and people—so that I’d come to lean on him more. Give him further control over my world. It worked. Besides, I was used to letting other people handle the logistics of my life. I was an easy mark.”

“The term mark also raises red flags for a cop. Did your money problems start with your marriage?”

“Yes. I trusted Wes and gave him full control over my inheritance. I didn’t realize he was using most of it for speculative investments that didn’t pan out—and to keep a succession of mistresses happy. I was nothing more to him than a source of funding.”

Jack’s nostrils flared, but his tone was calm. “What tipped you off to his true character?”

“A text message. He left his cell on the kitchen counter one day while he took a shower. It wasn’t password protected, and a text came in as I was passing by.” She swallowed. “It was a photo of him with a woman. She was wearing one of the pieces of my mom’s jewelry Wes had convinced me to keep in a safe-deposit box at the bank. The message said ‘miss you.’”

Jack linked his fingers on the table. His manner remained neutral, but emotions she couldn’t pinpoint smoldered beneath the surface. “That had to be tough.”

“Yes—and it got worse.” She massaged her temple, where a headache was beginning to throb. “I demanded answers—and he provided them without holding anything back. At that stage he had nothing to lose. The money had been spent, my mom’s jewelry was gone except for the ring I always wore around my neck, our credit cards were maxed out, and we were in hock to the hilt. I told him I intended to file for divorce, packed a bag, and went to stay with a friend.”

“I thought you said he died.”