“Jack is good at what he does, but he doesn’t make a lot of money. It’s no secret that I’m supporting both of us with my income.” She shrugged. “He thought Victoria was a gold digger. Chasing after Clay because of the Avery family fortune.”

“He said the same thing about Jack?” Quinn said.

“Prescott told me if I marry Jack, I’m also out of the family will. Even though Tommy and I didn’t have children, after Miranda died, I became the only link they had to Tommy. And running the Miranda Foundation almost seemed as if I took Miranda’s place in their lives.”

“What are you going to do?” Dominique asked.

Celia set down her spoon. “Prescott’s dead and the will he had in place at the time of death still stands. There’s really nothing to do—anymore.”

“In other words, you’re still in it?” Quinn asked.

Celia nodded. “I am. But because I was at the Castle the day Prescott was murdered and we argued, I’m now a suspect. And I have no alibi for the time he was killed.”

“Isn’t Jack your alibi?” I asked.

“Unfortunately not,” she said. “Jack was so upset when I came home and told him what happened, he drove over to Hawthorne right after that to have a talk with Prescott. So guess what?”

“You’re both on Bobby Noland’s suspect list for the murder of Prescott Avery?” I said.

She nodded. “We are. I wish I could alibi Jack but I can’t. When he left he was so angry he said he was ready to kill someone. I hope he didn’t mean it.”

Twenty

When Quinn and I came downstairs the next morning the Fraser fir that Seely’s Garden Center had delivered to Highland House while we were away yesterday scented the house so it smelled like Christmas.

“When do you want to decorate it?” Quinn asked as we stood in the foyer admiring the tall, fragrant tree.

“I don’t know. I’m having lunch with Kit in town before my meeting at the Folger. I’ll probably be gone most of the day. Maybe tomorrow? Or else after the weekend when Christmas in Middleburg is over.”

“If I get a chance I’ll bring the ornaments down from the attic. We can put the boxes in the library so they’re out of the way until we get around to the tree,” he said.

“That’s a good idea.” I walked over to the library and opened the door. “What the hell … what happened here?”

He sprinted across the room and peered through the doorway. “What’s wrong?”

“Leland’s documents. I left the envelope Seth gave me next to the computer. Now those papers are scattered all over the desk.” My voice rose. “Did you…?”

“Do that? No.”

I felt the color leave my face. “Someone’s been here looking through these papers.”