Gabby had known the three Fielding kids, Baines, Liam, and Natalie, for decades. They’d lived on the same street growing up. Natalie was the middle child. She used to say she’d drawn the unlucky Fielding straw. She dealt with learning difficulties and devastating anxieties that left her unable to handle open water, most animals, some food, elevators, or crowds. As an adult, she’d rarely left the house and depended on her brothers and an inheritance from her author aunt to survive.

Until the fire.

“I know. I’m . . .” Gabby sat down next to Liam. Their thighs touched, and she reached over to put a reassuring hand on his knee. The closeness immediately wrapped around her, suffocating her. Clearing her throat, trying to think about anything other than Natalie’s death and the long history between their families, she shot to her feet to put a bit of distance between them. “I know this isn’t the right time to talk about Baines. I’m not sure if there is one. Who knows how—”

“Gabby.”

Right. Not the time for babbling. She skipped right to the hard truth. “They’ve got this all wrong. The police, I mean. Baines didn’t kill himself.”

Liam blew out a long breath as he settled deeper into the sofa cushions. His gaze was unreadable. It was as if he barely saw her. “The medical examiner said suicide.”

“Listen to me.” She slid onto the coffee table and sat in front of him. “Someone was in that room with him when I walked in there. I felt this—”

“This story won’t change anything, you know. No matter how many details you suddenly remember. I’m not saying that to upset you. It’s reality.”

They’d always been close. Talked, shared . . . ganged up on Baines when needed. But she wasn’t understanding him now. “What are you talking about?”

“His assets.”

The words hit her like a hard smack. So cold and out of place. “When did we start talking about money?”

“Do we ever stop?” Liam asked.

“Your family? No.” The elder Mr. Fielding had been obsessed with get-rich-quick schemes and died without a dollar to his name. “I’d also point out that money never mattered to Baines. Not before the business took off.”

“First, money always matters.” Liam shrugged. “It just does. The difference is back then we didn’t have any, so there was nothing to lose. That’s not the case now.”