Jessa really didn’t like this type of man at all. He seemed benign. Came off, at first, as caring and devoted. Completely shocked that his wife wanted to end the marriage and clearly taken by surprise by her choice after an unimportant fight that got out of hand, or so his explanation for kicking his wife out went. But here, today, the real Darren peeked out.

He suddenly smiled, as if they were having a conversation about the weather or some other innocuous subject.

Jessa found the fake-calm version of Darren even creepier than the fury-spewing version.

Darren’s voice dropped to a whisper. “You should know if anything happens to my son before I can fix your mess, I will kill you.”

The words, so delicately delivered, so cool and unruffled, shocked her. “Excuse me?”

But Darren had walked away. He headed in the direction of the sheriffs, holding out his hand and introducing himself. Politicking, as was his normal state.

His attorney finally stepped in front of her. “Did you want something?”

Some backup, jackass. “Now you show up?” When the other attorney frowned, Jessa tried again. “Your client just threatened me.”

“He seems fine to me.” He glanced at Darren before looking at her. “He’s making friends, as usual. He’s a natural. You should know he’s not a man who’s accustomed to losing.”

So entitled. “We’re talking about custody of his son, not a business deal.”

The attorney laughed. “You act like he knows the difference.”

Chapter Four
Gabby

Hours after she’d walked into Baines’s library, Gabby sat across from two police officers at the dining room table Baines had fought so hard to win as part of the divorce division of assets. The man hadn’t picked out anything for the house, not so much as a napkin, but he’d fought for every stick of furniture, plate, and curtain in the room.

The male officer, the one in uniform, looked at her with concern. “Do you need us to call someone for you?”

Gabby stared into the hallway and watched various forensic and other professionals walk in and out of her former house. Right now, it felt like the whole world was clomping around the property.

This time the woman on the other side of the table tried. “Mrs. Fielding?”

The sound of her voice had Gabby’s head snapping back to the conversation at the table. The last few minutes, hours, or whatever amount of time had transpired since she walked into Baines’s office blurred together. Gabby couldn’t remember calling the police or letting them in. Her last memory . . . fuzzy. She saw Baines slumped at his desk, and her world stopped.

“I’m Detective Melissa Schone,” the woman continued.