“Suspicious? You can’t believe that I killed your mother!” He looked at her in shock.

She threw her hands up. “No. Of course not. But is it true about the fight?”

“Yes,” he said. “We did have a fight. A bad one.” He shook his head. “I’d do anything to take back what I said, but I can’t.”

Kate looked into his eyes, but they gave nothing away. He had his doctor persona on. She tried to do the same, but she was far too emotional. “What was it about?”

He rubbed his fingers across his brow. “That was between your mother and me. It has nothing to do with any of this.”

Kate stared at him in disbelief. “You’re not going to tell me?”

“It’s private. Between your mother and me, as I said.”

“Well, Anderson thinks it has something to do with her wanting to change her will. Is that what the fight was about? Was Mother going to cut you out for some reason?” She took a breath, and then continued. “Was there trouble in your marriage?”

He moved closer and tried to put his arm around her, but she pushed him away.

“Katie, you have it all wrong. I loved your mother, and she loved me.” He held up his hands as if to show her he wasn’t going to touch her again. He sighed. “Yes, we had a terrible argument, but I’m not getting into it with you. You’ll just have to trust me that you don’t need the details. She asked me to keep them private, and I’m keeping my promise.”

“That’s it? You sit here, telling me nothing, and then ask me to trust you? How can this secret be so important that you’re willing to impede the police investigation? Mother is dead. Someone is threatening me. You’ve become a suspect. What on earth is worth protecting in the face of all this?”

“Lower your voice! You’ll upset Annabelle.”

She stood up and backed away from him. “Is that what you told Mother? Did you shut her up permanently?”

He rose from the sofa, his face twisted in pain. “Kate! How could you ask me that?” he said quietly.

“Please go. Leave. I don’t want to see you again until you’re ready to tell me the truth.”

He put his hands up again and left the room. She stared after him, bereft.