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Jack nodded. “Yes, it is. Can you please tell me when you last saw Jason Maynard?”
Milo said, “As you know, Jack, Jason worked for me, so the last time I saw him was yesterday afternoon when he left the office for the day.”
“And you, Mrs. Hildebrand?”
“At di
Milo Hildebrand took his wife’s hand, gently squeezed it. “Yes, yes, Livie, Jack doesn’t need the di
Jack continued smoothly, “Mrs. Hildebrand, how did Jason seem to you Tuesday night?”
“As Milo said-” She stopped and began shaking her head. He persevered. “Think back, Mrs. Hildebrand. Was he different in any way to you? Perhaps distracted? How did he and Marci deal with each other?”
Milo opened his mouth to speak, but Jack shook his head at him, never looking away from Mrs. Hildebrand. Next time, he would get her alone. He hadn’t realized Milo was this dominant, but he wasn’t surprised. Olivia Hildebrand had spent her whole married life inside this home, completely dependent on Milo. He looked around. She’d made it a beautiful home. He’d seen stu
Olivia said, tears thick in her voice, “Jason and Marci loved each other, Chief, very much. They’ve been married for nearly three years now, spoke about starting a family soon. Marci loves children, she’s always wanted twins, you know. She was a twin, but her brother died when-”
Milo heaved out a sigh. “Livie, Jack doesn’t need to know about Marci’s dead twin. Try to focus on Jason.”
She flinched as if she’d been struck, then put her head down again. She whispered, “Yes, Milo, I know. It’s just that all this-” She looked up, waved her hand helplessly, then let it fall back onto her lap. She looked over at Pat, who’d remained standing, her arms folded, looking calm but concerned.
“There’s no need to apologize, Mrs. Hildebrand,” Patricia said easily. “We all understand what you’re going through.”
Jack said, “I didn’t know Marci had a twin brother. I’m sorry to hear he died. But now I need you to come back to last Tuesday night.” He looked over at Milo, then back at his wife. “It’s not that I disbelieve Milo, it’s simply that I’ve learned over the years that mothers can sometimes pick up on unspoken feelings in their families. So think back. Did Jason seem concerned about anything? Upset? Did he speak of anyone he was having a problem with? Did you feel anything at all that didn’t seem quite right?”
“No, really, everything was fine. Even when he was quiet, he seemed content, not at all distracted or worried about anything. He laughed a lot, told several jokes-Jason could spin a joke out of every encounter he had-he was amazing, really. We had a nice visit.” She shot her husband a look and lifted her chin. “Jason loved the German chocolate cake I made. It was another favorite of his.”
Jack turned to Milo. “Jason worked for you, Milo. Did you notice anything in his behavior recently at the office?”
“Jason is-was-a good insurance agent. People liked him, trusted him. He made a good living. He seemed to get along with everyone. There are sometimes little tiffs between agents because of the competition, you understand, but nothing that could ever possibly lead to something like this.” Milo had known what he was going to say, Jack thought, he’d obviously thought about it, rehearsed his answer. Was he hiding anything? Protecting someone? Maybe his daughter, afraid that somehow, she was involved. Jack understood that. His father, he knew, would probably have the same instincts toward him. But would he protect him if he feared Jack had murdered somebody?
“Jason came to work for you after his marriage to your daughter?”
“Yes. I offered him a job. He’d been working for the First Independent Bank and wasn’t happy. We discussed it and he seemed pleased. He never complained. No reason to, since he made a very nice living. He was suited to it, a natural salesman. Livie’s right about the jokes. I never could figure out where he got them all.”
“Were there any problems between Marci and Jason?”
Milo said, “Certainly not! They were practically newlyweds.”
Jack smiled at Milo, said he was parched, and asked him for some coffee. It was obvious to Jack that Milo didn’t want to leave him alone with Mrs. Hildebrand, but he really had no choice. He raised an eyebrow to Pat Bigelow. She smiled at him, nodded, and he finally left the living room. She transferred her smile to Jack, to let him know he couldn’t browbeat Mrs. Hildebrand. Jack motioned for Mrs. Hildebrand to keep seated. When Milo ’s footsteps receded down the hallway, he said, “I know this is very difficult, Mrs. Hildebrand, but I surely need your help.” He studied her face a moment, then said straight out, “Now, why don’t you tell me the truth. How were Marci and Jason really getting along?”
TEN
“Oh, I suppose you’ve heard some gossip, but you really shouldn’t believe it.”
“Tell me, Mrs. Hildebrand.”
“No, there was nothing, really. They were having a rough patch, that’s all. All couples have difficult times occasionally, and they were no exception. There wasn’t anything they couldn’t patch up.”
And pigs fly. Jack made his choice and took his shot. “I know Jason was having an affair, Mrs. Hildebrand. It’s easier if you just tell me about it.”
He’d hit it on the mark. Not a flicker of surprise in her eyes. Her chin went up again, as if daring him to disagree. “They never spoke to me about it.”
“What does Marci do outside the home, Mrs. Hildebrand?”
“She works at home. She’s an artist. The Flynt Gallery in Portland sells her watercolors. The sailboats over there, those are some of hers.”
Jack looked at the grouping of six rather small watercolors, beautifully framed, on the wall beside the fireplace. They seemed rather bland to him. On the other hand, he’d never cared much for watercolors.
“Was she financially independent?”
“Yes. No. Who can say? I don’t know exactly how much she earns from her paintings. But I do know she’s becoming quite popular. You’ll have to ask her.”
“Was Marci having an affair?”
“No! You mustn’t speak like that, Chief. She’s a good girl, she wanted children. Anything that’s happened-it’s not her fault.”
So, had she found out her husband was betraying her and-what? Bashed him over the head and in the face?
Pat Bigelow said easily, “I think it’s time you leave that subject, Chief.”
Jack wanted to drop-kick Pat Bigelow out the front window, but he couldn’t, and so he nodded. “Can you think of anyone who didn’t like your son-in-law?”
Olivia Hildebrand looked down at the wedding ring on her finger. After a moment, she shook her head.
Milo Hildebrand came back into the living room, carrying two mugs. He held one out to Jack. Jack rose.
“Thanks, Milo. I think I’ll see if Mrs. Maynard is up to seeing me for a few minutes.”
Olivia jumped to her feet. “Let me go up, let me see if she’s awake-”
She seemed frantic. Did she want to warn Marci that he knew about Jason’s affair? He’d soon see. Jack said easily, “I’d appreciate that, Mrs. Hildebrand.”
He heard her footfalls on the stairs, and turned back to Milo. He sipped at the coffee and nodded. It was rich and very hot. “I hear you’re a pretty good golfer.”
Pat Bigelow said, “Be careful here, Chief-”
Milo held up his hand. “Been golfing since my dad first took me out when I was nine years old. Olivia and I golf quite a bit.”
“What brand of clubs do you use?”
“TaylorMade. Why?”