Cold Hearted

She didn’t give Ryan a chance to reply. She’d made her point. Her brother-in-law’s motives had been admirable — he had wanted to spare her more anguish, especially today. But he had underestimated her as so many people did. Even after knowing her for several years, he saw only the façade that she presented to the world. Few people knew the real Jordan Harris Bra

Nothing in her life had turned out the way she had hoped it would. None of her youthful dreams had come true. The girl who had been engaged to Robby Joe Wright, who had longed to be a grade school teacher and the mother of at least three children, was only a vague, melancholy memory.

Twice before, fate had given her two choices: let tragedy defeat her or make her stronger. She had that same choice now. And if she knew nothing else about herself, she knew one thing — Jordan Price was a survivor.

Rick kicked back in Nicole’s Cadillac Escalade and relaxed as they flew along Interstate 75, halfway between Priceville and Chattanooga. The lady drove like a bat out of hell, slowing down only when absolutely necessary. Right now she was speeding along at 85 and the limit was 70.

“If you don’t want to head this case, I can assign someone else.” Nic cast a sidelong glance his way.

“What makes you think I don’t want the case?”

Nic chuckled softly. “Oh, maybe your obvious animosity toward Jordan Price for one thing. You can’t go into an assignment with an open mind if you’ve already found the client guilty.”

“You think I believe Mrs. Price killed her husband?”

“Do you?”

“Do I think the lady is capable of murder? I’m not sure. Maybe. She’s one cool customer.”

“Just because she wasn’t hysterical with grief today doesn’t mean she didn’t love Dan.”

“You’re right, it doesn’t,” Rick agreed. “But look at the facts. He was twenty years older, rich and powerful, and his death may not have been suicide. What’s the first rule of thumb in a case such as this?”

“Suspect the wife.”

“Right. And add to that scenario a young lover and you’ve got a recipe for murder.”

“You’re assuming that Jordan and Devon Markham are lovers,” Nic said. “I think you’re wrong about that.”

“Why do you think I’m wrong?”

“Woman’s instinct.”

Rick laughed. “Care to elaborate?”

“Yes, I think they love each other, but they’re not in love. They don’t look at each other or touch each other the way a couple in love does.”

“You can tell if a couple is in love from watching the way they look at each other?”

“I told you that my theory is not based on scientific facts, just good old-fashioned woman’s intuition.”

“Okay, say I buy your theory. That doesn’t rule out Jordan Price as a suspect.”

“Jordan is not a suspect. She’s our client,” Nic reminded him. “She hired us, remember?”

“Ryan Price hired us. She jumped on the bandwagon when she realized that we were going to do an investigation. After all, if she had put up a protest, it would have made her look guilty.”

“I think maybe I should put Holt Keinan or Maleah Perdue on this case.”

“Don’t.”

Nic gave him another sidelong glance, her gaze questioning him. “Give me one good reason why I should hand this case over to you, all things considered?”

“Because I want to be proven wrong,” he admitted. “I don’t want Jordan Price to be guilty.”

“Hmm… You surprise me. I never suspected—”

“That I find the lady intriguing? That I’m as susceptible as the next guy to a beautiful, vulnerable woman?”

“Okay, the case is yours,” Nic told him. “But if I get one complaint from either Jordan or Ryan, I’ll jerk your ass off the case and put another agent in charge. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am. I understand.”

By seven that evening, the house had cleared, the string quartet had left and the caterers had cleaned up and gone. Only family and close friends remained, only those to whom Dan Price had been far more than a colleague, an acquaintance, another good old boy, or just their senator. The numbness that had encompassed Jordan for the past few weeks, from the moment she discovered Dan’s body until this evening, began to fade. She wished that she could remain in the semi-frozen emotional state, acting and reacting with control and logic. But sooner or later, she would have to confront the truth and deal with her personal grief.

“Do you want us to stay here tonight?” Claire asked. “I can call my mother and ask her to either keep Michael until tomorrow or bring him here.”

Jordan tried to smile at her sister-in-law, but the effort failed. “No, please, you and Ryan should go home. You’re less than five miles away, if I were to need you. Besides” — she glanced over her shoulder into the parlor — “I have more than enough company.”

“How is Devon holding up?” Claire whispered.

“In public, he’s holding it together. In private… he’ll make it through this somehow. I’ll take care of him.”

“You always have, haven’t you?”

Jordan nodded. “Making plans for the baby will help us both. I just wish I’d had the chance to tell Dan…”

“You’re thinking that if he’d known about the baby, he wouldn’t have… that he might still be alive.”

Jordan’s gaze co

Claire sighed heavily. “I don’t know. Ryan is convinced that Dan didn’t kill himself. It definitely wasn’t an accident, so that leaves only murder.”

“I can hardly bear the thought that Dan committed suicide, but the thought that someone murdered him is almost more than…” Jordan paused and took a deep breath. “Whatever happens, we’ll face it together, the family, those of us who loved Dan.”

Ryan came up to them and draped his arm around Claire’s shoulders. “Ready?”

“Yes, whenever you are.”

He looked at Jordan. “I’ll let Nicole know that Mr. Carson can stay with us during the investigation. And I apologize again for not consulting you first.”

“I understand your motives,” Jordan said. “And as for Mr. Carson staying with you and Claire — that won’t be necessary. We have more than enough room for him here, far more room than y’all have.”

“Are you sure?” Ryan asked. “I got the feeling that you didn’t especially like Mr. Carson.”

“I don’t know Mr. Carson. But if Nicole thinks he’s the best agent to spearhead the private investigation, then I have no objections. After all, she’s the expert, not you or I.”

“Believe me, I don’t want to think that someone murdered Dan, but it’s the only explanation that makes sense to me.”

“You mean that it’s the only explanation you will accept.”

“Yes, it is the only explanation I’ll accept,” Ryan agreed. “I refuse to believe that Dan would commit suicide, not even after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.” His face flushed with aggravation. When Claire leaned into him, he tightened his hold around her shoulders and gave her a reassuring hug. “I’m okay, honey.”

“You should both go home and try to get some rest,” Jordan said. “I’ll contact Nicole and inform her that we decided Mr. Carson will stay here at Price Manor during the investigation. And I’ll tell the others tonight that we have hired the Powell Agency to look into the circumstances surrounding Dan’s death.”

Claire offered her a wavering smile, and then she ushered Ryan out the front door. Jordan closed her eyes and prayed for strength. The very last thing she and this family needed right now was a private detective sticking his nose into matters that were highly confidential.

But if Dan really had been murdered?