Murder Deja Vu

I? No. Instead, I gave you everything a woman could want, and as soon as David went off to college, you walked out on me. Now you’re humiliating me again by falling for a man who almost decapitated a woman.”
    “I want you to leave, Robert.” Ignoring the familiar prickly heat of anger that Robert generated, she slid open the glass doors that led out back, depriving him of the dignity to leave through the front door. “Get out and don’t come back. Ever.”
    “You may not be here. I’d hoped you hadn’t lost your head over this guy, but considering his history, you still might.” He stepped outside without a backward glance, and she rolled the door closed with as much power as she could muster, and flipped the latch.
    Moving into her office, where the height of the windows made it impossible for him to peer in, she sat on the daybed and shook, determined not to cry. She thought her ex-husband couldn’t do that to her any more. It was her fault for letting him into her home. Her refuge from him.
    She didn’t know how long she sat there, half an hour, maybe more, remembering the years she’d spent in his house. He never let her forget he owned it, along with everything in it. Including her.
    When she regained control, she stepped into the shower. The tile cubicle seemed empty. She missed Reece’s touch on her body. Missed his lips on hers. Robert’s words played in her head like some long-forgotten song remembered. Falling for him. Was she?

Chapter Twelve
A Little History

    D ana saw Jeraldine ensconced at a corner table in the Pine House dining room when she arrived. Wearing the same clothes and looking as fresh as she had that morning, Jeraldine dominated the half-empty room. Dana had changed into her only good pair of slacks, a shirt, and jacket. Nothing fancy, but better than jeans.
    “Hi, honey. God, I needed this.” She pointed to what looked like a double of either bourbon or scotch. “What’ll you have?” She waved at the waiter. “Honey, come take my friend’s order.”
    Dana was beginning to think everyone was “honey” to Jeraldine. “Hi, Chaz,” Dana said to the young waiter. “How’s college?”
    “Great, Mrs. Minette. Made Dean’s List.”
    “Good for you. Hard work wins in the end.”
    “What can I get for you?”
    “A glass of pinot noir, please.”
    Jeraldine beamed at the young waiter. “So that’s your name. I like that. Sounds preppy.”
    Chaz left the table with a smile for Dana. “He’s worked here every summer for years, only now he’s old enough to take drink orders.”
    “Cute thing, isn’t he? Oh, if I were twenty years younger.”
    Dana smiled.
    “Okay, thirty, but who’s counting?” Her infectious laugh filled the room before she focused on Dana. “How’ya doing, honey?”
    “Antsy. I want to go to him.”
    “He won’t see you.”
    “Why?”
    “It’s the way he is. Give him time, Dana. This isn’t about you.”
    Jeraldine’s words hit home. No, this wasn’t about her. It was about Reece. Chaz brought Dana’s wine, and she took a long sip. “Hmm, I guess I needed this too.”
    “I told Chaz honey we weren’t in a rush, so drink up. Then you can have another. I’m going to. We’ll order later.”
    Dana had thought about this meeting all afternoon. There was so much she didn’t know. “So tell me.”
    Jeraldine spread some of Pine House’s special cheese over a warm roll. “Remember I said we had a problem? Well, they found a matchbook in Reece’s house from a bar the dead woman frequented. Reece said he went there a time or two, but he doesn’t recall her. That’s not a smoking gun. He could have picked up a matchbook anytime. But there’s a witness who says he saw Reece at the bar Friday night. Reece says he wasn’t there, and I believe him. Clarence will find out.”
    “I think I might be sick.”
    “Now don’t you go losing faith in your man, honey. He told you he screwed around. He’s a man. Men have needs.”
    Then Dana remembered what Reece had said the day he told her he wanted to take her to bed. “He mentioned that. How did he put it? That all he’d had the last six years were random fucks. Yes, that was what he said.”
    “Sounds like Reece. He says what he means. No sugarcoating. A lot of men wouldn’t have mentioned it.”
    But Dana didn’t want to hear that Reece went to the bar after he left her. She couldn’t bear that. Was that why he wouldn’t stay the night at her house?
    As if Jeraldine read