Death Under Glass by Jennifer McAndrews

carrying an ax because that would have utterly freaked me out. Gabe was easily six-foot-eight, with the barrel chest of apro football player and hands the size of watermelons. I fought the conflicting urges of backing away from him and ducking under him for protection.
    While Counter Guy squeezed behind Gabe and took a seat on a stool behind the register, Carrie introduced me to her former brother-in-law. My hand vanished in his as we shook hands in greeting.
    That was the extent of any pleasantness.
    â€œI’ll ask again. What are you doing here?” Gabe repeated, his voice the growl of boulders grinding one against the other.
    â€œI just . . .” Carrie faltered. “Just . . .”
    Rather than take that step back, I edged forward, moving that little bit closer to Gabe than Carrie stood. “I asked her to bring me. We were hoping you would know where Russ is,” I said.
    His lips quirked in a bitter smile. “Why would I know?”
    â€œBecause you’re his brother? He might have mentioned something to you?” Being an only child myself, I could only speculate at sibling attachment based on observations. Most of those observations of Wenwood and its Hudson Valley environs told me family around here stuck together. I should have kept in mind the brief glimpse Carrie had given me of the Stanford family.
    â€œRuss is a grown man. He doesn’t need to check with me for permission on anything. Just ask him, he’ll tell you.”
    â€œI would very much like to ask him,” I said. “But according to his administrative assistant, he’s gone away fishing and didn’t tell anyone where he was going.”
    â€œAnd we were hoping since you guys usually go fishingtogether, you might have some idea where Russ might go on his own,” Carrie added.
    The big man scoffed. “Wherever he is, he’s probably with Brittany. You might try asking her friends.”
    â€œBrittany?” Carrie practically spat the name.
    â€œYeah, you know, his next wife.”
    In that moment I didn’t know what Carrie was feeling about this new bombshell. All I knew was my stomach was churning on her behalf. The twisted truth of it is, you might have made the best decision ever in getting out of a relationship, you might have been emotionally betrayed, but hearing the other party has moved on before you still stings.
    â€œHe’s getting married again?” Carrie asked in a tiny voice.
    Gabe shuffled his feet, turning to face her fully. “He wouldn’t be getting married
again
if you’d have stayed with him.”
    â€œRuss cheated on her,” I said.
    He spread his arms wide, palms up. “That’s what men do. Men are not meant to be monogamous. It’s against our biology. If you’d have just understood that, then you two would still be together and my stupid-ass brother wouldn’t be planning to sign a prenup for wife number two.”
    All I could do was blink, buying time while I waited to see if his words would make sense or, at the very least, not infuriate me. “I’m sorry, I want to be clear on this. Did you say ‘not meant to be monogamous’ because of biology? So simply being men gives men permission to ignore their vows?”
    â€œAll’s I’m saying is a man can’t be expected to spend the rest of his life with just one woman. It’s why I told Russ, if he signs that prenup, he’s going to lose everything he has left to that girl and all because of natural urges that can’t be ignored.”
    â€œNatural urges?” Carrie echoed, disbelief apparently overwhelming any lingering distress she felt over hearing of Russ’s upcoming marriage. “Natural? Your brother met that girl online. How is that natural?”
    I shot her a look, shook my head. “So there’s a prenup.” I folded my arms, gave Gabe my shrewdest look. “And you don’t think your