story.
“I knew you’d be along sooner or later,” he said cheerfully. “Hi, Molly. Hey, O’Hara. What’s happening inside? My butt was getting damp from sitting alongside that fountain at the end of the walkway. They wouldn’t even bring us any hors d’oeuvres out there, much less any information. I’ve got an hour until deadline. I’m a desperate man.”
“So what else is new?” Molly said dryly.
“If you want a statement, you’ll have to talk to the police, Ryan,” Michael said.
“No, wait,” Liza interrupted. “I’ll make a statement on behalf of the committee.” She proceeded to deliver Caroline’s suggested comments verbatim, earning Molly’s admiration and a startled look from Michael.
Ted Ryan didn’t look nearly as impressed. “So what?” he said bluntly. “I need suspects. I need details. What did the body look like when it was discovered? My photographer’s out there in a boat right now, trying to get close enough to the scene of the crime to get pictures. They’ve already carted the Lafferty broad away by now, haven’t they?”
His evident disappointment grated on Molly’s nerves. “Your interest in the gory details shouldn’t surprise me,” Molly said. “That is what you get off on, isn’t it?”
“Hey, come on,” he said, clearly hurt by her assessment. “I’m just trying to do a job here. You’re the best sources I’ve got.”
“In that case, you are in serious trouble, my friend,” Michael informed him. “We’re not feeling very talkative.”
“Molly?” Ted pleaded.
“Sorry. I can’t tell you any more than I have already,” she said, grateful that he wasn’t aware that she had actually discovered the body. If he knew that, he’d never let her alone and she was in no mood to recall the sensation of brushing up against Tessa’s submerged form.
“You’ve told me precisely nothing,” he said glumly. Then his expression brightened. “How about we trade information?”
Michael shook his head. “As innocent bystanders we don’t need your information.”
“Not even the fact that the Laffertys were headed for an ugly divorce?”
“That’s gossip,” Michael said, his expression blank. If the announcement had stirred his interest, he’d determined to keep it hidden.
Molly was less inclined to dismiss the news so readily. “Who’s your source?” she asked.
“Can’t reveal it,” Ted said smugly.
“How nice,” Michael commented dryly. “A reporter with ethics.” He opened the car door for Molly and Liza. When they didn’t climb in, he shrugged and walked around to the driver’s side and got in himself. Just to emphasize his impatience, he started the engine.
Molly scowled at him and tried to figure out how she could wheedle more information out of Ted Ryan, while giving nothing away herself. If Tessa and Roger had been about to split up, that could have a definite bearing on the case. Since Roger was reportedly wildly in love with Tessa, it must have been her decision to walk away from the marriage.
“Who was filing for the divorce?” she asked.
“The old man.”
“Roger?” Liza said, her astonished tone matching Molly’s reaction. “Why? I’d always heard he was nuts about her.”
“He was until he found her in bed with one of his best friends.”
“Hernando Viera,” Molly guessed.
“Who?” the reporter said blankly. “That’s not the name I was given.”
“Who then?”
“Dupree. You know him?”
“Clark Dupree, one of the city’s most prominent development attorneys,” Molly said, barely hiding her astonishment. Aside from being Roger Lafferty’s best friend, he was also Patrice MacDonald’s regular escort. That could certainly explain why she’d cut Tessa dead in that Bal Harbour boutique. It might also explain why she might want to murder her.
CHAPTER
SIX
Clark Dupree and Tessa Lafferty. Now there truly was a picture, Molly thought, exchanging a startled glance with Liza. The dapper, slick,
“I knew you’d be along sooner or later,” he said cheerfully. “Hi, Molly. Hey, O’Hara. What’s happening inside? My butt was getting damp from sitting alongside that fountain at the end of the walkway. They wouldn’t even bring us any hors d’oeuvres out there, much less any information. I’ve got an hour until deadline. I’m a desperate man.”
“So what else is new?” Molly said dryly.
“If you want a statement, you’ll have to talk to the police, Ryan,” Michael said.
“No, wait,” Liza interrupted. “I’ll make a statement on behalf of the committee.” She proceeded to deliver Caroline’s suggested comments verbatim, earning Molly’s admiration and a startled look from Michael.
Ted Ryan didn’t look nearly as impressed. “So what?” he said bluntly. “I need suspects. I need details. What did the body look like when it was discovered? My photographer’s out there in a boat right now, trying to get close enough to the scene of the crime to get pictures. They’ve already carted the Lafferty broad away by now, haven’t they?”
His evident disappointment grated on Molly’s nerves. “Your interest in the gory details shouldn’t surprise me,” Molly said. “That is what you get off on, isn’t it?”
“Hey, come on,” he said, clearly hurt by her assessment. “I’m just trying to do a job here. You’re the best sources I’ve got.”
“In that case, you are in serious trouble, my friend,” Michael informed him. “We’re not feeling very talkative.”
“Molly?” Ted pleaded.
“Sorry. I can’t tell you any more than I have already,” she said, grateful that he wasn’t aware that she had actually discovered the body. If he knew that, he’d never let her alone and she was in no mood to recall the sensation of brushing up against Tessa’s submerged form.
“You’ve told me precisely nothing,” he said glumly. Then his expression brightened. “How about we trade information?”
Michael shook his head. “As innocent bystanders we don’t need your information.”
“Not even the fact that the Laffertys were headed for an ugly divorce?”
“That’s gossip,” Michael said, his expression blank. If the announcement had stirred his interest, he’d determined to keep it hidden.
Molly was less inclined to dismiss the news so readily. “Who’s your source?” she asked.
“Can’t reveal it,” Ted said smugly.
“How nice,” Michael commented dryly. “A reporter with ethics.” He opened the car door for Molly and Liza. When they didn’t climb in, he shrugged and walked around to the driver’s side and got in himself. Just to emphasize his impatience, he started the engine.
Molly scowled at him and tried to figure out how she could wheedle more information out of Ted Ryan, while giving nothing away herself. If Tessa and Roger had been about to split up, that could have a definite bearing on the case. Since Roger was reportedly wildly in love with Tessa, it must have been her decision to walk away from the marriage.
“Who was filing for the divorce?” she asked.
“The old man.”
“Roger?” Liza said, her astonished tone matching Molly’s reaction. “Why? I’d always heard he was nuts about her.”
“He was until he found her in bed with one of his best friends.”
“Hernando Viera,” Molly guessed.
“Who?” the reporter said blankly. “That’s not the name I was given.”
“Who then?”
“Dupree. You know him?”
“Clark Dupree, one of the city’s most prominent development attorneys,” Molly said, barely hiding her astonishment. Aside from being Roger Lafferty’s best friend, he was also Patrice MacDonald’s regular escort. That could certainly explain why she’d cut Tessa dead in that Bal Harbour boutique. It might also explain why she might want to murder her.
CHAPTER
SIX
Clark Dupree and Tessa Lafferty. Now there truly was a picture, Molly thought, exchanging a startled glance with Liza. The dapper, slick,
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