Pink Balloons and Other Deadly Things (Mystery Series - Book One) by Nancy Tesler

physical attributes, but the bottom line was the bottom line with Rich, even where Erica was concerned.
    “Bastard cops were grilling me this morning. Me, the bereaved, while I was trying to make funeral arrangements.”
    “Maybe they think you can help.”
    “No, no, I’m a suspect, can you believe it? Assholes kept on about her having other men.” He grabbed my arm. “I suppose they got that from you?”
    I jerked away. “I'm afraid I wasn't privy to Erica's affairs.”
    “She’d never have cheated on me.”
    God, the ego.
    He lurched to his feet. “I need a drink.”
    I remembered the kids telling me he had a fully stocked paneled bar concealed someplace behind these sanitary walls. You pressed a button, and shazam! Like magic, a wall opened. I slid off the desk, blocking his path. “Don’t. You've got to keep a clear head.”
    He pushed me out of the way and staggered toward the bathroom. “Gotta pee.”
    I waited till I heard him splashing water on his face. “You sure there wasn’t anybody else?” I called out. “An old boyfriend, maybe? Somebody she jilted for you? Or somebody she annihilated at work, maybe? Like poor Herb Golinko? Whatever happened to him?”
    A pause. I heard the water turned off.
    “Dunno.”
    “She ruined his career, and you let her. Hell, we both know she wasn’t Mother Teresa. Who had a grudge---?”
    “Nobody, goddammit. Except you.”
    “You think I did it?”
    “Well, why...” He appeared in the doorway, stopped. “Oh, I get it. You’d be right up there with me on the cops’ list of most likely.”
    “Don’t be ridiculous. I wasn’t even around over the weekend.”
    “Where were you?”
    I’m a lousy liar. I can never think fast enough. “The kids and I went with Meg for the weekend.”
    “Meg was working. She didn’t leave until last night.”
    Just for a second the room spun. “How’d you know that?”
    “Allie told me. Why’d you lie?”
    “When did you talk to Allie?”
    “She called me before she left for school. Don’t change the subject.”
    “Have you been seeing Meg?” I held my breath.
    He stared at me blankly. If it was an act, it was a good one. “What’re you talking about?”
    I exhaled, decided to believe him. “How about Dot?”
    His timing was a little slower on that one.
    “She’s my secretary, f'chrissake! You think I screw everything walks into the office?”
    I bit off my retort.
    He walked over to the desk, started pulling open drawers.
    “What’re you looking for?”
    “Aspirin. Head feels like it’s gonna explode.”
    I pulled a two-pack out of my bag, tossed it at him. “Erica ever get any threatening calls?”
    He ripped open the packet and swallowed the pills without water. “Will you give it a rest? I told you---”
    “Someone hated her enough to kill her, Rich. You have to know it wasn’t me. And you know it wasn’t you. So we have two fewer on our list than the police. You’re probably the only one knows enough about her to put it together.”
    “Don’t you think I’d’ve told the police if I had a clue?”
    I tried shock treatment. “How much do you really know about her past? Those affairs the police were talking about? Everyone in the company knew she slept her way up from the factory foreman to you. Maybe somebody halfway up the ladder---”
    That got him in his fat ego. “Shut up! Just shut up! The woman's dead. She’s dead, and you're still bad-mouthing her!”
    I saw red. I was a woman scorned, and hell couldn’t come close to matching my fury. “You’re right!” I shouted. “I should be cursing you!”
    “Who are you to play Miss Innocent?” he bellowed. “How can I be sure it wasn’t you killed her? You lied about being away. You call her a whore every damned chance you get. You said you’d see her dead and buried before you’d see us married!”
    He hadn’t forgotten! I lost it completely then. “What’d you expect?” I yelled back. That I’d throw a party welcoming her into