She put her hand on Willy’s shoulder and practically shoved him into the interview room. Sawyer waited a moment to see if Bree needed some help, but obviously she didn’t. Bree might be on the petite side, but she had a tough lawman’s attitude and a whole lot of Ryland muscle to back her up if the attitude didn’t work.
“Tell me where you were this morning,” Bree ordered Willy.
While the doctor made her way toward them, Sawyer listened in on Willy’s answer.
“At home sleeping in. And before you ask, no one can verify that ʼcause I live all by my lonesome. That still don’t make me a killer.”
No, but it made him a violent man with no alibi and a strong motive for murdering April.
Sawyer stepped into Grayson’s office with Cassidy, and Diane followed him.
“We’ve met,” Diane said to Cassidy and extended her hand for Cassidy to shake. “At a fund-raiser last year in San Antonio. I don’t expect you to remember, but someone introduced me to you and your brother.”
Judging from Cassidy’s reaction, that wasn’t much of a surprise. Probably because she attended a lot of functions like that.
“Now, back to April,” Diane went on. “Like I said earlier, she was a troubled woman. I’d be happy to help you in any way that I can.”
So, her offer of help was one possible roadblock removed, and Sawyer didn’t waste any time. “When’s the last time you saw her?”
“Two weeks ago for our regular counseling session. When she didn’t show for her appointment yesterday, I had to report it to the judge. It’s part of her parole agreement.” She opened her mouth, no doubt to ask some questions of her own, but Sawyer went first.
“April was still pregnant two weeks ago?”
Diane nodded. Then she gasped, touching her perfectly manicured peach fingernails to her color-coordinated mouth. “Oh, God. Please tell me her killer didn’t hurt the baby, too.”
“I don’t think so. We’re trying to determine if it’s her baby that we found. Any idea if April was involved in something illegal? Like kidnapping maybe?”
Diane’s eyes suddenly weren’t so cool. There was concern in them. “She didn’t say anything about breaking the law again. Why, is that what happened?”
“I’m not sure.” And that wasn’t a lie. Sawyer didn’t know. Just because the woman associated with thugs and had a criminal record, it didn’t mean she was up to no good this time around. She could have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“Did April say anything about my brother, Bennie?” Cassidy blurted out.
“Only that she was seeing him. Why?” Diane asked. “Does your brother have something to do with her murder?”
Sawyer hoped not. For Cassidy’s sake. “When you last saw April,” Sawyer continued, “did she seem unnerved about anything?”
Diane drew in a weary breath. “Only Willy. She was trying to hide from him, but she was worried that he was going to track her down at one of our appointments. That’s why we changed the dates several times, and then I finally just moved our sessions to my home. She was terrified that Willy would do something to make her lose the baby.”
Because Willy thought the baby wasn’t his. “Why did Willy think April was afraid of you?”
Diane shrugged, then huffed. “Probably because the counseling sessions with April were court-appointed. He’s a career criminal with a violent streak. I suspect he doesn’t trust anyone or anything associated with the law.”
That made sense. In a way. Still, Sawyer had to wonder if that was all there was to it.
Diane opened her purse, extracted a business card and handed it to Sawyer. “Call me if you hear anything. Or if I can help. As I said, I’m anxious to help catch whoever did this to April.”
She turned to leave, but Sawyer stopped her. “You didn’t ask how April was murdered,” he said.
Diane blinked, and for just a split second there seemed to be some panic in her eyes. “I assumed
“Tell me where you were this morning,” Bree ordered Willy.
While the doctor made her way toward them, Sawyer listened in on Willy’s answer.
“At home sleeping in. And before you ask, no one can verify that ʼcause I live all by my lonesome. That still don’t make me a killer.”
No, but it made him a violent man with no alibi and a strong motive for murdering April.
Sawyer stepped into Grayson’s office with Cassidy, and Diane followed him.
“We’ve met,” Diane said to Cassidy and extended her hand for Cassidy to shake. “At a fund-raiser last year in San Antonio. I don’t expect you to remember, but someone introduced me to you and your brother.”
Judging from Cassidy’s reaction, that wasn’t much of a surprise. Probably because she attended a lot of functions like that.
“Now, back to April,” Diane went on. “Like I said earlier, she was a troubled woman. I’d be happy to help you in any way that I can.”
So, her offer of help was one possible roadblock removed, and Sawyer didn’t waste any time. “When’s the last time you saw her?”
“Two weeks ago for our regular counseling session. When she didn’t show for her appointment yesterday, I had to report it to the judge. It’s part of her parole agreement.” She opened her mouth, no doubt to ask some questions of her own, but Sawyer went first.
“April was still pregnant two weeks ago?”
Diane nodded. Then she gasped, touching her perfectly manicured peach fingernails to her color-coordinated mouth. “Oh, God. Please tell me her killer didn’t hurt the baby, too.”
“I don’t think so. We’re trying to determine if it’s her baby that we found. Any idea if April was involved in something illegal? Like kidnapping maybe?”
Diane’s eyes suddenly weren’t so cool. There was concern in them. “She didn’t say anything about breaking the law again. Why, is that what happened?”
“I’m not sure.” And that wasn’t a lie. Sawyer didn’t know. Just because the woman associated with thugs and had a criminal record, it didn’t mean she was up to no good this time around. She could have just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“Did April say anything about my brother, Bennie?” Cassidy blurted out.
“Only that she was seeing him. Why?” Diane asked. “Does your brother have something to do with her murder?”
Sawyer hoped not. For Cassidy’s sake. “When you last saw April,” Sawyer continued, “did she seem unnerved about anything?”
Diane drew in a weary breath. “Only Willy. She was trying to hide from him, but she was worried that he was going to track her down at one of our appointments. That’s why we changed the dates several times, and then I finally just moved our sessions to my home. She was terrified that Willy would do something to make her lose the baby.”
Because Willy thought the baby wasn’t his. “Why did Willy think April was afraid of you?”
Diane shrugged, then huffed. “Probably because the counseling sessions with April were court-appointed. He’s a career criminal with a violent streak. I suspect he doesn’t trust anyone or anything associated with the law.”
That made sense. In a way. Still, Sawyer had to wonder if that was all there was to it.
Diane opened her purse, extracted a business card and handed it to Sawyer. “Call me if you hear anything. Or if I can help. As I said, I’m anxious to help catch whoever did this to April.”
She turned to leave, but Sawyer stopped her. “You didn’t ask how April was murdered,” he said.
Diane blinked, and for just a split second there seemed to be some panic in her eyes. “I assumed
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