A jerky nod. “Lucia liked to take risks. She wanted to be her own person, but she was trapped under her stepfather’s thumb. He controlled the money so that meant he controlled her.”
“Money isn’t everything.”
His laugh was bitter. “You know who says shit like that? People who’ve always had money. People who grew up on fucking estates in England with servants at their beck and call.”
Joel leaned forward. “Watch the tone.”
“What?” Kingston just shrugged one shoulder. “You know I’m not wrong. Money is everything to people who haven’t had it. When your mom died and you hadn’t gotten placed with a foster family, weren’t you scared out of your damn mind, doc? Didn’t you wonder where you’d go? What you’d do?” Bitterness. Pain. Both twisted in his voice. “Or has that been so long ago for you that you forgot what it was like to do without?”
“I haven’t forgotten anything,” Joel assured him grimly. “But you don’t know Chloe or what her life has been like. You don’t know what—”
“Lucia wasn’t like Chloe. She was scared. I told her I could help her out, but she was terrified her stepfather would cut her off. The man had something on her. I could tell. Sometimes, she’d flinch when she said his name. Most folks in this town idolized him, but Lucia seemed to hate him as much as she feared him.”
Chloe filed all of this information away. “And you never wondered why she was so afraid?” Chloe asked.
His gaze cut away.
“You did wonder.” A piece slid into place for her. “But when you pushed her, she left you.”
“Told me it was none of my damn business.” He scraped a hand across his jaw. “You think I didn’t get it, Chloe? Shit, I might not have your skills at seeing into the heads of people, but I knew the signs.” His voice roughened more. “I even tried to get her counseling. I wanted to help her. But…” He exhaled. “She said we were done. That I wanted to fix her, but you couldn’t fix what was broken.”
His words gave her pause. “I’ve always thought you could. If you just knew how to put the pieces back together even something broken can be rebuilt.”
A furrow appeared between Kingston’s dark eyebrows as he stared straight at her.
“How long ago was your break-up?” Chloe asked in a quick turn of topic.
“Four months. No, five.”
“And had you talked to her since then?”
“When a woman tells me no, I move on. She cut all ties with me. The last thing I was gonna do was start stalking her. Not my style.”
No, she didn’t imagine it was. Not with what had happened to his sister so long ago.
“So I’m guessing you don’t know if she was seeing someone else?” Joel pushed.
“No clue.” He glanced away, staring out the window at the passing blur of scenery. “I’d hoped she was out there being happy. Dancing.”
“I don’t think she was happy at all,” Chloe replied.
“Jesus, Chloe.” Kingston closed his eyes. “Sometimes, you can just lie to me. White lies are supposed to make people feel better. Try giving me one of those next time, will you?”
“I’ll remember to do that.”
His eyes opened. For a moment, he glared at her. “Don’t toy with me.”
Joel stiffened.
“Easy, tiger,” Kingston murmured with a sigh. “Don’t have to bare your teeth at me. I’d never hurt Chloe, and she knows it.”
“Just like you’d never hurt Lucia?” Joel returned silkily.
“Hurting women isn’t my thing. Chloe knows that.” He pointed toward the window. “We’re getting close to our destination. If you have other questions, ask now.”
She had plenty of other questions, but, unfortunately, it would seem she was also running out of time. “Was Lucia ever violent with you?”
His eyelids flickered. “What in the hell kind of question is that?”
“The kind that I just asked.” He’d heard her. “Was she violent?” Chloe persisted.
“Lucia was like one hundred pounds lighter than me. She couldn’t have been violent—couldn’t have hurt me—if she tried.”
“Hmmm.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“It means she tried to be violent with her stepfather. Tried and succeeded. She’s the one who killed him.”
He lunged out of his faux-lounging position. “Bullshit.”
“No. Quite the opposite. She took revenge on her abusive stepfather. She walked right up to him and drove a knife into his heart. When he fell and started bleeding out, she sliced him over and over again. Then she left her ballet shoes in his blood.”
He paled. “No.”
Now she was almost offended. “Are you telling me that I’m wrong?”
“Proof. You need proof. You can’t just accuse people of—”
Her head angled toward Joel. “He’s saying I’m wrong. He’ll stop lying to himself soon and ask who killed her.”
“Who. Killed. Her?” Kingston snarled.
She slanted him a glance. “As I told you before, I don’t have specifics on that. Joel and I are working on the situation.” She paused. “I can tell you it was someone she trusted. Someone who was able to walk right up to her and slice her throat, from ear to ear.”
He swallowed then pressed a button near his right hand. “Stop the car,” he ordered hoarsely.
The limo immediately stopped.
“I’ll pay whatever you ask. Find the bastard.” His breath huffed out. “The cops will come for me. You prove to them that I’m innocent.” Another huff of air. “And try to fucking be tactful will you, Chloe?”
“My apologies,” she said. But even to her own ears, she didn’t sound sorry. She wasn’t. She’d wanted to know if Kingston had been emotionally involved with Lucia. Now she had her answer.
The driver opened the limo’s side door for them. Joel exited first and turned to wait for her.
She started to slide toward him.
Kingston wrapped his fingers around her wrist. “She wasn’t a monster.”
“I never said she was.”
“You think I didn’t get it?” His voice was low. “She was broken like me. I wanted to help her, but she…God, she stabbed him?”
“Stabbed him and then danced in his blood.”
He let her go. “Maybe the bastard deserved it.”
She studied him in silence.
“How long until the cops figure out my connection to her?” Kingston asked.
“Cedric is leading the investigation. I’m sure he has a team at her house. If she had anything to tie her to you…I’d say you’d be hearing from him in just a few hours.”
He swore.
“You’re welcome. The heads up was free of charge.” She exited. Didn’t look back at him when the driver slammed the door.
The SUV pulled to a stop behind the limo. The guard killed the engine, hopped out, and hurried toward her as—
“Close enough,” Joel snapped. “I’ll take the keys.”