Page 12 of Outlaw Ridge: Reed
“No. And there isn’t a record of Elenore ever visiting either of them. She worked at a women’s correctional facility that houses mainly low-risk inmates. And, yes, there are plenty of prisoners there who were in abusive or controlling relationships that likely contributed to their crimes.”
“So, Elenore might have sympathized with Tami,” he said.
“Possibly,” Hallie admitted, though it twisted at her to think that anyone would believe Tami’s BS. Added to that, it was a stretch to consider the woman might have any compassion whatsoever for the person who’d been convicted of murdering her own mother.
Still, it was possible.
That’s why Hallie added, “And if Elenore had become a Tami supporter, it could have been the reason she was targeted and killed.”
Reed made a sound of agreement. “Then, that would point to someone like Jay. Can’t believe he’d want anyone around who’d be willing to help Tami get that appeal.”
Hallie couldn’t see Jay wanting that either, but so far, there was diddly squat to prove he was behind the murders.
“I don’t recall seeing Elenore at your parents’ trials. Do you?” Reed asked as he took the turn into the San Antonio subdivision where Corman lived and worked.
“No.” And Hallie had been mentally going over that, too, in her hamster wheel thoughts. “But the courtrooms were packed each day so I could have missed her. If she was there, she certainly didn’t confront me like her brother did.”
Reed made another sound. Not of agreement this time. But a mix of disgust and anger, and she recalled he’d been furious and on the verge of losing control when Corman had tried to spit in her face. Reed had lunged for the man, and she’d somehow managed to block Reed from throwing a punch before the other cops present had rushed in to restrain and arrest Corman.
“The history between Corman and us will no doubt play into this visit,” Hallie reminded him.
Reed’s shoulders went tense for a second and then he surprised her by flashing a smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t hit the asshole.”
The smile stayed in place a couple of seconds, causing her to silently groan. Why, why, why would a simple facial gesture like that cause her to go all warm and gooey inside?
Of course, she knew the answer.
It was because it was Reed doing the smiling. That interesting face could get a whole lot more interesting, and hot, while sporting that particular expression. Then again the man was interesting and hot no matter what he did.
Like breathing.
Hallie tried not to think of any of that as Reed pulled to a stop in front of the two-story stucco house. This wasn’t what she would call an upscale, wealthy neighborhood, but the homes were above the average price range for the area and were well-maintained. Obviously, Corman earned a good living from his job as a software engineer.
“That’s his car in the driveway,” Reed let her know after doing a quick run on the license plates.
Good. Hallie had considered that Corman might try to dodge them.
Before Reed and she had even started the half hour drive, they’d had Shaw contact Corman to check and see if he was home, and he’d verified that he was, that he was working remotely today. Shaw had then explained that two Outlaw Ridge PD officers would soon be paying him a visit. Shaw hadn’t mentioned the names of the visitors, but if Corman had read anything about his sister’s death, then he would know that Reed and she had been on scene.
Gathering her breath, Hallie stepped from the cruiser, and Reed and she made their way to the front door. It opened before they even reached it. And she saw Corman with the same sneer and anger-filled eyes that he’d sported a decade ago.
“My sister’s dead, murdered,” he snapped. “Are you responsible for that, too?” He slid narrowed-eyed glances at both of them.
Hallie didn’t take the bait. She merely showed him her badge, and Reed did the same. “We’re here to talk to you about Elenore,” she stated.
Corman muttered something under his breath that she didn’t catch, profanity probably, but then he surprised her by stepping back so they could enter. What the man didn’t do was lead them to an area where they could sit. He stayed put in the foyer and folded his arms over his chest. If looks could have killed, Corman’s glare would have sent them straight to their graves.
Hallie didn’t glare back and reminded herself that the man had just lost a family member and could be grieving. Could be. And for now, she was going to give him the benefit of the doubt and learn everything she could about Elenore and why she might have ended up where she had.
“I understand you were officially notified by SAPD of your sister’s death,” Hallie started.
She’d relinquished that duty to the San Antonio cops since they could come immediately to his place and let him know what’d happened. Hallie hadn’t wanted Corman to hear about her murder on the news. Or from her since that would have no doubt only added to the shock.
“Yeah, they told me,” Corman said, his tone still combative. “Did you kill her?”
“No,” Hallie calmly replied and then moved on with a question. “Why was Elenore in Outlaw Ridge?”
“You tell me,” he fired back.
