Page 9 of Deadly Sins: Gluttony
His eyes widened.“Yeah … well, even if that’s true, I’d like you to back off.Like I said the night Gideon was murdered—we don’t need your help.”
“You said you’d take it from here.You never said you didn’t need my help.”
“I’m saying it now.”
I looked past Briggs at Harlan who’d just walked in with Camille.We made eye contact, and he grinned, as if pleased to see me engaged in another conversation with his boss.Harlan took Camille’s hand, and they walked past, Camille acknowledging me with a nod as she headed to the front of the chapel.She sat next to a man, and the resemblance was undeniable.He had to be her brother.
As I thought about what to say to Briggs, Cade piped up.“Sloane has accepted the case, and that’s a fact.If you have a problem with it, you’ll need to reconcile it with yourself.And for what it’s worth, you should consider rinsin’ the liquor out of your mouth before you talk to anyone else.”
Briggs jerked his head back as if surprised we knew he’d hit the bottle prior to his arrival.Looking around, many in the room had their eyes on him, and based on their expressions, it didn’t seem like he was well liked.
Without saying another word, Briggs shuffled away, exiting the chapel.
“Maybe he’s decided to take your advice,” I said.“If we’re lucky, he won’t come back.”
A man walked in dressed in black, acid-washed jeans and a black T-shirt with a black denim Anthrax jacket over it.He was muscular and tall with broad shoulders, and his long, dark hair was pulled back into a bun.He cleared his throat and walked straight to the front of the room.Standing behind the podium, he scanned the crowd.Before he had a chance to speak, the chapel door opened, and in swept a woman.All eyes were on her, and the hot-pink dress she was wearing, a dress which stood out in a sea of black.
The air in the room seemed to stiffen, and then the whispering began.In a small town where everyone knew everyone else, the way they were all looking at her made it seem like she was a stranger.She didn’t belong here—that much was certain—and yet she commanded the space as if she did.
She walked toward our pew, pointing at the empty space next to me.“Is anyone sitting here?”
“No, they’re not.”
Cade stood and stepped into the aisle, and I pressed my knees together, bending them to the side to allow her to cross in front of me.The woman sat and looked at the man at the podium who shot her a wink—a wink that told me he knew her—and now, I needed to know her too.
“How did you know Gideon Belmont?”I asked.
Her eyes went cold, and she smoothed the bottom of her dress with a hand.“I am … I mean, Iwashis wife.”
7
His wife.
No one had mentioned Gideon was married until now, and I had a plethora of questions.But as my attention turned to the front of the room and the man standing behind the podium, it was clear the funeral service was about to start.My questions would have to wait.
“Most of you know me, but for anyone who doesn’t, my name’s Greg Savage, and I’ve been friends with Gideon since we were teenagers.Camille has asked me to say a few words.”
His gaze fell on Camille, and she offered him a slight smile.
“First, I’d like to thank you all for coming,” he continued, “though if I’m being honest, I question why most of you are here.Maybe it’s out of loyalty to his mother.Or maybe you were hoping to learn more about the murder investigation.Dying here was the last thing Gideon would have wanted.Yet fate stripped him of any say in the matter.I trust it will all be made right, that his killer will be brought to justice.For him, and for the loved ones he leaves behind.”
Greg then lightened the mood, talking about some of the shared memories he had with Gideon—some funny, others heartfelt.
When he finished, it was Camille’s turn to speak, and she was followed by Martin.
Forty-five minutes later, it was over.
As people stood, many walking over to speak with Camille and Martin, I addressed Gideon’s wife, saying, “I didn’t know Gideon was married.”
“Sorry, who are you?And how did you know Gideon?”
“I’m Sloane.And you are?”
“Cecilia.”
“My husband and I were the ones who found Gideon on the night he died.”
She raised a finger.“Ahh, you must be the private investigator, the one Camille hired.”
