Page 4 of No Time for Doubt
“I’m Devyn Norris,” she said.“A friend of the victim.”
There was a hesitation in there.Subtle, but he’d caught it.“Do better,” he said.“ID.And quit stalling.”
“The ID is in my purse.”She held her hands out as if he held her at gunpoint and the absolute serenity in her voice was a cheese grater against his sudden frustration.“In my wallet.Can I show you.”
He nodded once, his jaw aching as he watched her.She shouldnotbe here.How had she entered the house unseen?
And where was his professional detachment?The calm he was known for when things boiled over.He blamed her.Her presence.Her confidence.Something about her was off.
“You are in a crime scene.Interfering with evidence.”
“I am.I’m sure it’s not the only one,” she added.“I haven’t touched anything.Here is my ID.”She held it out for him.“As I said, my name is Devyn Norris.I came to check on my friend when Nell didn’t meet me as planned this morning.”
The ID looked legit.He took a picture of it with his phone.Faster than copying the details by hand.“You had an appointment with Nell Pereda today?”
“Yes, we talk on the phone or video chat frequently.We had an appointment for a video chat this morning.Nell is rarely late and if her schedule changes, she always gives me ample notice.”
There it was again, that tiny hesitation.In his experience, friends had plans, not appointments.They gave excuses not notice.“You’re not just a friend,” he accused.
Her smile flickered, and he thought maybe he’d put a crack in her composure.But she fixed it in a hurry.
“You’re right.”Her smile was smooth, professional.“Nell first reached out to me as a counselor.The friendship has come with time.”
He folded his arms and stared her down.“You’re about to pull some client confidentiality crap.”
“I’m not actually,” she countered.“As I said, when Nell missed our appointment, I was concerned and came straight here.She mentioned some tension between her and her husband in our recent conversations.”
Cade checked his notes.“Mr.Pereda didn’t identify you as one of her friends.”
Ms.Norris only shrugged.
“What did your recent conversations cover?”
“A variety of things.Nell wanted to make some changes in her life.”
“Like getting rid of her husband?”He stretched out an arm to return her ID.
“I saw the mess downstairs, Detective Laurier.”Her movements were sharp as she returned the ID to her wallet, the wallet to her purse.“From where I’m standing, it seems more likely her husband wanted to get rid of her.”
He couldn’t argue since that was his own take on things.But with the investigation at square one, he couldn’t allow a prime suspect to walk out.“Does Nell pay you for these conversations?”
“She does.”
“You told the cop downstairs you were a friend.”
Her sharp chin lifted.“I am.”
He snorted.“Her husband didn’t mention you.”
“I doubt he knows anything about me.”
“Or maybe he got fed up with you filling her ear with divorce talk?”It was a risk, could shut her down, but he took the chance.
She didn’t flinch.Her gaze locked with his.Held steady.“If there was talk of divorce, it’s new to me.Nell wanted to go back into the workforce, she wanted to follow her passion into a new career.I was basically her sounding board.”
He didn’t believe that for a minute.There was something else going on here, something more to the relationship.Before he could ask, she plowed on.
“Nell and I have been meeting for some time.Phone consultations mostly.She asks questions and looks for guidance.”
