Free Passion, Betrayal and Killer Highlights by Kyra Davis Page A

evidence that indicates Leah is not the one responsible for Bob’s death.”
    He told the lie so effortlessly that I almost believed it myself.
    “There is?” Bianca’s tears momentarily stopped. “But she’s the only one that had any kind of motive. Bob was so gentle and thoughtful—no one other than Leah would ever hurt a hair on his head.”
    “I would,” I whispered. But if Anatoly or Bianca heard, they chose to ignore me.
    “What about your ex-fiancé, Kevin?” Anatoly asked. “Is there any chance he wanted to reconcile with you? Perhaps Bob was in his way.”
    Bianca tucked her hair behind her ears and shook her head sadly. “Kevin proposed to his new girlfriend three months ago and the two of them moved to Boston. He could care less who I’m with. The only man who really cared about me was…was…”
    “My sister’s husband,” I finished for her.
    Bianca shot me a pleading look. “I want you to know that I don’t intend to contact the police. If they come to me I guess I’ll have to answer their questions, but I don’t want to make any more trouble for Leah. I know I’m as much to blame as she is, and I…I don’t want to take both of Jack’s parents away from him. I don’t want that at all.” She averted her eyes and her shoulders began to tremble. “All I really want is for Bob to be alive again.”
    Anatoly sighed and drummed his fingers against the armrest impatiently. “Bianca, do you know for sure that Bob informed Leah he was leaving her this last time?”
    Bianca nodded without making eye contact. “He came over here right after he broke the news to her. It was the last time…we were together.” She swallowed hard. “I can’t understand how he could be gone when just yesterday he was making love to me.”
    I tried to swallow my disgust, but it was impossible.
    “Did he say anything about the rest of his plans for that day?” Anatoly asked.
    “He said he was going to work and then he was going to go home and pack. He was planning on moving in with me that night, but said he might not get here until late. I waited and waited, and when he wasn’t here by eleven, I turned on the news and—” She stopped herself and stared fixedly at the hardwood floor.
    Anatoly cleared his throat. “Did Bob ever talk about anyone he disliked or who he felt disliked him?”
    “Other than Leah?”
    “Yes,” Anatoly and I said in unison.
    “No, everyone loved Bob.”
    Those were the same words Leah had used. I had a quick flashback of a Saturday Night Live skit in which the audience of a Broadway play came out of the theater and one after another recited in a monotone voice, “It was better than Cats, I’d see it again and again.” Maybe Erika was on to something with the brainwashing thing. Worse, maybe Bob had turned all the women he had contact with into San Francisco’s version of a Stepford wife. But that didn’t work because San Francisco’s version of a Stepford wife would probably be a drag queen.
    “All right, I think I have all I need for right now.” Anatoly stood up, and Bianca followed suit. “May I contact you again if I have further questions?” he asked.
    Bianca nodded. She looked at me and pulled nervously at the sweater draped over her shoulders. “Please tell Leah that I’m sorry.”
    “I can’t imagine that your apology would mean anything to my sister.”
    Anatoly took hold of my wrist. “We’re leaving now.” He pulled me toward the door, but I resisted.
    “One more thing,” I said. “May I see the bracelet?”
    Anatoly shot me a questioning look. I had forgotten to tell him about the Tiffany’s receipt Leah had found.
    Bianca flushed. “You know about that?”
    I fixed her with a cool stare. Bianca bit her lip.
    “I’ll go get it,” she whispered, and retreated into the next room.
    “What bracelet?” Anatoly hissed.
    “Yesterday Leah told me she found a receipt for a six-thousand-dollar bracelet.”
    “And I’m just hearing about this