Free Private Bodyguard by Tyler Anne Snell Page B

impeccable posture slightly bent, makeup pulling double duty to hide the stress in her face. “Have you told anyone about our case yet?”
    â€œNo, ma’am. I wanted to at least talk to you first.” There was a silence, and Darling used it to her advantage. “Did you hire another private investigator to trail Nigel before me or after me?”
    â€œNo,” Elizabeth responded. “Truthfully, hiring you was a last-minute decision. The less people know about my plans to leave Nigel, the better. That being said, I want you to go to the police and tell them everything.”
    Darling had to take a beat to process that. “About the case?”
    â€œAbout the case, the reason why I hired you, what you’ve found, everything.” There was a change in her tone. Elizabeth had moved from tired to determined in a breath. She brooked no argument with her words. “Give them total disclosure. I don’t want them looking at me as a suspect. I didn’t hire anyone to kill that woman, and I don’t want anyone to think I did. I will ask, though, if you think the police could keep my desire for a divorce on the private side of the investigation?”
    Darling thought this over. “I can’t promise anything, but I think they would. Nigel has denied knowing the woman or even seeing her, so right now, I think they are just trying to figure out who she is. I don’t think they would take the time to publicize your marital problems.”
    â€œGood. Then, please, could you tell them everything while still trying to keep it from Nigel?”
    â€œYes, I can do that.” Darling wanted to exhale in relief. Elizabeth didn’t know it, but if she hadn’t called before six, Darling would have told Derrick everything anyway.
    â€œGreat. Now, one last thing,” Elizabeth said before her voice dropped to almost a whisper. “I don’t care how you do it, but I want you to find out who that woman is. My husband may be a cheat, but he’s no killer. Something isn’t right, and now my family is suffering for it. I will not stand for that.”
    Darling didn’t doubt for a second that anyone who crossed Elizabeth Marks would regret it. She just hoped Jane Doe hadn’t been one of those people.
    Darling accepted the job, though she didn’t tell Elizabeth she had already decided to pursue the woman’s identity. She marveled at how straightforward Elizabeth had been. It was refreshing in a way. She wasn’t sugarcoating anything, and she wasn’t trying to get Darling to lie about their involvement. No, she knew she was in a compromising position and was trying to get out of it. Full disclosure to the police. That hadn’t been what Darling had expected, but she was happy to comply. Grabbing her coat and cell phone, she began dialing Derrick’s number as she closed up Acuity for the night.
    The sun was setting, leaving a light glow hanging around the parking lot. It was serene and almost calming. A feeling Darling tried to hold on to as she approached her car and saw the door was cracked open. On the driver’s seat was a paper bag.
    In it was her camera.

Chapter Eight
    Darling’s body went on high alert. She turned her head from side to side, scanning the parking lot for her mystery figure. Her hair slapped her cheeks at the movement, and a chill found its way into her bones.
    She was alone.
    â€œHello?”
    Darling was so startled she nearly threw her phone. She had forgotten she had called the deputy.
    â€œHey,” she exclaimed into the phone. Her nerves pushed her voice into a high octave. She tried to tamp down her fear. “We need to talk again.” She checked the back for any unwanted passengers, then climbed into the driver’s seat. Her grip on the phone had gone tight, as if talking to a police officer made her instantly safe. She knew this was not the case.
    Derrick said some not-so-nice words before