Free The Good Die Twice by Lee Driver

client who told me she saw this
woman Thursday night at the Dunes Resort.”
    Robert’s hand trembled and he set the cup and
saucer down quickly, spilling coffee on the credenza.
“Rachel...ALIVE?”
    Talking dulled to a low hum, then ceased.
Eric and Sheila joined the group at the table.
    Stepping from the balcony, Leyton demanded,
“What do you mean Rachel is alive?”
    Robert swiped a hand through his hair and
staggered to the table where he slowly lowered himself into a
chair.
    Dagger took a seat next to him. “I was hoping
to discuss this privately with you.”
    “I should have known you would be the one
bringing these tall tales.” Leyton pulled back his shoulders and
fixed a twisted smile on Dagger.
    “What on earth are you talking about?” Anna
flitted over as fast as her short legs could carry her. She plopped
down into the chair next to Robert and patted his arm
sympathetically.
    “Can we go to your study and discuss this?”
Dagger actually had no problem discussing it publicly. Sara’s job
was to watch everyone’s reaction.
    “A little late for that,” Leyton blurted,
walking off in a huff to fix another drink. But he returned
quickly.
    “She can’t be alive. After all this time.”
Robert gladly accepted the drink Leyton brought him.
    “I didn’t say she was alive. I said I had a
client who saw someone who looked like her.” Dagger placed the
printout on the table. “My client says she witnessed the woman’s
murder.”
    Leyton paced the marble floor as if it were
his own relative he were hearing about. “Preposterous!”
    “I, I don’t understand,” Robert
stammered.
    “It can’t be Rachel,” Anna said. “If she were
alive, she would have contacted Robert. Where would she have been
all this time?”
    “Who is this client?” Edie demanded. “We have
a right to know.”
    Eric chimed in. “The police have a right to
know.”
    “Preposterous!” Leyton mumbled again. “Don’t
listen to him, Robert. Dagger has a habit of working the most
outrageous cases, the weirder, the better.”
    Sheila slid close to Dagger, saying, “Honey,
is this witness reliable?”
    Dagger half turned and leveled an icy stare.
Sheila backed off and found refuge next to her father.
    “The witness is reliable in spite of the fact
that we never found a body. The only proof I have that the victim
might have been your wife is an earring I found at the murder
scene.”

    CHAPTER 14

    “Your boss certainly knows how to bring a
quick close to a party.” Nick led Sara into a room in the East
Wing.
    “I’m sorry if it ruined your birthday.” Sara
stopped when she saw the king-sized bed. Nick had led her to his
bedroom. Strange-looking artifacts hung from the walls alongside
colorful maps. The room wasn’t as large as Sara’s bedroom. She was
surprised. And his taste in decor leaned toward safari with animal
print draperies and bedspread. It was vintage Nick, seeing how much
traveling he had done in his young life.
    “No problem. Old folks are kinda boring
anyway.” He unbuttoned his shirt and threw it over the horn of a
rhino jutting out from the wall behind the door. “Don’t worry,”
Nick said tossing a nod toward the rhino. “It was a road kill.” A
crater-sized dimple formed in Nick’s cheek as he smiled and winked.
He made no move to put on another shirt.
    Alarms rang in Sara’s head. She looked back
at the closed door, feeling imprisoned without escape. Her eyes
darted nervously around the room. “Would it surprise you any if
Rachel had been alive all this time?”
    Nick appeared to space out, staring at
nothing in particular, his thoughts occupied. Just as quickly, he
jerked his head up, smiled, and moved slowly toward her, lifting
her hair and moving it behind her shoulder. “I find it highly
unlikely,” Nick finally replied. “She loved playing queen of the
castle, and I don’t think she would have wasted one minute settling
back into her role.” His gaze moved down to Sara’s chest,