“No. What you describe is so beautiful that it makes me—” He stopped.

  “What?” Liz asked.

  “Jealous. But in a good way.”

  That night Liz slept soundly without being interrupted by vivid dreams. Less sore in the morning, she spent extra time stretching until she was able to move freely. While drinking her coffee, she downloaded a Bible app on her phone and opened it to the gospel of John. Instead of going directly to chapter 7, she began with chapter 1. Liz had never had an interest in reading the Bible, but after what had happened the previous night and day, she was curious. She quickly realized that the same questions about the identity and nature of Jesus reported in chapter 7 came up as early as chapter 1. It took a large cup of coffee to make her way through chapter 3. After finishing, she sent Connor a text:

  Read John chapters 1, 2, and 3 this morning.

  He quickly replied:

  Any more dreams?

  She sent him a thumbs-down emoji followed by a frowny face.

  At the office, Liz stopped by Jessica’s desk. The assistant had been away with her husband to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary.

  “How was the getaway?” Liz asked.

  “Beyond wonderful,” Jessica replied, then lowered her voice. “When we were dating, Max was super romantic, but once he convinced me to marry him, the romantic rush became a tiny trickle.”

  Jessica held up her index finger on her right hand. “See this amethyst? He picked it out and designed the setting himself for a jeweler to make. There’s no other ring like it on the planet. He gave it to me at a special dinner prepared by a private chef and served at the cabin where we were staying.” She paused. “What did you do this weekend?”

  Jessica’s eyes widened as Liz told her about the day spent hiking to the waterfall with Connor.

  “Sounds like he’s inviting you into his private little world.”

  “Yes,” Liz agreed. “I hadn’t thought of it that way, but you’re right.”

  “You and a preacher?” Jessica shook her head. “As romantic as I feel after the weekend with Max, I’m not sure I have the faith for you to find happiness in that sort of relationship.”

  Becky came in from the reception area. “Elena Thompson is on the phone and wants an appointment this morning. I checked your calendar, and it’s clear until noon. Should I tell her to come in around ten thirty?”

  “That will be fine. Thanks.”

  Knowing that the meeting with Elena would likely take up a considerable amount of time, Liz left Jessica’s desk and worked on several other projects. Shortly before ten thirty, Harold knocked on her door.

  “Is Elena Thompson still in the hospital?” he asked.

  “No.” Liz brought the senior partner up-to-date. “She’s scheduled to come in to see me in a few minutes.”

  “Did you read the article in the newspaper claiming that her husband’s business was failing?”

  “Yes, and that’s consistent with what Neil Peterson told me.”

  “Have you filed the claim for payment of the life insurance?”

  “No, but I’ll bring it up with her today.”

  “Do that. Keep the ball rolling.” Harold ran his fingers through his thinning hair. “At least neither Elena nor the minister was mentioned in the newspaper article on Friday.”

  “Yes, but both of them are worried it could still happen. Do you have any inside scoop?”

  “Not yet.”

  Elena was late for her appointment. Liz continued working until Becky buzzed her.

  “I’ll meet with her in the main conference room,” Liz said.

  “She’s not alone. There’s a man with her.”

  “Who is he?”

  “She didn’t tell me.”

  * * *

  Connor was at the church waiting for Reg Bullock to arrive.

  “Did he say what he wanted to talk about?” Michelle asked.

  “No, he sent me a text last night. You and Duke were at the service yesterday. How do you think it went?”

  “Fine, but I’m biased, and Duke knows that it’s easier to agree with me than try to convince me differently. I’m always right.”

  “Always?” Connor smiled.

  “Ninety-one percent of the time. I’d like to get to one hundred percent, but that’s going to be tough.”

  Connor looked at his computer monitor. He’d pulled up the statistics from Sunday. “Both attendance and giving were down,” he said.

  “There are people who’ve left and say they won’t be coming back,” Michelle replied.

  “Who?”

  Michelle recited ten or eleven names. “Most of them were shaky anyway,” she concluded.

  A few seconds later, Reg came through the door. “Good morning,” he said to both Connor and Michelle.

  “Come on in,” Connor said as he led the way to his office.

  “Would you like coffee, Mr. Bullock?” Michelle asked.

  “No, thank you. I’ve already had my limit.”

  The assistant closed the door. Reg sat down across from Connor and looked past him at the panoramic view.

  “You have the best view in Bryson. I’m so glad the architect who designed the church positioned the pastor’s office so he could see the mountains. We talked about making this the view from the front of the sanctuary but decided it would be hard to concentrate on the service.”

  “Not hard, impossible. What’s on your mind?”

  Reg took a deep breath. “The GBI spent all day Saturday at Burnt Pine Tree. Detective Norman from the sheriff’s department was with them.”

  Connor felt his throat tighten. “Did it have anything to do with the field camera footage?”

  “No. They already have that, but they wanted to know if there was any additional surveillance from the cameras set up in the lodge. Andy had given them everything from inside, but they wanted the cards for the outside of the building.”

  “I wasn’t anywhere near the lodge, inside or out, on the day Matt died.”

  “I know, but the agents specifically asked Andy if he remembered seeing you by the side of the house shortly after breakfast and before the hunt.”

  “Is somebody claiming I was there for breakfast?”

  “I’m not sure, but Andy said he didn’t remember seeing you. Of course, it was dark when the group left to set up for the hunt, and the guides were milling around outside.”

  “They need to talk to Stan Maxwell. He’ll confirm I wasn’t there.”

  “The GBI told Andy they spoke with Stan and the other three guides but didn’t say what they’d said.”

  “I want to talk to the guides myself.”

  “You don’t have to,” Reg replied. “I did it for you. I caught up with Stan and the others yesterday afternoon. None of them remember seeing you on the morning of the hunt.”

  “That should be the end of it,” Connor replied in frustration. “Instead of trying to make me look like I’ve done something wrong, the GBI and Detective Norman should be trying to identify the man in the video I took. What was he doing that morning running away from the property with a rifle in hand? Does he show up in any of the trail cam footage or the surveillance cameras at the lodge?”

  “I totally agree,” Reg replied. “Also, a group of us are doing everything we can to stamp out any gossip swirling around the church.”

  “I appreciate that,” Connor sighed. “There were quite a few people who didn’t show up yesterday.”

  “And some who did weren’t satisfied with what you said about the situation in your sermon.”

  “What more should I have said?”

  “I don’t know, but there are new rumors, not about Matt’s death but about your interaction with Elena Thompson. People saw you going into the hospital to see her.”

  “I’m her pastor!” Connor exploded. “That’s part of my job!”

  “No argument from me about that, but for the time being I suggest you not meet with her alone. Anywhere at any time.”

  “It’s always been my policy not to meet behind closed doors with women in the congregation. How did word get out that she was hospitalized?”

  “I’m not sure. Rumor is, she had a drug overdose.”

  “I can’t comment on that.”

  “Understood. I’m not looking for information, just trying to keep you informed.”

  Chapter 27

  Sitting beside Elena in the law firm reception area was a large, muscular man in his thirties wearing a cream-colored golf shirt, lightweight jacket, and black pants. He had long brown hair that he’d pulled back into a bun. He stood when Liz entered, then slipped off his jacket to reveal a short-sleeved shirt.

  “This is Tyson,” Elena said.

  Liz introduced herself. Tyson extended his hand. When he did, Liz could see a portion of a lion’s head tattoo higher up on his broad bicep.

  “Nice to meet you,” he said in a clipped accent that Liz suspected was British.

  Liz escorted them to the conference room.

  Elena waited until the door closed to speak. “Tyson has been working for me about a year,” she said. “He’s the private investigator I told you about. I hired him to let me know what was going on with Matt and Anne in Atlanta. After Matt’s death, I asked Tyson to continue to help me.”

  “Where’s your firm located?” Liz asked.

  “We’re international with multiple offices,” Tyson responded. “There’s a branch office in South Africa. That’s where I’m from.”

  “What’s the name of the company?”

  “The Fletchall Group Limited.”

  “That’s not important,” Elena said. “I wouldn’t have asked Tyson to join us today except he’s been looking into the circumstances of Matt’s death, and there’s a possibility I hadn’t considered.”

  “What is it?”

  “Suicide.” Elena took a tissue from her purse. “Tell her,” she said to the investigator. “It’s too hard for me to talk about.”

  The investigator leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. “I recorded multiple conversations between Mr. Thompson and his ex-wife. Matt was depressed over the financial condition of his business and the problems in his relationship with Elena. A couple of times, he mentioned that it was hard for him to see a way out of the situation and believed the people he cared about would be better off if he was dead.”

  “Did he use those exact words?” Liz asked.

  “Yes.”

  “How close to the time of Matt’s death did these conversations take place?”

  “Starting about six months ago with the last one three weeks before he died. At that time, his ex-wife asked him to provide her with information about his life insurance policies in case that was the choice he made.”

  “She didn’t encourage him to get some help?” Liz asked in surprise.

  “She mentioned a medication that a friend found helpful for depression, but the last thing she did was ask for copies of his current life insurance policies.”

  Liz turned to Elena. “Did Matt ever talk about his depression with you?”

  “I knew he was under a lot of stress, but he never said anything about being better off dead. It hurt my feelings that he’d say something like that to Anne but not me.”

  “Did you record these conversations?” Liz asked the investigator.

  “Only the ones that took place in public. He didn’t talk about ending his life when the two of them were alone.”

  Before Tyson’s last statement, Liz had suspected the investigator’s surveillance was likely illegal. Even if it was within the boundaries of the law, the activity was dirty.

  Elena spoke. “Tyson, wait in the lobby while I talk some more with Liz.”

  The private investigator left.

  “Is Tyson checking into anything else?” Liz asked.

  “Whatever I ask him to do, he does,” Elena replied. “He also provides personal security if I need it.”

  “Why would you need personal security?”

  “Anyone who has a lot of money or is about to come into money has to be careful.”

  Liz accepted that she was talking to the more paranoid version of Elena. “What else did you want to talk to me about?” she asked.

  Elena placed her phone on the table. Liz glanced down to make sure the conversation wasn’t being recorded.

  “I’ve turned off my phone,” Elena said. “Do you have your phone with you?”

  “No, it’s in my office.”

  Elena spoke softly. “If Matt committed suicide, would that change whether I can collect the life insurance or the amount I’d receive?”

  “Death by suicide would nullify the double indemnity provisions. A suicide isn’t an accidental death. It’s intentional. But I believe the policies payable to you and Anne have been in effect long enough that suicide isn’t a defense to payment of the basic benefit.” Liz paused. “But the policy payable to the members of the Daughbert Technology Trust was much more recent. I’d have to check the language.”

  “Can you do that?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’d like an answer,” Elena said. “Now.”

  Liz stood.

  Elena continued. “If I was asked in a deposition whether I suspected Matt committed suicide, what would I say? I’d want to tell the truth.”

  “Based on what Tyson said, that would be a tougher question for Anne to answer than you. Let me think about how you could word a response.”

  Leaving the conference room, Liz first checked the individual policies. Both the policy payable to Elena and the one naming Anne as beneficiary had the same standard language. After being in effect for two years, benefits could not be contested due to suicide but the double indemnity provision wouldn’t trigger. The Daughbert Technology Trust policy contained a one-year period of contestability in case of a suicide.

  Returning to the conference room, Liz gave Elena the news. “You and Anne are in the clear on the basic coverage, but not the trust. If Matt committed suicide, Winston and the others wouldn’t receive anything.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Elena said, then continued, “Would it make sense to let someone at the company know what Tyson overheard?”

  Perplexed, Liz asked, “Which company? The insurance company or Daughbert Technology?”

  “Daughbert. If Winston Boone was made aware we had information indicating that Matt’s death was a suicide, he might be willing to share some of the proceeds of the big policy to keep us quiet.”

  Liz frowned. “Elena, that’s too close to blackmail for me to go along with it.”

  Elena met her eyes with a steely gaze. “I don’t want to do anything dishonest, but I don’t like what Winston and the other owners did. They bet big on Matt’s death and used company money to pay for the policy. I don’t like the idea of them profiting from it.”

  “I understand. But if you raise this issue, it could backfire on your own claim under the double indemnity provision.”

  “Not if it’s only discussed between the lawyers. Wouldn’t any conversations you have with the attorney for Daughbert be subject to the confidentiality rules?”

  “Yes, but I’m not going to offer to hide evidence in return for the payment of money.”

  “There’s nothing to stop me from talking to Winston, though, is there?”

  “It depends on what you say and how you say it,” Liz replied slowly. “My advice is for you to let Harold and me represent you the best we know how.”

  Elena sniffed in frustration. “One other thing,” she said. “What if Matt was murdered? Would I still be able to collect double the life insurance?”

  Liz felt suddenly queasy. “The double indemnity provision would still apply so long as neither you nor someone acting on your behalf murdered Matt.”

  “Okay, that makes sense,” Elena replied. “Also, I contacted the cleaning service for my house. One of their employees came in and straightened up after the EMTs left. I demanded they fire her because the company is supposed to let me know every time before they come into the house. Their employee would be the only source for any illegal drugs Connor found in the guest bath. Turns out the woman already quit.”

  * * *

  The more Connor thought about the conversation with Reg, the more agitated he became. He went outside and walked around the church grounds. That didn’t help. Returning to his office, he tried to call Liz, but she was in meetings and unavailable. Connor left a message and told Michelle to hold his calls except for Liz.

  Closing his office door, he tried to refocus and come up with a topic for his sermon. But the living water he’d read about the previous Sunday had run dry. Connor considered and discarded five ideas before Michelle buzzed him.

  “Liz Acosta is on the phone,” the assistant said.

  “Sorry it took so long to get back to you,” Liz said. “It’s been a busy day.”

  “Mine too.” Connor told her about his conversation with Reg.

  “None of this makes sense,” Liz said when he finished.

  “Which is why I’d like to talk directly with Detective Norman. Do you think that’s a good idea?”

  “Based on my previous interaction with him, Norman is a one-way street. He takes in information but doesn’t give it out. There needs to be some reason why he’d want to talk to you. Telling him that he’s wasting taxpayer money isn’t going to be enough. And I doubt he cares about the negative impact unsupported insinuations could have on your position at the church.”

  “I wouldn’t begin with anything about me. I was going to lead with my responsibility to Elena as one of the people in the church who are under my care. The stress and uncertainty surrounding the circumstances of Matt’s death is putting her life at risk.”

  “Would you tell him about her hospitalization?”

  “No, but he probably knows. Reg mentioned it. Secrets are hard to keep in a town this size. Then I could ask why my name continues to be mentioned in connection to an investigation, especially when everything indicates Matt’s death was an accident.”

  “I think talking to Norman is going to be a waste of time,” Liz said. “You have plenty of reason to be upset, but I believe you’re going to have to let this play out. You can’t control it.”