The Perfect Impression by Pierce, Blake (essential reading TXT) 📕

Butfeel like you’re holding out on me a little here.”

It was the first time he abandoned the glad-handing politician vibe andsounded, if not serious, at least curious.

“I’ll definitely keep you apprised on anything of note,” she saidnoncommittally.

“With that nonresponsive response, you sound like you should berunning for office,” he chortled. “I get it. But you have my number if youdecide to share.”

“Will do. Thanks for getting back to me,” she said, hanging up asRichard Ferro came over with two mugs of tea on a small tray.

“It’s herbal,” he said, as he laid them down on the nearby side tablebetween two leather-backed chairs. “I didn’t know what you liked so I broughtmilk and a variety of sweeteners.”

“Thanks,” she said, though she had no intention of taking a sip. She’dlearned the hard way not to accept beverages prepared out of her sight by potentialsuspects.

“I have a confession to make,” he said, sitting down in one of thechairs.

Jessie’s whole body tensed up, though she managed to hide it enough toseem casual as she sat down in the other chair.

“What’s that?”

“Melissa definitely won’t be joining us,” he said sheepishly. “I’msorry if I gave the misimpression that she might.”

“Why not?” Jessie asked, her hands on the arms of the chair in case sheneeded to bounce up quickly.

“After you called, she changed her mind. She said she was just tooexhausted from everything that happened. That, plus the grief over losing Gabbywas just too much. So she took some sleeping pills and went to bed. I think shewas out before they even took effect. I apologize if you made the trip all theway out here to talk to both of us. But I’m happy to fill in whatever details Ican on my own.”

Jessie settled back into the seat. She didn’t know what she’d expected,maybe for Ferro to say he’d bludgeoned his wife to death in the last half houror that she’d disappeared from the house, along with a steak knife. Going tobed early was less dramatic but more reassuring. She decided to take advantageof the opportunity.

“That’s fine,” she said. “I’m happy to be able to clarify a few thingswith just you. As I said on the phone, we’re holding Ariana Aldridge at thestation.”

“Right. You said she snuck back to the island again that night?”

“Correct.”

“Has she confessed?” he asked.

“Not yet,” Jessie said. “But I left a while ago. Something may havechanged in the interim.”

“Well, obviously we’re glad that it looks like you might have someresolution, not that it will bring Gabby back. To be honest, I was a littleunsure about Ari and Theo when the others suggested that we bring them into ourlittle group. Not that I thought she was capable of anything like this. But they—especiallyher—just seemed wound a little tight, you know? I guess I should have trustedthose instincts.”

Jessie nodded sympathetically, though her heart was beating fast and hermind was racing. She’d come to a decision, one that she thought could expediteresolving the case. It could also be a huge, insulting misstep that got herdumped by LAPD and potentially sued.

She didn’t know for sure if Richard Ferro was lying about his sexualityand his alibi or if Philip Blake was. But there was a way to find out. Andassuming that Melissa Ferro really was asleep in bed and not actually dead or hidingsomewhere in the house, ready to jump out and stab her, this was the moment todo it.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

“Can I ask you something?” she purred.

“Of course,” he said, clearly taking note of the change in her tone ofvoice.

“Sorry, give me a second. I’m just so stiff from being stuck in carsand boats all day,” she said as she stood up and stretched, lifting her armshigh above her head and allowing her sweater to rise up as well, exposing theshapely abdomen she’d worked so hard in recent months to regain. She blinkedlanguorously, pretending not to notice as his eyes bored in on her bellybutton.

“Are you sure that you’re gay?” she asked playfully.

“Why do you ask that?” he said, guarded even as he watched lasciviouslyas she rubbed her upper arms to “warm herself.”

“I don’t mean to invade your privacy,” she said, bending over slowly toadjust her shoe and making sure to let her back curve over just so. “It’s justthat I noticed a few things.”

“Like what?” he wanted to know.

“Like when we were questioning you in the hotel conference room andthat girl came in, you really seemed to notice her.”

“I don’t remember,” he said slightly defensively. “I was drunk andnervous and confused. That whole stretch is a blur to me.”

“Right,” she said, sitting back down. “I get that. But I couldn’t helpbut notice you eyeing me just now too. And you don’t seem drunk or nervous orconfused at the moment.”

“I wasn’t—” he began before she cut him off.

“Never mind,” she said, waving his impending denial aside as she stoodup again. “I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. It’s just that, what with thiscase basically solved and your and your friends’…casual attitude to traditionalrelationship mores, I guess I was curious. But this isn’t the appropriate timeor place. I should leave.”

She started to go, but not too quickly. She was just a few paces fromthe door when he called out.

“Hold up,” he said, his voice betraying just a hint too much interest.

“Yes?” she replied, turning around slowly.

He paused, as if having second thoughts.

“You’re sure Ari is responsible for Gabby’s death?” he pressed.

“Pretty much,” she said, shrugging. “She has no alibi. At this point,it’s just a matter of dotting i’s and crossing t’s.”

He nodded. Seemingly satisfied, he went for it.

“I feel like I keep saying this, but I wasn’t totally forthcoming withyou before.”

“About what?” she asked, her eyes as wide as she could make them.

“I might not be as gay as I let on,” he muttered.

“As gay?”

“Like, not at all,” he conceded. “The truth is that, while Melissa andI still have great affection for each other, the passion just isn’t thereanymore. But I couldn’t very well tell her that. So I just kind of suffered insilence. But Steve