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when
    he was that young. Tyler whirled around, came to a stop, nearly
    knocking over a floor lamp. "Don't you see? Whoever killed her
    had to have access to Jacob's basement. Surely Jacob would have
    heard someone knocking away bricks, then putting them back up.
    The killer had to have cement to do that. Also, he had to haul the
    body into the house and down the basement steps. That would be
    quite an undertaking. It had to be Jacob. Nothing else makes
    sense."
    Adam said, leaning back in that old leather chair now, his legs
    crossed at his ankles, his fingers steepled, the tips lightly tapping together,
    "Now, wait a minute. You're saying that Jacob Marley never
    left his house?"
    "Not that I remember," Tyler said. "He even had his groceries
    delivered. Of course, I was gone four years when I was in college.
    Maybe he used to be different, went out more."
    "Two things were always true about old Jacob," Sheriff Gaffney
    said slowly. "Two things you could always count on. He was here and
    he was mean." He heaved himself from his seat. He froze when the
    button right above his wide leather belt up and popped off. He
    watched, paralyzed, as the damned button rolled across the polished
    oak floor to stop at the big toe of Carruthers's right boot. He sucked
    in his belly, but he still felt that wide leather belt of his continue to
    cut him something fierce. He didn't say anything, just held out his
    hand.
    Adam Carruthers tossed him the button. He didn't smile. The

sheriff clutched that damned button close. Jesus, maybe he should
    think about that diet Maude was always nagging him about.
    Becca pretended not to see anything. She rose and stuck out her
    hand to the sheriff. "Thank you for coming and telling us in person.
    Please let us know when you find out who that poor girl is."
    "Was, ma'am, was. I will. I'm glad I called them. I had to worm
    it out of them, but I finally got to speak to the main guy, a hard-nose
    named Jarvis, and he finally coughed up the info." He nodded
    to Tyler McBride, who looked hollow-cheeked, as if he'd been put
    through a wringer, and then to Adam Carruthers, a cocky bastard
    who hadn't laughed when his button had popped off.
    "I'll see you out, Sheriff," Becca said and walked beside him out
    of the living room.
    Adam said to Tyler, "Becca told me what was going on. I'm glad
    I was nearby and could get here to help."
    Tyler eyed the man. There hadn't been time to question him before
    the sheriff had arrived. He said slowly, suspicion a sharp thread
    in his voice, "I didn't know Becca had a cousin. Who the hell are you?"

Chapter 10

    Adam said easily, "Becca's mom was my aunt. She died of cancer,
    you know, very recently. My mom lives in Baltimore with my step-dad.
    A great guy, loves to fish for bass."
    Thank God she heard that before she came back into the living
    room. The man was quick and smooth. He was a very good liar.
    She would have believed him herself if she hadn't known better.
    Actually, her mother was an only child, both her parents long dead.
    Her father had been an only child as well. His parents were also
    dead. Who was Adam, anyway?
    Tyler turned toward Becca and said in a warm voice that was far
    too intimate, "Well, just maybe Sam can have a stepmom, just like
    you got yourself a stepdad, Adam."
    Becca felt a jolt that landed a lump in her throat. She couldn't
    breathe for a minute. Tyler was looking at her like that? A future
    stepmom for Sam? She cleared her throat twice before she could
    speak. Well, she'd known him forever and he hadn't killed his wife,
    but he was a friend, nothing more than a very good friend, which
    was quite enough, given what her life was right now. "It's getting
    late. Adam, how about--"
    He interrupted her smoothly, standing, stretching a bit. "I know,
    Becca. I'll be back over in a little while. I've got to get my stuff
    from the Errol Flynn Hammock. It's a great B-and-B. That guy
    Scottie is a hoot. You want to eat out tonight?"
    Becca and I were