Merciless by Mary Burton Read Free Book Online Page B

dry and boring, and as you can see from the walls, I have greater aspirations.”
    Garrison nodded. “Just paying the light bill.”
    “We’ve all got to eat.” Humphrey stood behind his desk, his posture erect, his fingertips pressed to the desk as if addressing a great crowd. “So what does Sierra want from me now? Has she trumped up more lies about me?”
    “What kind of lies did she tell about you?” Malcolm asked.
    “That I tried to dupe her out of money. That I cheated on her. That I would have loved to see her dead. You name it, Sierra made it up.”
    “Did you want her dead?” Malcolm asked.
    “Believe me there were times when I could have cheerfully strangled her. She did nothing but break my heart from the moment we said our
I dos
. But I never would have hurt her. It wasn’t worth the effort.”
    “How long have you two been married?” Malcolm asked.
    “Six months. We’ve been separated for most of that time.”
    “Why?”
    “Because Sierra took up with another actor. When I found out I tossed her out.”
    “So why is she giving you so much trouble with the divorce?”
    “Because two weeks after she left, my grandfather died and left me a nice bit of money. Sierra believes she is entitled to half of it. But I can promise you she won’t get a dime. She didn’t even know my grandfather.”
    Is. Believes.
He spoke of her in present tense. “When is the last time you saw her?” Malcolm asked.
    “A couple of weeks. She stormed in here making more of her dramatic threats. I threatened to call the cops, and she left.”
    “When was that exactly?”
    He flipped through the pages of his calendar. “Thirteen days ago. It was a Friday. So tell me, what is this all about? What has Sierra done?”
    Malcolm never enjoyed this part of the investigation. “We have a body that we are trying to identify. The description of our victim matches a missing persons report filed by Terry Burgess of the West End Theater.”
    Some anger seeped from Humphrey’s features. “Terry filed a missing persons report on Sierra?”
    “Ten days ago.”
    Humphrey frowned. “That means Sierra missed play practice.”
    “Burgess thinks she’d not miss practice for anything in the world.”
    “She would if there was a better opportunity. But it would have to be a huge opportunity.”
    “Such as?”
    “That I don’t know. Her attorney might know. Her name is Angie Carlson.” He coated Carlson’s name with disgust. “But then again, you might have better luckgetting blood from a stone.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Do you think Sierra is dead?”
    “That’s what we’re trying to determine. Do you have the name of her dentist?”
    Humphrey sat down as if the air had been siphoned right out of him. “You need dental records to identify the body? My God, what happened?”
    “That’s what we’re trying to figure out.”
    Humphrey blew out a breath. “Sierra’s dentist is Scott Marcus. He’s in Arlington and in the book. She saw him right before we got married. Veneers. Which
I
paid for.”
    “You said Sierra was having an affair. Do you have a name?”
    He dug long fingers through his thick black hair. “Sure. Marty Gold. I don’t know where he lives, but he’s in a play at the Springfield Theatre now.”
    “Did Sierra live with him?”
    “She did for a while, but they broke up. I hear she’s renting space from a friend. Zoe Morgan. A dancer. In Alexandria.” He looked up at them. “I didn’t kill her.”
    The line sounded clear and perfect, as if Humphrey played to an audience of hundreds.
    “We didn’t say that you did.”
    “But I am the husband, and cops always blame the husband.”
    “Not always,” Malcolm said. Though Humphrey was right. When a woman was killed, statistics proved an acquaintance did the deed.
    “What can you tell us about Sierra? Her likes, habits, friends. Anything so we can piece together the last couple of weeks.”
    “There’s not much to Sierra. If she