body.”
“But the fence...”
“I said that was the official explanation. There are gates along the fence. They think she used one of the gates to get closer to the edge and then...”
Chloe paused to let Bowen recover his voice. “You don’t sound convinced,” she said softly. “Do you think she might have committed suicide?”
“Colleen was deathly afraid of heights. She was incapable of going anywhere near the edge of that cliff.”
Chloe absorbed the full meaning of what he was trying to tell her. “You don’t think Gaelan ...?” Chloe asked in horror. She knew that Gaelan was cold and arrogant, but a murderer? Bowen must be mistaken!
Bowen shrugged. “Forget it,” he said resignedly. “Maybe it was just an accident ,” he said without conviction. “I just think my brother was a little too quick to agree with the accident verdict. He even denied that she was afraid of heights.”
Chloe didn’t know what to say. He seemed reluctant to accuse his brother, but she could tell the doubts were there, eating away at him.
He suddenly straightened and smiled at her. “Don’t li sten to me. I’m just a man who had his heart broken. Now let’s talk about something else - I feel bad that our first meeting had to be so heavy.”
Chloe agreed. “But I don’t know that it could have been any different. Given the circumstances.”
“I suppose so,” he said, then brightened. “ Do you think I could see you again? I promise to be fun and entertaining.”
Chloe thought for a moment. “I don’t know. What would Gaelan say?”
Bowen laughed bitterly. “ Gaelan doesn’t have to know. Don’t forget that you only work for him.”
Chloe felt suddenly defiant. After all that Bowen had told her, she didn’t think she owed G aelan any loyalty at all. “How’ s Sunday? It’s my day off.”
“Of course. Shall we meet here? I bet you haven’t seen many of the sights since you’ve arrived.”
Chloe shook her head , and they arranged a time to meet. Bowen insisted on paying the bill , and she let him. With her thoughts in t urmoil, she walked back to the J eep. While Bowen had no proof that Gaelan was involved in his wife’s death, what he'd revealed to her was damning enough that Chloe should probably leave Widow's Cliff. But then she remembered Sophia . Surely she couldn’t leave her with such a man. No , she told herself firmly, it’s my responsibility now to look after Sophia .
She didn’t doubt Bowen’s story. It fit with all she knew about Gaelan , although she had to admit it wasn’t much. But it was good she had met Bowen when she did. She had to admit that , despite her misgivings earlier about Gaelan , she had allowed herself to fantasiz e. More than once she had thought with a woman’s love he might change, might start to feel something for Sophia , for herself. Really, she had been behaving like a lovesick schoolgirl who ’ d read too many romances . From now on she would think of him as her boss, nothing more.
She climbed into the Jeep and turned the key in the ignition. It made a few grinding noises, then nothing. She swore under her breath and leaned her head against the steering wheel. Now what? Sophia ’s class would be over in fifteen minutes. How would they get home? Knowing it was useless, she turned the key again. The result was the same.
Suddenly there was a sharp knock on the window. Startl ed, she looked up. It was Bowen.
“Problems?” he said.
Chloe rolled down the window. “It won’t start.”
“ Oh, no! It’s going to be tough to find someone to fix it on a Friday afternoon.”
“Great,” she said in exasperation. “I’ve got to pick up Sophia
“But the fence...”
“I said that was the official explanation. There are gates along the fence. They think she used one of the gates to get closer to the edge and then...”
Chloe paused to let Bowen recover his voice. “You don’t sound convinced,” she said softly. “Do you think she might have committed suicide?”
“Colleen was deathly afraid of heights. She was incapable of going anywhere near the edge of that cliff.”
Chloe absorbed the full meaning of what he was trying to tell her. “You don’t think Gaelan ...?” Chloe asked in horror. She knew that Gaelan was cold and arrogant, but a murderer? Bowen must be mistaken!
Bowen shrugged. “Forget it,” he said resignedly. “Maybe it was just an accident ,” he said without conviction. “I just think my brother was a little too quick to agree with the accident verdict. He even denied that she was afraid of heights.”
Chloe didn’t know what to say. He seemed reluctant to accuse his brother, but she could tell the doubts were there, eating away at him.
He suddenly straightened and smiled at her. “Don’t li sten to me. I’m just a man who had his heart broken. Now let’s talk about something else - I feel bad that our first meeting had to be so heavy.”
Chloe agreed. “But I don’t know that it could have been any different. Given the circumstances.”
“I suppose so,” he said, then brightened. “ Do you think I could see you again? I promise to be fun and entertaining.”
Chloe thought for a moment. “I don’t know. What would Gaelan say?”
Bowen laughed bitterly. “ Gaelan doesn’t have to know. Don’t forget that you only work for him.”
Chloe felt suddenly defiant. After all that Bowen had told her, she didn’t think she owed G aelan any loyalty at all. “How’ s Sunday? It’s my day off.”
“Of course. Shall we meet here? I bet you haven’t seen many of the sights since you’ve arrived.”
Chloe shook her head , and they arranged a time to meet. Bowen insisted on paying the bill , and she let him. With her thoughts in t urmoil, she walked back to the J eep. While Bowen had no proof that Gaelan was involved in his wife’s death, what he'd revealed to her was damning enough that Chloe should probably leave Widow's Cliff. But then she remembered Sophia . Surely she couldn’t leave her with such a man. No , she told herself firmly, it’s my responsibility now to look after Sophia .
She didn’t doubt Bowen’s story. It fit with all she knew about Gaelan , although she had to admit it wasn’t much. But it was good she had met Bowen when she did. She had to admit that , despite her misgivings earlier about Gaelan , she had allowed herself to fantasiz e. More than once she had thought with a woman’s love he might change, might start to feel something for Sophia , for herself. Really, she had been behaving like a lovesick schoolgirl who ’ d read too many romances . From now on she would think of him as her boss, nothing more.
She climbed into the Jeep and turned the key in the ignition. It made a few grinding noises, then nothing. She swore under her breath and leaned her head against the steering wheel. Now what? Sophia ’s class would be over in fifteen minutes. How would they get home? Knowing it was useless, she turned the key again. The result was the same.
Suddenly there was a sharp knock on the window. Startl ed, she looked up. It was Bowen.
“Problems?” he said.
Chloe rolled down the window. “It won’t start.”
“ Oh, no! It’s going to be tough to find someone to fix it on a Friday afternoon.”
“Great,” she said in exasperation. “I’ve got to pick up Sophia
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