“What about Sybil, Adler?”
“I’m sorry your sister is gone, Mila, but I don’t know what you want me to do. I came to Bluebell Creek to meet you, help you make arrangements for her funeral, and the people in the cemetery office said they hadn’t seen or heard from you.”
“Adler, please. Did you really think I wouldn’t find out about the two of you?”
Mila bit her lower lip as we waited for Adler to come up with a response.
We heard him sigh. “I really wanted to spare you this, Mila, and I’m sorry to tell you this over the phone, but your sister came to me when I was in town for your grandfather’s funeral. She said she was in trouble and knew she couldn’t come to you for help.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“Gambling debts. Again, I wanted to spare you, so I agreed to help her. I’ve been trying to get her into a Gamblers’ Anonymous program, but all she did was continue to ring up more debt. I finally had to cut her off.” He sighed again. “I want you to know that I spoke with the sheriff about this. I suggested that one lead into her murder might be the people she owed money to.”
I wrote another note.
“Murder, Adler? What makes you think Sybil was murdered? There was an accident…”
“Mila!” he
gasped. “I was certain the sheriff told you.”
I made a motion for her to wrap it up.
“Um, Adler, I…uh…need to go. I’ll…uh…call you back. I need to call the sheriff.”
“Don’t do that, Mila. Let me call him first to see if they have any leads.”
Her forehead scrunched. “I can ask that same question, Adler.”
“Sweetheart, let me handle this for you.”
I wanted to reach through the phone and strangle the sonuvabitch. Let him handle this? He’s probably the one who arranged for Sybil’s murder. I made another motion, this time simulating a throat cutting.
“I have to go, Adler. Thank you for the information.” I watched as Mila pressed the button to end the call and then double-checked to make sure the call had disconnected.
“Do you think there’s any truth to what he said?”
“We know he’s not in Boston. I’d say that if he began with a lie, it’s likely he continued that way.”
“Can you call the sheriff?”
I was already taking my phone out to do so.
“Did you have a meeting with Adler Livingston?” I asked when Mac answered.
“A meeting?”
“A conversation?”
“A conversation?” the sheriff repeated.
“Come on, Mac. I don’t have time for this bullshit.”
“I had one conversation with Adler Livingston, at the office while you were with Mila Knight.”
“He didn’t contact you suggesting that Sybil Knight may have been killed by people she owed money to?”
“Decker, what’s this about?”