See Jane Die Part 16

Stacy had wanted her love. Jane laid a hand on her sister's arm, aching to connect with her. "She was wrong. You're as much Dad's daughter as I am."

Stacy set her cup on the table. "I've got to get back to work."

"Wait! Stacy, please." Jane wondered at the desperation she heard in her own voice, wondered at its

source. "The way Grandmother felt doesn't have anything to do with us. With you and me. We're all we have left."

"That's not quite true, is it? You have Ian."

Jane felt her sister's words like a slap. She dropped her hand, took a step back. "It's not the same.

You're my sister. My blood family."

"Half blood."

"Don't do that, don't act like-"

Stacy cut her off. "You're such a hypocrite, Jane. Standing there, claiming sisterly love and concern when

I know the real reason for your visit this morning. You're wondering about last night. About the questions we asked Ian. One question in particular."

Was your relations.h.i.+p with Elle Vanmeer anything but professional?

"What's it going to be?" Stacy challenged. "Honesty? Or are you going to play dumb? Pretend it didn't take your breath away?"

At the sarcasm in her sister's tone, Janes face grew hot. She jerked her chin up. "What if he and the woman had dated? Slept together even? That has nothing to do with now, our marriage. And it certainly has nothing to do with the woman's death."

"You're so certain?" "Yes."

"How well do you know your husband, Jane?"

"Excuse me?"

Stacy leaned toward her. "Maybe you don't know him as well as you think you do."

Jane's head went light. She turned, found a chair and sat, fighting for equilibrium. When she found it, she

met her sister's gaze.

"Ian had nothing to do with that woman's murder. It's not possible, and I believe you know it."

"And that belief is based on what? Wishful thinking?"

"You know Ian."

"People keep secrets. They hide their real selves. Hide their real motivations and agendas."

"Their real feelings," Jane added, navigating the conversation back to her sister, their relations.h.i.+p. "Their

hurt feelings."

"I don't have time for this."

Stacy made a move to leave; Jane stopped her. "He was home night before last. With me. All night."

Stacy narrowed her eyes. "You're certain?"

"Yes. Satisfied?"

Jane saw that she wasn't. She realized she would just have to live with that. "To answer your earlier

question or, rather, your accusation, yes, you and your partner unnerved me last night. That question unnerved me. And yes, I'm here for rea.s.surances. But only partly. You're my sister. And until a moment ago I thought what was wrong between us was fixable. Now I'm not so certain."

"Nice try, Jane. And the whole swooning wife bit, it was good. For a moment, I was actually worried."

"Why so cruel, Stacy? Why so hateful? If not Grandmother, is it about Ian? Because you dated him first?"

Color stained her sister's cheeks. "Maybe it's just you and me. Maybe it's that we have nothing in

common."

"But we do. We have our whole lives in common." Jane got shakily to her feet. "I'm pregnant, Stacy. I thought you'd want to know."

Her sister stared at her, the blood draining from her face. "Pregnant," she repeated. "How far-"

"Eight weeks." Jane hiked her purse strap higher on her shoulder. "For whatever reasons, I know you

can't be happy for me. And you know what? It breaks my heart, but there's nothing I can do about it until you're willing to meet me halfway. If you decide you're ready to do that, you know where to find me."

Stacy's silence said it all. Without another word, Jane walked away.

THIRTEEN.

Tuesday, October 21, 2003.

11:55 a.m.

Stacy stood in the interrogation room doorway and watched Jane walk away. She steeled herself against the urge to go after her. Apologize. Make their relations.h.i.+p right. When had it gotten so bad between them? As young children they had been best friends. Each other's first choice of playmate. Their relations.h.i.+p had altered as they'd grown into teenagers. Jane had tagged after Stacy and her friends, always trying to impress in an attempt to be one of them.

Same as she had that day at the lake. The day that had changed everything.

Stacy frowned. Jane had been right: she had been ugly toward her, deliberately cruel. Why? Was she really so angry at her? Was she so jealous?

Pregnant. Eight weeks.

A knot of longing settled in her chest. With it the burn of envy. Deep. In the pit of her gut. Everything always worked out for her sister. Even the accident had seemed to change her life for the better.

"Coming up with a cure for cancer?"

She turned to find Mac standing not a dozen feet away, expression speculative. "Pardon?"

"You look lost in deep thought."

She forced a small smile. "Memories, mostly."

He crossed to her. "The rumor mill was correct, then. Your sister was in the building."

"Not just the building." Stacy mocked a shudder. "She was here."

"She didn't even wait twenty-four hours before scurrying in for rea.s.surances. Good. That means we

really must've rattled him."

Stacy found herself denying it, though she didn't know why. She had accused her sister of the exact same thing. "Actually, she dropped by for another, totally unrelated reason."

He waited, as if for specifics. When they didn't come, he frowned. "We need to talk."

"Sure." Stacy tossed her coffee cup in the trash. "My desk or yours?"

"How about here?"

He indicated the interrogation room behind her. "Fine by me."

He followed her inside, closing the door behind them. "I heard something this morning. I need to ask you if it's true."

She narrowed her eyes slightly. "All right."

"Did you date Ian Westbrook?"

Liberman. Her toad of an ex-partner. She had made the mistake of confiding in him. Once. "We dated a few times. It wasn't serious."

"You introduced him to your sister. He dumped you and began seeing her. Is that right?"

"Not if you're implying he broke my heart. It wasn't like that."

"No? Then what was it like?"

"Just the way I said. We had a few laughs, but we didn't click romantically."

"I don't believe you."

Angry heat flooded her face. "I'm not a liar, Mac. Don't make that mistake again."

"Actually, I'm thinking he's the liar. Ever ask yourself why he dropped you for your sister, Stacy?"