Sandra Timmons drew in a deep breath before narrowing her gaze at Jules. “Ms. Bradford, you aren’t the police, and I don’t have to answer any of your questions.”
Jules smiled. “You’re right, I am not the police, but I believe I have enough information to give them a reason to reopen Sylvia Granger’s murder case. Things aren’t like they used to be. Police departments have special task forces in place just to handle cold cases, and they will be relentless in their questioning and pursuit of the truth. And you will have no choice but to tell them what they want to know. So you can either deal with me or with them. The choice is yours but, no matter what you decide, I will eventually find out the truth.”
Sandra Timmons looked faint for a moment, but then recovered herself. “I’d prefer to have a private conversation with Shiloh.”
“Sorry, Mom. It will be in your best interest for Jules to hear whatever you have to say, as well.”
Sandra Timmons glanced over at her, and Jules knew the woman was not convinced of that. But finally, she relented. “Vance and I met while in college. We were hoping our parents would allow us to marry, but they didn’t. They already had other partners picked out for us.”
“Arranged marriages?” Shiloh asked.
“Yes, you could say that. In our circles, at our station in life, we did what our parents ordered. Over the years, we’d run into each other on occasion. We knew both our lives were miserable, but...”
“You were committed to remaining married,” Jules finished for her.
“Yes,” Sandra Timmons said quietly. “We were committed to remaining married.”
“So how did he become involved with Sylvia Granger?” Jules asked.
Jules watched as Sandra Timmons dropped gracefully onto the sofa and she and Shiloh sat down, as well.
“Sylvia used him.”
“For what reason?” Jules heard herself asking.
“She wanted knowledge of his business. For what reason, I don’t know. I never confided in her about my history with Vance and, like any other man she saw and wanted, she figured she could go after him. I detested her for that.”
Jules wondered if Sandra Timmons realized she was giving herself even more of a motive to get rid of Sylvia Granger. “You detested her?”
As if realizing what she’d said, Sandra Timmons corrected herself. “But I got over it quickly. If I had shown my anger to her, she would have wondered why. Besides, Vance was a grown man who could do what he wanted.”
“Were there any other men that you know Sylvia was involved with besides Vance Clayburn?”
“There was Michael Greene, but she joked about using him, too.”
“Using him how?” Jules wanted to know.
“She didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t ask.”
Jules then asked, “Where were you on the afternoon Sylvia Granger was killed?”
The anger in Sandra Timmons’s gaze was undeniable. “You would like to pin her death on me, wouldn’t you? Well, sorry, you can’t. I didn’t kill her.”
“Then tell us where you were”
Sandra Timmons nervously began twisting her hands together. “I was nowhere near Sutton Hills.”
“Then why won’t you say where you were?” Shiloh asked her mother.
Sandra Timmons stood again, but Jules and Shiloh remained seated and watched her begin pacing. “I was somewhere else...with someone.”
“Who?” Jules asked. “And where?”
Sandra Timmons was annoyed. That much was obvious. She was also frustrated and nervous. That was obvious, as well. She then turned and faced Jules and Shiloh. “I was somewhere with Vance.”
Now Shiloh stood on her feet. “Why, Mom? I knew there was not a lot of love, if any, between you and Dad. So why sneak around? Why didn’t you get a divorce if you wanted to be with Vance Clayburn?”
Sandra Timmons shrugged. “It would not have been that easy. Our parents established the terms of our marriages, and there was no way I could ever get out of it with enough money to support you and Sedrick. They made sure of it.”