“Thanks for seeing me on such short notice, Mrs. Imerson,” Jules said as the woman led her toward the rear of the house where the enclosed patio was located.
“No problem, Ms. Sweet, although I’m not sure what I’ll be able to tell you. Marshall never brought work home, and he never discussed any of his cases with me.”
The woman gestured Jules to a chair that overlooked a huge lake. In the distance, the tops of mountains could be seen above the branches of tall oak trees. The patio was completely glassed in, and heat was provided by an old-fashioned brick fireplace.
“I hope you don’t mind sitting out here, but I love looking out over the water. It’s so peaceful,” Leigh Imerson said, taking the chair across from Jules.
“Yes, it is,” Jules agreed. The drive from Charlottesville had been a peaceful one, as well. She’d taken the scenic route away from the hustle and bustle of traffic. The only traffic she had to be concerned with were the occasional riders taking their horses out for exercise.
She arrived in Steeplechase right before lunchtime, and since she hadn’t eaten breakfast, she’d made a pit stop at one of the local diners. Steeplechase was one of those beautiful, quaint cities where you would want to retire, because there was no way for you not to be drawn to the cobblestone streets, bike paths and walking trails. And she’d seen the numerous horse farms that overlooked the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Sitting at the diner while enjoying lunch gave her a chance to unwind...and relive last night’s memories. A part of her was convinced that last night had been a mistake, and she should not have slept with Dalton again. But then, honestly, who slept? That was why when she returned to Charlottesville later today, she intended to go home and crash. What if Dalton showed up later, figuring after Miami and last night that she was open to having some sort of an affair with him? Of course, she didn’t want to have an affair with anyone and needed to let him know that. The last thing she wanted was for him to think things about their relationship just because they’d messed around a few times. Okay, it was more than a few times, but still, that was no reason for either of them to start getting any crazy ideas.
“Would you like some tea, Ms. Sweet? I just made a pitcher of my mango tea.”
Jules had never drunk mango tea before and decided to try it. “Yes, thanks. I would appreciate a glass.”
“Then please excuse me for a minute.”
Jules watched as the woman stood to head to the area of the house she assumed was the kitchen. Leigh Imerson was an attractive woman who appeared to be in her midfifties. But even with her sparkling smile, Jules saw sadness in her eyes. Marshall Imerson had died almost four years ago, and Jules assumed the sadness was still for him.
She recalled that she and Shana would often return home from one of their high school functions to find their father sitting in the living room alone. And although he would smile brightly when he saw them, there had always been a degree of sadness in his eyes.
From what Manning had found in his research, it seemed that the Imersons had married right out of college. Marshall had gone to work for the Charlottesville Police Department for a short while before becoming detective...similar to the paths both she and her father had taken, Jules thought.