“Both apartments are upstairs. Sydney’s is above the stable office and Drew’s is over the tack room,” Olivia clarified for Dustin’s benefit.
“How did you know they were in their rooms? Did you go up?” Dustin asked.
“I could hear Drew playing an old Beatles album. Sydney was watching that reality show about people who own wildly expensive collectibles and don’t even know it,” Marcus said.
“But you didn’t actually see either of them.”
“No, because when I was in the stables, I heard noise over at the main office, so I went there.”
“And did you see Aaron and Sandra?”
“Yes. I’m not sure where Sandra came from. She might have stayed there after closing. Maybe she was just doing paperwork in the peace and quiet and fell asleep on one of the sofas. I’ve seen Sandra stay over to do paperwork and reports occasionally. Aaron drove in.”
“Sandra said she was going straight home,” Dustin said.
Marcus shrugged in response.
“What time?” Olivia asked him.
He looked at her curiously. “Time...” he repeated slowly.
“Yes, what time was it?”
“I don’t really know. It’s really not much of a concept to me anymore.”
“Does that explain why you didn’t come back to my house last night?”
Marcus seemed stricken by the reminder. “I am so sorry.”
“You really can’t help her, Marcus,” Dustin said.
“I beg your pardon? I can warn her—”
“Yes, but, you’re right. The responsibility falls to me. As you pointed out, I’m the one who’s living.”
Olivia wanted to pat Marcus’s leg and remembered that she couldn’t. “A warning is always helpful, Marcus. And I would’ve appreciated one last night,” she muttered under her breath.
Dustin leaned forward. “Marcus, when you walked into the woods, do you remember hearing anything?”
“I walked in because the dog was yelping—crying. I knew Sammy was hurt,” Marcus explained. “Did I hear anything else? Yes, actually. Something like a...flying sound. A buzzing? Sort of like a mosquito next to your ear. But then I...”
“But then you lost consciousness,” Dustin finished.
Marcus nodded in a dazed way. “You’re really not safe, are you, Liv? I have put you in danger.”
“She’s my responsibility now,” Dustin said.
“Stop it!” Olivia exploded. “I’m not anyone’s responsibility. I’m an adult. We’re all here to discover the truth behind Marcus’s death, not to treat me like...like an infant.”
Both men stared at her.
“Do you want to get killed?” Marcus asked fiercely.
“No, of course not!”
“Hmm, let’s see. He’s a trained FBI agent and you’re not. I say you need to let him take responsibility,” Marcus told her.
She threw up her hands. “Can we not make it sound so...pathetic?”
They both looked at her again and then at each other. Dustin resumed his questioning. “Okay, Marcus, this is important. You believe—but you’re not certain—that Sydney and Drew were in their rooms last night?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t know where Sandra Cheever was, but Aaron drove back to the Horse Farm. And you believe they’re having an affair?”
“Yes. Discreet, of course. But...”
“It would explain today,” Dustin murmured.
“What about today?” Olivia asked.
“I think they were arguing. This was before Sandra left—she said she was going straight home, by the way—then you came in. I didn’t have a chance to find out what the argument was about, though. My, uh, eavesdropping was interrupted by Mariah, who started talking about the camping trip tomorrow night.”
Marcus nodded. “The camping trip. If you’re together, then Liv will be safe. But what about tonight? Someone could come looking for her here—or at her own house.”
“I thought about that. I figured we’d go into Nashville. There’s a small chain motel on the outskirts. Actually,” he said, glancing at Olivia, “I was going to suggest a break. We could go in for dinner and get a couple of rooms at the motel. Olivia can leave her car at her place in case anyone’s watching. It’s more plausible that I might be in the city, since people know I have a sister who lives there. She’s not in town at the moment, but no one knows that.”
“Sounds good,” Marcus said approvingly.
“Wait a minute.” Olivia decided she had to put a stop to the way they were assuming control—or at least get them to acknowledge her rights in this situation. “I truly appreciate all the responsibility you two feel you need to take, but I’d prefer to be involved in these decisions,” Olivia told them.
“Okay. Olivia, I would like us to have dinner in Nashville. Would that be all right? And in the interests of keeping you alive—without me sleeping in your living room, which will certainly elicit an eternal round of gossip—would you like to stay in that lovely little motel off I-40?”
“Yes, that sounds lovely, thank you,” she said primly. “I just need to be kept in the loop, okay?”
Loop? The two of them were talking to a ghost.