Page 165 of Trust No One

“No.”

“Who do you think killed Amy?”

“Kids like us are desperate, and that makes you reckless. I got lucky. Amy didn’t.”

“Fair enough.”

Vivian hesitated, and then added, “Maria Cooper came into the salon recently. Asked for me by name. She’d heard I was good.”

“When was this?”

“About a month ago. I was rinsing her hair when she asked me about Amy.”

“How’d she even know about you?”

“She said Amy mentioned me. I thought it was about hair, but no. Maria wanted me to deliver a message.”

“What message?”

“That Amy wasn’t a Hale. That soon she’d be out on her ass. She wasn’t climbing the Hale ladder.”

“Ladder?”

Vivian shrugged. “Maria was sure she ranked higher on the Hale ladder.”

“Where did Maria see herself on the ladder?”

A small, satisfied smile tipped the edges of her lips. “On par with Raine.”

Chapter Sixty-One

Judson

Friday, October 23, 2026, 12:00 noon

I had an appointment with Maria’s boss at the hospital. Addie Brown’s office was on the fifth floor, and she oversaw the nurses. She’d hired Maria eight years earlier.

I should’ve spoken to her days ago, but Gabe’s and Amy’s deaths had forced delays. Now it was time to learn more about Maria Hale Cooper Durant.

Mrs. Brown was at her desk, a phone tucked under her chin. Dark hair pulled into a ponytail sharpened the planes of her face, making her green eyes seem more direct.

She ended her call when I knocked. Rising, she extended her hand. “Agent Blackwood.”

“Mrs. Brown. Thank you for seeing me.”

“Of course.” She motioned me toward a chair. “Everyone here will do whatever they can to help you find out what happened to Maria. She was one of the best nurses I ever worked with. We all loved her.”

“That’s what I’ve heard. Her death is a terrible loss.” I drew in a slow breath, knowing the tough questions would be necessary. “Can you tell me anything about her personal life? Did any issues bleed over from home to office?”

Her fingers curled into fists and then, with effort, unfolded. “I knew she’d been stressed the last year. Her husband’s business wasn’t doing well.”

“I thought he was working steadily since his release.” I could see she was nervous.

“For a while, yes. Maria was happy. They seemed like a solid family. Molly was thriving. Three months ago, Maria started slipping—late for shifts, short with patients. She even started smoking again.”

“Did she ever say what was wrong?”

“I pulled her into my office. She insisted she was fine. I told her to go home for a few days. She came back, and we never had another issue.”