The silence in the Marcus estate was suffocating, broken only by the distant sound of waves crashing against the cliffs. The scent of salt and jasmine hung heavy in the air as Catherine's words struck me like a physical blow.
"Bevis killed Judy, and I... we broke up."
My breath caught in my throat, fingers tightening around the edge of Judy's portrait frame until my knuckles turned white. "Judy? He loved you both—how could he kill Judy?"
Catherine's laugh was brittle, like glass about to shatter. She forced a smile, her large, glistening eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Margie, he never loved me or Judy. You were the only one who ever mattered to him."
"But you two were in love before..."
My own voice sounded hollow even to me. Love is selfish—if Bevis truly loved Catherine, he wouldn't have kept Judy close. And if he loved Judy, he wouldn't have brought Catherine everywhere.
