"And you came here to talk to Brooke about Landon? Something about his death not being an accident?"
It was clear that Brooke had made a beeline for Jill as soon as she and her boyfriend had left them. That was interesting.Why the pressing need to fill her in so quickly? Had Brooke wanted to warn Jill about something?
"How well did you know Landon?" he asked.
"Not particularly well. He was in my brother Trent's fraternity, and we partied together a few times. Trent and my cousin, Henry, were devastated by Landon's death. It was so sad and shocking."
"Are Trent and Henry here today?"
"Trent is supposed to be. I haven't seen him yet. Can I ask why you're here now, wanting to talk about Landon's death? Has something happened?"
"We have some new evidence. But I can't get into it."
"All right. I understand this is important, but this is also a charity event, one crucial to raising money for the Children's Hospital. I would request that you be as respectful as possible. You're not planning to arrest anyone, are you?"
"Is there someone I should arrest?" he countered.
"Of course not. I just don't want the event to be disrupted in any way. I hope that doesn't sound callous, because, of course, I want you to find out what happened to Landon. I just don't think anyone here can help you."
"We're just asking a few questions. I doubt anyone will be concerned or bothered, unless they have something to feel guilty about," he said.
Anger sparked in her eyes, but she had a tight grip on her composure, and her expression returned to neutral very quickly. "Then I won't worry. Thank you for the reassurance. Excuse me."
"She's strung tight," he commented.
"And Brooke filled her in very quickly. If we were hoping to take anyone by surprise, that opportunity has vanished. Should we try the patio and see who's out there?"
"Sure," he said as they moved toward the main patio where the silent auction was being held next to a crowded bar area. "Do you want something to drink?" He suddenly paused, his gaze catching on a familiar face. "What is she doing here?"
"Who?" Haley asked.
"The woman with the dark-red hair in the tan dress," he replied. "That's someone I used to work with—Shari Drummond." He moved forward to cut Shari off, and her expression stiffened when she saw him.
"Matt," she said in surprise. "I didn't expect to see you here."
"Likewise. Are you working, or is this pleasure?"
"Pleasure. I love art."
"I didn't know that about you," he commented.
She shrugged. "I guess it didn't come up. Are you going to introduce me to your friend?"
"This is Haley Kenton. Agent Shari Drummond. We worked together until a few days ago."
"Nice to meet you," Haley said.
"You, too."
"I'm going to get us some drinks," Haley interrupted. "I'll be back."
He wasn't sure why Haley had left, but he was happy to have a moment alone with Shari.
"Are you dating her?" Shari asked curiously. "She's pretty."
"No. She's a…friend," he said, stumbling a little over the word.
Shari caught that immediately, giving him a questioning smile. "Really? Why don't I believe you?"
