Larissa Judson and Haskell Palmer novel Chapter 667

Haskell's eyes lit up with understanding. "Lucius won't let this investigation go any further. Trudy works for him. Whether he ordered the hit or not, if the police keep digging, they might uncover all the other dirty work she's done for him."

At times like these, Larissa was reminded of how effortless it was to talk to someone as intelligent as Haskell.

"Exactly," she said with a smile. "So Lucius will pressure Damon to stop his wife from pursuing the matter any further and get the case closed as quickly as possible."

Haskell couldn't help but marvel at her brilliance. Using Trudy to kill Theon was a masterstroke that achieved three goals at once: it eliminated Trudy, dealt with Theon, and forced Lucius to clean up the mess.

However, there was still one lingering threat: a mother's relentless quest for vengeance.

"Even so," Haskell warned, "Margot may back down publicly, but a woman who's been with Damon that long must have her own resources. I doubt she'll let you off the hook so easily."

Larissa was completely unfazed. She stored her medical kit, then settled comfortably on the sofa. "We'll see who doesn't let whom off the hook," she said with a light laugh. "Theon's mother is about to have her hands full. I know one of her deadliest secrets, and it's about to be exposed."

She noticed Haskell staring at her intently and had a sudden thought. "Haskell," she asked, "does this scare you?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"You know the saying," she teased. "Men don't like women who are too smart."

"Damon!" Margot pulled back, her eyes wide with disbelief and fresh tears. "You want to burn our son's body now? We haven't even found his real killer!"

Damon looked pained. "The police already called me. The person who killed Theon was a woman named Trudy, from the Luminary Arts Centre, right?"

"Yes," Margot said. "The police claim she did it to avenge a friend. Damon, do you really believe that?" She lowered her voice. "Remember when you helped Theon cover up that accident? You investigated that family. They were ordinary people with no connections. Their only relatives were four old parents, two of whom are already dead. Why would a wealthy business owner like Trudy risk everything to avenge them?"

She concluded, "Someone put her up to it. It was either your ex-wife's daughter, Livia, or Larissa, who just had a fight with Theon. It definitely wasn't Trudy acting alone. She's just a scapegoat!"