Nemesis Read Free

Daniels fussed with her hair, nibbled some of the paint off her lower lip. “I … had a bad experience with them once. The authorities.”
    â€œWhat sort of bad experience?”
    â€œOver an accident, a terrible accident. But it couldn’t have anything to do with this.…”
    â€œTell me about it anyway.”
    â€œMust I? The memories … they’re still painful.”
    â€œYou can leave out any details that aren’t relevant.”
    â€œYes, all right. The accident happened to a man I was engaged to … Jason, Jason Avery. We were on a weekend camping trip in the Delta. He went for an early-morning walk while I was still sleeping, and … I don’t know, something happened, he fell into the water. He must have panicked because he couldn’t swim and he … drowned.” Ms. Daniels shuddered. “I found him after I woke up. He was lying facedown in mud and tule grass. I dragged him out on shore and tried giving him mouth-to-mouth, but it was too late, he was already dead.”
    â€œWhen was this?”
    â€œTwo and a half years ago. Do you have to write everything down?”
    â€œIt’s customary, yes. You have no objection?”
    â€œNo. No, of course not.”
    â€œI take it there were no witnesses? Other campers, fishermen?”
    â€œNo. We were alone. That’s why the police … sheriff’s people, I mean … at first they didn’t believe it was an accident, that we’d had some sort of fight and I’d done something to Jason, hit him with something and then dragged him into the water.…” She shuddered again. “An awful time in my life. Awful.”
    â€œBut you were finally absolved of any wrongdoing.”
    â€œFinally, yes. They had to leave me alone in the end because I told the truth and they couldn’t prove otherwise. If you’re thinking that’s what this person on the phone was referring to, you’re wrong. I had nothing to do with poor Jason’s death.”
    â€œWere there any problems with members of his family?”
    â€œProblems? I don’t … you mean a relative who didn’t believe what happened?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œOh, no, his people were very supportive.”
    â€œDo you know of any enemies you might have, Ms. Daniels? Someone with a grudge against you for any reason?”
    â€œNo. You think this man could be somebody I know?”
    â€œIt’s possible. Is there anyone who might resent the fact that you inherited a large sum of money? Family members, acquaintances?”
    â€œI don’t have any family, now that my aunt is gone. Or new friends since I moved to San Francisco. I … don’t make friends easily.” Pause for some more lip nibbling. “There’s Scott, I suppose, if he knows about it, but I don’t think he’s capable of a vicious thing like this.”
    â€œWho would Scott be?”
    â€œMy ex-husband.”
    â€œLast name?”
    â€œWell … Ostrander. I took back my maiden name when we divorced five years ago.”
    â€œWhere does he live? Work?”
    â€œI don’t know. I haven’t seen or talked to him since the divorce. The last I heard he was still in Orinda. That’s where we lived while we were married. After the divorce I moved to Martinez, where my job was. I worked for an insurance company there, but after the inheritance … well, there wasn’t any need to keep the job and I’d always wanted to live here in the city.”
    â€œWhat does your ex-husband do for a living?”
    â€œHe was a landscape engineer. That’s what he called himself, but it’s just a glorified name for gardener.”
    â€œWas the divorce amicable?”
    â€œNo divorce is ever completely amicable, is it? But it wasn’t bitter, either, not really. We were married for two years and we just didn’t have a lot in