Lydia was clearly surprised by the question. For a moment, she did not answer.
There was, indeed, something strange about the deaths of the three women who had come before Loretta.
The first wife had died in her sleep.
The second had fallen seriously ill shortly after the wedding and died after a few days.
The third had died in a car accident not long after her engagement to Kevin. Yet, despite the disturbing pattern, Lydia was not willing to tell Loretta everything.
"Madam, these are just coincidences," she finally said.
Loretta studied her carefully. Lydia's voice sounded calm, but she avoided Loretta's gaze. She had clearly chosen her words carefully, as though she was trying not to reveal more than she should.
Loretta's eyes narrowed slightly. If they were truly nothing more than coincidences, why did Lydia look so uncomfortable talking about them?
Moreover, since her engagement to Kevin, Loretta had already experienced more than enough encounters with death.
