by Casey Mayes
“She’s shaken,” I replied, “but she’s tough. That was brilliant, taping the porch. You saved the day.”
Zach shrugged. “I’m just glad it worked.”
Jenny came back in carrying an easel and an enormous pad of paper. “I use this when I’m prepping for a trial,” she said. As she handed Zach a thick black marker, she asked, “Would you care to do the honors?”
“Sure,” he said. He drew a vertical line down a third of the way over on the paper, and then divided it horizontally into six sections.
“Why six?” Jenny asked.
“Six lines for six suspects,” he said as he started filling in the names. After he’d written Cary Duncan, Kelsey Hatcher, Mindi Mills, Brady Sims, Sylvia Peters, and Frank Lassiter down the list, he moved to the open sections.
“Now we put down the motives,” he said as he added another line to the grid, making an elongated tic-tac-toe board with three equal vertical divisions.
“For Cary, we’ve got love and greed,” I said.
Zach nodded as he wrote that down. “Brady and Sylvia can be revenge for the firing,” he said.
“Mindi could be panic over being dumped,” Jenny added.
“And Lassiter has to be revenge,” I said.
Zach wrote it, and then drew a line through Frank Lassiter’s name.
“Hey, why did you do that?”
“I confirmed his alibi today. He was in Richmond when Derrick was murdered. Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I got the call while I was out shopping for your little binge.”
“You can mark Sylvia’s name off, too,” Jenny said. “We know she was in her room when someone tried to push Kelsey Hatcher in front of that bus.”
“Don’t be so hasty,” I said. “That might clear her for Kelsey’s attempted murder, but not for Derrick.”
“Are we going to assume the two things are unrelated?” Jenny asked.
“We aren’t even positive anything happened with Kelsey,” Zach said.
“But we have witnesses,” I said.
He shrugged. “Who saw anything except Kelsey and Brady? And what proof do we have that Kelsey was actually pushed?”
“You don’t trust anybody, do you?” Jenny asked.
“Not when it comes to a murder investigation,” Zach replied. “I can’t afford to.”
“Then Lassiter’s name is off our list, but the others are all still viable.”
I frowned. “We have alibis for some of them, but I don’t know how we can verify them. Brady said he was sitting in his car when Derrick was murdered, and Sylvia claimed to be in her room. I’m not sure how to confirm either one of those alibis.”
“What about Cary, Mindi, and Kelsey?” Zach asked.
I thought back to our conversation. “Cary told me that she got to town after Derrick was murdered, but how can we believe her? If she can kill, she can certainly lie.”
Zach wrote it down on the list. “Maybe we can prove she was here before she said she was.”
“How can we do that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she got a speeding ticket on the way down, or there could be receipts for gasoline purchases. There might be something.”
“But you’d need the resources of the police department to determine that, wouldn’t you?”
He smiled. “I might just have them. You heard him; Murphy owes me one. It just might be time to collect.”
“Just because you helped him tonight doesn’t mean he’s going to bend a single rule in an active police investigation,” Jenny said.
“I’m not asking for much.”
“Why don’t we see what else we can come up with before you start calling in favors?” I asked. As I stared at the sheet of paper, I asked, “Have we even heard Kelsey’s alibi yet? Don’t forget that Mindi acted honestly surprised when we told her about Derrick’s murder, but I suppose she could have been acting.”
Jenny shook her head. “I don’t think she’s that good.”
“And Kelsey was getting her own tray of food when I found Derrick.” I remembered that scream, and how genuine it had sounded.
Zach wrote it down, and then he said, “There’s still a great deal we don’t know, isn’t there?”
“How do we go about finding anything else out?” I asked.
“We keep digging,” he said.
“Tonight?” I asked, beginning to regret the amount of junk food I’d just consumed.
“No, I think it will wait until morning. I believe we’ve all had enough excitement for one day.”
“I agree,” Jenny said. As she started to clean up, I said, “You go on to bed. I’ll take care of that.”
“I’d love to fight you over it,” she said as she tried to stifle a yawn, “but I don’t have it in me.”
“I’ll give you a hand,” Zach said.
After Jenny went to bed, we finished cleaning up, and as I wiped down the counter, I asked, “Do you think we’re ever going to solve this?”
He nodded solemnly. “I do, and what’s more, I think it’s going to be soon.”
“How can you say that?”
Zach just shrugged. “Call it a cop’s intuition, but I think something’s about to break.”
THE NEXT MORNING, I AWOKE TO FIND THAT MY HUSBAND has slipped out of the bed at some point in the night. I threw on a robe and found Jenny already up and dressed in a handsome suit, sipping a cup of coffee and scanning the newspaper.
“Hey, sleepyhead,” she said with a smile.
I glanced at the clock. “It’s only seven thirty. Have you seen Zach?”
“He left an hour ago.”
Jenny handed me a cup of coffee. “Here, this will wake you up.”
I took it gratefully, inhaled the aroma for a second, and then drank deeply from the cup.
“Better,” I said. “Did he happen to say where he was going?”
“He went for a run with Shawn,” she said. “Those two are forming some kind of odd friendship, aren’t they?”
“They’re both cops, no matter what Zach’s current status is. With so much in common, I’d be amazed if they weren’t getting along.”
Jenny watched me for a few seconds before she spoke. “Have you two come to any conclusions about that job offer he got?”
“No, we’re both pointedly ignoring it for now,” I said, and then took another sip. “Why, do you want to discuss it?”
“Hey, I was just asking,” she said.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be so crabby about it. I’m sure we’ll talk about it at some point, but I’m guessing not before we’ve untangled this mess.” I glanced again at her suit. “Are you going into work today?”
She nodded. “I thought I might be able to work the phones and see if there’s anything going on with the investigation. Sometimes the courthouse is the best place to pick up on what’s happening.”
“I don’t want you going out on any limbs for me,” I said.
“What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t?” she asked as she rinsed her cup and put it in the sink. “I’m late. See you later?”
“Count on it,” I said.
After she was gone, I took a shower and changed. Where was Zach? If he was just going running, he should have been back at least an hour ago. I knew his heart was healthy enough for most things, but if he got into some kind of macho contest with Shawn Murphy, he might not fare so well.
I was about to call his cell phone when he walked in the door. He was sweaty from his run, but there was a broad smile on his face.
“Hello, sunshine,” he said as he leaned forward to kiss me.
“You are a mess,” I said as I limited it to a quick peck.
“Give me five minutes and I’ll be good as new.” He took a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water from the purifier on Jenny’s tap. After taking a long swallow, he said, “I guess you heard where I was.”
“Out with Shawn Murphy, unless your plans changed. Did you have a good run?”
“He tried to kill me,”
Zach said with a smile, “but I managed to keep up most of the way.”
“I’m glad you didn’t fall over dead,” I said with a straight face.
“That makes two of us. I got some good information out of him as we jogged.”
“He actually told you something?”
Zach nodded. “I’ll tell you right after I get out of the shower.”
“You’ll tell me now,” I said, blocking his way.
“I can pick you up and move you, and we both know it,” Zach said, “but that’s going to get you sweaty, too.”
“Go,” I said as I moved out of his way. “And don’t take too long.”
“You could always join me,” he said with a wry grin.
“I could, but who knows if your heart can take it. If you can wait, then I can, too.”
Five minutes later he came back, well groomed and smelling a world better than he had before. “Wow, you clean up nicely.”
He bowed at the waist. “Thank you, ma’am.”
As Zach took a seat beside me, he asked, “Is there a chance I can get something to eat? I hate to ask, but I’m starving.”
“I’m sure I can whip up something for you,” I said. “What would you like, eggs or an omelet?”
“Scrambled eggs will be fine, with some toast and some orange juice.”
“Let me see what I can do,” I said as I started rooting around in Jenny’s kitchen. She had everything Zach had requested.
“You’re in luck. Now talk.”
“But I’m still hungry,” he protested.
“If you don’t tell me everything you know, and I mean right now, I’m not even going to boil water for you.”
“Fine, I’ll cooperate.”
As I put his toast in the toaster and started scrambling his eggs, Zach said, “Murphy was pretty happy we taped Charlie on the porch. By the time they got to the station, Jenny’s neighbor was claiming that his confession had been coerced. Shawn watched the tape, and then showed it to Charlie. We caught him doing it, so there’s no denying it now.”
“I can’t believe Jenny has to live with that man right beside her.”
Zach grinned. “That’s one of the good parts. This morning, he was evicted from his rental, but not his jail cell. The owner’s going to move him out while he’s still in police custody, so Jenny won’t ever have to see him again.”
“I hope you’re right,” I said as I plated his eggs and added the toast. After I poured him a tall glass of orange juice, I asked, “Will there be anything else, sir?”
He surveyed it all with a smile. “No, this looks great.”
As he started to eat, I said, “We can wait with the questions and answers until after you’ve eaten.”
“No, I don’t mind talking while I eat,” he said, and then promptly took another bite.
“Did Murphy tell you anything about the case?”
Zach nodded, finished chewing a bite, and then took a sip of juice. “It turns out we can cross Sylvia off our list.”
“For the attempt on Kelsey,” I said.
“For both of them. Sylvia was in her room, on the house phone, talking to her interior decorator in Charlotte the entire time. The police confirmed it through phone records and a personal interview with the decorator.”
“Okay, then that’s good. Sylvia’s name gets crossed off. Did you find anything else out from him?”
Zach took one last bite, and then pushed his empty plate away. “That was great, Savannah. I was starving.”
“Running can do that to you,” I said. “What else did Murphy tell you about the case, Zach?”
My husband smiled softly. “It’s more of a hunch than a fact, but he’s got good instincts, so I’m willing to bet he’s on the money with it.”
“Don’t sit there grinning like a fool,” I said. “What did he tell you?”
“The police believe that the reason Mindi Mills moved to the Brunswick was so Cary Duncan could keep a closer eye on her. It’s odd that the widow’s paying the mistress’s way, isn’t it? Shawn is under the impression that Mindi thinks the relocation was her idea. He believes that Mindi is blackmailing Cary into paying her bill, and that’s just for starters. She knows something, he’s pretty sure of that. Nobody knows exactly what it is yet, but they’re digging into it, and Shawn has faith they’ll find out what it is, and fairly soon.”
“Could she have witnessed Cary killing her husband?” I asked.
“I suppose that’s one possibility.” He got up and rinsed his plate and glass, and then put them in the sink beside the mugs Jenny and I used. “It could be a secret Derrick told Mindi before he died, something that Cary doesn’t want to get out. Who knows?”
“Cary and Mindi do, at this point.”
“And we’ll know ourselves soon enough.”
“Then we can’t exactly strike their names off our list, can we?”
He shook his head. “No; besides Cary and Mindi, we’ve still got Kelsey and Brady.” Zach smiled at me and tapped me lightly on the cheek. “We’ve narrowed it down from six to four, though. I’d say that’s something, wouldn’t you?”
“If the police are focusing on Cary and Mindi, should we spend some time on Brady and Kelsey?”
He laughed, and I asked, “What’s so funny?”
“Sometimes it’s like you can read my mind,” Zach said as he wrapped me into his arms and kissed me.
Chapter 22
LUCKILY, WE FOUND KELSEY AND BRADY IN THE HOTEL restaurant and didn’t have to go upstairs to one of their rooms, or worse yet, chase them all over Raleigh.
“Mind if we join you?” I asked as I pulled out a chair at their table.
Zach took the last free seat. “That breakfast buffet looks great.”
I’d just fed him, but I knew my sweet husband was willing to take one for the team, especially if it meant he got to squeeze in an extra meal or two.
“Actually—” Kelsey started to say, when I interrupted her.
“It’s so sweet of you to make room for us. There’s a great deal we need to talk about, and this is the perfect time.”
Kelsey deferred to Brady, who nodded slightly. As soon as she had his approval, she smiled at me. “Of course you’re welcome to join us. What exactly do we need to discuss, though?”
“Our future working relationship,” I said. I really had nothing else I could use to get her to open up, so I was going to have to discuss things I’d rather not. “I don’t want us to end up like I did with Derrick.” Okay, that didn’t sound right.
“What Savannah is trying to say is that she doesn’t want there to be any acrimony between you,” Zach said.
I smiled tightly at him. Was he seriously going to start going around explaining me to people? “What Zach is trying to say is that he’s going to the buffet.”
Zach looked startled for a split second, and then turned to Brady. “Why don’t you join me so they can talk a little business?”
Brady didn’t look all that certain he wanted to be away from Kelsey, but I had to give my husband credit for trying to turn a negative into a positive. Though Brady didn’t seem pleased with Zach’s suggestion, he really had no choice as my husband put a hand under his arm and practically levitated him off his chair.
After they were gone, I said, “I need to talk to you for a second.”
“What is it? Do you have another problem with the way I’m running things?” Her emphasis on the word “another” gave me a moment’s pause. I had to let that go, though. This really wasn’t a business meeting; it was a fact-finding mission.
“No, as of now, we’re good. It’s about Derrick.”
She looked even more annoyed by the change in topic. “What about him? Can’t we just drop that subject and move on?”
“Soon,” I promised. “Once I get the answers to a few questions, I’ll be finished,” I said, which wasn’t exactly the truth, but how could she possibly know that?
“Go ahead,” Kelsey said, the exasperation clear in her v
oice. “I’m not sure what else I can tell you, but I’ll try.”
“How long was Derrick alone when you left to get your food the day he died?”
“How did you know I got his food for him first?” Kelsey asked.
I smiled at her and tried to soften my words. “Don’t forget, I worked for Derrick, too. I can’t imagine he’d let you eat before he was served.”
She nodded. “I was gone maybe twenty minutes,” Kelsey finally admitted.
“Hang on a second. You both ate from the hotel restaurant’s menu, right?”
“Yes, it was right there, and Derrick was in no mood to wait. He was so mad at you, Savannah. He told me that he thought you were being disloyal to him, and I honestly think it hurt his feelings.”
“He fired me, remember? And that’s after he tried to sell me to the highest bidder. Was he really that concerned about loyalty?”
“Maybe not,” Kelsey admitted after a moment.
“So, the question remains. Why did it take you twenty minutes to get your own food?”
Kelsey glanced at the buffet, and I saw her looking at Brady with an odd expression.
“You were waiting for him, weren’t you?” I asked.
“What?” she asked as she looked back at me. “What are you talking about?”
“You didn’t get your food sooner because you were waiting for Brady.”
“He was supposed to come back after his meeting with Derrick,” she protested, “but I waited twenty minutes, and he never showed up. We were so careful that no one knew about our relationship. You saw him walk right past me when Derrick fired him; he didn’t even glance in my direction.”
“In his defense, he’d just been blindsided. Did you know that was coming? It didn’t look like he’d been warned beforehand.”
“I had no idea what Derrick was up to, and that’s the truth,” Kelsey said. “You’ve got to believe me.”
I patted her hand. “I do,” I said, and I meant every word of it. If she’d known what was coming, she would have prepared Brady for it, and from our conversation before the meeting—and his reaction to it afterward—there was no way he knew anything for sure, though he did seem to suspect that something was awry when we’d first spoken.