“Not so fast,” Chloe said.
Olivia turned and realized she wasn’t the only one with spray. She stopped dead in her tracks.
“Crafty. But I thought you said you weren’t here to hurt me,” Olivia replied.
“I’m not. I’m here to get answers.”
“About what?”
“About the murder of your boyfriend.”
Olivia was quick to play dumb. “I don’t know anything about that.”
“Maybe not, but you sure don’t seem broken up about it. That seems pretty strange, considering he was your boyfriend.”
“We all grieve in our own way.”
“Is this how you grieve, by sneaking in the back door of his house, then running away as quickly as possible the moment someone spots you? Because that just makes you look guilty.”
“Are you accusing me of murder now?” Olivia asked.
“I’m just pointing out the facts. Like how I saw you and Ryan getting into a heated argument after you left the party last night. Or how you found out just a few hours before the murder that your boyfriend had gotten another woman pregnant.”
Olivia narrowed her eyes and gave her a death stare. “How dare you bring that up?”
Chloe didn’t back down. “I know hearing that must have put you into a rage. You know, scorned women have been known to do some crazy things.”
“I didn’t do it. I didn’t kill him.”
“Let’s say I believe you. What were you doing in his house just now then?”
“I was getting something that I left behind last night.”
“So you were here last night then?” Chloe asked.
Olivia was quick to revise her statement. “I meant, before leaving for the party.”
“What did you leave behind that was so important that you had to get it today?”
“That’s none of your business.”
Chloe zeroed in on Olivia’s ears. It was just as she thought.
“Is it a pearl earring?” Chloe asked.
Olivia’s eyes opened wide.
Chloe continued. She reached into her purse and pulled out the earring Rufus found in the grass. “This earring?”
Olivia looked at the earring with great interest. “Where did you get that?”
Chloe put the earring back in her purse. “It was in the grass just outside the garage.”
Olivia felt her left and right ears. Olivia’s left ear had a pearl earring on it while her right ear had nothing on it.
Olivia stammered. “It must have dropped when I came in today.”
Chloe offered another explanation. “Or when you came here last night.”
Olivia shook her head, vehemently denying that accusation. “No. That’s not true.”
“You still haven’t told me what you came here for today. I’m guessing it’s this earring. You probably searched the whole house for it when it was right outside the garage.”
“No, that’s not it. I uh…left my favorite bracelet here.”
Chloe saw a bracelet on Olivia’s wrist, but it was far from flashy. Granted, it could be a family heirloom, but it could also just as likely be the first item she could think of to deflect the attention away from her missing earring.
There was one way for Chloe to find out for sure. “What would make you want this bracelet so much that you couldn’t wait an extra day or two until the case is closed to retrieve it? More importantly, how do I know this business with your bracelet isn’t just a cover story to distract from the earring I found?”
“I don’t have to tell you anything.”
Olivia’s combative attitude wasn’t making it easy to believe she was innocent. She couldn’t look any more desperate to get out of this conversation.
Knowing that she needed a confession from the real killer, Chloe tried to calm her down a little.
“Can’t we just talk this over?”
The answer was a clear no. By that point, Olivia was completely fed up. She got a crazy look in her eyes. “I have nothing else to say to you. I’ll spray you if I have to. You and your dog both. Don’t make me do it.”
Chloe didn’t have much of a choice. It was clear that Olivia wasn’t going to volunteer any more information, and Chloe didn’t have the leverage to draw it out of her.
Given that, Chloe reluctantly let Olivia get in her car and drive away.
Rufus began barking again as Olivia’s car sped down the street.
“I know, Rufus. That’s not how I wanted that to end either.”
Chapter Sixteen
As Chloe walked back to her car with Rufus, she was a bundle of frustration. What an explosive way to kick off an investigation. Chloe had to take a few deep breaths to keep her heart from beating out of her chest. Just as she started calming down, her phone rang.
The sound of her ring tone startled her. She was still so wound up from her confrontation with Olivia that her phone was enough to give her an abrupt jolt back to reality.
Chloe composed herself, then pulled her phone out of her purse. When she checked the caller ID on her screen, she saw that the call was coming from Paige. Chloe got a burst of adrenaline. Maybe her friend had found a lead.
Chloe answered the phone.
“Please tell me you have some good news,” Chloe said.
“I was just about to say the same thing to you,” Paige replied, over the phone.
Chloe sighed. “Uh oh. Has the internet not been treating you well?”
Paige sounded concerned. “Chloe, are you ok? You don’t sound so good.”
“I feel even worse.”
“What happened?”
“I just got a little reminder of why you should never get on the bad side of a murder suspect.”
“Are you ok?” Paige asked again.
“Thankfully, things didn’t get too out of control,” Chloe replied.
“Take care of yourself out there. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.”
“Let’s just say it could have been a lot worse.” Chloe then switched gears. “Now, what about you? How is the internet sleuthing going?”
“Good news. I got the stuff you asked for. I’m going to text you the addresses and frequent hangouts of the other suspects.”
Chloe was relieved. “That’s just what I needed to hear. On that note, did you happen to find out what’s in those career-ruining pictures of Sasha Irwin that’s worth blackmailing her over?”
“No. Every photo I’ve found of her on the internet is as tame as could be. She is a children’s show host after all.”
“Ryan Foster must have only had those photos in print form.” Chloe exhaled. “How about Eric Voss, did you get anything on him?”
“He was a co-worker of Ryan Foster’s at Roy’s Ribeye Restaurant. Other than that, I just have his address.”
“At least it’s a start. Keep digging.”
“I will.”
“Alright. It’s time to get back to work.”
“Be careful out there,” Paige insisted.
“Don’t worry. I can take care of myself,” Chloe said.
Chapter Seventeen
Chloe vowed to take a different approach with the next suspect. Things had gotten out of hand in a hurry with Olivia Ellerby. And while Chloe was able to leave the confrontation unscathed, she also wasn’t able to get nearly as much information out of Olivia as she wanted.
There was a time for coming on like a battering ram, and a time for finesse. Chloe was ready to give the other approach a go, at least for now. With that new game plan, she decided to drop Rufus off at home.
For a stumpy little guy, Rufus sure seemed to put a scare into Olivia. Chloe knew her dog had plenty of bark, but she didn’t want to see him bite anyone. That would create more problems than it would solve. If Rufus attacked someone, any chance of Chloe being able to solve this case would get lost in the shuffle of having to keep her dog from being taken away by animal control.
It was admirable that Rufus was loyal to Chloe, but she didn’t want to pu
t the little guy in harm’s way. Chloe would be inconsolable if anything happened to him. After all, Chloe was dealing with murder suspects. If they didn’t care about human life, why would they care about a dog’s life?
In addition to Rufus’s safety, there was the fact that Chloe needed to get a confession out of the killer. She’d have a hard time getting one, or any leads, if they clammed up with tension.
Chloe leaned over and gave Rufus a few pets.
“I’m sorry, little buddy. I’m afraid a murder investigation is no place for a corgi.”
She then gave him a few treats, said a quick goodbye to her furry little pal, and hit the road.
***
Chloe decided to approach Sasha Irwin next. There was a cloud of mystery around the children’s show host. Chloe had heard Ryan Foster trying to blackmail her at the party with the mention of some reputation-killing photographs, but she didn’t know what was in those photos. It was time to find out.
When Chloe pulled onto Sasha’s street, she saw that a surprise was waiting for her. Eric Voss, the greasy-haired man that slammed Ryan Foster into a car door outside the party last night, was probably the least likely person that Chloe ever expected to see at Sasha’s door. Yet there he was, having it out with Sasha on her doorstep. What connection did he have with her? It appeared there were a few more mysteries to solve, rather than just who killed Ryan Foster.
Chloe wanted nothing more than to storm over and get between them. That would do her no good. She had taken the “bull in a china shop” approach with Olivia, with poor results. It would not be wise to make that same mistake twice in a row. Besides, the best thing she had going for her at that moment was the element of surprise.
Chloe drove by Sasha’s house, then parked on the sidewalk a few houses away. That would give her the chance to be close enough to observe from afar, but not too close to give away the fact that she was snooping. The downside was that Chloe couldn’t get close enough to hear what was being said without blowing her cover.
For now, she could only really monitor their body language. That ended up saying more than Chloe expected. Eric and Sasha were having a heated conversation. The kind of discussion that most people did their best to not have in public places. On the surface, it appeared to be a conversation that would be better had in the comfort and privacy of Sasha’s home. Then again, Sasha looked determined to get Eric to leave as soon as possible.
She wasn’t having much luck. Eric was steaming and only became more so as the conversation went on. Chloe had a hunch that she’d want to record this interaction for later use. She pulled out her phone and snapped a photo of the two chewing each other out.
She was glad she did. At the peak of their argument, something unexpected happened. Sasha slammed her door in Eric’s face.
Chloe certainly knew what that felt like. She was relieved to see that it had happened to someone else this time. Understandably, Eric did not take the door-slamming well.
He got piping mad, yelled something at the closed door, and then trudged back to his car, looking like he could punch a hole in a wall if one was readily available. When Eric got back into his sedan, he slammed his hand against his steering wheel, then groaned to burn off some steam.
As Eric turned on his ignition and started backing out of the driveway, Chloe suddenly found herself with an interesting decision to make. There were two suspects she wanted to question, but she could only choose one to go after right now. By the looks of it, Sasha Irwin would be staying in her house for the time being. Eric Voss meanwhile, was on the move, and Chloe had no idea where he was headed next.
In her mind, this was her best chance of tracking him down, so she decided not to let this opportunity slip away. Eric drove down the road, then made a right on Willow Street. Chloe kept a safe distance while tailing him, in hopes that he wouldn’t notice her behind him. The question now became, where was he headed?
Chapter Eighteen
After a short stretch on the Mid-Cape Highway, Eric exited, and pulled into the parking lot of McKittrick’s Sports Bar. Chloe had never been happier to see a bar in all her life. She had worried that Eric was headed home, where he could bail on their conversation at any time, and slam his front door in her face if things went south.
A public place like a coffee shop, restaurant, or bar was an ideal location for questioning a suspect. No one, no less a murder suspect, wanted to make a scene in front of a crowd of people. The prospect of getting pepper-sprayed also drastically went down if Chloe was in the middle of a crowded bar.
Eric’s weapon of choice when angry was most likely his fists and not a can of pepper spray. Chloe hoped this confrontation wouldn’t come to that. It would be nice to have a civil conversation for a change. Given Eric’s propensity for slamming people into car doors and using his steering wheel as a punching bag, that was highly unlikely. Knowing Eric’s temper, he was an ideal suspect to test a softer approach with.
Chloe let him head into the bar first. She gave him a couple of minutes to settle in, then made her entrance.
***
Once she was inside, Chloe spotted Eric sitting at the bar. The place was just busy enough that she was confident Eric wouldn’t want to cause a scene. The bar area itself was pretty empty, with most of the patrons opting to sit in a booth and watch the game or stay busy playing billiards.
Chloe approached the bar, then took a seat at the stool beside Eric. At first, he was too busy nursing his pint of beer to even look at her. It was clear he wanted to keep to himself. Chloe decided to ease into her questioning. She started off nice and slow.
“Rough day?” she asked.
Eric laughed.
Chloe already knew what the answer was to her question, so she was surprised at how much Eric understated the drama that had occurred.
“You could say that,” Eric replied.
“It could be worse.”
Eric glanced at Chloe out the corner of his eyes, but still paid more attention to his drink than to her.
“Oh yeah? How would you know?”
“At least you’re not Ryan Foster,” Chloe said.
That got Eric’s attention. He put his beer down and turned to her. With everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours, apparently Chloe’s face had gotten lost in the shuffle. Eric didn’t seem to recognize her from the police lineup. That suited her just fine.
Eric got short with her. “Who are you, and what do you want?”
Chloe took out her phone, pulled up the photo of Eric and Sasha arguing, then fired back.
“I want to know what this is about,” she insisted.
Eric became outraged. “You were following me?”
“I’d watch that temper if I were you. Do you really want to cause a scene in the middle of a crowded bar?”
Eric looked around the place, then simmered down a little.
“Why were you following me?” he asked.
“I wasn’t. I was there to talk to Sasha Irwin about some unsavory photos. Is that why you were there too?”
“How do you know about the pictures?”
“I know more than you think. Like the fact that you slammed Ryan Foster into a car door last night just hours before he was murdered.”
Eric narrowed his eyes. “You’re not accusing me of murder, are you?”
Eric made it hard to use a softer approach. He had a rage that looked ready to blow at any moment.
Chloe had to try and calm things down a little, so Eric didn’t run out. There were too many questions still unanswered.
“I’m just a woman with a lot of questions that you happen to have the answers to. Now, why were you at Sasha Irwin’s?”
“I don’t have to tell you anything.”
An idea came to Chloe. She got up from the bar, then made a motion to the front door. “Fine. I’ll show this photo to the police and let them sort it out with you.”
Eric groaned. “Stop.”
Chloe turned around.
; “What do you want to know?” Eric asked.
“The truth. I know Ryan was trying to blackmail her with some photos. Were you in on it, and then Ryan tried to cut you out at the last minute? Is that why you threw him into a car door outside the party last night?
He shook his head. “No. It’s nothing like that.”
“Then what is it like?”
Eric hesitated to spill the beans.
Chloe pressed on. “It’s best just to come clean. If you’re innocent, you have nothing to hide.”
Eric sighed. “Look, I needed money. The bank was going to take my house. Ryan knew that and came to me at work with a proposal. He said he had a surefire way to make some easy cash. He told me he was tight with someone who worked behind-the-scenes at the horse track, and that he had an inside scoop from one of the trainers. Ryan told me if I bet on Lucky Star in the third race, I’d be guaranteed to win.”
“You know there’s no such thing as a guarantee when it comes to betting? That’s why it’s called gambling,” Chloe said.
“I was desperate, alright?”
“How much did you lose?”
It pained Eric to admit the amount. “Twenty grand.”
Chloe’s eyes opened wide. “That’s crazy money. But here’s what I don’t understand. If you didn’t have enough money to pay your mortgage, how did you come up with twenty thousand dollars to bet on a horse race?”
“I didn’t. That’s the problem.”
“So you bet money you didn’t have?”
Eric nodded. “Money that my bookie is coming to collect on.”
“Let me guess, Ryan lost money he didn’t have either,” Chloe said.
Eric was caught in a cycle of denial. “It was supposed to be a lock.”
“Is that how the idea to blackmail Sasha Irwin came up?”
Eric nodded. “Ryan told me he had these unsavory photos of her from college, and that he could get forty grand out of her to get both of us squared away with the bookie.”
Chloe Cook Cozy Mystery Bundle Page 14