“I told her she could move into my house and adopt a puppy,” Heather said. “That is, of course, as long as you and Jamie still don’t want it. Oh no, I might have jumped the gun on this one.”
“It’s fine,” Amy said. “I think we still feel like that house will always be yours, even if we live in it. We need a place that feels like our own.”
Eva and Leila waved the two of them over, and they were happy to join the older ladies at their usual table. They enjoyed talking about the vacations that they would take to visit the Shepherds in Key West.
“Careful,” Eva warned. “We might never want to leave the beach and tropical weather.”
“That is what we old people are supposed to do, isn’t it?” Leila joked. “Move to Florida?”
“Who are you calling old?”
They all laughed. Regardless of their age, Heather didn’t know any people as lively as Eva and Leila.
Then the talk turned to the case.
“Do you think that vile Lyle Clarke could be behind this?” Eva asked.
“It’s certainly possible,” Heather said. “He’s been behind his fair share of crime in Hillside, and this is a double homicide. But I don’t think we should get ahead of ourselves.”
Luckily, they didn’t have the opportunity to get ahead of themselves because Ryan called to give them an update.
“What’s the news?” Amy asked as soon as Heather had hung up the phone.
“Ryan got the results from the medical examiner’s autopsy,” Heather said.
“Murder?”
Heather nodded. “It was a poison with a long and complicated chemical name. But it’s ingested orally and takes effect within an hour.”
“And it looks like a heart attack?” Amy asked.
“Enough like one,” Heather said. “It could have fooled his coworkers. And if there weren’t any suspicious circumstances associated with the death, there might not have been an autopsy.”
“So, the killer might have gotten away with it?” Eva shuddered.
“He won’t with Heather and me on the case,” Amy assured her.
“I think we’re going to have to visit Brown & Barrow Buildings again,” said Heather. “That’s the scene of the crime for what happened to Brown. And it might give us a lead for what happened to Barrow.”
“There was at least one man’s eyes who weren’t shedding tears for the deaths,” Amy said. “Well, at least not like the lady there.”
“You know what the big question is,” Heather thought aloud.
“Well,” Amy said. “Who the killer is.”
“Yes,” Heather said. “But along with that. Was it the same person who killed both Rick Barrow and Tormund Brown?”
“If it was the same person, they’d have to be able to get to both crime scenes,” said Amy.
“Right,” said Heather. “We need to determine - are we looking for one killer or two?”
Chapter 6
“You’re back,” the security guard at Brown & Barrow Buildings stated, as Heather and Amy approached his desk.
“I don’t think we properly introduced ourselves last time,” Heather said. “We’re private investigators working in conjunction with the Hillside Police.”
“Is this about Mr. Brown’s death? Or Mr. Barrows? I heard he died today too,” said the security guard.
“We’re investigating the circumstances surrounding both deaths,” said Heather.
“Mr. Brown didn’t have a heart attack?” the guard asked.
“We’re currently treating both deaths as murder cases,” Heather said.
“I knew it wasn’t a heart attack,” the guard said. “Mr. Brown seemed so healthy. He’d jog around the parking lot if he felt he didn’t get any exercise during the day.”
“Did you know the two men well?” Heather asked.
“Not that well,” said the guard. “They were friendly when they came in and out, but I didn’t get to know them personally. It’s hard when I’m not supposed to leave the desk. Unless, of course, there’s an emergency. I helped with the heart attack as best I could. Sorry. It wasn’t really a heart attack. But I showed the ambulance where to go.”
“Let’s start at the beginning,” Amy said, as she tried to adjust her note taking on her tablet. “What was your name?”
“It’s Wally Lonergan,” said the guard.
“And you were at the desk all morning?” Amy asked.
“Yes,” Wally said. “People check in at the desk with me. And I monitor the building on these cameras.”
“Why is there so much security here?” Heather wondered. “Is it common for places like this?”
“I’m not sure about all architect firms,” Wally said. “But I think they design some blueprints that need to be protected. I know they designed a bank before. I don’t think they’re working on anything crazy now, but it’s possible. The rumor mill doesn’t always reach me out here.”
“Can we look at what the cameras filmed today?” Heather asked.
“Sure,” Wally said. “I can bring it up on this monitor. What view do you want to watch?”
“Is that you on this camera?” Amy asked.
“Yeah. That’s us,” Wally said.
Amy waved and saw her hand do the same on the TV screen.
“This is so they have a record of who entered the building?” Heather asked.
“And I guess to make sure I’m not sleeping on the job,” Wally said.
“Let’s watch that first,” Heather said. “We can see how many people entered and exited the building. And what time it was.”
“Then we can see how many suspects there are for case one,” Amy said. “Or should this be case two. This was the second crime scene we went to.”
“Can you hit play?” Heather asked the guard.
Wally suddenly seemed nervous about it, but he dutifully hit play. They watched the day on high speed. They watched as Tormund Brown entered the office. They also saw the woman who had cried when they first met her, the intern Phil, and Mr. Ackers enter the building. A deliveryman entered the lobby, but nobody else went inside. Heather was about to comment on the morning entrances when they saw Wally begin to dance around on the TV screen.
“It gets boring sitting all day,” Wally explained.
Amy held back her giggle, but then said seriously, “I’d probably do the same.”
They watched the rest of the day quickly as well. After Wally’s dances, there were no other entrances or excitement until what must have been Mr. Brown’s heart attack. Wally looked concerned as the woman from the office ran into the lobby. Wally hurried to make a phone call. Then he paced until an ambulance arrived. He brought the EMTs inside to the office.
“It looks like only those three employees were inside today,” Heather said. “Was there any drama within the office?”
“Not that I know of,” Wally said. “Like I said before, I’m a little outside of the office drama. But Mortimer Ackers had worked with Brown & Barrow almost since they opened. And Joy Auel was always so happy here. I didn’t mean for that to be a pun.”
“Forgiven,” said Amy.
“And what about the young man?” asked Heather.
“He’s a new intern,” Wally said. “Phil Hunter. He just started a few days ago. I don’t think that’s enough time to hate someone enough to kill him.”
“If he really did only meet him a few days ago, I think you’re right,” said Heather.
“Those three are the ones who had access to Mr. Brown,” Amy said. “So they’re all suspects.”
“What are the other camera views?” Heather asked. “Will one of them help?”
Wally was happy to show them the other views. They didn’t cover the entire building, but it showed the main area of the inside office where they were earlier, parts of the individual offices, and the break room.
“We need to look for when Mr. Brown ate or drank anything,” Heather said.
They scoured the tapes. They saw that the on
ly time Tormund Brown ate or drank was during his lunch break. He sat down in the break room and enjoyed what would become his last meal. It was a lunch that he had brought in with him and left in the employee fridge.
“Someone must have tampered with his food when it was in the fridge,” Amy said.
“Exactly,” said Heather. “Can we go back? Let’s see who went into the fridge.”
Unfortunately, it didn’t eliminate any of the suspects from suspicion. The camera view didn’t allow them to see what the employees were doing when they opened the fridge door.
Joy Auel, Mortimer Ackers, and Phil Hunter all poked their head in the fridge at one point. Phil Hunter put his lunch inside the fridge. Mortimer Ackers took some creamer out for his coffee. Joy Auel seemed to look inside for something and not find it.
“It looks like we still have three suspects,” Amy said.
“Did anyone look suspicious to you today?” Heather asked.
“Not at the time,” Wally said. “I didn’t notice anything.”
“Was Rick Barrow supposed to come in for work today?” Heather asked, switching gears.
“No,” Wally said. “He generally took the beginning of the week off. He liked to work from home when possible.”
“So, if someone knew his schedule he’d know that he was home today,” Heather thought aloud.
“But none of those employees left the building this morning,” Amy said.
Heather double-checked with Wally that there were no other exit doors that someone could have snuck out of there.
“If someone left the building, they’d have to go by me,” he assured them. “Anything else would set off alarms. And the windows don’t open large enough for a person to squeeze through.”
She thanked Wally for all his help. Then she and Amy conferred together.
“One of those three employees poisoned Tormund Brown,” Amy said.
“Yes,” Heather agreed. “But who was the one who killed Rick Barrow?”
Chapter 7
“Please don’t tell me you have more bad news,” Mr. Ackers said when he saw Heather and Amy approach.
“Only if you’re a murderer,” Amy said. “We’re going to catch a killer.”
“You’re going to catch the man who killed Rick?” Mr. Ackers asked.
“And Tormund Brown,” said Heather.
“I thought Tormund had a heart attack,” said Mr. Ackers.
“We’re investigating foul play,” Heather said.
“I don’t understand,” said Mr. Ackers. “Who would want to hurt them?”
“That’s what we’d like to find out,” said Heather. “Did they have any enemies?”
“No,” Mr. Ackers said. “That’s why this doesn’t make any sense. All of our architecture work has been well received. They were well-respected within the community.”
“And within the building?” Heather asked.
“You think one of us killed him?” Mr. Ackers asked indignantly.
“We need to explore all possibilities when murder is involved,” said Heather.
Mr. Ackers sighed. “I suppose you’re right. I just don’t believe anyone here would hurt them. Wally at the desk was always a nice guy. He’s lent me an umbrella before. Joy was basically in love with both of them. And this intern is new. He wouldn’t have a reason.”
“You said Joy was in love with them?” Heather asked.
“Which one?” asked Amy, excited to hear the details about a love triangle.
“Oh,” Mr. Ackers grumbled. “Both of them. One and then the other. She never talked about it or admitted romantic feelings. But the way she acted. It was clear she was in love with both men. I think she was hoping for a sign that one of them loved her back.”
“And they never did?” Heather asked.
“Rick was a widower but was still in love with his wife. Tormund wasn’t ready to settle down. They were opposites in many ways, but also complemented each other.”
“Did Joy seem upset recently?” Heather asked. “About a lack of reciprocation?”
M. Ackers shook his head. “She seemed normal enough to me. Until after the death, of course. She’s been a mess. She had to go home.”
“But you stayed?” Heather asked.
“Are you not as upset about it?” Amy asked.
“I need to make sure that the legacy of Brown & Barrow Buildings continues long after their deaths,” Mr. Ackers said. “It’s the best thing I can do to honor their legacy.”
“But you’re the only one who stayed?” Heather asked.
“Well, the security guard has to stay as long as someone is in the building,” Mr. Ackers said. “But Joy was too upset to stay at work, and I sent the intern home.”
“And you’re able to continue working despite how upset you are?” asked Heather.
“Don’t think because I’m still able to work that I am not devastated by what happened to my employers,” said Mr. Ackers. “I meant what I said about making sure their business continues to thrive.”
“And who inherits this thriving business now that they’re both gone?” Heather asked.
Mr. Ackers looked at her angrily. “Are you implying that I had something to do with their deaths? I worked with them for years. They were my friends.”
“That’s not what I asked,” said Heather. “I asked who would inherit.”
“I don’t know,” said Mr. Ackers. “The business will probably go up for sale, and the highest bidder will get it. I’d love for it to be me, but I’m not sure it would be. Then again, without our two architects, I’m not sure how many new projects we could take on. But we can finish the ones that have already began. We can make Rick and Tormund’s memories proud.”
“Do you know anyone who had been interested in buying this business?” Heather asked.
“Rick mentioned that somebody had made an offer recently, but he told him that it wasn’t for sale. I don’t know who the person was,” said Mr. Ackers.
Heather decided to switch gears. “Mr. Ackers, where were you when Mr. Brown had his seeming heart attack?”
“I was at my desk. Then I heard Joy scream and hurried over. It looked like a heart attack to me. I told Joy to get security to call for help. Then I stayed with Tormund. It was terrible,” he said, sitting down. “I watched him die. There wasn’t anything I could do. Or I didn’t think there was. You said it wasn’t a heart attack. Is there something I could have done to save him?”
“By that point, it was too late,” Heather, told him.
“This has been such a horrible day,” Mr. Ackers said.
“One more question,” said Heather. “Did you use the fridge at all today?”
“I guess I did. I have coffee and creamer every day.”
“Was there anything unusual about what was in the fridge?” asked Heather.
“No. Why?” Mr. Ackers asked. “Did that have to do with his death?”
“Mr. Ackers, thank you for your time today,” Heather said. “We’ll be in touch if we have other questions.”
She and Amy started walking away.
“What do you think?” Amy asked.
“It’s hard to tell,” said Heather. “We didn’t dismiss him as a suspect, but he didn’t reveal a motive for murder.”
“I think we need to talk to the other suspects,” said Amy.
“I agree,” said Heather. “But first, I think we need to spend some time looking for suspects in our other case.”
“Right,” Amy said. “Case one. Or did we decide that was case two?”
Chapter 8
“What did you find so far?” Heather asked. She and Amy had joined Ryan at the police station to compare notes.
“The bullet was recovered and it came from a 9-mm handgun,” said Ryan. “We can’t tell much more than right now, but we can make a comparison to any weapons that we find during the course of our investigation. It might prove what the murder weapon was.”
“And leads on who the murderous robber is?” Hea
ther prodded.
“All the blood and DNA found at the scene belonged to the victim Rick Barrow,” said Ryan. “There were no fingerprints and the killer made sure to walk on parts of the lawn that wouldn’t leave boot prints.”
“He didn’t leave any physical evidence behind?” Heather asked.
“There was definitely someone in the house stealing some items and committing murder,” said Ryan. “Unfortunately, there’s not much to go on for who it is.”
“If he really was that careful, it sounds like he could have been a professional killer,” said Heather.
“A hitman in Hillside?” Amy asked.
Heather shrugged. “Stranger things have happened.”
“And if the two cases are related, it could be that someone hired a hitman to take care of one partner while he killed the other,” said Ryan.
“The two cases have to be related,” said Heather. “Two business partners couldn’t have been murdered on the same day by chance. We just need to figure out who wanted them out of the way.”
“Any leads on that?” Ryan asked.
“Not so far. Everyone we spoke to said they were well liked and well respected. They were architects and had designed banks in the past, but right now they’re not working on anything exciting,” said Heather. “What about the people you’ve spoken to?”
“I feel like we’ve been interviewing neighbors all morning,” said Ryan. “No one realized that a robbery and murder had taken place. One neighbor heard something that might have been a gunshot, but they thought it was a car backfiring. It fits into the timeframe.”
“But during the timeframe for this murder, our suspects for murder two never left the building,” said Heather. “Oh, well. Go on.”
“A few people noticed a car that they didn’t recognize as belonging to the neighborhood. But the best description I’ve gotten so far is “black” and “not a truck.”
“It’s a shame I didn’t see it,” Amy said. “I know my cars.”
“Did someone also interview the neighbors by Tormund Brown’s house?” Heather asked.
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