by Vella Day
A knock sounded on her door, and Dalton tensed. A shifter signature was out there. The door eased open, and a man who was closer to sixty than fifty with thinning salt and pepper hair poked his head in. From the ruddy complexion and sallow eyes, it looked like he drank a lot. “Sorry. I didn’t know you were busy, but I need to discuss something with you.”
“Can you give me a minute, Ed?”
“Sure.” He closed the door.
“That was Ed Santaria,” she said. “If you think one of us killed Crystal, I can assure you it wasn’t me, and I don’t see Tom or Linda for having done it, either.”
That left Ed. “I appreciate your candor.” Dalton stood. “It’s my job to ask where you were the night of Crystal’s murder.”
“I was home.”
“Alone?”
“No, my husband was there, but if you ask him, he won’t be able to tell you, as he was asleep when I arrived.”
Convenient. Dalton stood. “Thanks for being so open. I’ll let you two get back to business.” He fished out his business card and handed it to her. “If you think of anything, you can contact me here.”
Merry stood and shook his hand. Her palm was dry. “I will.”
When Dalton stepped out of the office, Ed was there, and his face reddened as if he’d been eavesdropping. “When you finish with your boss, I’d like to ask you a few questions,” Dalton said.
The man stiffened. “Why me? I didn’t have anything to do with Crystal’s death.”
That was what everyone said. “You might be able to provide the clue that helps us find the killer.”
He puffed out his chest. “Oh, then sure.”
Note to self: Ed seemed to possess a low self-esteem and wanted people to think of him as having power. “I’ll be out front.”
Dalton could use Ainsley Chancellor’s expertise right now, as she was the only one who could tell a good shifter from a bad one. If Ed headed the suspect list, perhaps Kalan could ask his brother if his mate might be available.
Dalton went in search of his partner who was finishing up with Tom DeLuca—the man who’d delivered the news about the backorder. Kalan must have finished with his interview with Linda Darnell already.
Kalan stepped away from Tom and met Dalton near the back of the store. “What did you learn?” Dalton asked.
“Not much. Linda said that Ed Santaria was unhappy with Crystal because she was in the process of selling the store. Apparently, he was the original owner but ran into money problems. After Crystal bought him out, she kept him on even though she treated him like dirt.”
“That’s the exact thing Merry told me,” Dalton said.
“Merry?”
“Meredith, the manager. I find that both Merry’s and Linda’s finger pointing at Ed are eerily similar.”
“You think they decided to pin this on him when in reality one or both of them did it?”
Dalton shrugged. “We’ve seen stranger things.”
“That we have.”
“Merry also told me that Linda has the hots for Tom DeLuca,” Dalton said. “She felt that if the store sold, those two might leave together and live in North Carolina.”
“That’s not what Tom said. He admitted that he cared deeply for Crystal and that Linda was jealous of their relationship. It didn’t seem to matter than Crystal was married or that the two of them weren’t dating.”
“Did he say that Linda might have killed Crystal to pave the way for her to step in as the new love interest?”
Kalan shrugged. “No. Nothing is making sense. What’s even stranger is how eager everyone was to rat out the others.”
“Reminds me of the movie, Murder On The Orient Express.” Kalan looked blank. “It was where everyone stabbed the victim so the authorities couldn’t tell who had done the actual killing.”
The door to Meredith’s office opened, and Ed Santaria emerged. “I was waiting to question him. He’s a shifter. Do you know him?”
Kalan looked up and studied the man. “Never seen him before.”
Dalton hoped he wasn’t a Changeling. If Kalan didn’t know him, it just might mean he lived outside of town.
“I’ll speak with Linda again about Tom and Crystal,” Kalan said. “See if she confesses to lying.”
“Sounds good.” Only two customers were in the store, and they were on the other side, so Dalton didn’t see the need for privacy. He made his way to Ed Santaria. “I want to ask you about Crystal Wedgewood.”
“Sure, but I don’t know what I can tell you.”
He sounded like Carlton, the husband. “Do you know if she had any enemies?”
Ed glanced back at the office where he just emerged. “Other than Merry?”
“Merry? Why do say that?”
“She was freaking out about the fact that Crystal was planning to sell the place.”
That matched what Merry had said, but he would have thought such a conversation would have remained private. “Did you overhear some argument?”
“Hell yeah. It was after hours about a month ago, and Merry had a bunch of stuff go wrong that day. Being in a foul mood, Merry told Crystal that it wasn’t fair to sell the place without asking what everyone else wanted.”
Employees usually didn’t have a say in how corporate America worked, but Dalton jotted down the conversation anyway. He would have recorded what Santaria said, but for some reason, he thought the man would balk.
“What about you? I heard you used to own this store. That must have upset you to know some big box store would take over.”
His hands clenched. “Not really. I’m ready to retire anyway. Back then, I fell on hard times and had no choice but to sell. I was thankful Crystal came along. It was her store, and I figured she could do what she wanted.”
Dalton didn’t believe a word of it. “So you had no hard feelings that a female bought you out?”
Ed’s face reddened. “I didn’t kill her if that’s what you think. Merry had the most to lose.”
“Where were you the night Crystal was murdered?”
“What time was she killed?”
Dalton was surprised Merry hadn’t asked him that question. “It’s hard to say. The coroner said death was between five thirty and six thirty.”
“I was here—at the store.”
“Good. What can you tell me about Tom DeLuca?”
“Tom? Nothing other than he was in love with Crystal.”
“And not Linda?” That was what Tom claimed, but it was good to get a second opinion.
Ed waved a hand. “No way. Sure, he and Linda dated before they moved here. In fact, Linda followed Tom to Silver Lake a few months after he arrived. The problem was that Tom immediately became enamored of Crystal. When Linda arrived, things turned ugly.”
“Tom does know she was married, right?” Dalton asked. In his opinion, infidelity ranked high on his list of heinous acts.
“He didn’t care. That schlub of a husband was cheating on Crystal anyway.”
That wasn’t the impression he had of her husband, but then again, Carlton Wedgewood never gave off the vibe that he was in a marriage made in heaven.
Dalton almost smiled. Naliana lived in heaven, and she had chosen Anna for his fated mate, so he supposed Anna and he had a match made from there.
Ed shifted from side to side, obviously wanting this interview to finish.
Dalton refocused. “Did you ever meet Mr. Wedgewood’s girlfriend?”
“No.”
Because Carlton Wedgewood claimed he and his wife didn’t mix their businesses, it wasn’t a surprise. What frustrated Dalton was that none of the stories were lining up other than everyone claiming Ed Santaria was a bitter business failure. Dalton handed Ed his card. “If you think of anything, contact me here.”
Kalan had finished his discussion with Linda, and Dalton wondered what his take would be on the interaction between the employees.
Kalan nodded at Dalton and motioned they should leave. Now the fun would begin�
��trying to figure out who was their top suspect.
Chapter Seven
‡
While Anna’s boss, Elana, was in the front of the store helping a customer, Anna finished putting the final touches on one of the arrangements. Too bad she was having a hard time keeping her mind on her job. Everything reminded her of Dalton—like the texture of the rose petals that were as soft as his lips, and their scent, which was as divine as his mountain freshness.
The bell above the front door chimed, implying either that customer had left or another one had arrived. A second later, Elana walked into the back room. “How are you coming with the arrangement?”
“It’s slow going.” Because I keep thinking about making love with Dalton again. She cut the stem on one of the roses and tried to place it in a precise spot, but she missed repeatedly.
Elana smiled. “Kalan just texted me. I hear you had a date last night.”
Heat raced up Anna’s face. “I did. I’d finished up the last of my therapy sessions with James, and I wanted to blow off some steam.”
“How did you swing a date with Dalton?”
“You know how I’ve been bemoaning the fact that I’ve had my eye on him for months now, and while we’d interacted on occasion, he’s never asked me out. I finally decided to take things into my own hands, but before I could, Dalton stepped up to the plate.”
“Tell me what happened.” Elana’s eyes glistened.
“When I went to the range to do some shooting, I ran into Dalton.” She faced Elana. “We went to dinner probably because I hinted that I knew he was a shifter.”
Elana chuckled. “That would drive Dalton crazy wondering what you knew.”
“True. I confessed that I was aware of his kind, and I asked him about James. He told me that James isn’t really a therapist. Did you know that?”
Her boss and friend looked to the side. “I figured he wasn’t, but he was helpful, right?”
“Very.”
“Well, that’s all that matters.” Elana leaned her elbows on the counter. “So tell me about this date.”
Anna needed to decide just how much to tell Elana about the amazing sex. After all, both of their mates were partners, and Anna didn’t want the gossip to get back to Dalton. From the way her friend’s head was tilted to the side and her eyes were shining, her friend wouldn’t be put off.
Anna blew out a breath. “Once at dinner, I told him I knew he was a shifter. Dalton told me he had yet to mention it because he thought I’d be shocked to learn about his kind.” She lowered her gaze. “And no one else bothered to tell me about them either.”
Elana held up her hands. “I was having a baby at the time, if you recall. You should chastise Jillian. You saw her and my brother shift. They should have asked if you were okay with it.”
Anna waved a hand. “In the end, it didn’t matter. James filled me in.”
“Back to your date. From the way your eyes sparkle when you say Dalton’s name, more happened than just dinner.”
Anna was bursting to tell her. “Yes. It was amazing.”
“Do tell.”
Fortunately, no customers had come in, despite it being a beautiful sunny day. “I kept prodding him for information about shifters and mates and stuff. I finally wore him down, and guess what?”
“What?”
Anna inhaled. “He told me I was his mate.” Just saying those words had her pulse soaring.
Elana hugged her. “I’m so happy for you.” She instantly sobered. “I never thought Dalton would ever find anyone. He’s so devoted to the job.”
“I know. My new goal will be to loosen him up. I want to teach him to enjoy life and to take a chance on things.”
“If anyone can do it, it’s you, but it won’t be all fun and games. Dalton is a cop. There will be days when you’re scared something bad will happen. I know our men heal fast, but it’s not like they’re invincible.”
Anna hoped Dalton’s speed would help him avoid any bad situations. “Every relationship has its risks.”
Elana smiled. “That it does. So now what happens?”
“What do you mean?”
“When are you going out again?”
She shrugged. “I guess when he’s free.”
Elana’s brows rose. “Good luck with that. He and Kalan are in the middle of a murder investigation.”
“He has to have fun sometime, though I know whenever I become single-minded I can lose perspective.”
“Tell me about it, but as soon as Kalan comes home and sees Aiden, he forgets about his job. I’m glad Dalton has you.”
“We’re not mated yet or anything.” To make that happen, however, Anna had already decided to help things along. For starters, if she could find some dirt on who wanted Crystal Wedgewood dead, it would go a long way in helping the two of them bond.
She’d always been a big lover of mystery novels and had often asked Meredith Wilson for suggestions since they seemed to have the same taste in reading. Of anyone, Meredith would have known Crystal the best. Not that Anna planned to rush into the store and ask questions, but maybe she could find another way to extract the information.
Duh. If she casually touched each of the employees, surely, one of them would reveal if he or she had killed Crystal. They wouldn’t be able to hide the horror of what they had done. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t help bring the killer to justice. Juries liked real evidence, not something based on magic.
Well damn.
*
When Dalton and Kalan arrived back at the station to compare notes, Dalton carried his laptop over to Kalan’s desk.
“You going to make one of your famous spreadsheets?” Kalan asked with his typical grin.
“Just because you can’t bother to be organized, doesn’t mean I can’t be.”
Kalan held up his hand. “I’m not complaining. I’ve learned your way has merit.”
“Give me a sec to set it up. Seems to me we have six suspects.”
“Six?” Kalan asked.
“That would be the four employees in the store, the husband, and his mistress.”
Kalan’s brows rose. “Do we know who she is?”
“No, but it shouldn’t be hard to figure it out. With Carlton’s wife dead, his mistress will be around more, pretending to console him.”
“My brother’s been saying he’s been bored lately. Maybe Jackson will want to do some surveillance.”
“The department will never sanction the expense.”
He shrugged. “He might do it for free.”
“I’d rather use him to keep an eye on Ed Santaria. Maybe he can have Ainsley go with him and tell us if Ed’s a Changeling.”
“That would be interesting to find out.” Kalan snapped his fingers. “Speaking of Changelings, it’s possible the store is sitting on a lode of sardonyx. Perhaps someone in the big box store knows that, which is why they want to buy it.”
Dalton hadn’t even considered that. “Or the Changelings know the sardonyx is under that store and will do whatever it takes to make sure it isn’t sold. They might have been planning to buy the place or even burn it down like they did the Donaldson place.”
“Jackson has the map that will show if the bookstore is sitting on one of those spots.”
“In a way, I hope it isn’t.”
“Why’s that?”
“That will expand our suspect pool to include all Changelings.”
“Fuck.” Kalan stabbed a hand through his hair then leaned closer. “If they are involved, we’ll definitely have to ask McKinnon and Associates to help.”
Dalton understood that anything related to the Changelings needed to be kept on the down low. It sucked if the real perpetrator of a crime was a Changeling. If a fight to the death occurred, he and Kalan weren’t above altering some evidence to make sure the courts understood that the Changeling had been guilty. If he managed to escape, his own kind would take care of him, since failure was unacceptable to them.
Dalton ret
urned to filling out his spreadsheet. “To keep it simple, let’s assume for the moment that the Changelings aren’t involved. Here’s how I see it. Meredith Wilson admitted she was scared that Crystal would sell the bookstore. With Merry’s husband still recovering from his stroke, losing her job would affect more than just herself.”
Kalan nodded. “That sounds like a good motive, but with Crystal dead, most likely the husband would sell the store.”
“Good point.”
“You said Ed Santaria was bitter. Did he say if he loved the bookstore still? Or is he waiting for his chance to dig up the sardonyx?”
“Anything is possible, but we can’t know if he’s aware it’s there. It’s only been recently that the Changelings have started their search.”
Kalan looked off to the side, grunted something before refocusing. “Let’s assume Santaria doesn’t know about the sardonyx. You said he told you that because Crystal now owned the place, she could do whatever she wanted.”
“Yes, but I didn’t believe a word of it though,” Dalton said.
“What are you thinking?” Kalan asked. “That he feared the small-town feel of the place would be lost if it was bought out?”
Dalton nodded. “He might have had it written into the sales contract that he was to stay on for a year or two in order to help with the transition. During that time, Crystal didn’t like him meddling and treated him poorly. Ed could have been fed up with her treatment and killed her.”
Kalan picked up a pencil from his desk then twirled it over his knuckles. “It’s reasonable. What are you thoughts on Tom DeLuca?”
“You said he’s in love with Crystal. It’s possible he asked her to leave her rich husband, and she laughed at him. That would be motive enough to kill her.”
Kalan smiled. “I like your imagination.”
“I’m trying to be more spontaneous.” Anna would be proud. “I know we’ll have to pull the phone records to see how often Tom spoke with Crystal, but I like to have a working theory.”
“You’re right. Next there’s Linda,” Kalan said. “I can’t figure her out. For the sake of argument, let’s suppose that she wants Tom, but Tom wants Crystal. She feels with Crystal out of the way, Tom will turn to her for solace.”