Emma clicked on record as Mickey began the meeting.
“First of all, thank you for meeting with us. I know you’ve already talked to the police. Nancy’s mother is devastated, as you can imagine. So we are going over everything with a fine-tooth comb to see what we might have missed.”
Owen nodded and took a sip of his coffee.
Mickey began with the questions. “So, you knew Nancy?”
“I did.”
“What was the nature of your relationship?”
“We met on a dating site. For busy professionals. Nancy worked long hours, so it was hard for her to meet someone. And I wasn’t looking for anything serious.”
Mickey raised his eyebrows. “Are you still married?”
“Yes, but we are going through a divorce.”
“I see. And Nancy knew this?”
“Yes. We were discreet. We only went out a few times.”
“Why did things end?”
“She met my wife. Claire was referred to her for the divorce.”
“She was Claire’s divorce attorney?” Emma said. That added a new wrinkle.
He nodded. “Yeah. Nancy said it was too much of a conflict for her to continue seeing me as Claire was her client. I understood.”
“Who is her attorney now?” Mickey asked.
“Someone else in the firm stepped in when Nancy died. I think it was one of the owners, Justin something.”
Mickey took a moment to jot that down in his notebook. Emma preferred to use a recorder, so there would be nothing lost in translation.
“Where were you the night of Nancy’s murder?” Mickey asked.
Owen smiled. “I was here, with Amber.”
“And who is Amber?”
“That’s who I’m currently dating. We met on the same site. She lives out of state but comes to see me when she can, usually on weekends.”
“Nancy died on a Wednesday night,” Mickey said.
“That was a week that Amber was here. Sometimes if she doesn’t have any client visits scheduled, she spends most of the week here. She has the flexibility to work from home.”
“So, she was here then. Did anyone else see you at home that night?”
Owen thought for a moment. “No, not that I recall.”
Mickey glanced at Emma before saying, “So, you only have Amber’s word to back this up?”
“I didn’t kill Nancy!” Owen snapped. He ran a hand through his hair and took a breath. “Look, I had nothing to do with it. I hadn’t seen Nancy in months. And I liked her. I don’t have a motive.”
“What did you think of Nancy’s work on the divorce?” Emma asked.
Owen laughed bitterly. “She was a very good lawyer.”
“How long have you been dating Amber?” Mickey asked.
Owen thought about it for a moment. “About two months.”
“And you said she lives here when she comes to visit? Spends the week or weekend? Things are serious with you two?” Emma asked.
“That’s right,” Owen confirmed.
Emma glanced at Mickey. He nodded, and she picked up her phone, but it was still recording.
“I think we are all set. Unless there’s anything else you can think of that might be helpful?” Emma asked.
“I’ve told you everything. Like I said, I have nothing to hide.”
Mickey stood and held out his hand. Owen shook it. “Thank you for meeting with us. If you do think of anything else—anything at all—please give me a call. He handed Owen one of his business cards and they left.
Once they were in Mickey’s car, driving back to the office, Emma asked what he thought about Owen.
“Well, he’s not someone I’d want a granddaughter of mine to date, but I doubt he had anything to do with killing Nancy.”
“He sort of has a motive, though. If she was doing too good of a job for Claire with the divorce. She said he was counting on getting a big settlement and alimony.”
“Hmm. It’s possible. But I still don’t think he’s our guy. We won’t rule him out entirely, though. Especially as the only person that can confirm his alibi is his girlfriend.”
Emma brightened up at the mention of Amber. “So, I got it on tape that she’s practically living with him and he gave us permission to record.”
Mickey smiled. “He did, didn’t he? Hopefully it will be useful information for her lawyer. If it reduces Owen’s settlement, well, I won’t feel bad about that at all.”
It had been a very long time since Cindy felt anything remotely like butterflies in her stomach. But as she was getting ready to go on her first date with Rich Gregory, she felt them and it surprised her. She was a little nervous but also excited too, and she wanted to look nice. She tried on several sweaters before settling on a pretty light green cashmere one, and she paired it with charcoal gray pants. She curled her hair just a little, to give it some body, and she was applying her favorite rosy pink lipstick when she heard a knock on the front door. Rich had arrived. She gave her hair a final brushing and headed downstairs to open the door.
He looked nice. He was wearing a navy blazer and a light yellow button-down shirt and tan pants. And he smelled good. She couldn’t place the cologne, but it smelled freshly applied, and that made her smile.
“You look great,” he said appreciatively.
“Thank you. You’re looking handsome too.”
Rich looked around her downstairs. It was an open floor plan, and the kitchen opened into the living room. He smiled,
“I have almost the same layout, but in reverse.” Many of the units at the Pinehills had similar layouts and were built by the same developer.
“You have good taste,” she teased him.
He laughed. “I like to think so. Are you ready to go?”
“I’m ready. I’ll just grab my purse and we can go.”
Rich drove and she climbed into his Audi sedan and they headed to downtown Plymouth.
“Have you been to the Cork and Table yet? I thought that might be a good spot for us to go. The food is really good, and it’s small, so the service is great too.”
“Yes, I’ve been there a few times. I love it.”
Rich had made a reservation and when they arrived, they were seated right away at one of the few window seats, which overlooked Main Street, so they could see people walking by.
Rich ordered a beer and Cindy got a glass of chardonnay. When their server brought the drinks, she told them the specials of the day and gave them a few more minutes to decide.
“Do you want to share an appetizer?” Rich asked. “I was looking at the pimento cheese. I haven’t had that before, have you?”
Cindy nodded. “Yes, and it’s delicious. This place is owned by a husband and wife that moved here from the Charleston area. So some of their dishes reflect that, like the pimento cheese.”
“Great, let’s get that then. Do you know what you want for your main course?”
“Yes. I always get the same thing here—the shrimp and grits. I went to Charleston a few years ago and had it everywhere. What about you?”
“She mentioned a veal shank special. That sounded good to me.”
When the waitress returned, they put in their order and a few minutes later, she brought their appetizer out, warmed pimento cheese with crusty bread for spreading.
“How did you decide to be a police officer?” Cindy asked as she spread some savory cheese on her bread.
“My father was a Boston cop. I always admired him and his pride in his job. I knew from a young age that I wanted to do it too. My parents insisted that I go to college, and I did, but it never changed my mind.”
“They must have been proud of you. Your father especially.”
“He never saw it. My father died unexpectedly when I was a senior in college. It was on the job. He responded to a domestic violence call and was helping a mother and her two kids get out of the house when her crazy husband pulled out a gun and shot him. He was killed instantly.”
“
Oh no! I’m so sorry. That must have been so hard. I can’t imagine.”
He nodded. “It was awful. My mother tried to talk me out of going into the police academy after that. But I was even more committed to it. My father saved lives. What he did mattered.”
Cindy smiled. “As a mother, I probably would have tried to talk you out of it, too.”
“Domestic violence calls are probably the most dangerous ones we go on. When someone is in that kind of state, they’re not thinking. They’re just reacting. We never respond alone. That’s one thing that has changed. My dad was by himself. Another officer was on the way. We go in as a team and have each other’s back.”
“That sounds smart. Tell me about your family? Do you have any children?”
“I do. Two girls, Anne and Hannah. They don’t live too far away. One’s in Duxbury and the other is in Scituate. They’re both married, no kids yet though.”
Cindy knew he was divorced, but didn’t feel comfortable asking him about it.
“I have the two, Emma and Matt. Neither one is married, but I think Matt is getting close. He’s pretty serious with his girlfriend Dana. Emma just recently moved home from L.A. and I don’t think she’s dating anyone yet. Fred and I divorced many years ago. He was a great guy, but it just didn’t work with us.”
“You must have had a pretty good relationship if he left the business to you both?”
“We always got along well enough. I used to help him with the business a little when we were married, and I think he liked the idea of Emma and I working together. It was very generous of him.”
Rich smiled. “And Emma moved home to be a PI?”
“She did. She gave it a real shot in Hollywood, though. She’d always dreamed of being an actress. And she worked a little here and there, commercials, bit parts. But it never really happened for her. It doesn’t for most people. And she used to love working with her father. So, I think maybe things work out the way they are supposed to.”
“I think they probably do. Did you have a different career before this?”
“I have a yoga studio in the Pinehills. I started it when I was married as a part-time thing, and then it turned into a real business. I still have that going as well.”
“You’re a busy lady. And yoga. That explains why you’re in such good shape. My ex-wife was into yoga. We divorced when the kids went to college. We probably should have done it years before that. Courtney hated my job. She always tried to get me to quit and do something else. We were college sweethearts and probably got married much too young. But then the girls came right away, and we were just busy with them.”
“Have you dated much, since then?” Cindy asked tentatively. She realized she didn’t know much about Rich. Maybe he went on dates all the time. She thought of Owen and the online site that Emma said he used to meet women. Rachel had done that a bit, but Cindy was too nervous to try it.
Rich laughed. “No, not much. Here and there I’ve gone out to dinner or a movie, but there was never that spark that you want. What about you?”
“Same. I really haven’t dated much at all. When I was first divorced I did a bit, but wasn’t ready. Then when I did feel ready, I lost my nerve to put myself out there. A friend of mine is dating up a storm, though. She uses one of those online sites. She keeps trying to get me to do it too.”
“Well, selfishly, I hope you won’t. I don’t want any competition.”
Cindy smiled and said nothing. But she felt a warm glow. She thought the date was going pretty well, and that seemed like a good sign that there could be a second date.
Their plates were empty and when the server came and cleared them, she asked if they wanted dessert.
“I think I’m too full,” Cindy said. She’d eaten every drop of her shrimp and grits.
“I’m pretty full too, but I have a hard time not getting crème brûlée when it’s on the menu. I’ll have one, but bring two spoons. Maybe I can tempt her.” Their waitress went off to put their order in and returned a few minutes later with the dessert. Crème brûlée was one of Cindy’s favorites too, so she didn’t hesitate to pick up a spoon and take a taste.
When they finished, Rich insisted on paying the bill, even though Cindy offered.
“Thank you. It was wonderful.”
They headed home and Rich walked her to her door.
“Thank you for coming out with me tonight. If you’re up for it, I’d love to do it again sometime?”
Cindy felt the warm glow again. “Yes, I’d love to go out again. This was really fun.”
Rich leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek.
“Goodnight, Cindy. I’ll give you a call soon.”
She was about to step inside when Rich turned back.
“I meant to ask you earlier. What did Mickey and Emma think of Owen Sturgess? Have they talked to him yet?”
“They did. They both think he’s kind of a jerk, but weren’t convinced that he has anything to do with Nancy’s death. Though we were all surprised to find out that Nancy was Claire Sturgess’s divorce lawyer. She’d hired us to find out how serious things are with his new girlfriend. If they might be living together. The divorce sounds pretty ugly.”
Rich nodded. “We already talked to him and he wasn’t at the top of our list. But we’ve just moved him up a notch. A bartender at East Bay Grille stopped in to confidentially share a conversation she overheard. Owen was talking to a friend at the bar about his divorce and he was really upset. And he mentioned Nancy’s name. Said he didn’t think she’d go after him so hard.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad. He was probably just venting, upset about the divorce not going his way.”
“Right. But then he said, I feel like killing her right now. I really do.”
“What? Who did he mean? Nancy or Claire?” Cindy asked.
“His friend at the bar asked the same thing. He said both of them. And the bartender said he had a look in his eyes that made her nervous.”
Cindy shivered as she felt a sudden chill in the air.
“Well, that’s not good.”
Chapter 16
“So, tell me all about it? Where did you go? What did you have? And what did you think about him?” Emma fired off the questions as soon as her mother was seated and about to take her first sip of coffee. It was Saturday morning, and they were on the deck of Emma’s cottage. It was an absolutely gorgeous morning, warmer than usual, so when she called her mother to see how the date went, Emma suggested she come over for coffee instead and they could chat in person and enjoy the morning.
The beach was already busy with people walking, dogs running in and out of the surf and children playing. Oscar was sound asleep in a sunny spot on the deck and barely twitched his tail when her mother arrived.
“It was really nice. Better than I’d expected. I think we were both a little nervous.” She told Emma all about the date and had her dying to go there soon for the shrimp and grits and pimento cheese.
“I’m glad you had a good time. Do you think you’ll see him again? Do you want to?”
Her mother smiled. “He mentioned going out again, and yes, I would like a second date. He’s easy company.”
Emma laughed. “He’s easy on the eyes, too, Mom.”
Her mother looked a little embarrassed. “Yes, he is, isn’t he?” She glanced at Oscar and changed the subject. “Did you get a cat?”
“That’s Oscar. We’ve sort of adopted each other. He started coming every morning for breakfast and last night, when it started raining, he came to the door and I let him in. So, I think he might be mine now.”
“His coloring is very pretty, sort of creamy orange.”
Emma steered the conversation back to Rich. “Did Rich mention any updates on Nancy’s case?”
“He did, actually. A bartender from East Bay overheard a conversation at the bar between Owen and a friend.” When her mother finished sharing what the bartender overheard, Emma felt herself shiver. And it wasn’t just because
clouds suddenly rolled in and blocked the sun. She could picture Owen’s expression, and she wondered what he was capable of.
“Did Rich think there was anything to it?”
“He didn’t say. He was just surprised to hear it and said it has moved him up a little on their list.”
“Who is at the top?”
“I think it’s still Peter, Sheila’s husband. Rich didn’t say anything about that though.”
“We’ll have to sit down with Mickey first thing Monday morning and strategize where to go next on this. I feel like we still have a lot of digging to do,” Emma said.
“Good morning, ladies!” Emma turned at the sound of the familiar voice. Brady stepped onto his deck and waved at Emma and her mom. He was wearing sweats and a t-shirt and looked like he’d just come home from the gym.
“Is that Brady?” Her mother whispered.
Emma nodded. “Brady, come meet my mom.”
“I’ll be right over.”
Less than two minutes later, he stepped onto Emma’s deck and flashed his slow, charming smile her mother’s way as Emma made the introductions and they shook hands.
“Do you want some coffee?” Emma offered.
Brady shook his head. “No, I had a few cups already, before I hit the gym. I’ll stay and chat for a minute though.” He slid into the empty seat next to Emma.
“I’m glad Emma has someone she knows for a neighbor,” her mother said. “I was a little worried when she first told me she’d rented one of these cottages, as most of them are only occupied in the summer.”
Brady grinned. “I was glad when she moved in too. It does get a little quiet down here in the off-season. I don’t mind it though.”
“A few more weeks and it will be busy all the time,” her mother said. “Have you lived here yet for the third of July?”
Brady laughed. “Yes, and it’s as crazy as ever. It’s nice to be right here, yet able to go inside when you’ve had enough of it.”
“It’s been years since I’ve been here on the third,” Emma said. “I’m looking forward to it.” She glanced at her mother. “I’ll definitely have a cookout and have everyone over. Plan on spending the day at the beach and the night watching the fireworks.”
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