Slippery Solicitors: A Piece of Cake Mystery (Piece of Cake Mysteries Book 4)

by A. R. Winters

Beth and I looked briefly through the dresser and walk-in closet, but there wasn’t anything in there that jumped out at us or seemed suspicious. Just a bunch of clothes and accessories.

  Lana’s study was furnished with the same dark wood furniture—a decent-sized table, a bookcase, and two comfy-looking armchairs. There was a big empty space in the middle of the table, and Beth said, “I guess the cops already took her computer.”

  “Yep,” said Liam. “And a couple of folders and journals that she’d brought home with her from work.”

  “Did they take anything else?”

  “A box full of stuff,” said Liam. “I think they took some random clothes, a couple of lipsticks, trash from the trash can.”

  I nodded, and we looked through the study, peering at the empty trash can and the blank spaces on the bookshelf.

  “This is a nice space,” Beth said. “Did Lana meet a lot of her clients here?”

  Liam shrugged. “A couple. And sometimes she’d have a few girlfriends over, and if I was downstairs watching a movie, they’d come up here and have drinks. It was her private space and I guess I can understand that.”

  I nodded. It made sense to me, even though the space had turned up nothing useful. “I guess we’ll pay Lana’s office a visit tomorrow morning. In the meantime, you have my details. Give us a call if you think of anything else.”

  Liam walked us down the stairs and over to the front door. “I appreciate you taking this case,” he said. “I’m glad you could put our past behind you.”

  “I don’t care about our past,” I said truthfully. “It’s just that I don’t really like you very much, and you’re not a very nice person or very honest. But hey, you’re paying me double my usual rates, so I’ve got no reason not to work for you.”

  Liam smiled. “Well, either way. It’s good to see you again. You’re not seeing anyone now, are you?”

  I thought briefly about Ethan.

  Detective Ethan Macaulay and I ran into each other every now and then on cases. We’d dated all through high school and had broken up once I left for college. The breakup had been hard on both of us, so although it was good to see him again now that I was back in Santa Verona, we were both taking things slow. We’d gone out on a few dates so far, but we were still a little unsure as to what we were doing. Ethan was happy living in Santa Verona and being a detective, whereas I was never really happy with my life. I’m used to moving around and switching jobs and cities and trying new things. I didn’t want to get involved with Ethan if there was a chance that I would move away from Santa Verona and have to break up with him again.

  Things were uncertain between the two of us, and only Beth knew what was going on.

  So I shrugged and said, “Nope. I’m single and busy with work.”

  “You’re not going out with your high school boyfriend, Ethan?” asked Liam.

  I regretted ever having told Liam about Ethan. But I shook my head and fibbed, “No. We’re just friends.”

  “Okay,” said Liam. “Good luck with the case. I hope you come up with something soon.”

  Chapter 4

  The next morning, Beth woke me up early and announced that she’d baked a big batch of cupcakes.

  We had a delicious breakfast of coffee and red velvet cupcakes, and even gave Pixie a tiny bit of a cupcake to eat. It was only eight o’clock when we set out, and our first stop was the Santa Verona Police Department.

  The Santa Verona Police Department is housed in an old, historic Spanish-style building. Half the building consists of the police station, and the other half houses the courthouse. Outside, the building is white stucco with a red-tiled roof. Inside, it’s painted a cheery light yellow, and its hallway arches are tiled with artistic blue mosaic. Potted palms dot the space, and “Wanted” posters hang on the walls. It’s a far cry from most of the bland offices that fill the rest of the country.

  Working as investigators means that Beth and I run into cops every now and then, and we try to have a good relationship with them. Most of the cops are locals, like me and Beth, who went to the high school here. So most of them already know us, and they know that Beth has an online bakery. But everyone was still pleased to see us that morning, with our big box of cupcakes, which disappeared soon after we arrived. We said hello to a few friendly detectives, and then Beth and I headed over to Ethan’s desk.

  Ethan and I had dated throughout high school, and now that I’d moved back to Santa Verona, the two of us were wondering why we’d ever broken up. Of course, the answer to that one was easy—we’d ended things because I’d moved away to college, and Ethan had stayed in Santa Verona and gone to the police academy here.

  Ethan is tall, handsome, and square-jawed. His hair is black and close-cropped, and his dark eyes glimmer whenever he’s happy. When our glances met, my heart did a little flip-flop, and I wondered how it was possible to get a tingle of nerves every time I saw him.

  Ethan’s partner Matt Alvarez was hanging out with him, and Matt and Beth soon got into a heated conversation about cupcake flavors.

  Ethan and I smiled at each other awkwardly and made some forced small talk.

  Ethan said, “Have you started work on a new case yet?”

  “Yes,” I said. “Actually, I have.”

  “What’s the case?” said Ethan.

  I shook my head. “It’s just a tiny thing. It pays well, but I guess I’m not supposed to talk about it now. You understand.”

  Ethan nodded. “Yes, of course. Are we still on for dinner on Friday night?”

  I smiled and nodded. “I hope so. You’re coming to my place, right? I’m going to try my hand at some kind of baking, but if it turns out really badly we can order a pizza.”

  Ethan smiled. “You don’t have to go to any effort for me. I’m happy to bring some takeout with me.”

  I shook my head. “Apparently, it’s the grown-up thing to actually know how to use your oven. It won’t be any trouble at all. Or even if it is, I guess it’s time I learned how to do a bit of adulting.”

  ***

  Half an hour later, Beth and I found ourselves at the offices of Jasper & Wyndham, a small law firm which occupied the second floor of a commercial building a few blocks away from the courthouse.

  The exterior of the building, like the police department, was done in the typical Santa Veronan Spanish style, with white stucco and a red-tiled roof. Inside, the decor was slightly dated, with blue-patterned carpets and yellowing walls. I assumed that the firm did well enough, but the partners didn’t want to funnel funds back into improving the look of the office.

  Beth and I made our way over to see Alice, Lana’s former assistant.

  We found her at her desk in front of Lana’s office. She was a petite woman with shoulder-length blond hair and worried blue eyes. She’d been expecting us, and she told us that since she didn’t have much work to do, she’d be happy to chat.

  “Were you and Lana close?” I asked.

  Alice shrugged. “She was my boss, and I guess she was a pretty decent one.”

  “What happens now that she’s dead?” asked Beth. “Who do you work for now?”

  Alice’s blue eyes grew even more worried. “I’m not exactly working for anyone in particular now,” she said. “But I guess Rita will take over most of Lana’s files, so I’ll probably go work for her.”

  “Doesn’t Rita have her own assistant?” Beth said.

  Alice shook her head no. “Rita’s assistant left a few weeks ago and she’s been looking for a replacement. I guess it’ll be easier if I go work for her now.”

  “But Rita could just go find her own assistant,” said Beth, whose forte had never been tact.

  “I’m sure she could,” said Alice. “But I know these files, and I know the clients Lana worked with.”

  Beth and I exchanged a glance. It seemed like Alice was worse off after Lana’s death. She was clearly worried about keeping her job.

  “I’m sure it is better if you work for Rita,” I said, t
rying to sound reassuring. “Did Rita and Lana get along well?”

  Alice shook her head. “The two of them were always arguing. Lana had recently gotten a promotion, which Rita thought she should’ve gotten. And sometimes they’d argue about clients. Just a few days before she died, Rita and Lana had a huge fight. I was sitting out here, and there were two clients waiting to see Lana, and we could all hear their argument.”

  “Do you remember what that argument was about?” I asked.

  “Not really. I was on the phone trying to make an appointment with my dentist, so I couldn’t understand most of what they were saying.”

  “We could always ask Rita about it,” said Beth.

  “And if she doesn’t remember,” I mused, “maybe the clients who overheard their argument will. Who were those two clients?”

  “Let me see,” said Alice, looking through Lana’s calendar on her computer. “Teresa Tamsin and Jonas Hume.”

  I took down their details and decided that if Rita didn’t remember the argument, I’d call the clients and ask if they remembered.

  “It sounds like Rita might be happier now that Lana’s dead,” said Beth.

  Alice shrugged. “I don’t think Rita’s a mean person. I’m sure she wouldn’t actually kill anyone. Besides, I thought it was the boyfriend who did it. Liam.”

  I shook my head. “No, Liam didn’t do it. What makes you think he did?”

  “I never liked him,” said Alice. “Besides, I heard he argued with Lana earlier that day.”

  “Where did you hear that?” I said.

  Alice shrugged. “Gossip. Can’t work in an office and not have it.”

  “Well, Liam definitely didn’t kill her. What makes you think he would? Other than the argument.”

  “I never really liked Liam,” said Alice. “He seemed kind of sleazy.”

  I bit my smile and thought to myself that Alice was probably a good judge of character.

  We talked a bit more about her work, and the other people who worked in the office. Alice told us that there were twelve lawyers, three paralegals, and a handful of secretaries and assistants. She’d been working here for a bit over a year now, and she thought the pay was good and the work was relatively easy. She was clearly sorry that Lana had died, and worried about her own future.

  “Have you looked through Lana’s office yet?” asked Alice.

  “No,” I said. “Is it just through that door over there?”

  Alice nodded. “Yes. Would you like to go in there now?”

  I nodded. “I guess I should. I suppose we won’t find much, now that the cops have gone through it once and taken anything of interest, but we might as well see if anything jumps out at us.”

  Beth and I walked into Lana’s office. It was on the smallish side and had a window that overlooked the street. Lana’s desk took up half the room, and there was a bookshelf along one wall displaying legal tomes and journals. Her diploma hung on one wall, and there was a filing cabinet against another wall. A sad-looking potted plant stood in one corner.

  There was an obvious empty space in the middle of her desk, where her computer must’ve been. I assumed that the cops had taken it with them to look for incriminating files and other evidence. There was an empty paper tray on one corner of her desk, and a small photo frame displaying a photo of Lana and a woman who I assumed was her friend Felicity.

  The room looked sad and empty, and Beth and I didn’t notice anything of interest. We headed out, thanked Alice for her time, and went to talk to some of the other lawyers.

  They were all very helpful, but they didn’t really have anything new to say. A few of them mentioned that Rita and Lana had never gotten along, but most of them didn’t know Lana too well.

  We finally met Rita an hour later; she turned out to be a tall woman with big red hair and bold makeup.

  Rita ushered us into her office politely. “I’m not sure that I’m actually going to be much help,” she said. “But I guess we could chat. My next client’s due in a few minutes, though.”

  “This shouldn’t take very long,” I said. “I heard you and Lana never got along.”

  Rita nodded. “That’s true. Lana got a promotion six months ago, which I should’ve gotten. I always thought that Lana was sleeping with one of the partners here. But maybe that’s just me being cynical. Anyway, I do more work than her, and I seem to get passed over for every opportunity. It gets on my nerves. And she wasn’t a particularly diplomatic person either, so yeah, the two of us did have a couple of arguments.”

  “And the other staff knew about it too.”

  Rita sighed. “Yes, everyone seemed to know that the two of us didn’t get along. But that doesn’t mean I wanted her dead.”

  “Apparently, you two had a huge fight a few days before she died,” I said. “Do you remember what that was about?”

  Rita looked guilty for a split second, but then she shook her head. “No, I can’t recall.”

  Beth and I exchanged a look. Perhaps the argument was completely unimportant, but being an investigator means chasing down every lead; I’d need to get in touch with the clients and ask them what they remembered.

  “What were you doing on Friday evening?” asked Beth.

  Rita laughed. “Are you asking if I’ve got an alibi? No, I don’t. I went straight home. I live by myself with three cats, but if they could talk, they would tell you that I was home all night.”

  “They found one of your fake fingernails in Lana’s office,” said Beth.

  Rita shook her head. “I go into Lana’s office all the time—I mean I used to go to Lana’s office all the time. The fingernail must’ve fallen off at some point.”

  “Can you think of anyone else who might’ve wanted to hurt Lana?” I said.

  “Other than that boyfriend of hers?” Rita rolled her eyes. “I’m not sure what was going on between the two of them, but I would hear Lana arguing with him on the phone sometimes when I went to her office to talk to her. He seems like a real piece of work. I’m not sure why Lana was with him.”

  I shook my head. “Liam has nothing to do with this. In fact, he’s the one who wants us to investigate some more.”

  “Yes, I heard he had a fight with Lana that morning. I guess things aren’t looking good for him.”

  “What about Lana’s assistant, Alice?” I said. “I hear she’s supposed to do some work for you now.”

  “And I’m not looking forward to that,” said Rita. “Lana always said that Alice is really incompetent. And I believe her. In fact, Lana meant to fire Alice as soon as she got a chance.”

  “Could she just have fired Alice like that?” Beth said. “There wouldn’t have been any HR issues?”

  “No, there wouldn’t have been any problem. In fact, now that I think about it, Alice is actually better off now that Lana’s dead. Instead of being fired, she gets to come work with me for a while.”

  There was a knock on the door, and Rita called out, “Come in!”

  A slender woman with long jet-black hair walked in and looked from Rita to Beth to me.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting,” she said.

  “Not at all,” Rita said. “Mindy and Beth were just leaving. Mindy, Beth, this is Teresa Tamsin—she used to be one of Lana’s clients.”

  “Teresa Tamsin?” I said. “You came to see Lana a few days before she died, right?”

  Teresa nodded. “Yes, I did. We spoke about my uncle’s will. This whole thing is so sad. I hope they find out whoever did this.”

  “Yes,” I said. “That’s why we’re here. We’re trying to look into what happened.”

  Teresa frowned. “I thought the cops already had a few suspects? But you’re not with the police department, are you?”

  Beth and I shook our heads.

  “No,” said Beth. “We’re private investigators. We think something might have been overlooked in the initial investigation.”

  Teresa nodded. “I guess it never hurts to look into things a bit more.
I was actually supposed to meet Lana earlier on Friday, but I couldn’t make it.”

  “Lana used to work for Teresa’s uncle, Tom Hutchinson,” said Rita. “Tom passed away recently, and Teresa’s here to deal with that.”

  “Well, it’s actually quite lucky you’re here right now,” Beth said. “We’ve been meaning to talk to you, Teresa.”

  Teresa raised one eyebrow and looked at us, bemused. “Me? Why?”

  I glanced awkwardly at Rita. “Well, it’s about Lana’s death. We think you might know something.”

  “But I barely met her once,” said Teresa, smiling and still looking a little confused.

  “We know,” said Beth. “But it would be great if you could talk to us after you’ve finished your work with Rita. It’ll only take a minute or two.”

  “Okay,” said Teresa, looking at us curiously. “Why not? If I can help out, I’m happy to.”

  Beth and I said our goodbyes and left Rita and Teresa to their work, promising to come back after half an hour to talk to Teresa. We met a few more lawyers, and just before we left to meet up with Teresa, we met Alice again. I’d forgotten to ask her for her alibi, and when I asked her where she’d been the night of Lana’s death, Alice shook her head and said that she’d been at home, watching reruns of old TV series.

  I couldn’t help but make a face as she said that. “Are you sure you didn’t call anyone? Maybe order a pizza?”

  “No,” said Alice. “But that’s what I do most days—I relax at home by myself.”

  “Oh well,” I said. At least she hadn’t tried to make up an alibi like many suspects we’d dealt with in the past. “I guess we should go talk to Teresa now. See if she’s got anything interesting to say.”

  Chapter 5

  Teresa was waiting for us in the reception area, and she stood up and smiled as we approached. “I thought you might’ve forgotten about me.”

  “Sorry,” I said. “That took a bit longer than we expected. Why don’t we go to the café downstairs and grab some coffee while we chat?”

  Within a few minutes, the three of us were seated around a small table in the tiny café. The place seemed to do a brisk takeout business, and there were only a few small tables scattered around.