Colin took the photo and studied it, then passed it on to Emily. “What else?”
“This photo of the bedroom, see the framed picture on the hardwood floor?” Nelly held the photo out, pointing to the item. “The frame’s not broken, neither is the glass. If it had been knocked off the dresser and onto the wood floor, at the very least the glass would have cracked—but nothing.”
“If the crime scene was staged, then…” Emily considered the possibilities.
“Then perhaps Elise wasn’t kidnapped at all.” Colin finished her thought.
~*~
They headed back to the police station, calling the Serenity Health Club on the way.
“May I speak to Jake Mitchell, please?” Emily said.
“Sorry, he’s gone for the day,” was the receptionist’s reply.
Emily gave Colin the news before trying Jake’s cell number that was in the file Ernie had given.
“It’s just going to voicemail.” Emily hung up. No need to leave a message and tip him off to the fact they were looking for him.
“I’m going to drop you by your place, then I’ll get a warrant to search Jake’s apartment,” Colin said.
“You don’t want me to come with you?”
“It’s Thursday night. You have your weekly girls-only dinner with your friends, don’t you?”
“Yes, but—”
Shortly after Emily had become friends with Camille, Maggie, and Isabel, they had instituted the weekly ritual of meeting at one of their homes for a girls-only potluck dinner, each taking their turn hosting the get-together. This week it was Maggie’s turn and the theme was Southern comfort food. Since the other three women could cook circles around Emily, she was usually the one assigned to bring bread and green salad, or some other elementary dish she couldn’t mess up.
“Take the evening off and we’ll look at the case with fresh eyes in the morning.”
“But I’d rather stay with you, stay on the case.”
“The money drop isn’t until tomorrow noon and I can handle the search. Besides, maybe you can get some information out of Maggie as to why her blood was found at the scene without me having to haul her down to the police station for questioning.”
“Aha, that’s the real reason you want me to go to the girls’ dinner.” Emily chuckled. “You want me to do your dirty work. Well, all right. I’ll have to stop by the bakery before they close and pick up some sort of bread and a dessert that I can take, but maybe Camille can tell me a little more about Elise over dinner too.”
~*~
Colin pulled his car into Emily’s driveway and walked her to the door.
“You get all dolled up and have a good time, and I’ll see you in the morning, Babe.” He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her close. Leaning down, he kissed her softly.
“You don’t want to come in for a while?” She flashed him what she hoped was her most seductive smile.
“I’d better not, I won’t want to leave. I’ve still got work to do tonight.”
“I know, but we’ve hardly had any time together today,” she said, lacing her arms around his neck.
“What are you talking about?” He grinned down at her. “We’ve been together all day.”
“Yeah, working,” she moaned. “I’m talking about a little one-on-one time.” Emily pulled his face down for another kiss.
When their lips parted, he gazed into her eyes for a moment, then planted a quick kiss on the tip of her nose. “Think of Elise.”
“Yes, poor Elise,” she reluctantly agreed. Her hands glided over his broad shoulders and down his muscular arms. “After what Nelly said, I wonder if maybe she planned this whole thing as a way of getting away from her husband.”
“And having some money to start over with.” Colin nodded pensively. “We need to find out what that ex-con Jake Mitchell’s role is in all of this.”
“I guess that’s my cue to let you go.” Emily smiled up at him, letting loose and taking a small step back. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
He pulled her into his arms again. “On second thought, how about one more for the road.”
Chapter 7
Pulling her car in front of Maggie’s cottage-style house, not far from her own home in the quaint, older part of Paradise Valley, the clock in her dash told her the stop at the bakery made her a few minutes late. From the cars parked out front, she knew Isabel and Camille had already arrived.
“Knock, knock,” Emily called out as she opened the red front door. Chattering voices and laughter spilled out from the kitchen at the back of the house.
“Back here!” she heard Maggie call out.
Carrying her bag of buttermilk biscuits in one hand and a pecan pie in the other, she stepped into the doorway of the kitchen. “Hello, everyone. Sorry I’m late.”
Maggie rushed over to her and unburdened her arms. “Gettin’ to be a habit, Em.”
Camille gave her a hug. “We weren’t sure you were going to make it. Isabel said you and Colin were working on a big case.”
Emily looked over at Isabel, unwrapping her pan of delicious-looking macaroni and cheese with bacon that she had set on the counter. “Don’t worry,” Isabel said, tossing her a glance, “I didn’t give any details.”
“No, she wouldn’t say a thing,” Maggie moaned. “Can’t you give us the teensiest hint, Em?”
“I don’t know how much I can say. Before I left, Colin warned me it’s an on-going investigation.” Emily was especially concerned that, if Maggie was somehow involved, giving away too many details could land herself in a lot of hot water…and not just with Colin.
However, she had already discussed with Camille the fact that Elise was missing when she questioned her that morning, and knowing Camille’s appetite for gossip, it was likely that Maggie already knew as much as Camille did.
“Is it about Elise having gone missing?” Camille asked. “‘Cause there’s been nothing on the news about it.”
“Elise is missin’?” Maggie gasped.
Emily’s gaze met Isabel’s. “Unfortunately, she is.”
Apparently Emily was wrong about Camille this time, but now the cat was out of the proverbial bag.
“Since when?” Maggie asked.
“Sometime yesterday,” Emily admitted.
“I did a workout with her after the weddin’ appointment. She seemed fine.”
“At your studio?” Emily asked.
“No, at her house. You think that’s where she was taken from?”
“It looks that way.”
That put Maggie at the Murphy home with an innocent enough reason, but how did Maggie’s blood get on the area rug and in the trash? And why was Elise wearing the same clothes in the bank’s video that she’d had on at the wedding appointment if she had done a workout in between? Maybe this wasn’t the best time to ask Maggie those questions, but they would have to be asked—and answered—soon.
“What about you, Maggs?” Emily asked casually. “Everything okay with you?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Maggie said, her brow wrinkling quizzically.
“I mean with you and Elise. Any disagreements or misunderstandings with her?”
Maggie’s frown grew more intense. “Are you askin’ if I had anything to do with her disappearance?”
“You just admitted you were at her house around the time she went missing.”
“Oh, Emily,” Camille broke in. “You can’t be serious.”
Emily’s gaze remained on Maggie. Yes, her friend was sweet and kind, but she was also in terrific physical shape, and Emily and Isabel had trained her well in self-defense. If Maggie wanted to restrain Elise and force her to do something, she was fully capable of doing it, especially if she had help—namely Jake Mitchell.
She didn’t want to believe her friend would have anything to do with Elise’s disappearance, but the timeline fit and then there was her blood. Maybe Maggie was the one drinking the other glass of wine. Could she have slipped a d
rug into Elise’s glass to make her more compliant? Had there been enough residue in the glass for Nelly to test for anything unusual?
“I’m just trying to find out what happened to Elise. If you know anything, now would be a good time to tell me.”
“Well, I don’t know anything, Miss Emily Parker.” Maggie’s hands were now firmly planted on her hips. “And frankly, I’m offended you would even ask.”
The fact that Maggie called Emily by her full name was her roundabout way of telling Emily she was treating her like they were strangers, not close friends, and she did not appreciate it.
“I didn’t mean to offend you, Maggie, I only—”
“Hey, enough already,” Isabel cut in, obviously attempting to diffuse the situation and rescue Emily from going too far. “Let’s sit down and eat before the food gets cold.”
“Yes,” Camille agreed. “Everyone grab your plate and let’s try to have a nice dinner.”
Emily caught Maggie glaring at her as she picked up a plate from the stack. It was an unusually uncomfortable feeling. She had all but accused her good friend of being part of a felony, and if she was wrong, there may be no coming back from it.
They quietly filled their dishes and took their seats. As was their common practice, they each took turns around the table talking about what was going on in their lives. Emily hoped that would break the silence and return them to their usual friendly conversation.
Maggie jumped in first, complaining she was working more and more at the Serenity Health Club and less at her own studio, it seemed. Some of her clients were being wooed away by all the luxurious amenities and state-of-the-art exercise equipment the new club had to offer, making it hard for her to compete. “It’s seriously cuttin’ into my bottom line, if you know what I mean.”
The comment about Maggie’s financial woes did not escape Emily’s notice. It was a possible motive for getting drawn into Elise’s kidnapping, especially if there was a cut of the ransom money to be had.
Isabel shared that she wasn’t working on anything big right now at the FBI, but her boss had her busy keeping an eye on a potentially sticky situation the Governor had expressed interest in.
“Tell us about it,” Maggie begged. “It sounds interestin’.”
“Sorry, I can’t, at least not at this point. Maybe in a few weeks.” Isabel looked over at Emily again.
Camille boasted that her catering and event planning business was booming, keeping her busier than she would like. She had hired Elise to take some of the load off of her, but now that she was missing, she didn’t know what she was going to do.
“Of course, I’m not putting my business before Elise’s welfare, you understand. It’s just that I have clients depending on me and I’m going to have to start looking for a replacement.”
“Clients depending on you, like me?” Emily feigned a sad face.
“I guess I’ll be the one doing your wedding after all.” Camille swirled the remaining ambrosia around on her plate. “Poor Elise, I sure hope they find her alive.”
“Cam, is there anything you can tell me that you hadn’t this morning?” Emily asked. “Something maybe you thought of after our conversation?”
“Like I told you before, she was desperately unhappy in her marriage and—”
“Was her husband abusive in any way?” Emily interrupted. That would certainly motivate her to leave him.
Maggie’s eyes grew round at the thought of it. “You mean, did he beat her?”
“There are other ways to be abusive,” Isabel pointed out in her matter-of-fact way. “Verbally, emotionally, psychologically.”
“No, not that I know of.” Camille responded pensively, with a slight shake of her head. “But I know some women get good at hiding it, like it’s their fault somehow. Remember that Abby Russell?”
Maggie and Isabel nodded their agreement.
“She always went on and on about how perfect their marriage was and what a fantastic husband and father her husband was, remember?” Maggie asked, glancing around the table. “Nothin’ is ever that perfect.”
“Sounds like she was overcompensating,” Isabel added, “like it was her fault somehow.”
“So you think Patrick might have been abusing Elise?” Emily asked Camille, before taking a forkful of macaroni and cheese.
“I hate to share things she told me in confidence.” Camille took a long sip of iced tea.
Emily wondered when that started. Usually Camille was the first to spread whatever juicy tidbit she was privy to.
“He kept her on an extremely tight budget, I know,” Camille added, “especially for someone with so much money. I think that’s why she wanted the job so much, to have her own money and not have to rely on him.”
Emily swallowed her bite and cleared her throat. “Do you know if she was seeing anyone on the side?”
“Elise?” Camille frowned. “Oh, heavens, no.”
Maggie rolled her eyes.
Emily picked up on the gesture. “What is it, Maggie? You don’t agree?”
“I have nothin’ to say about that,” Maggie replied.
Did Maggie know about Elise and Jake?
“What can you tell me about a trainer at Serenity named Jake Mitchell?” Emily asked, eyeing Maggie.
Maggie’s eyes widened for a second, then she regained her composure. “He’s been there for a few months.”
“And?”
“He’s Elise’s trainer.”
“I thought you just told us you were her trainer,” Emily’s questioned. Hadn’t Maggie said she did a workout with Elise after the wedding appointment yesterday?
“No, I was just fillin’ in for Jake. He’s her regular trainer.”
“So you know Jake?” Emily asked.
Maggie nodded hesitantly. “A little.”
“Have you ever gone out with him?” Isabel asked directly, seeming to know where Emily’s line of questioning was going.
Maggie’s eyes grew wide. “Of course, not!” Her gaze flew to Camille. “I’m in a relationship with Peter. I’d never do that.”
Emily hoped Maggie was telling the truth. She and Camille’s brother only got to see each other every couple of months, because he worked as a television reporter in Seattle, so it was possible that she might have been drawn into a date or two by a handsome and charming man like Jake Mitchell. Maggie wasn’t known for making the wisest decisions when it came to men, and she certainly would never want Camille to know if she had.
“So Elise was having an affair,” Camille mused, leaning back in her chair, fluffing her spiky red hair. “I never would have guessed.”
“Now, don’t go startin’ any rumors,” Maggie chided. “I never said they were havin’ an affair.”
“Oh, all right,” Camille reluctantly agreed.
“Well, you did say she was painfully unhappy, Camille,” Emily said. “Do you think she’d be unhappy enough to run off and leave her husband?”
“Maybe.” Camille nodded thoughtfully. “Especially if she could make him believe she was dead.”
“Because then he wouldn’t go looking for her,” Emily said, finishing Camille’s train of thought.
“It’d sure be easier on him than goin’ through a messy and expensive divorce,” Maggie added.
Isabel propped her elbows on the table. “It would save his reputation and he wouldn’t have to give her a dime in the settlement.”
That’s true. If she had been too afraid to leave him before, for fear he would track her down and drag her back, then making him think she had been taken, maybe even killed, could be a real possibility.
Still, it was a long shot. It was more likely someone would kidnap her for a sizeable ransom. And Patrick Murphy did seem to be genuinely upset over his wife’s disappearance, and more than willing to pay the two million dollars the kidnapper demanded.
And then there was Maggie. Did Emily want to overlook the possibility she was involved simply because they were friends? If Maggie turned out
to be involved, and she and Colin didn’t follow up on every possible clue, they’d both lose their jobs, not to mention their reputations.
On the other hand, if they were too heavy handed with Maggie, and she in fact had nothing to do with Elise’s disappearance, Emily will have killed a deep friendship for nothing.
“It’s been a very long day,” Emily said. “I’m going to call it a night and go home and crawl into bed. I have an early morning.”
“Not stayin’ for dessert?” Maggie asked.
“Sorry, no.” Emily stood and pushed her chair in. “You guys enjoy the pecan pie.”
The others gathered around her and took turns hugging her good-bye.
“Can I talk to you for a sec?” Emily whispered into Maggie’s ear as she hugged her last.
Maggie nodded. “I’ll be right back,” she said over her shoulder to the girls.
Emily stopped by the front door. “I wish I didn’t have to ask you those questions about Elise earlier, but after you said you had seen her, I had no choice.”
“I understand, although it was a tad uncomfortable.”
“I’m going to have to mention it to Colin, you know, and he’ll probably have some questions for you as well.”
“I understand, Em, but tell me, after all the years you’ve know me, you really think I could be involved?”
Emily saw a flash of something in Maggie’s eyes. Was it anger, or tears?
“It’s not about what I think, Maggie. There are questions that have to be answered.” Blood that needs to be accounted for. Emily brushed back one of Maggie’s blonde curls. “We’ll just go through the formalities and it’ll help us eliminate you as a suspect.”
Maggie’s bright blue eyes turned dark and a small wrinkle formed between her brows. “I can’t believe you and Colin could ever consider me as a suspect,” she said between clenched teeth. Her eyes glistened with tears. “I would never harm Elise, or anyone else, for that matter.”
Anger and hurt were clearly bubbling below the surface of her words.
Emily wouldn’t have thought Maggie capable, but there were things pointing directly to her. Friend or not, it was her job to find the truth, and there was evidence that needed to be accounted for.
The Betrayal of Lies Page 6