The next logical step was to make a stop at her workplace. That meant paying Enchanted Gifts a visit. The tourist-trap gift shop was on Main Street and sold T-shirts, keychains, magnets, and a whole slew of kitschy novelty items.
As Meg and Connor entered the gift shop, they saw Rebecca standing behind the register. The five-foot-tall, forty-two-year-old woman had long, curly black hair, oversized glasses, and a trim body. For the time being, Rebecca also had a big smile on her face as she greeted the sleuths. Meg and Connor knew the only reason Rebecca was grinning at them was because she mistakenly thought they were customers.
Rebecca’s expression immediately changed when Connor pulled out his police badge. Gone was her smile, replaced by a grimace. Her mood only grew worse when Connor explained why he and Meg had really come to the gift shop. Suddenly, Rebecca wanted nothing to do with Meg and Connor.
“I don’t have anything to say to you,” Rebecca declared.
Connor had plenty to say to her. He started by setting her straight. “Ms. Tate, whether you like it or not, you’re going to talk to us.”
Rebecca scowled. “Are you threatening me?”
Connor kept an even but firm keel. “No. I’m just being honest with you. I expect you to do the same with us.”
Rebecca tried to squirm her way out of the conversation. “I’m in the middle of my work shift here.”
“I’m sure your boss will be happy to give you a break if I explain the situation to them—”
Rebecca tensed up. “That won’t be necessary.”
“Are you ready to answer our questions?” Connor asked.
Rebecca remained uncooperative. “I still think you are wasting your time coming here.”
“I respectfully disagree.”
“This is crazy. I had nothing to do with Nicole’s death.”
Connor had been patient with her, but he grew tired of her diversionary tactics. He put his foot down. “Ms. Tate, you have two options. You can either answer our questions here, or we can drag you into the police station. It’s your call.”
With the gauntlet having been thrown down, Rebecca didn’t put up more argument. She also didn’t provide an answer, either. To Meg, the decision should have been easy. Then again, Meg wasn’t a murder suspect.
When Rebecca took too long to reply, Connor insisted on getting an answer.
“What’s it going to be?” Connor asked.
Rebecca let out a groan then replied, “What do you want to know?”
“We know that you were a patient of Nicole’s,” Connor said.
“She had a lot of patients.”
“True, but most of them were still seeing her. According to our source, you had recently stopped going to her in the last few months.”
“Who is your source for that information?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Did Kristin Zeller tell you that?” Rebecca asked. “That woman was always up in people’s business.”
Connor tried to get the conversation back on track. “Ms. Tate, it doesn’t matter who told us that you stopped seeing Dr. Conway. What’s more important is why you stopped going to the doctor.”
“Not everyone goes to therapy for the rest of their lives,” Rebecca replied.
Connor’s forehead wrinkled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t hear an answer in there.”
“From the moment I started going to therapy, my goal was always to stop one day,” Rebecca replied.
“So why did you specifically decide to stop going a few months ago?”
“What can I say? Sometimes you reach a point when you just stop seeing results. When that happens, you’re better off moving on,” Rebecca replied.
That answer rang false to Meg. She felt like Rebecca was going a long way to unsuccessfully smooth over some very rough edges.
Meg called her out. “So it wasn’t because you blamed Nicole for how your relationship imploded?”
Rebecca flat-out denied that accusation. “No.”
Meg offered a differing opinion. “That’s not what we heard.”
“I don’t know what you heard—”
Meg interrupted her. “I’ll tell you. From what we were told, your boyfriend wasn’t treating you with respect, so Dr. Conway advised you to stand up for yourself. You ended up taking her advice, only it had the reverse effect that you expected. Instead of your boyfriend giving you the respect that you were seeking, he ended up leaving you. Suddenly, you found yourself heartbroken, alone, and angry. Even worse, instead of blaming your boyfriend for what had happened, you blamed Nicole instead.”
Rebecca tried to shrug off that statement. “I don’t know where you got that from—”
Meg would not be deterred. “That’s not as important as whether it’s true or not.”
Rebecca folded her arms. “It’s false.”
Meg snickered. “Do you really expect us to believe that?”
Rebecca stuck to her story. “Yes.”
“Then why did we hear that you stormed into Nicole’s office all hot and bothered shortly after your boyfriend broke up with you, claiming that Nicole had ruined your life?”
Rebecca’s face went white. Before Rebecca had the chance to change the subject, Meg kept the pressure on her.
“Are you going to tell us that we heard wrong?” Meg asked.
Rebecca downplayed Meg’s accusation. “That was a while ago.”
“So you aren’t denying that it happened—”
Rebecca tried to explain herself. “I admit that I went through a real rough patch, but that’s all behind me now.”
Meg shook her head in disbelief. “Really? You’re saying you just got over your anger?”
“That’s the truth.”
Meg folded her arms. “Considering what happened to Nicole, you can see how we could have a tough time believing that.”
“Whether you choose to believe it or not, it doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t kill Nicole.”
Meg corrected her. “You say it’s a fact. To us, that is still up for debate.”
“Like I already told you,” Rebecca said. “You’re wasting your time. Last night I was working here.”
“All night?”
“Until ten. Satisfied now?”
“I will be when I get someone to verify that story,” Connor said.
Rebecca opened her mouth to reply, but Connor was determined to finish his thought.
“It’s time I talk to your boss,” Connor added.
She tried to dissuade him. “You don’t have to do that.”
“What’s the matter? Are you afraid of what I’m going to find out?” Connor asked.
“No. All you are going to find out is that I was here.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Connor walked into the back office of the gift shop and had a conversation with Rebecca’s manager. When the detective returned a few minutes later, Rebecca looked particularly smug.
“See. I was here,” Rebecca said. “I guess you’ll be leaving now, then.”
Connor stopped her. “Not so fast.”
Rebecca’s forehead wrinkled. “What are you talking about?”
“Your boss confirmed that you were working last night—”
Rebecca interrupted him. “So what’s the big deal?”
“He also told me that you took your half-hour lunch break between six and six thirty last night. That leaves a half-hour window where you have no one to verify your whereabouts.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
Connor turned up the heat. “Is it? Your boss told me that you left the shop during your break.”
“Yeah. I went next door to Enchanted Park to eat the meal I had brought with me,” Rebecca said.
“Or that’s what you’d like us to think you did,” Connor replied. “Nicole Conway’s office is only two blocks from here—”
Rebecca scoffed. “Are you implying that I went over to Nicole’s office on my half-hour break, killed her, then went right back t
o work like nothing had happened?”
“I’m not saying that’s what you did. I’m just pointing out that it isn’t out of the realm of possibility,” Connor said.
Rebecca lost control of her temper. “This is ridiculous. I went to Enchanted Park, ate my meal, then returned to work. End of story.”
Connor stared her down. “You don’t get to decide when this interview ends.”
“Maybe not, but I know you have no proof that I did anything wrong. So unless you can produce any, I’m not saying another word to you without a lawyer present,” Rebecca said.
That put Connor in a tough position. He hated to admit it, but Rebecca was right. Even though he had plenty of suspicions about her, he didn’t have any concrete evidence proving that Rebecca was guilty of anything.
In addition, with her going silent on him, asking her any further questions would be useless. At the same time, he wanted to get the last word in. The detective warned her not to leave town, then the investigators reluctantly headed out.
Chapter Sixteen
After hitting yet another roadblock while questioning a suspect, Meg and Connor decided a little break was in order. Their stomachs didn’t complain. By then they had both worked up quite an appetite. As their minds drifted towards food, there was no debate over the best place to grab a bite. Al’s Diner topped the list, as it always did.
As an added bonus, Al’s didn’t just have the best comfort food in town. It also happened to be a haven for gossip. While the sleuths preferred to deal strictly in facts when leads went cold, or their investigation hit a snag, sometimes a little speculation provided some welcome new fodder.
There was rarely a slow day at Al’s. With tasty food at affordable prices, the greasy spoon joint was almost always hopping. Luckily, Meg and Connor were arriving in the late afternoon when the lunch crowd was long gone, and the dinner crowd hadn’t quite found their way in yet.
The smell of bacon hung in the air, tantalizing the investigators’ taste buds, daring them to resist ordering a few juicy strips. Meg and Connor took seats at the counter where they saw that there were more employees currently working than there were customers.
Meg wanted to take mental note of the time for future reference. If the diner was empty like this every late afternoon, it would be the perfect time to come back from now on. That being said, the scarcity of customers could be both a blessing and a curse to the sleuths. The blessing was that the lack of a crowd meant there should be a minimal wait time to get their meals. On the flip side, gossip could be very difficult to come by.
Al Gordon, the rotund, bearded, middle-aged owner of the diner, greeted Meg and Connor as they sat down.
“If it isn’t my favorite investigative team,” Al said.
If Al had a secret power, it was the ability to schmooze like no other. It was one thing to be a sociable guy. He took gabbing to a whole new level. In his line of business, that meant frequently upselling his customers. Although, he did more than just talk a good game about his daily specials. He also had a great ear. If something was said in his diner, even if it wasn’t meant for his ears, he always seemed to hear it. That could prove invaluable at a time like this.
But first, Connor wanted to give him a little ribbing.
“Al, how many other investigative teams do you know?” Connor asked.
“Just you guys, but you’re my favorite,” Al replied.
Connor wasn’t a fool. He knew Al was just getting ready to launch into an inevitable sales pitch. Instead of putting up a fuss, Connor just played along.
“You know how to butter us up,” Connor said.
True to form, Al directed the conversation to his favorite menu items. “Speaking of butter, have I got a special for you. What would you say to some delicious meatloaf with a side of buttery biscuits?”
Connor chuckled. “Always a salesman.”
Al made no apologies. “Hey. A guy has to earn a living.”
“I hear you.”
Not content until he made the sale, Al continued his pitch. “So can I pencil you in for the special?”
Connor didn’t put up a fight. “What can I say? I don’t have the energy to resist.”
“Your taste buds will thank you.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Al zeroed in on the deflated tone of Connor’s voice.
“Rough day on the Nicole Conway case?” Al asked.
“How do you know—?”
Al didn’t wait for Connor to finish his thought. “Have you forgotten who you are talking to?”
“Of course. If it happened in Enchanted Bay, you know about it, right?” Connor said.
“More often than not. So is this case giving you trouble?”
Connor wasn’t about to divulge every detail about the investigation. Instead, he made a blanket statement. “It has not been a piece of cake.”
Ever the opportunist, Al tried to turn that food metaphor into additional sales. “Speaking of cake, my baker prepared a double chocolate cake today that is just to die for.”
Meg urged him to be more careful with his phrasing. “Please don’t say ‘to die for.’”
Al grimaced. “Right. Probably not the best phrasing to go with. Let’s just say the cake is delectable.”
Connor’s willpower was seriously being tested. “I’m going to have to watch my words around you, or I’ll gain five pounds in one sitting.”
Al brushed off the detective’s weight concerns. “Come on, Detective. You could burn that off in one day on the beat.”
Connor couldn’t help but laugh at that statement. “Don’t get me wrong, Al. You’re a great guy, but I don’t make a habit of taking personal training advice from a man who is so eager to sell me cake.”
Before the conversation got more off course, Meg tried to steer things back to her main area of interest. “Al. Speaking of the rumor mill, have you heard anything juicy about Nicole’s murder?”
Al got a glimmer in his eyes. “I’m glad you asked. I heard a tidbit a few hours ago that was as juicy as one of my triple-stacked burgers.”
Connor’s appetite got the best of him again. “My taste buds are screaming right now.”
Thankfully, Meg was able to keep her rumbling stomach at bay. “What kind of tidbit?”
Al leaned across the counter and revealed what he had heard. “So get this. A customer told me that she saw Justin Webster and Kristin Zeller having a big blowup argument earlier today.”
Meg’s eyes widened. “Who is this customer?”
“Dana Walters. She works at Java Jeff’s Coffee Shop.”
“Where did this argument supposedly take place?” Meg asked.
“Right in front of the coffee shop.”
“Does Dana know what Justin and Kristin were arguing about?”
Al shook his head. “Unfortunately, not. She was inside, and they were arguing outside. But it was apparently very heated.”
“How heated?”
“So heated that Kristin pulled out a can of pepper spray from her purse and threatened to use it if he didn’t back away from her.”
“Did Justin back away?” Meg asked.
“It took him a few seconds, but yeah,” Al replied.
“Then what?”
“Apparently, they both darted off their separate ways.”
Meg took a deep breath. “That’s really something.”
“I’ll say,” Al replied.
“Thanks for the information,” Meg replied.
Al was always an opportunist. “I’m glad to help. Although, I’m not too proud to turn down a big tip if you know what I mean.”
Al was as subtle as a sledgehammer.
Even so, Meg had no quarrel with his request. “Sure thing, Al.”
Al smiled wide.
Meg’s focus then returned to the case. She addressed Connor with urgency in her voice. “Sounds like we have to pay both Justin and Kristin another visit.”
Connor agreed.
Luckily, Al had
n’t put their orders in yet. Given this new insight that Al had thrown their way, Meg and Connor changed their orders to sandwiches that could be made in a hurry.
While the kitchen prepared the investigators’ sandwiches, Connor paid the bill and left a nice tip for Al. Meg, meanwhile, excused herself and headed to the ladies’ room where she cast a locator spell on Justin and Kristin. Amazingly enough, at that moment, both suspects happened to be in the exact same location. Not only was that incredibly curious, but it demanded immediate following up on.
Chapter Seventeen
Given all the suspicion that had surrounded Kristin throughout this case, Meg didn’t have to say much to convince Connor to make Ms. Zeller’s house their next stop. After barreling twenty blocks in just under five minutes, Meg and Connor arrived at Kristin’s house where they saw two cars parked in the driveway. Seeing Kristin’s car was no surprise, but Justin Webster’s green sedan was in the driveway as well.
When Connor spotted Justin’s car, the detective bolted straight to Kristin’s front door. Meg followed right behind him. Connor pounded on the door, announcing his presence.
“This is the police. Stop what you’re doing right now and come on out,” Connor demanded.
Both Meg and Connor expected Justin and Kristin to put up resistance, so the sleuths were surprised when they heard Kristin calling out to them from inside.
“Help,” Kristin yelled.
That was immediately followed by the sound of Justin’s voice commanding her to shut up.
Meg got a very bad feeling in her gut. Before she was able to express her concern, Connor instinctively grabbed his pistol from the holster on his belt and reached for the door knob.
Connor opened the front door and headed inside where a surprise awaited him. As he entered Kristin’s living room, he saw Justin standing at point-blank range holding out a gun of his own. Connor and Justin pointed their pistols at each other, both looking like they had itchy trigger fingers.
Meg hung back behind Connor while Kristin Zeller was sitting at a table with a pen and a piece of paper in front of her. Meg happened to notice a long piece of rope on the table as well.
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