Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53698 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53698 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 268(@200wpm)___ 215(@250wpm)___ 179(@300wpm)
But. There was also Lucy’s sighting of Hagger on her walk to Eden Valley. If Jane believed and trusted her, then she had to rule out the lawyer, leaving only Emma and Belfry. Or maybe Emma and one of the doctors. Price and Garcia. Were Emma and Dr. Price dating? Had Dr. Garcia, the nurse’s co-worker, aided his friend? He couldn’t account for his whereabouts at the time of death.
But. Which of the five knew how to rewire a car’s air system?
Although she couldn’t be certain the person who’d sabotaged her car had killed Tony. She’d made a lot of enemies lately apparently.
But. Anyone capable of plotting a murder and framing others understood the principle of covering their tracks. One of the reasons Jake Stephenson, the second murderer to hit the streets of Aurelian Hills, had almost gotten away with his crime? He’d worked alone. There’d been nobody to tattle on him. And, really, the fact that Emma had mentioned the Jake Stephenson case at all, even though she’d had no involvement in it, could mean she’d been the one researching his successes and blunders.
Was the nurse truly so cunning that she could scheme every detail in advance? So cold-blooded, she could work to ensure others took the fall? So confident, she could hire two private investigators without fear of getting caught?
Well, lookie there. Jane’s own version of the three C’s. Cunning, cold-blooded, and confident.
And what of Belfry and the doctors? Were they cunning, cold-blooded, and confident?
Okay. Forget the doctors. They didn’t strike her as Triple C-worthy. If she took Ashley Katz’s advice and ruled out Hagger as well, only Emma and Belfry remained. Honestly, Belfry seemed to lack the smarts for a full-blown cover-up.
That left Emma, the ex-wife.
Excitement bloomed as Jane solidified her verdict. Yes. Emma Miller. She did it. The nurse must be the killer. And she’d probably worked alone. Why risk discovery because of a tattletale partner?
She must have hoped Jane and Katz would muddy the waters by casting suspicion on others. In fact, Emma had probably pointed the reporter in Jane’s direction.
Had Emma encouraged the romantic attentions of “hothead” Belfry for the express purpose of stirring trouble between him and Tony? With Belfry’s violent temper, it wouldn’t take long for people to blame him for any wrongdoing.
Perhaps Emma had wanted Tony’s investigator to snap pictures of her and her “date” kissing in public. Hadn’t Belfry called her a “cold fish in private”? Such visual evidence could rile up the ex-husband so obviously obsessed with her, as well as pin two predators against each other, getting rid of both at once.
Jane could see the headline now: Two Men Meet in a Cemetery, Only One Walks Away.
No, that headline needed work. Anyway. If Emma had planned this, she wouldn’t have left anything to chance. She would’ve set up Belfry and committed the crime herself.
Yes. That’s it! The pieces were falling into place. The reason Tony possessed two burner phones—one had belonged to Emma. She’d used it to paint her own narrative, perhaps not realizing Tony was doing the same. Or she’d painted two different narratives, again to muddy the waters.
No doubt she’d bought Belfry a ticket to the party, not knowing Tony had purchased another. Or she’d bought both.
Emma could have pretended to be Tony, who was pretending to be Emma, and texted Belfry, offering sex. What perfect Belfry bait. Something only Emma would know? Or a guy thing?
Emma could have stashed the burner phone in Tony’s pocket after she’d killed him. First, beating him with the rocks, then injecting him with the drug she’d stolen to finish the job.
Or Tony had filched the opioid, thinking to harm or blame Emma and/or Belfry…and use it the same night Emma planned to kill him.
Now there was some pizazz!
Yeah, Emma absolutely positively must be the culprit. And oh man, sixty-six percent of the medical staff at the Aurelian Hills Medical Clinic were absolute monsters. First Caroline Whittington, the physician assistant, had killed Dr. Hots and now Nurse Emma had offed her ex-husband.
The doorbell rang, and Jane yelped, yanked out of her head. She checked the time. Yikes! A little after 5:00. She’d pondered the case longer than she’d realized. But at least she’d figured things out!
After shoving the rollaway board back into the office, she sauntered to the door. Her jaw dropped when she spied her visitor through the peephole. Kicking into warp speed, she ripped open the entrance.
“Hi,” she croaked, emotion clogging her throat.
“Hi,” Lucy said with a half-smile and a weak wave. Cartier’s carrier hung over her shoulder. “May we come in?”
“Yes! I mean, if you’d like to, please do.” As Jane stepped aside, Rolex jumped from the couch and darted over.
In the carrier, Cartier batted at the walls, attempting to tear free.
The moment the front door snicked shut, Lucy worked to unzip the carrier. The chonky furball erupted from a small opening, and the two felines rubbed together like reunited soul mates, purring.