Instead of speaking to him, she looked at Jax’s landlord, the accountant who had wanted Clancy’s investment clients. “Geoff, what did Clancy want you to do in return for sending you his clients?”
She hid a smug look as Jax raised his eyebrows at this seemingly unrelated direction.
Geoff tugged at his collar. He must have removed his usual tie after work.
When the accountant didn’t reply, Troy spoke sternly. “Geoff, removing voting machines could be a federal matter. If you and Clancy had something going on, you’d best clear the air now.”
Geoff threw an anxious glance at Ted Swenson, but Fearless Leader merely looked bored. Apparently stonewalling was a requirement for being a politician.
The CPA nervously tugged at his non-existent tie. “Clancy more or less said what Mr. Swenson just said. I didn’t have the contract to read, but I believed him. It’s standard operating procedure to remove hardware when it can no longer be supported. Clancy said as a candidate, he couldn’t bring the matter up with the council. Hank and I go way back, but Hank and Clancy never got along. He wanted me to approach Hank about signing the removal order.”
Evie waved her hand again, and the sheriff nodded for her to speak. “Please, Geoff, don’t ruin your reputation for a dead man who didn’t deserve your friendship. You’re not telling the sheriff everything.”
Swenson frowned at her, probably trying to figure out who she was. Or maybe why she looked familiar, if his memory was long enough to remember the bank in California. Her hair did tend to be a tad bit memorable. But he remained impervious.
Geoff glanced at Hank, who gestured irritably. Neither man admitted anything.
The ghost was practically hopping up and down in frustration, then blowing around Bernice and muttering. Evie sighed. If she had any brains, she’d learn paranormal psychoanalysis. “Bernice, weren’t you there when Geoff and Clancy were talking? Maybe you can refresh Geoff’s memory?”
Geoff reddened. Given permission to speak, Bernice scrolled through her digital notebook.
With the voice of someone reading minutes, she read, “Mr. Clancy wants all copies of the DVM contract. He said we should be receiving an email from DVM authorizing the removal of their machines. Mr. Williams is to present the agreement at the next council meeting. Mr. Hayes is to guarantee the necessary votes for the purchase of new machines at a discounted rate after trade-in and install the software updates once they arrive.”
The updates that would have put Clancy’s name on the winning side of the faulty machines? Or so Clancy had thought, until someone killed him for believing that.Ugly.
“That sounds perfectly straightforward.” The sheriff looked puzzled. “Except the contract doesn’t allow for any of that. And guaranteeing the purchase in advance without bids from other companies sounds off.”
Geoff exhaled. “That’s how the council does business. Faster, more efficient, if I go around and ask each member what they need for their vote. Since I’m not on the council, I’m an uninterested third party. I'm good at negotiating. Clancy is good at selling. Between us, we get things done. We needed new machines before the election. There wasn’t time to ask for bids.”
“You ain’t ever promisedmeanything,” Hank growled.
“Because you’re a reasonable man and want what’s best for the town,” Geoff said reassuringly.
Evie mentally added,because Hank always voted with the majority.It was good for business.
The sheriff frowned. “So Clancy sold you a bill of goods about the machines. Mr. Swenson here had the machines removed based on Clancy’s approval. And none of you so much as looked at the contract to see if it was legal?”
Clancy’s outraged spirit lowered the room’s temperature until even the jacket-clad men shivered. But all Evie heard in her head was muttered obscenities—because his fraud had been caught out?
Bernice’s irritated aura attracted Evie’s ever-distractible interest. “Bernice, what about you? Did you read the contract?”
The older woman looked taken aback at being addressed on council business. When the sheriff waited for her to speak, she replied hesitantly. “Mr. Clancy was in a bit of a mood after Ms. Ward declared her candidacy. He made a lot of calls and told me to find the contract with DVM about the voting machines. I don’t have all the mayor’s files, and he wasn’t available, so I found a copy in the computer and sent it to Mr. Clancy. It’s public information, so I saw nothing wrong in that.”
“Did you read it?” Evie asked again, because it was obvious to her that Bernice was holding back.
The secretary nodded. “I usually do, so I can summarize for the council members. This was early in the morning, not at the meeting with Mr. Hayes. I told Mr. Clancy that according to the contract, it was time for the city to trade in or buy new machines. I believe he was on the phone with the DVM office at the time. He repeated what I told him, then started yelling about Mr. Jackson-Ives looking like another Mr. Jackson, that it meant trouble, and then he gestured for me to leave.”
Bernice hesitated another fraction, took a breath, and added, “I don’t like making personal, unsubstantiated comments.” She glanced at the sheriff, who encouraged her with a nod. “Mr. Clancy didn’t look well that morning. He’s often angry, but... He was worried and not quite himself. Under his anger... I don’t know. He was afraid?”
She glanced uncertainly at Jax. “His voice raised an octave when he talked about Mr. Jackson-Ives.”
Jax didn’t move a muscle, simply flipped through a file, apparently awaiting his turn.
Clancy’s aura slowly swung in the direction Bernice was looking—at Jax. The ghost began to burn redder.You! You did this! Just like that other troublemaker...
The lights flickered. Evie frantically processed the accusation no one could hear but her.
Clancy had sold investments toStockton and Stocktontwenty years ago. He’dknownJax’s father while he was alive. Was Jax’s father thetroublemaker? Of course he was.