“Tony didn’t get along with anyone, it seemed,” she said. “I also saw him near the help’s table twice. The first time, he was alone. He strode past me, tossing me his customary scowl.” They hadn’t exactly parted on the best of terms. “The second time, he stopped at the Bank of Aurelian Hills booth to chat with Lucy Chang. I couldn’t make out their words, not that I tried to, but their body language spoke volumes. They weren’t discussing the merits of opening a savings account, that’s for sure.”
Fiona passed out food, and they dug in. Amazing flavors deluged Jane. The conversation continued, but no new revelations came to light. By the time they finished washing the dishes, they were too blurry eyed to study the security feed, so they said their goodbyes.
Planning to sleep for two years—minimum—Jane changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed. Rolex snuggled into her side, not budging when she tossed and turned, unable to sleep for some reason. Finally she gave up and grabbed her phone. Why not bug Conrad?
A yawn cracked her jaw as she texted the special agent.Since I know you’re curious, my top two suspects are Emma Miller and Lucy Chang. For reasons. But also Devin Hagger.
In fact, Jane planned to have a chat with both women tomorrow. Any interaction with Hagger would have to be scheduled, she was sure.
The darling man’s reply came within seconds.Agent Spice:Sweetheart, I’m ten steps ahead of you. Check your purse.
Wait. What? Beyond curious, Jane scrambled out of bed and rooted around her cluttered bedroom to find the purse she’d slung… there! She dumped out the contents, riffled through everything and discovered a small piece of paper she didn’t recognize.
In bold black ink were the wordsYou suspect Emma Miller, Lucy Chang & Devin Hagger.
How had–when had–gah! When she flipped the page over, she discovered another message. PSStop falling for me.I snore.
A smile bloomed as she clutched the paper to her chest. Oh, how she lo–likedthat man. Liked. Definitely only liked.
Shaking now, Jane gulped and climbed back into bed. Once again, she tossed and turned. This time, however, she did it for an entirely different reason.
CHAPTERTHREE
“Winning isn’t everything—is something losers say.”
Emma Miller, nurse
Afrantic knock roused Jane from a deep sleep. What the heck? Had Beau returned and begun some kind of repair on the house? Yeah, probably. The generous muscle man was always doing things like that.
Rolex sprang from the bed, juddering the mattress as Jane sat up. She blinked repeatedly, trying to clear her vision. To think. Details hit her, one after the other. Cottage. Bedroom. Clutter. Hats everywhere.
She snatched up her phone to check the time. 11:06 a.m. Oh, dang. Usually she was up by five sharp and on the grounds an hour later to open the gate and begin her morning walk about, making lists of any plots in need of tending, then doing the actual tending. The Garden was her home. Her sanctuary. A place of beauty and serenity.
A notification on the cell’s screen caught her eye, and her pulse jumped. Seven texts awaited her. Meaning, seven more than usual. Two from the Berdize sisters, letting her know the party had been a raging success, and they’d love to put another event on the books.Two came from a reporter at The Headliner—a town message board app as well as a new weekly paper. The woman hoped to interview Jane for a story about Tony’s murder.
A stranger left an irate text demanding a refund. How had they discovered her private number, anyway?
Beau sent one, informing her that he’d watched the security footage, found nothing helpful or hurtful yet, but the warrant had come through, and he’d handed over the feed.
The last message came from Conrad.
Agent Spice:GBH will be all over the cemetery again today. We’ve cordoned off certain areas you’ll need to avoid. I’ll stop by the cottage this evening for—I’m sure—a Jane Ladling interrogation. What we do afterward is up to you.
Such an informative yet charming text. Dang him! Speaking of his terrible, wonderful charm. Was hetryingto make her catch feelings?
Maybe agreeing to go on a first date had been a mistake. Big. Huge. She almost texted Fiona for advice. No doubt her friend was sleeping off a bad night, too. Better to wait. Besides, Jane should have a concrete lead on the case before she reached out.
Hey! Beau hadn’t sent her those photos of the body. She’d just shoot him a quick text to–
The knocking started up again, and she groaned. Not caused by a hammer, after all, but a fist. Someone persistent pounded at the front door, desperate to get her attention.
She set her phone aside, threw her legs over the mattress, and stood, giving herself a full body scan. She wore a T-shirt that read “My Cat is Better Than Your Cat” and a pair of ruffled pink pants. Not bad, but not great, either. Oh, well. Uninvited guests got what they got.
The door whacking came faster and harder.
“I’m coming,” she called, grabbing and donning a fluffy white robe covered with black cats. She padded to the front door and checked the peephole.
Rolex was already there, waiting, eager to hiss and claw at the intruder.