by K. M. Morgan
“How do you know for sure? You weren’t with Adam at the time of the murder. You told the police you were driving home from the nail salon,” Daisy said.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Madison replied.
Daisy didn’t believe her for a second. Madison’s eyes told a different story.
“By that logic, if you weren’t with Adam, you couldn’t know for sure that he didn’t commit the murder--unless you’re the real killer,” Daisy said.
Madison was quick to proclaim her innocence. “I didn’t do it.”
“It must be really hard being with a man just the money. Having to sacrifice being with the love of your life in Patrick only to dig for gold with Adam. Especially since being with Adam never produced any gold. I’m sure that made you incredibly frustrated. You know, it’s amazing what people do when they are pushed to their limits,” Daisy said.
“I don’t know who you think you are! You’re some interior decorator, not a detective. You can’t talk to me like this. If I tell Adam, you’ll be fired in a heartbeat,” Madison threatened.
“Oh really? Because last time I checked, Owen was in charge here,” Daisy said.
Madison glared at her.
Daisy continued. “Go ahead and tell Adam though. I’m sure he’d love to hear more about you cheating on him with Patrick Potter. While I’m at it, I’ll tell the police that too. I’ll bet they’ll be really interested in hearing all this.”
Madison’s head was practically spinning by this point. She seemed on the verge of cracking. Maybe Daisy would finally make a break through.
Just then, Kelly and Adam Stinson walked by the reception desk from the back of the office, both with tunnel vision in their eyes. Kelly seemed to be in a hurry to get to car. Adam meanwhile was determined to tail her.
Madison called out to her boyfriend. “Adam--”
Adam was too focused on tailing his mother to stop. Both Kelly and Adam made their way into the parking lot.
Madison meanwhile realized no help was coming her way.
Daisy remained on point. “Now, back to our conversation--”
Madison wanted no more part of it. She made an excuse to duck away. “Actually, I really need to go to the ladies room.”
Madison then dashed off and bolted into the restroom.
Daisy meanwhile realized she’d pushed Madison as far as she could right now. Given that, Daisy didn’t follow Madison into the restroom. Instead Daisy made her way out to the parking lot, where it looked like there was plenty of drama to be found. So much for a real estate office. The Majestic Estates was quickly taking on trashy reality show status.
Chapter Sixteen
As Daisy exited the sales office, she saw Adam and Kelly arguing at Kelly’s car. Daisy had to find out what they were saying. Luckily, both Adam and Kelly seemed to be paying more attention to their argument than their surroundings.
That meant Daisy was able to duck behind a nearby car and listen in on their conversation without being spotted. What Daisy overheard was amazing.
“I can’t believe you. What were you thinking?” Adam said.
“I was thinking about what’s best for the company,” Kelly answered.
“Clearly you weren’t, otherwise you would have promoted me,” Adam reasoned.
“Don’t talk to your mother that way. I raised you better than to talk back to me,” Kelly said.
“I’m being serious here. You know I deserve that promotion.”
“If life has taught me anything, it is that we don’t always get what we deserve. Trust me, I know that as well as anyone.”
“You’re going to regret this decision.”
“That’s what you think. Look, this isn’t easy for me. You know I love you, but this is a business decision—plain and simple,” Kelly said.
“So that’s it? After all I’ve done for this company, I’m stuck playing the second fiddle forever?” Adam asked.
“I told you, I’ve made my decision, and it is final.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Life is not fair. Now get back to work,” Kelly said.
Daisy could tell Adam wanted to blow his top, but he wasn’t about to do that in front of his mother. Besides, he realized by that point that it was no use. Adam was seething by this point.
Realizing they were at an impasse, Adam stormed away from his mother and headed back to the sales office. Daisy moved behind the car she was hiding against to stay out of Adam’s view.
Adam was so worked up that he probably wouldn’t have noticed Daisy anyway. Still, Daisy decided it was better to be safe than sorry. As Adam flung the door to the sales office open and went inside, Daisy made her way over to Kelly Stinson’s car. Daisy would have to be careful however. Tempers were running hotter than a spicy bean dip all of a sudden.
***
Kelly Stinson sure seemed to be in a hurry to get away from the Majestic Estates. Daisy reached the car just as Kelly put the keys in the ignition. As Daisy knocked on the driver’s side window, she startled Kelly half to death.
“Mrs. Stinson, can I talk to you a second?” Daisy asked.
Kelly clutched her chest as she rolled down her window. “Oh dear. What are you doing, scaring me like that?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. There’s just something I want to talk to you about,” Daisy said.
Kelly looked confused. “Really? What about?”
“I just wanted to say I’m very sorry about what happened to your husband.”
“Oh. Well, thank you for sending your condolences. Speaking of, I really need to get home. I have a lot on my mind.”
Kelly looked like she couldn’t wait to get away from Daisy.
“There is one more thing,” Daisy said.
Kelly gave her an impatient look. “Yes.”
Daisy knew she couldn’t afford to dilly dally. She had to get the most impact out of the limited time Kelly was giving her.
Daisy cut right to the heart of the matter. “I also wanted to talk to you about Carly Canton.”
Kelly went from being cordial yet distant to downright hostile. “That’s none of your business.”
“It actually kind of is. You see, there’s a rumor going around that Patrick Potter is not the real killer,” Daisy said.
Kelly immediately jumped on the defensive. “Well, I certainly didn’t do it, if that’s what you’re implying.”
Wow. Kelly was awfully touchy. If she was innocent, she sure wasn’t acting like it.
Daisy didn’t even accuse of her anything, yet Kelly felt the need to deny any wrongdoing. Very curious.
“I never said you were,” Daisy replied.
“Good. Because I was watching my favorite reality show that night,” Kelly said.
Daisy must have really unnerved her, because Kelly slipped up without even realizing it.
Daisy called her on it. “I thought you told the police you were drinking bubbly and taking a bath at the time of the murder?”
Kelly’s face went white. She backtracked as quickly as possible. “Right. I meant I turned on the television after having my bath. My memory isn’t the greatest after I’ve had some bubbly. Besides, it has been a very tough time for me lately.”
“I understand. So, do you think Patrick killed your husband?” Daisy asked.
Kelly seemed to be allergic to making eye contact all of a sudden. She was very tense and noncommittal.
“If that’s what the police say, I have no reason not to believe them. I just want to put this behind me,” Kelly explained.
“I imagine. You and your husband had a pretty big blow up only a few hours before he was murdered.”
Kelly suddenly jumped on the defensive again. “That doesn’t mean I killed him.”
Yikes. Kelly sure didn’t have the face of an innocent woman. Daisy didn’t like that Kelly was directing her rage at her.
“Again, I didn’t accuse you of anything,” Daisy said.
“I really have to go,” Kelly replied
.
Kelly then put her car in reverse and pulled out of the parking lot. In the process, Kelly nearly ran Daisy’s feet over. As Kelly’s car sped away, Daisy counted her blessings that she managed to escape the conversation with all her toes intact.
Chapter Seventeen
After a series of highly combustible conversations, Daisy thought it would probably be best to lay low in the model home for a few hours. Besides, there was also some decorating to attend to. That was the one thing she hadn’t done any of as of yet.
If Daisy wanted to keep herself from getting thrown off the job, she’d have to turn to attention to décor for a while. That’s just what she did. Daisy did nothing but decorate all the way up until after lunch.
When she finally took a break however, Daisy went back into full sleuth mode. Only this time, her investigation took her away from Majestic Estates.
***
Like her former best friend Kelly Stinson, Carly Canton was a housewife. Carly was rich enough however to never have to do any chores around the house. Her husband’s wealth allowed her to live in the lap of luxury, and that was a comfortable lap indeed. So much that Carly could afford to get a midday deep tissue massage if she wanted.
Unfortunately for her, Carly had a habit of posting her day to day activities on her social media page, so it made it all too easy for Daisy to know where to find Carly when she needed to.
Daisy waited in the parking lot of the day spa Carly posted about on social media. She didn’t have to wait long before she saw Carly walk out towards her car. That’s when Daisy seized the opportunity to approach her.
After what had happened with Kelly Stinson earlier, Daisy was hoping she’d have a different experience approaching Carly in the parking lot. After all, Daisy was in no mood to have another suspect almost run over her toes.
Carly Canton had shoulder length brown hair, hazel eyes, a short, trim frame, and despite having just had a massage, she wore enough accessories to keep a jewelry store in business for years. She had a designer label purple velour track suit that made her stand out in a crowd all the more.
Daisy didn’t care about any of that. All that mattered to Daisy was getting information out of Carly about Scott’s murder. She wouldn’t settle for anything less.
“Carly Canton, just the woman I’ve been looking for,” Daisy said.
Carly turned around, but looked puzzled as she didn’t recognize Daisy.
“Do I know you?” Carly asked.
“No. But I certainly know a lot about you. At least your affair with Scott Stinson.”
Carly’s eyes opened wide. Daisy sure had her attention now.
So much for Carly’s recent massage. The adulterer was as tense as ever now.
“Who are you?” Carly barked.
“That doesn’t matter. All you need to know is that I’m going to find his killer,” Daisy explained.
“The police already arrested the killer,” Carly said.
“They got the wrong person. The real killer is still out there.”
Daisy gave Carly a probing stare that clearly unsettled her. So much that Carly got very short with her.
“You’d better not be accusing me of murder,” Carly warned.
“I’d better not? Are you threatening me?” Daisy asked.
Carly narrowed her eyes. “Look, I don’t know who you are, but I’m warning you not to poke your head where it doesn’t belong.”
“Why, are you afraid of what I’ll find out?”
“I already warned you to stay out of my business once. I won’t do it again,” Carly said.
Daisy didn’t back down. “You’re sure acting pretty guilty.”
“That’s because I don’t like the accusations you’re throwing around.”
“What do you expect? You were having an affair with a man who was murdered under very peculiar circumstances.”
“If you really want to find the killer, look no further than his wife,” Carly said.
“Are you really going to throw Kelly Stinson under the bus? I thought you two were supposed to be best friends,” Daisy replied.
“We were. Things change.”
“Isn’t that the truth? For example, two days ago, Scott Stinson was still alive.”
Carly became defiant. “I don’t have to talk to you.”
Carly then pushed Daisy away and got into her car.
“Hey, only the guilty are afraid of the truth. If you’re innocent, you have nothing to hide,” Daisy said.
Carly put her key in the ignition and turned on the car.
“I don’t have anything to hide,” Carly insisted.
What an ironic statement to be making while driving away in a hurry. Carly couldn’t wait to get out of that parking lot.
It was dejavu in the worst kind of way for Daisy. This time, she learned however. She stepped back as Carly pulled her car out of her spot, not wanting to put her toes at risk of getting run over.
As Carly drove away, Daisy nearly kicked herself. What a missed opportunity. She was reaching desperation time in trying to find the killer. So much that she got sloppy with her questioning. There was a balance that needed to be struck. A suspect could only be pushed so far before they lashed out. These were potential murder suspects after all. Daisy knew that, but she let her desperation get the better of her.
One thing was suddenly abundantly clear—if she ever questioned another suspect in a parking lot, it would be too soon. Daisy had let things get out of hand. She blamed her low blood sugar.
Unfortunately, Daisy didn’t have time to grab lunch before confronting Carly, and her empty stomach kept her from keeping a cooler head. Daisy would need to fix that before returning to Majestic Estates. It looked like a trip to Drake Drumstick’s for some fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and biscuits was in order.
Chapter Eighteen
With her tummy nice and full of comfort food, Daisy returned to Majestic Estates with a renewed focus. She entered the sales office with two potential suspects left to question. If she was lucky, maybe she’d dig up a clue by the end of the day.
When Daisy walked into the lobby, she saw the receptionist Madison Mitchell was nowhere to be found. That wasn’t much of a surprise. It was after the lunch hour. No doubt Madison was out eating late with Adam Stinson.
Daisy could question them both again later. In the meantime, Daisy noticed Scott’s mousy assistant Ellie Edelson eating alone in the adjacent break room.
How fortuitous. This gave Daisy an opportunity she’d be foolish not to seize. Daisy entered the break room and paid Ellie a visit. Of all the employees in the office, Ellie was by far the most unassuming.
There could be a number of reasons for that. Perhaps she was just shy. In the context of a murder investigation however, being unassuming could help Ellie fly under the radar. Was that the case this time?
Ellie seemed like a highly unlikely suspect. Off the top of her head, Daisy couldn’t think of a good reason Ellie would have wanted to kill Scott. Sure maybe Scott was a bad boss to her and provided a harsh work environment, but that was a flimsy motive for murder.
Still, Daisy was only trying to determine who committed the crime, not how flimsy or strong their motive was. In the heat of the moment, people were capable of anything.
Besides, there was only one peculiar thing about Ellie that gave Daisy a pause. Ellie seemed to take particular delight in watching Scott’s misfortune.
Daisy caught Ellie smiling to herself a couple of times when she heard Scott’s life imploding. Ellie’s smile was especially pronounced when she heard Scott and his wife arguing about his philandering ways and Kelly demanding a divorce.
To Daisy, that was a topic that needed addressing.
“Anything good for lunch?” Daisy asked.
Ellie nearly jumped up in her seat.
“You shouldn’t sneak up on people like that,” Ellie said.
“Sorry. I didn’t realize you’d be so jumpy. Is everything alright?” Daisy wondered.<
br />
“Of course. You just scared me half to death,” Ellie replied.
“Come to think of it, Scott Stinson probably was feeling something very similar just before he died.”
Ellie gave Daisy a puzzled look.
Daisy continued. “Seeing as how someone snuck up behind Scott on the construction site and strangled him with that rope I mean.”
Ellie grimaced. “This is a really strange conversation. I think I’m going to get back to work.”
“I’m sorry. Don’t go. We can talk about something else.”
“But, what would you want to talk about with me?” Ellie wondered.
“You act like no one here cares about you.”
“That’s because they don’t. The only time they think about me is when they want to order me around.”
“What a shame. It must have been tough, working for a man like Scott Stinson,” Daisy said.
Ellie tried to talk her way around the subject. “I don’t want to speak ill of the dead.”
Ellie was proving to be a tough nut to crack. Daisy had to find a way to get her to open up.
“No. Of course not. Especially after what happened to him. No one deserves to have their life cut short like that.”
Ellie started shifting around in her chair. She was getting awfully uncomfortable with all this talk about Scott’s murder. It wasn’t because she cared for the man, because clearly she didn’t. What other reason would there be for her to get uncomfortable except if this conversation was hitting a little too close to home?
“Right,” Ellie said.
“Still, I’m curious about something.”
Ellie didn’t care. She just wanted to get out of that break room. She got up to leave.
“I really should be getting back to work,” Ellie said.
“Just one thing first. I couldn’t help but notice the smile on your face when you overheard Scott’s wife ripping into him about his adultery. I thought it was really odd. Almost as if you were delighting in his misery.”
