“You made it. I forgot how busy it gets here. It’s been a while since I’ve been in on a Tuesday,” Jake said as she sat across from him.
“Gramps comes in a lot. He and David like their pizza.” Jane’s cousin David had a standing date with their grandfather, and they often came on Thursdays when the pizza deal was offered early in the evening, from four to six, as Thursday nights later on were plenty busy enough.
“We can each order whatever we like and share. Does that work for you?” Jake suggested.
“Perfect.” The waitress came by then and they both ordered draft IPAs from a local brewery and their pizza. Jane went with a margarita, which was pesto, mozzarella and fresh tomato and Jake got a meat lover’s special with sausage, hamburger, sausage and onion.
“That sounds good, too,” she said after they’d put their order in.
“Yours does, too, but I need a little meat on mine.” Jake grinned and Jane felt a flutter in her stomach. It might not be one, but it did sort of feel like a date and Jane was surprised to find she liked the feeling—though she quickly reminded herself that it was likely all in her mind. Jake was a professional and wouldn’t consider dating someone who was part of an active investigation. She was snapped out of her mini-daydream by him asking about their meeting with Maxine.
“Did you learn anything interesting?” he asked as the waitress set down their beers.
“I’m not sure if there’s any connection, but Maxine did say that the money for the Mercedes came from Samantha Sellers’ life insurance policy.”
“Maxine was her beneficiary? That seems odd.”
“I agree. She said she changed it about six months ago as they were going through the terms of their divorce.”
“They must have been really close.”
“She said they were once, but it didn’t sound like that was the case anymore. She admitted that she was surprised by the call from the attorney. She hadn’t thought Samantha was serious about putting it in her name. She mentioned something about Samantha owing her, but I think she realized she’d said too much. She clammed up right after that.”
“That is highly unusual, to change the beneficiary like that. Even in divorce, it often stays with the ex-spouse, at least for a period of time, until everything else is settled.” Jake looked thoughtful and was quiet for a moment.
“Is Maxine in a relationship with anyone?” Jane wondered.
“I don’t know. You didn’t ask?” He sounded surprised and Jane immediately felt annoyed.
“How, exactly, would I have casually asked that?”
“I guess that would have been somewhat awkward,” he agreed.
Dan, the trivia leader, stopped by their table then to see if they planned to stay and play trivia, which would be starting momentarily.
Jake looked at her before answering him. “What do you think?”
“Sure, why not?” Dan was happy with that response and dropped off a score sheet and notepad for their answers. Jane had always enjoyed playing team trivia and felt a moment of sadness as she remembered playing often after work in Boston with some of her colleagues from the office.
She and Jake did well on the first few questions, which were in categories each of them liked—food for Jane and history for Jake. Soon after, the waitress brought their pizzas and they dove in.
An hour-and-a-half later, full of pizza and happy with their second place finish and ten-dollar gift card they could use on a future visit, they got ready to leave. The waitress had just dropped off their check and Jane immediately reached for her wallet, intending to split the bill evenly with Jake. But he wouldn’t hear of it.
“I invited you here. Dinner’s on me.”
“You don’t have to do that. It’s not like this is a date,” she protested.
Jake was quiet for a moment and then said, “It’s really like I’m just buying you a few beers, since one of the pizzas was free. It’s not a big deal. I’m glad you were able to join me.”
He made it sound so sensible. “Okay. Thank you, then.”
“You’re welcome. But we have to do it again soon. We have that gift card to use and we need a first place finish next time.”
Jane laughed. “Okay, but next time it’s on me.”
“We can discuss that later.” Jake stood, and as Jane slid out of the booth she did a double-take and tapped Jake’s arm.
“That might answer the question about Maxine’s relationship.” Maxine was sitting at the bar and leaning over to kiss her on the cheek before settling into the chair next to her was Chester Sellers.
“Hmmm, interesting. Maybe it’s not what it looks like,” Jake said.
“Right. Maybe they’re just good friends. Do you really believe that?” Jane asked.
“Not especially. But you never know. They might just be affectionate with each other.”
Jane said nothing and Jake added, “It’s worth looking into.”
16
Jake went into work a little earlier than usual the next morning. He had the feeling that they were missing something on the Samantha Sellers’ case. On the surface, it seemed simple enough. Someone wanted Samantha Sellers dead—most likely someone she knew.
They’d spoken to everyone they could think of who had any connection to her. But since they didn’t have any solid suspects yet, they hadn’t been able to request a copy of the will. Now that he was aware of Maxine’s bequest, he could officially speak with her again and put that request in. It would be interesting to see if the will held any other surprises. And, of course, one of the first questions he asked of everyone he spoke with was, “Do you benefit in any way by the death of Samantha Sellers?” Everyone he had spoken to had said no, but he probably talked to them all before the will was read.
He was still scratching his head about the connection to Jane Cho. He didn’t think for even a minute that Jane was involved. He was professional enough to detach himself from his opinion and still investigate thoroughly, but logically it didn’t add up. Jane was simply too smart to leave a body on her own premises with a note that seemed to suggest a connection. Especially given her background.
If Jane had been involved, he doubted there even would have been a body to find. With her investigative experience, she’d be far more careful. And it didn’t make sense. So Samantha had filed a lawsuit to shut her down? There were no real grounds for that, so Jane had nothing to worry about. Samantha was just a nuisance, but not one worth killing for. But someone must have benefited by Samantha being gone, and he would get to the bottom of it.
He thought back to the night before at the restaurant, when he and Jane had seen both Maxine and Chester at the bar. It was surprising how they seemed to be so friendly. Were they just good friends, since Maxine had been Samantha’s best friend? Given the animosity between Samantha and her soon to be ex-husband, though, it did seem odd that Maxine would be so chummy with him. Loyal friends didn’t typically behave like that.
Jake didn’t like it when there were so many loose ends. He needed to get his report together to share with the state police who would soon be taking the case over. In Massachusetts, only the larger cities like Boston, and Worcester and a few others had their own homicide investigative units. The other, smaller towns handled the initial investigation and then handed their findings over to the state police.
That was one thing that had been difficult for Jake to get used to, since he came to Waverly from the Boston precinct and had been a homicide detective. He left that work for a reason, but still, old habits died hard and although Jake would still work with the state police in assisting as much as possible, he was hoping to hand them more complete findings to run with.
He was just finishing up a summary of the case so far, when there was a knock on his office door. Usually, he left his door open, but he’d closed it so he could focus without interruption and cross this report of his to-do list. He heard the door open and smiled as he turned around. Only one person would walk in without waiting for an invit
ation.
“Hi, Mom.” His mother, Marcia Tolino, all five feet of her, stood in the middle of his office, holding a plastic container out to him.
“What’s that?” he asked her.
“You were too busy to come by last night, so I brought the meatballs to you. I can’t eat them all myself, you know.”
His mouth watered at the thought of his mother’s meatballs and sauce. He’d forgotten to pack a lunch.
“Thank you. But you didn’t have to do that.”
“There’s stuffed shells, too. Your favorite. Have you lost weight?”
“No, Mom. I’m pretty sure I’m the same as always.”
“You look thinner to me. Can’t have you fade away to nothing. You need to keep your strength up,” his mother fussed as she set his lunch on the corner of his desk.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to stop by last night. I had plans.”
“Yes, you told me. How was your date?” She had seated herself in the chair directly across from Jake’s desk, and leaned forward, eager for his response.
“Mom, I told you it wasn’t a date.”
“That’s what you said. But you met her at a restaurant, shared a meal and played that silly game you like. Sounds like a date to me.”
“It wasn’t. I promise you that.”
“Are you going out again?”
Were they? Jake hoped so.
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
“I see. But, it’s not a date.”
Jake sighed. “No, Mom. Jane is just a friend.”
His mother shook her head at that and then stood.
“I’ll leave you to your work. I have to get to the gym, anyway. Water aerobics is in forty-five minutes.”
Jake smiled at that. His mother was a ball of energy. She couldn’t sit still for long. She was a wonderful cook and a great mother, and ever since his father died five years ago, she’d turned the fussing up a notch. She was dying to be a grandmother, and to see him settled. Thankfully, though, his brother, Jeremy, had taken the pressure off a bit by having twins a year ago.
“Bye, Mom. Have fun. Thanks for the meatballs.”
When she left, his thoughts turned back to Jane Cho. Truth be told, he wouldn’t mind going on a real date with her. But that would have to wait.
17
"What? You took his case? Are you serious? Hold on a sec." Jane turned to Melissa, who was bringing a new tray of muffins to the front. "Melis, can you watch the register for a minute? I'll be right back. Mrs. Cosby had her usual blueberry and medium coffee, black."
"Sure thing."
Melissa set down the muffins and jumped in to help while Jane walked out back to give Nick her full attention.
"Okay, sorry about that. So, fill me in." Jane was shocked that Nick had decided to represent Alex Drummond. She didn't think there was a realistic chance that would happen.
"I know. I surprised myself on this one. But, I went to meet with him yesterday and as you know, he can be persuasive. It's a compelling case and an intriguing challenge. I haven't had a case I could really sink my teeth into for a while. This could be it."
"I thought you generally avoided this kind of case. Didn't you say it seemed like a dog?" Jane reminded him.
"Well, yeah. That's what I thought at first. But Alex and I got to talking and I have to tell you. I really don't think he did it."
Jane found a chair and sat down. She'd always thought Nick was one of the smartest lawyers she'd ever worked with. Had he fallen under Drummond's spell? Was his judgment clouded?
"Is there any new information? His case was mostly circumstantial, but the jury did find him guilty. He had plenty of motive for each of the killings."
"Well, that's the thing. It turns out that he's not the only one with a real motive."
"He gave you something on someone else? Why didn't he share this before?"
"I don't think he ever thought he would need to. He was pretty confident that he'd get off. All the evidence was purely circumstantial, and he had a good legal team."
"Not good enough," Jane said. "And he didn't count on you being so good. Getting that employee he framed off only made him look that much guiltier."
"True," Nick admitted. "But we don't actually know if Nick framed the kid. What if someone else did?"
"Like who?" In spite of herself, Jane was fascinated by the shift in direction that Nick was exploring.
"Well, I can tell it pains him to consider it. It seemed hard for him to tell me this, but it sounds like he suspects that his stepson may be involved."
"Which one?" Jane asked. Alex had twin stepsons. One worked in the family software business. The other had followed a different path and was on the leadership track within South Boston's Irish mafia.
"That's the problem. He's not sure which one. Both of them have a potential motive. They are equal shareholders in Drummond's software empire," Nick said.
"And even given the publicity, Drummond's stock is up," Jane said in disgust.
"Hard for it not to be," Nick agreed. "With the chief architects at his two main competitors gone, it slowed their releases and let Drummond's take control of the market."
Both of the men who were killed were instrumental in new product development at their respective companies. The initial PR had been damaging, but the stock quickly rebounded when Drummond's innovative new release hit the market and took off.
"He must have some idea which one might have been involved?"
"He said he keeps going back and forth on that. Says he could see either of them being involved. I don't think there's any love lost there."
"So he needs you to figure that out, too? Which one is the most likely suspect?" Jane asked.
"Nice, huh? Are you temped? It's a dream case. Unlimited billing. Whatever it takes to get it done. He said we have an open checkbook, so to speak." Nick sounded excited and much to her dismay, Jane felt a hint of the old excitement she used to feel whenever she started a new case, too. She was tempted. He knew she would be.
"Not tempted in the least," she lied.
Nick was silent for a moment and then in a cheerful voice said, "That's too bad. Well, if you change your mind let me know."
"I will." And then Jane couldn't help asking, "Who are you putting on it?"
"To investigate? Liza I think."
"Liza. That's good." Liza Kennedy had been with the firm as long as Nick had. She was a good, reliable investigator. She was slow and steady and for a client with unlimited pockets, it was a perfect match. Jane sighed. It was just as well. Guilty or not, Alex Drummond was the last person she'd want to help, anyway.
"I should get back to work," she said and started walking toward the register.
"Right. Same here. I'll talk to you soon, Jane."
Jane hung up the phone and thought about what Nick had just said. Even if it turned out that one of his stepsons was the actual killer, she still found it difficult to believe that Alex Drummond wasn't involved in any of those deaths. But, it wasn't her problem to worry about any longer. No, her biggest decision for the rest of the day would be whether or not to make another batch of blueberry muffins.
She'd just decided to make them when the front door chimed and a new customer walked in. Jane was surprised to see that it was Ellen Smith. She usually came first thing in the morning, on her way to the high school.
"Hi, Ellen. School get out early today?" she teased. The other woman smiled.
"Yes, actually. It's a half-day, so I decided to treat myself to an iced cappuccino."
"That's great. Coming right up." The shop was almost completely empty except for one table in the corner. Jane handed her the cold drink, took her money and then said, "Do you have a moment to chat?"
18
"Sure, I have a few minutes," Ellen agreed.
"Great, let's sit for a minute." Jane led her to a small table in the corner. Aside from two regulars who were working away on their laptops, the shop was empty. Jane knew that Melissa could handle any st
ray customers that might wander in. She settled into a seat and waited for Ellen to join her.
As soon as she did, Jane spoke. "I was having dinner with my sister-in-law the other night and she mentioned that you were good friends with Samantha Sellers. Since she was discovered here on the property, I've been wondering what happened to her."
Ellen took a sip of her drink and looked sad.
"She was a good friend. It's so upsetting—and to think something like that could happen here. I've always felt so safe in Waverly."
"Me, too," Jane agreed. "I still do, for the most part." She paused for a moment and then carefully said, "They say that something like ninety-five percent of all murders are done by someone who knew the victim. In a way, that makes me feel safer."
"I suppose," Ellen agreed. "Though I can't imagine who could do this to Sam."
"There's no one in her life that you were aware of that she had conflict with?"
"No," Ellen said immediately and then added, "The only person she had any issues with that I knew of was Chester and he's harmless. It was just your usual divorce tensions."
Jane shared her opinion on Chester. She didn’t think he was the one who did this.
"Was there anything else going on in her life that was stressful that you were aware of?"
Ellen took a sip of her coffee and looked deep in thought, as if she was debating saying something. Twice, she opened her mouth to speak and then took another sip of her drink instead.
"What is it?" Jane finally asked.
Ellen sighed. "Well, I don't know if it's important or relevant at all, which is why I didn't mention anything before when that cop came to talk to me, but Samantha was under quite a bit of financial stress."
Jane was surprised. "She was? I thought the bed and breakfast was doing well?"
Motive Page 6
