Chloe knew from past investigations that the more uncomfortable a suspect became, the more likely they were to let information slip out.
She decided to test those waters. “I saw how much she hurt you last night. She knew being a comic meant everything to you, and instead of nurturing your dreams, she just stomped on them. That sounds like motive to me. Now that she’s gone, you get to inherit her stake in the club. You can put yourself back on the schedule. Hey, you can even make yourself the headline act.”
Tony was defiant. “Stop! I loved my mother with all my heart. What you’re accusing me of doing is crazy.”
Chloe pressed on. “Sometimes love makes people do crazy things. Especially when a person’s love isn’t reciprocated by their own mother.”
Tony stepped back. “That’s it; we’re done here.”
Chloe could tell Tony was about to make a break for it. She had to use the only leverage at her disposal.
“Should I tell the police you’ve been sneaking around their crime scene? I’m sure they’d be interested in hearing that,” she said.
Tony stopped dead in his tracks. “What do you want from me?”
“It’s simple. I just want the truth.”
“I already told you, I’m trying to find my mom’s killer.”
Chloe had to hand it to Tony; he was sure sticking to his guns on this one.
“Let’s say I buy that. Who do you think the killer is?” she asked.
Tony didn’t hesitate with his answer. “Isaac Hunter.”
“Why?”
“He’s always had it in for my mom. The man gave her nothing but trouble, blaming her for every problem in his life. She wasn’t paying him enough, she was working him too much, she wasn’t giving him benefits, and she didn’t cut him any breaks. Not only was my mom nice enough to give him a job when no one else would, but she kept him on the staff after his outburst. After all that, he repaid her kindness by stealing from her.”
“Wait a minute, what kind of outburst did he have?” Chloe asked.
“Isaac is bi-polar and doesn’t always take his meds. About three months ago, he came in looking completely crazed. He stormed the stage in the middle of someone’s set, stole the microphone from one of the comics, and then started telling some really inappropriate jokes. When the audience heckled him, he lashed out at them and told them off. Finally, security was able to drag him off the stage. I thought Isaac should have been fired, but he pleaded with my mother, and for some reason, she gave him another chance. Isaac Hunter is a wacko, and if it’s the last thing I do, I’m going to prove he killed my mother,” Tony declared.
“That’s all very interesting, but none of that proves you’re innocent in this case.”
Tony didn’t like having the blame shifted back on him. This time, nothing was going to keep him from fleeing the scene. “We’re done. I’m out of here.”
Chloe could have darted after him, but not only was Tony a fast runner, it was clear he wasn’t going to say another word to her. Knowing she had no more leverage to lean on him with, she decided to let him go.
After Tony left the scene, Chloe searched the parking lot, paying close attention to the area around the backstage door. After searching for twenty minutes, she didn’t find anything. She wasn’t sure if that was because there was nothing else to find, because the police had gathered everything, or because Tony had pocketed something incriminating before she’d arrived.
Either way, there was no reason to hang around anymore, not with so many more suspects to interview.
Chapter Fifteen
Chloe’s investigation got off to an interesting start. Then again, she realized that was pretty par for the course when trying to crack a murder case. An investigation like this would never be easy. After all, it wasn’t like the guilty party was going to walk around with a smoking gun.
The conversation didn’t end with Tony Ryan. Her visit to Isaac Hunter started off inauspiciously as well. When Chloe pulled her car onto Isaac’s street, she realized that she had arrived just in time.
Isaac was loading a box into the beat-up sedan that was parked in his driveway. The car was packed to the gills. It looked like everything he owned was in that car. He appeared to be in a hurry to skip town.
There was only one way for Chloe to stop him and get some questions in. She pulled her car into the driveway and parked directly behind his.
Isaac turned to her as she got out of her car. He looked highly annoyed.
Chloe knew she had little time to work with, so she got right to the point.
“Going somewhere?” she asked.
Isaac was less than cooperative. “Yes, and you’re blocking my car. Why don’t you turn right back around and get out of here? I don’t have anything to say to you, or anyone else.”
Chloe wasn’t going to let him off that easy. “Where are you headed?”
He remained dismissive. “That’s none of your business.”
“You don’t get to decide that. The detective specifically told all the suspects not to leave town. I’m sure the detective would be interested to hear that you’re disobeying his orders.”
Isaac became combative. “Are you threatening to rat on me?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“Whether you answer my questions.”
Isaac groaned. “What do you want from me?”
“The truth about what happened last night.”
“I already told the detective everything I know. I have nothing more to say.”
“Then why are you in such a hurry to leave town?” Chloe asked.
“There’s no reason for me to stay in this place anymore.”
Chloe had a different take. “Most people would say you’re running because you’re guilty.”
Isaac narrowed his eyes at her. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I know you were fired last night. That you have a shaky alibi for the time of the murder. And that you’re in a hurry to get out of town.”
“I’m leaving town because no one else in the Cape is going to hire me. If I go somewhere else where I don’t have a history, I can start out fresh.”
“When you say history, you mean a place where you haven’t had a bi-polar outburst where you stormed onstage and antagonized the audience?”
Isaac furrowed his brow. “How did you know about that?”
“Tony Ryan clued me in. You know, he’s convinced that you’re the one who murdered his mother,” Chloe revealed.
Isaac scoffed. “Of course he’d say that.”
“What do you mean, of course?”
“Don’t you see? He’s trying to throw the blame off himself.”
“Maybe you’re doing that too.”
Isaac shook his head. “No. Think about it, Tony had the most to gain from his mother’s murder. With her death, he had an unloving mother out of his hair, and now gets to inherit her business.”
Chloe put the ball back in his court. “You had a motive, too. After all, you were just fired last night.”
“It doesn’t mean I killed her.”
“That would be easier to believe if you didn’t have a history of unpredictable behavior. Who said you didn’t have another outburst last night? Being fired is a traumatic event.”
“I don’t have a history of outbursts. I had one, and that was months ago. Things are different now,” Isaac insisted.
“Oh, really? I overheard your conversation with Victoria last night. You justified stealing from the business because you couldn’t afford to pay for your medications on your hourly wage alone. Were you on your meds last night?” she wondered.
Isaac lashed out. “That doesn’t matter.”
“I think it matters more than you’re willing to admit. Suppose you were out of meds and tried stealing some money to pay for your next prescription. Only, Victoria caught you in the act and fired you. That would leave you with no meds, no job, and a whole lot of anger,” Chloe speculat
ed.
Isaac clenched his fist. “Enough. I don’t have to listen to this.”
By the looks of things, Isaac was about to have another outburst. Chloe didn’t want to be caught in the crosshairs. She took a few steps back. At the same time, she felt like she was on the verge of a breakthrough. She decided to keep pressing, but from a safer distance.
Chloe stared at his clenched fist. “I thought you said your outbursts were over, that things were different. It sure doesn’t look like it.”
Isaac looked down with surprise, almost as if he didn’t even realize he’d closed his hand into a fist. His eyes then opened wide as he panicked.
“Leave me alone,” he yelled.
Isaac darted back into his house.
Chloe sighed. Talk about a surreal conversation. Chloe didn’t quite know what to make of it. One thing was clear; there was no taking Isaac off the suspect list.
Isaac may have thought that running into his house would put an end to his problems, but that was far from the case. When Chloe returned to her car, the first thing she did was call the police.
Unfortunately, Detective Thicke didn’t pick up his phone. She left a message for him, letting him know that Isaac seemed to be trying to skip town. The police could keep an all-points bulletin and keep an eye on Isaac.
In the meantime, Chloe had other suspects to question.
Chapter Sixteen
Chloe’s next stop was Ben Harrington’s house. When she pulled onto his street, she realized he already had company. Ben’s ex-wife, Leah Manning, was talking with him in the driveway.
Chloe purposefully overshot the house and decided to go into stakeout mode. She ended up parking on the side of the street a few houses down and turned her keen eye to Ben and Leah.
At first, Chloe wondered why their conversation was taking place outdoors. Then, it occurred to her. Leah was being awfully flirtatious. Ben was just the opposite. He had the look of a man who couldn’t wait for their conversation to be over. Most likely Ben decided to have the conversation outdoors because if he invited Leah in, it would be hard to get her out again.
It was a shame that Chloe was too far away to hear what was being said, but their body language spoke volumes. Even though Leah was Ben’s ex-wife, she was clearly still hung up on him. Chloe was interested to see how their conversation ended. She wasn’t about to barge in and interrupt them.
In Chloe’s experience, approaching two suspects at once was always best to be avoided. It was just a numbers game. If they wanted to, the two suspects could team up against her. It was hard enough drawing information out of someone as it was, no less when Chloe had two different people to focus on.
Chloe was at her best when she was questioning a suspect one-on-one. Suddenly, it looked like she’d get her chance. Leah Manning got into her car with a dejected look on her face.
Chloe had a decision to make. She could only confront one suspect right now. Ben Harrington was most likely staying put for a while. A stationary target was much easier to hit. Chloe meanwhile didn’t know where Leah was going, so it made the most sense to follow her.
As Leah backed out of the driveway and sped away, Chloe followed her.
***
Of all the places for Leah to go, she ended up driving to a chocolate shop. Chloe was surprised she hadn’t headed straight home. As a woman who’d given into plenty of chocolate cravings in the past, she knew what the root cause was for most of them—man trouble.
Suddenly, a number of questions sprung to Chloe’s mind. What did Leah expect out of her conversation with Ben? How well did she handle rejection? Did any of this tie into the argument Chloe saw Leah having with Victoria the night before?
Chloe parked and snuck up behind Leah in the parking lot. This was ideal for Chloe. They were in a public place, so Leah would be less likely to make a scene.
Chloe made her move. “I love this place.”
Leah was startled to see Chloe come up beside her. As Leah gave Chloe a once-over, it was clear Leah didn’t recognize her.
“Uh huh,” Leah replied.
Even though Chloe flashed her a smile and tried to make small talk, Leah seemed leery to get caught up in conversation. Chloe tried to break the ice.
“You know, I used to avoid driving down Pleasant Point Road altogether, because I knew I couldn’t drive by this chocolate shop without popping in to grab a snack,” Chloe revealed.
“The chocolate here is addictive,” Leah admitted.
“It always hits the spot. Unlike men, chocolate never lets you down.”
Leah lowered her head, still visibly hurt from her previous conversation with Ben Harrington. “So true. Men do know how to break your heart sometimes.”
It was only a slight opening, but Chloe took it. “Yeah, I can’t imagine what it’s like to still be hung up on the man who cheated on you and ruined your marriage.”
Leah became highly offended. “Excuse you.”
“I saw you and Ben Harrington talking earlier.”
“Were you spying on us?”
Chloe shook her head. “I had driven over to talk to Ben.”
Leah got a jealous tone in her voice. “About what?”
“Don’t worry, I’m not interested in him romantically. I already have a boyfriend.”
Leah appeared relieved. “Oh. Then what were you going to talk to him about?”
“The murder of Victoria Ryan.”
Leah tensed up in a hurry. She looked to make a quick exit from this conversation. “You know what? It’s really cold out here. I’m going to go into the shop.”
“I’ll join you,” Chloe replied.
Leah did a sudden about-face. “On second thought, I should be heading home. I don’t need all those extra calories anyway.”
Chloe stopped her. “I just have a couple of questions for you first.”
Leah shut her down. “I don’t have any answers for you.”
“But you don’t even know what the questions are.”
Leah kept walking. “I don’t care.”
“You know, being evasive only hurts you. It makes you look guilty. If you want to help yourself, just tell me the truth.”
“There’s nothing to say. I watched some trashy reality shows last night, then went to bed early.”
“You mean after you got done arguing with Victoria Ryan outside the club,” Chloe corrected.
Leah stopped dead in her tracks. “How did you know about that? How long have you been spying on me?”
“You’re awfully paranoid. I haven’t been spying on you. I just happened to be leaving the club and saw you two going at it. What were you arguing about?”
“That’s not important.”
“It was apparently important enough that you didn’t want to tell the police about it this morning. Let me guess, you were arguing about Ben.”
“I didn’t kill Victoria,” Leah insisted.
That reply seemed to come out of nowhere. Chloe hadn’t even accused her of committing the crime. Apparently, Leah was jumpier than Chloe even thought.
“I didn’t accuse you of murder. Do you have a guilty conscience?”
“I don’t know why you’re picking on me. I didn’t do anything.”
“You still haven’t answered my question. What were you and Victoria fighting about last night?” Chloe asked.
“All right, so we were arguing about Ben. I was lonely and feeling sorry for myself. I also knew Victoria was the cause of it all. So I went to the club to give her a piece of my mind.”
“Let me get this straight. There you are, a jealous, bitter divorcee angry about how your life has turned out. You go to confront the mistress that ruined your marriage and had a shouting match in the same parking lot where that mistress turned out dead hours later. That sounds an awful lot like a motive to me,” Chloe explained.
“I don’t care what it sounds like. I just wanted to blow off some steam. That’s all.”
Chloe shook her head. “That’s not all. I k
now you’re still hung up your ex. I also know your ex-husband was still hung up on Victoria.”
“For the last time, I didn’t do it,” Leah yelled.
Leah then reached her car and got in.
Chloe tried to keep her from leaving. “If you’re innocent, then why are you running away like you’re guilty?”
Leah didn’t answer.
Instead, she pulled out of her parking spot, not caring that she almost ran Chloe’s foot over in the process. Leah then drove away and didn’t look back.
Chloe couldn’t help but linger on how quickly that conversation took a turn. She’d put Leah towards the bottom of her list of suspects earlier, but after what just happened, Leah shot right up to the top.
Chapter Seventeen
After nearly getting her foot run over, Chloe returned to Ben Harrington’s house. Normally, Chloe was able to shake off a bad encounter. This one was proving more difficult. Chloe had an affinity for keeping all her limbs intact, so the prospect of having a literal flatfoot because a suspect nearly ran it over, left her shaken. So much so that she didn’t even stop into the chocolate shop to grab a truffle. For Chloe to skip out on chocolate was a big deal. She’d have to reward herself with many truffles when this case was closed.
By the time Chloe parked in Ben Harrington’s driveway, she managed to calm her nerves. She’d need them. She saw a light on inside Ben’s house, so she knew he was home. The question became, would he answer? Chloe approached his front door and knocked.
On the second set of knocks, the door opened. Ben poked his head out the door with a blank look on his face.
“Yes?” he said.
“Ben, I’d like to ask you a few questions,” Chloe replied.
Ben furrowed his brow. “Who are you?”
“I’m investigating the murder of Victoria Ryan.”
“I already talked to the police.”
“I know. I just have a few more questions for you.”
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