Alibis & Angels

by Olivia Matthews

  Diego turned to Shari, appearing to leave the decision to her. Shari was grateful for that deference. “I’ll give you that assurance provided I get the exclusive once the case is solved.”

  Heather looked confused. “The Telegraph is the only newspaper in town. Aren’t all of your stories exclusives?”

  Shari thought of Harold. She wasn’t leaving this to chance. “I want to be the reporter to cover this story.”

  “Whatever.” Heather shrugged. “I’ll give you the exclusive interview.”

  Sister Lou helped herself to another chocolate chip cookie. “Now that we have that settled, shall we get started?”

  Chapter 11

  “I received the first note last Wednesday.” Heather stood to pace Sister Lou’s cozy sitting area. “You can’t really call them letters. The first two were identical and only two sentences. The third note had four sentences.”

  Sister Lou studied the mayor’s agitated movements as she crossed from the apartment’s walnut wood door to the swinging door that led to Sister Lou’s kitchenette. The heels of Heather’s three-inch green pumps tapped smartly against the hardwood flooring. Her vibrant emerald green pantsuit projected understated authority. The outfit seemed as fresh and crisp this evening as it had when Sister Lou had met with the mayor almost twelve hours earlier.

  Diego’s eyes stretched wide. “You received three threats in a week and you didn’t contact the sheriff’s office?”

  “How did you receive them?” Sister Lou crossed her ankles and cradled her mug in both hands. “Did they come in the mail or were they left where the stalker knew you’d find it?”

  Heather tossed a glare toward Diego as she crossed back to the sofa. She reached into her purse and pulled out two plain white business envelopes.

  “I don’t have the first one, but I kept the last two.” Heather reached over Diego to hand the envelopes to Sister Lou. Her gesture seemed deliberate. “The first two came to my office as though they were interoffice mail. The last one was left on my kitchen table. I found it when I got home from work.”

  “The evening you were attacked,” Diego added.

  Sister Lou’s gaze shot up to Heather’s. “Oh dear. Do you have any idea how the stalker got into your home?”

  “My spare key is missing.” The mayor rose to resume her pacing. “He must have used it to get into my house, then kept it.”

  “You didn’t mention that,” Diego said.

  Heather shot him another quelling look. “There are a lot of things I haven’t told you, Diego.”

  “We have to have your locks changed. Now.” Diego was almost vibrating with tension.

  Heather gave him a superior look. “Already taken care of. I’m not completely incompetent.”

  The newspaper editor was either a very good actor or Shari was right. Diego seemed genuinely agitated by the threat to the town’s top executive. He cared too much about Heather to be involved in any way with these threats.

  Sister Lou returned her attention to the notes. She removed a short piece of paper from the top envelope. Its message read, Outsider, if you know what’s good for you, don’t run for reelection. Leave Briar Coast. Its typed text was two lines long. That left a lot of empty space on the standard sheet of paper.

  She reinserted the note into the first business envelope, then turned to the second mailer. The brief message in the second envelope read, Outsider, Opal Lorrie wasn’t supposed to die. That threat is just for you. I’d only wanted to scare her. But murder’s even easier the second time around.

  The threat was clear and menacing. Sister Lou felt the hate behind the message. A chill raced down her spine.

  Am I out of my depth?

  Sister Lou refolded the second letter. Something seemed off. The top and bottom edges didn’t align. Sister Lou set aside the second mailer and took the first note from its envelope. She trailed her right index finger across its bottom. To the naked eye, the edge seemed straight, but she was curious. She took her Sudoku puzzle book from the corner table beside her chair and laid the note on top of it.

  “What are you doing?” Chris’s question broke the silence that Sister Lou hadn’t noticed.

  She looked up and realized she’d become the center of attention. Keeping the note in place, Sister Lou turned the puzzle book around so that the others in the room could see her experiment. “The top and bottom edges of this note are crooked.” She did the same thing with the second sheet of paper. “So is this one. Can you see it?”

  Chris nodded. “Yes, I do. What do you think it means?”

  “I’m not sure.” Sister Lou returned the note to its envelope and gave both sets of mailings to Shari. “If I had to guess, I would say that the author of these threats didn’t want us to identify his letterhead so he trimmed it.”

  Shari handed the mailers to Chris. “Why would someone print an anonymous letter on custom stationery in the first place?”

  “Good question.” Sister Lou looked up at Heather. “You received the first two messages in your office. At first, everything was going according to the stalker’s plan. He somehow delivered his messages to Heather at her office. Opal’s death, however, wasn’t part of his plan, but he made the decision to take advantage of it to boost the fear factor. He took the risk of breaking into your home, which means that arranging the deliveries to your office must take more time and coordination.”

  “Shari’s right.” Diego reached forward to take the notes from Chris. “You’re very observant.”

  Sister Lou’s cheeks heated with embarrassment from the praise. “I wouldn’t say that.”

  “I would,” Chris said.

  “So would I.” Shari glanced at Heather. “Why does he call you ‘Outsider’?”

  “I’d only lived in Briar Coast for three years when I decided to run for mayor. Some people labeled me an outsider.” Heather stopped pacing. “Still, I knew I could do a good job and I have.”

  “That took guts. And a lot of confidence.” Shari gave the mayor a considering look.

  “You mean arrogance, and maybe it did.” Heather waved a hand toward Sister Lou. “How do these questions help us find the stalker?”

  “They give us insight into the person we’re looking for.” Sister Lou sipped her tea. “The stalker is patient. He found a way to get to your mail without anyone noticing. He’s well organized. There aren’t any superfluous marks on these messages. He’s also an opportunist. Opal’s death gave him an opening and he took it.”

  “All right.” Heather seemed encouraged by Sister Lou’s summation. “We’re looking for a patient, well-organized opportunist. Who is that?”

  Chris’s dark eyebrows knitted. “It doesn’t work that way. You have to help us come up with a list of suspects.”

  Sister Lou considered the Briar Coast mayor. She was arrogant, bordering on condescending; abrasive, bordering on rude; authoritative, bordering on bossy. “Who doesn’t want you to run for reelection?”

  Diego raised his left hand, palm out. “This isn’t just about reelection. Someone wants Heather dead, and he’s already killed Opal.”

  Sister Lou gestured toward the envelopes in Diego’s hand. “Yes, he admitted his responsibility in the last message he left for Heather. But remember, when he had the opportunity to kill Heather while she was jogging, he didn’t take it.” She met Heather’s wary eyes. “His primary goal is to get you out of the election and out of Briar Coast. Who doesn’t want you to run for reelection?”

  Heather gave a helpless shrug. “I have no idea. My job approval rating is good. I’m generally well liked.”

  “No, you’re not.” Shari’s comment seemed spontaneous. “I agree that you’re polling well as far as your job approval, but your popularity is pretty low. People don’t like you as a person.”

  Heather gave Shari a dry look. “Don’t sugarcoat it.”

  Shari looked surprised. “I didn’t.”

  “As mayor of this town, I’m doing a good job.” Heather braced her fist
s on her slim hips. “Our debt has gone down. Our schools are being modernized, and public services have improved.”

  “All of that’s true.” Shari inclined her head. “It’s also true that taxes have increased, younger people are leaving Briar Coast in search of better-paying jobs, and we still have to drive ten miles outside of town for decent health care.”

  Sister Lou raised both hands to stop their exchange. “You’ve both shared very valid points. I understand the pros and cons as they would appear on paper. Thank you. Now I need to see for myself how other people react to and interact with Heather.”

  Heather frowned. “How will you do that?”

  Sister Lou gave her a serene smile. “I’m going to accompany you to your office.”

  “Bring Your Sister to Work Day.” Shari grinned. “I like it.”

  * * *

  “How do I explain you?” Heather tossed the question over her shoulder as she crossed the Briar Coast Town Hall’s second floor executive suite on her way to her office. It was just before eight o’clock Thursday morning.

  The three-inch heels of her tall black boots were silent on the thin gray carpet. The boots matched the black faux leather belt around the waist of her brick red, ankle-length skirt suit.

  “If anyone asks, why not tell them the truth?” Sister Lou followed the mayor into her office. “You’re indulging my request to observe a typical day in the mayor’s office.”

  “I don’t have typical days, Sister Lou.” Heather unfastened the big silver buttons on her winter coat as she crossed to her executive chair. She put her briefcase on her desk. “Make yourself comfortable at the conference table.”

  Sister Lou carried her computer bag and purse to the rectangular table. She considered its six matching chairs before choosing the one at the head of the table. The seat was closest to Heather and faced the door, giving her the best vantage point from which to observe Heather’s visitors.

  “Are you usually the first one in the office?” Sister Lou settled onto the comfortable thick cloth chair.

  “I’m often the first one in.” Heather stored her black faux leather handbag in her bottom desk drawer. “It depends on what’s going on in the office. That’s what I meant when I said that we don’t have typical days.”

  “But your staff knows that you’re usually in very early. That means that if someone wanted to slip something into your mail, they’d either have to arrive even earlier than you or leave very late.”

  “You’re right.” Heather circled her desk. “Would you like some coffee?”

  Sister Lou tilted her head. “Do you have tea?”

  The mayor’s suite became increasingly crowded, active, and noisy as the eight o’clock hour drew nearer. Outside of the mayor’s office, Sister Lou took a closer look at Heather’s administrative assistant’s workstation. On the counter above Kerry’s desk, she counted six mail slots, one each for Heather; Kerry; Arneeka Laguda, her chief of staff; Yolanda Barnes, her chief legal counsel; Tian Liu, her communications director; and Opal Lorrie, deceased finance and management director. Sister Lou recognized those names from articles in the Telegraph. Sister Lou again said a prayer for Opal. She also prayed for Penelope “Penny” del Castillo, who Sister Lou had read was the interim finance and management director.

  Her visit to the executive suite’s kitchen-cum-breakroom confirmed for Sister Lou that the mayor’s office was a coffee lover’s haven. The featured selection of teas failed to stir her interest. Sister Lou lowered her selected teabag into a cream porcelain mug, then poured hot water over it. She waited while Heather added cream and sweetener to her coffee. The scent of the strong, hot brew reminded Sister Lou of Chris’s Lenten sacrifice. She smiled as she accompanied Heather back to her office. How was her nephew handling his second coffee-free day? If the past were any indication, not well.

  A high-pitched peal of feminine, carefree laughter startled Sister Lou from her thoughts. She looked around to see a young couple enter the suite through the double glass doors.

  “Good morning, Kerry.” Heather’s voice was warm but Sister Lou detected a hint of reserve in the words.

  Kerry turned to her boss with a radiant smile. Her powder blue eyes shone and her round, milky cheeks glowed. “Oh, Mayor Stanley, good morning. Are you feeling okay?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” Heather stopped at the front of Kerry’s workstation. Sister Lou waited beside her.

  Kerry gestured toward her companion. “Jeff and I heard you fell while you were jogging last night, and that you spent the night in the hospital with a concussion.”

  “It’s a small town, Mayor.” Jeff nodded toward Heather before shifting his curious gaze to Sister Lou. “You know, news travels fast.”

  “It appears that way.” Heather gave the young man a quick look before turning back to Kerry. “I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”

  “I’m glad.” Kerry pressed a small hand to her ample bosom. “Let me know if you need anything.”

  “Thank you, Kerry.” Heather waved a hand between Kerry and her male friend. “Kerry Fletcher and Jefferson Manning, I’d like to introduce you to Sister Louise LaSalle. She’s spending the day with us. Sister Lou, Kerry is my administrative assistant and Jeff is her friend. He’s also the aide of a Buffalo city councilman, quite a distance away.”

  “It’s not that far, Mayor Stanley.” Jefferson’s smile never faltered.

  Sister Lou exchanged handshakes and greetings with the young couple. Kerry was a very pretty young woman who was obviously in love. Her doll-like face, framed by shoulder-length strawberry blond curls, glowed every time her wide eyes met Jefferson’s. Her simple blue-green cotton sweater and woolen cherry red skirt showed off her curvy figure.

  Jefferson’s manner and appearance expressed an understated wealth. The handsome young man seemed well aware of his appeal. His perfect golden blond hair was professionally styled. It glowed beneath the fluorescent lights.

  “Sister Louise LaSalle.” Jefferson released Sister Lou’s right hand. “Aren’t you the sister, you know, who helped solve the last two Briar Coast murders?”

  Sister Lou was disconcerted by Jefferson’s question. It still surprised her when people referenced her participation in the murder investigations. “I did provide some insight to the sheriff’s deputies on those cases.”

  “I thought I recognized your name.” Jefferson glanced at his watch. “The Buffalo paper carried the Telegraph’s articles on those murder investigations, you know? Why are you spending the day with the mayor’s office?”

  Sister Lou gave the inquisitive young man a serene smile. “I’m interested in observing the day through the mayor’s office.” It wasn’t a lie. It just wasn’t the entire truth. Sister Lou was comfortable with that.

  Jefferson glanced at Heather. “I thought no two days were, you know, the same at the mayor’s office.”

  “They aren’t.” Kerry gave Sister Lou a dazzling smile. “But it’s still nice to have you here with us, Sister Lou.”

  “Thank you.” Sister Lou liked the young woman on sight. Still her amateur investigators would have to do a background check on Kerry as well as the rest of Heather’s staff.

  Sister Lou took in the hustle and bustle of the mayor’s office. Was the stalker lurking among them or was he on the outside? She and her team would have to find a way to narrow their list of suspects, preferably before this threat hurt anyone else.

  Chapter 12

  “You and your executives have been together since the campaign.” Sister Lou’s words followed Heather into her office.

  “That’s right.” Heather settled onto her chair and set her coffee mug within easy reach on her desk. “We’ve been through a lot together. It’s made us very close, and before you ask, no one on my executive team would be involved in these threats nor would they have had anything to do with Opal’s death.”

  Had Sister Lou heard the defensive note in her voice? Heather hadn’t meant to sound combative, but it was important that Si
ster Lou understood that her executive team was off limits. They’d already lost Opal. Heather didn’t want this investigation to affect them in any way.

  Sister Lou seemed unruffled by either Heather’s words or tone. “We should still check their backgrounds if only to rule them out.”

  Heather watched as her guest lifted a computer case onto the conference table. Sister Lou unpacked her laptop, then quickly and efficiently set up a makeshift workstation. The few gray strands of hair woven through the ebony bob that framed Sister Lou’s gently rounded face glinted beneath the office’s fluorescent lights. She smoothed the jacket of her slate gray polyester pantsuit before taking her seat at the head of the table. Heather’s gaze dropped to Sister Lou’s crossed ankles and her small black weatherproof boots. The sister must have chosen them for warmth rather than fashion.

  Heather felt a twinge of guilt as she witnessed this example of the inconvenience Sister Lou had accepted to help a virtual stranger. “Thank you again for everything you’re doing for me. I realize that it’s a great imposition.”

  Sister Lou’s almond-shaped onyx eyes stretched wide. “One member of our community was already killed. You were attacked. Although I think you should go to the deputies, in as much as you’re reluctant to do that, I’m willing to help you. So are Chris, Shari, and Diego.”

  “Thank you.” Heather was humbled by Sister Lou’s response. “I still don’t think you need to interview my team, though. It would be a waste of your time.”

  “It would give us peace of mind.” Sister Lou returned Heather’s steady stare. “They might also be able to shed some light on viable suspects.”

  Heather tried to shrug off her impatience. “All right, just as long as you don’t reveal anything about these threats. I don’t want them to be involved. What else?”

  The knock on Heather’s open office door interrupted their exchange. Arneeka stood framed in the doorway, her fisted hand against the walnut wood door. Her chocolate gaze swept first to Sister Lou before meeting Heather’s. “Should I come back?”