“Sometimes”—Jacob scratched Suzy behind the ear—“your inside voice gives you bad advice.”
Savannah relaxed back into her seat. “Okay. In your own time, Amanda. We’ll listen when you’re ready. For now let me tell everyone about our call this morning.”
Savannah cleared her throat. “Martin had a business partner helping him with the marketing of his new line of fantastical artworks. Her name is Vicki Lilith, and we discovered her through the Web site she and Martin shared for online sales.” She glanced at Amanda, who nodded for her to continue. “So we called her up, and, wow, did we get an earful. She apparently has been over to Martin’s trailer and has put all his recent pieces up for sale on her site, without waiting for any kind of permission from his family.” Savannah tilted her head. “Anyway, she did tell us, accidentally, I believe, that Martin has an estranged sister in Tampa. I think we should talk to her.”
“I’m free, now that I’m done the social media search.” Amanda walked over to the corkboard and pinned up a picture of Martin’s artwork and a picture of Vicki. She looked at Savannah. “I got the one of Vicki from their marketing Web site. I thought we might want a picture of her.” She turned around and looked at each of them. “I still haven’t told you everything. There’s more about me and Martin.”
“Okay. We’re here for you. Go ahead,” Savannah said.
Amanda pulled a tissue from her pocket and dabbed at her eyes. “I’m so disgusted with myself that I haven’t been completely honest with you guys about Martin.”
“What do you mean?” said Edward.
“I’ve known Martin for over a month. I can’t believe it’s been such a short time, because we hit it off so well.” She looked down and folded her hands into a tight grasp. “We met online, on one of those dating sites.”
“What? You were dating Martin? Isn’t he quite a bit younger?” Savannah asked.
Amanda looked around the table. “See! You’re doing it, as well. Judging me! You have to understand. I am seriously lonely.” She looked down and rubbed her hands. “Between the hours I work here and the erratic times I spend with my mother, I don’t have a chance to casually hang out with people. I thought a dating Web site would be perfect.”
Savannah looked at Edward. “Amanda, we’re not judging. We know how difficult things have been for you.”
Edward nodded and placed an arm around Amanda’s shoulders. “You should have let us know. We wouldn’t have talked you out of it, but we could have given you some support. You didn’t have to deal with Martin’s death alone.”
Leaning her head into Edward’s hug, Amanda replied, “I know that. I should have let you guys know.”
“Let’s focus our forces a bit differently.” Savannah looked over the group. “Edward and I have to talk to Martin’s neighbors and also track down Captain Collins.” She noted Amanda’s puzzled look. “Captain Collins was part of the celebration pub crawl on Monday night. Edward and I stopped by his place once, but we haven’t connected with him since.”
Edward nodded in agreement. “We still have Jacob in reserve, in case we need any additional help.”
Jacob nodded down at the end of the conference table. “I’m good at analytical tasks and synergetic thinking.” He lifted Suzy from her conference chair and started out the door. “While I’m waiting, I have work to do on this restoration project,” he said over his shoulder.
“Do you think he’s upset?” Savannah watched Jacob return to the large workshop.
“He might not understand what Amanda is saying. Let him absorb it in his own way,” said Edward. “Now, where were we?”
Amanda returned to her seat. “I think I should be the one to talk to Martin’s sister.” She rummaged in her large hobo purse for another tissue. As she pressed it in the corner of her eyes, she said, “I’ve been such a fool. I don’t deserve you guys.”
Savannah turned toward Amanda. “Don’t be silly. We’re going to clear things up.”
“No, it’s not that.” Amanda placed her hands on top of the conference table. The dark wood accentuated the pale coloring of her arms. “It’s something way worse. There’s just one more thing I haven’t told you.”
Savannah raised her eyes at the trembling tone of Amanda’s voice. “What is way worse?” Savannah nodded to Edward. He quickly refilled Amanda’s cup with iced tea and set it down in front of her.
Amanda grabbed the cup like a life preserver and quickly downed the cool drink. “It is worse.” She lifted her eyes to Savannah. “You see, I knew Martin from before the workshop. About a month before the workshop.”
“You just told us that—”
“Let me finish in my own way.” Amanda’s voice was stronger now, and she straightened her shoulders. “I mean, we were secretly engaged.”
“What! Good grief, Amanda.” Savannah stood up so quickly, her chair fell back and crashed to the floor. “How do you expect us to investigate properly if you don’t tell me everything about you and Martin? Why don’t you tie my hands and then blindfold me? That’s pretty much what you’re doing.” Savannah folded her arms and looked at Amanda, her anger clearly showing.
Edward quietly picked up the chair, placed it behind Savannah, and she plopped down into a seated position.
Amanda bowed her head. “I know. I know. I’m being stupid.”
“Tell us everything. I mean everything,” Savannah muttered.
“Well, Martin and I were, well, intimate, I guess you could say, pretty quickly after we met. I was afraid I had jumped into his bed too quickly, but that wasn’t the way it turned out. He felt we had a future, and on Saturday night he asked me to marry him.”
“What?” Savannah gasped.
“Yeah, I know. I’ve been keeping all this hidden. Anyway, I accepted, but then I started having second thoughts about how quickly everything was going.”
“Understandable.” Savannah recalled feeling the complete opposite about her ex-boyfriend back in Seattle. He hadn’t seemed to want to move forward in their relationship at all. It had ultimately been the cause of their breakup. “How did you handle it?”
“Not well at all. On Sunday he suggested we meet his sister.”
“Tracy? The one that Vicki said he didn’t talk to?”
Amanda nodded her head. “Yes, that’s right. He wanted to make a big effort to mend their differences. It’s kinda sad that they didn’t forgive each other before he died.”
Savannah shook her head slowly. “I don’t understand why she was willing to go along with a secret engagement and why she’s still keeping it a secret.”
“I’m not sure how much longer she will keep it quiet. Our visit was not a happy event. In fact, she and Martin fought like cats and dogs. It was horrible, and I called off the engagement as soon as we left. I’m sure she doesn’t want it known any more than I do.”
“This gives an entirely different focus to our investigation. We now need to concentrate fully on finding the killer.”
Amanda nodded and lowered her head.
Savannah plopped down in her chair at the conference table. “So, that’s why you’ve been so emotional the past two days. I thought it was the pressure of the workshop, combined with your mother’s condition.” She lowered her head to touch the surface of the table. “Ugh! I’m such an idiot. Some boss I’m turning out to be.”
“Uh-uh.” Amanda’s voice strengthened to its normal timber. “This is not your fault at all. I won’t have that.” She looked around the table. “You’ve been the best friend I’ve ever known.”
Savannah straightened up and sat tall. “This changes everything. Detective Parker doesn’t know about this. Or does he?”
Amanda pulled a tissue from her pocket. “That’s why he came to see me at the shop, and I didn’t tell him anything, but he knows we were in a relationship, because they found Martin’s phone. We texted a lot. I mean a lot.” She snuffled into the tissue. “I was going to delete them from my cell, but I couldn’t do it.”
Jacob returned with Suzy in his arms. “I don’t understand. What’s wrong?”
“Crikey.” Edward slapped his forehead. “It means that Amanda will be questioned closely about Monday night.”
“I agree,” Savannah said. “The next time Detective Parker sees us, it will be to question Amanda.” She pressed her lips into a fine line. “Here’s the ultimate question. Amanda, where were you on Monday night?”
“I was with my mother until about two a.m. But I’m sure no one saw me.”
“That’s not good, not good at all.” Savannah folded her arms. “You have to tell us more about you and Martin.”
Amanda sniffed and blew her nose. She looked over at Jacob, who was still holding Suzy. “It’s not a pretty story. I’m ashamed of the way I’ve behaved.”
Jacob tilted his head. “Did you kill Martin?”
“Jacob!” Savannah screeched. “That’s a horrible—”
Edward interrupted, “That’s exactly what Detective Parker will ask.” He looked at Savannah. “She had better be prepared for his questions. This is good practice.”
“He’s right.” Amanda put away her tissue and folded her hands on the table. “I desperately want to find out what happened to Martin.”
Savannah softened her voice. “Of course you do. The best way is to tell us everything.”
Amanda nodded and exhaled a deep breath. “I’d signed up for a dating service with an emphasis on common interests, and Martin was a match for location, plus an interest in glass art. We arranged to meet for coffee, and we clicked.”
“When was this?” Edward asked.
“Let’s see.” Amanda looked up at the ceiling. “I think it was a little over three, no, maybe four, weeks ago. Then, after coffee, we went to the Chihuly Collection. I have a season pass, so it was literally half price for Martin. He doesn’t . . . didn’t have much money.” She sniffed and pulled the frayed tissue from her pocket.
“Wait a tick. You’re going to need more.” Edward fled the room and returned with a box of tissues from Savannah’s office and placed it in front of Amanda.
“Thanks.” She pulled several tissues out of the box and wiped beneath her eyes carefully to avoid smudging her makeup. “After that we walked down the street and got some ice cream. We must have sat at one of the tables in front of Kilwins for hours. We had so many things in common—art, movies, even books. It was a great afternoon.” She sat quietly, lost in thought for a long minute.
Savannah tapped her fingers on the conference table. “I’m sorry to keep prodding, but what happened next?”
Startled, Amanda continued. “That’s when we started texting a lot, and then I invited him over for a meal.” She looked at Savannah. “I’m an excellent cook. He was very surprised.”
Edward and Savannah exchanged a knowing look.
Savannah said, “Is that when it became more serious?”
“Everything moved very fast after that.” Amanda spoke quickly. “It was the next morning when I realized that I hadn’t told anyone about him. But at the time, it seemed to me that if I told anyone about him, then I might lose him. It’s happened before. Mother was always fiercely protective, and she was so ill. Then, the longer things went on, the more difficult it became to say anything.”
“How did Martin feel about the secrecy?” Edward asked.
Amanda looked down and let her fingers follow the grain patterns in the conference table. “He seemed oddly pleased that no one knew about us.” She looked up at Savannah, with tears ready to spill. “I was going to tell you after the workshop was over on Friday.” She looked around at everyone. “Honestly, it was getting very hard to keep it a secret after so many weeks.”
Savannah stood and paced around the room. “This changes everything. Without an alibi, you’re going to be at the top of Parker’s suspect list. We need to get in front of this very quickly.”
Edward piped up. “I don’t see how we can prevent an investigation.”
“I’m not suggesting that we prevent an investigation. Far from it. I think we need to conduct an investigation that will clear Amanda before Parker decides to arrest her.”
“Arrest her!” Jacob said. “But Amanda says she didn’t do it.”
Edward reached for the iced tea pitcher and filled his cup. “The police are frequently told that by each suspect. Parker is going to wonder why Amanda didn’t tell him immediately that she knew Martin extremely well. I agree with Savannah. We need to pull this together quickly. What’s first?”
“We need to find out a lot more about Martin, and our best resource is you.” Savannah pointed at Amanda. “First, where did he live?”
“He lived in a very small travel trailer near the Intracoastal Waterway.” Amanda flushed pink and ducked her head. “I’ve been there a few times, but no one saw me. It was always very late, and he made sure that none of his neighbors were around.”
“Good.” Savannah rubbed her hands together. “Let’s go talk to the neighbors and see if Martin’s neighbors are a lot more curious than he thought. Edward and I will handle this.”
“Martin was involved in salvage diving,” Amanda said. “It was one of the few things we disagreed about. He wanted me to get certified for scuba diving, but I’m too afraid of the water. He even took me on one of his salvage trips to watch. I still didn’t like it.”
“What boat? That could be a lead,” Savannah said.
“I didn’t look at the boat’s name, but the owner was Captain Larry Collins of John’s Pass Marina. You know, the same Collins that was on the pub crawl.”
Savannah looked over at Edward. “We can check that out after we see where Martin lived.” She gazed at Amanda. “Amanda, I know this will be difficult for you, but you are the best at social media. Could you see what you can find out before all of Martin’s sites get removed?”
Amanda sniffed and nodded yes.
“What about me and Suzy?”
“Sorry, Jacob. Nothing for you as yet, but it’s early.” Then Savannah stood back, with her arms folded across her chest. “Okay, posse, we’re officially on the hunt.”
Savannah looked over at Edward and gave a tiny shrug of her shoulders. “Okay, let’s start at the top. I haven’t heard anything from Dr. Smithfield yet, so I’ll give her a reminder call right after this.”
“Then what?” Amanda asked.
“Next is a trip out to Martin’s trailer to talk to his neighbors for me and Edward, and we need to track down Captain Collins. Can you do that this afternoon?”
“Absolutely.” Edward poured himself another iced tea. “I need to stop by Queen’s Head for a few minutes, and then I’m free until this evening.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up in, say”—she looked down at her watch—“thirty minutes?”
“Perfect.” He gathered the glasses and the pitcher and waited until Amanda had left the conference room and Jacob returned to his workshop. He gave Savannah a kiss on the cheek. “Perfect.”
Edward left on his motorcycle, and Amanda walked back to Webb’s Glass Shop, leaving Savannah to go to her office and dial Dr. Smithfield.
“Good afternoon. Dr. Smithfield speaking.”
“Hi. This is Savannah. I wanted to ask if you have heard from your colleague in Bristol about the bottles.”
“I did get some clarifying questions from him, but nothing definitive yet. I may need to send an actual bottle over there, even a fragment would be helpful.”
“Send them over to Bristol?”
“Yes. He hasn’t asked for them, but I think we should be prepared for that eventuality.”
“Wow. I don’t know if it’s possible. The shattered bottle is part of the evidence collected at the scene of Martin’s death. So I’ll ask Detective Parker. He’s in charge of the investigation. I’ll let you know. I’ll try to get back to you this afternoon.”
“Perfect. It would be good to be prepared with an answer. I expect I’ll hear some news early tomorrow morning.”
“
Thanks, Dr. Smithfield,” Savannah said, ending the call.
Next, Savannah dialed Detective Parker’s cell phone. She hoped it wouldn’t make her too late for Edward and try his patience.
That’s something I don’t know. What kind of patience does he have?
“Detective Parker, Homicide.”
“Hi. This is Savannah. I have a question about the cracked bottle you gave me to investigate.”
“Sure, but quickly. I’m on my way to the morgue.”
“Okay. I’ve contacted a source who believes the bottle was manufactured in Bristol, England, in the late seventeenth century. Her own contact may actually need to have the bottle in hand to confirm it originated from that area. Would it be possible to send it over to him?”
“Yes, it’s possible, but administratively, very complicated. We would send it to New Scotland Yard, who would deliver it to the specialist. Do you think it will be necessary?”
“She’s not sure yet but wanted to start the process, in case her colleague needs the bottle for confirmation.”
“Understood. I’ll—” A distant female voice could be heard through Savannah’s phone. “I’ll research the process, but I sincerely hope we don’t have to go there. Sorry, but I’ve got to go. Thanks.”
Savannah heard the dial tone and hung up her desk phone.
Her watch indicating she was late, Savannah grabbed her backpack and threw it in the backseat of her Mini.
Time to find out if he’s patient.
Chapter 18
Thursday Afternoon
Savannah drove down to Queen’s Head. Edward was pacing out in front of the pub, but he smiled wide when she pulled into the narrow parking lane.
Edward climbed into the car. As he settled into the passenger’s seat, Savannah apologized. “I’m sorry. I was talking to Dr. Smithfield.”
“No worries.” Edward raised his eyebrows. “Any word?”
“Nothing yet.” Hmmm. He does have lots of patience, then. “She heard from the guy in Bristol, and she asked if it was possible to send over a fragment or even an entire bottle for his analysis.”
Cracked to Death Page 12
