“Steve’s wife isn’t much good for anything,” Jon went on. He noticed Marla’s startled glance at his bitter tone. “Irina is his second wife. She’s considerably younger than him. Stevie boy ditched Patty when she wanted kids. Children weren’t on his agenda. They’d curb his lifestyle too much.”
“I didn’t realize he was married,” Marla stated. “We haven’t met yet.”
“Steve’s firm gave you a loan to get your business started, correct?” Dalton leaned forward, clasping his hands together. A stubborn lock of hair fell onto his forehead.
“Yes, Alyce and I were grateful to him. I’d gotten laid off from my IT job, you see. But I had always loved to cook. We tended to support food truck vendors, knowing how hard it is to be successful. So when Alyce suggested I go into the business, I leapt at the chance. My specialty is gourmet tacos. But there were legal fees to set up an LLC and get my license and such, not to mention the truck and equipment. We put our savings into it as well as the loan.”
“So it’s a big deal if you fail,” Marla guessed. “Have you been able to save for your kids’ college educations?”
“Yes, we’ve been squirreling away a small amount each month toward their college funds.” His voice choked. “They miss their mother dearly.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss.” Marla’s eyes misted. This poor guy seemed to be genuinely grieving. “Did you have any insurance on Alyce? I don’t mean to pry, but it could help you hire a steady housekeeper,” she said in a gentle tone, while Dalton let her take the lead. She came across as less intimidating than a police detective. “If you work late hours, who will stay here with the kids after school?”
“I’ve hired a high school student from the neighborhood as babysitter. We’d used her before. The children like her, and she can fix their dinner.” The man’s shoulders slumped. “We thought Alyce would outlive me, so we never considered getting a life insurance policy in her name. With her healthy eating habits and jogging every day, you’d think she would be around for a while. Who knew something like this would take her from us?” He swiped at his eyes, while Marla and Dalton maintained a compassionate silence.
Too many women didn’t value their lives enough to get insurance, Marla thought. With their household management, child-rearing, cooking and cleaning duties, all women with families needed coverage during their earning years.
“If you’d like me to help you find someone else, let me know. I have references,” Marla said. She’d hired a housekeeper for Tally after she came home from rehab. Tally needed to build her strength while caring for baby Luke and dealing with her late husband’s estate. She had been grateful to have assistance for mundane chores.
“How’s the business going these days?” Dalton asked in an idle tone, while his stiff posture indicated his keen attention.
Jon’s face brightened. “We’ve been zooming like rockets ever since I started. Alyce entered the bake-off contest, hoping she’d win so I could pay off my startup loan and expand the enterprise into a fleet. I’d have customers for more trucks if only I had the money to invest.”
“We’re still calling your wife’s death an accident, but it happened so soon after Francine’s death that it might be more than coincidence. Can you think of anyone who might have wanted to harm your wife?”
Jon gaped at them. “You think somebody hit her on purpose?”
“It’s crossed my mind. But so far, we don’t have any evidence otherwise.”
“No, not unless—” Jon stopped abruptly.
“What?” Marla prompted.
“She was worried about her brother’s association with Tony Winters. Alyce said he’d get Steve in trouble. She warned him that his firm should break off their relationship with Amalfi Consolidated.”
“Did she say why?” Dalton asked.
Jon shook his head. “Alyce wanted to get proof before going public. She wouldn’t even tell me what was bothering her. I know she liked to delve into thorny food issues for her blog. She’d uncovered more than one unethical practice in the industry.”
“So she might have offended someone?”
“I suppose that’s possible.”
“Did she ever mention Carlton Paige, the food critic? He considered her a rival of sort,” Dalton said with a glance in Marla’s direction.
Jon gave a mirthless chuckle. “Oh, the fellow disliked her for sure. She dissed his reviews and hinted he took favors in exchange for a high rating. Paige accused my wife of eroding his readership, but have you eaten at those places he recommends? They’re not all he’s cracked them up to be. If his column is losing readers, it’s because the man has lost his edge.”
“Could he have wanted to get her out of the way?” Dalton studied the other man’s face.
“Are you kidding? That guy couldn’t hurt a fly. He doesn’t have it in him.”
“And yet, somebody killed Francine Dodger, who’d been wearing your wife’s jacket. The two of them looked alike from the rear.”
Jon’s face paled. “Wait, you don’t think Alyce was the intended target, do you? And when the murderer failed to get her the first time, he tried again? Who would do such a thing?”
“That’s what we’re trying to learn.” Dalton’s gaze narrowed. “The guilty party had to be present at Kinsdale Farms on the day of the bake-off. I understand your wife didn’t approve of TV chef, Raquel Hayes. Did you ever catch them arguing?”
“Not to my knowledge. Is she a suspect?”
“Everyone is a suspect at this stage, Mr. Greene. Even you. It appears you’ve come into some money. I was quite surprised to hear your wife was Francine’s beneficiary. And now I suppose you’ll inherit her estate.”
“What? Good God. I had no idea.” Shock distorted the man’s features.
“Didn’t Alyce know about this? What exactly was the nature of the relationship between your wife and Francine?”
Jon shot to his feet. “It wasn’t what you seem to be implying. My wife was faithful to me, and I loved her very much. She was devoted to our marriage and our kids.”
“Then please enlighten me,” Dalton said in a patient tone. He rose to face the other man.
Marla remained seated, feeling tired for no reason. Maybe she needed another cup of coffee for an energy boost.
“Alyce got interested in genealogy research,” Jon explained, staring at the carpet. “She looked up her family at one of those online sites and submitted her DNA into a gene bank that matches people. After a long wait, Francine’s name popped up.”
Now it was Dalton’s turn to stare. “You mean they were related?”
“There was a ninety-six percent probability. They’d met as acquaintances before at food industry events. When Alyce got the hit on the genealogy site, she contacted Francine. The magazine publisher admitted she’d been adopted and had become interested in learning her heritage. She’d tried to contact the adoption agency, but the place had closed and their records were gone. So she submitted her DNA to the gene pool in an attempt to discover any living relations.”
“I had no idea Francine had been adopted, did you?” Marla asked her husband. She’d be miffed if he had withheld this information from her.
“No, this is news to me,” he replied.
“Was Alyce’s mother deceased by this time?” Marla asked. “If not, the girls could have asked her how they might be connected.”
“Sadly, she had passed. But Alyce looked through her mom’s documents and discovered adoption papers among them. She’d had a daughter at age seventeen and had given her up to an agency. A heartbreaking letter asking for forgiveness was included in the envelope.”
“So she must have married later and had two kids with her husband.”
“Yes, so we gathered. When Alyce called Francine with the news, the magazine editor was elated. She insisted they keep their relationship private, however. Nonetheless, I was excited for my wife. Unfortunately, her brother didn’t have such a happy reaction.”
“Oh no?
You’d think he would be thrilled to discover a potential sibling.”
“When Alyce told Steve about her discovery, he yelled at her and said their mom would never deceive them that way. So she decided to get proof. The women both submitted to further lab tests. The results left no doubts that Alyce and Francine were sisters.”
Chapter Nineteen
“Actually, my wife and Francine were half-sisters through their mom,” Jon Greene told his guests. “Francine was happy to discover she had a family but also resentful. After all, their mother had abandoned her, while Alyce and her brother had a normal childhood.”
“This means Steve was also Francine’s brother,” Marla pointed out.
“That’s correct. He couldn’t accept the evidence and got angry at Alyce. She wanted to get to know Francine better. The women proceeded at a slow pace. It was happenstance that they both entered the bake-off contest.”
Dalton resumed his seat next to Marla. “Tell us about your brother-in-law’s connection to Tony Winters’ import company. Is he Tony’s personal financial advisor, or does he handle the company’s accounts?”
“I don’t rightly know the answer, Detective. Steve has been hit hard by his sister’s death. It’s a little over a week now. I still can’t believe she won’t walk through the door anymore.”
“It may have been an accident or not, Mr. Greene. A neighbor came outside after she heard a shriek. A white car was speeding down the road, but she didn’t catch the plate number. She saw your wife lying in the street.”
“We’ve been over this before.” Jon slumped back into his chair and hung his head.
“I’m just saying... if this wasn’t an accident, it means somebody knew your wife’s routine. Have you noticed any strangers hanging around the area?”
“Heck, no. That’s something we’d look out for with the kids and all.”
This wasn’t a gated community, Marla noted. Too bad, or there might have been a video showing visitors coming and going. So had the guilty party, if one existed, determined that Alyce jogged the same route every morning? Or had she been followed that day alone? What had she done to bring the killer down upon her?
Or it could have been an accident, some fool of a driver who hadn’t been paying attention and then got spooked and ran. Dalton had already put out a notice to all the car repair shops and rental agencies to be on the lookout for a white vehicle with damage.
The only real way to determine if this had been a deliberate act was to find a motive.
“What will you do now?” she asked Jon.
“I suppose I should hire a housekeeper as you’d suggested. I hate to be crass, but what does Francine’s estate include, Detective?”
“I can put you in touch with her lawyer for a more definitive answer.”
“Good, I’d like to pay off my loan so I won’t have that debt hanging over my head. That’s assuming I’m the beneficiary with Alyce gone.”
“Will you expand the food truck business like you’d planned?” Marla put forth. Dalton stirred restlessly beside her. They should leave soon. She picked up her purse and slung the strap over her shoulder.
“With the loan paid off, I could approach investors. I’d rather use the rest of the money to finish funding the kids’ pre-paid college programs.”
“Maybe Steve will chip in. He’s their uncle after all.”
“I wouldn’t impose on him that way. He’s done enough for us.”
After reaffirming their condolences, Marla and Dalton left shortly thereafter. She gave a sigh of relief once outside in the fresh air. The house had seemed heavy with sorrow. Jon would have his hands full raising two young children on his own.
“Maybe we’re looking at things the wrong way,” she said to Dalton during the drive home. She needed to get her car before heading to work. “Alyce, as a blogger, must have dug into people’s backgrounds for her articles. She could have had quite a list of personal indiscretions hidden away. Have you checked her bank accounts to see if she had any unusual deposits?”
Dalton gazed at her askance. “You mean, she might have been blackmailing folks?”
“It’s worth a shot to check out. I would doubt it based on my instincts, but you never know. Are you going to see Steve Madison later today? I wish I could come but my schedule is fully booked.”
“Huh, like that’s ever stopped you before. Actually, it might be useful for you to see him under the guise of needing an investment advisor. Let’s see what I can learn this afternoon. If I’m not satisfied, you can give it a try.”
“Okay, that sounds like a plan.” Pleased by his faith in her, she ran into the house when he dropped her off. A half hour later, she left again after taking care of the dogs and changing into more comfortable shoes.
During a break in her work schedule, Nicole cornered her. The other stylist’s eyes sparkled as she regarded Marla at the next station.
“I’m so excited. Kevin wants to take me to Atlantis in the Bahamas. That resort costs a fortune.”
Marla’s mouth curved in a grin. “Good for you. I love the food in Nassau.” She’d been to the island while on another case. That visit hadn’t turned out very well. “Do you want to use your vacation time for this getaway?”
“We’ll see. Kevin says he’ll make reservations after I meet his parents on Sunday.”
“Oh, my. Do you think he’s preparing to pop the question? Are you ready for that step?”
Nicole’s face burst into a radiant smile. “I hope so. We’ll never forget how you and Dalton introduced us.”
“Yeah, well after he rescued Spooks from that hole in the neighbor’s backyard, I had hero worship. And when I learned he was single, that cinched it.”
“You’ll be in our wedding party, won’t you? Both you and Dalton.”
“Let’s not count your chickens until they’re hatched,” she said, repeating one of her mother’s favorite clichés. “I didn’t tell you where I went this morning. Dalton discovered that Francine’s heir was Alyce Greene. Would you believe they are half-sisters?”
Nicole’s jaw gaped. “Do tell, girlfriend.”
Marla rattled off the gist of their conversation with Jon Greene. She could confide in Nicole who would keep things under wraps.
“No kidding? That’s an unexpected connection. You should visit the magazine offices again. Francine may have said something to her staff about this newfound family.”
Marla’s pulse accelerated as a memory surfaced. “Lynette Wilde from their office told me Francine had a sister who died when they were young. An aunt claimed Francine’s body. Were these people from her adoptive family?”
“They’d have to be, if Alyce and her brother were her biological siblings,” Nicole pointed out.
“You’d think Alyce would have stepped forward to take charge of Francine’s final arrangements.”
“She’d have to bear the burden of cost then. Maybe her husband didn’t want her to get involved, especially since someone else had staked a claim.”
“True, neither woman had admitted their connection in public. Perhaps they wanted to get used to the idea first.” Marla tapped her chin. “I should revisit Francine’s office as you said. Maybe Francine had let something slip about Alyce’s relationship to her. Let me check my schedule to see when I can take a break.”
She didn’t have time to follow up until next Monday, however. The rest of the work week was fully booked. And Sunday was family day.
When the weekend rolled around, she picked up her mother on Sunday morning and drove to Delray along with Brianna to meet the teen’s grandparents for brunch. Dalton was stuck working on his cases and couldn’t take time off. Thus Marla and Brianna devoted their time to the elder family members.
Unusually tired when they got home, Marla flopped in front of the TV. She had to drag herself to prepare dinner. She’d better make an appointment with her gynecologist to follow up on her pregnancy test. He might want to do blood work to confirm the results.
&nbs
p; “Are you planning to visit Francine’s workplace tomorrow?” Dalton asked her later when they were both in bed. “If you do go, please tell them where to send Ms. Dodger’s personal belongings. It would save me a trip. Note their reaction when you mention Jon Greene’s name as the heir apparent. But be careful. Someone doesn’t like your snooping.”
Marla remembered the rock thrown at their door. “I will. Did you learn anything new today?”
“Alyce didn’t have any unusual deposits in her bank accounts.”
“Then likely she wasn’t blackmailing anyone with the dirt she had on them. How did your interview go with her brother?”
“Steve was reluctant to talk about Francine. He didn’t know her that well and didn’t care for how Alyce seemed riveted by her discovery. Maybe he was afraid Francine would usurp his role as older sibling.”
“You’d think he would be glad to find a long-lost sister. What did he say regarding Tony Winters and his firm?”
“He does Tony’s personal accounts. Someone with more seniority there acts as advisor to Tony for Amalfi Consolidated and manages their funds along with an accountant, who does their books.”
“How did Alyce’s brother come to suspect something was wrong?”
“He came across a memo that struck him as strange. When he asked about it, he got an evasive response. Alyce’s death hit him hard. I think he blames himself for telling her his suspicions. She went off on a tangent, saying she knew something was weird about that import company. His remarks strengthened her conviction that she was on the right track. All she needed was proof.”
“Does Steve believe her hit-and-run accident was deliberate?”
“He’s running scared. The guy doesn’t know what to think and would prefer to avoid the subject. My showing up at his place couldn’t have helped. I may talk to the judge about taking a look at the company records, but only if we have more to go on.”
“Why don’t you let Sergeant Langley take the lead in these cases? You’re supposed to be doing more administrative tasks.”
Trimmed to Death Page 20
