Halloween Is Murder

by Carolyn Arnold

  “Heart failure,” Jimmy said.

  Sara’s gaze locked on Sean’s, and her heart sped up. That didn’t mesh with what Chloe’s sister had told them about their family’s clean medical history—at least not if Chloe’s death was due to natural causes.

  “Did he say what caused that?” Sean asked.

  “He suggested a few things,” Jimmy said. “But nothing’s for certain yet.”

  Sean smirked at Sara, obviously picking up on Jimmy’s annoyance. She shook her head at him. He loved Jimmy, but Sean seemed to enjoy it when he got frustrated, especially when it was regarding Needham. Maybe it was because when they’d worked for the Albany PD, they had reported to Jimmy, and most times, they were left dealing with the Good Doc.

  “He said it could have been due to natural causes, drug overdose, poison. Needham said otherwise Chloe seemed rather healthy. He also started to say something about her organs but then clammed up.”

  “What about the organs?” Sean asked.

  “I just said he clammed up.” There was a little heat to Jimmy’s voice. They’d hit a sore spot. “Maybe I should be happy he talked to me at all.”

  Sara disregarded Jimmy’s woe-is-me attitude. Tingles were running down her arms, and her head was feeling light. “So we are likely looking at poison or drugs.”

  “Yep, but only tox results will confirm whether that’s the case or not.” Jimmy fell silent, but Sara sensed there was something more he was going to say.

  “Jimmy?” she prompted.

  “I think he has a good feeling about what caused the heart failure but is holding back. He said he was keeping any theories to himself and that he’ll make his ruling when the lab results come back.”

  “He was always that way,” Sara said. She wasn’t sure she’d be too popular, even in current company, if she empathized with Needham out loud, but the fact that he wanted everything available to him before making a conclusion earned her respect.

  “Did he tell you anything else?” Sean asked.

  “Chloe might have been drinking white wine before she died. Or someone with her was.”

  “It could have been drugged with something,” Sean suggested.

  “I wonder if she was drinking alone,” Sara pondered aloud.

  “I’m not sure,” Jimmy said. “He did mention that the cops said there were no signs of forced entry, though.”

  “Right,” Sean said. “We figured that from speaking with Jackson.”

  “Hold up,” Jimmy rushed out. “Who’s Jackson?”

  “Chloe’s ex-boyfriend and cameraman. He’s the one who found her,” Sean began explaining.

  “Okay.” Jimmy dragged the word out.

  “We should meet up so we can bring you up to speed and vice versa,” Sara said to Jimmy.

  “That would be a good idea,” Jimmy agreed.

  Sara touched Sean’s shoulder. “I’m just happy that we finally decided to investigate.”

  “What do you mean finally decided to?” Jimmy was teetering between frustration and irritation. “We weren’t from the start? But you asked me to speak to Needham.” His volume ratcheted up with every word.

  Sara looked at Sean and winced. She’d let him handle this one.

  “We were just curious at first,” Sean started. “We wanted to know how she died but—”

  “You’re telling me that you sent me to Needham when we weren’t officially investigating the case?”

  Sean turned to Sara and folded his hands in a mock prayer.

  Sara rolled her eyes and took over. “You can blame me, Jimmy, but you’ve done a great job.”

  He mumbled something, but it was far too jumbled to be intelligible.

  “As you said from the moment you heard about her death, something about this case is fishy,” Sara added. “And my gut is telling me Chloe was murdered.”

  “Why are you set on it being by poison or drugs, though? That’s what you said, wasn’t it?” Jimmy asked her.

  “No forced entry, for one,” Sean replied. “So she was killed by someone she knew and trusted. Clean medical record, for two.”

  “I hate to point out another possibility,” Jimmy started, “but she could have been an exception to her family’s medical history. Sometimes hearts just fail.”

  “We rule out murder first. That’s how we work. It’s how we’ve always worked,” Sara said. Handling a suspicious death any other way would be a rookie move.

  “I have one concern about investigating,” Jimmy said, “and that’s the fact that the Albany PD is still on the case.”

  “Which is why we’re going to be careful not to step on any toes,” Sean interjected. “We’ll carry on our investigation, respectful of their position.”

  They might have the financial means to see a case through, but Sean’s words highlighted a limitation they did have: they weren’t cops anymore.

  “Yeah, we better watch ourselves on this one,” Jimmy cautioned. “We wouldn’t want to go away for interfering with a police investigation.”

  “No one’s going to get arrested,” Sara stamped out. Maybe that came out with a little more heat than she intended, but it got her point across. She was committed to investigating Chloe’s death and had promised her sister that they would. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that the way it came out. It’s just…” Her voice cracked, and tears began to pool in her eyes, thinking of the young woman who had her bright future cut short.

  “Is there something I need to know?” Jimmy asked.

  “Chloe’s sister came to see us this morning,” Sean replied.

  “And?” Jimmy asked.

  “And she also strongly feels her sister was murdered,” Sara answered.

  “The police will probably conclude the same thing.” Jimmy seemed reluctant to let this matter go.

  “I appreciate that,” Sara began, “but we owe it to Chloe’s sister to do what we said we would, and that’s to investigate Chloe’s death.”

  “Sara’s right. We made a promise and have a commitment to look into this.” Sean looked at her softly, and it warmed her insides.

  “All right, all right. I should have known better than to think I could change your mind once it was set,” Jimmy teased.

  “And when you say your mind, you mean Sean’s,” Sara said with a laugh.

  “Of course,” he assured her.

  Sara was smiling, but she wasn’t sure that she was buying it. She guessed she could be a little strong-willed at times, too…

  “We have Adam looking into Chloe’s social media,” Sean started, “and Sara and I are about to speak with the Your Source station manager, Chloe’s boss, to see if he has anything to offer the investigation. Why don’t you touch base with the lead detective on the case, see what you can get out of them?”

  “I’ll do my best, Sean, but these PI licenses don’t hold the same power a badge does.” There was a tinge of sadness in his voice that carried across the line.

  “I realize that, but we do have the right to investigate as long as we’re not interfering or impeding an open investigation.”

  “Well, I’ll work my magic and see what I can find out,” Jimmy said, sounding more upbeat now.

  “That’s the spirit.” The cheer came out and had Sara’s cheeks flushing. It seemed like odd encouragement to offer someone older. “If anyone can get them to talk, it’s you,” she added to override the equivalent to attaboy, but she’d meant what she’d said. The former sergeant had a way of getting people to do things he wanted with what seemed like a minimal amount of effort.

  “Always the flatterer, Sara.” Jimmy’s inflection communicated he had no objections to it. He might even be smiling on the other end of the line. “Sean, do you want me to just ask around or go straight to Commander Delarosa? Given our history with her, it might be best to be upfront about what we’re investigating.”

  “Yes, I agree. Go straight to her,” Sean replied. “Let’s meet at the firm in a couple hours. Could you let Adam know?”

 
; “Right away,” Jimmy rushed out, not hiding his guilty pleasure of telling Adam how things were going to be and putting a time crunch on his work. All too often Adam showed Jimmy up with his natural talent for getting information quickly and with ease.

  Sara shook her head.

  Men…

  -

  Chapter 12

  TRICK OR TREAT

  SEAN AND SARA HAD BEEN shown to a small conference room by Kurt’s assistant, but they hadn’t been waiting long by the time a man shadowed the doorway.

  “Mr. and Mrs. McKinley?” He came toward them. “Kurt Bishop.” He shook their hands and took a seat at the head of the table. Sean and Sara were already sitting next to each other on his left.

  “I heard about the segment on your haunted house getting bumped,” Kurt began. “I apologize for that, and I’ll make sure to get another reporter on that story. Would tomorrow morning work for you?”

  “We’re not here about that,” Sean said.

  Kurt’s brows lowered in obvious confusion. He clasped his hands together and set them on the table. “I’m not sure why you’re here, then.”

  “We’re investigating Chloe Parsons’s death,” Sara said, putting it out there to gauge his reaction.

  Kurt ran a hand over his mouth and his eyes pooled with tears. “Why? Did someone kill her?”

  “It’s possible,” Sean said firmly.

  Kurt looked from Sara to Sean and back to Sara. “I thought she died of natural causes.”

  “Healthy twentysomethings rarely die of natural causes.” While Sara was stating facts, she was still mindful in her delivery so as not to hurt Kurt further. It was apparent he was upset and still in shock over Chloe’s death.

  “Rarely, but it’s not impossible,” Kurt countered.

  Sara and Sean didn’t say anything.

  “So the police are still investigating?” Kurt’s vocal chords sounded tight, his voice strained.

  Sara’s stomach knotted. If the police were treating this case as a potential homicide, coming to speak with Kurt should have been one of the first things they did.

  “Mr. Bishop?” A sweet female voice came from the door, and they all looked at her. His assistant was carrying a tray with three glasses and a pitcher of orange juice. One glass was already poured. She came over to the table, put the tray down, and set the full glass in front of Kurt. It must have been a standing request of his at this time of day.

  “Thank you, Natalie,” he said.

  “You’re welcome.” Natalie turned her attention to Sean and Sara. “Would either of you like some juice?”

  Sara looked at Sean. Orange juice was his answer to morning coffee. Sara, however, preferred to stick to coffee whether it be morning, afternoon, or evening. She and Sean should consider buying a coffee franchise or business of some sort. It could be a fun endeavor.

  “I’m fine, thank you,” Sara told her.

  Sean smiled. “I’ll take a glass, but I can get it myself, thanks.”

  Natalie nodded, and Sean proceeded to do just that while she left the room and closed the door.

  Kurt took a sip of his juice and seemed to savor it in his mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. “I love this stuff.” He licked his lips, and his eyelids appeared heavy for an instant. He was carrying on the way she did with her first coffee of the day.

  Kurt took another sip before lowering his glass, but he kept hold of it. “So if the police are investigating, why are you?”

  “We’re licensed PIs, and we were hired to look into her death,” Sean disclosed.

  “And you two are particularly good at solving murders, from what I gather. I did my research on you when Chloe approached me about the haunted house segment.” Kurt looked unabashed. “I must say, it didn’t take much digging. You solve cases the police don’t.”

  “We have unlimited resources to find justice.” Sara was quick to speak up because she couldn’t stand for any implication—no matter how slight—that law enforcement was incompetent. Until someone stood in their shoes, they’d have no idea what went into solving cases or why certain ones ended up the way they did.

  “Yes, of course. I didn’t mean any disrespect,” Kurt said. He must have been good at reading minds.

  “We’d like to know if you’re aware of anyone who might have had a conflict with Chloe,” Sean told Kurt.

  The manager shook his head. “Not that I’m aware of.”

  “What about the segment you ran last night? The exposé she did on that contractor. The company couldn’t have been too happy,” Sara said.

  “That had been taped months ago. As far as they were concerned, the story was probably buried.”

  “Speaking of, why did it take so long to air?” Sara asked.

  “Chloe was hired for community news, the feel-good stuff. She went ahead and did the exposé without my approval.” Kurt’s posture stiffened as if Chloe’s actions slighted him.

  “I see,” Sara said. “So she didn’t do any more pieces like that?”

  Kurt took another drink of his orange juice. “Again, not to my knowledge.”

  And therein laid the problem. Chloe had researched and filmed the first story without Kurt’s knowledge. Maybe there was one she had been working on that got her killed. This led Sara to Chloe’s aspirations. “We understand that she wanted to be a news anchor but was recently overlooked for the opportunity when it arose here.”

  “That’s right,” Kurt said, nonchalant. “Chloe was an excellent reporter, quite gifted. But she was perfect for community news. She was beautiful, and everyone loved her.”

  “Did you love her?” Sean asked.

  “You mean, was I sleeping with her? No.” His words came out a little tart. “Regarding the anchor position, she knew that wasn’t going to happen for her anytime soon.” Kurt seemed resolved.

  “And why was that?” Sara asked.

  “It’s called paying your dues, and Chloe was still green.” His face took on hardened lines, indicating that he felt justified in his decision not to advance Chloe.

  “How long was she with the station?” Sean asked.

  “We brought her in a few years ago.”

  Sara crossed her legs and clasped her hands on her knee. “Brought her in from where?”

  “We hired her right after college,” Kurt clarified.

  Impressive for Chloe, but her quick success would have made her some enemies, and that could have included people within Your Source who had applied for the job Chloe had gotten. It could have been a slow burn that had led to murder. “Was the job she got available to people already with the station?”

  “It was, but Chloe dazzled me with her audition.”

  “And there’s no one here that might have envied or hated her for that?” Sara pressed.

  “Enough to kill her?” He paused and shook his head. “No one I can think of.”

  “What about anyone in general?” Sean chimed in.

  Kurt shook his head again. There was no visible tell that Kurt doubted his response in any measure. Maybe it was time to shake him up and find out what he did know. It would take a leap and a fabrication to make it work, a theory they’d brought up without foundation, but what the heck…

  “Did you know that Chloe had a job offer for news anchor at another station?” she asked.

  “She…she…” he stammered and looked straight at Sara. “Where?”

  If Chloe had a deal and Kurt knew about it, he was a good actor. “We’re not at liberty to discuss that.”

  “You probably would have been upset to lose her,” Sean said, following Sara’s lead.

  “Absolutely. She was great at what she did. But I would have been happy for her.” Kurt relaxed in his chair, but his tight grip on his glass whitened his knuckles.

  Sara nodded and looked at Sean. There was one more thing still niggling at her: Kurt hadn’t known about her first exposé. The police would have likely seized Chloe’s home computer, but she’d have used one here, too. “Would
we be able to see her computer?”

  “She had a laptop, but I’m afraid this is where the friendly conversation has to end.” There was no apology in Kurt’s voice. “Corporate would frown heavily on you looking at her workstation without a warrant. And seeing as you’re not the police…”

  “So the police didn’t take her laptop?” Sara was quick to gather from his response.

  “No. Like I said when you got here, I didn’t even know they were treating this as a murder,” he said.

  Sean drained the rest of his juice. “All right. If we have any more questions—”

  “I will have counsel present. I would have today if I had known the true purpose of your visit.” His voice was sharp now, anger brewing beneath his attempted professionalism.

  Sara regarded him for a few seconds before getting up, and Sean held out his hand to her. An uneasy feeling was coursing through her as they left the building for their car, and she was having a hard time pinpointing its source. Was it the way the police seemed to be handling this case or something more? She didn’t care for Kurt’s comment about lawyers, but it was likely only a corporate stipulation, as he’d said.

  There was also the possibility that Chloe had been working a story that had gotten her killed. And then, just as easily, maybe there wasn’t a missing data card at all. The only one who had mentioned it had been Jackson. He could have destroyed it, claimed it was missing to throw off the investigation and take the spotlight off himself.

  Sean opened her door, and she sighed as she climbed into the car. Whatever had happened, she was going to find out.

  -

  Chapter 13

  THE LUCK OF THE BLACK CAT

  JIMMY HAD CALLED HIS FORMER commander from the car on the way to the police station.

  Thankfully, Chandra Delarosa said she could spare five minutes for an old friend. He wouldn’t have expected anything less from the woman. She’d always been fair, yet firm, and she wore her position of authority as if she were born for the job. She was six years younger than Jimmy, but she’d climbed the ranks swiftly. Quite frankly, she would have plowed through anyone standing in her way.