Natalie folded her arms. “Because you’re just wasting your time.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Fine. Suit yourself. But I’m telling you, talking to me is just going to be a dead end.”
“Why are you being so confrontational? You don’t even know what my questions are,” David said.
“I just don’t understand what there is to talk about.”
“Natalie, didn’t you hear me before? Julie Lambert is dead.”
“I heard you. And I’m very sorry to hear that. I just can’t figure out why you’re here talking to me about it,” Natalie said.
“You seem awfully defensive.”
“Look how you’re talking to me. How else am I supposed to react?”
“Innocent people have no reason to hide from the truth.”
Natalie snarled at David. “Wait a minute. Are you accusing me of something?”
David shook his head.
“Good. Because I had nothing to do with what happened to Julie.”
“That remains to be seen.”
Natalie threw out her arms. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Ms. Hollingsworth, we heard some eye-opening things about you,” David said.
Her forehead wrinkled. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“We just finished speaking with Matt Wallace, and he told us about a lengthy rant you went on about Julie Lambert.”
A look of bewilderment came to Natalie’s face. “Matt said that?”
“You’re not denying going on a rant, then?” David asked.
Natalie’s focus was elsewhere. “How could Matt have said that about me?”
I could see the heartbreak in her eyes. “You’re still hung up on him, aren’t you?”
“No. I just don’t know where he got all that from.”
“So you don’t still have feelings for Matt?” I asked.
Natalie shook her head.
“How about the rant? Are you denying that happened, too?”
Fire came to her eyes. “Matt has a lot of nerve.”
“Natalie, you didn’t answer my question,” I said.
She scowled. “You can’t listen to anything he says.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Matt is the last person who should be talking. He was still hung up on Julie.”
“That might be true, but he doesn’t seem to be the only one who still has feelings for an ex,” I said.
Natalie opened her mouth, but I was determined to get the rest of my thought out before she could speak.
“You’re still hung up on Matt, aren’t you?” I asked.
“No—”
David stared her down. “Ms. Hollingsworth, do I have to tell you the penalty for lying to a police detective?”
She gritted her teeth. “I can’t believe he threw me under the bus like that.”
“It really burns you, doesn’t it?” I asked.
“Of course it does. How dare he?” Natalie said.
“Natalie, it’s time that you are honest with us. The reason you’re so upset about what Matt told us is because you’re still in love with him, aren’t you?”
Natalie fell silent. She seemed fine with letting the quiet stretch on.
When a few seconds passed without her responding, I spoke up.
“That isn’t a no,” I said.
“Say I did go over to Matt’s house last week. It’s irrelevant.”
“How do you figure?”
“Because I had nothing to do with Julie’s death.”
“You continue to say that, but you certainly had a reason to want her out of the picture.”
“That’s not true.”
“So you didn’t believe that Julie stood between you getting back together with Matt?”
Natalie waggled her pointer finger at me. “Those are your words, not mine.”
“Are you telling me I’m wrong?” I asked.
“What I’m saying is that I didn’t do anything to Julie.”
“That is looking less believable than ever.”
Natalie groaned. “What do you want from me?”
“The truth would be nice.”
“How many times do I have to tell you? I didn’t kill Julie,” Natalie replied.
“Fine. If you’re so insistent that you are innocent, there is one way to prove it,” I said.
She shrugged. “How?
“By answering this question. Where were you on the night that Julie was murdered?” I asked.
“What night was that?”
“Friday.”
“Well, I came home from work,” Natalie said. “Then I took a jog.”
“Alone? Or with a friend?”
“I went by myself.”
“Did you run into anyone you know while you were out on your run?”
“No.”
“And where did you jog to?”
“I just did a couple of laps around the neighborhood.”
“What did you do when you got back from running?”
“I took a shower, made some dinner, and then watched some TV,” Natalie said.
“Were you alone the whole time?” I asked.
Natalie nodded. “Yeah. Why?”
“Because that means you have no one to confirm your story,” David said.
“But it’s not just some story. It’s what happened,” Natalie replied.
“A story is only as believable as my ability to verify it,” David said.
Natalie put her hands on her hips. “Come on. Do you really think I would be lying to you about having such a boring Friday night?”
“I didn’t say that. I’m just telling you that I can’t believe what I can’t verify.”
“For the last time, I already told you, Matt is the person you should be talking to.”
David folded his arms. “You’re really desperate to point the finger of blame elsewhere, aren’t you?”
“I’m just saying. I didn’t do it. But I can’t say the same for Matt,” Natalie replied.
“You keep bringing up Matt, but do you have any proof that your ex did anything wrong?”
“I’m not a detective. That isn’t my job.”
“So this is just hearsay on your part?”
“There seems to be a lot of that going around. One thing is for sure, though. He had a motive for wanting Julie dead,” Natalie replied.
David nodded. “True. But by that token, so did you.”
Natalie groaned. “I’m sick of being grilled. Especially when I didn’t do anything.”
“Hey, I don’t like going around in circles, either. I would love to cross you off the list of suspects. But you haven’t given me a reason to do that,” David said.
“I disagree, but I’m tired of trying to convince you otherwise. Now, I have answered all of your questions. I’m not saying anything else without a lawyer present. Got it?” Natalie replied.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Natalie had uttered the last sentence that any investigator wanted to hear during an interview. With the case still in the preliminary stages, there was no hard evidence tying Natalie to the murder. David and I weren’t even convinced that she was the killer. So if Natalie did get a lawyer, that attorney would no doubt advise her to keep her quiet.
Reluctantly, David and I moved on. Unfortunately, we were fresh out of suspects. Even more, it felt like we had hit a brick wall.
During times like that, we had discovered that calling it a night was the best course of action. Sometimes, it was important to get some distance from the case. To head home, unwind, and give our minds a break.
David pulled his car out of Natalie’s driveway. As he began to drive me back to my place, we ended up passing by Treasure Cove Mall. The parking lot was jammed with cars. Not surprisingly, all of the customers I spotted had frantic looks on their faces.
“Pretty crazy, huh?” David asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. This case is pretty nuts.”
&nb
sp; “I was talking about the mall. Can you imagine what the lines are like in there?” I chuckled.
David’s forehead wrinkled. “What’s so funny?”
“I’m just having one of those moments when I’m reminded of how much things have changed in the last few years. I mean, I used to think that last-minute shopping was this big pain,” I said.
“It still is,” David replied. This close to Christmas, people get particularly desperate. To the point where they will elbow you if you come between them and a half-priced waffle maker.”
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
“Let’s just say that it’s a good thing I have quick reflexes.”
“So is that what you’re getting me for Christmas this year? A waffle maker?”
“Nice try, but I was just using that as an example.”
“So you’re getting me something else, then?”
“Sabrina, I know what you’re doing, and I’m not going to tell you what I got you for Christmas.”
“Why not?”
“Because it would ruin the surprise.”
“You know I hate surprises,” I replied.
David smiled. “Well, you’re going to like this one.”
My eyes lit up. “Why? Did you get me something amazing?”
He laughed. “Nice try, but you’ll have to wait until Christmas to find out.”
I groaned. “Fine.” I looked at the shopping center again. “Back to my point, though, there was a time that I used to stress out about holiday shopping. But that pales in comparison to what we’re dealing with right now.”
“So true,” he replied. “Although I’m glad I got my shopping done already.”
“So am I.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “It’s a real zoo over there.”
“It sure is. But even so, braving those crowds is still preferable to investigating a murder. Especially during the holidays.”
“I agree,” he replied. “That said, I’m a little confused about why the mall is so jammed. Have those people not discovered the blissful simplicity of online shopping?”
“Apparently, not everyone hates the mall quite as much as you do.”
“Clearly. Talk about a baffling mystery. I just don’t get why you would subject yourself to that kind of holiday retail misery when you can just shop from the comfort of your own home.”
“Do you want to go over there and ask them why?” I joked.
“Very funny.”
“Now, just for reference, what website did you buy most of your presents from this year?”
He shook his head in disbelief. “You’re not going to stop fishing for information about your present, are you?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t help myself. After all, you know how I feel about mysteries,” I said.
“It turns out there’s a much bigger mystery that needs solving right now.”
“I know, but I have been thinking about Julie’s murder all day. My mind needs a break.”
“I hear you. This case is a real back breaker. As far as I’m concerned, we can’t solve this one soon enough.”
I crossed my fingers. “Here’s hoping we can catch a lucky break tomorrow.”
“I’m going to pray for that. But I have a hunch that this case is going to take longer than one more day to solve.”
I winced. “Yeah. My gut is telling me that too.”
He reached out and took my hand. “But look, we’ll find out who did this.”
“I hope you’re right. I really want to put Julie’s killer behind bars before Christmas. Can you imagine what a damper it will put on the holidays if this is still unresolved for another week?”
A panicked look came to his eyes. “I’d rather not think about that.”
I took a deep breath. “Neither would I.”
“At the moment, all I really want to think about is food. I don’t know about you, but I’m starved.”
“So am I. What do you have in mind?”
“I was hoping you’d have some ideas. My brain is basically mush right now.”
“How about pizza?” I said.
His eyebrows rose. “Really?”
“I know. Not your typical holiday food. But what can I say? This has been a pretty atypical holiday season.”
“I can’t disagree with that.”
“Do you have a better idea for dinner?” I asked.
He shook his head.
“All right. Pizza it is,” I said.
Chapter Twenty-Three
David and I ended up making quick work of the pizza. While it didn’t alleviate our mental fatigue, it did quiet our stomachs. Typically, eating something as carb-heavy as pizza gave me some energy. Instead, I remained completely exhausted.
Part of me wanted to call it a night and crash out, but it was ridiculously early to head off to bed. I opted to sit on the couch with David and watch some TV. Detective shows were a staple in both of our television-viewing lives. Only, that evening, David appeared to have no interest in watching any of our favorite sleuths crack a case on screen.
“Can you put something else on?” David asked.
“Why? I thought you loved detective shows,” I said.
“Usually, I do. But I need a break from crime solving.”
“Even the fictional variety?”
He nodded.
“Fair enough. What do you want to watch, then?” I asked.
“Anything else.”
My eyebrows rose. “Anything?”
He revised his statement. “Within reason.”
“You mean, no cupcake bake-offs?”
“You’re welcome to put that on if you want me to fall asleep from boredom.”
“What do you have against cupcake shows?”
“Don’t get me wrong. I love eating cupcakes,” he said. “But watching other people bake desserts that I’m not going to get a chance to taste doesn’t interest me in the least.”
“Fine. Do you have any other programming suggestions, then?”
“It’s the holiday season. What about a Christmas special?” he said.
“How about a Christmas detective show episode?” I replied.
He grimaced. “Sabrina, weren’t you listening to me?”
“You need a break from crime solving. Right,” I said.
“Well, don’t you?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Not at all.”
He sighed. “That’s what I was afraid of.”
My eyes were filled with resolve. “I can’t help it. I’m in the investigative zone.”
“I can see that. Maybe you’re a little too deep in the zone.”
“Look. I understand why you don’t want to watch any police procedurals right now. You are burnt out from a day of investigating. But at a time like this, a detective show is the first thing I want to watch. Not the last thing.”
“I know what you’re thinking. That maybe something from the show will give you an idea about the case we’re working on. That perhaps something will click in your mind.”
“Crazier things have happened.”
“Of course. We’re dealing with a situation that’s much more insane right now. Which is why I think you need to get some distance from this case. Give your mind a rest. Your brain is a muscle. If you overwork it, it’ll tire out. And the last thing you want to do is to be mentally worn down tomorrow when you need to be as sharp as possible,” David said.
“That makes a lot of sense,” I replied.
“Because it’s the truth.”
“David, I understand that you’re just trying to help me out—”
“Please tell me that you’re going to follow my advice.”
“I just feel like we’re close to uncovering who did this. That we’re only one break from cracking the case.”
“I don’t disagree.”
“So why not give one episode a try?”
“Because my brain is like mush. Can you honestly tell me that yours is any different?
”
I reluctantly shook my head.
“Exactly,” David said. “That’s why I think the best course of action is to give our minds a rest.”
I took a deep breath. “All right. We’ll do it your way.”
“Good. Now what do you want to watch?” he asked.
“I didn’t know there was anything else on TV these days other than detective shows and cupcake bakeoffs,” I joked.
“You’re close. But thankfully, there’s a few more options.”
“You mean detectives who love cupcakes?”
“I was thinking of a nice holiday love story.”
“That will work, too,” I said.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“The killer is still out there?” Kelly O’Reilly asked.
I knew what the curvy, blue-eyed, angular-faced thirty-year-old barista wanted me to say. That the murderer was behind bars. That the case was closed. That the streets of Treasure Cove were safe once again.
If only that were the case.
I hated to disappoint Kelly, but I also wasn’t about to lie to her, either.
I reluctantly nodded at my friend, which made her shudder.
While Kelly grappled with the news that a murderer was still at large, I waited for the jolt of caffeine from my latte to hit my system.
I had gone to Daley Buzz that morning because I had woken up feeling groggy. Never mind the fact that I had gotten a full night of rest the evening before. That said, there was no better way to shake off the mental fog than with a drink from my family’s coffee shop. But apparently, even espresso had its limits. I had finished half my drink, but my thoughts were just as muddled as ever. I began to wonder if perhaps they would stay that way.
I remained wrapped up in my thoughts until I realized that Kelly was waiting for me to respond to her statement with more than just a nod.
“It’s certainly not the best way to go through the holiday season,” I said.
Kelly gazed at me with empathetic eyes. “I know you are frustrated, but the answer that you’ve been looking for will come to you soon.”
She appeared to be a lot more convinced of that than I was, which was surprising, given how she had done no investigative work on this case.
“Look. I know you’re trying to be supportive, but you don’t know that,” I said.
Daley Buzz Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 84
