by K. M. Morgan
Amber grimaced. “I remember when my father died, I wanted to take the rest of the week off to be with my mom and be given proper time to mourn. Max only gave me one measly day off for the funeral. He said if I didn’t come back on the second day, not to bother coming back at all.”
Jennifer narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m so sorry.”
Amber’s voice turned bitter. “I never forgave him for that.”
“The sad thing is, we all have stories like that. I used to just seethe at my desk as he’d pile the work on. He was an unappreciative little jerk. You know, I started having panic attacks because of this job?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know that.”
Jennifer nodded. “I’ve had to start taking medication. Not to mention I’ve gone into therapy. One day I thought I was going to have a heart attack right at my desk.”
“Well look, those days are over,” Amber insisted.
“Thank God. You know, I used to sit at my desk wishing Max would get what he had coming to him. That all of his bad behavior would come back to haunt him…then it did.”
“Don’t feel bad about it. He was horrible to all of us.”
“That’s the thing. I don’t feel horrible about what happened to him. I feel relieved,” Jennifer admitted.
“I know what you mean. You can try to sugarcoat it all you want, but face it—this is a better place with Max gone,” Amber said.
“Here’s hoping things are better with Peter running things.”
“Trust me, they will be.”
“Good luck with your secret relationship too,” Jennifer said.
“Thanks. I have a really good feeling about this one,” Amber admitted.
Jennifer and Amber then left the restroom and got back to work.
Daisy meanwhile sat in the stall and let her mind run wild. Both Jennifer and Amber had bigger motives than ever. Before overhearing their conversation, Daisy considered them to be dark horse suspects. Now Jennifer and Amber moved to the top of the list.
As the day went on, a couple things were clear. First, that the case was far from being cracked. And second, that Max Cash sure knew how to make enemies.
***
With the cat now out of the bag on Amber’s secret relationship, Daisy knew she had to pay Peter a visit. There were some lingering questions she needed to find a way to ask, not to mention a nagging motive she couldn’t get out of her head.
There was so much at play now—between both Max and Peter. Max was a temperamental man, not to mention a hypocrite. Despite Max’s affair with Chloe, he didn’t want anyone else to have an office relationship.
Peter was all too aware of that. It was why he was keeping his relationship with Amber a secret. If the secret got out, Max could have made serious trouble for both Amber and Peter. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility to think Max would fire Amber. He’d already threatened to do it before over other matters.
There was more. Max was already dragging his feet on making Peter a partner. If he found out about Peter’s secret relationship, he could stall even further.
The real elephant in the room was the partnership itself. It was a contentious issue for Peter and Max. So much that Peter threatened to leave the practice. Maybe Max’s threat to ruin Peter’s reputation was enough to throw Peter over the edge.
Max’s threat put Peter in a bind. He was flanked by no win situations. If Peter stayed at the firm, he could go years without making partner. If he left, he could have his career ruined by Max.
If Max was out of the picture however, Peter knew Brooke would inherit the practice. He also knew she had no legal education, experience, or interest in the day to day operations of the law office. With Max dead, Peter would be the default choice to take over the firm. That was a killer motive.
Judging by how cold and cunning Peter was with the irate customer earlier in the day, Daisy was convinced Peter had just enough ice water running through his veins to pull off the crime. The question was, did Peter do it?
Daisy took a walk over to Peter’s office to fish around for answers.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” Daisy asked.
Peter stared out the window, distracted. He had a faraway look in his eyes. Clearly something was weighing heavy on his mind. Was it the weight of murder?
Daisy knocking on the door pulled Peter’s head out of the clouds. He turned to her.
“Sure. Is everything going alright with the redecorating?” he asked.
Daisy nodded. “Everything is fine.”
“Then what can I do for you?”
“I just wanted to congratulate you on the promotion.”
“Oh, thanks.”
“It must feel good to have your own practice. I know you’ve been waiting for this moment a long time,” Daisy said.
“The best things in life don’t come easy,” Peter replied.
“The question is, how hard was it waiting in the wings all that time?” Daisy asked.
“None of that matters now.”
“You’re right. It’s better to leave the past in the past, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Of course that’s easier to do when everything worked out for you.”
Peter got short with her. “What are you talking about?”
“Timing is a funny thing. I can’t imagine you’d have this partnership if Max hadn’t have been murdered, can you?” Daisy asked.
Peter narrowed his eyes. “I’d be careful what direction you take with this conversation.”
“Are you threatening me?”
He glared at her. “I just don’t like your accusatory tone.”
Daisy got chills in her spine all of a sudden. Peter had a serious icy glare to him. It was amazing how quickly he went from charming to cold in the span of one heartbeat.
Peter’s short fuse was on clear display. Daisy saw it in the waiting room with the irate client before, and now she was witnessing it again. When she looked in his eyes, she felt there was nothing he wasn’t capable of. Whether that included murder, she wasn’t sure…yet.
With the conversation turning hostile, she knew she had to diffuse the tension. Peter had the power to throw her out of the law office. If he did, it would make it infinitely harder to continue investigating the case.
She decided to play dumb. “I’m sorry if you heard me wrong, but I certainly didn’t accuse you of anything.”
“Oh. Well, my mistake then.”
Daisy tried to butter him up a little. Maybe she could glean some information out of him with that approach. “It’s okay. We all make mistakes. For example, I think it was a big mistake for Max not to make you a partner while he was alive. I heard you’re an amazing lawyer.”
Peter smiled. There was nothing men liked more than having their ego massaged. He gobbled the compliment right up. And, like all cocky defense lawyers, he didn’t hesitate to brag. “I do have a nearly flawless record.”
“In that case, I want to pick your genius legal mind for a second,” Daisy continued.
Peter smiled. “Genius. I like the sound of that.”
“Alright, now just say Angela Franklin was your client and you were trying to convince the jury she didn’t murder Max. How would you do it?”
Daisy looked into Peter’s eyes to see his reaction as she finished the question. He tried to keep his cool, but there were stress lines on Peter’s face for a split second.
Peter was hesitant and slowly deliberate with his answer. “Ms. McDare, people pay a lot of money to get that kind of advice.”
“You’re right. Just between you and me, do you think she did it, or do you think the killer is still out there?” Daisy pressed.
She once again broke though his façade and got a candid reaction out of him. He had a look of panic in his eyes briefly. He quickly recovered and put his tough exterior forward again.
Peter gave a vague non answer. “It doesn’t matter what I think.”
“Why not?”
“Because, it only matters what the jury thinks. Her fate is in their hands.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. But just imagine if the killer was still right here in this office thinking they’d gotten away with murder. How unsettling would that be?” Daisy speculated.
Peter gave her an awkward forced smile. “Ms. McDare, you sure have an active imagination.”
“You’re probably right. It’s all just my imagination. That’s because I’m in the creative field. We types tend to get dramatic about things. Anyway, I should get back to work. Congratulations again on the promotion,” Daisy said.
If guilt could be proven on looks alone, Peter would be in deep trouble. Daisy only lobbed a couple of questions his way and he bit on them hook, line, and sinker. If he wasn’t a murderer, he sure had the face of one. Of course evidence was still in short supply. But Daisy felt like it was only a matter of time before the killer slipped up.
Chapter Thirteen
Finally after spending more of the day questioning potential suspects than doing redecorating, Daisy tried to get back to work. She had a lot to sort out in her head. The more she dug, the more ridiculous it seemed that Detective Crumple closed the case so early.
At this point, the only thing Daisy was certain of was that Angela Franklin did not murder Max Cash. Everything else was up in the air.
Things were only primed to get more confusing as Daisy saw Chloe exit Max’s old office in a huff. While Chloe had been on the verge of tears all day, now she couldn’t help herself from crying.
Brooke Cash meanwhile emerged in the doorway to her husband’s office and watched Chloe’s actions closely.
Chloe was a hot mess as she started grabbing things on her desk. She hurriedly picked an empty box, then started filling it with her photos and mementos.
The office’s bookkeeper Jackson looked up from his desk wide-eyed.
“Chloe, what’s going on?” Jackson asked.
Chloe wiped a tear from her eye. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Just calm down,” Jackson replied, trying to console her.
“I can’t calm down. I just got fired,” Chloe revealed.
Chloe could barely hold herself together. She looked like she was ready to collapse.
Jackson was still trying to work through his shock. “But…but—why did you get fired?”
Chloe nudged her head towards Brooke Cash giving her a hawkish glare.
“Why do you think?” Chloe said.
It then dawned on Jackson. Chloe wasn’t fired because of her work performance. She was sent packing because she’d been having an affair with Brooke’s husband.
“But you’re good at your job. You can’t get fired because…”
“Because I had an affair? Sure you can.” Chloe grimaced. She grabbed her box and headed to the exit.
“Here, let me help you,” Jackson insisted.
Chloe didn’t listen. She just wanted to get out of there. She muttered to herself. “My life can’t get any worse.”
Chloe then scuttled out.
Jackson meanwhile gritted his teeth as he looked at Brooke. He could hardly contain his rage. The rest of the office looked on in shock. The drama just never seemed to end at the law office.
Brooke Cash looked to get things back on track. “Alright people, nothing to see here. Back to work everyone.”
***
The end of the work day brought no answers, but it did give Daisy some much needed relief. There was so much information for her to process. Maybe some time away from the office would be just what she needed.
One thing was quite clear though --Max’s death had divided the office in half. There was no middle ground. Some people’s lives benefitted greatly from his murder. Brooke, Peter, Jennifer, and Amber came to mind. Other people’s lives seemed to fall apart because of it. Both Chloe and Jackson fit that bill.
Daisy knew she was just one lead away from breaking this case wide open. The question was, where would that lead come from?
Daisy knew she couldn’t mull over the case any longer without satisfying her sweet tooth. Besides, she always did her best thinking on a full stomach. She decided to stop into her friend’s dessert shop to get her fill of both.
When Daisy arrived at Sweet Tooth, Samantha had a special treat waiting for her—a butterscotch blondie. It was just what her taste buds needed. The only problem was, the blondies were so good that Daisy couldn’t stop at just one. She told herself the blondies would make for good brain food. In truth, any excuse to have more butterscotch would do.
Before becoming a decorator, Daisy briefly flirted with the idea of working alongside Samantha at the bakery. She was glad she didn’t. Her waist would be no match for that line of work. Daisy would eat all the profits.
As delicious as the butterscotch bars were, Daisy decided to show some restraint and not have a third one.
Samantha meanwhile had other things on her mind—like why her best friend had such a big look of concern on her face.
“What’s the matter? Did you run into Brent again at the dog park?” Samantha asked.
“No. I actually went to the Maple Street dog park this morning,” Daisy replied.
Samantha shot her a confused look. “Why would you drive you drive all the way across town?”
Daisy answered timidly. “So there would be no chance of running into Brent.”
“I hope it was worth it.”
“Trust me, anything is worth not having to run into Brent again.”
“Ah, ex-boyfriends. Can’t live with them, can’t banish them to another planet.”
Daisy chuckled.
“So, are you really going to drive across town every morning to the Maple Street dog park?” Samantha asked.
“I kind of have to now.”
“Why?”
“Because little Shamus made a new furry friend.”
“Please tell me this furry friend has a handsome, single owner.”
Daisy thought about Gavin Watson from the dog park. He was definitely handsome and single. He was also a complete emotional wreck. Not that Daisy should talk. She was far from the poster girl for emotional stability right now.
There was something to be said though for not pairing one hot mess with another. That could make for a seriously combustible mix. Every relationship needed a voice of reason, not two people ready to throw pity parties at a moment’s notice.
Still, Daisy wasn’t about to pretend that she hadn’t let a few romantic thoughts of Gavin cross her mind. It was rare for her to have chemistry with a man after just one conversation, yet it was clear she did.
Not to mention Gavin was a nice piece of eye candy too. But he was like an unlabeled box of chocolates. There was plenty to crave on the outside, yet there was no telling what was on the inside.
Confusion had come to Daisy’s life, and it was in no hurry to leave. The murder of Max Cash wasn’t the only mystery in her life. Much like the murder Daisy was stumped in solving--the ‘who, what, where, when and how’ of whether she had a romantic future with Gavin was very much unsolved as well.
“It’s complicated,” Daisy sighed.
“It sounds like you have some explaining to do,” Samantha teased.
“Alright, I did meet a handsome man at the dog park,” Daisy revealed.
“Then why have you been holding back on me?”
“Because his heart is even more broken than mine.”
“Phooey,” Samantha insisted.
“I know. Just when you think it’s safe to stick your heart out again, the universe sends you an emotional ticking time bomb dressed up as a serious hunk.”
“Why does love have to be such a minefield sometimes?” Samantha asked.
“It beats me. I just know I’ll be approaching this man candy with extreme caution,” Daisy replied.
“Wise decision.” Samantha then transitioned. “So, how is the old sleuthing going at the office?”
“I only have one word to say
about that,” Daisy replied.
“Egads?”
Daisy nodded. “So many suspects, such little time. I’m so glad I’m not a sleazy defense lawyer. Max sure had a way of making enemies.”
“You’re still no closer to finding out who did it then?” Samantha asked.
Just then Granny Annie invited herself into the conversation. “Have you looked into the zookeeper?”
“What?” Daisy replied.
“I told you, I’m practically turning into a Granny Gumshoe with all these mysteries I’ve been reading. And let me tell you, I just finished this book where the zookeeper did it. I never saw it coming. One minute he was feeding the kangaroos, then the next his shifty eyes exposed his lies. It blew my mind,” Granny Annie explained.
“There’s no zookeeper at work. It’s a law office,” Daisy said.
“Oh, right. Is there anyone that likes going to the zoo though?”
“I couldn’t tell you,” Daisy corrected.
“Drats. Well look, the point is that my opinion of who did it changes from scene to scene in these books anyway. It’s not my fault everyone looks so guilty,” Granny Annie replied.
Daisy sighed. “Tell me about it.”
“But Granny, remember this is a real murder investigation, not some book you’re reading,” Samantha insisted.
“What, you don’t think life can imitate art? Because let me tell you, some firemen came in here the other day that were just as hunky as the ones I read about in romance novels,” Granny Annie boasted.
Samantha’s eyes opened wide. “Granny.”
“Hey, I’m retired—not dead. As long as I still have a pulse, I’ll love a man in uniform,” Granny Annie declared.
Samantha chuckled.
Granny Annie continued. “Come to think of it Daisy, I think it would do you good to stop by the local firehouse. You might find yourself a uniformed surprise.”
“Wow, this conversation has sure taken a turn,” Daisy blushed.
“She does have a point,” Samantha teased.
Daisy stared her friend down. “Samantha.”
“What? I’m just saying. It wouldn’t hurt to expand your hunky horizons,” Samantha laughed.
