Spoiled Rotten Murder: A Plain Jane Mystery (The Plain Jane Mysteries Book 5)

by Traci Tyne Hilton

  No one answered the question, but it occurred to Jane that if you wanted a fire sale price, you would tell the world the product was no good. Then, re-release it as new and improved.

  Had Kyle and Maggie really tried to swindle their best friend?

  “It’s not what it sounds like.” Maggie leaned heavily on the counter in front of her. “Devon wanted to sell it. He was ready to work on his next project. He is—was—an idea man. An inventor. Not a business person.”

  “An idea man thought of this banana peel smoothie…” Charles said in a low voice, his gaze anchored somewhere beyond his daughter.

  “Maggie, where did you go after Kyle left the reception?” Jane squared her shoulders, her voice firm. Unless everyone gathered had agreed to lie for her, she would have to tell the truth.

  “Home. I came here. I just thought he would show up for the wedding. I wasn’t worried.”

  “Sure you were, honey,” Charles said. “You were a complete wreck.”

  “I was upset about him disappearing and Devon leaving, but I wasn’t afraid that they wouldn’t show up. I swear. I just came home and slept. I stayed home the whole night.”

  “I said goodnight to her around 11:30, and then set the house alarm,” Margot said. “No one came or went in the night. And no one turned off the alarm. The police already confirmed all of this with the alarm company.” Margot’s voice lacked all energy. She was repeating details she had said so many times they had lost meaning for her.

  “Good.” Jane was disappointed, but she supposed it was better for everyone that the bride behind Revenge of Bridezilla hadn’t snuck out in the night and killed her groom’s best friend.

  “Jane, I think you and I need to get going.” Jake gathered up empty sample cups and ditched them in the garbage under the sink.

  “Wait!” Ayla almost jumped across the bar. “Don’t go just yet. I have something you need to know.” She pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket with a shaking hand. The swallow tattooed on her wrist seemed to be flying as she held the paper out for Jane. “I took it from Devon’s house. It was for me, but maybe you need it more.”

  Jane took the paper and unfolded it slowly. She had been right. Ayla had pulled something from that hoodie.

  The note was simple: “Ayla, tell your brother his offer bites. We can discuss again after the wedding.”

  “Was Devon the kind of man who usually passed notes?”

  “No, of course not. But sometimes he had to plan what he wanted to say before he called. He didn’t talk about it, but I noticed,” Ayla said. “Usually he just texted or emailed people, but if he knew he had to call, or would see someone in person, he would script it out to make it easier.”

  “It’s a good technique,” Margot said. “It helps people who have social anxiety for various reasons.” The note didn’t put her son-in-law in a good light, but she seemed to admire it or Devon for doing it.

  “Had you guys had this conversation?” Jane asked.

  “No. This would probably have been the last thing he ever said to me.”

  “Jane, we’re running out of daylight,” Miranda said.

  “Then you might as well leave,” Jake replied. “Because I need her more than you do right now.”

  “What about the books?” Jane turned to Maggie. “What kind of books were you working on? Game tips and stuff like that?”

  Maggie nodded.

  “Were you planning on buying out someone else’s inventory?”

  Maggie nodded again.

  “I thought so.” Jane took a deep breath. “Miranda, Jake, let’s go.”

  “Don’t you want to stay for supper?” Charles asked.

  Jane felt for him. He was absolutely out of his depth, and his helplessness strengthened her desire to end the nightmare the family was facing. “Not tonight,” she said. “But thanks for the offer.” She hurried out with Jake and Miranda following her.

  Jane handed her keys to Miranda. “You drove here with Jake?”

  “Yes. I was planning on hijacking you.”

  “Take my car back to SCoRI. Whatever it is you need me for can definitely wait until tomorrow. Jake, take your car, and take it fast.”

  Miranda took the keys. She didn’t respond, but as they hit the road, it was obvious she was going to follow them.

  Eighteen

  Jane pulled the directory from her purse again and found Cora Paige’s address. “Maggie and Kyle underbid their best friend. Who wants to bet they were trying to buy Paige Tech’s library for next to nothing? And if Shane had also been an investor in the game device, he has a million reasons to wish ill fortune on the couple.”

  “But why would he have killed Devon?”

  “We’ll have to find that out.” She put the address in her phone and let it direct Jake to the Paige residence. It didn’t take her long to remember how she had gotten there earlier, despite Ladd’s Addition’s notoriously labyrinthine layout. It was now 6:30, a respectable after-work time of evening, and they were pleased to see three cars parked out front.

  Jane shook off her nerves and smoothed her jeans. “Let’s do this.”

  Jake and Miranda flanked Jane as she knocked on the door.

  Hester opened it.

  Jane gulped.

  Hester moved to shut the door again, but stopped herself. “I’m surprised to see you again already.”

  “Is Shane in?”

  Hester glanced over her shoulder. “No.”

  Jane lifted an eyebrow.

  “I suppose he might have come in the back door.” She coughed lightly.

  Behind her a voice called out, “Who is it, Sis?”

  “Someone for Shane.”

  “Let them in. He said he’d be right back.”

  Hester opened the door wider and stood to the side, her face a stiff max of displeasure.

  The home was in immaculate, original condition. Small, dark rooms covered in unpainted wood paneling. Charming, but almost oppressive. Jane shivered.

  Hester walked them into a formal living room. The furniture was in perfect condition despite being the plaid and floral French country look from about fifteen years ago. “Can I get you something to drink?” she asked.

  “No, I’m fine.” Jane didn’t take a seat.

  Hester, Jake, Miranda, and Jane stood in silence for about thirty seconds when a cheerful older woman with gray-streaked blonde hair and a tall, athletic figure entered. “So you’re friends of Shane’s? Nice to meet you.” She dried her hands on a soft looking kitchen towel and dimpled up as she smiled.

  Heavy footsteps sounded in the distance and a tall, scrappy looking hipster loped into the room. He had shaggy brown hair and small black eyes. “Hey Mom, have you seen my phone?” He stopped in the doorway, and then backed up a step.

  “Ah! You’re back.” Hester moved to stand between Shane and the company. “These folks are here to see you.”

  “Okay.” He drew out the O and didn’t enter the room.

  “Come in, sit down.” Cora waved her son over. “Your friends came to see you.”

  Shane stepped into the room. He looked at his mom in confusion. “I’m sorry, I don’t know you people.”

  “Jane Adler. We spoke on the phone.”

  “I’ll leave you kids. Hes, come help me with dinner.”

  Hester stepped out with Cora.

  Jake was the first one to sit. He took a wide “man-spreading” stance on the couch so there wasn’t much room next to him, and leaned his elbows on his knees. He gave Shane a bro-nod.

  Jane suspected Shane’s height was behind Jake’s trying to take up as much room as possible, and it was kind of cute.

  Miranda sat next, leaving Shane and Jane at a sort of standoff.

  Jane had one agenda: Get Shane to confess to the murder. She had the advantage of surprise and Shane was off his guard. These confession scenes had worked in the previous four murders she had solved, so she knew if she worked her advantage, she could get this done right here, ri
ght now. Rapid fire the facts at him while he was off his game and he’d give himself away.

  She took a deep breath. “The offer Kyle and Maggie made for your library was worthless, wasn’t it? Insulting even. You were really offended by it and had to have a word with them.” Jane pursed her lips.

  “What?” Shane looked honestly confused.

  “You set up the meeting, right at Devon’s office, because he was with you on this. The offers were insulting. And after the less than stellar review Kyle gave his best buddy, you could see the writing on the wall. Undervalue the product, not pay out the investment. Buy your livelihood for pennies on the dollar. You were really, really mad. Sure, they bought the insurance from your aunt to buy good will—and even provided her with internet content—but that wasn’t enough for you.” Jane paused to let her words sink in.

  But he just wasn’t responding. To anything.

  “You stalked Maggie online. You led the hordes of harassers. But it wasn’t enough. They weren’t suffering enough. You turned your little post-wedding rehearsal meeting into an act of vengeance that went terribly wrong.”

  Miranda groaned.

  Jane paused.

  Shane just stared at her.

  “Somehow you stabbed the wrong person. You got out, got away, and went back to stalking. You knew Kyle was still alive and have been driving at him for two weeks now.”

  “What are you talking about?” Shane said. “I teach computer science at Portland Community College.”

  Jane frowned. “But you also write and sell those books for Paige Tech. Your ticket to freedom from the day job.”

  “No I don’t. Mom does. I’ve already told you that.”

  “But you’ve been stalking Kyle online. You discovered his secret identity.”

  “You are insane. You need to leave now.”

  Miranda stood up. “Jane, let’s get going.”

  Jake leaned back in his seat. “Shane is a smooth operator. That doesn’t mean Jane is wrong. Jane, in fact, is never wrong.” He grinned.

  “You are all nuts. I don’t know what you are talking about.” Shane stood akimbo, filling the doorway. “My mom runs the publishing company. She has a little host of nerds that write for her and she pays them royalties. She is the mastermind and loves her work. She’d never sell it.”

  Something crashed in the kitchen.

  “Your mom really runs the publishing?”

  “Yes. Of course she does.”

  Jane worked her jaw back and forth. Cora was the one who had received the insulting offer for her life’s work? Friendly, dimpling Cora who was a decent, motherly church lady?

  The susurrations of loud whispering from the kitchen whipped Jane back to attention. “If you will excuse me.” Jane pushed passed Shane, who stepped aside more from surprise than a desire to let Jane into the kitchen.

  Cora stood at a sink full of sudsy dishwater, shaking.

  Hester stood next to the back door, arms across her chest.

  “Cora…” Jane tempered her voice to sound sweet and sympathetic. “You’ve worked really hard building up your publishing company, haven’t you?”

  Cora narrowed her eyes.

  “And the offer Kyle and Maggie made for it was a real insult.”

  Cora bit her lip.

  “Don’t say anything.” Hester hissed.

  “I’ll say what I want to say.” Cora snapped. “Those kids have no ethical standards. Leaving one star reviews on my books. Starting threads on their forums talking about how bad my books are. They are trash, not my books. People love my books.” She slapped at the water with something in her hand, making it splash.

  “Mom, calm down.” Shane spoke soothingly.

  “You just wanted to tell them how things are, I bet.” Jane spoke low, one of those barely audible whispers that feel like soothing tickles in your skull. “You wanted to teach them how to run a real business.”

  Cora froze. Her arm was stiff like it held something in a grip, but her hand, and whatever was in it was still submerged. “Don’t feel too bad for Grosse about that review on his game device.” Her voice was almost sweet. “He was in on it. He was slated to share their profit as a third partner. It was all part of their plan, because the crowd funding hadn’t worked out. They wanted to own my books to make them look like a legitimate player in the industry. They wanted to appear like real contenders without doing any of the work.”

  “What was it that Devon said at the meeting?” Jane continued her low, murmured whisper. In the background she could hear someone dialing a cell phone. Not Jake, because he always kept his keyboard noises muted.

  “He said I was ridiculous.” She pursed her lips, but her arm was still stiff and perfectly still. “But I’m not. I don’t need to play video games to know how to run a business. And I am very good at running my business.”

  “Cora, stop talking,” Hester said. “Don’t say anything you will regret.”

  “And you too! Do you know how absolutely sick I am of you treating me like a child?” She swung around, a soapy butcher’s knife pointed at her sister-in-law. “I do not need you to guide me. I have this completely under control.”

  “Whoa, Mom, calm down. Take a deep breath.” Shane’s completely confused look had been replaced by one of concern. “Why don’t we all sit down and just have a conversation, yes? Mom? Can we do that?” He gestured toward the formal dining room. “Jane and her friends can listen to what you know, and then they can leave. And that won’t be bad, will it?” He reached one hand out to her, but didn’t step closer.

  “What I know? You want me to tell them what I know? I know that leaving the first book free is a great way to get new readers to try your work. I know never to put all your eggs in one basket. I know that if you work with gamers online you should always tell them you are a man, and if they are on your side they will do anything for you. And I don’t know who killed Devon Grosse. There is no way that my little Swiss Army knife in his gut could have done it. He had plenty of time to get help. We were alone, Devon and I, and I was going to teach him a lesson he wouldn’t forget.”

  “Mom!” Shane reached for her, but she swung the butcher’s knife at him.

  “It wasn’t a big knife at all. And they were going to take everything from me. If not my company then all of my authors. They were going to do ruin everything. I had to show them who was the boss, didn’t I?”

  Shane shrunk from his mother’s hard stare. Almost like in his youth she had shown him who was boss, too.

  “Cora, I told you to shut up.” Hester’s voice was sharp.

  “And I told you I won’t be shut up.” She swung the knife in Jane’s direction. “You just don’t scare off, do you?” She hissed. “Can’t mind your own business. Can’t take a hint. Don’t even care when your friends get hurt.”

  Phoebe. An ice bath of regret settling in Jane’s stomach. Phoebe’s injury was her fault.

  The room felt frozen in time, but Jane prayed that whatever she said next could fix everything. Only twenty beats of her racing heart passed before the sound of sirens filled the air.

  Whoever had been using the phone had called the police.

  Miranda answered the knock on the door. Two uniformed officers stepped in, with Grant, Jane’s future cousin-in-law, right behind. The officers walked into the kitchen and began to speak with Shane, Hester, and Cora.

  Grant pulled Jane out to the porch. “Miranda had us on speaker phone and we heard Cora’s confession. That was some pretty spiffy work you did there.”

  Jane’s heart was racing and she almost couldn’t speak from breathing so hard. She felt like she had just sprinted up Mt. Scott. “Did you know Kyle was working with the feds?”

  “I might have.”

  “Why didn’t he say who had killed his friend?”

  “He didn’t recognize the person. He did his best though. I know he did.” Grant was watching the scene in the kitchen over Jane’s head. “And hey, so did you! You made me proud.”

/>   “And me.” Jake’s voice came from over her shoulder. He kissed her cheek. “She’s a good one, yes?”

  “Definitely.”

  Jane had to step aside so the men could shake hands.

  “We’re going to need you all to stay a few minutes longer so we can take statements from you.”

  “And after that,” Miranda interjected. “Oh, never mind. It’s too late. We’ll have to do it tomorrow. Do you mind if I drive your car back to the office?”

  “Not a problem,” Jane said.

  Miranda looked and sounded tired.

  While Jane hated being treated like a nuisance and a newbie, she could understand the feeling of having your territory invaded, and had a little bit of sympathy for Miranda.

  She’d try to be more personally helpful to her in between cases.

  Jane spent the night at Jake’s again, but not because she was afraid of Brad Carter, who was safely behind bars for at least the night. This time it was so she could have a long, late night catch up with Phoebe, who was finally home from the hospital.

  Unfortunately, Phoebe was taking her pain meds regularly, so their girl-talk had to wait until morning.

  “I’m glad you decided to marry Jake earlier rather than later,” Phoebe said, sipping her first cup of coffee. “I’m sick of taking care of him.”

  Jane laughed. “And I can’t wait to get started!”

  The sun shone through the curtained windows of the big kitchen. The room smelled of fresh brewed coffee and bacon. This wouldn’t be her home any time soon, but maybe someday…

  Jake munched a piece of slightly black bacon. “If your cooking doesn’t improve, we’ll have to get someone to take care of both of us.”

  “Poor little rich newlyweds.” Phoebe rolled her eyes. “Someday he is going to have to sit down with you and an accountant so he can realize how good he has it. And so you can hold him to that offer of someone to take care of you. If you’re both going to work crazy jobs with crazy hours, death risks, and long travel times, you will need a maid. Maybe even a live-in.”

  “Are you offering?” Jake asked.