When all was said and done, it only took four years for Gavin to burn through all of his money. To add insult to injury, the second the money dried up, his gold digger wife filed for divorce. From there, the heavy drinking began. If that wasn’t bad enough, Gavin was forced to take a low-level restaurant job just to be able to pay his bills.
After that, Gavin could have turned into nothing more than a cautionary tale. But in the last couple of years, he had started to turn his life around. First, he got sober. And now, he had this incredible speaking opportunity.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Gavin said. “That I would be the last person to talk about fiscal responsibility, given my history.”
“Those are your words, not mine,” I said.
“I’m just being honest,” Gavin said. “But in a way, no one is in a better position to talk about this topic than I am. I know all the mistakes, because I have made them. So, I also know how to avoid them.”
“It’s hard to argue with that logic,” Wally said.
“Hopefully, the players will take my advice. I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what happened to me,” Gavin said.
“Good luck,” I said.
“And who knows? If you do a good job, maybe other teams will hire you to talk to their players,” David said.
“That’s exactly why I’m so nervous. This could be a really big break for me,” Gavin said.
“I’m sure you’ll knock it out of the park,” David said.
“I have been praying that I will, but I still have the jitters,” Gavin said.
“That’s understandable. It’s hard speaking to a room full of people,” I replied.
Gavin chuckled. “Says the woman who is in the middle of investigating a murder.”
“Come on, Gavin. You can’t really compare the two,” I said.
“Exactly. Tracking down a killer is much harder,” Gavin said. “I honestly feel kind of ridiculous complaining about nerves when I’m talking to you and David.”
“You’re not being ridiculous at all. Like I said before, it’s not easy standing in front of a room of people and giving a speech. That said, we’re rooting for you,” I replied.
“Thanks.” Gavin adjusted his tie again. “Anyway, I should head out. I have a three-hour drive ahead of me.”
“Good luck,” David said.
“Right back at you. I hope you two catch that killer soon,” Gavin said.
He then went up to the counter, grabbed a coffee to-go, and left.
Chapter Twenty
With Gavin gone, Wally, David, and I continued talking.
“It’s nice to see Gavin catching a break. It has been a rough few years for him,” I said.
Wally nodded. “Yeah. There’s a lot of that going on.”
Wally’s life hadn’t exactly been a picnic either. In the last ten years, he had gone through an awful divorce and he had gotten laid off from his longtime job. Even worse, the two dismal developments had both occurred in quick succession.
Thankfully, he had managed to bounce back. First, he met and fell in love with a new woman. Next, he had gotten a job at the Treasure Cove Beach Resort. But had something terrible recently happened to him? I attempted to find out.
“Speaking of, how are you doing?” I asked.
Wally laughed.
My eyebrows knitted. “What’s so funny?”
“You’re in the middle of an investigating a murder, yet you’re asking how things are going with me,” Wally said. “I should be the one seeing how things are going with you.”
“Trust me. You don’t want to know,” I said.
“That bad, huh?” Wally asked.
“Like I said. You don’t want to know,” I replied.
“Fair enough,” Wally said. “I hope things turn around for you.”
I crossed my fingers. “In the meantime, why don’t you tell us what’s new at the hotel?”
He grimaced. “I’d actually rather not talk about work.”
“Why? Is something the matter?” I asked.
“You mean, other than being worked too hard and paid too little?” Wally asked.
I winced. “I guess life at the resort isn’t all it is cracked up to be.”
“Are you kidding? Life is great if you’re a guest. If you’re an employee, not so much,” Wally said.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said.
“I know I shouldn’t feel sorry for myself, but sometimes I can’t help but wonder when I’m going to get my big break. Or if I’ll ever get a break,” Wally said.
“Who knows? You could be just one lottery ticket away,” I said.
“Are you kidding? What are the odds that two people from a small town like Treasure Cove will win the lottery in the same lifetime?” Wally asked.
“Not good. Then again, Gavin had a better chance of getting struck by lightning than ever hitting the jackpot in the first place, yet he won eighteen million dollars,” I said.
“True.” Wally stared off into the distance. “I still can’t believe he blew through all that money.”
“I don’t think he can believe it either,” I said.
“It turns out a lot of unbelievable things have taken place in this town over the years,” David said.
“Including one that just happened two days ago,” I said.
“Which is all the more reason not to feel sorry for myself. I mean, I have my health. I’m still here, alive and breathing,” Wally said.
“That’s something to be grateful for,” I said.
Wally nodded. “It is. That said, what happened to Ryan Davidson is just another reminder of how fragile life is. How the rug can be pulled out from you in an instant. So, while I know that things could be worse for me, I also wish they were a lot better.”
“Is your job that bad?” I asked.
He took a deep breath. “This funk I’m in isn’t just about my job. It’s more that at this stage in my life, I figured I would be a little further ahead. That I’d have more to show for all of my efforts. Instead, life never seems to get easier.”
“I can certainly relate to that feeling. Especially during a difficult day like this. Maybe the future will be good to you, though,” I said. “The past has certainly thrown enough your way.”
“It sure has.” Wally took a deep breath. “Although, during times like this, it’s good to remind myself that things could definitely be worse.”
“Well, yeah. You have a job. You have a wife. You’re further ahead than a lot of people,” I said.
“And I’m also thankfully not embroiled in a murder investigation,” Wally said.
“True,” I said.
Wally looked at me, and then at David. “I still don’t know how you two do it. Staring down potential killer’s on a regular basis.”
“Some days are harder than others,” David said.
Wally’s nose scrunched. “Is there such a thing as an easy day investigating a murder?”
“You got me there,” David said.
“Anyway, I will pray that you two find the killer soon,” Wally said.
“Good,” David said.
“Although, don’t get too excited,” Wally said. “I have been praying constantly for things to quiet down in Treasure Cove, and that clearly hasn’t happened.”
“That doesn’t mean it can’t happen in the future,” I said.
David stepped in again. “If anything, it’s just a sign that we’re long overdue.”
“I completely agree. But I can’t just stand around waiting.” Wally pulled out his phone and checked the time. “Especially when I need to be getting to work.”
“All right. We won’t keep you any longer,” David said. “I hope the day treats you well.”
“You too,” Wally said.
Chapter Twenty-One
Once Wally headed out, David and I decided to depart from Daley Buzz as well. Not only was it time to get to work, but we also didn’t want to run into anyone else we knew. At that stage in th
e case, we really needed to hunker down.
So, when David and I arrived at the police station and began walking inside, I got annoyed when my phone rang. The odds were that it was just one of my friends calling to check up on me. That said, there was always a chance that the call was coming from my daughter.
For that reason, I reached into my purse and grabbed my phone to check the caller identification screen. That was when I saw that the call was from my friend, Shannon. I would have to catch up with her later. I didn’t have the time to chat with her right then.
I let the phone ring until it went to voice mail and continued walking.
But I didn’t make it very far. Especially when I heard my phone beep with a text message notification.
I stopped dead in my tracks and stared at my screen. The text was also from Shannon. How peculiar. Why had she decided to text me instead of just leaving a voice mail?
When I read the text, the answer became quite clear. My eyes bulged as I looked at my phone. I remained silent for a number of seconds, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, David stared at me with his eyebrows knitted. “Are you okay?”
I looked up from my phone and stared at David. “Get in the car.”
His forehead wrinkled. “Why?”
I began walking. “Just trust me.”
Despite being thoroughly confused, he followed me.
That said, his curiosity got the best of him before we were able to reach the car.
“Sabrina, stop leaving me in suspense. Tell me. What’s going on?”
“You’re not going to believe this,” I said.
He grimaced. “Uh-oh. I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Don’t panic,” I said.
He threw out his arms. “Why not? Whenever you have something unbelievable to tell me, it’s usually bad news.”
“In this case, the news isn’t necessarily bad.”
“Is it good news then?”
“Honestly, it depends on how you look at it,” I said.
“How about you give me a little more to work with than that?” he asked. “What did the text say?”
“Shannon was filling up her gas tank a few minutes ago when she saw something very interesting.”
“I’m all ears.”
“Megan Davidson’s car pulled up to one of the neighboring pumps.”
“And?”
“She wasn’t alone.”
“Who was with her?”
“Scott Schlosser.”
David’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
I nodded.
“There’s a twist I didn’t see coming,” David said.
“That’s not all,” I said. “Before Megan got out of her car to fill up her tank, she leaned over and gave Scott a kiss.”
David’s eyebrows rose. He remained silent for a moment as he processed the news. He then replied, “I wonder how long they have been a couple.”
“That’s just one of many questions I’d like them to answer.”
“Yeah. I can think of half a dozen more off the top of my head.”
“Now do you see why I was in such a hurry to jump in your car?”
David nodded. “I sure do.”
“This could be huge.”
“The important question now is, did Shannon mention in the text if Scott and Megan were still at the gas station?” David asked.
“According to Shannon, they haven’t left yet. But I’m sure they will soon,” I said.
Resolve came to David’s face. “We need to get to that gas station.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
David sped over to the gas station that was at the corner of Dakota Road and Redwood Boulevard. Thankfully, we ended up reaching the station before Megan and Scott had left.
But we only had a few seconds to spare. Megan’s car was just getting ready to pull out of the station as we pulled up.
David could have fired up his siren and pulled Megan’s car over, but he elected to take a different approach. My husband thought it would be better if we followed the suspects. I couldn’t argue with that plan. Especially since I was curious about where Megan and Scott were headed. Did they intend to leave town?
It didn’t take long to get an answer to that question. Megan’s car headed south toward Scott Schlosser’s house, which was located on a leafy stretch of Euclid Drive.
They arrived at Scott’s light-blue Victorian-style home a few minutes later. Once Megan had parked her car in the driveway, we took action. David parked his sedan at the base of the driveway and got out of his car in a hurry. I followed right behind him.
“Isn’t this interesting?” David said.
My husband ended up catching Megan and Scott completely by surprise. They couldn’t believe their eyes when they got out of their car and spotted us.
Scott stared at David with a mix of bafflement and annoyance in his eyes as he got out of Megan’s car.
“What are you doing here?” Scott asked.
“I think the more important question is what are you two doing together?” David replied.
Instead of answering David’s question, Megan was more concerned with another matter. “Where did you even come from? And how long have you been following us?”
“Yeah. What’s the big idea?” Scott asked.
“Let me tell you something. There are much bigger issues at play right now,” David said.
Scott’s eyes narrowed. “I disagree. I can’t believe you were spying on us.”
“Why is that so difficult to wrap your head around?” David asked. “You are a murder suspect.”
“I shouldn’t be,” Scott said. “And neither should Megan.”
“Are you kidding? After seeing both of you together, I suspect you now more than ever,” David said.
Scott threw out his arms. “I can’t believe this. We have a right to privacy.”
David shook his head. “Not in a public place, you don’t. Besides, if you were so concerned with privacy then what were you doing kissing at a gas station?”
Scott ignored David’s question and threw an accusation our way. “You two must really be desperate to follow us around like this.”
“We are desperate, all right—to discover the truth. And if I’m correct, this revelation that you two are romantically involved is a big step toward cracking the case,” I said.
Scott vehemently shook his head. “You’re wrong. You are just wasting your time hassling us like this.”
“We’ll see about that,” I said.
“If you don’t want to believe me, that’s your problem. But my time is too valuable to burn on a conversation like this,” Scott said.
Scott turned around to head inside.
David folded his arms. “Oh, no you don’t. You aren’t going anywhere.”
“That’s what you say,” Scott replied. “You can’t make us talk to you.”
“No. But I am within my rights to drag you both back to the police station and put you in separate interrogation rooms—”
Scott cut David off. “How do you figure?”
“Neither of you were entirely truthful with me when I spoke to you the first time—”
“What are you talking about?” Scott asked.
“You both hid your relationship from me. So, naturally, I can’t help but wonder what else you didn’t tell me,” David said.
Scott held his pointer finger up. “We weren’t hiding the fact that we’re a couple.”
“Why do you keep lying to me?” David asked.
“I’m not lying,” Scott said. “The reason I didn’t tell you about my relationship with Megan is because you never asked.”
David shook his head in disbelief. “Come on, Scott. Who do you think you’re fooling? You should have told me—”
“I disagree,” Scott said. “It’s not relevant to your investigation.”
David scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. The fact that two suspects are dating each other is more than just relevant. It is the k
ind of information that could break this case wide open.”
Scott held his hand up. “For the last time, stop calling us suspects—”
“What’s the matter? Am I making you uncomfortable?” David asked.
Scott stared David down. “No. You’re getting on my nerves.”
“Yeah? Well, you know what really gets under my skin? The fact that I had to follow you around to discover that you two are dating,” David said.
“You’re making a much bigger deal of this than it should be.”
“On the contrary, I think you are downplaying matters,” David said. “The way I see it, there’s only one reason you would have kept that information from me.”
“Because it’s none of your business,” Scott said.
“On the contrary, I believe you withheld this information from me because you were worried that it would make you look more suspicious. And you were right to be concerned. Especially since there’s no telling what else you have been hiding from me.”
“I haven’t been hiding anything,” Scott said.
“Why should I believe you?” David asked. “You’ve already misled me once.”
“How about we just focus on what’s really important? Namely, that we had nothing to do with the murder,” Scott said.
I couldn’t help but notice that Scott was doing almost all of the talking.
Megan, meanwhile, had remained disturbingly silent throughout most of the conversation. That was about to change. I was determined to drag her into the discussion, no matter what it took. Especially if it made her uncomfortable. Over the years, I had learned that suspects often slipped up when they were forced out of their comfort zone.
“Why don’t we let Megan speak for herself?” I asked.
“I’ve already said my piece,” Megan replied.
“I must have missed it then because you’ve barely said a word,” I replied.
“I was talking about earlier. When you spoke with me the first time. I have nothing more to add,” Megan said.
“I find that hard to believe,” I said.
Scott spoke up. “She just told you. She’s already said her piece. Why don’t you leave her alone?”
Mysteries of Treasure Cove Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 8
