by Kristi Rose
Bringing up Toby’s gunshot wound made him massage his shoulder where the bullet had pierced.
Precious scoffed. “This time we’ll just do a better job of visualizing our goals and possible outcomes. We’ll make contingencies.”
Toby rolled his eyes. “I’m not visualizing anything. That didn’t work last time.”
I looked between my friends. “If we go, I’m not approaching the house by myself. I’ll need backup.”
Toby touched his nose with his index fingers and blurted, “Not it.”
Lady M popped up from her cocoon. He touched her nose with his other finger. “She’s not it, either.”
Precious threw up her hands in exasperation.
Toby shrugged casually. “This time, I’m staying in the car.”
“Then why are you going?” I asked.
He snort laughed. “Dudette, because why would I miss it?” He gave me a look that told me he thought I was crazy.
I said, “I hope you did some digging into Jenna Miller. Gillian Reid told me she’d been arrested.”
Toby glared at me. “I might have been high. That doesn’t make me stupid.” Then he smiled smugly. “Jenna Miller was the one who got arrested when charges were pressed by Kitsap School District. She and Josh got busted selling reutilized equipment online.”
The pieces were coming together, albeit at a snail’s pace. I said to my friends, “Josh is being investigated by the Wind River School Board for fraud, embezzlement, and money laundering. Jenna was arrested for what sounds like the same thing in Kitsap County. Josh wasn’t arrested. Why?” I raised a brow at Toby.
From beside the couch, he picked up a messenger bag then took out a laptop. “On it.”
“Regardless, Josh ends up here where the games continue,” I said as I fit the scenarios together.
“Then someone murdered Josh.” Precious’s tone ominous.
I nodded while thinking. “And yet, Jenna Miller comes to town and steals a briefcase with evidence regarding Josh’s con here in Wind River.”
Precious added. “Odd to steal a briefcase that has evidence of your past when that past is public record.”
I wagged my brows. “Isn’t it, though? Unless there was proof in that briefcase that Jenna Miller was still up to no good.”
“Got it,” Toby called. He pointed to the screen. “Josh paid a fee and did community service but no real jail time.”
I picked up my backpack.
“She could be a killer,” Precious said with glee as she jumped to her feet.
I pointed the finger at her. “Exactly why we shouldn’t drive up there and get in her face.”
Toby shook his head “No, she’s harmless. Gillian knows who she is, and Jenna Miller didn’t kill her. She just took the information.”
Precious snorted. “Which is stupid because Gillian already knows the information and where to get it.”
“Jenna’s actions don’t make sense,” I said. “Jenna Miller is probably a crazy person.” I slung my pack over my shoulder.
Precious picked up her purse. “All the more reason to take a field trip now. Let’s get going. Toby?”
He shut his laptop with a click then bustled past Precious to reach the door first. “I call backseat.”
Precious said, “That’s not a thing. You’re supposed to call shotgun.”
Toby snorted. “Not on your life. And before you ask, I’m visualizing that this trip gives us answers, but I also want to keep my health and body in its current state.”
Precious said, “I want to find out if she killed Josh.”
I said, “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.”
“Stop being so negative,” Precious said. “Start thinking in positive terms. Then you set an action, and we make that action a reality.”
I said, “We’re not going to make her a killer if she’s not one.”
Precious opened the door. “We’ll never know anything if we continue to stand here talking about it either. Now move your butt.” She pressed her key fob, and her SUV came to life one floor below us. “Hold on to your titties, kitties.”
Jenna Miller lived on the second floor of a two-story walk-up apartment complex on the far outskirts of Seattle. So far out, the city skyline wasn’t visible, the only view the brown buildings surrounding hers.
On the two-hour ride up, we’d made an exit strategy in case she gave off violent vibes. Toby waited in the car while Precious and I went to the door.
Jenna answered after the second knock. She was short, petite, with long bland brown hair, brown eyes, and a cute pixie nose. She wore cropped jeans with rips created the natural way, showing off their excessive wear, and a flannel shirt with a tank top underneath. Around her ankle she wore a large black state-assigned bracelet. From beneath the frayed hem of her jeans the upper body and head of a dragon tattoo twisted around her ankle and ran up her leg.
“Hi,” Precious said. She held out the picture of Jenna doing the U-turn in front of the market. “Is this you?”
Jenna looked at the photo, blanched, and shook her head. “Nope. Wrong person.” She went to close the door.
Denial was the state many of Precious’s client came to her in. Jenna Miller was no different. Precious gave me a solid shove in the back, sending me forward into the door and Jenna.
We tumbled. Jenna, landing on the floor of her small living room, me on my knees in front of her.
Precious entered and slammed the door behind her.
Jenna said, “Come in.”
I said, “Jeez, so much sarcasm.” I looked at Precious. “Makes me think she doesn’t mean it.”
I pushed up from the floor, surveying the small space on my way up. A loveseat, an average-sized TV in a stand that looked wobbly, and a large computer desk with some serious equipment humming away on it.
I gave Precious’s shoulder a light shove. “Way to go, Precious. What if she’s a killer? Did you think of that?”
Precious offered Jenna a hand up. “If she is, she’ll do it with a drink or food or something, so don’t take anything she offers. But I don’t think she is.” She looked at Jenna. “Are you a murderer?”
Jenna batted Precious’s hand away and got up on her own. “No, I’m not a murderer.”
“But you’re a thief,” I said and pointed to a leather briefcase leaning against the desk. “I bet that’s not yours.”
Precious waved the photo in Jenna’s face. “I bet you acquired that bag when this picture was taken.”
Jenna pointed her finger at the door. “Get out before I call the police.”
Precious made herself comfortable on Jenna’s couch. “If you were going to call them, you would’ve already made the dash for your phone.” Precious pointed to me. “She has some questions for you. Once you answer them, we’ll leave. No biggie. Close your eyes and picture this. Sam asking you a few questions, then us leaving. That can happen, but it’s up to you.”
Jenna’s gaze darted from Precious to me and back again. “Who are you people?”
Precious pointed to me. “She’s the girl on the hook for killing Josh Chapman.”
Jenna crossed her arms. “Good. You did the world a favor. I’d shake your hand, but I’m not feeling so friendly to either of you.”
“And strong feelings of dislike for Principal Josh, I see,” I said.
She snorted and plopped into her desk chair. “He ruined my life. And telling people to call him Principal Josh made me want to vomit in my mouth.”
“He’s ruining my life right now,” I said.
She smirked. “Yeah, that’s how Josh rolls. Or rolled.”
“Any chance you killed him?” I asked. “That’ll take the heat off me.” My gut told me she didn’t. My gut had also told me marrying my fake-husband Carson one weekend in Vegas was a good idea, and we know how that turned out. So, there’s that. But I was going to be positive and go with Jenna not being a killer.
“Not that I didn’t want to. Often, I would dream about
him getting hit by a bus or getting poisoned by one of those fizzy water tablets he liked so much, but that’s as far as it went. I’ve already lost my career and reputation because of Josh. I wasn’t about to do more time because of him.”
“Fizzy water tablets?” Precious asked.
She smiled wickedly. “Yeah, his taste buds were jacked up so he flavored everything. Tabasco on popcorn. Flavor tablets in water. Extra strong coffee. That sort of thing.”
I leaned against the wall and gestured to the briefcase. “So why take the bag? Josh is dead. The school board can’t charge a dead man. But you can be charged with burglary. You’re willing to go to jail for that?”
Jenna dropped her head in her hands. “Taking the bag was a momentary lapse of judgment. Please don’t tell my PO.” Parole officer. When she looked back up, shame colored her cheeks.
I glanced at the ankle bracelet. “And how are you even allowed out of this pleasant abode you call home?” I gestured to her barren and sparsely decorated apartment.
Jenna curled her lip and looked at me like I was stupid. “It’s a tracking device. I’m allowed to leave. I just have to tell my PO where I’m going out of the county.”
Precious said, “But omit things like breaking into cars and stealing stuff.” Precious tsked. “Why don’t you tell us about this ‘lapse in judgment’?” She did air quotes.
Jenna tucked her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, dropping her chin to her knee. “Some auditor reached out to me and wanted to ask me a few questions. Brought up the whole incident with the school board. So I drove to some small town—”
“Wind River,” I supplied.
She nodded. “Yeah, I’d found a picture of her online, and when I went to our appointment, I watched her put her briefcase in her trunk and go into the market. That’s when the idea struck and I couldn’t get it out of my head. I thought, maybe, if she lost all her paperwork, then she’d go away or give up.”
“Did she tell you that you weren’t who she was after? That she was trying to get an understanding for Josh?” This was what Gillian had told me.
Jenna shrugged. “Yeah, but I didn’t believe her. Everything connected with Josh is one giant, hot, steaming pile of sh—”
“You’re telling me,” I said. “I know this isn’t your favorite subject, but could you tell me what happened between you and Josh and why you lost your job?”
She looked ready to dash out the door. Her eyes darted from us to the exit as she gripped her legs, knuckles going white. So I gave her a little nugget.
“I ask because I found a closet full of Chromebooks in his house.”
Jenna gasped. “I don’t know why I’m surprised. That’s Josh’s MO. I worked in the IT department for our district. Josh and I started dating.” She rolled her eyes. “I was such a sucker. Anyway, he asked me to show him how to build a website. So I did. It’s so easy. He asked me to show him how to monetize one and add e-commerce. I did that, too. And like a dumb-dumb, I used my own name on all the forms as the examples. My digital fingerprints were all over it.”
“What was he pretending to sell?” Precious asked.
“He had memorabilia he wanted to get rid of. I assumed it was for that. He hinted he was often strapped for cash, which was why we ate at my place a lot and never went out to dinner, or any place really.” She looked between Precious and I. “You getting the drift on how much a sucker I am?”
“Was,” Precious said. “You were. You aren’t anymore.”
Jenna scoffed. “I took a woman’s briefcase.”
I said, “So you built a website, and he took it over.”
She nodded. “I figured he was selling his own stuff for money. I mean, I was partially right. But he was selling stolen stuff.”
I thought of the invoices. “Then he’d turn in invoices from that company for products he never bought or services he never used and pocket the cash.”
Jenna pointed a finger at me, telling me I’d nailed it. “Josh took it a step further. He’d reutilize equipment before it was due to be replaced and sell it from his website. Most of that stuff goes to a storage facility that no one can keep track of anyway. Inventory sheets are notoriously inaccurate. Josh capitalized on that, sold the stuff and pocketed the cash.”
I slumped against the wall. Josh had been savvy. And greedy.
I picked up the briefcase. “I’m taking this with me.”
Jenna nodded. “Good. It’s been staring at me since I took it, accusing me with its silence.”
“Is everything in here? I’m sure the woman who owns this might overlook this entire thing so long as she can move on.”
Jenna said, “Tell her I’m sorry. I freaked out and made a bad choice.” She nodded to the bag. “She did a fabulous job, pointing all the fingers at Josh. I wish I could use her stuff in my case.”
“Are you still battling the school district?” Precious asked.
“I’m thinking about it. I can’t get any IT job because of my record, so I’m stuck working from home.”
Something flickered over Precious. She straightened and smoothed down her shirt. She was going into life coach mode.
“Many people would kill to work from home.” She snickered. “Maybe kill isn’t the right word. But instead of looking negatively at your situation, find the positive. What is it you do?”
Jenna studied Precious before answering. “I make book covers and graphics for authors. I build websites, too.”
“Are you any good?” Precious asked
Jenna shrugged and looked away. “Yeah, I think so. All my clients are repeats, and they tell their friends.”
Precious crossed her legs and leaned toward Jenna. She touched her on the knee, drawing Jenna’s attention to her. “Have you ever considered that maybe doing this is right where you’re supposed to be? Yes, you got here in a way that was less than pleasurable, but look what you created out of that bad situation. And you bring happiness to people. Readers see your covers, and like a piece of art, they marvel at it and are called to respond. Powerful.”
Jenna was enraptured. “I never saw it that way. I’ve been so angry.”
Precious shook her head. “All that anger is holding you back. Time to let it go.”
Jenna nodded, one slow head bob after another. “Yeah, time to let it go.”
Watching someone transform before your eyes is an amazing experience. Jenna’s shoulders straightened. Her chin came up from her legs, which then unfolded. She crossed them and sat back in the chair with a smile.
Precious pointed to the bland white wall of empty space over Jenna’s desk. “Change that. Put something there that inspires you. Something that creates happiness.”
Jenna stared at the wall in wonder.
Precious stood. “We have to go. Give me your email, and I’ll send you some good reads to get you started.”
Jenna scratched out the information on a notecard and handed it to Precious.
I slung the briefcase over my shoulder. “All right, we’re out. Thanks again.” We exchanged a few awkward smiles and let ourselves out, leaving Jenna to stare at the white space over her desk.
“I’m surprised you didn’t recruit her as a client,” I said as we approached Precious’s SUV.
“Nah, she’s looney tunes.”
I stopped short. “What? What makes you say that?”
Precious stopped and faced me. “Okay, maybe she’s not full-on crazy, but there’s only so much I can do with people who like to be victims.”
“But she seemed sincerely interested in what you said about changing.”
Precious nodded. “Sure, and she’ll go out and buy something, and for a while, it will work until something bad happens, then she’ll go into a tailspin. She needs a good shrink. I’ll send her a list of books and a few names. Maybe it’ll get her on the right track.”
“Well, that was nice of you,” I said.
She nudged my shoulder with hers. “All I could think about was that scen
e from Billy Madison where the killer marks an X across someone’s picture because they’ve struck them from the list. I didn’t want to get us on her list in the first place. Not after we kinda stormed the place and all.”
I laughed. “Good idea. You think she was telling the truth back there? I don’t think she killed him, but this was too easy.”
Precious side-eyed me and smirked. “Make no mistake. That girl was straight-up lying about something. I haven’t put my finger on what yet.”
Yeah, my spidey-senses were saying the same thing, but when Toby was able to access Jenna’s parole records, nothing eventful stood out.
Something was off. I just didn’t know what.
15
Monday
Autumn in Western Washington was my favorite time of the year. The temperature called for hoodies and fashion scarves, yet the days were sunnier than gray. Soon, the sun would be stuck behind clouds and as elusive as Bigfoot.
Today was one of those perfect days that reminded locals why they put up with the gray days of winter. Mount St. Helen and Mt. Adams stood like majestic sentinels below a baby blue sky. I decided to go for a run. Exercise helped me clear my head and look past the forest for the trees. I wasn’t anywhere near understanding what had caused Josh to keel over and who might be behind it.
Gillian was happy to have her briefcase back, and I was happy to have money in my account. Ralph’s was still undecided on whether or not to put me on the schedule, especially now with Dad’s story naming me the only person of interest in Josh’s case.
After my run, I planned on taking Cora to get ice cream. Before dinner. Because that’s how this aunt rolled. All said and done, the folks and I were doing a good job keeping her spirits up and shielding her from the drama at her school. With Josh’s death, the whole sexual harassment accusation seemed to be dead in the water. Funny, how if that accusation had never been made I wouldn’t be in this mess. What a stupid thing to accuse a kindergartener of anyway.
After stretching out in front of my dad’s office, I struck out with a slow gait, letting my muscles warm up as I ran through town. There were lots of hills in Wind River, and it wouldn’t do to burn up all my energy right out of the gate.
