"Okay, here's the proof we need. So, you can stop worrying, Lynn. There's no way you could have murdered Lisa Fox and managed to get to the dance floor to take this picture in under three minutes, it's just not possible. Make sure you take your camera with you when you give your statement to detective Carson. That way he can clearly see that the sequence of pictures was not interrupted or tampered with in any way. That should put a stop to any suspicions he's got about you."
The relief on Lynn's face was obvious. With a laugh to release her tension, Lynn gave Megan a grateful hug. Megan hugged her back and then turned back to the monitor.
"I hope you realize how exceptional these photos are, Lynn. I can't stop looking at the costumes and the finery."
"Thank you. It was a fun event to shoot. Between the costumes and the fun that everybody was having. And of course, the cars. It was a magical night – well at least it was until we heard that awful scream."
Megan agreed with her but her mind was already wandering to other things. She was surprised at how many images Lisa Fox could be found in. She had known the staff were supposed to mingle with the guests, offering them cocktails and directing them to the exhibit, but Lisa almost seem to be a little too personable and cozy with the guests. This puzzled Megan, and the puzzle, for Megan, had to be solved.
"Lynn, is there any way you can print off any pictures that Lisa is in? I'd like to take them and review them a little more. By the way, it would probably be a good idea for you to make an extra set for yourself of all the pictures you've taken. I have a feeling but that Detective Carson will confiscate your camera as evidence. Better to be prepared then surprised.”
Lynn made a face at the suggestion of not having her camera, but she agreed with Megan. The chances were high those pictures that so clearly outlined a timeline would be confiscated as well as her camera.
"Not a problem, Megan, I’m happy to help out in any way I can. Just give me a couple of minutes and I'll have everything ready for you. Why don't you finish your coffee while I'm doing that?" suggested Lynn as she picked up her own cup of coffee.
Megan agreed and left the room with Barney trailing her to give the other woman the opportunity to get the pictures ready for Megan.
True to her word, five minutes later Lynn was walking out of her office with the stack of photos for Megan. She handed them over with another hug for Megan and thanked her once again.
"I'm happy I could help out. Listen, I need to get going. I promised Lucy I would meet her at her shop. But would you do me a favor and keep me informed of how your interview with Detective Carson goes? Or if you think of anything else about last night that could help with the investigation? I'm sure Aiden would appreciate it too."
Lynn agreed, eager to help. She was worried about the fact that someone had been killed Saturday night and so far, haven't been caught. That meant there was a murderer wandering around the streets of Citrus Beach and that made her very uncomfortable.
The two women said goodbye and as Lynn walked them to the front door, she remembered she had a treat waiting for Barney, and grabbed it from her desk and gave it to the dog. Tail wagging happily, Barney led the way out the door with his treat in his mouth.
Chapter 15
When she pulled into a parking spot in front of Lucy’s shop, Megan wasn’t at all surprised to see it bustling with activity. She sat in the Jeep for a moment, watching the activity through the shop’s front display window. It was easy to see that the activity was well orchestrated, and everyone seemed to work well together. She made a quick decision and opened the glove compartment to stash the pictures Lynn had given her inside the box. Now was not the time to worry about the murder, she was here to help her family. She could focus on them for the next hour, and put the case on the back burner, so to speak.
As she opened the door she motioned for Barney to follow. Then Megan got out of the car and walked to the front door, taking in the large cobalt blue ceramic urns at either side of the entry.
“Those turned out perfect,” she said to Barney as he waited for her to pull the door open.
She had left instructions with Janice about the colorful flowers she wanted planted in the urns and was pleased her staff had done such a good job. She knew there were more containers due to arrive closer to the grand opening, along with benches and outdoor lighting. Lucy had not known Megan had ordered them, and she hoped she liked the additions to her front entry.
To Barney’s relief, Megan finally opened the door and stepped inside the shop. Right into the hub of activity. She had to smile as she looked around. Megan wasn’t surprised to see her daughter on a ladder hanging a banner, while Toby held the ladder and Sammy gave directions.
“The left side is lower, Emma. Are you sure it’s low enough for people to read?”
“Not everyone is short like you, Sammy,” teased Toby like a typical brother.
“It’s the right height, Sammy. If it’s too low, then tall men like your dad will walk into it. There, is it straight now? Hi, Mom.” Emma caught sight of Megan and called out her greeting.
“These banners are wonderful, Emma. You did a fantastic job on them.” Megan didn’t care if she embarrassed her daughter with her praise; it was well deserved. Emma was a talented artist, and the classes she was taking to earn a degree in graphic design were pulling those talents into the commercial world. Lucy was thrilled when Emma had offered to create all the signage and promotional materials for the shop, and her niece had not disappointed her.
Lucy looked up when she heard Megan’s voice and hurried to the front of the shop to put her friend right to work.
“Megan, those pots of flowers are glorious. Thank you so much.” She gave Megan a warm hug and then got down to business. “I have a job for you. A new shipment came in, would you mind getting it entered into inventory and unwrapped? Then I can put it out on the sales floor.” Without waiting for an answer, Lucy grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the back room. There she had a computer set up for keeping track of the inventory as it came in to the store. Each piece needed to be coded and logged into the computer before it could put out for sale. Because each piece was different, the coding was vital. And there was the added fear of the accountant. A truly sweet old man, always with a colorful bow tie, but Henry Carter was a wizard with numbers, and nothing got by him. He was the accountant for Megan, and many of her clients, so she could understand Lucy’s desire to have a perfect inventory record.
The next couple of hours flew by for Megan. Everyone kept busy, and working together, they were reaching Lucy’s goals and vision. Megan wasn’t even aware of how long she had been working until she had a cold glass of ice tea thrust in her face.
“Okay, time for a break. The kids are playing with Barney, so we won’t be interrupted. Now tell me what’s going on with the murder.”
Megan looked up to find Lucy standing in front of her, hands on her own icy glass, waiting for an answer. With a deep swallow of her drink, Megan let the refreshing liquid sooth her dry throat before she answered.
“It seems as if Detective Carson is going down a list of suspects, making veiled accusations and getting everyone in an uproar. So far, it’s been Colonel Heart and Lynn, but who know who is next.”
“Too bad he’s from out of town. Then he would know how crazy that sounds.”
“Exactly. Oh, another twist is Kim Heart wants her grandfather’s name cleared—”
“Naturally.”
“But the catch is that she’s not working on a story. She’s been taken off it because of her connection to the Colonel, and you can image how ticked off that made her. Kim was with us last night, along with Charlotte, Adele, and the Colonel. We spent the evening discussing the case, and she is supportive, even coming up with suggestions of her own.”
Lucy nodded her head in understanding, but Megan could see it bothered her that she was not helping Megan with this case. She’d helped in the past, and for a fleeting moment, felt left out. Megan easily read he
r expression and hastened to reassure her friend.
“Lucy, you need to concentrate on what’s going on here. This is your dream – don’t let anything distract you. Aiden is here and we’re working this one together. I’m not going off on my own to follow clues, I promise.”
“You’ve got that right!”
The deep voice startled both women, and they turned to find Aiden and Paul standing in the doorway. They had heard what Megan said, and Aiden was quick to confirm it.
“Wow, you’re back already?” Lucy asked, looking at Paul.
“I promised I would bring lunch for the troops, and I did.” Her husband held up a bag with the logo from a fast food restaurant the kids loved to prove his words.
Giving him a quick kiss, Lucy grabbed the bag and headed to the temporary lunch room that had been set up in the back room. Paul offered to round up the workers for a lunch break and she agreed, already halfway out the door.
Laughing at his wife, Paul turned to the two standing next to him and motioned for them to follow Lucy. Before Megan could say anything, Aiden jumped in.
“I’m going to steal Megan away for lunch. Not that these fries don’t smell inviting. We need to go over a few things before Detective Carson shows up at my office. He said he would be there after 2:00.”
“Then go. I’ll let Lucy know what’s going on. She has plenty of help for today, so there’s no need to come back.”
“Okay, since I won’t be here, why don’t I take care of dinner for everyone? We’ll eat out on the terrace and the kids can go swimming and work off their excess energy. The last thing Lucy will want to do is go home and cook. Agreed?”
Megan made the question more of a command as she hugged her cousin goodbye. She led the way to the front door and called for Barney. It took two calls; the dog was not happy about leaving without his share of the lunch. Dejected, he followed Megan and Aiden. It was a beautiful day, so they left the Jeep and walked the short distance to Aiden’s office. The walk helped lift the dog’s spirits, and by the time they were entering the office, his tail was wagging again. They heard Gypsy's welcoming bark and saw Jake holding their lunch. The smell of food was identical to what he had just left behind, and Barney barked his approval.
“So, you have a smug look. What’s up?”
They had finished lunch and were cleaning up the debris of papers when Megan looked over at Aiden and observed his demeanor.
“I can’t hide anything from you, can I?”
“Not the important stuff, now what gives?” Megan would not let him get sidetracked from her question. Looking at him firmly, she waited for his answer.
“I heard from my contacts at the FBI. They’ve broken the code as far as they can. But I think with your knowledge of the area and people that we can fill in the blanks.”
Jake took the garbage from Megan's hand and told her he would take care of it. As he walked away, he turned back to her with a smile.
"Lynn told me how you helped her out this morning I can't thank you enough, Megan. She was really upset about it and I told her you'd be able to figure out something. How about if I take these two dogs for an after-lunch walk and let you two get to work?"
"That's a great idea, here—" Aiden caught his attention and threw him the keys to Megan's Jeep. "Why don't you bring her car here and park it in the back. I'm sure the dogs won't mind going for a short little ride."
Jake agreed and calling to the dogs slipped on their leashes. He was headed out the door when Megan stopped him.
"Jake, when you come back I put a bunch of pictures in the glove compartment. Would you mind bringing them in for me? I'd like to look at them."
"Not a problem, I won't be long." And with that, he and his two companions were gone. Megan told Aiden about the pictures Lynn had given her, finishing up with a bit of speculation.
"I wonder if there is more than a friendship between those two. I know they spend a lot of time surfing together."
"Stop your matchmaking. Just because we're in love, doesn't mean you should pair everyone else up," laughed Aiden "Let's concentrate on one thing at a time."
Megan gave a laugh and then Aiden lost no time getting down to work, leading Megan into his office he motioned to stacks of paper on his desk. With a grin, he pulled out items for her to examine in logical order.
"This is what we've come up with so far. It looks like an elaborate blackmailing scheme has been forming along the coastline. This flash drive had a list of some very prominent citizens and the amounts they had been paying to the blackmailer. There's a code for whatever reason they're being blackmailed. We haven't been able to break that code yet, but we've got the basics. Now we need to figure out how it ties into Lisa Fox and her murder."
Megan looked over the sheets she had been handed, pacing as she flipped the pages. The names on the list surprised her, and she gave a low whistle when she saw the amount they had paid so far to the blackmailers. Whatever was held over these people’s heads, they were willing to pay dearly for it to be kept quiet. The amount of money she was seeing recorded on those papers, well a bit of murder would mean nothing to a blackmailer.
"So why do you think Lisa had the flash drive in her hand? And why was the Colonel's name on the paper?" Megan continued to pace as she read.
"I've been giving that serious thought and I think I have a scenario that might explain it."
Aiden paused until he had her full attention and then he motioned her to sit down next to him. Her pacing always made him a little edgy. That and her constant tapping of her fingernails on a countertop when she was trying to work something out. Minor irritations compared to all the reasons he loved her. Taking a seat on the couch, Megan looked up at him, giving him her full attention.
Aiden couldn't help but to smile at her upturned face. He didn't forget for a moment how fortunate he was to have her in his life and remembered with a twist to his heart how he had almost lost her doing just what they were doing now: trying to solve a murder. He hesitated, part of him not wanting to let Megan know what he was thinking. but then common sense prevailed, and he knew even if he held back, Megan would find out, one way or another. It was better that they work together where he could keep her safe then having her go out on her own. Even as he thought this, he had to give himself a mental slap because he didn't need to protect Megan. She had proven again and again that she could take care of herself. Either way it was best they work together.
He cleared his throat, which had suddenly become dry as his thoughts had taken a darker turn, and then Aiden began to explain his theory.
"I think Lisa Fox was involved in the blackmail ring. But I also think she was in over her head and wanted out. Somehow the Colonel had giving her the courage to betray the ringleaders of the gang and she was trying to get information to the Colonel. This information could shut them down, causing a need for her murder."
"That makes sense. But what stopped her killer from finding and taking that flash drive?" She nodded her head in agreement.
"What makes the most sense is that he was interrupted. Don't forget, a lot of people were coming and going. He had to commit that murder awfully fast and then he was probably planning to search her but was interrupted. He wouldn’t have noticed the bulge in her glove, like you did, choking her from behind.”
Megan gave an involuntary shudder at the picture the words made in her mind. The thought of the petite women being strangled by her own beads still gave her the chills. But it also made her realize that Lisa had to have known the killer for him to get up that close. It had been easy, he could take her beads in his hands and slowly tighten them to the point where she couldn't breathe, leaving the marks on her neck and pulling even tighter until the strands broke.
Jake and the dogs’ return broke Megan’s visualization of the murder. The eager dogs ran into the office at a full run, happy to be with their owners again. Jake followed at a slower pace, and when he entered the office he walked over and handed Megan the stack of photos.
“I can keep them here with me,” Jake offered, gesturing to the dogs.
“That’s okay, they’re fine. You know what, three pairs of eyes will be better than two. Help me lay these out in order of their time stamp and let’s see what Lynn’s eyes saw through her lens. Maybe there will be answers in here.”
Aiden agreed and with three of them it took little time to put the pictures in chronological order, laying them right over the top of the paperwork on Aiden’s desk. The two men began compare the pictures, but Megan remained silent.
She looked from one picture to the next, getting the feel for the photographer’s thought process. Lynn was trying to get pictures of as many people as possible, often grouping her subjects together for a shot. She had plenty of pictures of the dignitaries and supporters of the museum, just as she’d been asked to get. Again, Megan was struck by the quality of the pictures. But then she looked beyond the subjects in the foreground. She was seeing a pattern, but said nothing until she had looked a couple more time. When her idea became more concrete, with the photos to back her up, she looked at the two men and waited for them to take a breath.
Chapter 16
“Guys, I think I have something. Check out the background of the pictures. Do you see anything consistently going on with Lisa?”
Megan waited for them inspect the pictures and got a huge grin on her face when she realized that they were drawing the same conclusion she had.
“Our murder victim seems to be in a lot of these pictures. And for a member of the staff, she seems to be hobnobbing with some pretty influential guests.”
“Wow, you’re right. She looks like she is having very serious conversations with them,” Jake noticed the body language between the people in the still shots and couldn’t help but to comment. Usually he was quiet in the office, sensitive to the nature of Aiden’s work. He seemed surprised at his own statement and pleased when Aiden complemented him on it.
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