The Plain Jane Mystery Box Set 2

by Traci Tyne Hilton

  Brenna didn’t offer a magical answer, so Jane ordered them both drinks.

  “The directory!” The thought occurred to her so fast that she almost spit out her coffee saying it. “I’ve got the church directory right here.” She dug it out of her purse and opened to Cora Paige’s contact. “And the good news is, they live on this side of the river.”

  The Paige house was a largish craftsman in a charming little area of Portland called Ladd’s Addition. The house was just one block from the gilded Joan of Arc statue that anchored the neighborhood.

  It didn’t take long to get there, but when they did, they were disappointed to find no one was home. Not just disappointed, but completely dampened. They had come to solve the murder once and for all, not to turn around and go home.

  “It is only five,” Brenna said. “What did you expect?”

  Jane grimaced. “I guess I hoped they both worked from home. Speaking of, I can take you back now.”

  Jane had expected the Frances home to also be unoccupied at this hour, but it wasn’t.

  There were four cars parked in front of it. One she recognized as Jake’s Jag.

  “Why is your boyfriend here?” Brenna asked.

  “How did you know?” Jane parked across the street from Jake’s car.

  Brenna lifted an eyebrow but didn’t give away her secrets.

  “You’re guess is as good as mine. I suppose we’ll both find out when we go in.”

  Brenna hurried across the lawn to her front door, and some of her stiffness fell away as she opened it. She left it opened for Jane, but didn’t wait for her to enter before she took herself back to her room.

  Low emotional response to others. A decrease in anxiety in her own home. Jane wished she had taken a few more psychology classes. She would have liked to understand what made Brenna tick.

  Jake grinned at Jane from across the kitchen island. “Hello m’ love.”

  “Hi.” Jane lifted one eyebrow.

  Jake was holding court with Maggie, Maggie’s mom Margot, a man she hadn’t met, but guessed was Maggie’s dad, Ayla, and Flora and Rocky’s assistant Miranda. The group was crowded around the island where Jake had sample cups spread out. Jane guessed they were smoothies from Yo-Heaven, the family yogurt chain. The man who looked about the right age to be Maggie’s dad set one down, a pleased look on his face. “You say that has banana peel in it? I could never have guessed.”

  “It sure does,” Jake said. “Ripe banana peel processed to within an inch of its life is full of probiotics and fiber. It’s like a super food that you throw away every day.”

  Ayla snorted. “You sound like a late night infomercial.”

  “Maybe in my next life.” He looked to Jane again. “I can’t tell you how glad we are to see you alive.”

  “You’re welcome.” Jane tilted her head, her words sounded like a question, but that was because she was so confused.

  “Between the texts you sent Flora and the call to Maggie and the showdown at the O. K. Tech Center, we weren’t sure if you and Brenna would ever make it home again.” He was joking, but his eyes registered sincere concern. “You know…next time you follow a suspected killer to the last spot a murdered man was seen alive, could you, you know, text me?”

  “Definitely.” Jane sidled up to the island and helped herself to a sample cup. As she sipped, she let herself assess the state of mind of the gathered crowd.

  Maggie’s dad looked shell shocked. Despite his apparent interest in the smoothie, his eyes had that deer-in-the-headlights look. His eyes were also shadowed, as though he hadn’t been sleeping.

  Margot was put together—an impeccable blouse and jeans combo, hair styled, makeup in place, though it had just been a few days since Jane first saw her, she also looked tired, dark bags under her eyes, a sad cast to her expression. She looked older.

  Maggie herself looked refreshed. Her eyes were no longer red from crying. Her shoulders were straight and her eye contact forth right. Jane guessed this was from learning that Kyle was alive and working with the FBI. Jane didn’t feel all that relieved for Kyle. Working for the FBI didn’t assure he was guilt free. But then again, if she had feared Jake was dead, and just learned he was in fact, alive she would probably look like she had just won the Super Bowl, too.

  Ayla looked similarly relieved—after all, she had just learned her brother was still alive. She may have thought that her tattoos, wild hair, and piercings were a shield, projecting a tough image over whatever else she was actually feeling, but from the times Jane had had Ayla to herself, she knew the metal and ink were guarding a sensitive girl.

  “Jane, I came here with Jake because I have specific instructions for you,” Miranda said.

  “I told her she could text,” Jake said. “You’re a thoroughly modern girl. But she wouldn’t listen.”

  “Unfortunately for the rest of the things I have to do, I am supposed to accompany you on this errand.” Miranda looked at her watch. “And we need to leave.”

  “Before you go…” Margot’s voice was tentative, and her perfectly put together face looked shy. “Maggie has a few questions, I think.”

  “Mom, not now.” Maggie’s face flushed and she shook her head vigorously.

  “She’s here now. You should just ask about it. No one blames you for worrying about the insurance.”

  “The insurance?” Jane turned to Maggie. “I guess from here you just wait to hear back from them.”

  “That gets to the heart of what we need to do.” Miranda stepped out from behind the breakfast bar, a hand extended to Jane. “The insurance company is balking again and needs some more information. I’m not saying you didn’t do a good job, but they have some more questions.”

  Maggie bit her lip. “I don’t want this to be about money, but things are piling up.”

  “How?” Jake asked. “It’s only been two weeks. You can’t have gone into collections yet.”

  Maggie’s red face brightened further. “It’s not collections, it’s…other stuff.”

  Jane ignored Miranda’s invitation to leave. What “stuff” was pressing on Maggie?

  Miranda huffed a little bit and hovered in the door to the kitchen.

  “But why banana peels?” Maggie’s dad asked. “Isn’t that just drinking waste?”

  Jane glanced his direction. He had the look of a man who had no idea what was going on.

  “Charles, this is not the time.” Margot hushed her husband.

  Charles looked down at his paper cup. He took another sip and savored it thoughtfully.

  “Kyle and I had a lot of plans. And those are the ones that are coming up, needing to be paid.” Maggie took a deep breath. “We could have paid it ourselves, with our income, but Kyle…” She wiped her eye. “Kyle isn’t here now and I can’t access his bank accounts, and I can’t do it alone.” She gritted her teeth.

  “I see.” It made sense. If they had gotten an apartment or a house or a car or any other kind of thing and now she didn’t have enough money to pay for it… “But Miranda, how long does it usually take for these policies to pay out?”

  “It depends. It could come in a couple of weeks. It could take longer. A fraud investigation always slows things down.” Miranda looked at her watch again and then angled her head toward the door.

  Jane ignored the hint. “What are you on the hook for right now?”

  “It was kind of hush-hush.”

  “Do you think that matters anymore?” Ayla asked.

  “Probably not.” Maggie squared her shoulders and looked around the room. “We were starting up a business, and payments on the loan are coming due.” She pressed her lips together.

  Jane gave her a friendly half smile. “What kind of business?”

  Maggie closed her eyes. She shook her head. When she opened them they held an appeal for understanding. “It’s to do with gaming.”

  Jane nodded, hoping she’d continue without more prompting.

  “Books…” Maggie said slowly.
/>
  “And devices?” Jane asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Jane’s mind whirled. Books. Like Shane Paige. Devices, like their now dead best friend. What were Kyle and Maggie getting themselves into? “Who knew about your business venture?”

  “Devon did, of course. We were buying his device. But we hadn’t told anyone else about it.”

  “But if you were buying his device, why give it a negative review?” Ayla looked surprised to hear her own voice.

  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.

  Chapter 18

  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 Sh
ane 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, right 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.”