Connor wasn’t kidding. Sabrina’s body was in rough shape. Meg tried not to focus on that part. She instead concentrated on paying her last respects while Connor waited outside.
As she tried to do that, she found herself grappling with the uneasy feeling in her gut. It wasn’t just shock, although that was definitely present. Hearing about her friend dying was one thing. Seeing it in person was another.
Meg was still having a hard time coming to terms with everything. She’d just talked to her friend last night. Now, she was gone forever. This was a terrible, indescribable loss. Meg’s heart was torn into tiny little pieces.
“Sabrina, I’m so sorry. I’m going to miss you so much. As a writer, you’d probably know what to say at a time like this, but I can’t even think straight. I just know my life won’t be the same without you in it,” Meg said.
While Meg laid her emotions bare, she got a creeping suspicion in her gut. She couldn’t quite put a finger on it, but something troubling was stirring inside her.
That was just the beginning. As Meg gave her friend one last goodbye, she noticed something that stuck out as highly peculiar about the body.
***
When Meg joined Connor outside, he was eager to get her back home.
“Why don’t we stop and pick you up some chocolate on the way home, and maybe even a chick flick? Just something to take your mind off this,” Connor suggested.
Meg had other ideas. “I can’t go home yet.”
Connor was not happy with that answer. “You can’t stay here. I have a case to investigate, and you really need to take some time to grieve.”
Meg shook her head. “I want to see the scene of the crime.”
Connor gritted his teeth. “No. I can’t do that.”
“Sure you can. You’re the detective assigned to this case.”
“Ok, fine. I can, but I won’t.”
“Only, here’s the thing. The way I see it, you can’t afford not to show me the scene,” Meg declared.
Connor wasn’t convinced. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m not so sure it was a burglar that killed Sabrina.”
Connor was more confused than ever. “What makes think that?”
“Burglars only care about the bottom line. They want maximum dollar for the items they steal. A laptop is easy enough to pawn off. If it was really a robber that killed Sabrina, they wouldn’t have missed out on the real prize.”
“Which was?”
“The diamond earrings and matching necklace she was wearing, both of which are still on her body,” Meg revealed.
Connor hesitated before answering, processing what his girlfriend had just told him. “Maybe the burglar panicked and didn’t notice them.”
Meg scoffed. “Not likely. Diamonds are hard to miss.”
“Things change in the heat of the moment. They might have been too worried about getting caught to think straight.”
“Yet they were sure to take her laptop with them.”
“Laptops are one of the most commonly stolen items in the country.”
“That’s my point, exactly. There were twenty other rooms at that motel. Did any other guests report a stolen laptop?” Meg asked.
“As a matter of fact, no. Sabrina’s room appeared to be the only one burglarized,” Connor replied.
“Doesn’t that seem odd? Unless, there was something that burglar specifically wanted from Sabrina’s laptop. Something they couldn’t find on anyone else’s computer.”
“Like what?”
“A particularly scandalous unpublished manuscript,” Meg revealed.
“Are you saying she was killed because someone wanted a copy of the book?”
“I’m saying she might have been killed because someone didn’t want one of the secrets in that book to get out.”
“That’s a pretty bold theory.”
“You say that, but I know six members of the Treadwell family that didn’t want that manuscript to ever see the light of day,” Meg replied.
“Now you’re saying the burglar could have been one of the Treadwell’s?” Connor asked.
She corrected him. “I’m saying it’s more likely that it wasn’t just some random burglar at all. Sabrina told me last night that members of the Treadwell family kept coming up to her throughout the day warning her never to publish that book.”
Connor’s eyes opened wide. “And you’re just telling me this now?”
“Connor, I’ve had a lot of stuff thrown at me this morning.”
He was very apologetic. “You’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just that this revelation really throws a new wrinkle into the situation.”
“Sabrina was determined not to yield to their pressure. That decision may have cost her life.”
“Maybe, but also maybe not. That’s a big leap to take, and pure speculation.”
Meg was determined to convince the detective of her theory.
“Show me the scene of the crime. It may not be as big of a leap as you think,” she suggested.
Connor stopped her cold. He knew where this conversation was going, and he wanted no part of it.
Chapter Six
Connor sat Meg down and tried to talk some sense into her.
“I know what you’re thinking, and you’re going down a very dangerous path,” Connor said.
“What makes you so sure you know what’s going on in my head?” Meg replied.
“I’ve known you almost my entire life, and you have that look in your eyes. You’re thinking about investigating this case.”
“Wrong.”
Connor was never happier to be mistaken in all his life. He let out a big exhale.
Meg continued. “I’m definitely investigating it.”
“This is a big mistake,” he warned.
“It hasn’t been in the past.”
“This is different than the other cases you solved,” Connor said.
“Exactly. It’s personal.”
He agreed. “Right. Which is why you should head home, give yourself the proper time to grieve, and let me handle this.”
She shook her head. “No. I need to do this. I have this drive to find the truth.”
He corrected her. “What you’re being driven by right now are your emotions. That’s exactly what you don’t need when you’re trying to solve a case.”
“No, what I don’t need right now is to sit at home, thinking about how much I miss Sabrina, especially when I know there’s nothing I can do to bring her back. I want to feel empowered, not powerless, and the only way to do that is to bring her killer to justice.”
“You’re so emotional that you don’t even realize you’re making my point for me. Cases are solved by analyzing the facts objectively and logically. You’re feeling highly subjective at a time when objectivity couldn’t be more key.”
Meg was tired of going around in circles. She put her foot down. “I understand your concern and appreciate how much you care, but I’m doing this. Neither you nor anyone else is going to stop me.”
Connor could see that he wasn’t making any progress. He tried coming at things from a different angle. “I’m not trying to stop you. I’m looking out for your heart. I just want what’s best for you.”
Meg knew her boyfriend had the best of intentions. In most cases, that would be taking the time to grieve. This was an extraordinary circumstance. There was a killer on the loose. Until they were caught, Meg wouldn’t be able to focus on anything else, no less be able to grieve.
“Investigating this case is what’s best for me,” she declared.
Connor made one last attempt to dissuade her. “Meg--”
She stared deep into his eyes and made one last declaration. “This is what’s best for me right now.”
Connor knew it would be futile to keep discussing this with Meg. It was clear there was no changing her mind.
Given that, there was only one thing to say. “Fine.”
Chapter Seven
Connor took Meg to the sce
ne of the crime, where chaos awaited. Meg immediately saw that her boyfriend had been right, Sabrina’s motel room was completely ransacked. Everything was in disarray. Clothes were strewn about. A lampshade was ajar, drawers in the room’s dresser were open, and all the makings of a robbery turned deadly were in place.
Despite that, Meg still wasn’t convinced that this was the work of a burglar.
Connor then interrupted her train of thought. “I don’t know what you think you’re going to find here. My team already went over the place.”
“I’m a visual person. I just wanted to see where the murder took place,” Meg replied.
That wasn’t entirely the truth. She also wanted to give the place a once-over of her own, with the help of a little magic. To do that, Meg stepped over to the open window and pretended to look out.
With her back turned to Connor, she was able to quickly close her eyes and cast a spell under her breath. When she turned back around, the spell gave her eagle-eyed vision. She made small talk about the case while scanning the room for any possible clue the police might have missed.
“Who found the body?” she asked.
“One of the guests in the neighboring rooms heard a loud crashing noise, then saw a shadowy figure running into the woods right around the time of the murder. They called the hotel manager, who opened up the room and found the body,” Connor explained.
“Did the hotel guest get a good look at the shadowy figure?”
He shook his head. “It was shortly after midnight, so it was practically pitch black behind the motel. The guest couldn’t even tell us if the figure was male or female.”
Meg finished her visual scan of the room, which unfortunately turned up no extra clues. She then looked up and turned her attention to Connor.
“Shortly after midnight? That was only a few minutes after we said goodnight to each other.”
“You should count yourself lucky. If she’d invited you in, you could be dead right now too.”
Connor got a lump in his throat as he said that. The saying was true; timing in life was everything, and in this case, Meg’s timing was killer.
Meg had a different take on the situation. If she’d confronted the killer last night, with her witch powers, she could have stopped the murder from occurring. Unfortunately, she had no idea what was awaiting inside her friend’s room. She couldn’t tell Connor any of this without revealing she was secretly a witch.
Instead, she answered with a completely different perspective. “You’re still assuming this was a robbery. If one of the Treadwell’s killed Sabrina, they may have followed us back from the restaurant, waited for me to leave, and then made their move.
“Either way, I’m happy you’re still here alive and well,” Connor replied.
“So am I,” she said.
“Although I still don’t know what you thought you’d find here.”
“I just had a hunch.”
“Looks like this one didn’t pay off.”
She switched gears. “Did you find any prints on the murder weapon?”
“It’s still pretty early, but the forensics team wasn’t able to find any fingerprints on the award statuette.”
“That’s what I thought. The killer was either wearing gloves or wiped the prints to cover their tracks.”
Connor didn’t want to get too hasty. “Most burglars don’t leave prints behind. The lack of fingerprints left at the scene doesn’t prove anything. Your theory is just pure speculation.”
Meg walked back to the window to gather her thoughts. She stared out.
Connor continued. “There’s still more evidence that a burglar killed Sabrina.”
Just then, as Meg looked outside with her eagle-eyed vision, something caught her attention in the grass.
“I think that’s about to change.”
Chapter Eight
Meg and Connor went outside where she was able to get a better look at the object she’d spotted in the grass. She grabbed a tissue from her purse and picked up a green key ring with a blue “T” written on it.
Meg recognized that logo. It was the corporate logo of the Treadwell’s brand of baby food.
Connor was completely dumbfounded. “How did you even spot that?”
It was time for Meg to bend the truth a little. “I have pretty good eyesight.”
He shook his head in disbelief. “I’ll say. It would take an eagle-eye to spot that.”
Meg laughed, at least on the outside. On the inside, that comment hit too close to home. The last thing she needed with this case only beginning was for Connor to have any suspicions that she was a witch. Not only would it be a nearly unfathomable concept for the detective to come to grips with, but it would also be a major distraction when this case required their undivided attention.
Meg shrugged her shoulders and played it off. “I must have just gotten lucky. A needle can’t stay hidden in a haystack forever.”
Connor still wasn’t entirely convinced. “Uh huh.”
She switched gears. “The important part is, the killer seems to have left behind a nice clue.” She held up the keyring. “Do you recognize that logo?”
“I sure do. No doubt, that’s the Treadwell corporation’s logo.”
“Do you still think a burglar killed Sabrina?”
Meg could see Connor finally coming around to her line of thinking. “All right, so I’m beginning to have my doubts.”
Meg was looking for a more resounding answer than that, but she’d take any wiggle room he’d give her.
“I think it’s time we pay the Treadwell’s a visit.”
He stopped her. “Not so fast. Let’s just say the killer was a member of the Treadwell family, trying to stop Sabrina’s novel from being published. What kind of a secret would be worth killing to keep under wraps?”
“It’s not just one secret. The Treadwell’s have plenty of secrets to go around.”
“According to Sabrina’s novel, you mean?” he asked.
Meg nodded. “Yeah. Although it turns out this book may be more factual than your average fiction novel.
“That’s the thing. Seeing as you’re the only person outside of Sabrina to know what’s in this book, I think it’s time to clue me in on just how scandals this novel really is,” Connor replied.
Chapter Nine
Meg decided it would be best to grab some brain food before going any further. There was no better place in town to do that than at Al’s diner. Al’s was a greasy spoon joint where comfort food was everywhere they turned, delighting taste buds with each bite.
Meg and Connor sat down at a booth during the rare downtime at the diner. It was just after the breakfast rush had ended, but before the lunch crowd shuffled in. Connor ordered pot roast with mashed potatoes, gravy, and green beans while Meg went with a BLT sandwich with fries.
When their stomachs were full, and their minds were thinking clearly again, Meg gave Connor a short summary of the secrets that were contained in Sabrina’s manuscript and how they could pertain to this case.
“Vikki Treadwell’s character in the book was portrayed as a self-important, egomaniacal windbag who put more time and attention into the running of her company than caring for her family,” Meg revealed.
“I thought you said this book was supposed to be fictional,” Connor replied.
“It was.”
“Could have fooled me.”
Anyone who’d lived in town longer than a year most likely had a Vikki Treadwell story. None of them painted her in a good light. She had a knack for rubbing people the wrong way, which made it all the more ironic seeing her give interviews. When the camera was rolling, she was sweet and saccharin, but the minute she wasn’t being recorded, the entitled, cutthroat Vikki the locals came to know and hate came out to play. As much as people disliked her, no one dared to come out and publicly bad mouth her. Her company was the engine that fueled the local economy.
“Trust me, you’re going to be experiencing a lot of dejavu in th
e next few minutes,” Meg warned.
“We all know Vikki Treadwell is a piece of work. The question is, what secret could she have that would be worth killing to keep quiet?” Connor wondered.
“According to the book, she’s been having a long-running affair with the mayor.”
Connor’s eyes opened wide. “That’s a killer secret, all right.”
“It’s not all. In addition to the extra-curricular hanky panky, the mayor has been giving her sweetheart deals and all kinds of tax breaks.”
“That’s awfully scandalous for someone that prides themselves on running a family-friendly company.”
“It sure is,” Meg replied.
“Next, there’s Adam Treadwell. In the book, his character was a meek, bitter, alcoholic that was tired of living in his wife’s shadow.”
“Your friend really didn’t pull any punches, did she?”
“It’s safe to say she wasn’t a fan of the Treadwell family.”
“Clearly not.”
“Then again, it’s bad enough having to clean toilets for a living without the added stress of being treated like you are pond scum,” Meg explained.
“True. What’s Adam’s secret?” Connor asked.
“You mean his character’s secret?” she corrected.
“Right. Of course,” he replied, playing along.
“In the book, his character is having an affair with Vikki’s best friend.”
“That’s one way to get back at your wife,” Connor replied.
“Even more, Vikki finds out about the affair, but instead of apologizing and begging for forgiveness, Adam brazenly threatens to go public with both his and his wife’s affairs, bringing a family unfriendly scandal to their family company,” Meg revealed.
“I feel like I’m listening to the plot of a daytime soap opera.”
“It gets worse.”
Connor was wide-eyed. “How could it?”
“Vikki’s character warns Adam’s character that if he goes public with the affairs, she’ll reveal that he’s secretly infertile and that he’s not the biological father of any of their kids,” Meg continued.
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