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“I like how you’re warming up to my hitman angle.” So he had a few strings to tie before he made any arrests. Got it. “Are you certain the ladies spearheaded this whole thing?”
“Yes.” He heaved a sigh. “And no.”
Yeah. Her shoulders rolled in. “I agree. I haven’t shed the feeling we’re missing something.”
“As far as cat-and-mouse games go, this one is lacking.”
“Or it’s more nuanced than we realize, because we aren’t seeing all the pieces.” She heaved a sigh, too. “Why did they try to kill you?” To stop his investigation? Instead, they invigorated Jane’s.
“For all they knew, someone in a mask would open the card. Deputy Poteet shouldn’t have released the card on site. The goal could’ve been a simple desire to aim our focus in another direction by pretending to want to add to the body count.”
A knock interrupted the conversation. Conrad smiled and stood, saying, “Fiona called me earlier and alerted me that she’d arranged for you and the rest of your wedding party to spend the day at the spa of my choice.” He opened the door, revealing Fiona, Tiffany, June and Beau. “Go relax with your friends and enjoy being pampered.”
Jane pressed a hand over her now thumping heart. “I like you as much as I love you,” she said, rushing over to hug her fiancé, certain of a startling fact. The real family curse was being too afraid to give yourself wholeheartedly to the one you loved. But the curse had lost its hold on her big time.
“I love and like you, too.” He pressed the sweetest kiss into her lips.
“We love and like you both,” Fiona said, grinning the world’s biggest and most wonderful grin. “I’m so glad you two found each other.”
The others nodded their agreement.
“Considering I’m your maid of honor, I obviously love and like you more than most.” Beau’s dry tone drew a snicker from Conrad.
“What about me?” her fiancé asked with an exaggerated pout. “Where’s my declaration?”
Beau hiked his shoulders. “You’re okay, I guess.”
Conrad acted as if he’d received a first-place ribbon at the county fair pie-eating contest, and Jane chuckled. Their bromance was so special.
June sniffled and dabbed at her eyes. “This is so beautiful. You’re all so kind to each other, so thoughtful, while I don’t have any friends, and I’m so cranky sometimes, Momma calls it Honey Badger June, and right now I’m hungry for waffles and I want a cuddle and to be left alone all at the same time.”
Conrad snickered behind his hand. Even Jane had to hide a smile, rolling her lips between her teeth.
She gave the love of her life one more kiss before leaving with her wedding party. And oh, wow, she’d never thought to use those two words in conjunction with herself, but here she was, engaged to the most perfect man ever born.
Beau drove the entire group in Trick’s SUV. A quick trip. Jane tried to participate in the chatter, she really did, but her mind continually strayed to the case. What was she missing?
They parked at the Gilded Scissors, exited and made their way to the door. She stopped with her hand on the knob, looked over her shoulder, and focused on the closed down Treasure Room. A piece of yellow crime scene tape billowed in the wind. Her gaze glided over the other shops. At the end of the street was the Golden Food Market, where Christopher had first spotted Abigail.
Had Abigail played the role of Treasure Room lookout from here and signaled the killer at the perfect time to strike?
What if Abigail had worked with Christopher? Was he the missing ingredient? He certainly fit Lucy’s description. Again, if Lucy’s description was accurate. But how could he be in two places at once?
And what of Donnie?
As a pre-best selling author, Jane should be able to plot this out. Okay. So. Could Christopher have run into Abigail at the store, realized she’d be the perfect alibi, then made the short journey to the Treasure Room without his fellow firemen knowing, killed Hannah, hit Jane, then backtracked? Or maybe one of the other firefighters he’d shopped with had done the deed? By being the first people to reach the crime scene, their prints and DNA covered the site for a legitimate reason. But why would Christopher or another fireman kill Hannah and play games with Jane, if not a gesture of love to Maggie by securing the Treasure Room for her?
But why risk breaking up with Maggie in the middle of a case, if she could spill his darkest secrets?
Speaking of Maggie, the mechanic walked down the sidewalk with a paper coffee cup in hand. She spotted Jane, narrowed her eyes, and jaywalked to the other side before disappearing around a corner.
Jane’s thoughts rolled on. What if Christopher had a secret fling going with Abigail? That gave him a reason to kill Jacob–as a romantic rival. And Hannah, too, ensuring Abigail was free to siphon off all of her mark’s money. It also explained his breakup with Maggie.
If Christopher loved the socialite, he might do anything she requested.
“Are you not wanting your hair and nails done, Janie?” Beau asked.
Something about his tone… A grin spread over her face. “We aren’t really here for beauty treatments, are we?” Conrad picked this salon for a purpose, hadn’t he?
