Page 7 of Setup In Montana

“Did she tell you that?”

“I haven’t talked to her.”

“Have you texted her with the news?”

She said nothing.

“She gave you no indication she was going to leave town?” he asked.

Sarah shook her head.

He wasn’t getting anywhere, so he asked, “Let’s talk about what happened yesterday. I heard she threatened Esther, saying she would be back to collect the money she was owed.” It had actually been Vernon who’d told him that. “Did you let her into the building later last night after her earlier argument with Esther?”

“I didn’t let her in,” Sarah said. “No one entered the facility after hours last night while I was on duty.”

She sounded adamant about that. Still, Max couldn’t shake the feeling that this woman knew something. He suspected it had something to do with Clancy and felt sick at the thought. “But you know why Clancy left town.”

“I didn’t know she’d left, but she’s been planning on leaving before her birthday. She’s talked about going to Billings. I just figured she’d finally decided to do it.”

“You don’t think the timing is suspect?” he asked.

“Not really.”

Sarah was clearly going to protect her friend. If she knew something, she wasn’t talking. His gut instinct told him that Clancy had come back to the rest home last night to have it out with Esther. But he sensed Sarah was telling the truth about not letting her into the building. “Can any of the residents let someone in after hours?”

“You have to have a key.”

“Who else besides you and Vernon have a key?”

“I don’t have a key,” Sarah said quickly. “I have to pick it up from Vernon when I come on duty.” Max had rung the bell to get in this morning. The manager had come out to unlock the door since the place had been locked down according to the sheriff’s orders.

He thanked her and let her get back to work before he headed to the manager’s office again. If Clancy had come back last night and gotten in somehow, then someone must have seen her. So far no one had come forward, though. “Esther have any friends here?” he asked Vernon.

“She didn’t mix well with the other residents.”

“How about enemies?” Max asked and saw right away the list would be lengthy. “Anyone in particular?”

“As I said…”

“Right, Esther didn’t mix well. Okay, how about residents she had trouble with?”

“Hazel Brockman,” Vernon said almost too quickly, then clamped his mouth shut.

“Why did her name come to you so fast? Remember, I’m investigating a murder here. I need to know everything even if it doesn’t seem important.”

The manager sighed. “Hazel and Esther argued a lot. It got physical once before I could break it up.”

“Who else?”

“The usual suspects,” the manager said. “Myrna Larson, Irma Hanson… Truthfully, the list goes on.”

“What was Hazel arguing with her about?” the sheriff asked.

“There’d been complaints about items and money going missing from the apartments. Hazel believed Esther was responsible and accused her of taking an antique watch that had belonged to her father. Esther swore she hadn’t taken it.”

“Did you search her room?”

“I’m not allowed to do that. I told Hazel that she should call the police, but that if she didn’t have any proof…”