Chapter Seventeen
Mia reached into the Nature’s Bounty bag and pulled out a container of orange vanilla body lotion. She spread a small dollop on her arm and rubbed it in before taking a testing sniff.
“Man, this is really citrusy. I love it. Thanks, babe. You’re the best,” Mia said holding her arm out to him.
Roman breathed in the scent and nodded. “Nice. I really am a great and thoughtful fiancé so bonus points for me.”
She studied his face. “You’re still not happy though. I can tell.”
“When you look at the big picture, there hasn’t been much progress. Sure, we can now tie Eliza—circumstantially, at least—to dosing her father’s food. And while that’s seriously messed up, there isn’t really a murder charge to be had. And the worst part is I have no path forward. No real clue to follow.”
“What about getting the cam footage from Darby college? I know the police weren’t able to detect anything suspicious, but maybe we’ll see something because we’re looking for a specific person, right? Or maybe I’ll get a flash that’ll give us a lead.”
Roman exhaled heavily and started the Escape. “It’s worth a shot. I’ll call Finlay back. She’s the lead detective on Maryanne’s case. It hasn’t even been a year yet, so they should still have all the evidence on hand.”
They didn’t talk much on the return drive to Dalton. Mia could easily sense Roman’s frustration, and it ate at her. She turned over possibilities for solving the case in her mind, rejecting one after the other. As Roman made the turn onto their driveway, and the log house came into view, his phone pinged.
He glanced down at it and immediately slammed on the brakes, making the SUV skid on the gravel before it came to a slightly skewed stop.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, scanning his face.
“Jennifer’s freaking. She wants us to watch something Eliza posted on Instagram then call her immediately.”
He tapped the screen of his cell then held it out between them. Eliza filled the small screen. She sat on a pink chair, her hair and makeup perfect, and her face serious.
“Hello, my Vibers,” she began.
She chatted at the camera for several minutes, telling her followers about the deaths of her parents and sister. It was all couched innocently. She was the victim and had come through and, indeed, triumphed over devastating circumstances all the while staying rooted in her manifesting power and creating an amazing life.
Now she was apparently worried about Scott’s family not accepting her. She didn’t come across as bitter but understanding. She wasn’t lashing out at them. The vlog was simply a fear that they would dig into her background and her personal tragedies become public. She wanted to be the one to tell her tribe of Instagram followers. Oh, she also loved Scott more than anything in the world and was super excited to document the planning of their upcoming wedding, so make sure to subscribe and follow along.
“Wow. Eliza’s a slick operator and really good at this game,” Mia commented.
“Yeah. Poor innocent lamb. You’d never know she doctored her own father’s food and essentially caused his and Stephanie’s death.”
“And likely killed her own sister. But the important thing is how she kept her vibrational energy high the whole time and manifested an abundant life, right?”
“I want to nail her manifesting ass to the wall,” Roman said, sending the SUV forward along the driveway.
Back in the house, with doggie welcomes accepted and treats dispensed among the pack, Mia and Roman settled in the upstairs office. He dialed Jennifer’s number then set the cell on speakerphone and left it on the desk in front of him.
“Hey, Jennifer. Mia’s here with me. We watched Eliza’s vlog.”
“Can you believe the nerve of that girl. Making Thomas and me sound heartless and as though we’re out to get her.”
“Well, you did hire us to look into her background,” Mia said with a laugh.
Jennifer made a snorting sound. “Okay. I guess that’s true. But we’ve been nothing but nice to her.”
“Maybe she found the idea of a prenup a little off-putting,” Roman said in a mild voice. “Understand this, we’re not judging here. What you and Thomas did was sensible and smart. You’re only looking out for your son. But to Eliza it probably felt hostile.”
Jennifer was silent for several beats then she sighed. “When you put it that way, I guess you have a point. Still, this is so … it’s ugly and crass to air our private lives on her public Instagram account. I’m just so mad right now.”
“We might have something to cheer you up. We’ve just come from an interview and have hard evidence that Eliza purchased peanut oil the day before her parents died. It doesn’t mean she killed them, that seems to have been an unlikely series of events, but it goes to her character and shows malicious intent,” Roman said.
“Oh, my word, this is huge. Are you going to take it to the police?” Jennifer asked.
“Not yet. We want to do more investigating. Like I said, it doesn’t prove murder, but it could help down the line if we connect her to Maryanne’s death. In the meantime, we keep following the clues.”
“What should I do about Eliza’s vlog? Pretend I haven’t seen it? Thomas is so furious he can’t even talk about it.”
“What does Scott say?” Mia asked.
They could hear Jennifer exhale in a long whoosh. “Oh. He’s backing her up all the way. Says it isn’t a big deal and no one will figure out she’s talking about us. Also, he doesn’t want us bringing up the prenup again. Apparently, it really hurt poor innocent little Eliza.”
“I suggest you stay on plan. It’s time to cozy up to your son’s fiancée. Maybe have her over for dinner or take her shopping. Don’t mention the vlog. Keep everything pleasant and happy,” Roman said.
“And we’ll keep digging in the dirt over here and see if we can’t get more evidence against her,” Mia said.
“I’ll try, but I don’t know how long I can pretend to be civil to Eliza, let alone spend extra special one-on-one time with her.”
“Hopefully it won’t be for too much longer,” Roman said. “And don’t worry, we’ll keep you in the loop.”
“And I’ll let you know if anything else happens on my end.” She paused and let out a sigh. “I want this to be over. I can’t sleep. I’m constantly on edge. Why, oh why, did Scott have to meet Eliza?”
Roman ended the call and rubbed a hand over his face. “Man, I wish we had more.”
“Me too. But have a little faith, we’ll get it. What’s next?”
“Lunch.” He pushed back from the desk. “I’m starving. Then I’ll go through those police reports in more detail and hit up Finlay about the surveillance footage.”
Mia nodded. “Sounds like a good plan. I guess I’ll grab something too, then get to work. You’ll let me know?”
“Of course. I may go into town since I need to do some admin stuff and it’s easier from there.”
Downstairs, Mia found her workroom empty. Sheryl had left a note saying everything shipping-wise was up to date and she’d gone on a supply run and was going to work from home on setting up a new email automation.
The jewelry orders were starting to pile up and Mia felt the pressure from both sides. She couldn’t get behind in the business, but at the same time, this Eliza case needed solving. She knew how it was eating at both Roman and Jennifer Lamb. Since she couldn’t think of a single constructive action to take in the investigation, she plucked up one of the printouts from the top of a neatly stacked pile on her worktable.
She lit a candle and closed her eyes, spending several minutes clearing her mind and calling the creative light into her body. Then she sorted through a pile of black tourmaline and began building a bracelet for a customer in California. The stone was known for its calming properties, and as she wove silver wire around each piece, she felt the energy transferring to her own body. Her muscles loosened and her breath came easier.
There were lots of ways to get more evidence against Eliza, but most of them were illegal. She didn’t think Roman would be thrilled if she broke into the woman’s condo or car. It struck her how ironic it was that she so admired his strict moral compass while at the same time found it to be the biggest pain in the ass.
After fastening the last piece tourmaline into place, she worked on the clasp, then laid the bracelet out and studied it. The piece was lovely, and the crystals glinted dark and deep under her work lamp. She should get a picture of it for her own Instagram page.
Sheryl had taken to updating it several times a week with photos of finished products, and they regularly had a bump in orders on the days they were posted. Mia might not be one for social media, but free and impactful advertising was a win-win no matter how you looked at it.
By the time Roman arrived home in the early evening, the table was littered with finished pieces of jewelry. He stared at the small pile in wonder.
“Man, you really went on a tear. How’re the shoulders?”
Mia blinked up at him. “Yeah. I guess I did. I feel like I’m coming out a fugue state. I barely remember making most of those. My shoulders aren’t even sore.” She gave them a quick roll as if to prove the point. “Note to self, use tourmaline whenever you’re stressed. It’s better than any known drug. How goes the investigating?”
Roman flopped down on the couch and Layla sat so she was leaning against his leg. He patted her absently. Mac, of course, had been lying next to Mia’s chair all afternoon, and the two small dogs were flat out on their sides sharing a sliver of sun.
“I talked to a couple of Darby students. They knew Eliza. Had seen her around lots, specifically after the senior Wentworths died. Neither of them remembered her being there on the day Maryanne died.”
“Bummer. So we’re back to square one on Maryanne’s death being anything more than a suicide. Maybe Eliza didn’t do it. Maybe it’s just a tragic thing that happened because of the parents. I know everyone said she wasn’t suicidal, but you can’t always tell, right?”
“True enough. I got a copy of the note she left. You should read it.”
Roman pulled out his phone, tapped on the screen several times, then handed it to her.
I’m sorry. I was just too sad to go on. I miss my parents so much. Life is cruel and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. Eliza, I know we haven’t been getting along. I’m sorry about that, too. Maybe I was wrong. This isn’t your fault so don’t feel bad, because I’m going to a better place now. Tracey Millar, I’ll miss you. Please take my vinyl collection and think of me when you play all our fav retro bands. Kerry Jones, you’ve been a great roommate and really there for me these last few months. I want you to have my government bonds. The rest of my estate goes to my sister, Eliza Anne Wentworth.
“It feels weird. Like sort of personal but sort of not. And what was she wrong about when it came to Eliza? Plus, why give Kerry money and not Tracey? Do you know how much the bonds were worth?”
“Yep, because I looked it up. She got twenty-five thousand. A nice little windfall, wouldn’t you say?”
“Definitely decent. I wonder how Eliza felt about it? Can’t imagine it’d have gone over well.” She tipped her head back and stared up at the ceiling. “Okay we have Eliza buying peanut oil and likely dosing her dad’s food the night he died. We still can’t prove she had anything to do with her sister’s suicide though. So where does that leave us?”
“I’m trying to pin down the origin of the drugs. Maryanne died of a fentanyl overdose, but everyone claims she never used, so where did she get it? Other than the empty bottle, there wasn’t any other drug paraphernalia in the dorm room. No one thinks Kerry was a user either, and she said the same when I asked. Doesn’t mean she didn’t have a secret habit, but it’s not reading that way. Maryanne must have made a one-time purchase for the suicide.”
Mia snorted. “Good luck with that. It’s a college campus, there’ll be drugs everywhere and no one will admit to selling to the dead girl. Maybe I should go hang out in Maryanne’s old room at Darby. Could be I’ll get something.”
“Yeah. I’ve thought the same thing myself. Trouble is, without a warrant, I doubt they’ll let us into the dorms. Colleges can be sticky that way.”
“I’m sure I can talk my way in somehow. I’m up for it if you are,” Mia said.
“It can go on the list. But in the meantime, I’ll keep investigating from this end.” He leaned his head back and sighed. “Enough work for today. I need a night off. How about you? Any downtime available in that strict schedule of yours?”
She ran her fingers over the finished jewelry and smiled. “Definitely. You’re looking at a girl who only has two outstanding orders, and they’re not due to ship for a couple of days. “Sheryl is going to do cartwheels when she comes in tomorrow.”
“Perfect. Because that means you and I can order a pizza, open a bottle of wine, and sit out with the dogs while we watch the sun set. Maybe later we could even stroll under the moonlight.”
Mia got up and walked over to the couch before lowering onto his lap. “Moonlight strolls are my favorites. I have this feeling you’re going to get really, really lucky tonight.”
His smile was wicked. “Will you tie me up this time or just stick with the face slapping?”
She leaned close until their lips were a hairsbreadth apart. “Who knows what I’ll do. You’ll have to wait and see.”