Seeds of Suspicion (Lack of Luxury Cozy Mystery #1)

Chapter 26

Gloria passed the Bernard Tusse heel and flashlight to Liz. “Hold these.” She peeled back the brown indoor-outdoor carpet and found a padded envelope tucked away beneath it. Inside was a thick stack of papers. “This is it.”

Flipping through the pages, Gloria quickly realized she was holding Tammi O’Toole’s background report. “This is the background check Tammi was talking about.”

Sure enough, included in the information was a recent rental agreement with Tammi and Eric Andretti’s names on it. “This explains why Eric Andretti’s name is on the apartment lease.”

“Why?” Liz leaned in.

“Tammi has terrible credit and several judgments against her. Gucci at Dover Street, Bergdorf Goodman and a few other French names I can’t even pronounce,” Gloria said.

“At least she has good taste, even if she is a killer,” Liz said. “We now know she took Deanna out, but this is not a smoking gun.”

Gloria continued sifting through the papers and paused. “Jackpot! I found the forged copy of the partnership agreement Tammi used to secure a line of credit against this place. She must’ve been trying to get money to pay her creditors. Deanna was tipped off about it, maybe by her bank or an investor. My guess is she ran a background check to find out what was going on and inadvertently discovered her ex and Tammi were a couple.”

Liz blew air through thinned lips. “What a can of worms. Tammi used Designer Diva to secure some cash to get her creditors off her back.”

Gloria picked up. “Deanna caught wind, did some digging around, and found all of this. I bet there were some fireworks flying the night of her death. ”

“And Deanna was smart enough to hide these, just in case,” Liz said. “Now, all we have to do is turn this over to the authorities, along with what you recorded and they have a slam dunk case.”

“Not so fast. We have several issues…breaking and entering, illegally recording their conversation.” Gloria held up the packet of papers. “And theft.”

“So now what? We wasted our time.”

“Not necessarily. Although we can’t turn this in as evidence without getting into some potentially serious trouble , Sheriff Nelson might be on board to help coordinate a sting where Tammi O’Toole admits to killing Deanna.”

“What kind of sting?” Liz’s eyes narrowed.

“You were here the night Deanna died,” Gloria said.

“I was, and it was the biggest mistake of my life. Well, one of them,” Liz said .

“You were caught on camera, which means you could have seen something.”

“I could have, but I didn’t.”

“Tammi doesn’t know that. All she knows is you were on camera lurking nearby around the time of Deanna’s death.” Gloria waved the papers in the air. “If you have something she wants and you make it seem like you’re in the market to wheel and deal, I bet she’ll show her hand, or at the very least incriminate herself.”

“I’m, I’m not good at this stuff.”

“Do you want to clear your name?”

“Of course.”

“Then you’re going to have to step up to the plate.” Gloria shoved the papers back inside the envelope. “Let’s get out of here.”

The women exited the Designer Diva building the same way they entered—up the back stairs, down the hall and to the rooftop .

“Hang on.” Liz removed her shoes. “I still can’t believe my heel came off. It’s a shame. I paid good money for quality footwear and now this. I may have to switch over and start buying another brand.”

“Those shoes are over-priced and over-hyped.” Gloria listened to her sister’s nonstop whining as they made their way to the fire escape and down the ladder.

They reached the alley at the bottom. Gloria, fed up with her sister’s complaints, made a timeout with her hands. “I’m sorry about your favorite shoes, but to be honest, high heels and undercover operations are never a good mix.”

“I had…”

Gloria interrupted. “I know. You weren’t planning on snooping around, but you must realize that because of what we found, there’s a good chance we can clear your name.”

“If I can pull it off. ”

“I have faith in you, Liz.” Gloria patted her sister’s arm. “Let’s head back to the spymobile to fill the others in and come up with a plan to coerce a confession from Tammi.”

*****

“Less than half an hour.” Ruth consulted her watch. “What if Tammi O’Toole doesn’t show?”

“She will,” Gloria said confidently. “Liz convinced her she had something she was certain Tammi wanted. Sheriff Nelson should be here any moment. He told me when I left the station that he wouldn’t be far behind. I think I see an unmarked police cruiser pulling up to the stop sign.”

The four-door sedan coasted by and then eased into an empty spot next to Ruth’s spymobile. “That’s him. I’ll be right back.” Gloria flung the door open and hurried to the driver’s side.

Liz watched as the sedan’s window lowered halfway and her sister leaned in. She stood there for several long moments, with Gloria motioning toward the back of the building and then Ruth’s van. “I wonder what she’s telling him.”

“Them,” Ruth corrected. “There’s more than one cop in that car. Knowing Gloria, she’s making sure she knows exactly how this is going to play out.”

“I’ve let Gloria handle this sting, but maybe I should talk to them, too.” Liz reached for the handle, and Lucy stopped her. “If too many of us go over there and Tammi shows up, she’ll wonder what we’re doing.”

“True.” Liz checked her watch. Five minutes passed, and then several more. Finally, Gloria returned.

“What took so long?”

“Nelson and the other officers had a few more questions, and they lectured me on how much trouble we could’ve gotten into,” Gloria said. “I told them it was all Liz’s fault.”

“You did not.” Liz punched her sister in the arm .

“I’m kidding. I took as much blame as you.”

“Still, I knew I should’ve gone over there with you. Now I’m the one who’s in trouble.”

“Maybe a pinch, but I’m sure it will all be ironed out as soon as the sting is over.”

“Which means it’s still a go?” Lucy asked.

“It is.” Gloria pulled a small device from her pocket and handed it to her sister. “Put this recording device in your front pocket and don’t lose it. Nelson had to pull a bunch of strings and get special permission to use this.”

“A wire? You want me to wear a wire?” Liz asked.

“The more proof, the better. The transaction is an important part of the operation. Try to talk slowly. Remain here in the alley and turn so that you face this direction,” Gloria said.

“All of this is making me a nervous wreck. Do this. Don’t do that,” Liz said. “What am I getting myself into? ”

“You’re clearing your name, clearing Floyd’s name,” Ruth reminded her. “Let’s go over the sting one more time, so it’s fresh in your mind.”

“When I talked to Tammi on the phone, I told her I had something she wanted and was willing to make a deal,” Liz said.

“You told her to bring cash,” Lucy said.

“Three thousand in small bills. She’s not going to want to part with it until she finds out what I have.”

“She won’t, which is why you’ll have to hand over the goods.” Gloria passed the envelope of papers to Liz.

Liz placed the wiretap in her front pocket. Her cell phone chimed, and she snatched it from her designer bag. “It’s Tammi. She’s heading into town now.”

“Remember, don’t let her lure you inside the building,” Ruth warned. “We need to maintain a visual to keep you safe. ”

“Right. The plan is for me to complete the transaction, get the cash in hand while it’s being recorded. I hope this works.” Liz slid out of the van and crossed the alley. She paced, waiting for Tammi to arrive. Two minutes, three and then five passed. Sweat formed on her brow and she wondered if the woman had changed her mind or, worse yet, suspected she was being set up.

At the eight-minute mark, Liz turned to go when the sound of tires crunching on loose gravel caught her attention. She watched as a luxury sports car coasted down the alley.

Tammi O’Toole exited the vehicle, slid her sunglasses on top of her head and casually made her way around the front where Liz stood waiting. “Hello.”

“Hello,” Liz evenly replied. “I was beginning to wonder if you would show.”

“I was busy and had to rush around just to get here. You said you had something important, and it had to do with Deanna. What is it? ”

“Evidence which backs up what I saw the other night when you attacked Deanna and murdered her in cold blood. I want you to tell the investigators that Deanna and I never argued, and I want money not to turn you in.”

“Enough with the dangling carrot,” Tammi snapped. “What do you have?”

Liz held up the envelope containing a copy of the papers she and Gloria had found under the rug.

Tammi reached for it. Liz, anticipating the move, took a quick step back. “Not yet. Did you bring the money?”

“Yes, but I’m not giving you a single red cent until I know what you have.”

“A forged partnership agreement and a background check that shows you owe creditors a lot of money,” Liz said. “Not to mention Deanna’s ex, Eric Andretti, and you are on a lease agreement and listed as co-tenants. ”

“Why don’t you turn me over to the cops?” Tammi eyed Liz suspiciously.

“Deanna threatened to resurrect a bogus lawsuit against me and she was after my husband. Why should I care what happened to her? What matters to me is being able to pay off my credit cards so that Floyd doesn’t take them away. If anyone can sympathize with my situation, I figured it would be you.”

Tammi arched a brow. “You’re going to let me pay you off to keep quiet?”

“Why not?” Liz shrugged. “No skin off my back. Like I said, I wasn’t a fan of hers.”

“How do I know you won’t take the money and then ask for more?”

“You don’t. Other than you have my word that this is the end of it. You get the envelope and contents in exchange for the cash. You tell the police you never saw me argue with Deanna and that our meeting ended amicably. ”

“And you screw me over?”

“Fine.” Liz turned to go. “I guess I’ll turn this over to the police.”

Tammi reached out to stop her. “You’re leaving me no choice.”

“No, I’m not. For what it’s worth, you have my word.”

A sinister smile played across Tammi’s lips. “I don’t think you’ll say anything, because if you do, I’ll tell your husband and the police you blackmailed me.”

Liz’s breath caught in her throat. “You wouldn’t.”

“If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll go right to your husband and spill the beans.”

Liz clenched her jaw. “I told you I was willing to make a deal.”

“And I’m taking care of my interests,” Tammi said. “Show me the envelope. ”

Liz handed it over. She watched as the woman removed the contents and scrutinized each page.

“How did you get this?”

Liz had expected the question, had been coached by Gloria and the others, that Tammi would want to know how she’d procured the paperwork. “Let’s just say I have several sources who are proficient at securing information and documents.”

Tammi finished flipping through the pages. She reached into her pocket and pulled out an envelope. “The deal is this is the end. You take the money, forget you ever met with me and we both walk away.”

“Isn’t that what I said?” Liz took the money, wondering precisely when Sheriff Nelson and his men would make their move.

“The money is all there,” Tammi said.

“I would like to trust you, but I don’t.” Liz removed the stacks of cash from the envelope and began counting. She placed the money back inside and dropped it into her handbag. “This concludes our business transaction.” She held out her hand. “No hard feelings?”

“I hope I never lay eyes on you again,” Tammi spat out.

“At least I’m not a killer.” Liz turned to go and her knees almost buckled as Sheriff Nelson and a trio of uniformed officers rushed toward them. A cop car sped down the alley and pulled in behind Tammi’s car, blocking her escape. “I received an anonymous tip about Deanna Andretti’s murder,” Nelson said.

“She did it!” Tammi O’Toole shouted. “Liz Rasmussen was trying to blackmail me. She forged a bunch of documents, making it look like I was to blame for Deanna’s death. She’s going to lie and tell you she saw me murder her.”

“Is this true?” Sheriff Nelson placed a light hand on his holster, his attention on Liz .

“Ms. O’Toole murdered her colleague and associate Deanna Andretti. She forged documents claiming to be co-owner of Designer Diva to obtain a business loan to pay off all the debts she’d accrued.”

Nelson shifted his feet. “Where is this alleged document?”

“It doesn’t exist,” Tammi said.

“It’s in her purse, inside an envelope I gave her a few minutes ago. She was willing to pay me hush money not to say anything.” Liz removed the cash from her purse and handed it to Nelson. “There’s three thousand dollars in here.”

“She’s lying. I never gave her a single cent.” Tammi’s eyes grew dark as she lunged at Liz, attempting to wrap her hands around her neck.

Officer Nelson stepped between the women while a second officer pulled Tammi away. Another patrol car arrived, and things moved fast as cops swarmed the place .

“Cuff them both,” Nelson said.

“What are you doing?” Liz’s face turned ghostly white. “This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. This was a sting. My sister, Gloria, can vouch for me. We planned this.”

“We’re gonna have to take you and Ms. O’Toole down to the station to sort this out,” Nelson said.

“I can’t go to jail,” Liz gasped. “I look horrid in orange.”

“The outfits are gray. Besides, if what you’re saying is true, then you’ll be released within a couple of hours and we won’t even have to take a mugshot.”

Gloria and the other Garden Girls ran across the alley. “What’s going on?”

“The suspects are being taken down to the precinct until we can get both sides,” Nelson said.

“Gloria.” Liz’s voice grew panicked. “You got me into this. ”

“Let’s go.” Sheriff Nelson escorted Liz to a waiting patrol car.

“I’ll meet you at the station!” Gloria hollered.

Nelson placed Liz in the back. He climbed behind the wheel while two other officers placed Tammi O’Toole in the back of their patrol car.

As they drove off, Gloria could see Liz’s lips moving, her eyes focused on her sister.

“She’s one unhappy camper.” Ruth placed a light hand on Gloria’s arm.

“That would be an understatement.”

“Did you know they were going to take her down to the station?” Margaret shaded her eyes, watching as the patrol car turned the corner.

“Yes, although I had no idea Nelson was going to handcuff her.”

“Something tells me Liz won’t let us forget this anytime soon,” Lucy said.

Gloria sucked in a breath and briefly closed her eyes. “Nope. Not for a very long time.”