Chapter 27 #2
“Oh yes.” Luna nodded. “True crime books. Mostly those having to do with murders—real ones. No fiction.” She made a face. “In fact, when I examined her record, I realized Valeri had never even checked out a book until a month ago, and she hasn’t checked out anything since.”
Interesting. This news might just push Erwin above the other members of household staff on Vera’s suspect list.
“Thanks, Lu.” Vera stood. “I have to go, but let me know if you think of anything else about Jackie or Geneva. Or Erwin.”
“I will. Thanks for everything, Vee.”
Luna didn’t get up. Making those moves, Vera suspected, was getting more difficult in these final days. “Anytime, sweetie.”
Vera locked the front door as she left, intentionally ignoring the staircase.
As she started her SUV, she decided she had enough time before meeting Bent at the Carter property to pay a quick visit to Erwin.
She had some explaining to do about those library books.
On the way she called Eve. She had mentioned overhearing rumors about Geneva during visitations.
Maybe Eve could do a little digging as well.
It might just take all the Boyett sisters working together to get ahead of this one.
Wilton Residence
Giles Hollow Road, 9:00 a.m.
Since Erwin hadn’t been at her place, Vera had called her.
She was at the Wilton house picking up files.
She had insisted Bent said she could. A text to Bent confirmed as much.
The deputy who had been overseeing Erwin’s visit onto the property and into her dead boss’s office appeared all too ready to return to his post outside when Vera arrived.
She put him out of his misery and sent him on his way and assumed the supervision of Erwin.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” Erwin hurried from behind Wilton’s desk and reached for her oversize purse where she’d left it on the floor. “I came by your house this morning, but you weren’t home.”
“When I’m on a case, I often have early appointments.” Vera’s location was none of the woman’s business.
Erwin removed a plastic zipper-style bag from her purse and thrust it at Vera. “I found this in my home. It was hidden in a throw pillow.” She stared at the bag as if it were a murder weapon.
Vera accepted the bag and studied its contents. Cell phone. “Did you touch it?”
“No way. I picked it up with a bag and put it in that one.”
This time Vera was prepared for examining potential evidence. She placed the find on the desk and retrieved a pair of latex gloves from her shoulder bag. Once she’d tugged them on, she opened the bag and took out the cell phone.
“You have any idea who it belongs to?”
Erwin shook her head. “No clue.”
Generic device. Vera turned on the phone, which ironically still had battery life and required no access code.
No pics, no email or other apps. Just calls and text messages.
There were dozens of missed calls over the past three weeks.
All from the same Louisiana number. She felt confident the number would be Seth Parson’s.
Her suspicions were confirmed when she opened the lengthy text conversation with that same number.
The series of text messages that Larry Parson had talked about between Alicia and Seth were right here on this phone.
All the way up until Seth’s arrival in Fayetteville two weeks ago.
Then ten days ago the messages and calls ended .
. . as if he’d just stopped interacting with Alicia or learned there was a different number to use or didn’t need a phone to speak with her anymore.
Vera suspected this was when he’d arrived in Fayetteville.
As much as Vera wanted to be pleased with this new evidence, the way it had been received only made it troubling.
She turned to Erwin. “You’re certain you’ve never seen this phone before?”
“Never.” Erwin returned to Wilton’s desk and picked through a stack of files there. “I assume whoever broke into my place put it there for some reason.”
Like to point suspicion in her direction.
But Vera wasn’t saying as much. If Erwin hadn’t touched the phone, then she didn’t know what it contained.
If she had, she wanted Vera to give her confirmation that the contents suggested she was being set up.
Vera wasn’t giving her that satisfaction just yet.
“I’ll get this to Bent, and we’ll see what we can find.”
“Anything useful on there?”
Vera slid the phone back into its bag and stuffed it into hers. “It’s difficult to say.”
Erwin huffed a breath, as if she knew Vera wasn’t being honest with her. She waved a hand at the files. “Do you have to look at what I’m taking?”
Vera hadn’t explained her reason for wanting to see her this morning. The announcement of her find had derailed all else. “It would be best if I took a quick look.”
Erwin dropped into the boss’s chair and gestured to the stack. “There you go.”
She was clearly annoyed that her news hadn’t prompted the reaction in Vera that she’d evidently hoped for.
Vera skirted the desk and began a slow, thorough perusal of the first file. She paused before moving to the next one. “You have a thing for true crime?”
Erwin’s expression turned puzzled. “What? No. I hate those documentaries.”
“But you check out true crime books from the library.” Vera thumbed through the next file. So far, business reports. P&Ls. Letters to associates.
When Erwin didn’t respond, Vera glanced at her. “You didn’t think we’d have a look at what you read? The things you do in your spare time? You said yourself you watch crime TV.”
“I do sometimes,” she groused, “because half the time that’s the only thing on television worth watching.
But I don’t read about it.” Her shoulders sagged as if she’d been defeated somehow.
“The truth is, I don’t do a lot of reading at all.
The books in my house are just for show.
I don’t even know the titles. I just like for people to think I’m well read. ”
Vera didn’t doubt this. Erwin was the perfect example of a narcissist. She went to great lengths to put on a certain facade for those around her.
She needed to be seen as intelligent and accomplished.
Vera had already picked up on the woman’s lack of empathy when the murder victims were mentioned—her story about her roommate was a perfect example.
The whole sad tale was relayed with little or no emotion for the dead girl or her family.
Then there was the passive-aggressive behavior. Definitely a narcissist.
“Good grief.” Erwin shook her head, her expression puzzled. “I can’t believe it. I didn’t even think about those books, or I swear I would have told you.”
Vera closed the file in her hand, placed it on the stack. “You really didn’t think we’d check into your habits? Your routine?”
Erwin’s head wagged side to side hard enough to rattle her brain. “No. I don’t mean that. I fully expected to be looked at as a suspect. I just can’t believe I didn’t think about all those weird books Alicia asked me to pick up for her. Like I said, if I had remembered, I would have told you.”
How handy to blame the coma woman. “You’re saying Alicia asked you to check out those books.”
“I swear!” Erwin held up her right hand. Then she waved both hands in the air. “Well, technically she didn’t ask me. I was far too lowly a human for her to speak directly to. She left me a list when she wanted me to do something for her.”
Vera hummed a note of doubt. “I don’t suppose you kept any of those lists.”
Erwin huffed an exasperated breath. “I did not. But if you don’t believe me about the books, have Luna pull my history.
I never checked out a single book until .
. .” She frowned as if trying to recall something.
“About a month ago. I checked out the ones you’re talking about for Alicia and then no more.
Those weren’t for me. I’m not a reader.”
“I’ll look into that.” Though she felt Erwin was being truthful, primarily based on Luna’s confirmation, she wasn’t about to let the woman off the hook so easy.
Vera finished skimming the files, and none looked suspicious.
Erwin held a three-ring binder and appeared to be reviewing it. “Are you planning to take that?”
“I have no idea.” Erwin’s eyes were huge with something like shock when she handed the binder to Vera. “I’ve never seen it before. It was under a couple of those files in his inbox.”
Vera placed the binder on the blotter pad and opened it up.
A quick skim of the cover sheet explained the contents.
No wonder it was so thick. “It’s an appraisal of the Wilton property.
” Vera flipped through a few pages. “A very detailed, in-depth appraisal.” She turned to Erwin.
“The entire property.” The value was staggering.
Erwin’s expression had shifted from shock to something like disappointment. “Why would he have an appraisal like that done?”
“For insurance purposes, maybe.” Vera was aware that high-value properties like this one were under close scrutiny by insurance companies.
There was a great deal to be lost in a property this size.
Staying on top of any upgrades or failures to maintain any and all structures by the owner was crucial.
She glanced at the file. The concept seemed completely logical.
“I should call the appraiser.” Erwin reached for the binder.
Vera held it out of her reach. “Why don’t we let the sheriff make that call? I’m sure the appraiser will be more forthcoming with the authorities under the circumstances.”
The shock and disappointment were gone, replaced by what looked very much like hurt. “Let me know what he says, okay?”
Vera wasn’t sure why it would matter to Erwin now.
Her employer was dead. The estate would be passed along or sold off, whatever the will prescribed.
That was something else Vera needed to know more about.
They knew what their persons of interest were set to receive in terms of dollars, but what about the actual real property? The very valuable property.
“Come on,” Vera said to the other woman, who still looked confused about the binder. “I’ll walk you out.”
As they left, Erwin walked slower than usual, her gaze lingering here and there. Did she think this would be her last time in this house?
Vera paused at the front door. “Did no one on staff know about the pregnancy?”
Erwin blinked, her eyes wide with something like surprise. “What?”
“Did anyone know Alicia was pregnant?”
Erwin adjusted the load of files in her arms. “I never heard anyone talk about it. I sure didn’t.”
She said the last as if her teeth were grinding together.
Maybe Alicia and her husband had opted to keep the news to themselves.
Except Vera wasn’t so sure Erwin hadn’t known—not after their conversation yesterday.
Moving on, Vera reminded her, “Remember to call if you think of anything else useful in the investigation.”
A vague nod, and Erwin was out the door. Once she was driving away and Vera was doing the same, she called the appraiser. With Wilton’s murder all over the news, it only took a moment to get an answer to her question.
Thomas Wilton had gotten the property appraised because he was considering putting it on the market. He was entertaining the notion of moving to California.
Vera couldn’t be sure what this meant, of course, but her instincts were jumping at the revelation. This news could very well be somehow related to the murders.
It was far too large a potential change to be ignored.
Which of their suspects would be the most upset by this sort of news?
All four, Vera would wager.