Chapter 2
I was sitting at my office desk when a woman walked in.
She looked like she belonged on the cover of a magazine for women who never spilled coffee, never perspired, and never missed a deadline.
The woman was tall and slim, albeit frail, like she either didn’t eat much or hadn’t eaten in days.
Her long blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she was dressed in a pair of crisp, white slacks, a pale pink satin tank top, and tan open-toed heels.
The woman glanced around the office, and when her eyes met mine, I smiled, saying, “Hi there. Can I help you?”
“I’m looking for Georgiana Germaine.”
“You found her.”
For a moment, she didn’t react.
She just blinked at me like she was unsure about what to say next.
I gestured toward the chair opposite me. “Why don’t you take a seat?”
She nodded and stepped inside my office, closing the door behind her, even though we were the only two people there.
“My name is Mia Bennett,” she said. “I need your help.”
I knew the name well. It had been on the lips of every local in town. Her tragic story had been on television stations across the state for weeks. In the small town of Cambria, it was the kind of story that made everyone think twice about leaving their doors unlocked.
I’d gathered some information from the news, and even more from Detective Whitlock when he’d called me a couple of nights after they started processing the crime scene. Since then, we’d spoken a few times, but I was sure there were still a lot of details I hadn’t been told.
What I did know was that a month earlier Mia had returned home from a business trip and found her sister, Wren, murdered in her living room.
Mia’s dog was found lying over Wren, as if trying to protect her, even though Wren had been dead for some time.
The motive behind Wren’s murder remained unclear, and as far as I knew, the police had no suspects and had made no arrests.
“I was sorry to hear about your sister,” I said. “You were twins, weren’t you?”
She nodded.
“How’s the investigation going?” I asked.
She crossed one leg over the other. “Slower than I’d like. It’s the reason I’m here. One of my neighbors said you worked on her friend’s homicide case a while back. She said you have a reputation for solving every case you take.”
Indeed.
“How long have you lived in Cambria?” I asked.
“Six months now. I moved here after I accepted a position as the director of analytics for a hotel chain in San Luis Obispo.”
In any other circumstance, I would have offered my congratulations but now was not the time.
I reached for a notebook and a pen, flipping it open to a blank page. “If you’re feeling up to it, I’d like you to walk me through everything you know about your sister’s murder.”
She nodded, clearing her throat before she began.
“Last month I attended a work conference in Las Vegas. Because I’m new to Cambria and haven’t met many people yet, I didn’t feel comfortable hiring a stranger to watch my dog, so I asked Wren to do it.
The first day went well, and she checked in a few times.
That night, I texted her again to say goodnight, and she didn’t respond. I figured she’d fallen asleep.”
“Did you text her again?”
“The next morning, and then several more times that day. She didn’t respond to any of them, which wasn’t like her. I tried calling, but there was no answer. Then I started to worry, so I left the conference early.”
“You were the first one to find your sister, is that right?”
She nodded. “As soon as I walked in the door. I shouted her name, and Coco started barking the way she does when something isn’t right.
A chill ran through me, like the air-conditioning was blowing right on me, even though it wasn’t.
And there was this pungent smell. I walked to the living room, and that’s when I found her.
She was on the floor … and … and … blood was everywhere. ”
“Where was Coco?”
“Lying over her. There was dried blood on her fur and paws, and when I tried to pet her, she whined like she was in pain. In the past when I came home, she always waited at the door, spinning in circles to show how glad she was to see me. This time she looked up at me with a sadness in her eyes that I’ve never seen before. ”
Mia’s composure wavered on the last sentence. Not enough for tears, but enough for me to sense a shift in the calm she seemed to work so hard to maintain.
“I’m sorry for what you’re going through,” I said.
“Me too.”
I studied her for a moment. People came into my office all the time with grief weighing on their shoulders, often dissolving into tears or giving in to some emotional outburst after losing a loved one.
Mia was different. The sense I got was not that she felt nothing, but that she fought to keep control, holding her emotions back instead of allowing the dam to break.
“What was your relationship with your sister like?” I asked.
“We were close. She lived a few hours away, but we talked all the time.”
“Just to recap what you’ve said so far, you were at a work conference. The first day, you were texting back and forth with Wren, but then she stopped responding to your messages, and the next day you got worried and decided to return home.”
“That’s right. I was supposed to stay one more day, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Because I hadn’t worked for the company for long, I wasn’t sure how they’d feel about me asking to leave early. But they were more understanding than I expected.”
“Do you still have the text messages between you and your sister?”
“I do.”
“Can I see them?”
Mia pulled her phone out of a white, leather, expensive-looking handbag, tapped it twice, and then slid it across my desk with the screen facing me.
Mia: Monday 8:45 a.m.
Made it to Las Vegas. Just checked in to my room and heading over to the conference now. I hope you’re having a good time with Coco.
Wren: Monday 8:50 a.m.
All good here. Glad you got there safe.
Mia: Monday 1:00 p.m.
Breaking for an hour to get lunch. What are you two up to today?
Wren: Monday 1:10 p.m.
Just took Coco for a walk at the park, and now we’re going to the coffee shop. How’s the conference?
Mia: Monday 1:45 p.m.
Not too exciting so far, but I chatted with a handsome man at breakfast, so there’s that. Heading back to the conference center now. Talk later.
Wren: Monday 1:48 p.m.
Have fun!
Mia: Monday 7 p.m.
Oh, I forgot to tell you. At lunch today, I sat next to the same guy I met at breakfast, and he asked if I was single. Can you believe it?
Wren: Monday 7:45 p.m.
Well? What did you say? Don’t leave me hanging! Ha!
Mia: Monday 7:50 p.m.
My therapist has been trying to get me to put myself out there, so for once, I tried to give the guy a chance. We’re going to grab coffee tomorrow morning before the first session begins. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m kinda excited.
Wren: Monday 7:55 p.m.
Good job, Sis! I knew you had it in you!
Mia: Monday 8:10 p.m.
Thanks, it’s been a long day, and I’m wiped out. I’ll message you in the morning, okay? Night, love you.
The messages from the first day were simple and ordinary, the kind of exchanges you’d send back and forth and never think about again.
And then came Tuesday …
Mia: Tuesday 8:00 a.m.
Morning, hey, you didn’t respond to me last night. Everything all right? What’s on the agenda for today? I’m heading over to the coffee shop to meet with the guy I was telling you about. His name is Simon.
Mia: Tuesday 9:50 a.m.
Wren? You there? Why haven’t you responded?
Mia: Tuesday 3:05 p.m.
Wren? Text me back, please. I’m starting to worry.
Mia: Tuesday 4:00 p.m.
Wren! I’m worried. I’m going to call you as soon as I get out of this session. Please pick up.
I scrolled through the rest of the messages and found more of the same, with Mia growing more frustrated as the hours passed.
I handed the phone back. “Monday night was the last time you heard from Wren until you arrived home and found her in the living room. Did you find her phone when you got there?”
“Her phone, the book she was reading, the luggage she’d packed for the stay. It was all there.”
“I’d like to know more about Wren’s life. Had anything changed in recent months? Was she having any problems with anyone?”
Mia leaned back and took a deep breath in. “She split up with her husband, Cooper, a couple weeks before she died.”
“Tell me about the breakup.”
Her gaze dropped to the floor just as I thought I’d spotted tears in her eyes. Then she looked up like nothing had happened. “The split between Wren and Cooper was amicable, as far as I know.”
“As far as you know?” I asked.
“We talked about it,” she added, as if my pointed emphasis bothered her. “Wren said nothing major happened. She said they’d just grown apart over the last year.”
“Did she say why?”
“Wren felt it was because they didn’t spend enough time together. He had his thing. She had hers. One day she woke up and realized they were living separate lives, and she’d fallen out of love with him.”
I watched for a reaction, for a hint of bitterness toward Cooper or sympathy for Wren. I detected neither.
“And Cooper?” I asked. “How did he take it?”
“Not well, which makes me think it wasn’t as amicable as Wren had suggested. I believe he wanted to save the marriage.”
“Have you spoken to him since they split?”
“A couple of times. He called and asked me if there was anything I could do on my end to help change her mind. He said he’d do anything to save the relationship.”
Anything to save it.
That was useful.
It didn’t make him guilty, but it made me want to have a conversation with him.
“What did you tell him?” I asked.
“I said I’d talk to her, but I knew it wouldn’t matter.”
“Why’s that?”
“When my sister made a decision, it was made. There was no changing her mind.”
Interesting.
“Did Wren have any enemies?” I asked. “Or was there anyone she argued with in recent months?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“How would you describe her?”
Mia went quiet a moment, giving the question some thought. “Wren was kind, compassionate, and loyal to a fault. I’ve always been envious of her, if I’m being honest.”
“Why?”
“I’m the opposite in every way, more reclusive and quiet, preferring to keep to myself than make friends, or entertain the idea of dating or having a boyfriend. It’s hard for me to let others in. It’s the reason I started therapy.”
Her honesty surprised me.
“How long have you been going?” I asked.
“When I left my last job, my boss said I could have gotten a lot farther in the company if I hadn’t been so rigid. I started to wonder if other people in my life felt the same way about me. I talked to Wren about it, and she thought the therapy was a good idea, so I went.”
“How’s it going?”
“It’s all right. I’m learning a few new things about myself.” She paused, then said, “Before, I said I’d asked my sister to house-sit because I didn’t trust someone I didn’t know with Coco, and that’s true.”
“Is there another reason?”
“I’ve been worried about her. She hadn’t acted like herself since the separation.”
“In what way?”
“She was quiet. Too quiet. She’d always been the easygoing one, the one who made a room feel less heavy just by walking into it.
She was … I don’t know, distant. I thought being in my house might help—to get her away from the place she and Cooper had shared.
I hoped the change of scenery would do her some good. ”
“I imagine watching Coco gave her purpose. Did anyone besides Wren have access to your house?”
“My cleaning lady has a key.”
“What’s her name?”
“Vera Quinn. She’s the owner of Sweep Dreams.”
“How long ago did you hire her?”
“Right after I moved here. The house wasn’t the cleanest when I moved in, and since I jumped right into the new job, I didn’t have time to deal with it.”
“You said before that it’s hard for you to let people in. Weren’t you worried about giving a key to a woman you’d just met?”
“Oh, I did my due diligence. I even contacted a few of Vera’s clients. They had nothing but good things to say about her. And I figured, even if they were wrong, I keep all my valuables in a safe.”
“Do you know if Wren’s husband tried to contact her while she was staying with you?”
Her eyes narrowed, and she frowned. “I don’t. Why? You don’t think he’s to blame for what happened, do you?”
“I don’t know what to think, not until I speak with him.”
She shook her head. “Cooper didn’t have anything to do with Wren’s death. He’s one of the gentlest, most caring people I’ve ever met.”
Gentle and caring had their place.
They didn’t make him innocent.
“I understand how you feel about him, but I don’t start my investigations by deciding what someone wouldn’t do,” I said. “I start by figuring out what they might be capable of if they’re pushed too far.”
She looked away, her expression telling me she disagreed.
“The police are doing their job,” she said. “They check in, give me updates, keep me in the loop about what they’re doing and who they’re talking to, but they’re just not coming up with any good leads. It’s frustrating.”
“Chief Foley and Detective Whitlock are two of the finest men I know,” I said. “And they’re thorough. They just need time.”
“You know them?” she asked.
“The chief is married to my sister, and Whitlock is a family friend. He was a detective alongside my father.”
“Have they told you much about the case?”
“Bits and pieces,” I said. “Not everything.”
“What did they say?”
“Most of what I’d already seen on the news,” I said. “There was a home invasion, followed by a murder. No arrests have been made, and so far there’s no clear motive as to why your sister was murdered.”
“Seems to me the police are struggling to solve my sister’s case. It’s the reason I’m here. I’m hoping you can give me the answers they can’t. Will you help me?”
I nodded.
A faint smile crossed her lips. “I’m glad to hear it. Whoever killed her needs to be brought to justice before something like this happens again.”
“Again?” I repeated.
“The police seem to believe that someone planned to rob my place, maybe someone who thought no one was home because my car wasn’t parked out front like usual.
But then they realized my sister was there, and she …
well, died because of it. Wrong place, wrong time kind of thing. But I don’t believe that.”
“Why not?”
“They didn’t take anything.”
I set my pen on the pad. “Are you sure?”
“As far as I can tell. And there’s nothing to indicate someone tried to get into the safe even though it’s in the far corner of the living room, the same room where my sister died.
It’s sitting there in plain sight.” Mia leaned forward, her gaze meeting mine.
“If someone wasn’t there to rob the place, they must have been there for Wren. What I don’t know is … why?”