Chapter 35
Before we headed to the Blue Pelican to meet Bryan and Renee for lunch, I called the office to check in with Simone and Hunter about the case.
It had been a minute since I’d checked in with them, and in that time, the list of suspects had shifted, collapsed, stretched, and twisted into something that no longer resembled the neat list of names Mia had given me at the start.
I took a seat on a barstool in Mia’s kitchen, phone in hand, watching her rearrange a few things in the refrigerator. She was deep in thought, and with all the things going on in her life, I didn’t blame her.
Simone answered on the second ring. “Case Closed Detective Agency. We investigate. The police incarcerate.”
I laughed. “How long have you been using that tagline?”
“First time. I saw your name pop up on the phone screen, and I couldn’t resist having a little fun with you.”
“I’m calling to check in. Is Hunter with you?”
“Yep, hang on a second, and I’ll put you on speaker.”
A moment later, Hunter’s voice came through.
“I was hoping we’d get a detailed update on the case before now,” Hunter said.
“I know, and I’m sorry. Ever since I took this case, I’ve been chasing leads in every direction. I’ll fill you in on everything that’s happened, but first I’d like an update from each of you.”
“Simone can go first,” Hunter said.
“I talked to the neighbors like you asked,” Simone said.
“Even Adrian, the guy who lives across the street from Mia?”
“He’s one of the only people who has never been home when I’m in the neighborhood, but I’ll keep trying.”
“I talked to him this morning, so you can cross him off the list. What did the neighbors say?”
“On a scale of one to ten, their enthusiasm was an eight. Their ability to tell me something helpful was closer to a two.”
“That’s too bad.”
“They’ve got plenty of theories, just not much evidence. Some are convinced it was a robbery. Others think it was a planned murder. And one woman has decided Mia must be involved in something scandalous because she tried talking to her a few times and Mia wasn’t interested in small talk.”
“What about the night Wren died? Did any of them see or hear anything?”
“Again, nothing useful. No one heard a gunshot. No one heard Wren scream. And no one saw anything suspicious, unless you count the neighbor who spotted the dark truck, which we already knew about.”
My expectations hadn’t been high. If Simone had uncovered anything significant, she would have called me right away. Even so, I’d hoped for more than what she’d given me.
“What about you, Hunter?” I asked.
“I did background research on the three names you gave me,” she said. “Karl Holland, Renee Parker, and Christian Shepherd.”
“And?”
“Karl’s the kind of guy who doesn't see the glass as half empty. He sees it as shattered on the floor. Spend five minutes on his social media, and you’ll know what I mean. Still, being miserable isn’t the same thing as being a murderer.”
“Your opinion of him lines up with my impression of him when we met,” I said.
“He has no violent history, no arrest records, and no obvious connection to Mia outside the one workplace issue. He also appears to spend most nights posting complaints about politics. He may be guilty of using too many exclamation points, but that’s about it.”
“Good to know.”
“Mia’s cousin Renee is more complicated,” Hunter said.
“There was the dispute over the grandfather’s will, the forged letter, and the failed attempt to claim the house.
Financially, she and her husband aren’t drowning, but they’re not swimming in champagne either. Raising kids isn’t cheap these days.”
No, it wasn’t.
“I spoke with Renee,” I said. “Her neighbor confirmed Renee was home at the time of the murder, so unless she’s lying, we can rule her out.”
“Is the neighbor a solid, believable alibi?”
“Solid enough. Renee lives over two hours away, so the timeline doesn’t add up unless we’re talking about a murder-for-hire scenario.
She doesn’t strike me as someone capable of arranging a murder, but she seems fixated on having a relationship with Mia, even though Mia hasn’t put much effort into having one with her. ”
Through the kitchen window, I watched Adrian climb into his truck and drive away. Part of me was tempted to poke around his house while he was gone, but I didn’t have the time right now.
“We’ve talked about Karl and Renee, which leaves Christian,” I said. “He died in a car accident before Wren was murdered, so it wasn’t him either.”
“We’re coming up short on our end,” Hunter said. “Your turn.”
I spent the next few minutes bringing them up to speed.
I told them about my conversation with Christian’s mother, Bernice, and the brother who had pretended to be someone else to get close to Mia.
I explained how Jeremy had entered Mia’s life under the name Simon Sullivan, tracked her down at a conference, lied about his identity, and worked his way into her life.
When I finished, Simone said, “Jeremy pretended to be someone else so he could get close to his dead brother’s ex-girlfriend?”
“Jeremy and Christian were estranged. After Christian died, he found photographs of Mia among his brother’s things, and he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
He tracked her down, introduced himself under a false name, and claims he developed feelings for her in the process.
Meanwhile, Mia had no idea about his true identity. ”
“What do you think about him?” Simone asked.
“I think he makes a good suspect.”
“Send me everything you have on him,” Hunter said. “I’ll dig around.”
“Will do. There’s also been some friction between Mia and Adrian Webb, her neighbor.”
“What kind of friction?” Simone asked.
“The kind involving a large dog named Moose and a lawn that Moose seemed to find particularly inviting.”
“Are you telling me the dog kept using Mia's yard as a bathroom?”
“I am. Mia confronted Adrian about it several times. She also left a bag of Moose’s mess on Adrian’s porch with a note.”
Mia looked over at me and winced, offering a guilty shrug.
“What was in the note?” Hunter asked.
“She said something along the lines of if he didn’t keep the dog off her lawn, there would be consequences.”
Hunter whistled under her breath. “That’s not nothing.”
“No, and what makes things worse was that Moose went missing not too long after, causing Adrian to think she may have had something to do with it. At least at first. He says he doesn’t think that now. Whether that’s the truth or not …”
“What’s Adrian like?” Simone asked.
“He’s standoffish and a bit difficult.”
“So, you’re saying he’s a real people person,” Simone said with a laugh.
“He answered all my questions when I talked to him, so that’s something,” I said. “He has no alibi for the night Wren died. He says he was home alone.”
“Does he own a truck?”
I paused. “Yeah, but it’s gray, not like the dark blue or black truck the neighbor saw.”
“What shade of gray?”
“I’d say it’s more of a charcoal.”
It was possible the neighbor may have been off about the color.
Adrian had means of proximity.
A vehicle that might fit.
Conflicts with Mia.
A missing dog.
And a big, fat grudge.
None of it proved he was a murderer, but it was enough to keep him in play.
“Hunter, I’d like you to look into him as well,” I said.
“Already planning on it,” Hunter said.
“What can I do?” Simone asked.
I glanced out the front window toward Adrian’s house. “I have a bit of a strange request.”
“I’m listening,” Simone said.
“I want you to circle back to Mia’s neighborhood and talk to the neighbors about Moose. Ask if anyone saw the dog with someone other than Adrian around the time he disappeared.”
“I don’t see how a missing dog matters to the case.”
“Adrian admitted Moose was the most important thing in his life. If he believed Mia had something to do with the dog’s disappearance, that gives him a motive. On the other hand, if someone else took Moose, they may have been trying to turn him against her.”
“So he’d look guilty, like he had motive to kill,” Simone said.
“That’s an interesting way to look at it,” Hunter said.
Until now, Moose had been a neighborhood nuisance.
Now I saw him as part of a bigger picture.
And even if he wasn’t, I had a soft spot for animals. I’d feel better knowing the dog had been found.
“What about Vera, Mia’s housekeeper?” I asked. “Did you talk to her, Simone?”
“I tried. She’s French, so there was a bit of a language barrier. What I did get wasn’t useful. But if none of our other suspects pan out, I can speak to her again.”
“Sounds good.”
“Is there anything else you need to tell us before we go?” Simone asked.
I looked over at Mia, who was standing just outside the kitchen with her purse over her shoulder, waiting for me to finish the call.
“I believe we’ve covered everything,” I said.
“What are your plans for the rest of the day?” Simone asked.
I hesitated.
Then something else came to mind.
“Here’s something I forgot to mention,” I said. “Mia reached out to her cousin after a few drinks last night.”
“That’s a generous version of events,” Mia muttered.
I offered her a sympathetic smile, then continued.
“Mia invited Renee to visit and didn’t remember doing it until this morning, and now Renee and her husband, Bryan, are here,” I said. “We’re meeting them for lunch.”
“Should be interesting,” Simone said.
“The cousin does know it’s an ongoing murder investigation, right?” Hunter asked.
“I don’t think she cares,” I said. “She seems desperate for Mia’s attention.”
“Still, it seems weird, doesn’t it?” Hunter said.
“Maybe she doesn’t have much of a life outside her family,” Simone said. “And after everything that’s happened, she may have figured this was her chance to build the relationship she’s always wanted.”
“It’s possible,” I said. “I think this case has reached the point where every interaction is fueled by speculation, even when it shouldn’t be.”
“Doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look into all of them.”
“You’re right. We should.”
I ended the call, slipped my phone into my handbag, and followed Mia to the door.
“You ready?” I asked.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready, but the sooner we leave, the sooner this lunch will all be over.”