Chapter 9
“What is it?” I asked, accepting the manilla envelope from Reed.
We’d gotten significantly closer standing in the closet together, and I backed out slowly so I didn’t look like I was on the run.
Even though I very much was. Without a shirt, he still smelled like his cologne, and I only had so much strength.
Plus, he never told me where he’d hidden the gun.
I stopped next to the bed, flipped open the folder, realized where I was—standing by a bed with a hot guy two feet from me—and moved over to the dresser. Three rectangular shaped pieces of paper fluttered to the ground.
“They’re articles,” I said, grabbing them from the floor and shoving them back in the folder with the others. I skimmed through the first few. “About the new apartment building.”
Lisa’s case file mentioned that she’d had a beef with some new development in the neighborhood. However, Delaney didn’t include many details, so I hadn’t considered it much. But it took real hate to maintain a file folder of articles about something.
“She was on the oversight committee and tried to get the project shut down, but it ultimately passed,” I said and flipped to another article.
Reed spread out a few pieces on the top of the dresser. “Don’t you recognize this place?”
I waited until he lifted his finger from the image and gave a small gasp. “It’s the waterfront place.”
We’d walked by it almost every time we’d left our rental and headed to Bay Street—one of the city’s main roads.
Reed nodded. “She kind of has a point. Those apartments ruin the view.”
“Agreed.” But was it enough to get herself killed? I didn’t think so. With help from Reed, I shoved the articles back in the folder, shaking my head in thought. “She might have been pissed about the building, but she lost. Obviously, they’d moved ahead with the plans.”
It was old news.
That didn’t mean I wouldn’t take the time to review all the articles.
I yawned, and so did Reed.
“Sorry I woke you up. I think I’m sufficiently tired enough I can save reviewing those until the morning.”
He gave me a short grin as he walked out. “You can wake me up any time.”
What the hell did that mean?
* * *
The next morning came way too early as I walked out of my room and practically fell on the couch.
Maybe because I’d barely had five hours of sleep after rummaging through the articles while in bed.
I yawned and laid my head on the back of the couch.
I’d never had a problem with lack of sleep before.
Reed’s voice carried from his room as he walked out with a phone pressed to his ear and shut the door behind him.
Sadly, he had a black polo shirt covering up all his glorious muscles.
The logo on the left side said Pelican Bay Security, which must have been the name of his firm.
How much was the podcast paying the security firm to have a hot guy following me around?
My brain slugged, trying to wake up and put its muscle to work, but all I wanted was a few more hours of sleep. Regardless of how long I tossed and turned last night, I hadn’t gotten any further with the case.
We already knew Lisa had problems with the new housing development, so the articles didn’t add much information.
The only new pieces I’d add to Delaney’s file were that Selene worked at the bar where they found Lisa’s body—something I’m sure the police knew—and that the young couple didn’t love sharing a wall with her. Nothing outlandish.
I had to get Delaney something big enough to be a highlight of the podcast for her to win the Halloween special. Her win was my win, and I really needed a win.
Maybe sharing a wall was a bigger deal than I realized.
Now that I’d been around Selene more, it might be possible she’d kill Casey’s mother.
Originally, I’d pegged her as a bimbo—not my finest moment—but she’d definitely gotten in a few snarky comments here and there.
It seemed like she paid more attention than I realized. But why kill Lisa?
If not Selene, maybe Casey or someone at the housing development.
Land barons were always jackasses. Right?
I needed to hunt down the developer and see if they had any held-over animosity toward Lisa.
Just because they won the fight didn’t mean they’d forgotten how she fought against them.
One article mentioned a letter-writing campaign and protest with picket signs.
“Has anyone gotten proof of life?” Reed asked whoever he had on the phone.
I got up, did a quick stretch, and walked past him into the front of the house to let the sun’s rays hit me as they streamed in through the open windows. Hopefully, some vitamin D would help wake me up.
“Yes, it is my specialty,” he said and turned away from me as if that meant I wouldn’t hear his next words. I stared out the window with thoughts of his naked chest from last night taking up my attention. “It’s just that I’m kind of busy here.”
I narrowed my eyes. What did that mean? Why did he put so much emphasis on “busy”? Sure, I hadn’t made much headway on the case, but it’s not like I’d gotten us robbed or anything.
“Yes, definitely needed.”
I scoffed. Who was he talking to on this call? I wasn’t incompetent.
With an annoyed “as if” expression, I marched right on past him to my room. Everything was going great with my getaway until my body slipped forward as my feet stayed stuck on the ground while I tripped on the stupid uneven flooring.
“Mother effer,” I cursed under my breath as Reed’s hand shot out to catch me.
I righted myself, stepped away from him, and continued toward my room in only a very short run. Why the hell did this place have uneven floors? Did they add on the front part of the home at a later time?
Whatever. I’d prove to him I wasn’t incompetent. Delaney wanted me to talk to Casey as much as possible since he wouldn’t agree to an interview. Then that’s exactly what I’d do.
I pointed to the door and mouthed, “I’ll be right back,” to Reed.
His eyes widened, and he shook his head while pointing to his phone. But it was fine. No one was going to rob me in broad daylight as I walked over to Casey’s apartment. I waved away Reed’s concern and held up ten fingers in a silent promise that I’d return quickly.
Before heading to Casey’s, I darted back into my room and grabbed one of the articles from the top of the stack. I needed a plausible reason for my visit.
I passed through the living room and kitchen, heading out the back door toward Casey and Selene’s home. The back gate opened as I made my way across on the narrow stone path.
“Hey, Elenore, was there another filter problem?” Casey asked as he hauled a large black golf bag over his shoulder and shut the gate behind him.
“Oh, hey.” My steps came to a quick stop.
Crap, his arrival sent all my plans to the garbage, and I struggled to come up with a new introduction.
I held the article in front of me, chin high.
“I found this under the bed and it looked like something you’d want.
Someone took the time to cut it out, so I figured it might be important. ”
Casey took the article from me. The edges of his lips tipped up as he scanned it. “Not important but thank you. It must have fallen out of my mother’s stash.”
And there was the opening I needed. Delaney would be so proud.
Except. Shit. I’d forgotten the recorder. Now she wouldn’t have an official record. Oh well. I’d have to sum it up for her in written form.
“Did your mom follow the progress of the apartments?”
He chuckled. “In a way. She and the garden heritage club tried to sue to get the project stopped.”
“Oh.” The spike of my eyebrows wasn’t faked. No one mentioned a lawsuit. My gaze flitted to the back door. As soon as Reed got off his call, he’d come looking for me, so I had to hurry. “Why did they try to sue?”
Casey’s head turned toward the apartments.
“She and the developer had more than a couple of heated arguments. Mom hated how the corporations were buying up pieces of the land to build new modern-looking structures. She even had a few offers on the house here but always rejected them. She hated the idea of tearing the old home down for something boring.”
I let my gaze fall over the beautiful two-story blue building he called home. “She had a point. This place is gorgeous.”
“Mom always said, ‘Casey, Savannah is known for its Southern charm, and there’s nothing charming about straight lines and concrete.’”
I laughed a little. The more I learned about Lisa, the more it felt like we’d have gotten along.
Casey shrugged. “Fighting the modernization of the city kept her busy in retirement.”
“It seems like you and your mom really got along.” I moved a little closer, even though I didn’t have the recorder in my pocket.
Casey’s dark eyebrows narrowed as he whipped his attention back to me. My insides clenched, and I tried to shrink down into myself as he scrutinized me.
Crap. Had I gone too far with my questions? Would he put the pieces together and figure out why Reed and I were here? It would mess up the entire case for Delaney, and I’d go home a failure.
“Why would you think otherwise?” he asked, his eyes half slits from his intense stare.