Chapter Fourteen
“You have got to be kidding me. I really thought she was a great person, and now that’s two different things I’ve heard that don’t jive with the picture she painted of herself. Plus, Burton said she was clean.”
“Not everyone is as transparent as you are, Tallie.”
“Well, they should be. Just let those warts hang out so I can see them. But how did she get the job at the commercial place if she has a record of misuse of company funds?” That was incredibly puzzling. I hadn’t held a job for which I had had to fill out an application in a long time, but even I knew a record of misusing company funds would be a black mark on an application for employment.
“I’ll have to do some more digging. Maybe she was able to convince them that she was a changed person, so it wasn’t an issue any longer. Maybe the court sealed the record. It doesn’t show when the misuse of funds happened, only that it did. I’ll look into it more.”
“I told Letty that I need to find Burton, and I also planned to make the rounds and try to dig up some dirt on Mrs. Petrovski and other people, but I think I’ll go help Letty instead and talk with her. The thing is that we have another potentially serious matter on our hands. Apparently, we’ve lost contact with Bethany, who should have been back to work by now.”
“I’ve been told to take another break today from the job, so I’ll be here if you need me. Good luck out there.” He flipped me a salute.
“Good luck in here,” I said, doing the same thing.
After hustling back out the door, I got into my car and called Letty. My phone battery was going to be dead soon, given how much I was using this thing, and I hadn’t even gotten to Burton yet.
“Jason Huntington,” I said when she answered.
“Yeah, that’s the boyfriend’s name. How did you get it before I did? I thought you didn’t know who to ask, and that’s why you had me ask Caleb.”
“Wait, are you saying Audra’s ex-boyfriend is Jason Huntington?”
“Yeah. Isn’t that what you’re saying?”
“No.” I drew out the word, my mind pinging all over the place. “I’m saying that Jason Huntington is Bethany’s boyfriend and contact person.”
“Strange coincidence?” she asked, her skepticism coming through the phone loud and clear.
I shared the same feeling. “I don’t think so, but let’s call him to check things out. I’ll get back to you soon. I was going to come over and join you at the house, but I think, as a concerned citizen, I need to get this information to Burton.”
She snorted. “Good luck with that.”
“Yeah, thanks.” We hung up, and I sat there for a minute. So Jason was Audra’s ex and Bethany’s future. How had those two women felt about the way their lives had overlapped? More information kept coming in that suggested that Audra was not at all the person I had thought she was, so was it safe to say that she might have hated Bethany for being with her ex? If Audra had tried to rub her relationship with Caleb in her ex’s nose by seeking to parade around with Caleb at the two men’s apartment complex, then it wasn’t hard to imagine that Audra might not like her ex’s new woman, who might drive her ex to distraction and lessen her jealousy.
Bethany was a sweet kid. I knew that for sure, especially since Letty liked her, and I trusted Letty implicitly. Besides, I’d already run a background check on her, so unless she was super good at hiding things, she did not have a rap sheet. But if Audra had caught her out at the mansion, taking pictures, and had taunted her enough, would Bethany have killed her to shut her up?
Did I have a murderer on my payroll?
Before I got too far ahead of myself, I reviewed the facts and put together a mental checklist of what to say when I spoke with Burton. I would speculate. I would not hypothesize, unless he asked me to.
But I did know that Burton should be at the station. I rang over there and got Yolanda, Letty’s friend who was filling in for Suzy. After some small talk, I asked for Burton and was patched right through. That was quite different from Suzy’s normal efforts of protecting Burton from the likes of people like me.
“What now, Tallie?”
“As a concerned citizen, I’d like to share some information with you.”
He sighed but then told me to hold on while he got a pen.
I spilled it all out for him, letting him know that I appreciated the call about the car and his concern for my safety.
“I shouldn’t ever worry. You’d probably survive a massive nuclear war, like a cockroach.”
“Grouchy, are we?” I didn’t take offense, since I knew he had a lot going on right now.
“Overworked is what we are, and it’s not getting any better. I have got to figure this thing out, and you keep handing me tidbits that I should be able to get myself. It’s appreciated, believe me, but it’s also frustrating.”
“Do you want me to stop?” Not that I would, but I felt it was appropriate to at least show him some courtesy by asking.
“No, don’t stop, or this might become a cold case, but please be careful out there. I don’t need someone to find you dead.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
After the call was over, my phone chimed at me. Dad texting. Honestly, what had we done before without this level of communication? When I was little, I had to be at home if I was expecting a phone call, or I could listen to any phone messages when I got home. Cell phones and being available twenty-four/seven could get old, but in instances like this, they were very much appreciated.
But it was my dad texting, so this could be great or not so great. He hadn’t yet given me the lecture about staying out of things, so I kept thinking that this was going to happen at any moment and thus was on edge with anticipation.
But it was a text asking me if I could work a funeral and keep someone out of the room while my dad tried to do his job.
I texted back, asking if I had time to change my clothes. He responded that he would make the time. I could not come in jeans.
Fine then.
When I buzzed up into the apartment for the second time in an hour, I caught Peanut off guard, but no one else.
“Hi again!” I announced.
“I heard you on the stairs,” Max said.
“Oh.” I snickered. “If my dad didn’t need me right now, I bet I’d hear a lecture on my elephant-sounding tendencies.”
“No doubt. What is it this time?”
“We appear to have someone who is causing trouble downstairs, and my dad wants me to keep an eye on him. I have to get dressed quick and get back downstairs.”
“You’re a busy lady, while I’m just hanging out here, doing research and eating your mother’s snickerdoodles.”
“Snickerdoodles? Where are they? Tell me now!”
He pointed at a plate on the counter, and I ran over to it and grabbed a cookie. After shoving the snickerdoodle in my mouth and thoroughly enjoying the cinnamon and sugar greatness, I turned back to him. “Speaking of research . . .” I dug into my closet, thankful I’d done laundry yesterday, so most of my work clothes were clean and ready for the funeral home. “I need you to look up a Jason Huntington.” I rattled off the address and the few things I knew about him. I also handed over the folder with Bethany’s employment info.
“Sure thing,” he said as I whisked into the bathroom, where I threw on my clean clothes and ran a brush through my hair. I didn’t know whom I was going to be handling downstairs, but I figured it didn’t matter. My dad trusted me to do this, and so it would be fine. I could do this. I would do this, and it was good that I had the time.
After hauling tail back out of the bathroom, I gave Max yet one more kiss and pulled the door closed behind me. I took my time getting down the stairs, though, since even though he might need me, my dad might also lecture me if I really made an entrance while sounding like a herd of cattle.
I was at the bottom of the stairs and tucking in the bottom of my shirt when my mom found me.
“Oh, thank goodness you’re here. Daddy’s about to blow a gasket. I hate to see him like that. Please be nice and do all you can to keep this guy out of his hair.”
Who was this person? Had I been too quick to think I’d be able to handle the situation to my father’s standards? Before I could start second-guessing myself, I patted her hand, told her it would be fine, and strutted my way out to the front foyer to deal with whatever my dad had for me.
Unfortunately, I came face-to-face with Preston Prescott and almost immediately turned back around.
“Tallie, thanks so much for coming down.” Bud Graver gripped my upper arm when I was in mid-turn, and swiveled me right back in front of one of my biggest nightmares. “If you could answer Mr. Prescott’s questions, I’m sure it would be a great help, while I handle the funeral next door.”
I cleared my throat and squelched my urge to yell and smiled. “Of course, Dad. We’ll talk later.” I gave him the evil eye, but he either missed it or it didn’t affect him, as his smile did not change. He walked away then, leaving me with a nemesis I hadn’t had to interact with on a steady basis for years. Now I couldn’t seem to get rid of him.
“I don’t want you,” Preston said instead of hello.
I had better manners. “It’s nice to see you again.” Even though you are the one who tried to ruin my chances of cleaning your aunt’s house, you jerk. Fortunately, that was said only in my head.
“It is not, and you know it. I have some questions only your father can answer, if he’d just take a moment to help me.”
“While I’m sure he’d like to do that, we have a funeral going on. Can I show you into the office? I’ll get us some coffee, and then we can talk. Anything you need to ask, I can probably answer.”
He gave me a skeptical look. I didn’t blame him for that one. I didn’t know much about how things ran around here, but I’d try. And he wouldn’t know if I gave the wrong answer, anyway.
I held my hand out in front of me to show him the direction of the office. My mother stepped out of the kitchen at that moment, and I asked her for coffee for two. She had a horrible look on her face until Preston turned, and then she was all smiles.
“Of course, of course. Would you like some cookies too?”
What I wouldn’t give for another snickerdoodle. “Yes, please. We’ll be in the office.”
“Coming right up.”
“Hopefully, your mother is a better hostess than you used to be,” Preston muttered.
My smile almost gave way to a snarl, but I held my expression in place with every ounce of professionalism I could muster. “If you’ll follow me, we can get to your questions.”
“No pithy rejoinder? Ah, it must be that your father would ream you up one side and down the other if you did anything unseemly to a potential customer.” He smirked, and I wanted to smack the expression right off his face. I didn’t, so I mentally congratulated myself and sat behind the desk while I waved to a chair across from me.
“You had questions?”
“Fine. I need to know how Audra’s funeral will be taken care of and whether or not we’ll be liable for anything since she died on our property.”
I was pretty sure it wasn’t his property at all, but I didn’t know for sure, so I avoided that topic. “Unless the family files a claim against the property, there should not be an issue. Beyond that, Audra’s company would have some sort of injury and accidental death insurance to cover things. We don’t generally handle that kind of thing, since that’s between the company and the deceased’s estate, so that’s about the best I can do for you. You’ll want to talk to your aunt or her insurance company for confirmation on that.”
“Except, according to my information, the death wasn’t an accident. I don’t think she fell over and rolled down the stairs in a carpet, then bounced into the Dumpster by herself. Do you?”
I cleared my throat. “No, of course not. Her employer will have insurance, though, for liability, and your aunt should have had her sign the same release I signed.”
His forehead wrinkled. “A release?”
“Yes. Did Mrs. Petrovski have her sign a release?”
“No, not that I’m aware of. I got her into the house and asked that she be given the job. I don’t know why Aunt Marg felt the need to include you also when we already had a wonderful cleaner, but there you have it.”
Another dig at my abilities. As far as I knew, he didn’t know what I could do with a dustpan and a scrub brush, though I was very tempted to ram either one down his throat to show him. Instead, I cleared my throat again. It was getting dry. Where, oh where, was my mother with the coffee and the cookies?
She entered the room with a tray at that moment, thankfully, giving me a second to compose myself and get rid of the fantasy of Preston with a handle sticking out of his mouth.
I smiled at her as she looked at me nervously before turning a blindingly bright smile in Preston’s direction. “Please know we are here to help. I’m sorry Bud was occupied, but you’re in good hands with our girl, Tallie.” She set the tray down and handed Preston his cup of coffee.
He snorted, and her hands fisted at her waist, where she’d clasped them together. I had to get her out of the room before she used the tray to bean him over the head. I came by my violent tendencies honestly, as my mom tended to be brutal when pushed.
“Thanks so much for the coffee and cookies, Mom. I can take it from here.”
“I know, sweetheart.” She exited the room without giving Preston another glance.
“I see it runs in the family.”
I ignored him and continued our conversation. “So Audra was supposed to get the job, and I wasn’t supposed to be on the scene at all?” Now seemed as good a time as any to see if I could nail him down about what had happened that day.
“I told Aunt Marg that it was covered. We didn’t need a stupid competition, but she was insistent about bringing you in. I wanted Audra to get the job so that she’d be around.”
“Around as in you could visit her at the job site?”
He didn’t say anything, just shoved a cookie in his mouth. Interesting. I’d take that as a yes. Had he had a crush on her? Designs on her? I wasn’t going to ask, because he wouldn’t answer, and that question would tip my hand.
“When you’re done munching on that cookie, I’d like you to at least be honest with me about the fact that it was you who messed up my room and made sure your aunt saw it so I would get disqualified.”
He swallowed and took a sip of his coffee. When he set the cup down, he had a sly grin on his face. “How very astute of you. She was considering giving the job to you and had seen what a good job you were doing, whereas Audra was leaving it up to that ridiculous girl with the mop of hair. I don’t know where Audra got her from, but Audra was trying to start her own side business, and I was just helping her get out of the corporate world. As you’ve seen, we have quite a few places that need to be cleaned and sold. It would have been the perfect opportunity for Audra to begin getting more business in the area.”
“Ah.” Rotten jerk! I knew it was him, but the confirmation was at least something I could share with Burton, to see if it had anything to do with the investigation. “So you destroyed my room, brought in your aunt, and made sure she saw it. Did you also tell Audra your demands for getting her the job, like, say, a date with her, even though she was engaged?”
He sat back in his chair and steepled his fingers. “I would never do something like that. Audra and I had an understanding way before I assured her I would get her the job.”
“So you were dating?” But how did that fit in with her engagement to Caleb and her efforts to make her ex, Jason, jealous?
“We’re getting off topic. I want to make sure that we won’t be liable for the costs of the funeral. Has her family set something up for when the body is released?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you that. It’s personal and confidential.” And even if I could have, I wouldn’t. “You’ll have to ask her family or wait to read about it in the paper.”
“We’re done here.” He rose from his chair, so I got up, too. I was not going to let him walk himself to the door and take a detour to corner my father.
“I’ll see you out, if there’s nothing else.”
“Oh, there’s plenty, but you aren’t going to answer anything, and I’m not wasting my precious time. Do not under any circumstances send us a bill. It won’t get paid.” With that, he stormed out of the room. I was close on his heels, in case I needed to intercept him on his way to the front door.
He didn’t deviate, fortunately, and went straight through the foyer and outside. I was able to catch the door before it slammed from the force he’d put behind closing it after he stalked out of the building.
Score one for me, or really a few, since I had some more info to share with Burton and a reason to seek him out now, instead of just hoping to bump into him. Time to go back upstairs for a third time and change clothes to get this show on the road. I still had an hour before I needed to drive the hearse, and I had a police chief to find.
More importantly, I had an idea about who had taken Audra’s life; now I just needed to figure out how to prove it.