Thirty-One

King took Megan’s statement at the scene before letting her go. He seemed frustrated that she couldn’t tell him more.

“I’ve been trying to reach her for days. I think someone else has her phone.” Megan explained her attempts to talk with Martine, the texts that were answered with short responses, and the accepted Facebook friend request. “Whoever has it did enough to make Martine seem alive—without giving anything away. Find her phone, find her killer.”

King stared off in the distance at the ambulance and firetrucks that had appeared. “I got your text, about the kid seeing someone flee the scene. I’ve been following up on that.”

“And?”

He nodded toward the motel. “I thought it was Martine. We were all convinced she was hiding something. Seems like we were right.”

“Now we may never know what.”

King studied Megan in a measured way that made her uncomfortable. “Remember the other day when I told you I couldn’t say what was stolen from Harriet’s room?”

“How could I forget?”

“It was about the FDA approval process notes. Harriet refused to say whether the drug was accepted or not, but either way, the information is powerful. I suspected Martine was the person who stole it.”

Megan tried to hide her surprise. “Martine? Why?”

“Gut. Her reaction when I questioned her. She seemed squirrely.” His gaze trailed off to the motel again. “I really thought she’d killed Chase. Perhaps out of anger that he didn’t return her feelings.”

Megan looked at King with renewed appreciation. She told him about the photos Martine had taken of Chase. “I think there had been something between the two of them, which may explain her odd behavior. Perhaps she’d initially been hiding the affair from the others.”

King nodded. “Perhaps.”

“Some things are coming together, Bobby. I have another piece or two I need to check out, but I think someone in their circle killed Chase, hurt Bibi, and now this.”

“That’s yet to be established.”

Megan did everything she could not to roll her eyes. “The phone.”

“The phone.” King’s voice trailed off. He watched in the distance as the body was removed in a bag and placed in the ambulance. “Why go after Martine?”

“She clearly knew too much.”

“But with a trail of bodies, whoever did this is bound to get caught. It’s hard to pin this one on Dillon. He’s still missing.”

Megan said, “Did you get my message? We think he slept in our barn last night.”

“I did. Not good.” Another officer jogged over, and King excused himself. “No more sleuthing around, Megan. This one is too dangerous.”

He didn’t wait for an answer, so Megan didn’t have to make a promise she couldn’t keep.

  

Megan drove to the Bucks County Inn in the hopes that the innkeeper could help her track down Harriet Mantra. She wasn’t at the front desk. Instead, Megan was met by an older gentleman with a ring of gray hair and a salty demeanor. He wore a blue bow tie and argyle socks and seemed intent on not answering any of Megan’s questions.

“Is Dr. Mantra in?”

“I couldn’t say.”

Megan gave him the rest of the BOLD employees’ names. Same response. She didn’t see their cars in the lot; it was possible they’d already been called in to the police station.

Megan left feeling frustrated. She needed to collect her thoughts. The last thing she wanted to do was tip off the killer, and if she acted impulsively, she just might do that.

She decided to head to the hospital. She didn’t want to excite her grandmother, but she could check on her progress with the doctors and find out when she could come home. The drive would give her time to think things through.

Megan chose a spot toward the back of the visitors’ lot. She sat in silence, considering recent events. Bibi had been poisoned. The words still caused a stabbing pain in her chest, which made the urgency to find the culprit overwhelming. She forced herself to be calm, to think, only the image of Martine’s mutilated body plagued her. She rested her head against the seat. Had Bibi been chosen because she was too close to Dillon? If so, the only one who knew that was Dr. Star.

All things seemed to lead back to the school. Dr. Star was an enigma. Lou’s neighbor Dee Dee loved him, Eloise had nothing bad to say about the man. Yet Megan suspected he’d told Harriet Mantra that Dillon had a confidante in Bibi. Dillon had seen a woman flee the scene of the crime, important information the police should have considered. What if that woman had been Harriet? What if she’d been in Pennsylvania all along, only pretending to arrive after Chase’s murder?

Then there was Martine’s death. From the first time Megan met her, Martine seemed like the outsider in the group. She didn’t have the college roots to bind her to the others. Even Denver, who saw the good in just about everyone, didn’t like her. Had Martine been murdered because she knew too much? She’d overheard the fight with Jatin. She claimed she was sleeping with Chase. She may have had information she was afraid to share.

Megan returned to Martine’s Instagram page. Her photography really was amazing. Megan again studied the photo of Chase at the beach. Martine had captured a Chase Megan would not have imagined existed. A Chase poised to take on the world.

Because he was leaving BOLD for a new life? Or something more?

Chase Mars had a reputation for being impulsive, for seeking adventure. The Rolling Stones. The jump into science and business. The pharma start-up. If the FDA was turning down their star drug and Chase knew it, he didn’t seem like the type to sit around and mope. He would move on, a new venture and a new idea. If he had left, where would that have left the company?

Lou’s research showed that Harriet had bought her husband out of the business. Hardly a show of faith in a private company. Then there was the empty promise to send Pioneer Village kids to college. Megan was pretty sure BOLD wasn’t performing well. Harriet had a lot to lose. They all had a lot to lose. Options. Change in control agreements.

Megan’s phone rang, startling her. It was Lou.

“Did you get the information I sent you?” her accountant asked.

“Yes, thank you.”

“There was an article on BOLD this morning in the LA Times. I thought of you. Did you happen to see it?”

Megan admitted she hadn’t. Outside, it started to drizzle, and she couldn’t see out of the truck’s window. She watched the droplets cloud the glass, listening to Lou’s description of the piece.

Lou said, “Bottom line, the FDA turned down their drug ahead of the date their decision was due. Inconsistencies in the trial results. A huge problem for the company.”

Megan wasn’t surprised. “All the options and agreements those executives have in place. What will they mean now?”

“That depends. If the company has another drug in their back pocket, or if the current drug is salvageable, they could still make good on their promises. May take a while, but those options could be worth a hell of a lot of money. And every change in control agreement probably allows for a giant payout if the company goes public or is purchased.”

Which is what Jatin had said. “And if that doesn’t happen?”

“They’re worthless.”

“Which means Harriet Mantra would still own the assets of the company, but those who started with her, like Jatin, Barbara, Xavier, and Chase, would get nothing.”

“Right. They win if the company wins.”

Also how Jatin had put it. “Thanks, Lou. I owe you.”

“Nah. Well, maybe some tomatoes when they’re in.”

“I can do that.” She owed a lot of people.

After hanging up, Megan continued staring at the water streaming down the windshield. The grayness echoed her own mood. Whoever had killed Chase had either been angry or was trying to prevent him from doing something. Megan originally thought it was the latter. Now she was convinced it was the former. If the FDA denied the company’s drug approval, BOLD would need Chase. If he was threatening to leave, someone with a lot to lose could be very angry.

Jatin. Xavier. Barbara.

Megan unlocked the truck. As she was about to climb out, her phone rang. Clover.

“I have news, Megan. Brace yourself. That woman, Dr. Mantra? She’s here now. I overheard her talking to the man, Jatin something or other.” Dramatic pause. “Martine Pringle was murdered.”

“I know,” Megan said, feeling suddenly drained. “I’m the one who found her.”

“Oh, Megan! I’m so sorry.” Clover paused again. Megan could hear the clatter of dishes and the steady hum of conversation. Such normal sounds. “She also said something else you might find interesting. When Harriet and that other woman were at the Pioneer Village School, they saw your grandmother with Dillon and Eloise.”

The skin on the back of Megan’s neck prickled. “Wait a minute, Harriet and that other woman? Who was the other woman?”

“The other woman from BOLD—not Martine.”

“Barbara?”

“Yes. She was at the school with Harriet that day.”

“I have to go, Clover. Please call Denver and ask him to meet me at the hospital as soon as possible.”

“Megan, are you okay?”

“Just ask him.” Megan hung up. “Thank you!”

Barbara. With a sudden blast of insight, Megan realized Dr. Star hadn’t had to break confidentiality. If someone saw Bibi with Dillon at the school last Friday, they would have witnessed the special bond developing between the two. Barbara was there. She was at the café later. What would it have taken to drop a few lithium tablets in Bibi’s tea? Clover and Emily had admitted the café had been crowded.

Barbara. The woman whose husband was a cheat—and, if Martine was to be believed, a gambler. The woman who hated Martine and knew Chase very well—well enough to read the restlessness and excitement on his face. The woman who stood to lose a lot of money if Chase left the company—he was the visionary, he was the one who could pull off another drug, another chance. The woman high enough up in the company to know things weren’t looking good with the FDA. A woman willing to pin murder on a teenage boy. A woman sociopathic enough to risk killing an eighty-five-year-old woman if it meant getting away with murder.

Martine had suspected her. That’s why she broke into Harriet’s office to steal the FDA papers. She wanted proof that things with the company were not good. Martine had been sleeping with Chase. She knew he was leaving—or she suspected it based on his demeanor.

She thought Jatin was the killer, but she realized soon enough it wasn’t him. He wanted the money, sure, but Barbara needed the money.

Megan climbed out of the vehicle and into the rain. She reached back into the truck and felt for her umbrella. That’s when she felt cold metal against her forehead.

“Get back in the truck,” Xavier said. “And maybe you’ll live.”