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“Yep. No criminal record across the board.”
“We’ll have a chat with them, anyway. I also think we might want to find out who benefited from Chapman’s death—not in terms of insurance, but rather who wound up with her promotion. It might have to do with what the best friend said about her fellow interns being two-faced.”
“On that note, we should find out the names of all the interns who were working at Between the Pages at that time.”
“We’ll be talking to the owner from back then, so we’ll ask him.”
“In agreement.”
She smiled at him. “You’re always so cooperative.”
“I try.” He laughed. “All right, so I laid out my gems. Your turn.”
“Going back to the best friend’s comment, it doesn’t look like Dennis interviewed any of Chapman’s fellow interns.”
“I know I said it was understandable earlier. There was that string of home robberies, but still… Shouldn’t Bishop have, at least, considered someone closer to Chapman knew about the jewels and set out to rob her? Seems to me he dropped the ball.”
Amanda saw Trent’s point, but they also had the advantage of hindsight. “Not sure. I mean, Felicity’s murder has us looking back from a different perspective.”
“Fair enough, I suppose.”
“All right, so I uncovered some more here. Chapman’s blood alcohol confirmed she was intoxicated, unfit to drive, but not about to pass out.”
“Just drunk enough to think she can keep drinking.” Trent smiled. “Could be why she opted for a solo nightcap. Just to keep the party going for a while longer.”
“Could be.” Not that she was going to argue science with him. Even after a person stopped drinking the body was still processing the consumed alcohol, adding further intoxication. “Chapman left the bar at eleven thirty and accounting for a fifteen-minute drive to her house, she was home by quarter to midnight.”
“In time for her midnight visitor.”
“As you pointed out before, if there even was one. After reading the files, none of the neighbors noticed any unknown cars on the street or in her driveway. But Chapman was found wearing what she had on when she went out that night. That makes me think she was expecting someone.”
“It could just be as simple as she hadn’t changed for bed before she was shot.”
“True enough, but you need to see this.” Amanda shuffled three photographs over to Trent. “These specific items were stolen and insured by Chapman’s parents.”
“Wow.” The picture of an ornate ruby brooch elicited this response.
“An heirloom passed on from Naomi’s great-great-great grandmother. It’s priceless but was insured for two hundred thousand. Then the next piece, if you want to go to the second photo?”
Trent shuffled the ruby to the back. “Cufflinks.” Obviously unimpressed.
“They might not look like much, but they are made of onyx and platinum. Value is fifty-five thousand.”
“And the third photo…” Trent brought it to the front. “Diamond earrings.”
“Not just any diamond earrings. Tiffany. Valued at forty grand.”
“Holy hell.”
“Yep.”
“Tell me she kept all this in a safe.”
Amanda shook her head. “She should have, but she didn’t.”
“Wealthy and careless.”
“But did the intruder know Chapman had items of such high value or strike it lucky? Or were they stolen simply to cover up a murder?”
