AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Noah said, “You don’t think Mathias Tobin killed Jana.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I just don’t know. There’s still no proof that Jana Melburn’s death was anything more than a freak accident.”
The Chief sighed. “We’re gonna need one of those corkboards with the yarn pretty soon. For the love of all that’s holy, are you telling me we’ve got to solve the Bly Police Department’s accident case in order to figure out who killed Sharon Eddy and Keri Cryer?”
Cyrus Grey appeared in the doorway, a sheaf of papers in one hand and Josie’s phone in the other.
“Maybe not,” said Josie. “The Sharon Eddy and Keri Cryer murders were a direct message to Anya. We just need to figure out who had the greatest motivation for sending that message.”
Cyrus walked in and moved behind his desk, offering them a grim smile. He slid Josie’s phone across the table to her. “One of my guys found this at the accident scene. Not much of a charge on it, but it’s intact.”
Josie mumbled a thanks and put it in her pocket.
Cyrus waved the pages in Josie’s direction. “I’ve got your statement for you to sign. Dermot Hadlee was taken into custody two hours ago. I’m sure that his attorney is already hard at work on getting the charges dismissed.”
He pushed the pages across the desk toward Josie, together with a pen. Ignoring it, she met his eyes. “Deputy Grey, where were you on Friday between sixa.m. and ninep.m.?”
Noah said, “And ninep.m. Saturday until fivea.m. on Sunday morning?”
THIRTY-ONE
A stillness settled over the room. Cyrus stood frozen, one hand on the back of his chair and one resting on his desk. Josie held his gaze and waited. In the silence she heard the clack of a keyboard from somewhere down the hall; the murmur of voices; a phone ringing; and footsteps passing by the door. Her forehead throbbed in time with her heartbeat.
Cyrus said, “Excuse me?”
“Friday,” Josie repeated. “Where were you? Between sixa.m. and ninep.m.? Saturday night ninep.m. into Sunday morning around five?”
“Are you—” He looked at Noah, the Chief, then back at Josie. “Are you asking me for alibis?”
Noah said, “We have a murder victim named Sharon Eddy.”
“I’m aware of that,” Cyrus said.
“She was the daughter of Carolina Eddy,” Josie said.
His expression remained blank.
The Chief said, “Carolina Eddy was the clerk at the mini-market the night Jana Melburn was last seen alive.”
Realization struck. Cyrus shook his head. “Jana Melburn. Jesus. We’re back on that. Are you helping out Trinity Payne, or what?”
“We’re trying to solve a murder,” Josie said. “Actually, we’re trying to solve two murders now.”
Noah said, “Our latest murder victim was Keri Cryer.”
Cyrus said, “I’ve never heard of her.”
“She worked for Downey, Downey & O’Neill in Bradysport. She was a paralegal for Mathias Tobin’s defense team. Part of the team that ultimately got him exonerated in the attempted murder—now murder—of your daughter.”
“Don’t.” Cyrus’s face paled. His voice held a note of warning.
Josie continued, “We just found out that both of these victims have a connection to the Jana Melburn case.”
Cyrus clenched his jaw before responding. “Those are pretty loose connections. Sounds to me like you’re grasping at straws. Vance Hadlee didn’t work out for you, so now you’re just trying to pin these murders on anyone you run into down here? I’m just next in line till you eliminate every person in Bly? Do you even hear yourself? I am an officer of the law.”
“Yes,” Josie said. “But you’re also a father who just lost his daughter.”
He swallowed twice before speaking, voice husky. “I told you. Don’t talk about my daughter.”
