AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Healthy competition isn’t a bad thing,” I said slowly. “But that’s perhaps a little overzealous.”
“Indeed.” She eyed the group. “Watch this.”
“Watch what?”
“So, who do you think killed Declan Tierney?” Ash asked loudly, cutting into their conversation.
All four women turned to us, wearing expressions of varying levels of intrigue.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Ash said, tapping her fingers against the counter. “You know the rules. You can host your weekly shit-talk here for free, but you have to share what you know with me.”
“Guy Quinn,” Barb said. “The land the old secondary school is on is up for sale, and Guy has butted heads with Tierney more than once. It’s supposed to be for public use and Guy wants to sell to a holiday park company instead, but Tierney offered more money. Big issues.”
“No.” Betty clicked her tongue as she picked up her wine glass. “The Swanns out at Swann Farm. He had a bust up with Michael Swann not long ago. The police were called and everything. I wouldn’t put it past Michael to get rid of him.”
“His business partner,” Vivienne said, focusing on painting her little gnome’s face, complete with occasionally sticking her tongue out of the corner of her mouth. “Alan wanted out of the company after all the legal issues, but Tierney refused to pay what it was worth. They’ve been having a very tough time of it, from what I hear. Legal action and all sorts.”
I shared a look with Ash.
That was the most promising one yet.
“His wife,” Gwen declared.
We all stared at her.
“His wife? Stephanie?” Barb asked. “Haven’t they been married for over ten years?”
“They’re divorcing, and she’s living with someone else. A friend, she says,” Gwen continued with a twinkle in her eye. “Last I heard, Declan was trying to claim adultery to get out of giving her what she was due in the divorce. The house, a bucket load of money, and part of the company. Of course, with him dead, she presumably gets it all.”
“I wonder how that’ll shake out with Alan,” Viv mused. “He doesn’t get along with Stephanie at all, and she’ll probably pay him more than his share just to get rid of him, especially since he wants out anyway.”
I met Ash’s gaze.
“Bingo,” she whispered.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The problem with this sleuthing business is that I was not, sadly, Rosemary Boxer or Laura Thyme.
They were also entirely fictional characters, but that was beside the point. I didn’t know a damn thing about where to start with this, and Ash had to be at the shop all day because she had a couple of kids’ ceramics sessions booked in.
I’d hoped I’d get my car back today, but I’d heard nothing from the police, and neither had my lawyer. On one hand, no news was good news, but on the other… Well, it wasn’t always good news, was it?
I needed to do something. I hadn’t slept well again last night, and despite the exhaustion that was slowly creeping over my body, I had the urge to be productive.
The ceramics club last night had given us a starting point. Well, four starting points, if I wanted to be technical about it. I didn’t know any of these people. Alan and Stephanie’s names rang a bell, but only because I’d read about them in the articles that had been published about his shady business practices.
Ash had texted me everyone’s full names last night so we wouldn’t forget them. The last thing we wanted to do was alert anyone to our sleuthing activities, and I had the sneaking suspicion that Gwen, Viv, Barb, and Betty would try to get involved if we did.
They were much better as the gossipmongers on the peripheral of it all.
That was probably where I’d be best, too.
I was going to start with some research. We had Guy Quinn, one of the leaders of the committee in charge of selling off the old secondary school land. If he’d butted heads with Tierney, then chances were, he was fully on-side with the caravan park company.
Because that was what Fox Point needed.
Another holiday park.
