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"Do you happen to remember the name of the company you used?" Fiona asked, her eyes intent on Cate.
Cate thought for a few moments, then shook her head. "I'm sorry, I can't remember. It was a while ago, and I wasn't the one who called them."
Jake and Fiona shared a look. It was frustrating to hit a dead end, but they weren't going to give up just yet.
"There must be some record of it," Jake said.
Cate's brows pinched before she seemed to have an epiphany. "Oh! Yes, I bet we still have the flier. Glen could never throw anything out. Here, come on inside."
Cate led them inside the grand mansion, which was just as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside. They walked through the spacious foyer and into a living room filled with plush furniture and large windows that let in an abundance of natural light.
"Please, have a seat," Cate said, gesturing to the couch. "I'll go look for that flier."
Jake and Fiona sat down, and Jake couldn't help but be in awe of the Hartwells' luxurious lifestyle. More than that, though, he took note of the family photos on the walls. Pictures of Glen with his blond-haired children, who looked so much like him.
As he looked around the room, he noticed a family portrait on the wall. Glen was standing in the middle, with his wife and two kids on either side of him. They all looked so happy, so content.
It was a stark contrast to the gruesome scene that Cate had walked into just a week ago. Jake felt for her. Images of blood on the tile flashed in his mind, memories from when he found his own mother dead. He tried to wipe them away.
He felt a nudge on his arm and looked over to see Fiona peering up at him.
"Are you okay, Jake?" she murmured. "You look pale."
Fiona's calm aura and smooth voice instantly settled his anxiety, like smoke clearing. It was amazing how she could have that effect on him sometimes. No one else had ever made him feel that way.
"I'm okay," he said with a smile. "Thanks, Red. I--"
Cate returned to the room. She held up a flier for a company. "Ah, here it is! Pest Control Pros. This is who Glen called."
Jake's stomach sank. He was hoping this would lead them to Insect Away Home, but Pest Control Pros? This was a different company entirely.
They'd have to look into both.
Fiona took the flier from Cate and studied it carefully, her sharp gaze scanning the text. "Thank you, Mrs. Hartwell. This is really helpful." Fiona stood up and addressed Cate. "Mrs. Hartwell, may we ask you a few more questions about your late husband? Anything that might help us understand who would do this to him?" Cate nodded, and Fiona continued. "Did Glen ever mention any enemies or people who might have wanted to harm him?"
Cate thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, Glen was well-liked by everyone. He was a good man, a good husband, and a good father."
Jake spoke up. "Did he have any strange behavior leading up to his death? Anything out of the ordinary?"
"No, not at all," Cate said. "He was just... gone, one day."
"And when did he call the pest control services?" Jake asked.
"It was a couple of weeks before he passed," Cate said. "They never actually came to do the work, but Glen said they were coming in soon. The nest is still there."
Fiona turned to Jake, eyes blazing. "We should follow up on Pest Control Pros and see if they have any record of Glen's call."
Jake nodded in agreement. "Let's get on it. And thank you, Mrs. Hartwell. If you think of anything else, please don't hesitate to contact us."
Cate nodded, her eyes filled with sadness. "I will. Thank you both for trying to find who did this to Glen."
As Jake and Fiona were leaving, Jake couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. There was something off about the whole situation. Glen seemed like a genuinely good man, and the fact that he had been killed in such a cold, heartless way was unsettling.
If the pest control angle was correct, then Jake still failed to see the motive.
Why would Sharon and Glen, two seemingly normal people, be killed in a near-assassination-style manner?
Jake didn't know. But he intended to find out.
