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“Busy day,” Owen observed.
Panic and rage lit Tredgett’s eyes. He clutched the money in one fist. “Damn you,” he whispered. “Who the hell are you, anyway? Why have you been nosing around in my business?”
“I’m the naturally curious type.”
Tredgett’s face worked furiously. “Bastard. I warned you last night. If you and your lady friend think I’m going to share this money with you, you’re crazy.”
“The janitor,” Amy murmured from the shadows behind Owen. “Of course. The one man who is always going in and out of restrooms.”
Owen groaned. “Amy, I told you to wait outside.”
“I couldn’t let you finish this alone.”
Tredgett’s desperate gaze shifted wildly from Owen to Amy and back again. “Leave me alone or I’ll tell all.” He picked up a jar of cleaning solvent and hurled it at Owen.
Owen easily sidestepped the jar. Unfortunately, in the process, he collided with Amy, who had come up behind him. She yelped as she fetched up against a row of metal bookshelves. The shelves shuddered beneath the impact. Several tattered volumes cascaded down from the top shelf.
Owen whirled around at the sound of the toppling books. “Amy, look out.”
She reacted instantly, leaping aside. Two heavy volumes struck the floor at her feet, barely missing her head.
Tredgett seized the opportunity. He burst out of the janitorial closet and made for the back door.
“You okay?” Owen asked Amy.
“I’m okay. Owen, be careful.”
He whirled around and sprinted after Tredgett, who was already at the back door.
It wasn’t much of a contest. Tredgett was twenty years older and thirty pounds overweight. Owen caught him just outside the door. He pinned the janitor to the wall of the alcove.
“I’ll tell everyone about the affair between Crabshaw and Mrs. Villantry,” Tredgett blustered. “I swear I will.”
“And go to jail for blackmail?” Owen asked pleasantly. “Now, why would you want to do that?”
“Crabshaw will never press charges. He’ll never admit that he’s been paying blackmail. You can’t prove a damn thing.”
“I wouldn’t be too certain of that.” Madeline Villantry emerged from the storage room. She was followed by Arthur and Bernice and Raymond Junior. “Arthur finally told me what was going on this morning. I informed him that if his private investigator discovered the identity of the blackmailer, I would insist that he press charges. One simply cannot tolerate this sort of thing.”
“Now, Mother,” Raymond began. “I think we should talk about this before we make any decisions.”
“There is nothing to discuss,” Madeline assured him.
Tredgett jerked furiously in Owen’s grasp. “Private investigator?” He stared at Owen and then looked helplessly at Arthur Crabshaw. “You hired this damned PI?”
“I hired the damned PI,” Amy said briskly. “And he’s solved the case brilliantly.”
“Thank you,” Owen said.
“He certainly has.” Bernice smiled warmly at Owen. “Arthur also told me everything. It was very gallant of him to try to protect Madeline and me, but entirely unnecessary. Arthur’s relationship with Madeline is thirty years in the past. Who cares about it now?”
“Precisely,” Madeline murmured. “My parents are dead and my children are adults. There is no one left to protect.”
Arthur looked at Owen. “You were right. The best way to pull the blackmailer’s teeth was to tell everyone involved what was going on.”
“It’s usually the easiest way to put a stop to this kind of thing,” Owen said.
Raymond Junior scowled in confusion. “For God’s sake, Mother, are you telling me that you and Arthur Crabshaw had an affair thirty years ago? And that the janitor knew about it?”
