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“Is that what happened with you?” Sam asked, leaning in a bit.
Archie sighed. “That’s water under the bridge now, but you can bet if she was trying to extort money from me that I wasn’t the only one.”
* * *
“So what didyou make of Archie?” Sam asked Jo once they were in the Tahoe and driving away.
Jo turned her gaze away from the window to look at Sam. “I felt like he was really surprised to find out April was dead.”
Sam nodded, processing her input. “Yeah, he seemed genuinely taken aback. That part felt real.” He paused for a moment then asked, “Do you think he was telling the truth about April extorting money from him?”
Jo considered for a moment before responding. “He seemed to be truthful about that too. His reaction didn’t come across as rehearsed or deceptive.”
“That’s what’s puzzling,” Sam said, his brow furrowing. “It’s out of character for an activist, isn’t it? If she truly cared about the environment, how could she just let people off the hook because they pay her?”
“Maybe she cared more about the money than the environment,” Jo suggested. “It’s not unheard of for people to start off with good intentions and then get swayed by financial incentives. Could be April was playing both sides.”
Sam nodded. “Guess we’ll have to dig deep into her financials. You want a coffee?”
“Of course. Why do you even ask?” Jo smiled.
Sam turned into the drive-through of Brewed Awakening, their favorite coffee shop. Lucy’s ears perked up in expectation of a donut hole or two.
“If what Archie says about him having resolved his issues with April is true, then he has no motive.”
“Well, much as I don’t like him, I do have to admit that the apartment complex is under construction again, so maybe he was telling the truth,” Jo said.
Sam shrugged. “Maybe. Doesn’t mean he didn’t have another project that April was trying to mess up. I’ll check on that.”
They got to the window, and Sam ordered their coffees.
Shelly leaned out the window to smile at Lucy. “You want a couple of donut holes?” She glanced at Sam for approval, and he nodded. He could hear Lucy’s tail thumping against the back seat.
“Here you go, Chief, Jo. Some for Lucy too.”
“Thanks, Shelly,” Sam replied, taking the bag and handing over the payment.
As he drove away, Lucy let out a soft whine from the back seat, her keen nose having already detected the smell of the donut holes. Jo reached in, twisting around in her seat to offer a donut hole to the dog, who accepted it gratefully.
“So, did you find anything in April’s past that might indicate she was into extortion or blackmail?” he asked, resuming their earlier conversation.
“That’s the thing,” Jo said, sipping her coffee. “I can’t find much about her past at all. She’s squeaky clean until about six years ago. Then there were the usual arrests that come with being an environmental activist. Before that, nothing.”
He took a sip of his coffee, savoring the earthy brew. He hoped it would kick-start his brain into figuring out their next step. “That’s strange. Maybe she wasn’t into activism before that.”
“Or extortion,” Jo added. Sam wondered about his next steps. Extortion was a seedy business, the hallmarks of which couldn’t often be found through proper police channels. Luckily, Sam knew someone who specialized in digging up dirt like that. Mick Gervasi, his best friend since childhood, was always the guy to call when he needed to go off the record. Mick had a knack for finding out things no one else could.
“Should we bring Mick into this?” Sam asked, his eyes meeting Jo’s for a moment.
Sam couldn’t see Jo’s eyes behind her Oakley sunglasses, but her slight nod and the twitch of the corners of her lips told him she was on board. “He could be useful.”
“Wanna meet tonight at Holy Spirits?” Sam asked. Holy Spirits was their favorite bar, a decommissioned church transformed into a local watering hole. “Mick’s in town, and I’m sure he’ll be up for it.”
Jo’s eyes twinkled as she chuckled. “Sounds good. Maybe our case will get some divine intervention.”
Sam laughed. “Speaking of cases, did Bridget say anything about her plan to look into that babysitter’s family?”
“I think she might be talking to Reese about it,” Jo responded, her voice tinged with something he couldn’t quite place. Hope, maybe? Or fear.
