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Oh. “Crawford knew that Mr. Flynn had been a cop.”
“He did. I don’t know if it’s important, but Frankie started watching Crawford after that. He noticed things that I didn’t, like lipstick on his shirt collar. He thought Crawford was having an affair.” Georgia studied Kit’s face. “But you knew that already.”
“Dr. Reeves told us that Mr. Flynn suspected Crawford was cheating on his wife. Do you think Mr. Flynn suspected anything else about Mr. Crawford?”
Georgia crossed her arms over her chest. “Like he was stealing from Shady Oaks?”
Kit blinked. “Yeah. Like that.”
“If he had proof, I don’t know what it was. I think if Frankie had had proof, he wouldn’t have kept it a secret. He did not like Crawford.”
“Why didn’t you tell us this yesterday?”
“I didn’t trust you yesterday.”
Kit lifted her brows. “Do you trust me now?”
“Yes. I read about you, like I said. Also, Sam trusts you. I saw that just now in Benny’s room.” She hesitated. “If I’d told you and you’d gone after Crawford, he would have known that either Benny or I had told you. And it couldn’t have been Benny because you never got the chance to talk to him.”
“I wish I had,” Kit said quietly. “A man who engendered so much love must have been special.”
Georgia wiped away another tear. “He was.”
“Miss Shearer, were you afraid that Crawford would take action against you? Abusive action?”
“I didn’t know what would happen, but I still have to live here after you all go home, and I don’t have Frankie or Benny anymore. Of our little group, only Eloise and I are left.”
Kit had thought that Georgia had been hiding something yesterday. “I understand. So you don’t think Frankie had any tangible proof against Crawford?”
“If he did, he sure didn’t tell me, but Frankie was odd about things like that. He was protective, so he might have kept it from me for my safety. Also, Frankie didn’t know I’d overheard their conversation because I slipped into an open meeting room when I heard Frankie come out of Crawford’s office, and Frankie never mentioned it. But now Crawford is dead and you think it was a homicide, so…”
“Was Crawford chummy with any of the staff?”
“No. Like I said, cock of the walk. He thought he was better than the rest of us. I only talked to him when I had a security issue, like my badge stopped working. That was only twice in the last six years that I’ve been here. He acted like I was stupid for demagnetizing the strip on the badge or something. Talked to me like I was a disobedient child. I just tried to stay out of his way. My life was less stressful that way.”
“Why did you say that Crawford might be stealing from Shady Oaks if Frankie never mentioned it?”
“Because I’m not stupid, Detective. Crawford drove an expensive car and lived in a nice neighborhood. He also went on golf trips a few times a year. Expensive places. He didn’t make enough money here to pay for all that.”
“How do you know what he was making?” Georgia squirmed and Kit met her gaze directly. “Miss Shearer?”
“I know how to find information,” Georgia said primly.
Kit leaned forward. “I am all ears, Miss Shearer. Details, please.”
Georgia sighed. “I heard Archie Adler talking about it.”
Kit frowned. “The IT guy?” Whom they still hadn’t met yet. Step up the pace, McKittrick. You’re behind.
Shouldn’t have gone to dinner last night.
But that wasn’t true. She’d made time for family. And Rita had been so happy. And don’t forget Jane and Janey. You helped them, too.
“Yes,” Georgia said. “Archie mostly works remotely or at night. And I have insomnia.”
“You heard him talking one night?”
“Yes. He was in the dining room, drinking coffee and working on his laptop. He was on his phone with someone. Maybe a friend. They were talking about cars and Archie was lamenting that he needed a new one. He wanted something expensive but couldn’t afford it. He said that he’d asked the director—this was two directors before Evans—for a company car like ‘that prick Crawford’ had, but the director said nobody had a company car. Archie was wondering aloud how Crawford afforded it on his salary. His friend must have asked if he was sure he had his salary right, because Archie said he was looking at it on his screen right then.”
