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“Bella got along with everyone,” Lorelei said as color returned to her knuckles from where she’d been gripping her husband’s hand. “Bella is a lot like my mother in that way.”
“Both of you are, dear,” Robert said gently as he rubbed the back of his thumb over her hand. He turned his attention back to Brook. “Bella dabbled in painting, which was why she had such an eye for what people desired to hang on their walls. Her talent was why Maxwell had given her so much responsibility in that last year.”
“Mr. Jameson, you were the one who got Bella a job working at the gallery, correct?”
“I made a phone call,” Robert corrected dismissively, giving Lorelei time to finally take a sip of her drink. “Bella did the rest. She was eager to learn, had an eye for talent, and she also had the ability to get difficult painters, photographers, and sculptures to do what was necessary to get noticed in the art world. Maxwell was lucky to have her.”
“So, Bella didn’t mention that she was having difficulty with one of those artists?” Brook asked, purposefully omitting Lauren Kim’s name.
“No,” Lorelei answered as she leaned slightly forward upon hearing something that she hadn’t known about her sister. “Who? Was it Spencer Bullard?”
Brook didn’t recognize the name, but she would know everything about him within an hour of returning to the Airbnb. Obviously, Bullard was some type of artist. Had he given Bella trouble before?
“I was hoping that you could tell me.”
Lorelei seemed to rethink her opinion on who Bella could have had issues with at work, and her frown spoke volumes. It appeared that her sisterhaddealt with many difficult artists.
“I realize that Harbor is a small, yet influential town. Bella grew up here, and so did Piper Zimmer. Did the two of them know each other in more than a casual manner? Maybe through work?”
Robert’s brow furrowed, and he shared a confusing look with his wife.
“No, not in the way you mean,” Robert said flippantly. He then handed off the rest of the conversation to his wife. “Lorelei?”
“It’s horrible what happened to Piper,” Lorelei said with a tone full of emotion. “I don’t believe her death has anything to do with her previous relationship with Maxwell.”
“Previous relationship?” Brook wanted to be certain that she understood the meaning behind Lorelei’s words. “Are you saying that Maxwell Vanderbilt and Piper Zimmer were romantically involved before her death?”
“Months before her death,” Lorelei said with a wave of her hand. “The two of them went out a few times, and then Maxwell moved on like he usually does. But my sister…well, she threw herself into her work after Michael. That was part of why I was constantly on her to forgive him. It was clear that she wasn’t happy. And then she died without…”
Lorelei pressed her lips together once more for composure. She stared down at the clear beverage in her hand, probably not even noticing the free-floating mint leaves. Robert reached over and patted his wife’s leg to let her know he would finish her response.
“I’m in agreement with Lorelei that the manner in which Bella and Piper died are too similar to be a coincidence, but Maxwell is a good friend. Trust me when I say that he couldn’t have done…well, what was done to them. Look elsewhere, Ms. Sloane.”
Brook ignored the obvious instruction, because she wouldn’t purposefully turn a blind eye to a connection between the victims. She also found it strange that the Jamesons wouldn’t want every lead followed through to the end.
“Bella worked closely with Maxwell,” Brook murmured as she thought over the profile. Could the unsub not want anyone near the gallery owner? Had he sparked someone’s obsession? He could potentially be the link that they were searching for between the two murders. “And Piper Zimmer was romantically involved with him. That’s a connection that I can’t ignore, Mr. Jameson.”
Chapter Ten
Brooklyn Sloane
December 2023
Tuesday — 7:56am
Thearomaoffreshlybrewed coffee filled the kitchen as Brook stood in front of the Airbnb’s kitchen sink. She cradled the steaming cup in her hands as she stared out over the Chesapeake Bay, using the moment alone to gather her thoughts. The dark and restless expanse beneath the leaden December sky matched her current mood.
She’d returned straight to the rental house after her meeting with Robert and Lorelei. After giving a brief summary to the team, Bit had started a deep dive into Maxwell Vanderbilt’s life. She’d also requested that Bit do the same with Michael Davis. If it came to light that Bella or Piper had been seeing someone else, then that male subject would be added to the list.
The sound of an alarm jolted Brook out of her thoughts.
The chime of the doorbell reverberated through the air, but the initial noise had originated from Bit’s computer. No doubt that he’d monitored the arrival of their guests.
Detective Hartley had apparently played it smart, if the low hum of excitement was anything to go by. From Bit’s outcry that he had dibs on the chocolate donut, she figured that Hartley had brought with him a special delivery from the local bakery. Seeing as he probably brought coffee, as well, she left the carafe she’d just topped off on the counter for her to drink later this morning.
“Good morning,” Brook said as she walked into the living room. She’d left her laptop and tablet on the coffee table in front of the fireplace. She’d flipped the switch first thing before settling in on the couch well before dawn. “Detective, thank you for sending over those files.”
“We won’t have any forensics for a while, but you now have everything that we have,” Hartley said as he handed his jacket to Theo. “This is Officer Blake Lawson. He’ll be working with us on the investigation. Chief Rogan is aware of our joint investigation, and he’s offered his assistance should we need more personnel.”
