said too much.’’
But Mitzy was dying for Jack to know how clever she’d been. ‘‘Oliver had soooo many weaknesses. He was always leaving his elevator key lying around. It was easy to pocket it, give it to Randall and make it look like it had been Oliver who’d switched the chocolates that killed Peggy.’’
‘‘Mitzy!’’ Randall said through gritted teeth.
But she didn’t seem to hear him. ‘‘I followed Peggy around town as she bought my Valentine’s presents because I knew Oliver would send her out to do his dirty work, and I knew she couldn’t resist taking a look around the penthouse. It was so-o-o easy. Randall wouldn’t have been noticed when he came right back down by elevator. The desk clerk and bellhop had been too occupied with the busload of Minnesotans.’’
‘‘But getting Oliver down to the boiler room, that must have taken something,’’ Jack said.
‘‘Another of Oliver’s weakness,’’ Mitzy crowed. ‘‘Women he couldn’t have. I just sent him a note that he thought was from Tempest to meet him in the boiler room.’’
So Mitzy thought Oliver had been pursuing Tempest. Jack didn’t correct her.
‘‘You must have hit Oliver with something,’’ Jack said. ‘‘I can’t imagine him climbing up on the box and putting the noose around his neck.’’
She laughed at the image. ‘‘Randall had to hit him with a wrench. Unfortunately, Oliver regained consciousness before he could strangle to death.’’ She pretended dismay. ‘‘It was downright ugly to watch.’’
‘‘I’ll just bet. But why did you do it?’’ Jack asked.
‘‘I figured once Oliver was dead, that would be the end of the investigation,’’ Mitzy said. ‘‘You know, tie up all those loose ends.’’
Randall had sat down, his hand over his face.
‘‘I meant, why did you kill Peggy? Why not just let Oliver take off with her?’’
Mitzy looked shocked. ‘‘That bastard thought he could leave me for someone like...Peggy?’’ Mitzy sneered. ‘‘I’d spend the rest of my life in prison before I’d let him leave me for her. ’’
‘‘Be careful what you wish for,’’ Randall said.
‘‘Don’t worry, darling,’’ she replied sweetly. ‘‘Jack can’t prove anything. It would just be my word against his and I’m still a Sanders and the name carries a lot of weight in these parts. Jack can’t prove a thing or he would have brought his under sheriff and those two cute deputies of his.’’
‘‘Oh, but I did, Mitzy. Tempest? Deputy Reed?’’
Tempest stepped out, the tape recorder in her hand, Deputy Reed behind her. ‘‘Got it all on tape, including you reading them their rights,’’ Tempest said to him.
Mitzy looked as if she’d been slapped.
‘‘I knew your weakness, too, Mitzy,’’ Jack said to her. ‘‘You just couldn’t stand the thought that you’d pulled this whole thing off and no one might ever know just how amazing you were.’’
‘‘I told you to shut up,’’ Randall said. ‘‘I want an attorney. None of this was my idea. It was all hers and I’ll testify to it,’’ he said, glaring at Mitzy.
‘‘Why, you bastard—after everything I’ve done for you.’’ Mitzy lunged at him, but Jack grabbed her wrist before her hand could reach its mark. He snapped a pair of cuffs on her as Tempest stepped in to cuff Randall.
Deputy Reed took the two into custody, leaving Jack and Tempest alone in the penthouse.
‘‘I suppose River’s Edge will be looking for a new sheriff now,’’ she said studying the chocolates in the heart-shaped box on the coffee table.
At that moment, he realized that he’d never planned to stay. That’s why he hadn’t bothered to look for a place to live other than the motel.
He watched Tempest reach down to pick up a chocolate cream from Mitzy’s box of Valentine’s Day candy. Maybe he could stay around for a while. It wasn’t like he had to be somewhere else. And no matter where he went, a part
But Mitzy was dying for Jack to know how clever she’d been. ‘‘Oliver had soooo many weaknesses. He was always leaving his elevator key lying around. It was easy to pocket it, give it to Randall and make it look like it had been Oliver who’d switched the chocolates that killed Peggy.’’
‘‘Mitzy!’’ Randall said through gritted teeth.
But she didn’t seem to hear him. ‘‘I followed Peggy around town as she bought my Valentine’s presents because I knew Oliver would send her out to do his dirty work, and I knew she couldn’t resist taking a look around the penthouse. It was so-o-o easy. Randall wouldn’t have been noticed when he came right back down by elevator. The desk clerk and bellhop had been too occupied with the busload of Minnesotans.’’
‘‘But getting Oliver down to the boiler room, that must have taken something,’’ Jack said.
‘‘Another of Oliver’s weakness,’’ Mitzy crowed. ‘‘Women he couldn’t have. I just sent him a note that he thought was from Tempest to meet him in the boiler room.’’
So Mitzy thought Oliver had been pursuing Tempest. Jack didn’t correct her.
‘‘You must have hit Oliver with something,’’ Jack said. ‘‘I can’t imagine him climbing up on the box and putting the noose around his neck.’’
She laughed at the image. ‘‘Randall had to hit him with a wrench. Unfortunately, Oliver regained consciousness before he could strangle to death.’’ She pretended dismay. ‘‘It was downright ugly to watch.’’
‘‘I’ll just bet. But why did you do it?’’ Jack asked.
‘‘I figured once Oliver was dead, that would be the end of the investigation,’’ Mitzy said. ‘‘You know, tie up all those loose ends.’’
Randall had sat down, his hand over his face.
‘‘I meant, why did you kill Peggy? Why not just let Oliver take off with her?’’
Mitzy looked shocked. ‘‘That bastard thought he could leave me for someone like...Peggy?’’ Mitzy sneered. ‘‘I’d spend the rest of my life in prison before I’d let him leave me for her. ’’
‘‘Be careful what you wish for,’’ Randall said.
‘‘Don’t worry, darling,’’ she replied sweetly. ‘‘Jack can’t prove anything. It would just be my word against his and I’m still a Sanders and the name carries a lot of weight in these parts. Jack can’t prove a thing or he would have brought his under sheriff and those two cute deputies of his.’’
‘‘Oh, but I did, Mitzy. Tempest? Deputy Reed?’’
Tempest stepped out, the tape recorder in her hand, Deputy Reed behind her. ‘‘Got it all on tape, including you reading them their rights,’’ Tempest said to him.
Mitzy looked as if she’d been slapped.
‘‘I knew your weakness, too, Mitzy,’’ Jack said to her. ‘‘You just couldn’t stand the thought that you’d pulled this whole thing off and no one might ever know just how amazing you were.’’
‘‘I told you to shut up,’’ Randall said. ‘‘I want an attorney. None of this was my idea. It was all hers and I’ll testify to it,’’ he said, glaring at Mitzy.
‘‘Why, you bastard—after everything I’ve done for you.’’ Mitzy lunged at him, but Jack grabbed her wrist before her hand could reach its mark. He snapped a pair of cuffs on her as Tempest stepped in to cuff Randall.
Deputy Reed took the two into custody, leaving Jack and Tempest alone in the penthouse.
‘‘I suppose River’s Edge will be looking for a new sheriff now,’’ she said studying the chocolates in the heart-shaped box on the coffee table.
At that moment, he realized that he’d never planned to stay. That’s why he hadn’t bothered to look for a place to live other than the motel.
He watched Tempest reach down to pick up a chocolate cream from Mitzy’s box of Valentine’s Day candy. Maybe he could stay around for a while. It wasn’t like he had to be somewhere else. And no matter where he went, a part