if someone hadn’t destroyed my previous efforts.” Holly thought back to when she’d walked into her kitchen to find her whole inventory of cheesecakes and muffins destroyed. “Besides, your father doesn’t hire employees?”
Millicent glared at her over the table. Any remaining warmth sapped from the room.
“Why don’t we review our investigation so far?” Kitty sliced off another sliver of cheesecake. “I’ve uncovered some interesting information at the town offices. Public records,” she added.
“Well, it’s rather obvious after the day I had.” Millicent talked, ignoring Kitty’s reference to new info. “While undercover at Sunny Side Realty, we almost got killed. Who knows what Joel Atherton would’ve done to us if Trent hadn’t arrived.” She fanned her face in a fake swoon.
Holly clenched her teeth even as Kitty and Ann flashed her questioning looks. The last they knew, Trent and Holly had been dating. The last Holly knew they had been too.
“What happened?” Ann asked.
Millicent went into a long and detailed description of their afternoon. How they cleaned Joel’s office. How he called the cops, locked them in the bathroom, but then didn’t turn them in. How if she hadn’t called out, they might’ve been turned into cement popsicles. “Thanks to my quick thinking under pressure we walked away with proof that Joel is guilty.”
Holly sucked up her pride. “I agree.” She offered Millicent a smile. “At first, I didn’t. I discovered at the office that Joel isn’t a full partner. If Gary Schilling used his business’s profits to invest, it shouldn’t bother Joel. But I ran into Judy Schilling right before I came here.”
“You really shouldn’t go off on a rogue investigation without talking to the rest of the club,” Millicent scolded.
“I didn’t seek this one out. I went to the crime scene to think and ran into Judy.” Everyone leaned forward, listening. “She admitted that Joel, out of professional jealousy, had been sabotaging her husband’s efforts to purchase real estate.”
“That fits right in with what I learned,” Kitty said. “After all Gary’s efforts fell through, someone else bought the real estate.”
“Who?” Ann asked. The same question they all thought.
“Joel Atherton.”
Millicent slammed her fist on the table. “We’ve got to go to the police with this. We can’t have a killer running loose. Gary must’ve found out what Joel was up to, so Joel silenced him before he could say anything.”
Holly leaned back in her chair. “I don’t know. It’s just not adding up.”
It seemed too easy. Too clear-cut. If they’d arrived at the answer—why hadn’t the police? Judy had to have let the police know her thoughts about Joel. They would’ve questioned him. They would’ve checked the records and realized Joel was purchasing the real estate.
“Fine, Miss Smarty Pants Detective.” Millicent huffed. “If not Joel, then who offed Gary Schilling? Seriously. I want to know. What clue have we overlooked? What stone have we left unturned? What path haven’t we followed?”
“What about Chip?” Holly asked. “He was arguing with Judy at the fairgrounds today. I didn’t even know they knew each other.”
“Pfft.” Millicent rapped her knuckles against the table. “A complete red herring.” She gave Holly a pointed look. “You’re stereotyping based on appearance. Again. I thought we covered this. Yes, he looks rough and tough but that doesn’t mean he’s guilty. In case you don’t know what a red herring is, let me explain.”
“I know the definition of a red herring.” Holly crossed her arms. “You’ve already told me.”
“That’s good. Then you should realize that your prejudice against Chip is leading you down the path of distraction.”
“We might not see Chip’s connection right now, but he might be someone to consider looking into at some point,” Kitty said. “We can ask Charlene later. She
Millicent glared at her over the table. Any remaining warmth sapped from the room.
“Why don’t we review our investigation so far?” Kitty sliced off another sliver of cheesecake. “I’ve uncovered some interesting information at the town offices. Public records,” she added.
“Well, it’s rather obvious after the day I had.” Millicent talked, ignoring Kitty’s reference to new info. “While undercover at Sunny Side Realty, we almost got killed. Who knows what Joel Atherton would’ve done to us if Trent hadn’t arrived.” She fanned her face in a fake swoon.
Holly clenched her teeth even as Kitty and Ann flashed her questioning looks. The last they knew, Trent and Holly had been dating. The last Holly knew they had been too.
“What happened?” Ann asked.
Millicent went into a long and detailed description of their afternoon. How they cleaned Joel’s office. How he called the cops, locked them in the bathroom, but then didn’t turn them in. How if she hadn’t called out, they might’ve been turned into cement popsicles. “Thanks to my quick thinking under pressure we walked away with proof that Joel is guilty.”
Holly sucked up her pride. “I agree.” She offered Millicent a smile. “At first, I didn’t. I discovered at the office that Joel isn’t a full partner. If Gary Schilling used his business’s profits to invest, it shouldn’t bother Joel. But I ran into Judy Schilling right before I came here.”
“You really shouldn’t go off on a rogue investigation without talking to the rest of the club,” Millicent scolded.
“I didn’t seek this one out. I went to the crime scene to think and ran into Judy.” Everyone leaned forward, listening. “She admitted that Joel, out of professional jealousy, had been sabotaging her husband’s efforts to purchase real estate.”
“That fits right in with what I learned,” Kitty said. “After all Gary’s efforts fell through, someone else bought the real estate.”
“Who?” Ann asked. The same question they all thought.
“Joel Atherton.”
Millicent slammed her fist on the table. “We’ve got to go to the police with this. We can’t have a killer running loose. Gary must’ve found out what Joel was up to, so Joel silenced him before he could say anything.”
Holly leaned back in her chair. “I don’t know. It’s just not adding up.”
It seemed too easy. Too clear-cut. If they’d arrived at the answer—why hadn’t the police? Judy had to have let the police know her thoughts about Joel. They would’ve questioned him. They would’ve checked the records and realized Joel was purchasing the real estate.
“Fine, Miss Smarty Pants Detective.” Millicent huffed. “If not Joel, then who offed Gary Schilling? Seriously. I want to know. What clue have we overlooked? What stone have we left unturned? What path haven’t we followed?”
“What about Chip?” Holly asked. “He was arguing with Judy at the fairgrounds today. I didn’t even know they knew each other.”
“Pfft.” Millicent rapped her knuckles against the table. “A complete red herring.” She gave Holly a pointed look. “You’re stereotyping based on appearance. Again. I thought we covered this. Yes, he looks rough and tough but that doesn’t mean he’s guilty. In case you don’t know what a red herring is, let me explain.”
“I know the definition of a red herring.” Holly crossed her arms. “You’ve already told me.”
“That’s good. Then you should realize that your prejudice against Chip is leading you down the path of distraction.”
“We might not see Chip’s connection right now, but he might be someone to consider looking into at some point,” Kitty said. “We can ask Charlene later. She
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