the floor, and rinsed the coffee mugs. In three minutes, it was impossible to tell that Greg had ever been there.
But Kevin knew.
And I didn’t even care.
It was clear our police chief was focusing his attention on my deliveryman, and if he was wasting his time doing that, he wasn’t out searching for the real killer.
That meant that Maddy and I were going to have to do it ourselves, or Greg wouldn’t stand a chance. He couldn’t stay underground long on the money he’d borrowed from me, and there weren’t that many places that he could hide in Timber Ridge.
Chapter 5
“W ake up,” I told Maddy when she finally answered her telephone. “We have things to do today.”
“Eleanor, why are you calling me on the phone? Aren’t you still here at the apartment?”
This wasn’t going to be as easy as I’d hoped. “I’m standing in my kitchen. I came home to take a shower and change clothes. While I was here, you’ll never believe who popped in.”
“It’s not that tough to guess,” she said. “I’m willing to bet that our chief of police came calling on you.”
“He did, but that was later,” I said.
“Who came sooner, then?”
“Greg Hatcher,” I replied.
That got her attention. “Greg was there? What did he say? Did Kevin catch him with you? What’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you,” I said, “as soon as I pick you up. Can you be ready and standing out in front of your place in ten minutes?”
“Come on, tell me now,” she said. “It’s not fair making me wait.”
“No, I know you. If I tell you everything that happened with Greg and Kevin, you’ll just crawl back into bed, and you can’t do that, not today.”
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“Fine, go ahead,” I said. “I’ll just follow the leads Greg gave me about his brother’s murder by myself. Sorry I bothered you. I’ll give you a call tonight if I get the chance.”
I hesitated an instant, then hung up.
Three seconds later, Maddy called back. “Okay, that is not very nice—you know that, don’t you?”
“What can I say? I learned some of my best tricks from my little sister.”
“I resent that remark,” she said.
“I don’t blame you, I’d resent it, too. The question is, are you willing to deny it?”
“You win. I’ll be out front. Give me fifteen minutes, though.”
I looked at my watch. “Starting right now. The timer’s on.”
She hung up without even saying good-bye. It might have been cruel of me to hold back the information I’d just gotten from Greg, but it was the only way I could be sure that Maddy would join me in my investigation. And there was no way I was going to snoop around today by myself. A killer was out there somewhere in Timber Ridge, and I didn’t want to face whoever it was alone.
As good as her word, Maddy was out front when I got to her apartment complex. As she got into my car, she asked, “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting like three minutes.”
“Sorry for the inconvenience,” I said, though it was pretty clear to both of us that I wasn’t sorry at all. “I had to get gas before I picked you up.”
“It sounds like we’re going on a road trip,” she said. “Where did you have in mind? If you need suggestions, I’ve got a dozen good ideas.”
“We’re not out on a lark, remember?”
“Absolutely, but I wasn’t sure you did. What did Greg tell you?”
“For starters, he gave me a number of suspects he came up with overnight. At the top of his list is Wade’s girlfriend, Sandi Meadows. Evidently, she’s the jealous type, and she has a temper, too. Then there’s Katy Johnson.”
“Greg thinks his girlfriend might have killed his brother? That’s kind of Shakespearian, isn’t it?”
I shrugged. “He said Katy was capable of it, and I tend to believe him.”
“So far, we’ve got two women as our suspects. Were there any men who hated Wade enough to kill him?”
I started driving. “Greg said a man named Art Young could have done
But Kevin knew.
And I didn’t even care.
It was clear our police chief was focusing his attention on my deliveryman, and if he was wasting his time doing that, he wasn’t out searching for the real killer.
That meant that Maddy and I were going to have to do it ourselves, or Greg wouldn’t stand a chance. He couldn’t stay underground long on the money he’d borrowed from me, and there weren’t that many places that he could hide in Timber Ridge.
Chapter 5
“W ake up,” I told Maddy when she finally answered her telephone. “We have things to do today.”
“Eleanor, why are you calling me on the phone? Aren’t you still here at the apartment?”
This wasn’t going to be as easy as I’d hoped. “I’m standing in my kitchen. I came home to take a shower and change clothes. While I was here, you’ll never believe who popped in.”
“It’s not that tough to guess,” she said. “I’m willing to bet that our chief of police came calling on you.”
“He did, but that was later,” I said.
“Who came sooner, then?”
“Greg Hatcher,” I replied.
That got her attention. “Greg was there? What did he say? Did Kevin catch him with you? What’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you,” I said, “as soon as I pick you up. Can you be ready and standing out in front of your place in ten minutes?”
“Come on, tell me now,” she said. “It’s not fair making me wait.”
“No, I know you. If I tell you everything that happened with Greg and Kevin, you’ll just crawl back into bed, and you can’t do that, not today.”
“Why shouldn’t I?”
“Fine, go ahead,” I said. “I’ll just follow the leads Greg gave me about his brother’s murder by myself. Sorry I bothered you. I’ll give you a call tonight if I get the chance.”
I hesitated an instant, then hung up.
Three seconds later, Maddy called back. “Okay, that is not very nice—you know that, don’t you?”
“What can I say? I learned some of my best tricks from my little sister.”
“I resent that remark,” she said.
“I don’t blame you, I’d resent it, too. The question is, are you willing to deny it?”
“You win. I’ll be out front. Give me fifteen minutes, though.”
I looked at my watch. “Starting right now. The timer’s on.”
She hung up without even saying good-bye. It might have been cruel of me to hold back the information I’d just gotten from Greg, but it was the only way I could be sure that Maddy would join me in my investigation. And there was no way I was going to snoop around today by myself. A killer was out there somewhere in Timber Ridge, and I didn’t want to face whoever it was alone.
As good as her word, Maddy was out front when I got to her apartment complex. As she got into my car, she asked, “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting like three minutes.”
“Sorry for the inconvenience,” I said, though it was pretty clear to both of us that I wasn’t sorry at all. “I had to get gas before I picked you up.”
“It sounds like we’re going on a road trip,” she said. “Where did you have in mind? If you need suggestions, I’ve got a dozen good ideas.”
“We’re not out on a lark, remember?”
“Absolutely, but I wasn’t sure you did. What did Greg tell you?”
“For starters, he gave me a number of suspects he came up with overnight. At the top of his list is Wade’s girlfriend, Sandi Meadows. Evidently, she’s the jealous type, and she has a temper, too. Then there’s Katy Johnson.”
“Greg thinks his girlfriend might have killed his brother? That’s kind of Shakespearian, isn’t it?”
I shrugged. “He said Katy was capable of it, and I tend to believe him.”
“So far, we’ve got two women as our suspects. Were there any men who hated Wade enough to kill him?”
I started driving. “Greg said a man named Art Young could have done
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