“I’m going to need more information than that,” I replied. “What were you doing at Connor’s place?”

  “I wanted to pick up my stuff from his house. I thought it would be simple. That I would just go over to his place and he would hand me a box of my belongings.”

  “Did that not happen?”

  “Not exactly. He had the box ready, but he also had a speech prepared for me.”

  “What did he say?”

  “That he was sorry for cheating on me. That he wanted me to take him back.”

  “How did you respond?”

  “I told him that it was over between us. That there was no way I would ever take him back.”

  “Did he start arguing with you?”

  Amy nodded. “Yeah. To the point where I just had to grab the box from him. I then ran out to my car and sped away.”

  “Is that all?”

  “Yes.”

  “Are you telling me the truth?”

  “Of course, I am,” Amy said. “You have to believe me. When I left Connor’s house that night, he was very much still alive.”

  “All right. I just wanted to hear it directly from you.”

  “I understand,” she said. “Is there anything else you want to know?”

  “Are you kidding? I have a lot more questions for you,” I said.

  “In that case, fire away.”

  Chapter Three

  Amy and I ended up talking for about half an hour. During that time, she gave me a surprising amount of information to work with. It was a good start. It was definitely better than grasping at straws. Even though she gave me a bunch of details, it was mostly general info. She didn’t provide me with any incredibly hot leads.

  As I left the cell block, it was clear that I had my work cut out for me. I had a lot of people to talk to. That left me with some important decisions to make. Who should I interview first? Should it be Nancy? Or Betsy? Or someone else?

  The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the order of the interviews wasn’t terribly important. My investigation wouldn’t be complete unless I spoke with all of the suspects.

  Part of me just thought that maybe I’d get lucky right out of the gate if I chose a particularly talkative suspect to speak with first.

  While I was looking ahead to future conversations, I completely lost track of a discussion that awaited me when I left the cell block. Just like I had predicted earlier, Scott wanted to have a word with me before I exited the police station.

  In fact, he was waiting for me to come around the corner when I left the cell block.

  My head was so far in the clouds that I was startled when he said my name.

  “Melody,” the detective remarked.

  I put my hand on my chest. “You startled me.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t realize you were so jumpy,” he said.

  “I just have a lot on my mind.”

  “Do you also have a lot on your plate too?”

  “Actually, I do.”

  “Like what?”

  “It’s eating you up inside not knowing what Amy and I talked about, isn’t it?”

  “I admit it. I’m curious about your discussion. It was highly unusual for her to call you, after all.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s not like you two are friends. You worked on a case for her once. That’s all.”

  “You’re right. I certainly didn’t expect to hear from her this morning.”

  “So, why exactly did she call you?”

  I took a deep breath and stared into Scott’s eyes without saying a word.

  He stared at my mouth, expecting me to give him a reply.

  Scott didn’t seem to realize what a tough position I was in. Amy had just put the weight of the world on my shoulders. In addition, the rest of my day would most likely be filled with uncomfortable conversations with suspects. The last thing I needed was to have an awkward exchange with one of my friends as well.

  It looked like I had no choice in the matter. I had avoided the topic as much as I could, but now Scott wanted answers.

  “I need to make a deal with you,” I said.

  Scott shrugged. “What kind of a deal?”

  “Before I tell you what Amy and I discussed, I want you to promise that you’re not going to get angry with me.”

  Scott laughed nervously. “Wow. I’m really not going to like this, am I?”

  I grimaced. “Probably not.”

  “Well, at least you’re being honest with me.”

  “When it comes to a topic like this, I think being upfront is the best call.”

  “In that case, let’s get down to business. Why did she phone you?”

  “She wanted to hire me.”

  “Hire you? To do what? She’s in jail?”

  “It’s funny you should mention that. She wants me to help her get out of jail.”

  “She realizes you’re not a lawyer, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “Then what does she think you can do for her?”

  “Find out who really killed Connor.”

  I expected Scott to blow his top. Or to at least get a little bit angry. Instead, he surprised me by laughing.

  I squinted. “What’s so funny?”

  “This entire situation. I can’t believe how far she’s taking this act of hers.”

  “What act?”

  “This ruse that she’s innocent.”

  “Has it occurred to you that maybe it isn’t an act?”

  He shook his head. “Nope.”

  “What if she’s telling the truth?” I asked. “What if she had nothing to do with Connor’s death? It would mean that the killer is still out there. And that an innocent woman is stuck in jail.”

  “She got you to buy her story, didn’t she? Wow.”

  “I think it’s more than just a story that she made up.”

  “Wait a minute. Does that mean you took the job?”

  “Yes,” I replied.

  He stared at me.

  “You’re not mad at me, are you?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “You’re not?”

  “Hey, you have to make a living.”

  “Isn’t that the truth?”

  “The question I have is this. Did you only take this case for the money, or deep down, do you really believe that she’s innocent?”

  “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but I don’t think she killed Connor.”

  Scott winced. “You’re right. That isn’t what I wanted to hear.”

  “What can I say? That’s what my instincts are telling me.”

  “We definitely disagree about Amy’s level of guilt.”

  “I guess we’ll just have to see what my investigation uncovers.”

  “If I had to guess, you’re probably not going to find much of anything.”

  “Look at you, being all dismissive of my investigation when I’m just getting started.”

  “Don’t get me wrong. It’s nothing against you or your investigative skills.”

  I threw out my arms. “Really, I shouldn’t take offense?”

  He shook his head.

  “Why not?” I asked.

  “Because you know that I performed my own investigation. And that I had state-of-the-art tools at my disposal. Which led me to the conclusion that Amy is guilty.”

  “I’m aware of all that.”

  “Good.”

  “I also didn’t make Amy any guarantees.”

  “At the same time, I would never bet against my instincts.”

  “Well, I wish you luck.”

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re definitely going to need it,” Scott said.

  Chapter Four

  While I was glad that Scott and I didn’t get into an argument, that conversation still could have gone better.

  In particular, I wasn’t a fan of the fact that Scott dismissed what my gut was telling me. It was almost as if he had already come to the conclusion that I would fail. I wanted to prove him wrong. Not just for my sake, but for Amy’s as well.

  While I could have spent more time thinking about how frustrating that conversation with Scott had been, I turned my focus to the case.

  A few minutes later, as I drove away from the police station, something about my previous discussion with Amy really stood out to me. I couldn’t help but think about the timing of the argument that she’d had with Connor on the night of his murder.

  According to her, when she left his house, he was still alive. It meant that after she drove away, he didn’t survive much longer. To me, that was a crucial detail. After all, there was a chance that Amy and the real killer might have crossed paths without knowing it.

  There was another possibility as well. What if the killer was already on Connor’s street when Amy drove away? What if the murderer was hiding in the shadows, waiting to strike? Perhaps when they saw Amy speeding away in a huff, they figured it would provide great cover for them. There was even a chance that the so-called neighbor who had placed the call to the police might have actually been the murderer phoning under a false identity.

  Of course, I couldn’t prove any of this. It was just a theory. And even if I was right, I didn’t know the identity of the caller.

  One thing I could do right then was head back to the scene of the crime. I set a course for Connor’s house. Even though I wouldn’t have access to the inside of the home, where the actual murder had taken place, I could wander around the outside. I could also take a look at his neighborhood again. In addition, I might be able to peek into some of his windows.

  What I didn’t expect to happen was to see one of the suspects standing in Connor’s driveway when I pulled onto his street. Yet, that was exactly what happened. The suspect was Nancy Billingsley. Connor and Nancy had been good friends.

  The question became, what was Nancy doing here? I asked her that very thing as I got out of my car and approached her.

  Rather than replying to my question, the redhead had something that she wanted to ask me.

  “Who are you?” Nancy said.

  “I’m a private investigator,” I said.

  “What exactly are you investigating?”

  “Connor’s death.”

  “I don’t understand. I thought that was already solved.”

  “Not quite.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Trust me. The case is very much still open.”

  “Wow. I had no idea.”

  “With that in mind, I can’t help but wonder what you’re doing here.”

  “I was just thinking about how much I miss Connor. Things haven’t been the same since he died. I guess I just came here to pay my respects.”

  “Wouldn’t the cemetery be a better place to do that?”

  “I can’t set foot at the cemetery. It’s just too sad of a place.”

  “But what, Connor’s house isn’t?”

  “Look. I know this is where he died, but I also have a lot of good memories of this place.”

  “You two were very close, weren’t you?”

  “Absolutely. He was one of my best friends.”

  “It should be especially troubling to you then that his killer is still on the loose.”

  “That is a terrifying thought.”

  “I agree. Which is why I want them to be apprehended as soon as possible.”

  “I wish you luck.”

  “An investigation like this is about more than just luck. It’s about information. That’s where you come in.”

  Nancy’s eyebrows knitted. “Me?”

  “Absolutely. As Connor’s good friend, you could play a pivotal role in bringing his killer to justice.”

  “How?”

  “Can you think of anyone who had a reason to want him dead?”

  “No.”

  “Really?”

  “Why do you sound so surprised?”

  “I just assumed that you’d be able to come up with a bunch of names.”

  “You’re dead wrong.”

  “That’s some interesting phrasing.”

  “Yeah. It’s unfortunate. I wish I could take it back.”

  “Why don’t we just move forward?”

  “There’s one problem with that.”

  I squinted. “What do you mean?”

  “As much as I’d like to help you with your investigation, I don’t really have anything to say.”

  In my experience, investigations were never easy, but this conversation was going particularly poorly. Nancy was giving me nothing to work with. I had to find a way to get her to open up.

  I didn’t want to go right at her, however. If she felt personally attacked, she could just shut down. Or maybe she’d run away. I had to be a little tricky right then.

  “Nancy, you realize that you’re not really helping your case, don’t you?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “What case?”

  “You might wish to remain quiet, but I can’t say the same for other people. I mean, here you are, showing up at the scene of the crime. You have to admit, it looks pretty suspicious.”

  “I told you, I just came here to pay my respects.”

  “Maybe you did. But I will say this. Appearances play a role in an investigation like this.”

  “So what if I’m here? I don’t get why that would be suspicious.”

  “Are you really going to make me spell it out for you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Generally, suspects try to avoid showing up at the scene of the crime. Unless they are worried that they left something behind earlier.”

  “Wait a minute. Did you just call me a suspect?”

  “Of course, I did.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re really playing dumb today, aren’t you?”

  “No. I just don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Nancy, I know you had feelings for Connor.”

  “Stop right there. I’m in a relationship.”

  “Are you really going to pretend like you and Bill aren’t having problems?”

  “I have no clue where you got your information from, but you are way off base.”

  “Nancy, will you drop the act already and come clean with me? Every time you lie to me, you only dig yourself a deeper hole.”

  “I don’t like where this conversation is going.”

  “Neither do I. But there’s a killer on the loose. And I’m going to do everything I can to bring them to justice.”

  “I didn’t kill Connor.”

  “Give me a reason why I should believe you. After all, you had feelings for Connor, but he was trying to win Amy back. You also don’t have a verifiable alibi for the time of the murder. Finally, here you are, at the scene of the crime.”

  “I already told you, I’m not a murderer.”

  “Nancy, your word isn’t enough. You’re going to need more than that.”

  “Why aren’t you listening to me? I had nothing to do with this. Go and bother someone else.”

  “Is that really all you have to say for yourself?”

  “That’s it. I’m out of here.” Nancy started backing away from me.

  “Where are you going?” I asked.

  “As far away from you as possible.”

  I started walking toward Nancy.

  She pointed at me and said, “We’re done here.”

  Chapter Five

  I could have followed Nancy to her car, but there didn’t seem to be any benefit in that. If anything, it would just set her off even more. I didn’t want to take the risk of her getting violent with me.

  Either way, that conversation certainly spiraled out of control in a hurry. If I had suspicions about Nancy before, they were only heightened now.

  Once Nancy left the scene and drove away, I stuck around Connor’s place for a few minutes. I wanted to look around Connor’s neighborhood. I also peered into a few of his windows. Unfortunately, nothing ended up standing out to me.

  That wasn’t terribly surprising. The police had done a thorough sweep of the crime scene during their initial investigation. In addition, before Amy’s arrest, I had also poked my head around here briefly. The odds were incredibly slim that I’d find any evidence. Still, I had to try.

  After coming up with nothing, I decided to head over to Betsy O’Dell’s house next.

  Betsy lived in a beige ranch-style home on the south end of town. I knocked on her dark-brown door. Much to my surprise, she answered her door almost immediately.

  Clearly, she was expecting company that afternoon. Judging by the look on her face, however, that person just didn’t happen to be me.

  “Wait a minute. You don’t work for the package delivery company,” Betsy said.

  “No, I don’t,” I said.

  Betsy looked like she wanted to close her door in my face.

  I put my hand up. “I would like a word with you, though, Betsy.”

  Betsy’s nose scrunched. “How do you know my name?”

  “I know a lot more about you than just your name.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “No, I suppose you don’t.”

  “Would you mind filling me in?”

  “Actually, I was hoping that you could provide me with some information.”

  “What kind of info?”

  “Any detail that can lead to the apprehension of Connor Taggart’s killer,” I said.

  Betsy laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked.

  “I knew that the police department in this town was a joke, but this is ridiculous. Amy Dearborn was arrested for that crime,” Betsy said.

  “I know.”

  “So, what are you hassling me for?”

  “Amy didn’t murder Connor.”

  “You should tell the media that. There are stories about her all over the news.”

  “Do you always believe what you see on the news?”

  “Are you telling me that’s a mistake?”

  “It is. Let me tell you, this case is far from over.”

  “I still don’t know what any of this has to do with me.”

  “Maybe nothing. Or perhaps it has everything to do with you.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “The finger of suspicion has been pointed at you.”