“Who are you and what do you want?” Matt asked.

  David pulled out his police badge. “I’m Detective David Carlson. And this is Sabrina—”

  “What does a detective want with me?” Matt said.

  “I need to ask you some questions.”

  “About what?”

  “Why don’t you put your dog inside first and then I’ll explain?”

  “What’s the matter? Does Bruiser make you uncomfortable?”

  “Will you please put your dog inside?”

  Matt stared David down and then waited a moment before replying.

  “Fine,” Matt said.

  David and I moved away from the door. Matt then pulled out his keys, opened the door to his apartment, and brought Bruiser inside. A few seconds later, Matt rejoined us outside.

  “Now what do you want from me?” Matt asked.

  David told Matt about how Roger had died under suspicious circumstances.

  Unlike the previous suspects, who all acted shocked to hear the news, Matt had a different reaction.

  “Good riddance,” Matt said.

  I had to admit. I was taken back by his candor.

  Don’t get me wrong. Deep down, I knew that all of the suspects hated Roger, but none were as honest about their dislike of Mr. Osgood as Matt was.

  “You’re not holding anything back, are you?” David asked.

  Matt shrugged. “Why should I? That man was a scumbag. The way I see it, he got exactly what he deserved.”

  “Is that so?”

  “You heard me.”

  “You realize that your comments make you look highly suspicious, don’t you?”

  “I’m just being honest.”

  “Brutally honest,” David said.

  Matt threw out his arms. “What do you want me to say? That I’m sorry he’s dead? Because that just isn’t true. That man should have spent the rest of his life in prison. Since the court system failed to do their job correctly, I’m glad someone stepped up and rid the world of Roger Osgood.”

  “Someone? As in, not you?”

  Matt pointed at himself. “Me? What are you, crazy?”

  “I’m not the one expressing joy over his death.”

  “Clearly, he didn’t swindle you out of thousands of dollars. Otherwise, you’d be reacting differently.”

  “Mr. O’Toole, we’ve spoken to a number of Roger’s other clients. You’re the only one who has been relishing the news of his death this much.”

  “You mean, I’m the only one who has been honest with you.”

  “Those are your words, not mine.”

  “Have you asked yourself why no one else has reacted this way?”

  “It sounds like you have a theory.”

  “I do,” Matt said. “Because they have something to hide.”

  “And you don’t?” David asked.

  “If I did, do you really think I’d respond this way?”

  “Maybe you just know that you’re a bad liar. Or you’re lousy at hiding your true feelings.”

  Matt shook his head. “No. I’m just a straight shooter.”

  “In that case, why don’t you tell me where you were last night?”

  “If you’re asking if I have an alibi, I don’t.”

  “You really are honest, aren’t you?”

  “The way I see it, there’s no use in wasting your time. I was here. Alone. Drinking and watching sports highlights all night.”

  “I appreciate your honesty.”

  “Are we done here now?”

  David put his hand up. “Unfortunately, since there isn’t anyone who can verify your alibi for the time of Roger’s death, I’m afraid I can’t eliminate you from my list.”

  “I understand that. But like I said. I’m not a killer. And unless you have evidence proving otherwise, I have nothing else to say.” Matt then reached for his doorknob.

  “Mr. O’Toole, we’re not done here.”

  “Detective, are you going to charge me with something?”

  David stared Matt down before replying, “Not at the moment.”

  “That’s what I thought,” Matt said. “In that case, we’re done here.”

  Chapter Twenty

  David and I hated it when a suspect was savvy about the law. It made it so much harder to get information out of them. In this case, it also brought an abrupt end to our interview.

  Once we finished up with Matt, my husband and I walked back to our car. From there, we drove back to the police station. Even though we didn’t have very much luck with the suspects that we questioned, we weren’t the only ones who had conducted interviews that afternoon. Perhaps some of David’s deputies had fared better than we did.

  In a surprising twist, it turned out that each of the deputies had some good news to share. Much to my relief, all of the suspects that the deputies had questioned had verifiable alibis. Talk about some incredible news. The same suspect list that had once contained almost thirty names had now been whittled down to just three.

  While that was cause for a brief celebration, it also wasn’t time to jump for joy. After all, of the three names that were still on our list, each of those suspects looked guilty in their own way.

  David and I decided to take a step outside to discuss our next step.

  “So, where do we go from here?” I asked.

  David didn’t say a word. Instead, he just stared out into the distance.

  I gave him a few more seconds to respond. When he didn’t, I spoke up.

  “Any ideas?” I said.

  He shook his head. “Not at the moment. That’s the problem.”

  “Maybe we just need some time to formulate a plan.”

  “Honestly, before we go forward, I need some time to process everything that has happened.”

  “I don’t blame you. This has been a wild ride.”

  “And we’re nowhere close to being done.”

  “Maybe not. But we are a lot closer than we were a few minutes ago. I have to say, it’s great to see our suspect list shrink so considerably.”

  “That was an amazing twist. One that I didn’t see coming.”

  “Neither did I. Now, all we need is another big break like that and we could well on our way to finding the killer.”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I’m really grateful that things went our way this time. I’m just having a hard time figuring out how we’re going to narrow down the remaining suspects from three to one.”

  “Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer for you.”

  “I’m drawing a blank as well.”

  He gritted his teeth. “Talk about frustrating. I feel like we’re so close. Yet, the answer we’re looking for is just out of reach.”

  I scratched my chin. “Maybe we need to take a step back.”

  His nose scrunched. “Are you serious?”

  “I know it sounds counterintuitive, but perhaps we’re too close to this case. To the point where it’s clouding our vision.”

  He bit the corner of his lip. “You could be right.”

  “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we take a little break to regroup? Then we can figure out what to do next?”

  “That sounds like a good plan.”

  I put my hand on my stomach. “I don’t know about you, but I could really go for some food right now.”

  His eyes lit up. “I wouldn’t turn down some comfort food.”

  “Neither would I. So, what do you say, shall we grab a bite to eat?”

  “From where?” he asked.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  When I thought of restaurants that served comfort food in Treasure Cove, Zelda’s Diner immediately popped into my mind. The greasy-spoon establishment specialized in tasty meals that delighted my stomach. In fact, my mouth watered during the entire drive over to Zelda’s.

  When we arrived at the diner, the intoxicating aroma of bacon wafted through the air. Normally, that scent was enough to drive my taste buds wild.

  That evening, I ended up getting distracted when I looked behind the counter. How could I not when I saw Gavin Zeller standing at the grill wearing an apron and a Zelda’s Diner baseball cap?

  For a moment, I thought my eyes were deceiving me. It just didn’t make any sense to me. After all, a few years ago, Gavin had won the lottery. The man was a millionaire. At least, he used to be.

  Now, I know what you’re thinking. No, Gavin didn’t invest all of his money with Roger Osgood. As a matter of fact, Gavin didn’t give Roger a dime.

  That said, Gavin’s lack of investment wasn’t because he suspected that Roger was running a Ponzi scheme. It was more due to the fact that Gavin was busy going on a crazy spending spree. Almost immediately after receiving his lottery winnings, he purchased a mansion. He followed that up by buying a flashy car. In fact, he began to toss money around like he’d never run out.

  In addition, he ended up marrying a shameless gold digger of a woman. That proved to be a disastrous decision to both his heart and his finances. Not surprisingly, Gavin’s wife ended up taking his credit cards for a serious ride.

  All told, it took less than five years for Gavin to burn through the majority of his winnings. Then, when his savings account began to dry up, his wife filed for divorce. To Gavin, that was the ultimate insult to injury.

  Apparently, that wasn’t rock bottom, however. If I had to guess, I would bet that Gavin considered this to be an all-new low.

  I squinted as I looked behind the counter and addressed my old friend. “Gavin, is that really you?”

  He reluctantly turned around. “Sabrina. David. How are you guys doing?”

  “Forget about us,” I said. “What are you doing back there?”

  Gavin lowered his head and replied, “Working.”

  My nose scrunched. “I don’t understand. Since when are you a line cook?”

  “I just started here a few days ago.”

  “Wow.”

  He grimaced. “Look. I have a break coming up in a few minutes. Can we talk then?”

  I nodded. “Sure.”

  ***

  When Gavin’s break time arrived, he went out back behind the diner to talk with David and I privately.

  “All right. I have ten minutes before I need to get back to work,” Gavin said.

  “I have to say. I’m completely in shock right now,” I replied.

  “That makes two of us. This has been a tough adjustment for me,” Gavin said.

  “Not to pry, but how did things get to this point?”

  He lowered his head. “Are you really going to make me get into it? It’s already embarrassing enough flipping burgers for a living.”

  I winced. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I’m just having difficulty wrapping my head around this.”

  “It’s really pretty simple. I have bills to pay and I don’t have money to pay them. So, I took the first job that I could find.”

  “I guess I just didn’t realize that you were in such rough financial shape,” I said.

  “Of course you didn’t know. I’ve been doing my best to hide that fact. But it turns out that I couldn’t run away from the truth forever. Eventually, it caught up with me.”

  “I’m sorry you’re in this position,” I said.

  “Me too,” David added.

  “I’m hoping this is only temporary,” Gavin said.

  My eyebrows rose. “Do you have something in the works?”

  “I’m scouring all the job sites. By the way, if you know someone who is hiring, let me know,” Gavin said.

  “I’ll keep an eye out for you,” I said.

  “Thanks,” Gavin replied.

  “I really hope something comes along soon.”

  “So do I,” Gavin said. “I could really use a lucky break.”

  “You never know. One might come your way. It has happened before,” I said.

  “Yeah. But what are the odds that I’ll win the lottery a second time? It was incredible enough that I managed to strike it rich once,” Gavin said.

  “Don’t lose hope. You can’t predict the future.”

  “You sure can’t. Who would have predicted this? I certainly didn’t see this coming. Otherwise, I would have been more careful about my spending habits.”

  “You know what? It’s probably best not to linger on the past. I’ve been reminded about that lesson quite a lot recently.”

  “In my case, it’s impossible not to think about everything I’ve lost.” Gavin took a deep breath. “I was such a fool. What was I thinking, burning through all of that money?”

  “I don’t know what to tell you—” I started to say.

  “In my defense, it’s really easy to go overboard when it comes to money. Spending becomes like an addiction. If you aren’t careful, you can easily go crazy.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind if we ever strike it rich,” I said. “In the meantime, I hope you get back on your feet soon.”

  Gavin looked up at the sky. “I pray about that every day.”

  I crossed my fingers. “Here’s hoping that your prayers are answered, sooner rather than later.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  After finishing our conversation with Gavin, David and I headed back inside the diner and ordered some food. I ended up having a BLT sandwich. Meanwhile, David had a burger.

  Typically, when we ate a meal at Zelda’s, my husband and I had a lot to talk about. That evening, there was a distinct lack of conversation between us. Rather than speaking my mind, I sat quietly in the booth, wrestling with my thoughts. David did the same thing. At least for a few moments.

  When I saw Gavin stepping behind the counter to resume his work shift, I couldn’t stay quiet any longer.

  I shook my head in disbelief as I looked across the table at my husband.

  “Just when you think the universe is done throwing surprises your way, you realize that life always has another trick up its sleeve,” I said.

  “Isn’t that the truth?” David took a deep breath. “I have to say, I never thought I’d see Gavin working at a diner.”

  “Forget about a diner. I never thought I’d see Gavin working any job again,” I said. “I mean, a few years ago, the guy was a millionaire.”

  “And now look at him, struggling to even pay his bills.”

  “Can you imagine what that’s like? One moment, you feel like you’re on top of the world. And now, he’s flipping burgers.”

  David put his hand up. “At least for the moment. Like he said, he’s trying to find a different job.”

  “Just say he does. It’ll still be a far cry for the lap of luxury that he’s been living in over the last few years.”

  “I hear you. And I have to admit, I admire his drive. When you hit rock bottom, it’s hard to pick yourself up off of the pavement. A lot of people would have given up. But Gavin is determined to still make something of his life.”

  “Trust me. I know how rare that is. Just look at the murder suspects we interviewed today. When Roger scammed them, they were all pushed to a breaking point. Instead of picking up the scattered pieces of their life and moving on, one of them committed a heinous act. And it will cost them dearly.”

  “If we’re able to catch them.”

  “Don’t you mean, when we catch them?” I said.

  “You’re right. You’ll have to excuse me if I’m not feeling particularly optimistic at the moment. It has been a really long day.”

  “I’m sure you’ll feel better after you’ve gotten some rest.”

  “You know what would really make me feel good right now? A new lead.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t help you there.”

  “Since that’s out of the realm of possibility at the moment, it would also be refreshing if life would stop turning the universe upside down.”

  “I second that request. The last few days have been an emotional roller coaster.”

  “Let me tell you, I want to get off this ride. The sooner, the better.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” I said.

  “The question is, will the universe listen to us?” David replied.

  “I wouldn’t hold your breath. Life doesn’t seem interested in our opinions.”

  He grimaced. “Isn’t that the truth?”

  “As a matter of fact, the universe has really turned the cold shoulder to our opinions recently,” I said.

  He nodded. “If that isn’t bad enough, things have gone absolutely bonkers around here. We seem to be jumping from one crazy situation to another.”

  “To the point where it’s hard keeping up with it all.”

  “Even so, we’re going to have to find a way to persevere. This town needs us.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m not giving up,” I said. “I’m just discouraged. And exhausted.”

  “All the more reason to call it an early night.”

  “The question is, what’s in store for us tomorrow?”

  “We’ll find out soon enough.”

  “We certainly will,” I said. “For better or for worse.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  After leaving the diner, David and I picked up our daughter from my parents’ house. Thankfully, my mother and stepfather had already given Jessica dinner so she wasn’t ravenous. If anything, she was very relaxed. That made for a very quiet drive home.

  Not surprisingly, I didn’t stay up terribly late that evening. By the time I tucked Jessica in for the night, I was absolutely exhausted. I only stayed up about half an hour longer before going to bed as well.

  Thankfully, I ended up getting some really good sleep. The next morning, I woke up energized. That was a welcome sight. Especially since David and I had a long day ahead of us.

  The day’s itinerary began with a solid breakfast. Once we were done eating, David and I dropped Jessica off at school. From there, my husband and I made our way over to Daley Buzz. We were both ready for our morning caffeine fix.

  While I got out of the car to order our drinks, David decided to stay in the vehicle. He was going to radio the police station to see if any new leads had materialized overnight. As David grabbed his radio, I headed inside the coffee shop.

  Once I had placed my drink order, I turned my attention to Shannon Marlowe and Kelly Hogan, who were chatting at a nearby table. I approached my old friends to see what was new with them.