“No worries. This is perfect. It puts Talia in the picture again. Anyway, I’ll see you Thursday? Or are you working today?”
“Thursday. Shirley has the store today.” Katie paused and added, “But I will be at the book club on Tuesday night.”
After she got off the phone, Rarity held up the paper where she’d been taking notes. “This proves Talia knew about the shots.”
“Or she thought he was there to get spider food or get a new spider or something.” Sam shook her head. “I still think it’s thin.”
“Okay, I’ll take it to the sleuthers. Maybe someone else has something else that will solidify this so we can give it to Drew.” Rarity finished her coffee and put her cup in the sink. “I really don’t want to let Drew win this one.”
Sam laughed as she followed her out of the kitchen. “You know it’s not a competition, right?”
As Rarity dressed in some of Sam’s clothes, she thought that her friend was dead wrong on that point. Rarity wanted the sleuthers to win.
* * *
At the hotel, Sam stayed in the lobby when Rarity went upstairs to room 321. She had the envelope with the movie in hand. She walked down the hallway, dodging a maid’s cart, hearing the vacuum in the room she was cleaning. When she got to the room, she thought she heard voices inside.
She realized the door had been left open, using the security guard bar as a doorstop. She went to knock but then heard Talia’s voice. The two of them were fighting. Again.
What in the world was going on?
“I didn’t kill him so you could give away all the money. What were you thinking setting up not only an allotment for this crappy festival but the local students? That’s coming out of your share,” Talia told Jane.
Rarity called Drew on her phone and turned down her volume so they wouldn’t hear him answer. Hopefully he could hear them.
“Watch your tone. Right now, it’s all my share. And who are you going to complain to? I didn’t kill him. I was just in the will. And if you say anything different, I’ll say you’re crazy. That you were jealous of my relationship with Mason. That he loved me enough to put me in the will, even if I didn’t look like you,” Jane said, or at least Rarity assumed it was Jane.
“You’re lucky we did this now. If we’d waited and he’d gotten that local girl interested in his sorry butt, she’d have the money and that lovely house of hers.” Talia paused a moment and Rarity froze. It sounded like Talia was walking to the door, but then Rarity heard water running and realized that she must have gone into the bathroom.
Jane spoke. “I wish I would have hit her that day in the truck. Anyway, sponsoring the festival was a goodwill gesture. No one’s even questioned us, not seriously. Later today, we’ll be back home. I’m keeping the house, by the way. If there’s anything in it you want, let me know because I’m going to trash his stuff and refurnish as soon as the estate settles. Then I’ll give you your half and Oscar.”
“You can have the stupid spider. I want the painting in the living room, though.” Talia started listing off the items in the house that she was claiming.
Rarity saw the housekeeper coming out of another room and watching her. She put the phone to her ear and walked back to the stairs, not waiting for the elevator. When she was clear, she turned the volume back up.
“Two questions, did you get all that?” Rarity asked as she hurried down the stairs.
“Yes, and I have a squad car that should be there now. I’ll bring both of them in for questioning. You’ll have to testify to verify my account for thejudge if it goes to trial, but I’m thinking that they’re going to turn on each other. Especially if there’s a deal on the table. What’s the second question?”
“You already answered it. I’m collecting Sam and we’re going to Carole’s for breakfast. Let me know if you need us.”
Drew barked out a laugh. “I think you’ve done enough. I take it you still have her film?”
“I’ll leave it at the front desk for Jane. She’ll probably not pick it up, but that won’t be my problem anymore.” She paused. “I knew Talia was involved, but I never guessed Jane. I felt bad for her.”
“Sometimes emotions clog our reason,” Drew said. “I’ve got to go. Get out of there as fast as possible.”
Rarity caught Sam’s gaze and pointed to the front desk. By the time Sam caught up to her, Rarity had left the envelope for Jane in room 321 with the clerk. “We need to leave, now.”
As they pulled the car out of the parking lot, she saw the police cars come into the lot. They didn’t have their lights or sirens on. Sam stared at the cars then looked at Rarity. “Where to?”
“Breakfast at Carole’s. I’ll tell you what happened over waffles.”
* * *
Rarity had to repeat the story at the sleuthing club meeting the next day and after she did, she held up a book. “Here’s next week’s book. I’ve already called Deb and Ginny and let them know that we’re back to being a book club.”
“Well, I guess there’s nothing else to do but celebrate. Our Darby isn’t being stalked and the killer, or killers in this case, are in custody.” Shirley had her knitting out and was working on a blanket. “Who tried to run over Darby, by the way?”