Page 25 of Passions in Death
She found a red, hinged-lid box on what she believed was Hunnicut’s side, bottom drawer. A few more pieces of jewelry.
As she finished up, Peabody came back in. “Nothing but what you’d expect in a bathroom shared by two women. Some OTC meds, no illegals, makeup, hair and skin care, and so on.”
“Nothing here, either. They didn’t hide things from each other, not that I can see. Maybe that’s why when she hid the trip from Hunnicut, she went over the top on it.
“Living room, kitchen.”
She stopped at the second bedroom.
“Not finding anything that pops, Dallas,” McNab told her. “They’ve got a joint account and split expenses down the middle. It looks like the victim did some moonlighting. I’ve got payments listed—fairly small ones—from Your Event Caterers, Lonestar Grill, Quick and Clean Maid Service. All cash deposits.”
“Paid her under the table.”
“I’d say affirmative. Also cash deposits from her sales—street sales. She kept good records. Some payments from sales through the gallery she worked with. Hunnicut’s straight from the Fancy Feet place.”
“No record of Albright buying those tickets, deposit for the room in Maui?”
McNab held up a finger. “I’ve got it, but she separated it from their joint. Sort of buried it. She got a solid payment from the gallery in SoHo. Almost twenty large—and a few days later, another for three, and she dumped them both in a different account, where she’s also been slipping in some of the moonlighting cash—probably tips—for a couple months, along with what looks like some street sales. She had just over thirty-five in it—subheaded the file Shauna’s Big Dream.”
“Yeah, that fits.”
“I’ve got her notes, her math here where she buried the transactions. She bought the tickets, booked the room, and earmarked some for food, drink, fun.”
He glanced up. “She added some heart, smiley face, palm tree, and popping champagne emojis. Much love and happy all around.”
“Okay. Take it in, dig some more on communications. Maybe Albright got some blowback, some threats, some something and deleted. Maybe she has emails with whoever brought in the case, and deleted. Have a look at the tablets for now, and we’ll finish up.”
It didn’t take long to finish, not with a place so clean, neat, and relatively spare.
She ordered transpo for McNab to take the e’s into Central, generated a receipt for them for Hunnicut.
When she reached the car with Peabody, Eve considered the time. “We’ve got plenty of room. We’ll swing by the art studio, see if any artists are in residence. All of them live close, one in the same building, so we’ll take them all if we can.”
“I’m going to build a toy chest.”
“What?”
“Bella already has one. I’ll build one for Number Two, paint it. I’m no artist, but I can handle magic trees and some birds, I think I could handle a dragon. Maybe. That’s the nursery theme.”
“I know the nursery theme.” Eve swung into traffic.
“Right. The chair. Leonardo’s designing the fabric. Big secret, I’m zipped on it. Hey, I can try to do something that works with the chair. They seriously love the one you gave her for Bella—the chair.”
“I know about the damn chair, Peabody. We’re on a murder case.”
“We’re driving. Maybe a chest with doors on the front that open out. Or… make it like a treasure chest, and do a lift-out shelf. Or—”
“I’ll stuff your dead, mangled body in the chest and drop it in the Hudson.”
She pulled into a loading zone at the building, an old converted warehouse. After flipping on her On Duty light, she stepped out.
The street level held commercial spaces, including an art supply store, a tattoo parlor, and a vegan café.
Above, two levels of apartments. The studio space took half the fourth floor and an alternative health clinic the other half.
“Trina gets acupuncture in the Natural Health Clinic up there.”
“Why?”
