Page 23 of Breaking Rules

“Wait, there might have been one argument,” Marnie said slowly, as if the memory was just coming back to her. “But it was nothing. That’s why I forgot about it.”

“What was it about?”

“Campaign strategy.” Marnie shrugged. “Sometimes, we disagreed on the best approach.”

“And that’s all it was? A disagreement about strategy?”

“Of course.” Marnie’s tone turned indignant. “What else would it be?”

Sam held her gaze. “You tell me.”

Sam watched Marnie closely, searching for any signs of deception. Her explanation seemed plausible, but something about it didn’t sit right with him. Lucy’s ears perked up, and she swung her attention to the door just before a knock sounded.

Amelia cracked the door open, an apologetic look on her face. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Ms. Wilson, but Mr. Rickman is on the line. You told me to interrupt no matter what.”

Marnie’s eyes darted to Sam then back to Amelia. “Thank you, Amelia. I’ll take the call in a moment.” She turned to Sam, her smile tight. “Are we done here, Chief Mason?”

“For now. But if you remember anything else about that night… or your argument… it could be important to our investigation.”

Marnie nodded, her fingers tapping on the desk. “Of course. I’ll let you know if I recall anything else.”

Amelia held the door open as Sam and Lucy exited the office. He paused, turning to Amelia. “I have a question for you, if you don’t mind.”

Amelia glanced at Marnie’s office then back at Sam. “Of course, Chief Mason. What can I help you with?”

“Did you ever happen to overhear Ms. Wilson and Alex arguing?”

Amelia’s eyes widened slightly, and she hesitated before answering. “No. Of course not. Why would they argue?”

Sam studied her face, noting the way she avoided direct eye contact. “You worked closely with Alex?”

Amelia nodded, her fingers twisting together. “Sort of. I mean, yeah.”

“Did you notice anything unusual about Alex’s behavior in the weeks leading up to his death?”

“No, not really. Well, maybe he was a little more tense than usual, but I figured it was just the stress of the campaign.” Amelia glanced behind her and then leaned closer. “Alex might not have been the good guy everyone thought he was.”

Sam tried to hide his surprise. “What makes you say that?”

Amelia’s eyes darted away. “I mean, he was kind of secretive. And yeah, he doted on his grandfather, but smoking cigars and drinking with an elderly man is a bit weird, don’t you think?”

Sam frowned. “What are you talking about?”

Amelia shrugged. “Just that maybe there was more to Alex than any of us knew.”

“And what about last night?” Sam asked. “How late did you work?”

“I left at five,” Amelia said. “Alex was still here when I took off.”

“And what did you do after that?”

Amelia looked down at her shoes. “Went straight home. It was a work night, so I went to bed early.”

Sam’s phone pinged. He glanced at it briefly before turning his attention back to Amelia. “Thanks for your time. If you hear anything or remember anything else, please get in touch.”

Amelia nodded, relief evident on her face as Sam turned to leave. Lucy padded along beside him, her nails clicking on the linoleum floor.

As they exited the building, Sam pulled out his phone to read the text more thoroughly. It was from Jo.

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