Page 34 of Breaking Rules

Sam held up a hand, interrupting her. “Actually, there is. Why did you switch the phone system over?”

Genuine confusion clouded Marnie’s features. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“The phone system was switched to go through a common number shortly before Alex’s death,” Sam explained.

Marnie shook her head, bewildered. “I ordered no such thing. I don’t even know how phones work or that it didn’t go through a common number before. Alex was the tech whiz.”

Sam nodded slowly, giving Marnie time to process the information, to let the implications sink in. He watched as a flicker of nervousness danced in her eyes.

“Did you ever remember what you and Alex really argued about?” Sam asked, his voice measured. “It could be important, and you wouldn’t want to hold anything back that could be important to the investigation. Might not look good for your campaign.”

Marnie hesitated, her gaze darting away from Sam’s intense scrutiny. “I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to get involved or have you looking into my contributors. And it seemed petty, especially now that Alex is... gone.” She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I caught him in my office, going through my calendar.” She pointed to a leather binder on her desk, a day planner thick with pages and notes sticking out. “I still prefer to keep my information on paper. I avoid technology when I can, which is why I’m not familiar with the phone system.”

Sam raised his eyebrows, intrigued. This was not the response he had expected. He leaned forward, his eyes locked on Marnie. “Did you have any idea what he was looking for?”

Marnie shook her head, her expression perplexed. “No, I don’t. He shut the folder pretty quickly when I walked in. I confronted him about it, but he lied and said he wasn’t looking in there. I saw him with my own eyes!”

Sam’s mind raced, trying to piece together this new information. What could Alex have been searching for in Marnie’s personal calendar? And why the secrecy?

He reached for the day planner, his fingers brushing against the worn leather. “May I?”

Marnie hesitated for a moment then nodded. “Of course. I have nothing to hide.”

Sam flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning the neat handwriting and colorful sticky notes. Meetings, appointments, reminders, contact information—nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first glance.

He turned to Marnie, his expression serious. “Can you think of any reason why Alex would be interested in your schedule? Any events or meetings that might have caught his attention?”

Marnie shook her head, her brow furrowed in thought. “I can’t think of anything specific. He has everything on his own calendar.” She paused, glancing at the planner. “But I did think maybe he was looking at the contact list.”

Sam leaned forward, his interest piqued. “The contact list? Why would that upset you?”

Marnie sighed. “Some of the donors prefer to remain anonymous. If word got out, it might jeopardize future donations.”

Jo’s eyes narrowed. “So you think Alex was trying to figure out who these secret donors are?”

Marnie nodded, her expression troubled. “It’s possible. But I can’t imagine why he would do that.”

Sam’s voice was low, his tone serious. “Maybe he was planning to leak that information to the newspaper for money.”

Marnie’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with shock. “No! I don’t believe Alex would do anything like that. He was dedicated to this campaign, to our cause.”

Not for the first time, Sam wondered exactly what Marnie’s cause was, but that was a conversation for a different day. “Apparently, Alex did something that got him killed. We need to explore every possibility, no matter how unlikely it may seem.”

Marnie’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “I understand. It’s just hard to believe Alex would betray me like that.”

Sam’s gaze flicked to the day planner. “In the meantime, I’m going to need a copy of your contact list.”

Marnie hesitated, her fingers tightening around the leather binder. “I don’t know, Chief Mason. Those donors trust me to keep their information private.”

Sam met her gaze, his expression sincere. “I give you my word, Marnie. We will keep the donors’ identities secret. But we need that list. It might contain important information about Alex’s murder.”

Marnie sighed, her resolve crumbling. “Fine. I’ll make some copies and send them over.”

Sam nodded. “Thank you. We’ll be in touch if we have any more questions.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

As they walked out of Marnie’s office, Sam turned to Jo, his brow furrowed. “What do you think? Was she telling the truth?”

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