Page 104 of Murder on the Page

When I’d browsed Marigold’s personal computer, the Adobe Reader app hadn’t been open. I hadn’t thought to peruse it. Was the file still on her computer? Or did Rick, who I was now certain killed my dear friend, delete it after he hacked into her computer to erase her Internet search history of him? Noeline said he was savvy in all things technical. If he did a slapdash job, the PDF file might still be in Trash.

“Can you give me a few hints as to the contents?” I asked.

He hummed.

“Please,” I prompted.

“I don’t see the harm. Sure. The man is broke. He has a lot of outstanding debts. I won’t say he’s a gambler, but he hasn’t been frugal, if you catch my drift.”

I thought of the book Marigold had been holding when she died,Pride and Prejudice,and it all became clear.She’d grabbed it as a clue to warn her sister that Rick was not all he appeared to be. He wasn’t a nice guy making room for Noeline in his heart when he’d pawned his wedding ring. He was, as Tegan theorized, targeting Noeline in hopes of gaining access to her deep pockets. He was Wickham, not Darcy.

I thanked Mr. Fitzwilliam as a scenario took shape in my mind. Marigold found out Rick was active on a dating site. She had him investigated. What if, armed with her findings, she told Rick to leave her sister alone or else she’d tell Noeline the truth? What if, as a last-ditch effort, she offered to pay him one hundred thousand dollars to go quietly?

One of the lines in Marigold’s manuscript read:The killer’s threats had been real, she had no doubt.What if Rick, seeing an opportunity to make out like a bandit, agreed to Marigold’s demands and asked to meet at the bookshop Saturday morningbefore the event? Naively believing she had the upper hand, she agreed. But using the keys he’d copied, he sneaked in before her and was lying in wait. He pushed her, poisoned her, took the money, and created a phony alibi of house hunting. Would the photographs on his cell phone of the homes he was considering be time-stamped?

I saw Zach standing outside the shop with Bates. Both were studying Zach’s phone. Would he listen to me if I shared my theory? Doubtful. I didn’t have any hard facts, only suppositions. It dawned on me that if Rick hadn’t disposed of the shop’s keys that he’d copied, they might be hidden in his room at the inn. If I could find them, they would be solid evidence of his guilt.

Tegan swept past me, carrying a tray filled with used cups and saucers. Chloe was tending to the water bottles and plates.

“Tegan,psst.” I motioned her to join me.

She did, tray in hand. “What’s up?”

I told her.

Her jaw dropped in disbelief. “Zach’s still outside. Tell him.”

I explained how he didn’t want me butting in. “Plus it’s only a conjecture.”

She considered that for a moment. “Here’s what we’ll do. I’ll go to the inn. Rick is there with Mom. A bit ago, she texted asking when I’d be back. They’re in the backyard and would like to spend time with me. Before I join them, I’ll search his room for the keys. If I find them and they match mine, I’ll take a picture. That’s enough proof, right?”

CHAPTER26

“Believe her to be deceived, by all means.

You have now done your duty by her, and must fret no longer.”

—Elizabeth Bennet, in Jane Austen’sPride and Prejudice

“Ican’t let you do this on your own,” I said. “It’s not safe. I’m going with you. I’ll sneak into Rick’s room.” She started to argue. I lifted a finger to quiet her. “You’ll distract him and your mother.”

After we finished cleaning up the shop and dousing the lights, I packed Darcy into his crate, got into my Ford Transit, and followed Tegan to the Blue Lantern. I left the cat in the van, window rolled halfway down.

Guests were in the parlor enjoying dessert when Tegan and I entered. Helga was clearing empty dishes from the various tables.

Tegan approached her. “Helga, where are Mom and Rick?”

“They are sitting in the backyard, enjoying the night air. Would you like me to announce you?”

“No,” Tegan said. “Thanks.” She turned to me and whispered, “They’re still outside. Perfect. You’ll need a key to his room. Unlike you, we still lock our doors at the inn.” She beckoned me to follow her to the front desk, where she tapped a code into the security panel of the key cabinet. She swung thedoor open and located the duplicate key on a fob for Rick’s room. “Mom hasn’t advanced to the twenty-first century. No magnetized door keys yet,” she confided. “You have to return this. If she finds it missing, I’ll be in hot water. Only Helga, Vanna, and I know the code to this key cabinet.”

“Which is?”

“Four-three-zero-zero.”

Tegan fetched a cup of tea from the parlor and, shaking tension from her neck and shoulders, proceeded to the rear porch. I tiptoed up the stairs.

Rick’s room was at the end of the hallway. Like Tegan’s, it faced the backyard. I sneaked inside, not surprised that the layout was also similar to Tegan’s. The hurricane lamp and lantern-motif light were on. The bed had been turned down. A wrapped Godiva chocolate sat on each pillow. Through the break in the drapes, I spied lanterns hanging from shepherds’ hooks in the yard. They created a magical ambience. I dared to step closer to see if Rick, Noeline, or Tegan might be sitting on a bench where they could have an angle to view inside his room. They weren’t, and I breathed easier.

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