Page 108 of Pied Sniper

“Sure.”

“If we take your car, can we put the siren on?”

“Not a chance,” he said, holding back a smile. “See you in fifteen.”

When they left, Solomon shut the boardroom door. “How are you really feeling?” he asked.

“You’ve asked me that more times than I can count.”

“I’m worried. You turned up from nowhere, covered in blood, twigs and dirt and soaked to the bone. I feared I’d have a heart attack! And that doesn’t include your new tiger buddy.”

I winced. “Sorry.”

“And you’re okay about the other thing?”

“The pregnancy test that the hospital ran?”

Solomon nodded.

“I’m okay. I didn’t expect to be pregnant but it’s disheartening to have it confirmed. Plus,” I stood up and stepped closer to him, wrapping my arms around his neck. “It just means we have to try harder.”

“You’re very trying already,” said Solomon, kissing my cheek, then the other one, then my forehead (where it hurt), and finally, my lips.

“Heads up. Incoming,” I said.

“Who cares? I’m the boss,” said Solomon as he tightened his arms around me.

~

“Here’s what we pieced together so far,” I said, setting down the coffee Maddox and Lily gave me, and grabbing my pen while wondering where the hell on the whiteboard I should draw lines. “Tiffany was born to a family of avaricious grifters. Both her parents have a lifetime of experience in setting up schemes that leave them holding the money while they stiff everyone below them. Multi-level marketing schemes, businesses that intentionally go bankrupt, personal loans that never get repaid, you name it, they’ve done it. They know how to work people, and when they sense they’re about to get caught, they pick up and start all over someplace else. Rose Busch got tired of that lifestyle. She wanted a better future so she was smart enough to earn a scholarship at a great school where she mingled with the kind of people her parents could never quite rub elbows with. And after an embarrassing incident involving Cal and Huey McNeill, they could never rise to that calibre. It’s not totally clear when Tiffany became a compulsive liar but I suppose at some point, she viewed her parents as a crushing liability that prevented her from stealing the spotlight, which was Rose Busch’s aim. She jettisoned her name, carried out several scams then tried to become rich and famous in the easiest way possible. All she needed was a sad tale to reel caring people in and capitalize on their empathy and compassion. Something she, no doubt, learned from her parents.”

“Ditching them turned out to be a washout though since they crawled out of the woodwork after she was kidnapped,” remarked Lily.

“They, predictably, sought money, fame, a share of the spotlight. They claimed in their TV interview to have a misunderstanding with Tiffany, who didn’t want to upset real orphans by setting the story straight. I expect Tiffany will probably make something up to disconnect herself from them again, something morbidly embarrassing that works in her favor. Abuse, abandonment, neglect… I’m sure Tiffany is already making a list of reasons to blame them for trying to steal her spotlight. She’ll capitalize on the story too.”

“She could just take a stab at the truth for once. There must be no end to the list of people who want revenge, or at least, reimbursement,” said Solomon.

“I bet federal agencies and police departments are trailing them too. We’ll examine them more closely to find something that sticks,” said Maddox. “That’s a fast way to make them go away forever.”

“I bet if Tiffany knows anything, she’ll turn on them. I heard they’re looking for an agent to tell their side of the story and reveal therealTiffany,” I said. “Abigail Swanson said they had the gall to ask her for a referral!”

“So much for family loyalty.”

“You reap what you sow,” I concluded. “I’m surprised Davy isn’t trying to cash in yet.”

“He said he’s taking a long vacation to rethink his life,” said Maddox. “He seems pretty wounded knowing that Tiffany was only using him but at least he finally realized she was. Thankfully he didn’t lose all his money too.”

“I don’t get why Tiffany came here of all places. Sure, it’s a nice city but nothing like LA, Dallas or Chicago. Was she hoping to reconnect with her sister? Or was it all for the scheme she cooked up with her cousins?” Lily wondered. “Maybe she intended to crash in and crash out, without the worry of ever coming here again.”

I nodded. “Once we knew Tiffany’s real name, it was easier to collect information about her background. Her grandmother and sister, Catherine, were here but she didn’t try to visit them, even when she knew her grandmother was dying. She only contacted Catherine afterwards to discuss the inheritance. She didn’t want to know her when Catherine insisted there was nothing to inherit. I think Tiffany ultimately chose Montgomery because she wanted a less expensive place to hide from her creditors while she decided her next step, and Montgomery felt familiar since she came here often enough as a kid. Perhaps it provided her with a feeling of home, at least, as close to home as she could get. Plus, she wanted to reconnect with her cousins.”

“And convince them to kidnap her,” added Maddox.

“Supposedly kidnap her,” I corrected him. “I have no doubt that all three were in on it. Tiffany cooked up the whole scheme but her cousins went off script and tried to make it look more real by bringing a gun and accidentally shooting her. The live kidnapping being broadcast and on air was shocking enough, but the gunshot definitely got everyone talking. When Garrett finishes interviewing them, I’ll bet we learn that Tiffany never intended to give her cousins much of the ransom money. Maybe none of it.”

“She’s crazy to double-cross them!” said Lily.

“It’s not like they’re hardened criminals. Just easily led. Hearing her grandiose plans of a fake abduction with a huge ransom, and eventual release was apparently all it took to convince them. All they had to do was make it look extra real,” said Solomon. “Set up a telescope in the other building like she was being stalked, use and ditch the kidnap van, and make it look real on camera. Mission accomplished! Those two idiots would have followed Tiffany anywhere with blinders on.”

---