Page 80 of Little Shattered Dreams

It was Faith.

“How are you doing?” I asked.

“Not good,” she sniffled. “The cops were here a while ago. They told me some things that I … well, I just don’t understand. And when I tried to get them to explain, they wouldn’t say much of anything. I was hoping you could answer a few questions for me.”

I had some questions for her too.

“Sure, what do you want to know?” I asked.

“Why did they ask me if I knew someone had broken into my mother's house?”

“In one of her sessions with Karl, your mother said her house had been broken into. There was a message left on the bathroom mirror in lipstick.”

“What message?”

“It said: I know who you are, and I know what you did.”

“I … I can’t believe it. Why didn’t she say anything to me? I don't understand.”

“Maybe she didn't want you to worry you, and she thought it was better not to say anything. Given you’re in your first trimester of pregnancy, I can't say I blame her. It’s a sensitive time. Anything could happen, and my guess is your mom was looking out for you and the baby.”

“The cops said something about another death at the retreat. What happened?”

Her tone expressed concern, but was it genuine … or not?

I wasn’t sure.

“Earlier today, Clara was found dead inside her room,” I said. “She died of a gunshot wound. When I found her, she wasn’t alone. She was with Tyler.”

“The chef?”

“Yep. He claimed they were supposed to go for a walk. And that’s not all. We found a suicide note on the counter. It’s possible she wrote it.”

“What did the note say?”

“She confessed to killing your mother.”

“What? Why did she say she did it?”

“According to the note, your mother wouldn’t give Clara a job. She had just gotten out of jail, and your mom felt like she couldn’t trust her. It upset Clara to the point that she couldn’t let it go.”

A pause and then, “Doesn’t sound like something my mom would say or do. If anything, she’s sympathetic to people who’ve had a rough go in life. Seems kinda lame to shoot a person for not giving you a job, doesn’t it?”

“I agree,” I said. “I’m suspicious of the note.”

“Suspicious how?”

“I’m just not buying the explanation.”

“If Clara didn’t kill my mother, then who did?”

Someone who had real motive.

Someone who knew Quinn’s secret.

“I’m still trying to find answers,” I said. “I will. I just need time. For now, I have some questions for you, if you don't mind.”

“Yeah, sure.”

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