Page 84 of Puzzle for Two

Zach had seen a few internet pics of Mrs. Jordan appearing at charity functions with her husband, and not only was she attractive, she always looked like she was genuinely having a good time. In fact, despite a vague physical resemblance to Zora, she couldn’t have seemed more different.

Jordan was still talking. “Alton might have been more successful in business. But he was a sick, sad fuck. So who’s therealsuccess?”

As Zach listened, he couldn’t help thinking Jordan was casually knocking down each of his potential theories as to why he might want his old friend out of the way. It had crossed Zach’s mind that Jordan might still have feelings for Zora, and he seemed fond of her, but unless he was a very good actor, there was no murderous passion lurking in his heart. That instinctive smile for the woman in the photo had been one-hundred-percent genuine.

Nor did he come across as a particularly bitter business rival.

Hell, he hadn’t even asked if Zach knew how the police investigation was going.

“Would you say you and Mr. Beacher—”

“Kid, I don’t know why you’re bothering with the formalities. I watched the two of you at Spanish Bay. You weren’t calling himMr. Beacherbehind closed doors.”

Zach said calmly, “Well, no. The idea was to convince Mrs. Kaschak-Beacher that Alton was involved in a gay relationship. He hoped that might make her more agreeable to the idea of a divorce.”

“And you were okay with that?”

“I told Alton that I thought his ruse was a bad idea. But he was my client. It was his decision to make.”

Jordan’s pale eyes bulged ever farther. “Like Zora didn’t already know he was gay?”

“I’d never met Alton Beacher before he hired me. I had to assume he was telling me the truth. The truth would have been in his best interests.”

“It would have been against his nature, too.”

That seemed more and more likely. Zach attempted to redirect the conversation.

“Would you say that you and Alton were business competitors?”

“Maybe in a broad sense,” Jordan conceded after a moment’s consideration. “We were both operating in the toys and games market. The Beacher Toy Company targets a completely different audience segment than Old Timey Fun, Ltd. People who don’t mind paying through the nose for toys that went out of fashion fifty years ago. People who lap up that claptrap about buyingheirloom works of artversus toys kids might get some use out of. We have probably six times the market share Alton does. Did.”

“I see.” He was beginning to.

“Frankly, I don’t think Alton was a particularly shrewd businessman. That washisnarrative. Not the toy industry narrative. Zora had to bail him out repeatedly over the years.”

“Maybe she got tired of bailing him out.”

“I’m sure she did. Which is why she eventually stopped writing checks. She wouldn’t kill him. Not over that.”

“Can you think of anyone else who might have wanted Alton dead?”

“To know him was to hate him.” Jordan laughed heartily. “Nah. The people who would have wanted him dead weren’t anybody I’d have known. As I’m sure you’re aware, Alton kept a good chunk of his life secret. That’s where you want to look.”

“Do you have a name or—”

Jordan’s face screwed up in contempt. “Hell, no. I don’t know. I didn’t want to know. But if you really are a detective, it shouldn’t be hard to figure out. Those people probably hang out the same places you do.”

“Probably not.”

Jordan’s expression changed, brightened. “Actually, I do remember a name. Part of a name. Galileo.”

“Galileo? Like the astronomer?”

“I doubt that. I don’t know if that was his first name or his last name, but Alton was obsessed with him for a while.”

“When was this?”

“Six months ago? When it ended, I mean. They never lasted long. Alton’s little friends. But that one, Galileo, I think he stuck for a time. When it ended, Alton was pretty angry.”

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