Page 60 of Death By Llama
“Why would you think that?”Gemma asked.
“Because I have it on good authority,” I didn’t look back to Justin, because I was a little scared of what I might see.Brandy was putting her heart, soul and lips into her role tonight, “this was clutched in his hand when he was found at the bottom of the cliff.”
I waved for Dave to come forward with the cloak we’d put in the trash bag.I took it and whipped the cloak out--or sort of did, it wasn’t quite the same dramatic moment that clasp had been
“And I found this cloak in Vance’s room.”
“What the devil are you doing in my room?”
“I think you can see this impression in the velvet?”I made a show of walking the cloak around the table to see the flatten places on the material.
They all nodded when shown, but I could tell what this proved wasn’t clear to them.
“I think you will see that the marks on the velvet perfectly match the shape and size of the cloak clasp.”
“This is ludicrous.This proves nothing,” Vance said, although his own acting was slipping.He couldn’t mask the nervousness in his eyes.
“Also, Cameron installed security cameras on the inn last week and a review of the footage revealed you walking toward the cliff with Nick.”That was actually a lie, but cops did that all the time in interrogations.It always seemed to get the desired result.
It did in this case as well.
Vance stood up, menacingly.“It was an accident.Yes, I was with him, but he tripped.He grabbed my cloak to save himself.”
“Why on earth were you wearing a cloak?”Gemma asked.
That seemed monstrously unimportant to me at the moment considering she’d just discovered her friend was a killer, but maybe she believed him.It was plausible, truth be told.
“WearingNick’scloak,” Daphne added.She looked around the table.“That was the cloak he wore at the festival.I’m sure of that.”
“And if all this evidence isn’t enough proof for you,” I said, my voice calm but cutting, “I’m sure when they do a DNA analysis on the cloak, they’re going to find Nick’s blood.”
Vance glared at me, his face shifting between anger and panic.“What are you talking about?It was his cloak.He could’ve gotten his blood on it at any time.That has nothing to do with me.”
“Ah, so you do agree that it’s his cloak,” Daphne chimed in, her expression shocked.
“And it was in your room,” Gemma added, clearly playing catch-up with the conversation.
Vance opened his mouth, then shut it again, his jaw tight.For a moment, he looked like he might lunge at someone, but instead, he stayed planted where he was, his fists clenched.
Justin disentangled himself from Brandy, who was either overacting or not acting at all.He stepped forward and positioned himself firmly beside me.“Vance, I think it’s pretty clear you’re going to be proven guilty.We already have more than enough evidence to move forward.”
Vance swallowed hard, his composure fraying.Suddenly, he blurted out, “He didn’t deserve that part in the movie.He didn’t deserve the commercials he got.You know, I tried out for those too.I did a great job.”
He glanced around the room, his face flush with frustration, his voice rising as he continued.“I made it look like Ilovedthat hair gel.I made it look like my hemorrhoids had never felt better.I would have been the better Saint Nick!”
I stared at him, the rant leaving me momentarily stunned.For the first time, it dawned on me that Vance might be just slightly unhinged—or maybe years of rejection and failed auditions had finally cracked something inside him.Heaven knows I understood how soul-crushing that could feel.
I drew on the frustration I remembered from casting calls.Reaching out, I gently touched Vance’s arm.“I understand how you feel.I was an actor too.I know what it’s like to be overlooked by casting for people who are less talented.I totally get it.And I’m not even going to say Nick didn’t deserve it.Clearly, he was using people, and he was arrogant.But I’m confused.Why kill Peanut?”
Vance frowned.“Peanut?”
“Yeah, the little guy who was the other Santa,” Tyler clarified.“The one Nick was fighting with.
“His name was Peanut?”Vance looked as if he didn’t believe us.
I nodded, leaning in.
Vance sighed.“Well, that was honestly an accident.I was over by the wall, sneaking a cigarette, and he wandered over there too.I was in a bad mood.He bumped into me, and I…elbowed him.He fell.He was completely drunk and he lost his footing.That’s the truth.”
