Page 49 of The Aura Answer
“Teddy Jr. won some marksman award.” Gracie returned to her list of suspects as he took his seat. “And I’m sure he was like every teen in town and climbed into that attic a time or two. Like Bertie, he knew it was there. Out of towners like Verity wouldn’t.”
“What about Toby?” Nick glanced down at their shopping list, but Gracie seemed to know where she was going.
“The mayor’s golden boy went to a private school up until the last few years, so he was an outsider. Although he dated Evie, so there’s that. Bertie was at least ten years older than those people in the Corvette sketch. How did they get together?”
Nick rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Because he drew something they liked and tried to sell it to them, I’d wager.”
“We really need to talk with Verity,” she concluded. “Those sketches weren’t framed the last time we were here. At least the large one is new. Where did she or her mother get them? And we can’t forget that the mayor’s death might be totally unrelated to Sammy’s. A lot of people hated Block for a lot of very good reasons, even Mayor Larraine. And over half the town and any contractor who ever worked on that courthouse knew how to climb into that attic.”
“But the sketches seem key here. Why would the mayor’s killer care about Bertie’s artwork? Do we assume the drug dealer stole the sketches, or that he might have told someone about them? It doesn’t make sense that a drug dealer would kill Block though. Or that Block’s killer would be after the sketches.”
She grimaced. “So, how does one go about finding a drug dealer?”
“Sheriff’s records, courthouse records, local pub...” Nick texted Jax. “Or your local lawyer.”
Jax glancedat Nick’s text and nearly walked into Mayor Larraine in front of the café. She sidestepped and tapped his shoulder with one of her long, glossy nails. “Love note?”
He snorted and returned the phone to his pocket. “Evie’s idea of a love note would be along the line ofdon’t forget the meatballs, turkey.And I’d have to figure out whether she wants turkey meatballs or if I’d annoyed her somehow.”
Larraine laughed. “I’d go with buying meatballsandturkey. One can always eat both. And I’d rather have her hunting killers. The town is developing a bad rep for our crime rate.”
“We can compare ourselves to Charleston, then.” He’d already heard about the gallery robbery. Evie was frothing at the bit. “Did you happen to know Bertie in school?”
The mayor looked taken aback but recovered quickly. “He was in special ed. I was justspecial. So, not the same circles, no.”
“We’re trying to find people who knew him. Block and Turlock the Elder were too old to be in the same class.”
Larraine’s eyes narrowed. “Why do you want to know?”
Jax shrugged. “Making connections. I didn’t live here. Evie is too young to know a lot, other than that Bertie was bullied, because she relates to that. Why the sudden interest in his work after all these years?”
“Huh.” She frowned in thought, remembered it caused wrinkles, and tapped her lacquered nail to her cheek instead. “I can send you our yearbook. But if I’m remembering rightly, most of our class moved on, married, found jobs elsewhere, except for people like the Shepherds who farm here. It wasn’t a large class, just mean-spirited. I’m not sure why.”
“Around twenty-five years ago? The economy? It’s hard to say. It was just a passing thought. How much do you know about this Layman who wants to buy up the east side?”
“For that, we need a bar and alcohol, and it’s too early in the day. I’ll have my secretary send you the public file. We passed those zoning laws just in time, although I’m starting to believe they’ll turn into a nightmare.” She waved at someone across the street. “Have to go.”
Before she walked away, she swiveled on her high heel. “Rhodeswas in the same year as Bertie’s class. He was one of the bullies.”
Jax whistled. Nowthatwas interesting, a bully who went on to become a judge.
When he reached the old Victorian, Evie met him at the door. She flung a scratchy artificial greenery wreath around his necklike a lei and hugged him. “Bertie, now, before the courthouse closes.”
“Maybe we should wait until Rhodes is cycled off the circuit. Now that the Block trial is at a standstill, Satterwhite shouldn’t need his help.” Removing the wreath, Jax attempted reason, even knowing it could take weeks to be rid of Rhodes. But he needed time to think.
Thinking wasn’t easy with ripe Evie entwined around him. He wanted to carry her straight upstairs.
But Loretta was hollering for him to admire her decorating skills, the twins were jabbering about the Christmas tree, or maybe the presents under it, and Dante was looking like an Italian thundercloud as he popped out of the library. Afternoon delight wasn’t happening.
“Goingnow. Nick and Gracie left R&R an entire list of topics to pursue. And we probably need to hide Bertie’s sketches. See you in a bit.” She kissed the corner of his lip, slipped from his embrace, and all but skipped down the porch steps.
Jax couldn’t exactly blame her. She’d probably been stuck in this madhouse all day. Recalling what the mayor had said about Rhodes, he swung to warn her, but she was already off on her bicycle.
ShoutingRhodes is a bullyin front of the entire neighborhood probably wasn’t a wise idea.
Nineteen
Evie debatedvarious entries into the courthouse, but after meeting with Judge Satterwhite today, she chose to be blatant. She didn’t want to catch any man carrying a gun by surprise. She wondered if that had been a .38. She was clueless.
