Page 58 of Merry Murder Season
“I talked to Matty and she said she fell. When I asked how, and then pointed out the flaws in her story, she pretended to fall asleep. I heard from the guard that’s posted on her room that she tried to leave right after I left. I had this covered. You didn’t need to get involved.” He looked up as Toby came backinto the room.
“We’re ready,” Toby said as he rubbed Emma’s head.
“We’ll talk later.” Greg stood and headed out the door with Toby.“Oh, and Jill?”
“Yes?”
“Can you and Emma hang around and keep Esmeralda company until we get back?” His eyes twinkled as he asked.
“I swear, I wasn’t investigating. I went to the shop to get Beth’s Christmas present so I could give it to her and then I talked to Josh.”
“And?” Greg paused at the door.
“And then I popped my head in to keep Chris’s car from being towed. I was being a good business council manager.”
“Keep telling yourself that. Oh, and don’t call Darla back, please.” He nodded toward the door, and they all headed out of the station andtoward the bar.
Esmeralda came with a cup of coffee and a bowl of water for Emma. “And now we wait.”
I nodded, but inside I was freaking out. I wasn’t good at waiting.
Chapter 23
It seemed like forever, but it was less than an hour before I heard the all-clear on Esmeralda’s radio. She stood up from where she’d been sitting with me and headed to the phones to let the officers who were blocking eager shoppers know it was okay to let people in. Then she started calling the stores.
Santa and his elves had been waiting with us at the station and with a “ho, ho, ho,” he left the lobby after giving me a candy cane and Emma a dog treat. Santa told me, “Your actions today give you an upgraded spot on the nice list, so don’t mess it up next year.”
Esmeralda rolled her eyes as we watched him leave. I guess the fortune-teller didn’t believe in the big guy in the red suit. Then she went back to making her calls. I called Beth and told her what had happened and that everything was fine. I’d be home soon.
Just as I hung up, Toby and another officer brought Gunter into the station, directly to the back into a small jail cell. He’d get transferred to the county facility in Bakerstown soon. Greg and Chris came in next and she ran to me.
“Thank goodness you understood what I was trying to say. You know Emma’s always allowed in the bar. I was just trying not to upset him. He said I should know where Chip’s secret room was if we were so close. I kept telling him I didn’t know.” Chris was talking really fast and had a pack of cigarettes in her hand that she kept opening and closing again. “I guess I can’t smoke in here?”
Esmeralda shook her head, and Chris tucked the cigarettes back into her purse. “Gunter was always so nice. I didn’t even question why he came into the bar. I thought he was worried about me.I’m an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot. I know about the secret room. I’ve been looking for the original blueprints, and finally, the document library sent themover this morning. So I dropped them off with Greg along with a picture of a patch that got caught in the door when Gunter wasn’t looking. I guess Chip never let Gunter see where he was storing thestolen goods?”
“Gunter said he stayed in the bar area that night and any other time he’d visited the bar. He claimed he’d never been in Chip’s office where you found the patch. We think he went into the office during the dart tournament, hoping that confusion would cover his tracks, but he couldn’t find the secret room. When Chip saw him coming out of the office, he must have checked to see if the jewelry was still there. Then Gunter came back,” Greg explained. “Some of it is conjecture since Gunter’s not talking. As soon as we found the patches, Dom didn’t want to talk about it, but Lille brought in his jacket to show that Dom’s patches were still there. She made him confirm her statement that Gunter was the only club member who would have had that patch.”
“So Lille scares other people too.” I smiled as Toby came back into the room. “CanI go home now?”
“As long as you take Emma with you,” Greg said as he asked Toby to take Chris into an interview room to get her statement. “Text me when you’re home or I’ll call Beth to make sureyou got there.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.” I stood and Emma came withme to the door.
“You had one and snuck out on her.” Greg came over and kissed me. “Be safe, okay?”
As I was walking down the street to go home, I saw Dom and Lille coming up toward me. To my surprise, Lille stopped me.
“Are you okay?”
I blinked and nodded. “Chris was at the bar with Gunter, not me. Emma and I just peeked our heads inside to remind Chris to move her car. That’s when I realized she was in trouble. We went straight to the station and locked the door after I got inside. I’m glad he made his move early rather than when all these people were around.”
We moved to the side as people streamed up the sidewalk from the car parking lot the city had set up.
Dom looked around. “No matter what, Christmas shopping must go on.”
“The money from this season keeps us alive on the slow days. Evie’s opening the shop tomorrow to see if we get seasonal customers.” I was rambling, but I glanced at my watch. Greg would be concerned if I didn’t text soon, but I thought I had a few more minutes. “Anyway, I’m glad Greg found Chip’s killer. I’m sorry it was your friend.”
