“Nothing like that. I met someone at the church that runs the place and asked if they knew somewhere I could rent for cheap. They said I could stay there until I found a place to live or someone else needed to move in.”
“I see.” Detective Norton made a note, and she assumed the nice people she’d met at the Cedar Shoals Bible Church would be getting a call.
She chanced a glance at Mr. Aylett, finding that not only did he not seem shocked or worried about her admission, but he was nodding as if he’d just discovered a missing puzzle piece.
“Did you make any enemies there?” the detective asked.
“At the shelter? No. I mean, I didn’t make any lifelong friends, but I didn’t have conflicts with any of them.”
Mr. Aylett moved closer and perched on the edge of the couch. “Did you ever let any of them borrow your car?”
“No. Never.”
“What about the people at the store yesterday?” Mason asked. “Did you see anybody following you?”
“No, but I was focused on shopping, not on the people around me.”
“How long were you there?” This question came from the detective. All three of the men watched her closely. Though she knew they were trying to help, she felt like she was being interrogated.
“At least an hour. I shopped and then grabbed dinner in the store.”
“The brake line must’ve been cut while you were shopping,” Detective Norton said, making another note. “The brakes wouldn’t have held all the way from Driftwood to the superstore if they’d been cut before you left.”
The realization sent a chill down Delaney’s spine. Someone had crawled under her car while she browsed shampoo and sweaters, deliberately sabotaging her vehicle, knowing she’d be driving on that winding road in the dark.
Someone had wanted her to wreck. Someone had wanted to hurt her. Maybe kill her. But why?
“Where did you park?” Mason asked.
Delaney grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it to her chest. It helped the pain a little and gave her a shield from the barrage of questions. “It was about halfway back from the entrance, in front of the grocery side, under one of the lights.”
“Good,” Mason said. “I’ll check if they have security cameras. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Mr. Aylett’s face had darkened. “You should look into Lena Monroe. Maybe. She’s been sort of stalking me.”
“I spoke with Ms. Monroe this morning.” Detective Norton’s tone remained neutral. “She claims she was home all night.”
Mr. Aylett pushed to standing. “And you believe her?”
“I don’t take people at their word,” the detective said evenly. “We’ll look for evidence.”
Mr. Aylett seemed to accept that, settling on the couch beside Delaney.
The detective turned back to her. “Where are you from?”
“Maine, a small coastal town called Shadow Cove.”
“And you came all the way down here because…?”
“I needed a change.” She kept her explanation vague, unwilling to share her entire history with these strangers. The pillow against her chest felt like inadequate armor.
The detective studied her for a moment longer before turning to Mr. Aylett. “What about you? Besides Ms. Monroe, can you think of anyone who might want to harm your employee?”
“No one specific, but there’s a business deal I’m working on. A merger. Another company is trying to edge mine out.”
“You think someone would target your nanny over a business deal?” Mason’s tone held disbelief.
“I have no idea. It’s possible someone might try to destabilize my life to derail the merger.” He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture Delaney knew meant he was frustrated. “There’s a board member who’s actively working against me.”
