Arlo started barking, and Sam hurried to the door, peering out before she opened it. Aiden came in, took one look at Sam’s face and drew her carefully into his arms.She rested a moment there, feeling his strength and calm before pulling away.“The police will want to talk to me.”
Aiden nodded.“I’ll drive you over to the bank.”
They walked to his car and climbed in.Sam blew out a deep breath.“I feel like this is all my fault.”
“You didn’t kill him, Sam.Only one person is responsible for that.I’m just sorry I didn’t get your text message until it was too late.I’d have been at the bank with you.”
Sam shook her head.“I backed Gerald into a corner.Someone must have known he was vulnerable.They might have figured he was exposing them.”
“You were just trying to find out the truth.”
On the way over, Sam filled in Aiden, her story sounding disjointed and broken to her own ears.By the time they reached the bank, the area was cordoned off with police tape.An ambulance and other police vehicles were at the scene.Sam saw the cops speaking with the bank employees, who all looked shaken up.
Hawkins approached, wearing a grim expression and looking frustrated.“Ms.Prescott.I understand you were speaking with Gerald Parker a little over an hour ago.”
Sam cleared her throat before answering.“That’s right.He was sitting on that bench.”She pointed.“I was on that one.Gerald was eating his lunch.”
“And what did you discuss?”
Sam took a deep breath.Aiden gave her an encouraging look.“His secret.He was a romance novelist who wrote under the pen name of Geraldine Hartwell.Margaret was blackmailing him.”
Hawkins gave a curt nod.“Charlotte Webb called to let us know that just a short while ago.”
“What happened?Do you know?”
Hawkins looked at her as if weighing how much he wanted to share.“The bank manager found him at the bottom of those stairs.He fell from the top of them to the bottom and didn’t survive his injuries.”
“Fell or was pushed?”
“We won’t know for sure until the medical examiner takes a look.But given the circumstances and a couple of other things, we’re treating his death as suspicious.I think someone wanted him dead, the same as Margaret Brennan.”He stared steadily at Sam.“And I think you should watch your step, Ms.Prescott.The killer, if there was one in this case, might well have seen you meeting with the victim.You might be the next target.”
Sam nodded, feeling a cold chill run up her spine.Aiden looked at her with worried eyes.
Hawkins continued.“You need to tell me exactly what your conversation entailed.”
And so she did.From the point where she told Gerald she knew his pen name, to the point where he discussed his feelings about Margaret’s knowledge, to the blackmail, to his pointing at both Dylan and, reluctantly, to his friend Claire Mills.
“Claire Mills,” said Hawkins, jotting a note down in a small notebook.“What did Gerald Parker say about her?”
“He said she had motive.Claire was a writer, too.Gerald said she didn’t know that he wrote romance novels, but she was aware he was working on a book.He said Claire was devastated when Margaret heavily criticized her manuscript.Margaret had basically told her to give up on writing because she’d never make it.”
“We’ll check it out,” said Hawkins.“But Ms.Prescott, this is a double homicide now.There’s an active killer.You need to step back.”
Sam said quietly, “Gerald talked to me right before he died.I’m already involved.”
Hawkins gave her a frustrated look.But he didn’t say anything more.
A black sedan pulled up, and a state policeman stepped out.Sam recognized him from another investigation.He was in his late-40s, tall, with graying temples and sharp eyes.Lieutenant Phillips.
“Chief,” he said to Hawkins.“What do we have?”
“Second homicide.At least, it appears to be.Same social circle as the first victim.”
Phillips took control naturally.“Let’s make sure the scene is completely secured.And I want statements from everyone who was at this bank today.”
He turned to Sam as Hawkins stepped away to check the scene.A woman in her mid-50s walked up and straight to Gerald’s body.Looking at how she was carefully studying him, Sam figured she must be the medical examiner.Then Phillips took her aside, farther from Aiden, and had Sam repeat everything she’d just told Hawkins.The blackmail, how she’d spoken to Gerald at lunch, how he’d admitted to being Geraldine Hartwell.
Phillips took notes as she talked, asking questions intermittently.He seemed, as usual, methodical and thorough.
