“Good to know.”
“Listen, I wish I had all day to chat, but I really don’t, okay?”
“Of course, thanks again for your help.”
I make my way to the car, sensing eyes on my back. I don’t have a lot to show for my efforts, but at least it seems that Liam is the sole owner and is using this particular house to generate income, suggesting that’s probably the case with all of them. There’s still the chance, of course, that his son lives in the Hallandale Beach condo and that he and Tori use the other condo part of the winter for themselves.
Regardless, this would all add up to a big chunk of rental income annually, which would help defray interest charges on the mortgages. But it doesn’t explain where Liam got the money for the down payments.
“Hey, hold on a sec.”
I spin around to find the renter still standing on the threshold.Please, I think,don’t let him have decided that something fishy is going on.
“Yes?”
“How’d you find out about this property anyway?”
“Uh, gosh,” I say, scrambling for a plausible answer. “I think someone I know must have mentioned the address, and it ended up on this big list I compiled.”
“Do you know where this person heard about it?”
“I don’t. I’ve been jotting down any leads that come my way.”
He shakes his head, looking irritated. “I’m starting to wonder if the owner might be pulling a fast one and trying to rent this place out from under me.”
“I doubt it,” I say. “I just made a mistake.”
“No, something’s going on. Because you’re not the only person who’s wanted to know. Some dude showed up a few weeks ago and asked pretty much the same question.”
My breath catches. “Was the guy who came by in his late thirties?” I ask, taking a few steps closer to the door again. “Tall, with blondish hair?”
He nods, his expression wary.
“Oh, that was a friend of mine who was helping me look,” I say, hoping it doesn’t sound as lame to his ears as it does to mine. “I’d given him my list, and he must have forgotten to tell me he stopped by. I’m so sorry for any confusion. Like I said, it’s all a mistake.”
I sense him still watching me as I continue to the car, but I don’t look back and try to seem casual as I slide into the driver’s seat. When I’ve gotten a few blocks away, I pull over to the curb, put the car in park, and sink back into the seat with my eyes closed.
Thedudewho came by was obviously Jamie. He must have set out one day like I did, hoping to find someone to speak to who could illuminate the list of properties for him.
By knocking on this door and possibly others, or by searching online—or both—he must have figured out that Liam owned at least some of the properties and asked himself where the money could have come from. And then surely, just like me, he wondered if Liam had used their grandmother’s nest egg to turn himself into a minimogul—without anyone in the family being the wiser.
19
ISHUDDER, REALIZING THAT THE HUNCH I SHARED WITH SAM—that Liam murdered Jamie—could very well be right. If Liam was stealing, he would have utterly panicked when he figured out that Jamie was onto him, not knowing whether his offense would be dealt with discreetly by the family or he’d be reported to the police. In the case of the latter, it could mean serious jail time for him.
According to the guy with the mullet, Jamie stopped by the house several weeks ago, and that fits with what Sam said about Jamie making the decision in late July to spend most of August in Litchfield County. He was obviously planning to investigate the matter further, then act on what he learned. Had Jamie confronted Liam at the party? If so, my guess is that Liam left early, drove home, and returned with a gun. He might even have had the gun in his car. However, from what I saw at least, there didn’t appear to be any tension between Jamie and Liam, or Tori, that night.
Or: What if Jamie decided to stay quiet until he had the full picture, but Liam learned from one of the renters that he was snooping around? That would have put Liam against the wall. If that’s the case, he might have gone to the party with a plan in place to take off early and lie in wait, then ambush his cousin. When he left the house, he’d probably driven a short distance away, parked his car where it wouldn’t be noticed, and then made his way back on foot, gun in hand.
Of course, the plan would have been derailed if Jamie had departed earlier, heading to the field at the same time as other guests. But... but what if that was why Tori grabbed Jamie to ask about a birthday gift for Drew—to stall him and delay his departure? That means she might have been in on it too.
I shudder again. Tori seemed curious about why I decided to come back here. Though I’ve been careful in speaking to her, she might have picked up on my suspicions and shared that with Liam. If so, I could be in danger—and so could Sam, if they know I’ve been speaking to him. I have to protect both of us.
With my stomach churning, I grab my phone and text Sam.
I have an important update. Can you call me?
I give it a couple of minutes, hoping for a response, but nothing arrives.
