“Done,” David said immediately.
“If Hallie broke up with Benny on Wednesday instead of Monday,” Amie continued, “it makes more sense why he had been looking for the photos before then. Because Savannah was dead and no longer blackmailing him, and he had a chance to destroy the evidence before Hallie could find out.”
Another memory emerged at the front of her mind. “I was wondering why Benny never returned to the Harlows’ apartment after Elena found him there. He could’ve easily gone back as soonas Elena had left, but he didn’t. We know he didn’t, because Andrew’s alarm system hadn’t been triggered.
“Elena said that Benny had been looking for something, but when she offered to help him find it, he said it didn’t matter anymore. I just assumed he was saying that to get her to leave, but what if he really meant it? What if Hallie hadjustbroken up with him, just as he was going into the Harlows’ apartment to search for the photos, and he really believed it when he said it didn’t matter anymore? As far as he knew—or cared—the photos couldn’t harm him. The secret was out. It really didn’t matter anymore.”
David stuffed the rest of the muffin into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully. Amie waited, feeling like a student watching her teacher finish grading her work.
“It’s believable,” David said, swallowing. “Especially considering your theory about the murderer changing the flower delivery time to lure Savannah back to the bookshop. That didn’t seem like something Benny would have thought to do.”
“Agreed.”
“But where does that leave you?”
“Without a prime suspect.” Amie ticked off her fingers as she spoke. “It’s not Benny, not Raina, probably not Andrew—”
“Why not Andrew?”
Amie paused, not quite sure why she’d been so quick to clear Savannah’s husband from suspicion. “I guess … he just seemed really sad?”
David gave her a flat look.
“Okay! It could be Andrew. Or …” Amie turned in her seat, casting about the caféin search of its owner. “Do you think Madeline’s around?”
“I can ask,” David said, pushing his chair back.
Amie gave a start, nonplussed by the offer. “Really?”
“I have to throw this trash out anyway.”
“I was preparing myself for another lecture about leaving things alone.”
“I said I’d help,” David said, heading back to the counter. “I’m bound by my honor and the sacred rule of no take backsies.”
After learning that Madeline had gone to the park, then buying a second muffin for David, the duo left Eons Caféin pursuit of Amie’s new top suspect.
“Here’s a question,” David said as they walked down the street. “If Benny didn’t kill Savannah, why’d he leave that note in your apartment last night?”
Amie hummed into her bagel. She hadn’t had much time to eat while she was monologuing in the coffee shop, so she was trying to get in a few more bites between locations.
“Maybe he didn’t leave the note,” David continued, scratching his chin. “It makes sense, honestly. How would he have known you were looking into Savannah’s death?”
“I thought maybe Elena mentioned it to him,” Amie admitted. “Though now that I’m saying it out loud, Elena probably wouldn’t have done that, considering she suspects Benny.” She took another bite of her bagel.
“You found the note relatively close to the door, right?”
Amie hummed again in confirmation.
“So,” David said, “it’s possible that whoever left the note slid it under the door.”
“But what was Benny doing there?” Amie asked—although, with the bagel in her mouth, it sounded more like, “Bub wub wuz Bene dun ner?”
Apparently fluent in Mouthful of Bagel, David answered, “That’s still up in the air. Also, who sent you the photos? Were they the one who left the note?” David snapped his fingers, pointing at Amie. “Maybe they didn’t slip the note under the door at all. Once Benny unlocked it and entered, they could have thrown the note inside.” David snapped his fingers again. “Ormaybethey somehow managed to attach the note to Benny’s shoe with some sort ofrelease mechanism that was remotely activated once Benny entered your apartment.”
Amie swallowed, snapping her fingers and pointing back at David. “I don’t think I know anyone other than you who could figure out how to turn Benny into a living Trojan horse. Are you confessing?”
“It’s so ingenious I’m almost tempted to take credit. But I can’t.”
