“It’s the least I can do.”
Sarah had other names on her list. She’d gotten all she was going to get here for now. She stood, giving Conner a cue to do the same. “Thank you for your time, Mr. Pope.”
He rose. “Please.” Pope smiled. “Call me Jerald.”
“Jerald. If I think of other questions ...”
“Stop by any time,” he offered. “I’m completely at your disposal.”
“I appreciate that.” Sarah surveyed the room before moving toward the hall. “Your home is magnificent.”
“We enjoy it.” He paused at the front entry. “You’ll have to visit again when my wife and daughter are home. Perhaps you’ll join us for dinner one evening.”
“Absolutely.” Sarah hesitated when he opened the door. “Your daughter,” she said to Pope, “was she close to either of the victims?” Unnecessary question actually. As Conner had pointed out repeatedly, everyone here knew everyone else.
“Not really.” Pope seemed to weigh his words before continuing. “She attended school here in Youngstown with Valerie, but they were never close friends.” He shook his head. “Such a tragedy.”
Definitely a tragedy.
In the Jeep, Conner braked at the end of the cobblestone driveway. “Where to now?”
His enthusiasm was underwhelming. “The next name on the list. Marta Hanover.”
Without comment, he pointed the Jeep in the direction of town.
Sarah found it quite abnormal that he didn’t ask why she wanted to speak with the Hanover woman. Maybe he didn’t want to open himself up to questioning. He’d been noticeably quiet since she’d questioned him about his personal life.
“In case you didn’t know,” he said abruptly, as if to defy any negative conclusions she might have reached, “Jerald Pope paid for Valerie’s funeral. Paid off the mortgage on her family’s home, too, so her father wouldn’t have to rush back to work. The Popes are good people,” Conner added without even a glance in her direction, “just like the rest of the folks around here.”
“Interesting.” Rich, powerful, and generous. A complex man. Sarah would keep that in mind as she assessed the people on her list. Each name was there as a result of having met one or more of the Big Three criteria.
Access to the victims was the primary reason Pope had made Sarah’s list. He lived closer than anyone else to the crime scene. He had a daughter near the same age as both Valerie Gerard and Alicia Appleton.
Motive, means, opportunity. The Big Three.
No one committed a murder for anything less than one or all.
14
Hanover’s Mercantile, 10:00 a.m.
“Ms. Hanover?”
Marta Hanover was busy restocking the produce in her general store when Sarah and Conner approached. Sarah had decided that his presence might actually gain her more cooperation than if she showed up on her own. The tactic had worked reasonably well with Jerald Pope.
Folks in small towns didn’t take too well to strangers. She had learned that the hard way.
“Kale, morning. How’s Mr. C?”
“He’s hanging in there. Thank you for asking.”
Marta Hanover wiped her hands on her apron, arrowed a brief glance at Sarah. “You let your mama know that I’m bringing some special goodies by this evening.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll do that.” Conner gestured to Sarah. “This is Sarah Newton. She’s here to look into Valerie’s murder and Alicia’s disappearance.”
Judging by the pained expression on his face, Sarah estimated that he wasn’t anticipating a favorable reaction from the seemingly pleasant lady.
As Ms. Hanover’s scrutiny swung to Sarah, she jumped in with both feet. “I sincerely appreciate your time, Ms. Hanover.” Sarah thrust her hand in the woman’s direction. “I’m here to help.” Marta acceptedthe offered hand and gave it a rather limp shake. “I have ten years’ experience working cases very much like this.”
