Page 117 of Murder on Charity Lane

CJ sniffed a laugh. “They aren’t.”

“Ah, but they used to be.”

“They didn’t,” CJ said.

“Well, well, Sunny hates you!” Mrs. B brightly suggested.

“Why on earth would Sunny hate me?”

“You’re young? Believe me, dear, that’s more offensive than you know.”

“I’d be shocked if he ever even thought about me.”

Lily-Ann cleared her throat. “The best thing about Mrs. B’s theory is what she already mentioned. If Karina asked Sunny to fake his testimony, then her request condemns her. That gives us a way forward. By questioning him.”

“QED,” Mrs. B said.

“You have no idea what QED means,” Ocean said.

Mrs. B sniffed. “Of course I do.”

I shared a look with Nicholas, eager to hear her definition. Sadly, Lily-Ann turned her hazel gaze on CJ before we dove into that particular rabbit hole. “What do you know about this scandal of his?”

“Of Sunny’s? Mostly whispers. He’s obsessed with life extension. Obviously. He invested millions, maybe tens of millions, in various businesses and start-ups.”

“Like cryogenics?” I asked.

“They prefer the term ‘cryonics,’” Hamilton told me.

“And the scandal?” Lily-Ann repeated.

“Either Sunny lost so much money that he needed Frank to bail him out or…” CJ trailed off briefly. “Well, one way to extend your life is by using blood transfusions. I heard maybe Sunny was paying teenagers for not-quite-legal plasma donations.”

“Oh, my goodness.” Mrs. B fanned her face with her hand, setting her bracelets jangling. “Human experimentation is even better than illicit affairs!”

“For a very specific definition of ‘better,’” Hamilton said. “That does sound like a good juicy scandal though.”

CJ gave a wan smile. “The rumor is that Frank helped Sunny clear things up without facing legal charges.”

“And you know it’s not just a rumor,” Lily-Ann announced with absolute confidence. “Because Frank would’ve told you if it was untrue.”

“Exactly. If he hadn’t promised Sunny he’d keep quiet?” CJ smiled in forlorn remembrance. “Then he would’ve teased me for believing such a bizarre conspiracy.”

And that’s how I knew CJ hadn’t killed him. I could imagine passion turning into murder. I could imagine gratitude or dependence or lust turning into murder. But fondness? No. That smile of warm, uncomplicated memory? No.

CJ hadn’t pushed Frank DeYoung. Now we just needed to find out who had.

54

CJ

Listening to the other tenants brainstorm on her behalf felt to CJ like cuddling under a quilt in front of a fire. All warm and soul-happy, even when they’d pushed her to admit to those terrible online searches. When Ocean had put her arm around her, she couldn’t help but cry.

Then they’d started wondering if Karina arranged for Frank to have a dizzy spell that killed him. Mrs. B suggested that Karina had drugged Frank, and Ocean thought maybe she’d doped the liquor bottle. CJ hadn’t argued at the time because—well, because she’d felt completely out of it, after days in jail. And the entire pack of Marigolders could be a bit intimidating.

So after the meeting ended, she waited outside for Ocean to clear things up. However, Sophie emerged first. She stepped into the evening, a few stray strands of her hair wafting across her face, then gave CJ a quizzical smile.

“Hey, Sophie,” she said. “Do you have a second?”