A Binding Chance by Jessica Brimer

Author:Jessica Brimer [Brimer, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Next Chapter

Chapter 19

Jane and I left after Stone reassured us he would be doing his own investigating. I felt more determined to find the killer, assuming both murders were committed by the same person. Solving the cases became paramount over keeping the bookstore open. It was personal. Based on Jane’s lack of talking, I sensed she felt the same as I did.

While driving back to my place, I thought about my hometown. The occasional crime consisted of trespassing, stealing lawn property, drama between spouses or neighbors, and drunks. Despite all of this, Sevier Oak was still considered a good place to live. It was even safe enough for people to leave their homes or vehicles unlocked overnight. People baked casseroles when someone came down with the flu too sick to cook, or when a farm animal escaped their pin, people put them back in without any trouble from the owner.

So how did murder slip into this friendly town? Twice? Sure, Sevier Oak residents loved to gossip and were nosey, but at the end of the day we were a community who looked out for one another. Which town folk had taken matters into their own hands?

I shook my head at these awful thoughts. Maybe I was looking at this wrong. After Doris Hackett won the lottery, she turned her back on everyone, including her only sister. Preston had built a beautiful cabin deep in the woods just to have Doris tear it down to reconstruct a mansion. Then, she added a high fence around the vast property to keep people away. Perhaps the killer wanted to be Doris. Jealousy was a powerful motive. As of now, no one had inherited Doris’s millionaire status.

But where did Teresa come into play? Was it the killer’s plan to kill her or a matter of wrong place, wrong time? Before I could formulate more questions, I was pulling into my driveway having navigated there on autopilot. I climbed out of the car and walked in the house with Jane on my heels. We sat in the same spots as before.

I watched Jane fiddle with her nails. The redness from her eyes was slowly fading back to normal. Any doubts I had of her being the killer were gone. Boss-Lady might’ve loved money more than a bookstore, but not more than her aunt. I couldn’t see Jane harming Teresa for an inheritance or plotting murder.

In my book, Jane was innocent.

I wanted to talk about the murders, but which one? Should I start with Teresa’s death, or the day Doris died and work backwards? Or go over the suspects again to find a connection between the two women? Should I call Dad and ask for him to come back to Sevier Oak? Jane’s soft words stopped these racing thoughts.

“Teresa gave me the bookstore because I hated my job,” she said. “Her original will stated for the store and everything else to go to you. She changed it after the New Year.”

I stopped myself from questions. This was a keep-your-mouth-shut moment, and let her speak.

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