Caper Goes Missing by Cynthia Hickey

Author:Cynthia Hickey [Hickey, Cynthia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Winged Publications
Published: 2019-06-20T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Milton glanced up in surprise from the bullpen when Ann led me and Mrs. Schultz into the station. “Don’t tell me you’ve solved the case after living with CJ for fewer than twenty-four hours.”

Ann shook her head. “No, but I might have gotten us our first solid lead.” She helped the distraught Mrs. Schultz into a chair in a small interrogation room, then took a seat opposite Mrs. Schultz at a battered metal table, leaving me to pull up a chair beside her. Ann folded her hands on the table. “It’s quite a coincidence that you’ve managed to stumble upon several pieces of the missing jewelry.”

Milton joined us, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall. “This ought to be interesting.”

“I go for walks and look in, under, and between everything. You never know what you might find.” The poor thing twisted the hem of her blouse with her hands.

“If you’re as innocent as you claim, what’s the alibi you say you have?” Ann’s face could have been carved from stone.

“I was getting a slice of pie at the diner.”

“The diner that happens to be across the street from the jewelry store?”

Her eyes widened. “The town isn’t that big. Everything is close by.”

True. Ann would have to find more to go on if she wanted to convict Mrs. Schultz.

“You must have seen something on your rambling quests,” Ann said. “Think. Without other evidence, you are our main person of interest.”

“Oh, mercy.” Mrs. Schultz exhaled. “Give me a minute. I tend to be so focused on what I’m doing, I rarely notice what goes on around me.”

“You’d better start,” Milton said, playing an even badder cop than Ann.

Tears ran freely down Mrs. Schultz’s face by this time. “I saw CJ’s dog. She gets around as much as I do, but I guess a dog isn’t a suspect.”

“No, ma’am,” Ann said.

She proceeded to describe all the people she’d noticed walking along the lake’s edge. A whole lot of people, considering she didn’t pay attention to what went on around her. Lies or confusion? It didn’t help clear her of guilt. “Oh, I saw someone in baggy clothes and a hat leaning over the dock early one evening.”

“Before or after the drowning?” Milton barked.

“Before?”

“Is that a question?”

She shook her head. “No, I did see someone. I think.” Yes, clearly confused a lot of the time, poor thing.

“That’s where I found the cache,” I volunteered, trying to give Mrs. Schultz time to compose herself. “I think someone watched me get it, then came to my house the night Mr. Goads drowned.”

Ann exhaled sharply through her nose. “We’ll take you home, Mrs. Schultz, but let me advise you not to leave town.”

It was a quiet ride home. Tammy hadn’t yet started sorting, so we left Mrs. Schultz to finish what we’d started, and then headed back to my place to get the golf cart. “I don’t think she’s the thief,” I said as we headed for the other side of the lake.

“Neither do I.” Ann sighed.

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