The Case of the Former Blackmailer in Las Vegas: A Cozy Tiffany Black Mystery (Tiffany Black Cases Book 8) by A.R. Winters

Author:A.R. Winters [Winters, A.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-03-02T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER NINETEEN

I was nervous that Rouland would have words to say about our ongoing investigation. Last time we spoke, he had his suspect in the cells and a confession. But I hadn’t dropped my investigation yet.

“Howdy,” Rouland said, his tone light and pleasant. “How’s life in the big smoke?”

“Sweet.” I was staring at the few crumbs that remained of my cupcake at the time. “Is there something I can help you with? Is there something going on with the Mollier case?”

Rouland chuckled slowly, the sound pleasant and musical.

“The case is swell. Our man is going to confess at any moment. But I heard something, and I figured I might be able to help you out.”

Uh-oh.

“How so?”

“You know how it is in small towns. People talk to each other. Everyone’s always up in everyone else’s business. That means I hear things without even trying.”

“Oh?”

“Yep. And I heard your assistant’s been looking to talk to a lawyer. Been calling up every lawyer’s office in the state, seems like. I thought I might save you some bother. Would you like the number of Monty Greenwald’s lawyer?”

So much for trying to find the lawyer without tipping off the sheriff. He was tipping me off!

“That would be great, thank you.” I tried not to let the shock I was feeling show in my voice.

Rouland read out the name, phone number, and address of their suspect’s lawyer, and I took careful note. Rosie saw what was happening and visibly slumped in front of me. She’d been working on that task, but now we had the information, making her fruitless efforts pointless.

“And you’re sure he’s going to confess?” I asked after I safely had all the details.

Rouland chuckled to himself with a rich, mellifluous laugh before he replied.

“Like I told you, we caught him almost red-handed. His lawyer will tell him to fess up for a more lenient sentencing. It’s just a matter of time.”

“But are you really sure it was him? Is it possible you overlooked something? Couldn’t there be another explanation for what you found?”

Rouland no longer sounded so jovial next time he responded. In fact, he sounded downright irritated. It was understandable I supposed. I was basically accusing him of doing his job poorly. But I needed to know.

“Look, miss, I’ve got boots on the ground. I’ve got eyes on the scene. I know this land, and I know these people. No offense, but you spent just five minutes up here, with your big-city attitude and your big-city claims of some big grand conspiracy. Things ain’t like that up here. Things are simple. You find someone fleeing a crime scene, nine times out of ten you’ve got yourself the fella who committed the crime. You dig?”

“Sorry.” A beat. “But nine times out of ten? What about the other time?”

Rouland sighed, and he was really beginning to sound irritated now.

“That was a figure of speech. I’m telling you how things are. We caught the guy and that’s the end of it. I’ll ask you kindly, please, miss, let us do our work.

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