Nasty Knead by Jessica Beck

Author:Jessica Beck [Beck, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-02-21T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

“THAT SHOULDN’T HAVE happened,” Jake said as he bent to examine the door lock. “Look, there’s a piece of duct tape on the latch, keeping it from closing.”

“That means that whoever killed Bo didn’t have to go through the front to get backstage in order to commit the murder,” I said.

“It means that, and more,” Jake said. “It also shows that whoever did this planned to kill Bo all along, and that they had access to the theater at some point recently, too. This was no spur-of-the-moment homicide, Suzanne. Someone planned it out, and carefully too.”

“What are we going to do about it?” I asked him.

“Let’s not do anything just yet. I’m going to go get the chief,” Jake said.

“That sounds good to me,” I said as I started to follow him.

“You need to stay here,” Jake explained as he stopped.

“Hang on a second. He’s just as likely to listen to me as he is to you. Why shouldn’t I go with you?”

“Think about it. Whoever taped this door open is going to want to remove the evidence as soon as possible, but they can’t do that right now. I’m betting our killer is sitting out there in the audience, biding their time, waiting for the opportunity to clean up their tracks.”

“There’s one thing I don’t understand. If they planned the murder all along, why didn’t they just grab the tape after they killed Bo?”

“Murder is a violent business,” Jake explained. “I shouldn’t have to tell you, of all people, that. I’m sure what seemed like a well-constructed plan didn’t seem all that rational once the killer struck. I’m willing to wager that they panicked and only remembered the tape later. That’s why one of us needs to guard this door. If you’d like to be the one to go get Chief Grant, I’ll be happy to stand guard here myself.”

I remembered how dismissive the chief had been to me earlier, and how respectful he usually was of Jake. It wasn’t because of our sexes, though. It was because I was, and would always be in his mind, an amateur, while my husband was a well-respected former member of the state police. If our sexes had been reversed, there was no doubt in my mind that Stephen Grant would defer to me instead of Jake, not that I had to like it the way it was now. I thought everyone around me should treat me as special. Not really, but it certainly was an easy trap to fall into. “I’ll stay.”

“Are you sure?” he asked me.

“Just go before I change my mind,” I said with a grin.

Jake took off down the hallway to get the police chief, and I walked a few feet inside, stopping only to take a few photos of the doctored door with my phone while I had the chance. It was getting cool out, and the heat from the building felt nice. I leaned against the wall, and I was looking down the hallway expectantly when I heard a ruckus outside.

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