Page 72 of In the Line of Ire

"Yeah.Now I can see the temptation to make a fast buck."

"Anyconnection to the mall?"

I ran myeye over her financial records. "It doesn't look like she set footin the mall for over a year," I said. "She doesn't seem to buy muchof anything. Just pays for the most basic utilities."

"Whatabout food?"

"Norestaurant bills."

"No, I meanfood.Groceries for the house."

Ichecked again. "No, I don't see any supermarket charges. That'sodd."

"Shemust be paying in cash. Probably the purse money."

"She hada PIN machine receipt for card payments last night. Where did thatmoney go?"

"Couldit be supplied by the counterfeiters or from a secret account?Maybe one that isn't under her real name?"

Ishrugged. "I have no idea. If we had the machine involved, could itbe connected to an account?"

"I haveno idea."

"I don'tsuppose it matters since I can hardly steal it. There aren't anypayments entering her joint checking account so I can't seeanything that might connect her to anyone else on our suspectlist."

"Probably paying into another account, then converting it tocash, like I said, and using the cash to pay her immediateexpenses."

"Iguess. I'll check her social media and see what I can find," I saidas Delgado turned back to his laptop. I plugged Charlaine's nameinto a search engine and spent another half hour looking her up butthere wasn't much more current information. Nothing beyond what I'dalready noted. She had a Facebook account but her settings wereprivate and the few photos she was tagged in didn't say anythingpertinent. She looked the same as she did last night: elegant andperfectly coiffed, her clothes neat, expensive, and not at allshowy. Despite her husband's incarceration, she kept upappearances. I had to wonder how long it had been since sheexhausted all of her avenues of money and had to resort to sellingfake purses to her rich friends for a quick, easy payday. Yet, tryas I might, I couldn't find anything to connect her to Magda, Joan,Curtis, Tansy or anyone else at Page’s or HeavenlyHandbags.

I pickedup my phone and called Maddox.

"Yougoing to work today?" he asked.

"I'm duein at two," I told him. "Are you there already?"

"Sittingoutside in my car. Drumming up the courage to face another day inretail."

"Thecourage? You were an MPD detective and now you're an FBIagent."

"Retailis way scarier."

"Magdawill protect you," I snipped.

"Ooh,bitchy," said Maddox.

"I amnot!"

Maddoxlaughed. "What can I do for you?"

"I foundanother fake purse yesterday."

"Found?"

"Bought."

"Howmuch did you plunk down for a fake purse?"

I toldhim the figure and he whistled his reaction. "I was shown a realone. I received a fake. But I expected it might happen, based on atip."

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