Page 33 of Little Hidden Fears

“What did he have to say?”

“He focused on the cause of death. Noelle was manually strangled, and she had fingerprint indentations on her neck, bruises from where she’d been grabbed. He seems to think they’re too large to have been made by a woman.”

“That’s a start,” Hunter said.

“What about Foley and Whitlock?” Simone asked. “Do they know we’re investigating this case?”

“I spoke with them right after I accepted it.”

“Good, now ... how can we help?”

I grabbed my notebook, flipping back to the page I needed. I tore it out and set it in front of them. “Here’s a list of all the people who were still at the party when the murder took place. Hunter, I’d like you to run a background check on them, see what you can find.”

“What about me?” Simone asked.

“Once Hunter gives you their details, I’d like you to speak to them, get their version of what happened that night, so we can see if everyone’s stories match up. And, I have something for you.” I opened my drawer, pulling out the baggie of photos, and I handed it to her. “Zoey said these photos were taken at the engagement party. I’ve been through them, and none seem suspicious. As you talk to the party guests, look through the photos. Maybe you’ll see something important that I missed.”

“Sure thing. Any preference on who I should talk to first?”

I pressed a finger to Lenore’s name. “This woman’s a curious one.”

“How so?”

“She is Zoey’s fiancé’s ex-girlfriend, so the fact she was even invited to their engagement party seems strange to me. I guess they’re still good friends, and Zoey doesn’t seem to mind. Even stranger is that Lenore has been stopping by Dominic’s house ever since Noelle died.”

“What the ...? Does she even know the guy?”

“Not well. The first time they met was at the engagement party.”

“Then why was she going over there?”

“She said she was checking on him, bringing him a casserole. But from what I understand, there were multiple casseroles delivered.”

“Uhh, one casserole I can understand,” Simone said. “Multiple? Seems sketchy.”

“I think so too.”

“What’s your opinion about her visits?”

“I think she was interested in Dominic ... well, in his money, at least.”

Simone and Hunter exchanged glances, and Simone tapped a finger to the top of my desk, thinking. “Silas may be leaning toward a male killer. But what if ... and this is a bit of a stretch, but hear me out—what if Lenore showed up to the party, saw the lavish lifestyle Dominic and Noelle were living, and in a moment of jealousy, she murdered Noelle, hoping to step in and cash in on the lifestyle herself?”

“It’s a theory, and Lenore is on my radar. I don’t think someone would attend a party where they meet the hosts for the first time and make a rash decision to murder the wife in the hopes of assuming their lifestyle. If they’d known each other before, that would be different.”

“She was strangled by hand,” Simone said, “which tells me her death may have been personal.”

“I thought the same thing.”

“Do you have any suspects yet?” Hunter asked.

“When I was talking to Dominic, he shared a dark part of Noelle’s past. He admitted she was raped in high school by a guy named Gabe Romero, and Hunter, I’d like you to see if you can locate where he’s living now so I can pay him a visit. I also want to know about his background and who his parents are.”

Hunter grabbed a pen sitting next to my notebook and added his name to the list, along with the words EVIL RAPIST beside it.

“Gabe was Noelle’s boyfriend at the time of the rape, which happened when they were at the park one night. He pushed her to have sex, and when she refused, he hit her, and then he raped her. Not long after, Dominic walked by, saw her crying, and that’s how their relationship began. He talked her into telling the police about it, and she turned Gabe in.”

“Did he serve any time?”

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