Page 72 of Little Hidden Fears

“Not only did I look at them, I used a magnifying glass to see if there were any details that would help us. I came up with nothing.”

“What about Lenore?” I asked. “How did your conversation with her go?”

“I spoke to her last night. She was a lot less chatty than I expected. She answered my questions but said little beyond that. For someone who didn’t know Dominic well, she’s sure upset about his death.”

Of course she was upset.

Her rags-to-riches dreams had just been dashed.

“I was hoping we’d get somewhere with the few guests who remained until the lights went out and all hell broke loose,” I said. “Maybe we need to cast a wider net, check with the guests who were there earlier in the evening, see where they went after the party and if they have alibis for the time of Noelle’s murder.”

“I can do that. Might take a while.”

“It’s all right. I’m thinking the divide-and-conquer approach might be the best way of catching this guy.”

“What about you?” Hunter asked. “What’s happened since we last met?”

I filled them in on the places I’d been, the people I’d seen, and the ones I suspected the most.

“Sounds like your main suspects are tied to the tennis club in some way,” Hunter said. “Do you want me to get background information on any of them?”

“Alexander Beaumont strikes me as a person who would pay to keep things quiet to protect his family,” I said. “Not that I fault him for it. The more money a person makes, the more everything needs to be safeguarded. Go ahead, shake some trees, and let’s see what falls out.”

“It feels like we’re being pulled in different directions with this case,” Simone said. “I can’t make sense of it, or why Noelle was murdered.”

“I agree—we’re missing something, a key point. Once I figure out what it is, I’m sure all our questions will be answered. We just have to keep pushing.”

“Is there anything else we can do to help you?” Simone asked.

“Not right now. I think I’m going to head home earlier than usual and soak in the hot tub while I go over the file Barbara gave me. Why don’t we regroup in the morning?”

“Sounds great,” Hunter said.

She hopped off the kitchen counter, grabbing her hoodie and slipping it on.

“You two go on ahead,” I said. “I’ll be right behind you.”

As I watched them walk out the door, I began thinking about the file I needed to go through. Then I thought about the notes I’d taken since the case started. It was possible going over them one more time would prove useful. I grabbed them out of mydesk drawer and slipped them into my handbag next to the file folder.

My cell phone rang, and I answered it. “I was just going to call you.”

“I wanted to check in,” Zoey said. “Are you any closer to finding out what happened to Noelle?”

“I’d say so. I have a few good leads.”

I heard what sounded like clapping on the other end of the line, and then she said, “I’m glad to hear it.”

“How are things with Lucas? Did the two of you have a good talk?”

“We had a great talk. He apologized for leaving, and I apologized for ... well, everything. We’re back together, though I’m not sure we were ever apart. The wedding is stillofffor now. We’ve decided to wait until I’m in a better place.”

“I’m glad to hear it. You sound a lot better than you did the last time we talked.”

“Hiring you has helped put me at ease. I know you’re going to solve this case. I feel it in my gut.”

I did too.

And my gut was telling me I was a lot closer to solving it than it may have seemed.

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