Page 110 of No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding

“What’s the relevance of that?” Connor asks.

“It means José was the one who wrote to Fred to get him into that basement yesterday.”

“Or someone used José’s phone,” Harper says.

“Why would someone use José’s phone to get Fred into a basement?” Shawna asks, gnawing at her bottom lip.

“Misdirection, indubitably,” Inspector Tucci says.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Connor says. “A man doesn’t just give up his phone like that. He’s clearly involved.”

“So,” David says, “Josélured Fred to the basement and hit him on the head, then left him down there?”

“Maybe,” I say.

“At the behest of someone else?”

“Stands to reason. I don’t think he just randomly decided to hit a major movie star on the head the night before his wedding and lock him in a half basement without there being a fairly good reason. It’s not howI’dwrite it, anyway.”

“Wasthat door locked?” Connor says, ignoring my sarcasm. “I don’t remember that.”

“Jammed, whatever. Don’t edit me, Connor.”

“But why would anyone lure Fred to the basement?” David says, pressing the issue. “What for?”

Emma looks down at the ground. “Because he was in love with me.”

“José was in love with you?”

“No, Tyler.”

“Emma,” I warn.

“It’s okay, El. I told Fred everything last night.” She raises her eyes to his. He nods twice but doesn’t seem happy about it.

I mean, who would be?

“Love,” Inspector Tucci says with a nod of the head that I assume he thinks makes him look wise. “It’s a powerful emotion.”

“Either motive would do, honestly. Or both,” Connor says. “But I must defend my client. His intelligence at least.”

“What’s that got to do with it?” Oliver says.

“Why would he hire me to find Fred’s assets when he was planning on killing Fred?”

“Or Emma,” I add.

“Maybe it’s a smoke screen,” Oliver says. “So you could make this exact point.”

“Does Tyler strike you as a murderer?” David says. “Not me.”

“Me neither,” Simone says. “Not one bit.”

“What do you know about it?” I bite.

“I wouldn’t cast him in the part, that’s for sure.”

“We’re not casting parts.”

---