Page 53 of Skin and Bones

“You think he had something to do with her death?” I asked.

“Not Roy,” Vanessa said. “He was a coward at heart. Wouldn’t have the guts to kill anyone himself. Always had guys to do his dirty work for him.”

“Who?” I asked.

“That’s all the time I have today,” she said.

“So it’s someone besides Roy you’re afraid of,” Dottie said.

Vanessa mouth tightened stubbornly. “I have inventory to catalog.”

Dottie grunted and we turned to leave the shop. But she stopped at the door and turned back. “You know what I find funny,” she said. “Or maybe just coincidental. Is how you purchased this building from Lucinda for right at market value. It’s prime real estate. Do the two of you stay in touch?”

Vanessa’s composure cracked just slightly. “You’re mistaken. I purchased this building through a brokerage firm.”

Dottie just smiled knowingly and we left Vanessa standing rigid behind her counter, her face a carefully controlled mask that didn’t quite hide the calculation behind her eyes.

“Well,” I said once we were safely out of earshot, “That was pretty useless.”

“We got more information than you realize,” Dottie said. “She was lying about almost everything.”

“How’d you know about her buying the boutique from Lucinda?” I asked.

“Hank told me,” she said. “A friend of his was the presiding judge during Roy and Lucinda’s divorce, and apparently Roy didn’t want to divulge that he owned this whole strip of real estate. Had it buried under some bogus developer name. I’m sure Harrington helped him with that.”

“Good grief,” I said. “Commercial real estate on Grimm Island is worth millions.”

“Exactly,” Dottie said. “Makes you wonder how an elected sheriff could afford all that, doesn’t it?”

“I take it the judge found out he was hiding assets?” I asked.

“And then some,” Dottie said, grinning. “Turns out an investigative reporter had put together a nice little exposé on Milton’s assets and published it in the Gazette with receipts. I believe you know the reporter.”

“No,” I said, mouth falling open. “Bea?”

“She’s very gifted,” Dottie said. “Probably one of the best investigative journalists in the country with the best sources. But she liked the gossip beat because it scandalized her family more.”

Our walk back to the tea shop was slower than a snail race on a hot summer day. Dottie kept stopping to window-shop, claiming interest in everything from garden ornaments to fishing tackle. I wasn’t born yesterday—she needed to rest but was too proud to admit it. All the Silver Sleuths were cut from the same stubborn cloth, acting like their Medicare cards were invitations to the Olympic trials.

“Want an ice cream?” I asked as we approached Lickety Split. “My treat.”

Dottie’s face brightened like she’d just spotted a perfectly preserved cadaver. “I wouldn’t say no to one. I’m partial to the raspberry swirl.”

We stepped into the parlor’s cheerful interior, and Dottie made a beeline for one of those white wrought-iron chairs with the heart-shaped backs, lowering herself with the careful precision of someone whose knees had opinions about sudden movements. I ordered our ice creams and paid, but by the time I turned around, she’d already hauled herself back to her feet, clutching her purse like it contained state secrets.

“I can’t dawdle today,” she announced. “I want to be home in time for my afternoon soaps.”

“So finish telling me about Lucinda and Vanessa. And Bea,” I said, handing her the raspberry swirl.

Dottie’s eyes sparkled with gossip as she took a lick. “Well, let’s just say there’s never been any love lost between Milton and Bea. That exposé sealed his fate—after the judge found out Milton had been hiding assets, he awarded Lucinda the majority of all their real estate holdings outright.” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “If Milton could’ve murdered Bea and gotten away with it, I think he would have. He was livid.

“But then Milton and Vanessa headed to divorce court,” she continued, gesturing with her ice cream cone, “and Vanessa isn’t nearly as smart as Lucinda was. Milton learned from his first mistake and got Vanessa and her attorney to agree to what they thought was a generous cash settlement.”

“I’m assuming he didn’t disclose everything again?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“Bingo,” she said, pointing her ice cream at me. “But Vanessa didn’t know that, so she jumped at the cash offer and signed the papers. Went before the same judge too.” Dottie’s eyes narrowed. “From what I understand, the judge made a comment after he’d looked at the signed agreement that got Vanessa’s wheels turning. You see, Lucinda’s the one who reached out to Vanessa and offered to let her buy the boutique property.”

“Good grief, why?” I asked, nearly dropping my cone. “I thought Lucinda hated her. She’s a horrid woman.”

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