Page 112 of Murder By the Millions
“Who needed a key?” She smirked. “My father taught me how to pick a lock. He was adamant I know how to save myself in all sorts of situations.”
“He must’ve been a stand-up guy.”
She frowned.
“No? He wasn’t all he was cracked up to be?” I asked. “Did you blame him for your current circumstance because he was such a do-gooder and never saved a dime, as he’d recommended? Not to mention he took in his aunt—your great-aunt—and then died, leaving you to foot the bill?”
“He was a saint. He taught me everything I know.”
I inhaled sharply as another realization struck me. When Tegan and I were making plans to go to the caverns, Finette had appeared at the office door. She’d asked about our picnic. Tegan mentioned we were going on a hike and she would drive. “Did your dad also teach you how to mess with a car’s coolant system so the car might have trouble on a steep country road?”
A vicious smile pulled at her lips.
I continued. “You came to the bookshop, not because you actually wanted another copy ofThe Great Gatsbyfor your great-aunt—why would you spend another dime on her?—but because you heard Lillian questioning Iggie about his alibi, and you believed I’d put her up to it.”
“You must have. She is not a self-starter.”
She was, but I wouldn’t quibble. “You worried that in time, I’d figure out you were the killer, so you targeted Tegan’s car, hoping it would fail and I’d die.”
She didn’t respond.
“For the longest time, one thing stumped me,” I went on. “I couldn’t fathom how the killer could have sent memessages from Jason’s phone and erased them, until I recalled overhearing you and Iggie talking about Burt the Cyber Buddy. His fans are techies, which means you’re one. My guess? On one of his blogs you read about an app that could help the user delete messages from a cell phone. You followed instructions and made it impossible for me to prove to Zach that Jason—actually you—had summoned me to his house.”
“Burt is wise beyond measure, but no, I didn’t learn how to reconfigure phones from him.”
I hissed. “It doesn’t matter how you figured it out. My guess is the idea came to you when you and Iggie were facing off Sunday morning.”
“Facing off?”
“At Ragamuffin he threatened to press for your dismissal.” I clucked my tongue. “Poor Iggie. You weren’t content to simply frame me. You wanted to entrap him, as well. Ever since he dumped you, he’s been a bur in your side, hasn’t he?”
“What a quaint expression.”
“I’m assuming when you helped him with his cuff link that day, you got the inspiration to leave one at the crime scene to make it seem like he’d argued with Jason, as backup in case Zach couldn’t possibly believe I was guilty. Did you have a duplicate made by the jeweler who sells you your infinity pieces? The police will find out.”
She didn’t answer.
“As for the mud—”
“What mud?”
“At the crime scene. It baffled me. For the longest time I thought it was a clue proving Patrick Hardwick killed Jason. His boots are always dirty. But in the end, I realized Jason tracked it in. No one else. Neighbors often saw him tweaking his gardens, trying to make them perfect for Delilah.”
“Delilah. Spare me. What a fool he was for that woman.” Finette faked a yawn. “She didn’t love him. She would never love him. How he went on and on about her. It was pathetic.” She checked her watch. “And now, although this has been a lovely exercise in deduction, Allie, I must go.”
“One more thing before you do. Tell me the truth. When you stabbed him, did you scream with fury?”
She huffed. “I will be more than gracious and not cite you for harassment with that accusation. I will chalk up your mistakes to your impulsiveness. You should work on that aspect of your personality. It’s a nasty habit.” She started to leave.
“Hold it, Miss Fineworthy,” Zach said. He and Bates emerged from the shadows, along with Tegan and Vanna, and I breathed easier. “After listening in on your chat, I’d like you to accompany my partner and me to the precinct.”
“Whatever for?”
“For the murder of Jason Gardner, as well as for animal cruelty. Moose’s owners’ security cams caught a perfect photograph of you unlatching the gate to the outdoor dog run.”
“Did you find Moose?” I asked.
“He is safely home with his people,” Zach said, after which he read Finette her rights.
