Page 44 of Coveted Justice

“I wouldn’t either but apparently the neighbors were getting an eyeful on a regular basis. I think we need to check if Marty had these wild parties before they moved to that house. Is this a long-standing habit or something more recent?”

“I can check into that. Do you think this swinger’s club might have anything to do with his death?”

“It’s too soon to know for sure. It sounds like it’s the reason for the loud parties, but his being shot? We don’t know near enough information and my gut isn’t telling me anything right now. Could he have pissed off a jealous husband? Possibly. The neighbors gave us some license plate numbers and we’re going to look those people up and talk to them. Now I’ll know where to start the questioning.”

“I have some information about the kids as well,” Jared said. “The daughter’s finances are pretty solid. Nothing major or out of the ordinary there. It looks like Marty paid for her condo and car, but she does have a job and she seems like a responsible person. She’s deep into the market and she makes good investments. She’s socked away her own small fortune.”

“And the son?”

“That’s a whole different story. From what I can see, he’s never had a job. Ever. Not even an internship or slinging fries at a greasy spoon. He dropped out of several colleges and right now it looks like he spends his days at the country club playing tennis, and the evenings at fancy nightspots dropping a wad of cash. His credit cards are all at their limit and Daddy pays the bills.”

“I wonder if Marty was getting tired of being the bank for a kid that won’t get a job.”

“It wouldn’t make me very happy, I’ll say that,” Jared declared. “But that’s one of those questions that I can’t help you with. You’ll have to ask the people that know him.”

“We’re going to need to talk to both of the children,” Tanner replied. “I think I’ll talk to the daughter first. See what she has to say about the situation. Maybe they didn’t think it was a big deal. Rich people are different than the rest of us.”

“I’ll have more details once I have the chance to really dig into Marty’s finances. I also have a call in to his attorney to see if a divorce was imminent.”

“From what Marty’s business partner says, I think that’s going to be a no. Although Amanda and the other kids heard much different that night.”

“Have you talked to Abby today?”

“No, but I told her to lie low and stay out of the press. The less she talks the better. Chatting to the press about a murder charge never helped anyone’s case.”

“I guess you haven’t seen the news then today?”

Tanner was afraid to even ask, but he didn’t have a choice.

“No, I’ve been on the road and talking to the neighbors. I think you’re about to tell me that Abby got her face in the newspapers.”

“In a way. She gave an exclusive interview to a television reporter. Seth sent me the link. I’m guessing he was going to tell you as well but wanted to do it in person.”

“Fuck,” Tanner hissed, his teeth snapping together in frustration. “Son of a bitch. She never listens. You’d think if she didn’t listen to me, then she’d listen to her attorney.”

“Her lawyer was sitting right next to her, so I think she was okay with it.”

“I can’t think of one good thing that’s going to come from it, but it’s her life.”

“Second-guessing your decision to help your ex?”

“Every minute of every day. Our divorce wasn’t a nasty one, but it wasn’t all rainbows and kitten whiskers either. I do want to help Abby, and I don’t think she’s a killer, but damn she makes it hard sometimes.”

“I’m going to keep digging here on my end. Let me know if there’s anything you need me to do.”

“Thank you. Thanks to all of you who are helping. I just want to get to the bottom of who killed Marty as quickly as possible.”

Even if it was Abby.

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