Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57502 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 288(@200wpm)___ 230(@250wpm)___ 192(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57502 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 288(@200wpm)___ 230(@250wpm)___ 192(@300wpm)
Jane didn’t want to suspect her friend. So. Supposing Abigail had told the truth, which was highly unlikely, but still supposing… if the killer had followed Lucy out at top speed, intending to stop the only witness, Abigail would’ve seen him, too. But she hadn’t. So, either he hadn’t chased Lucy, Lucy had lied, or Abigail was covering for the killer. He could’ve hung back and locked up. Even cleaned up, putting Jane’s phone in her purse. But why not kill her and finish the job? Unless he thought her already dead. Perhaps he’d never intended to kill her. He needed his player two, after all. But where did that leave Conrad in the equation?
Argh! So many roads to travel.
“I don’t know if this matters, but I saw a pair of men’s shoes near the back door. On the outside,” Christopher clarified. “Jeb doesn’t recall seeing them, though. They were dress shoes. I’m not sure what size. Over ten, if I had to guess.”
Dress shoes. Over ten. Had the killer feared leaving prints on the store’s floor?
“That’s it,” the fireman added. “That’s all I wanted to tell you.”
“Could you identify the shoes from a photo?” Conrad asked, making Jane think they weren’t there when the police arrived.
“Maybe?” Christopher hiked his shoulders. “I glimpsed them once but didn’t regard them as a thing of importance at the time. Maybe they aren’t. But I’ve been replaying the event again and again.” A shudder rocked his entire body. “I haven’t been able to turn off the mental feedback, actually.”
Jane’s chest squeezed. She reached over and patted the top of his hand.
He gave her a small smile before telling Conrad, “I hope I’ve helped in some way.”
“You have.” The world’s most perfect lawman stood, and Jane followed suit.
Christopher stood as well, and the two men shook hands again.
“I’ll see you tomorrow at Hannah’s memorial. If you attend, of course,” Jane said.
“Yep. I’ll be there to support Maggie.” The fireman paused only a moment before saying, “Did you know Australia is wider than the moon by six hundred kilometers?”
“I didn’t, but I do now. Okay. Bye.” She smiled and waved, then hurried to open the door.
Her ex breezed through the opening. Brimming over with thoughts, she shut the door behind him, ready to dissect this dress shoe bombshell. But when she turned to face Conrad, he crossed his arms over his chest. Grim expectation etched his features.
“What?” she asked, looking left and right.
“Tell me everything you know about Christopher Wellington.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
The dialogue tag “said” is boring. Let your characters whisper vehemently or blast with indignant fury!!!
Y’all Write Now–Advice for New Writers
by Tabby Paynes-Murksand
Whoa. Jane jolted with realization. “You suspect Christopher of being the killer.” She trudged to her seat and plopped down. But that was preposterous. Wasn’t it?
“He certainly fits Lucy’s description of the killer.” Conrad stated the words flatly, then sighed. “But no. He would’ve had to be in two places at once, killing Hannah while buying groceries with three other firemen.”
Hmm. A thought occurred to Jane. She remembered what Christopher had said. How the call had come in, mentioning an unconscious woman, and it had frightened him because he’d believed it was his girlfriend Maggie. He’d gone running. “Did the anonymous caller, who is probably the killer, give a description of the unconscious woman?”
“They mentioned a dark-haired female, but no other details.”
On the run, Lucy wouldn’t have taken the time to describe Jane’s hair color to the 911 operator. Right? And why mention that particular detail unless on purpose?
What if the caller hoped to lure Christopher to the Treasure Room? Perhaps Jane had been nothing but bait, and the killer had stuck around to strike at Christopher upon his arrival, but Lucy blew the plan to smithereens. A total possibility, especially as the caller gave the very detail needed to convince Christopher that Maggie was the victim.
Or perhaps the killer liked the idea of pitting Jane’s ex against her fiancé?
The fireman should go through his mortal enemies list STAT. Did Donnie Eggerson have a beef with him? Although, considering all the connections to certain book club members, that might be the better place to start. And since significant others were always the first suspects, Jane turned her attention right back to Maggie. Up the suspect list she climbed.
Did the mechanic hope to hurt Christopher by hiring a hitman to play this game? Get Christopher out of the way because she’d fallen in love with someone else, maybe? What better method of discarding him and gaining sympathy from others than losing him to a game of murder? But why choose Hannah, a close friend, as the first victim? A simple matter of opportunity?
An interesting line of supposition.
“While I don’t suspect Mr. Wellington of murder at this time,” Conrad said, picking up their conversation, “I do suspect him of being in love with you.” He sat and picked up a pen. “Tell me about your relationship with him. You’re ready. I see it in your eyes.”