Page 111 of Murder By the Millions

“A cat didn’t scratch me.”

“After a few days, if you start noticing swollen lymph nodes or fever, you really need to contact your doctor.”

Automatically, she swallowed hard. “Give me the bracelet.”

“I can’t. It’s evidence.”

“Of what?”

“Of you breaking into my house and stealing an artifact.”

“I did no such thing.”

“Darcy wasn’t happy about your intrusion. That’s why he attacked you. I figure you raced out in pain and didn’t realize until later his assault unlatched the bracelet. It must have been some tussle. The bracelet wound up clinging to a loose spring beneath the armchair. When I didn’t mention finding it, you thought you were in the clear.”

She studied me with loathing. “Why did you go to my great-aunt’s house? Who gave you permission?”

I cocked my head. “I didn’t think I needed permission to show kindness to a woman who’s housebound.”

“She’s not house—”

“You’re out of money. You can’t afford to keep your great-aunt in the home any longer and are so desperate to move her, you do your best to convince people she’s losing her marbles.”

“She is.”

“She seemed perfectly sane to me. In fact, she seemed with it.”

“With it.Right.” She scoffed.

“You’ve been diligent about giving the impression that you’re doing fine financially. New hair highlights. New jackets. New handbag. You even told everybody you secured a loan to renovate your house.”

“I am doing fine.”

“Yeah.Not.” I plowed ahead. “Here’s what I think happened. Weeks ago, when Jason came to town and asked for your help toget the town council’s approval of his project, you dunned him for money.”

“I didn’t dun him.”

“He paid. He really wanted those properties. But when the final notices about the foreclosure started to appear, and you pressed him for more—”

“What foreclosure?”

“Finette, can it!” I barked, tired of our little dance. “I saw the bank notices at Katherine’s. When Jason realized you had no extra sway with the council members, and believed he could get any or all of them on his side without forking over another dime, he reneged on your arrangement. You acted all cozy with him, but in truth, you were livid. You were going to go bankrupt if you didn’t do something. You figured if you got rid of him, you could put the squeeze on some other chump. Someone like your former lover, Iggie Luckenbill.”

She didn’t respond, which had to mean my guess was right.

“Why did you frame me, Finette?” I pronounced her name the way Katherine preferred.

She repeated her name the way she liked it, with a shorti,accent on the second syllable.

“Finette,” I echoed to appease her. “Why did you want me to take the fall for Jason’s murder? Because of your infatuation with Zach Armstrong?”

“I’m not infatuated with him.”

“Sure you are. Did you think once I was out of the way, you could swoop in and win his heart? When did you come up with the idea?” I snapped my fingers. “Hold on! I know exactly when. The day I lost my Celtic earring, a scenario came to you—a way to get rid of Jason and me at the same time.”

She glowered.

“Soon after, on the night of the neighborhood watch party, you got the clever idea to steal the spearpoint. How did you getinto the house without alerting—” I halted as a light bulb clicked on in my mind. “You saw me using the spare house key I kept in my van.”