Page 50 of Murder By the Millions

“I will truly miss him.” She pulled a tissue from her purse and dabbed her eyes. “He and I were as close as brother and sister. We thought the same way. We spoke with the same cadence. Each of us was an Internet nerd. We loved history. And books. And building things from the ground up. K’nex kits were my favorite toys as a kid, and they were his, too. Can you believe it?” She sighed. “The mall he wanted to build was going to be fabulous, filled with gadgets and interactive experiences, and now”—her face pinched with anger as she balled the tissue in her fist—“I suppose the vultures are salivating to offer a bid.”

“Couldn’t the town council choose not to allow anyone to build on the historic properties?” Chloe suggested.

“Yes.” I was glad she’d come up with the idea and not me. “Those houses are representative of the town’s first homes. The preservation society would like to offer a tour—”

“We shall see,” Finette interrupted. “We shall see.” She teared up again.

“Why were you and Jason so close?” Chloe asked. “He’d been here such a brief time.”

“On this trip. True.” Finette sighed dramatically. “But I met him months ago, when he made a previous trek to scout out Bramblewood. He was quite the talker. I discovered so much about him. He had to earn everything himself, as did I.”

No, he didn’t, if what Jason had told me at dinner was correct. His father had been a successful businessman, meaning Jason had probably inherited much of his wealth when his parents died in the avalanche.

“My parents didn’t have any pull,” Finette continued. “They couldn’t get me into the finest colleges. Couldn’t help me secure my first job. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t mind starting at the bottom. I made peanuts, but it built character. Jason said the same thing.”

Interesting how he’d cozied up to her with a comparable story. Had lying been his way of courting a favor from her?

“As a child, I never regretted not having money, because my parents were such good people. They gave readily to charities. They took in my great-aunt when her husband died. They made me proud.”

That would explain why she was selflessly helping her great-aunt now. To carry out her parents’ wishes.

“Did Jason’s parents donate to causes?” Tegan handed Finette the bag and accepted her credit card for payment.

“He didn’t mention it, but he and I often talked about the similarities of our youth. The way we had to create our own identities. Actually, he likened himself to Jay Gatsby, saying he’d been misunderstood all his life.” Finette fixed her gaze on me. “Allie, I heard you discovered the body, but Zach let you walk out scot-free.”

Scot-free?No wonder she was staring daggers at me.

“I didn’t kill him,” I said. “When I got there—”

“Allie is innocent.” Tegan handed Finette her credit card and a receipt to sign.

Finette waved her hand dismissively. “Zach has his favorites, of course.”

I bridled at the implication that it was purely a matter of time before he realized I was guilty.

“What has he discovered so far, Allie?” Finette asked while signing the receipt and pocketing the card. “Seeing as you have his ear.”

I didn’t have his ear. I wasn’t even sure I had his friendship any longer. “It’s his investigation. He hasn’t shared any clues. I’m sure he’ll follow wherever the trail of evidence leads.”

“Mm-hmm,” she added sarcastically.

My left eye started to twitch. I rubbed it with a finger. What was up with her? Why was she being so nasty to me? Had she been in love with Jason, and not Zach, as I’d presumed? Was she suffering, because she was unable to utter the words out loud, and taking her sorrow out on me?

“Who do you think did it, Allie?” she asked. “You’re the murder mystery expert.”

“No, I’m—”

“You solved Marigold’s murder.”

Solvedwas a stretch.Helped solvewas more accurate. “I don’t have a clue.”

“Did anything stick out to you at the crime scene?”

“Not that I can share.”

“Good for you,” she said. “Zach would want you to keep mum.”

Yes, he would. He’d also like me to butt out, truth be known.