Page 80 of Murder By the Millions

The door to the shop opened, which caused a breeze at the back of my neck.

“I get the feeling he’s a good guy,” I continued. “We simply can’t prove otherwise right now. Iggie Luckenbill, on the other hand—”

“Ladies.” Evelyn Evers paraded past us like she owned the shop. Was her confidence feigned or a natural gift? I didn’t think I could ever command a space the way she did. It didn’t hurt that she was rocking a tropical green-and-blue cocktail dress similar to the one Michelle Obama had worn at a gala. I was barely a tween at the time, yet I’d begged my mother to buy me a dress exactly like it. When she’d said no, she’d sealed my fate as a non-fashionista. “Where’s Chloe?”

“Here I am.” Chloe emerged from the back holding Darcy, who was in a state of nirvana, his head lolling over the crook of her arm. She sidled to us. “What’s up?”

“Your audition, young lady, was quite good,” Evelyn announced. “We want you to come back for a callback tonight.”

“Tonight?” Chloe eeked. Darcy startled.

I took the cat from her.

She clapped her hands. “You mean it? You’re not kidding?”

Evelyn grinned. “I never kid.”

Tegan said under her breath to me, “Swell. We’re going to lose her to the theater.”

“No we’re not. Chloe is a true bibliophile.”

“Seven sharp,” Evelyn said. “Wear what you wore the other night. It was perfect.”

Chloe frowned. “It’s at the dry cleaners.”

“Then something in the same color.”

“Oh, I can do that. Almost everything I own is red.” The smile on Chloe’s face was priceless.

Evelyn started to leave and swiveled back. “Allie, I couldn’t help hearing you and Tegan mentioning Iggie Luckenbill’s name as I was entering.”

She’d heard us? No way. I was sure we’d been whispering.

“He’s a rogue,” she said, “who doesn’t deserve an ounce of your attention.”

Perhaps her frank opinion was the real reason why he hadn’t auditioned for the musical, I mused.

“Allie was theorizing about whether he killed Jason Gardner,” Tegan responded.

I elbowed her.

“Girls, girls. You needn’t worry yourself about the murder. It’s the police department’s job.”

Tegan said, “Except Allie is a suspect.”

“She is,” Chloe chimed.

Evelyn regarded me. “Very well, then. Carry on. I’m all ears. Why would Iggie want to kill Jason?”

“Because,” Tegan inserted, “he wants to develop the historic properties Jason was prepared to acquire.”

“Yes, I see.” Evelyn pursed her lips, pondering. “It is a viable motive. Iggie has made some questionable deals over the years.”

“Except Iggie has an alibi for Monday night,” I added. “He was playing poker with his friends. On the other hand, his cuff link might have been the one I saw at the crime scene.”

“What!” Tegan exclaimed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I just came up with the theory.” I explained the cursive capitalJthat might be a capitalI.“I texted Zach.”