Page 85 of Seven Deadly Sins

“Plenty, I’ll tell you that.” Back ramrod straight, she folded her hands on the table. “My name is Ethel Lynne. I heard them talking about bumping into her table after they mentioned her purchases. Then,” she tilted her head. “The woman pulled out what looked like a sample of perfume. You know, like one of those tiny vials? Anyway, I filmed the whole thing.” She fished in a giant purse the color of eggplant and pulled out a cell phone. “I’m not sure if you can see her dump anything in the woman’s food, but I did follow them to try and get a better look. In today’s world, it’s best to be prepared for anything, you know?”

Harper bit her lip to keep from smiling. This woman might be the gold mine they needed. “I’d like to see it.” She waved Liam over.

Mrs. Lynne turned her phone so they could see the screen and pressed play.

A gray-haired man and woman, leaning heavily on each other, shuffled toward the victim’s table. Harper couldn’t clearly see their faces, but she felt certain she saw enough of the woman’s profile to peg her as the assassin. The woman stumbled. Her hand hovered over the bowl of soup before the man righted her. Then, they rushed toward the doors like young people.

“Ah, you can see the vial.” Mrs. Lynne tapped the screen. “Isn’t it coincidental that they could suddenly move very quickly? When my sweet Hobart was alive, we watched crime shows and unsolved mysteries all the time. I learned a thing or two. I always film people who act a bit strange. Then, when I get home, I watched the video to determine whether I should alert the authorities.”

She wanted to tell her she shouldn’t be recording people without their knowledge, but it happened all the time. Instead, Harper thanked her and exchanged an amused glance with Liam before returning her attention to the elderly woman. “Here’s my cell phone number. Please forward that video to me.”

“It’s helpful, isn’t it?” The woman seemed very proud of herself.

“Yes, ma’am. Very helpful.” Once the video had been transferred, Harper and Liam returned to the crowd. No one else seemed to have paid the old couple or the victim any attention.

“At least we’re pretty certain of what happened.” Several hours later, Liam returned with her to the jeep. “We’ll give the chief a copy of the recording, then take a look at James’s laptop.”

“Sounds good.” She liked knowing what their next step would be. Waiting to hear from Robert or his assassin made her stir crazy.

~

“That was fun.” Robert tossed his wing on Lucy’s table.

“Don’t get used to it. I prefer to work alone.” She headed for the bedroom.

He scowled after her. He paid her the big bucks and deserved to tag along if he desired to. The woman needed to learn some respect. He shed the sweater he wore and poured himself some whiskey before settling in front of the television. Their little adventure would be on the news soon.

He didn’t have to wait long before some talking head stood in front of the mall. The cameraman followed her inside the mall, focusing on the crowd converging around the crime scene and blocking the view of the body. Pity. He drained his drink and refilled his glass. The news was more entertaining than a blockbuster movie.

“Why are you watching that? We lived it.” Lucy breezed past. “There’s nothing to be gained in gloating. Isn’t that a sin of pride?”

Was it? He set his glass down and turned off the TV. He couldn’t commit the very sins he was cleansing the world of. What kind of example did that leave?

“Oh, don’t look so sad. You aren’t perfect.” Lucy handed him another drink. “Drown your sorrows and do better.” She sat across from him and crossed her legs.

“Very well.” She was right. Maybe him slipping up a bit would make him more humble. Isn’t that what was needed? A humble man was what the world needed to lead it to becoming a better place. “Thank you.” He raised his glass in his toast.

She shrugged. “I told you everyone sins. What amazes me is that somebody is concerned about sinning. Why fight something you’re going to do anyway?”

“Because it affects others.”

“Oh, and murder doesn’t it?” She arched a brow. “Make up your mind as to which side you’re on, Robert.”

His fingers curled around the glass. He fought the urge to throw it at her, bouncing it off her head, shoving the shards into her skull. Someday, when he no longer needed her. She’d be the first person he killed with his own hands.

~

Liam booted up the laptop his IT guy had dropped off. Rather than go through it at the station, he and Harper took it to her place. They still didn’t know who the mole was and weren’t taking any chances.

“We got one break today, let’s hope we get another.” Harper peered over his shoulder.

“Today’s break confirmed Mrs. Chandler’s killer, it didn’t help us find them. I’m hoping James was a wise man. Or a neurotic one.” He scanned the files listed.

So far, nothing out of the ordinary. Bills, photos, insurance information. This wouldn’t be as fast as he’d hoped. Still, for the first time since the first pride murder, he felt as if they were moving forward with the case.

“Ah ha.”

“What?”