life.”
“Well that doesn’t make any of them look good right now,” Grace validated Sydney’s viewpoint. “Can you make small talk with Howard to find out where he was last night? And what else do you know about Eduardo?”
“I don’t want to get anywhere near that man again. He’s sleazy. I don’t know much about Eduardo. Just what Maria told me.” She went on to repeat the history between the two families.
“It sounds like Howard is willing to give information, which is more than Maria has done. Maybe Marcus—or Stacey, isn’t she a board member? Maybe one of them would know about Howard’s attitude and motive for killing Julia.”
“Let me sit down for a minute. My head is starting to pound with the stress tonight has created.”
Sydney took a seat and started thinking through their suspects’ motives and opportunity. Marcus had been home, that was for sure. He hadn’t showed much emotion since Julia’s murder, and had kept the party going. There was lingerie in his office with an unknown owner—a possible lover. And the knife was there, of course.
Stacey then became a suspect as well because of the possible affair. If Marcus had acted with her, he could have easily let her in. Or maybe she even had a key.
Ryan seemed the most upset, making him the least likely suspect. He denied a relationship with Julia, but hadn’t said anything about Stacey and Marcus.
Maria was acting strange, sneaking around the house and definitely going into Marcus’ study. She could have planted the knife or the lingerie. But why? She talked about how long she’d worked for the Durans and how good they’d been to her family since her husband had passed.
Maria’s disclosure of Eduardo’s past was suspicious. If he’d just lost his job, it could have been Marcus who had fired him. He could have been punishing them both by taking Julia’s life, making Marcus a widower and casting him into depression. It could have been retaliation for a possibly unfair dismissal.
And then there was Howard. He was resentful of Julia’s stake in the company and was happy now that he had the opportunity to buy those shares. He didn’t hide his feelings, maybe hoping that in itself would make him look less suspicious—a killer wouldn’t talk so openly about his dislike of the victim, only someone who was innocent could say those things with confidence.
Sydney started to make a plan. Howard was at the top of her list. And now that she had a list, she had to figure out who would have had access last night to the Durans’ house. She’d dig into Howard’s whereabouts and his business relationship with Marcus. She hadn’t gained any insight into that when she’d first met him—before she knew she should be looking.
“You’re right, I have to find out about Howard’s business relationship with Marcus. I might start with Ryan, Stacey’s husband,” Sydney told Grace, standing up from her short break.
“Good, keep me posted,” Grace said with a smile, taking a seat herself.
Sydney left the kitchen in search of Ryan.
Before she could find him, she caught sight of Maria, still in the same chair, looking toward the stairs. This time, Eduardo was walking up them. Were they in cahoots with each other?
Sydney didn’t have time to dwell on them at the moment, as Stacey nearly bumped into her. She was clearly stumbling drunk.
“Whoa, let’s get you some water. And a chair,” Sydney suggested, taking Stacey’s arm and leading her to an empty couch.
“Thanks Sydney, you’re a lifesaver. You really did do an incredible job with the food.” Stacey was hard to understand, and Sydney was surprised she remembered her from hours earlier. “Where’s Marcus?” she asked.
Sydney looked around. She spotted him across the room with another beautiful woman draped over one arm. Maybe he’s just a ladies’ man , Sydney thought to herself, momentarily
“Well that doesn’t make any of them look good right now,” Grace validated Sydney’s viewpoint. “Can you make small talk with Howard to find out where he was last night? And what else do you know about Eduardo?”
“I don’t want to get anywhere near that man again. He’s sleazy. I don’t know much about Eduardo. Just what Maria told me.” She went on to repeat the history between the two families.
“It sounds like Howard is willing to give information, which is more than Maria has done. Maybe Marcus—or Stacey, isn’t she a board member? Maybe one of them would know about Howard’s attitude and motive for killing Julia.”
“Let me sit down for a minute. My head is starting to pound with the stress tonight has created.”
Sydney took a seat and started thinking through their suspects’ motives and opportunity. Marcus had been home, that was for sure. He hadn’t showed much emotion since Julia’s murder, and had kept the party going. There was lingerie in his office with an unknown owner—a possible lover. And the knife was there, of course.
Stacey then became a suspect as well because of the possible affair. If Marcus had acted with her, he could have easily let her in. Or maybe she even had a key.
Ryan seemed the most upset, making him the least likely suspect. He denied a relationship with Julia, but hadn’t said anything about Stacey and Marcus.
Maria was acting strange, sneaking around the house and definitely going into Marcus’ study. She could have planted the knife or the lingerie. But why? She talked about how long she’d worked for the Durans and how good they’d been to her family since her husband had passed.
Maria’s disclosure of Eduardo’s past was suspicious. If he’d just lost his job, it could have been Marcus who had fired him. He could have been punishing them both by taking Julia’s life, making Marcus a widower and casting him into depression. It could have been retaliation for a possibly unfair dismissal.
And then there was Howard. He was resentful of Julia’s stake in the company and was happy now that he had the opportunity to buy those shares. He didn’t hide his feelings, maybe hoping that in itself would make him look less suspicious—a killer wouldn’t talk so openly about his dislike of the victim, only someone who was innocent could say those things with confidence.
Sydney started to make a plan. Howard was at the top of her list. And now that she had a list, she had to figure out who would have had access last night to the Durans’ house. She’d dig into Howard’s whereabouts and his business relationship with Marcus. She hadn’t gained any insight into that when she’d first met him—before she knew she should be looking.
“You’re right, I have to find out about Howard’s business relationship with Marcus. I might start with Ryan, Stacey’s husband,” Sydney told Grace, standing up from her short break.
“Good, keep me posted,” Grace said with a smile, taking a seat herself.
Sydney left the kitchen in search of Ryan.
Before she could find him, she caught sight of Maria, still in the same chair, looking toward the stairs. This time, Eduardo was walking up them. Were they in cahoots with each other?
Sydney didn’t have time to dwell on them at the moment, as Stacey nearly bumped into her. She was clearly stumbling drunk.
“Whoa, let’s get you some water. And a chair,” Sydney suggested, taking Stacey’s arm and leading her to an empty couch.
“Thanks Sydney, you’re a lifesaver. You really did do an incredible job with the food.” Stacey was hard to understand, and Sydney was surprised she remembered her from hours earlier. “Where’s Marcus?” she asked.
Sydney looked around. She spotted him across the room with another beautiful woman draped over one arm. Maybe he’s just a ladies’ man , Sydney thought to herself, momentarily
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