Did you learn anything?”
“As a matter of fact, I did. I had a chance to look into Frank Lassiter’s life a little.”
“What did you find out?”
“Their real estate partnership went rotten at exactly the right time for Derrick Duncan, and it’s nearly ruined Lassiter.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“Evidently Derrick was even trickier in land development than he was in newspaper syndication. He convinced Lassiter that one of their big deals was a lemon, and Derrick bought him out at twenty cents on the dollar. Funny thing was, two weeks later, Derrick tripled the initial investment and Lassiter was left with next to nothing.”
“When did that happen?” Jenny asked.
“The deal closed three days ago,” Zach said.
“Does Lassiter have an alibi for the time of the murder?”
Zach smiled at her. “He claims he was on the Outer Banks, but he can’t prove it one way or the other.” The North Carolina Outer Banks was a developed set of islands on the coast that still offered stretches of empty sand dunes and lonely stretches of ocean. It was easy enough to imagine getting lost there.
“But he could have just as easily been in Raleigh,” I said.
“Oh, yes. He’s pretty familiar with the place. This is where he got his start, so I’m guessing he’s still got some connections in town.”
“You need to tell Murphy everything you found out,” Jenny said.
“We talked on my way back here. He’s heading to Richmond later today to confirm it all for himself.”
“At least he’s doing something,” I said.
“It’s not easy running an investigation when there are so many people who wanted the victim dead,” Zach replied.
“We’ve got another name to add ourselves,” I said. “Evidently, Derrick was having an affair with Mindi Mills. That’s why she made Murphy’s list.”
“So then we add her name, and Cary Duncan’s, too. Maybe it would be easier listing the folks who didn’t want to see him come to harm.”
“Hold that thought,” I said as my telephone rang. “Hello?”
“Savannah, this is Kelsey Hatcher.”
“Hi, Kelsey. It’s a nice courtesy, but you don’t have to call to tell me you’ve received a puzzle every time I send one to you.” I could see that it was going to take me a little time to break her in.
“That’s not why I’m calling. I’m afraid it didn’t work for me.”
“Hang on a second,” I said, and then covered the mouthpiece of my phone. “Jenny, is your fax working?”
She nodded. “I use it all the time.”
I uncovered the mouthpiece again. “Sorry, Kelsey, there must have been a glitch with the phone line. I’ll send it to you again,” I promised, and hung up.
My phone instantly rang again. Honestly, what more could the woman want? “Yes?”
“You didn’t let me finish. I received it the first time, but that’s not the problem.”
“Then what is?”
In a sharp voice, she said, “There’s no complexity to it. Our buyers have been complaining about your easy puzzles for months. You’ve got to do something a little more challenging, I’m afraid.”
“I don’t redo puzzles,” I said, taking the warmth out of my voice as well. I’d hoped we would have a longer honeymoon, but if she was going to start being difficult from the start, then I was going to have to follow suit.
“According to page four of your contract, section seven, subparagraph two, when the syndicator requests a revision or alternate puzzle, you are to comply within twenty-four hours, or risk termination of the contract, with prejudice. I hate to be a stickler about it, but you signed it, did you not?”
“We both know I did, but Derrick, as much as he fussed at me about doing easier problems, never had the gall to bounce one of my puzzles.”
“I can’t address the past. Consider this official notice that your puzzle dated with today’s date has been deemed unacceptable. It is up to you to comply with the terms you agreed to, Savannah. Honestly, do
“As a matter of fact, I did. I had a chance to look into Frank Lassiter’s life a little.”
“What did you find out?”
“Their real estate partnership went rotten at exactly the right time for Derrick Duncan, and it’s nearly ruined Lassiter.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“Evidently Derrick was even trickier in land development than he was in newspaper syndication. He convinced Lassiter that one of their big deals was a lemon, and Derrick bought him out at twenty cents on the dollar. Funny thing was, two weeks later, Derrick tripled the initial investment and Lassiter was left with next to nothing.”
“When did that happen?” Jenny asked.
“The deal closed three days ago,” Zach said.
“Does Lassiter have an alibi for the time of the murder?”
Zach smiled at her. “He claims he was on the Outer Banks, but he can’t prove it one way or the other.” The North Carolina Outer Banks was a developed set of islands on the coast that still offered stretches of empty sand dunes and lonely stretches of ocean. It was easy enough to imagine getting lost there.
“But he could have just as easily been in Raleigh,” I said.
“Oh, yes. He’s pretty familiar with the place. This is where he got his start, so I’m guessing he’s still got some connections in town.”
“You need to tell Murphy everything you found out,” Jenny said.
“We talked on my way back here. He’s heading to Richmond later today to confirm it all for himself.”
“At least he’s doing something,” I said.
“It’s not easy running an investigation when there are so many people who wanted the victim dead,” Zach replied.
“We’ve got another name to add ourselves,” I said. “Evidently, Derrick was having an affair with Mindi Mills. That’s why she made Murphy’s list.”
“So then we add her name, and Cary Duncan’s, too. Maybe it would be easier listing the folks who didn’t want to see him come to harm.”
“Hold that thought,” I said as my telephone rang. “Hello?”
“Savannah, this is Kelsey Hatcher.”
“Hi, Kelsey. It’s a nice courtesy, but you don’t have to call to tell me you’ve received a puzzle every time I send one to you.” I could see that it was going to take me a little time to break her in.
“That’s not why I’m calling. I’m afraid it didn’t work for me.”
“Hang on a second,” I said, and then covered the mouthpiece of my phone. “Jenny, is your fax working?”
She nodded. “I use it all the time.”
I uncovered the mouthpiece again. “Sorry, Kelsey, there must have been a glitch with the phone line. I’ll send it to you again,” I promised, and hung up.
My phone instantly rang again. Honestly, what more could the woman want? “Yes?”
“You didn’t let me finish. I received it the first time, but that’s not the problem.”
“Then what is?”
In a sharp voice, she said, “There’s no complexity to it. Our buyers have been complaining about your easy puzzles for months. You’ve got to do something a little more challenging, I’m afraid.”
“I don’t redo puzzles,” I said, taking the warmth out of my voice as well. I’d hoped we would have a longer honeymoon, but if she was going to start being difficult from the start, then I was going to have to follow suit.
“According to page four of your contract, section seven, subparagraph two, when the syndicator requests a revision or alternate puzzle, you are to comply within twenty-four hours, or risk termination of the contract, with prejudice. I hate to be a stickler about it, but you signed it, did you not?”
“We both know I did, but Derrick, as much as he fussed at me about doing easier problems, never had the gall to bounce one of my puzzles.”
“I can’t address the past. Consider this official notice that your puzzle dated with today’s date has been deemed unacceptable. It is up to you to comply with the terms you agreed to, Savannah. Honestly, do
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