Read Online A Motor for Murder (Veronica Margreve Mysteries Book 1) by Valerie Murmel - Free Book Online

left you feeling pretty happy.”
    “Yeah. I did well out of it. Always knew how to pick them.” He chuckled again.
    OK, there didn't seem to be anything to the ‘former business partner’ angle. Stan was not a suspect on my list, from anything I heard from him so far.
    While I still had him on the line, I asked Stan some questions about George’s past and character.
    “I’ve heard that George was very smart, and very driven”.
    “Yeah, you could say that.”
    “By all accounts, a very successful businessman.”
    “He did well. I taught him a lot, you know.” Sounded like someone wanted to brag a little. I tolled my eyes into the phone. “That’s what we talked about recently – other business opportunities to get into together.”
    Here he was again, preempting the question that had been in my mind.
    Did he have a reason to guide the conversation? Perhaps to make sure I didn’t suspect him? But why would I even start to suspect him? His former business dealings with George Ellis appeared to have been dissolved very amicably, and they still talked to each other.
    I was about to wrap up the conversation, but then, fueled by my new dislike of him, decided to take a wild guess.
    “Is that why you came to talk to him in his office the night that he died?”
    “I … What? No. There is no way.” Stan’s voice sounded panicked. I decided to press on with my guess.
    “There are security cameras around the house, you know. What would you say if I told you one of them recorded you going into George’s office?” Technically, I wasn’t lying – I wasn’t saying that such a recording existed, I was just asking him what he would say if I told him that.
    “How would you even have access to that? Wouldn’t it be evidence?”
    “Rita had a copy.” She did have copies of the footage, that showed absolutely nothing, as the hallway cameras didn’t cover that last bit of the the corridor in front of the office door. In his panic, Stan didn’t realize yet that if what I told him was true, the camera would have captured the killer as well, and would have identified the chief suspect. Not to mention, the police would know that he went into the office, and likely ask him about it when they talked to him.
    “George was alive and well when I left! Very drunk, but very much alive!”
    “When was that?”
    “Don't you have a timestamp from the security camera?”
    “Yes, we do; I just want to double-check.”
    “OK, around 10:30”. That, if true, made it before Paul went to talk to George.
    “What did you talk about?”
    “Just business stuff. Investment options.”
    “Investment options regarding what?”
    “Oh just various businesses I’ve been considering.”
    Hmm... now he was being evasive.
    “Could you please elaborate, Mr Greenwich?”
    “Just some investment options between business partners. I need to be going now.”
    I could barely finish thanking him for his time when he hung up on me.
    I thought that my guess about him going into George's office that night must have unsettled and angered him.
    The question was – why? Did Stan have anything to hide?
     
    I did a quick internet search on Stan Greenwich. His name came up in connection with a couple of local enterprises, an article in the free Bellevue paper about him talking at a community college class and giving business advice to students. One reference came up with his home address.
     
    Out of curiosity, I searched for that too, and found a record of a recent foreclosure against him. From the names on the listing (a Felicia Greenwich in addition to Stanley Greenwich) it looked like he and his wife were going through a divorce. I checked the date – just 4 months ago. Well, if he kept flirting with unknown women at parties, no wonder they were divorcing!
     
    It looked like Stan was in a lot of financial trouble, contrary to the “successful businessman” image he was trying to present. This was definitely interesting. And it also showed