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Book: Dying for the Truth (A Rockcrest Cove Cozy Mystery Book 4) by Emily Page
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Authors: Emily Page
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sake. If anything changes, I’ll make sure you know about it.”
“OK. I’ll be getting some time away from the bridge in about a month. How about I come by then?”
“That would be wonderful. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Maddie hung up the phone and stood there for a brief moment. She thought about Phil and all her friends in the other room. How lucky she was that she had so many who cared enough about her to make sure she got through this ordeal successfully.
Chapter Five
Maddie returned to the war room to continue battering out the plan for her defense, but her mind was tired now and she found it hard to focus. She took off her glasses and gently massaged the bridge between her eyes to ease some of the tension. So much was happening in such a little time that she was having difficulty staying on point. Her usually strong façade was quickly weakening in light of everything that had happened. But she didn’t want to worry her friends, so she kept silent and decided to just sit back for a while and observe what they all had to contribute.
“I managed to get some copies of his bank statements and tax records.” Bailey took a stack of papers and slammed them down on the desk in a way that demanded everyone’s attention. “You’ll never guess what I found.”
“Bailey, let me remind you that any evidence you found when you ‘broke into’ the bakery will be inadmissible in court,” Kyle said, reprimanding her.
“It doesn’t need to be admissible,” Bailey pointed out. “But it’s information that we can use.”
“Ok. What is it?”
“It looks like Evan was in some serious financial trouble.” Bailey started tossing bank statements on the table. “He didn’t do anything illegal, you know, but apparently Emma was the brains behind the business. After her death, the profits for the business began a long downward spiral that left them almost bankrupt.”
“A lot of businesses are in financial jeopardy, Bailey. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they are going to commit murder.”
“No. But, he had to take out a number of loans to keep his business afloat. According to his bank account statements, he couldn’t get a bank loan to buy a bag of chips. So he had to go to private investors. Well, it turns out that he wasn’t able to get enough money together to pay them back either.” Bailey stood over the group with a look like she had figured out something and was waiting for everyone else to catch up.
“I’m sure you have a point to all of this,” Kyle said.
“I do,” she answered proudly. “Since Evan wasn’t able to pay back the loans to his private investors either—”
“He defaulted on his payments?”
“Yes. His business was in some serious trouble, so he owed a lot of people money,” Bailey continued.
Eleanor began to put the pieces together first. “They were private investors?”
“Yes,” Bailey said, pointing as if they were playing a game of charades.
“So maybe loan sharks?”
“Yes! You got it!”
“And, if they weren’t the traditional financial institution, some of them may not have been very happy that they couldn’t get their money back.”
“Right!” Bailey jumped up in the air now as if she had won the game.
“So, we need to find out who he owed money to.”
“Already got it,” Bailey announced. She placed a small personal ledger on the table in front of everyone. “And you won’t believe who was one of his biggest lenders.” She waited for effect. “Michael Hale.”
Maddie, who had been sitting and listening, sat completely straight in her chair. Her mouth fell open and her eyes stretched as wide as they possibly could. “Michael Hale?”
“Yes,” Bailey responded. “Apparently Evan had borrowed quite a bit of money over the last year or so and was indebted to him to the tune of …” Bailey stopped and started looking over
“OK. I’ll be getting some time away from the bridge in about a month. How about I come by then?”
“That would be wonderful. I’ll be looking forward to it.”
Maddie hung up the phone and stood there for a brief moment. She thought about Phil and all her friends in the other room. How lucky she was that she had so many who cared enough about her to make sure she got through this ordeal successfully.
Chapter Five
Maddie returned to the war room to continue battering out the plan for her defense, but her mind was tired now and she found it hard to focus. She took off her glasses and gently massaged the bridge between her eyes to ease some of the tension. So much was happening in such a little time that she was having difficulty staying on point. Her usually strong façade was quickly weakening in light of everything that had happened. But she didn’t want to worry her friends, so she kept silent and decided to just sit back for a while and observe what they all had to contribute.
“I managed to get some copies of his bank statements and tax records.” Bailey took a stack of papers and slammed them down on the desk in a way that demanded everyone’s attention. “You’ll never guess what I found.”
“Bailey, let me remind you that any evidence you found when you ‘broke into’ the bakery will be inadmissible in court,” Kyle said, reprimanding her.
“It doesn’t need to be admissible,” Bailey pointed out. “But it’s information that we can use.”
“Ok. What is it?”
“It looks like Evan was in some serious financial trouble.” Bailey started tossing bank statements on the table. “He didn’t do anything illegal, you know, but apparently Emma was the brains behind the business. After her death, the profits for the business began a long downward spiral that left them almost bankrupt.”
“A lot of businesses are in financial jeopardy, Bailey. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they are going to commit murder.”
“No. But, he had to take out a number of loans to keep his business afloat. According to his bank account statements, he couldn’t get a bank loan to buy a bag of chips. So he had to go to private investors. Well, it turns out that he wasn’t able to get enough money together to pay them back either.” Bailey stood over the group with a look like she had figured out something and was waiting for everyone else to catch up.
“I’m sure you have a point to all of this,” Kyle said.
“I do,” she answered proudly. “Since Evan wasn’t able to pay back the loans to his private investors either—”
“He defaulted on his payments?”
“Yes. His business was in some serious trouble, so he owed a lot of people money,” Bailey continued.
Eleanor began to put the pieces together first. “They were private investors?”
“Yes,” Bailey said, pointing as if they were playing a game of charades.
“So maybe loan sharks?”
“Yes! You got it!”
“And, if they weren’t the traditional financial institution, some of them may not have been very happy that they couldn’t get their money back.”
“Right!” Bailey jumped up in the air now as if she had won the game.
“So, we need to find out who he owed money to.”
“Already got it,” Bailey announced. She placed a small personal ledger on the table in front of everyone. “And you won’t believe who was one of his biggest lenders.” She waited for effect. “Michael Hale.”
Maddie, who had been sitting and listening, sat completely straight in her chair. Her mouth fell open and her eyes stretched as wide as they possibly could. “Michael Hale?”
“Yes,” Bailey responded. “Apparently Evan had borrowed quite a bit of money over the last year or so and was indebted to him to the tune of …” Bailey stopped and started looking over
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