Shadow Of Suspicion (Margot Harris 3)
Page 25
“I couldn’t say yet, but it could be. Kind of specific. Sounds like you have an idea who it might be.”
“I do,” Margot said before she turned back to Gale. “Did your husband talk to his brother in the last couple of days?”
“Yeah, but they talk fairly often.”
“Anything unusual about the last conversation?”
“No, they talked about that stupid coin collection, but that wasn’t odd. Dan had been on him for years to sell the stupid thing.”
“Why would Dan want Dave to sell his coin collection?”
“Because their dad was weird. He didn’t care about the value, h
e just liked having them, so he wanted them to stay in the family. Dave showed the most interest, so he got them but they’re only his if he keeps them. If he sells them, he has to split the money with his brother. Even though they are worth a shit ton of money, Dave won’t sell.”
“Are you sure they’re worth a shit ton of money?”
“I don’t know, why wouldn’t they be?”
“Anybody ever give out a more specific number than ‘shit ton’?”
“A hundred grand was tossed around, but they’d have to get them appraised.”
Margot showed Gale the ransom note and said, “Interesting they picked a hundred grand.”
Gale nodded.
“I’m guessing if Dave really keeps Lori under wraps then she doesn’t have a tinder account or anything like that,” Margot commented.
“I doubt it.”
“Makes it kind of hard to cheat when you live in an orange grove without a car or a phone.”
“I could have read it wrong.”
“Or it’s someone local.”
“The only eligible candidate for that would be Chuck.”
“The same Chuck who has a bolt action 30.06 and who really wanted to know where I got that picture.”
“Okay, I could see them getting together. Chuck’s around, he’s not bad looking, but how does that lead to him shooting at me?” Gale questioned.
“Maybe he didn’t want you seeing that picture and he certainly didn’t want you showing it to me.”
“Chuck took the picture?”
“Maybe. It’s a wild guess, but maybe he’s the kidnapper.”
“If Lori and he were a thing, why would he kidnap her?”
“He thought her husband had a hundred grand worth of coins.”
“So, Chuck hit her?”
“Could be,” Margot responded. “Or maybe getting punched in the face made Lori decide she wanted a piece of that money. I’m just guessing here, but it’s the closest I’ve come to having this whole thing make sense.”
“But why would Dan have the photo?”