Had Emma committed the murder or merely participated in some way?
“Shut the door behind you.” The assistant puttered around the space.
Let’s do this. As soon as Jane obeyed, a second order rang out. “Lay down on the table.”
Again, Jane obeyed. Not an easy task, considering the bulk of her dress.
“Tell me more about your stomach pains, Jane.” Caroline secured her hair in a knot at her nape and tugged a latex glove over each hand.
“Oh, um, to be honest, I’m already feeling better.”
“Well, stress can ebb and flow, especially after a traumatic event. And you certainly suffered through a traumatic event tonight, didn’t you? Let’s make sure you’re not feeling simply better because you’re in shock.”
As Caroline checked her vitals, Jane debated the best way to begin her interrogation.
Then the other woman asked, “Is there any chance you could be pregnant?”
“No,” she rushed out, her cheeks heating.
“Are you sure? You might not be far enough along to realize it.”
“I’m very sure.”
Caroline offered her a fleeting smile. “Did you lose consciousness during the fight?” She swiped a pen light off the countertop and flashed it across Jane’s eyes. “Your pupils are responding nicely. How’s your stomach? Still calm?”
“Correct,” she said, doing her best to hide her growing frustration. She’d missed the perfect opportunity to delve into the case. If Jane returned the conversation to Conrad, Caroline might suspect Jane’s suspicion.
“That’s a good sign.” The PA patted her shoulder. “I’m going to palpate your abdomen now. Just want to make sure there’s no internal bleeding.” She pressed here and there, moving garments as needed. “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”
“Not at all.” In fact, she eagerly awaited a more personal conversation with the woman.
“I heard you accuse Emma of murdering Dr. Hotchkins.”
Jane didn’t hear a question, personally or otherwise. “I did that, yes.”
“I think you’re right.”
Okay. Not what she’d expected the other woman to say. “You do?”
“I don’t mean to speak ill of a coworker, but her obsession with the doctor was getting out of hand. When we were together, she talked of him and little else. The morning of the murder, I overheard her planning to meet him. I told Special Agent Ryan, right at the beginning, but he did nothing.”
Her heart raced. Here it was. Confirmation of her suspicions. Emma. The doctor. Their plans. And yet, her gut wasn’t satisfied. Something teased the back of her brain. Was it all a little too easy? Did Caroline come across as a bit desperate? Overcompensating because she feared the truth might catch up to her, perhaps?
Wait. Was that…could it be…? A tiny streak of neon blue stained Caroline’s shirt. Oh, sweet goodness, it was!
Caroline had spray painted something at the cemetery. Just like she’d spray-painted the buildings and cars, tagging her own workplace and vehicle to make herself appear to be a victim rather than a perpetrator. If she were capable of that…what else might she do?
Am I about to solve my first case?
Excitement singed Jane’s every nerve ending. In the beginning, she had wondered if Conrad considered her twisted enough to do the crime and insert herself into the investigation. She wasn’t. But Caroline might be. What if the PA hadn’t been accusatory when she and Jane had spoken on the phone? What if she’d been frightened and seeking information about the body or the murder weapon? What if she did all that spray painting to restart rumors about the gold? What if Emma and Caroline had worked together? That would mean the PA had turned on her partner, now that the heat of suspicion blazed hotter.
Now, to get her talking. “I’m sure Con—Special Agent Ryan investigated every lead,” Jane told her with a firm tone. “He’s very dedicated and super smart. He will stop at nothing to catch the person or persons responsible for this heinous crime. He’ll make sure that someone is thrown into the worst prison in existence for daring to trample my—for daring to kill the doctor.”
Caroline went as still as a statue, not even seeming to breathe. Just for a moment. Just long enough for Jane’s internal alarm to blast off. She knows I know.
Jane tightened a fist, ready to swing, and opened her mouth to shout for Beau. But the PA moved with shockingly swift reflexes, flattening a hand over her lips. A sharp prick registered in Jane’s neck a split second later, her entire body going weak. Inside her head, dizziness surged. Her vision blurred.
“I didn’t want things to end this way.” Panic dripped from Caroline’s tone. She’d done it. She was the one who had committed the murder. The PA eased the pressure on Jane’s mouth, but not before she noticed the tremor. “I only wanted to learn what you knew.”
And plant more seeds of doubt about Emma? Don’t fear. Think!