“Otto’s hearing is better than any straight human’s, Sheriff,” I said.
“You mean because he’s a wereanimal?”
“Yes.”
Edward said, “Let’s hear the video again with the sound all the way up.”
Leduc sighed as if we were all being incredibly demanding, but he did what Edward asked. The video played again, almost too loud. Bobby’s declaration of love sounded worse, crazier, more delusional, and then just at the end, I heard a female voice.
“Pl
ay it again,” I said.
Edward put his ear so it was almost touching the phone. “Anita” was all he said, but I took my turn almost touching the phone, straining to hear, and it was a woman’s voice. I couldn’t have sworn it was Jocelyn Marchand’s voice, but I could hear what she was saying: “What are you doing in there?”
Bobby: “Nothing. No, just talking to myself, Joshie.”
Woman, maybe Jocelyn: “Bobby, you are so weird. I don’t know why I love you sometimes.” She laughed, and I knew it was a sexy or, rather, an after-sex laugh. I heard water start to run. “Come join me in the shower, weirdo.” She gave that sexy, intimate laugh again.
“Anything you say, Joshie.”
Edward said, “Newman or Duke.”
Newman let the sheriff go next. Duke was frowning before he finished listening. He stood up without a word. “What the hell?” he said softly.
Newman listened, and he looked relieved at first. “I’d swear that was Jocelyn’s voice.”
“I’d swear it was, too,” Duke said.
“Then she’s lying,” I said.
“No, she’s not just lying. She’s setting him up,” Edward said.
“Why would she do that?” Newman asked.
“If this was a normal case with no supernaturals involved, what would you say?” Edward asked.
“Money,” Leduc said.
We all looked at him. “If Ray had been shot or stabbed or almost anything else, we’d be following the money,” he said.
“Would the attorneys tell us who stands to gain from Ray’s and Bobby’s deaths?” Newman asked.
“Officially, I think we’d need a warrant, but I know the attorneys Ray used. I coached their sons.”
“We need to know what changes if Bobby dies with Ray,” Newman said.
Leduc nodded. “I’ll try to find out. I just can’t believe Joshie would do something this . . . cold-blooded.”
“We’ll talk to the cook, and then we have to talk to Bobby again,” I said.
“This may not be enough to get another stay of execution, Anita,” Newman said.
“I know.”
“We can’t kill Bobby if we have evidence of a conspiracy to murder by someone else,” Leduc said.
“Conspiracy?” I asked.