A Justified Murder (Medlar Mystery 2)

“What do we do next?” Kate whispered as she handed Jack a smoothie of orange juice and kale. He took one sip, grimaced, and handed it back to her. She took a big drink.

Sara spoke up. “Lisa was at Janet’s house looking for a flash drive copy of her mother’s last book. She said it would show that what had happened was justified.”

“Does that mean Sylvia’s suicide or Janet’s murder?” Jack asked.

“I don’t know but Lisa had a gun.”

Jack and Kate blinked at her.

“I think we need to go searching,” Sara said. “Tear up the floorboards.”

“To do that, we’d have to get permission,” Kate said. “Ready to sit down with the Broward County authorities and tell all?”

“Then they arrest Lisa before we talk to her?” Jack said. “I don’t think so.”

“Oh yes,” Sara said, “Carl came to get Lisa. It was him in the photo, the skinny man who was spying on you two. Janet’s ex.”

“You got all this from her?” Kate nodded toward Zelly curled up on the couch.

“Every word. And Janet had three computers but when she left the house Zelly couldn’t find any of them.”

“There’s a hiding place in that house,” Kate said.

“Computers and flash drives,” Jack said. “I think we definitely should go have a look.”

At that moment, Chet came down the hall. “Wherever you’re going, it has to be postponed. We’re going to visit Tayla in jail.” He looked at Sara. “But not you.”

“I wouldn’t go anyway.”

“Thought not. I had to call in some favors and show some credentials, but I got us in.” He sounded excited, as though he was dying to do this.

“What are you going to ask her?” Jack was cautious.

“Not about the lawsuit. Certainly not if she actually did steal money.”

“She didn’t,” Kate said and they looked at her. “She’s a good person and she has her own money.”

“Maybe,” Chet said. “I want to know about the kidnapping. I need to shave. Be ready to go in thirty minutes.” He grabbed a muffin and went back down the hall.

For a moment, Jack, Kate, and Sara were silent.

“What if—?” Kate began but stopped.

“What if Tayla is protecting someone’s entire life?” Jack asked.

“A young family’s life,” Sara said.

Kate sat down on a stool. “How do we rescue Tayla without giving away that we suspect what may have happened years ago?”

“I have no idea,” Sara said.

“If you were writing it?” Jack asked.

“My character would find Lisa and Carl and prove them guilty of the murder,” Sara said. “Then Tayla would be freed and nobody would ever know anything about a long-ago kidnapping.”

“And Chet?” Kate asked.

“He’d go home!” She said it so fiercely that Kate and Jack laughed.