I’m starting to feel the same.
“And who do you think put the pictures in the envelope?” I ask.
She lifts her chin as she looks in the direction of the refreshment table. “Let’s just say I have my suspicions.”
I follow her gaze and gasp. “Tiger?”
“I didn’t say a word.” But evidently, I didn’t have to. I was never quite sure why he was always trying to divert Chip away from Keegan. I never figured he and Chip were that great of friends that he was trying to save his marriage. Nope. I have a feeling Tiger wanted Keegan for himself. “Excuse me, Bizzy,” she says, taking a few steps away. “I’d better find Gizmo before he gets into trouble.”
She takes off, and suddenly I’m left wondering why Tiger wanted to divert Chip from Keegan myself. I’m betting it had less to do with the state of Chip’s marriage, or Keegan herself, than it did with the fact he wanted that money Chip owed him.
I’m about to head over to the testy Tiger just as the woman of the hour steps on in looking like a modern version of Betty Boop. Keegan Merritt has on the requisite little black dress with her hair flowing down her back and her lips drawn in like a perfect bow.
She trots my way. “I’m here.” A wry smile crests on her lips. “Now where’s this Jordy person?” She glances past me. Who knows? Maybe Cupid will finally get it right, and I’ll meet Mr. Forever.
She seems so sweet. I have a tough time believing she killed Chip and set Bobbie up as the killer.
Her eyes slit to nothing. And there’s the little witch now. Figures. Bobbie Buckingham suffers a bullet wound, a dead husband, and a scandal—and she still comes out smelling like a rose.
Okay, so maybe she’s not so sweet. But in her defense, those were her private thoughts.
“Easy,” I whisper her way. “You’re staring.”
She shrugs. “I shouldn’t even be here, Bizzy. But you did say you’d pay my premium.”
I nod. All five hundred dollars. “I can write you a check now if you like.”
“No, that’s fine. I’m sure you’re good for it. And I know where to find you.” Her eyes are still pinned on Bobbie and Lacey as she says it. “They’re so fake.”
“Yeah, well, I guess their personas, real or imagined, serve them well.”
“Maybe. Too bad it wasn’t serving Chip. He’d probably still be alive if he didn’t feel the need to fool around on the side.”
Here it is. Now all I need is for her to admit she was the one he was fooling around with.
“I bet he would be.” I shudder because I’m not so sure about it. “You don’t think that Bobbie knew this other woman, do you? I mean, I looked at those pictures myself. It was hard to tell who it could be.”
Keegan closes her eyes a moment. “I have a confession to make.”
And we’re ready for liftoff.
“It was me in those pictures, Bizzy. It was from one of our cuddling sessions. I have no idea who took those pictures, but I wasn’t the other woman. I guess it doesn’t matter if anyone believes me. But Chip did have a girlfriend. I heard him mention her name once.”
“What was it?”
“Jill.” She tosses her hands up, exasperated. “Anyway, he said I didn’t know her, and I guess he was right.”
Jill? I rifle through my mind for answers on who this could be, but come up empty.
“You’re sure it’s you in those pictures?” I ask, and she nods without hesitation.
“That was us in his bedroom. I know that sounds crass. But Bobbie was locked up in that office of hers out back, he didn’t think it was a big risk.”
“Do you have any idea who could have taken those pictures?”
The crowd around Bobbie and Lacey lights up with laughter, and she glances their way.
“Chip and I only held two sessions in his bedroom–twenty minutes each. And both times there was no one in the house with us. Bobbie was out in that shed she used as an office.”
“Just Bobbie?” I ask as I look to the two blondes cajoling with their ardent followers.
“Just Bobbie.” She nods.
“Keegan, did Chip happen to say Jill’s last name by chance?”
“Yup. It was Borden or something like that. I wasn’t really committing it to memory. He sort of blurted it out during one of our sessions. Part of my method is to ask questions as we start to relax. And I asked him who he liked to have fun with.”
Jordy pops up in a suit and tie, and her eyes widen with surprise.
Please let this be him.
“Jordy,” I say his name with an open-mouthed smile. “Remember that little surprise I told you I was working on for you today?” I pull him in close regardless of the fact I may not have said any such thing. “Meet Keegan Merritt.”
He ticks his head to the side. Bizzy is typically lousy at surprises, but I got to give it to her. She hit a home run with this one. Now let’s see if I can do the same.
He leads her to the dance floor without so much as a hello.
Jill Borden. I shake my head
I pull out my phone and do a quick internet search and meet up with more dead ends than I thought were possible.
Great.
I guess I’ll wait for Jasper to show up and share this with him. In fact, I think I’ll review that footage in front of the cottage one more time. Maybe something will jump out at me this time.
I key myself into the security app, and soon it’s playing out before me once again.
There’s Bobbie’s pink gown
