A Gift for Murder

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

Ellen Spencer told her story to the police and answered a few questions. Then she and Irv Kirshorn went with Gilmont and his cohort to their office to give formal statements. Scott and I followed Janelle into her office.

Janelle called the lawyer she'd hired for Chloe and asked him to meet Ellen Spencer at the police station.

"Do I still have a job here?" I asked.

Her brows went all the way up to her hairline. "You doubt it? Of course you do. You know I couldn't manage without you."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "I wasn't sure. I didn't exactly keep a low profile."

"You did exactly what was needed. How did you figure out it was Ellen?"

I related the same sequence of things I'd told Scott about earlier. A lot more slowly this time because I still felt shaky. It took a while. When I finished, I added, "I had a lot of luck, seeing that pin the morning I accidentally ran into her and knocked her purse loose. If it hadn't been for that, I never would have put her together with Kirshorn."

Janelle shook her head. "That was the only bit of luck. The rest of it was you, digging for information, knowing our business, and figuring out what the various pieces meant and how they fit together."

"And my stubborn refusal to believe Chloe Bethel was guilty despite all the evidence. And I'd met the woman once and talked to her for maybe fifteen minutes, total."

"Did I hear my name?" Chloe Bethel looked as beautifully elegant in her simple gray and blue, two-piece dress as a model straight off the runway. Dave Powell stood behind her.

"Come in," Janelle said, and introduced Scott to both of them.

"We've got to go make arrangements for Tim's funeral, but I had to stop by and thank you for your efforts on my behalf," Chloe said. "And I'm so glad to find Heather here because I have so much to thank her for. When the detective told me they were dropping all charges against me, he also told me what you'd done. And what you risked."

I tried to deny I'd done all that much, but Chloe insisted on taking my hand and kissing me on the cheek. Powell also shook my hand. I'd talk to him later about helping Ellen Spencer, if she needed it. He definitely owed me. His eyes silently acknowledged the debt.

By the time they left, it was close to six. Janelle said, "Let's get out of here. It's way past quitting time. By the way, sleep in tomorrow. We don't need to get started early." She looked at Scott and said, "I'll tell Craig."

"Sounds good to me," he answered. "I'll be back to plain old security guard again."

"Are you going to continue working here?" I asked. "Most of our shows are exciting in their own way, but not like this one. I'm afraid it will be boring for you."

He looked at me. "You're going to continue working here, right?"

"Of course."

"It won't be boring, then."

I made a mental note to call Chris tomorrow and tell him our on-again, off-again relationship was now permanently off.