Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

S am, Jo, and Lucy strode into Marnie’s campaign headquarters, their presence commanding attention. The bustling activity ground to a halt as curious eyes darted their way. Sam scanned the room, his gaze lingering on each face, searching for a flicker of guilt or unease.

Amid the sea of desks, one stood out—Amelia’s, conspicuously empty. The sight of it sent a ripple of suspicion through Sam. Where was she? And why had she lied about her whereabouts the night of Alex’s murder?

Before he could ponder further, Marnie emerged from her office, her expression a mix of surprise and annoyance. “Chief Mason, Sergeant Harris. What can I do for you?” Her tone was clipped, her smile tight.

Sam met her gaze head-on. “We need to talk. In private.”

Marnie’s eyes narrowed slightly, but she maintained her composure. “I’m rather busy at the moment. Can this wait?”

Sam’s jaw clenched, his patience wearing thin. “I’m afraid not.”

A beat of silence passed between them, the tension palpable. Finally, Marnie relented with a sigh. “Very well. Come into my office.” She gestured for them to follow, her movements stiff and controlled.

Marnie settled behind her desk, her posture regal and unyielding. Jo and Sam remained standing while Lucy settled at their feet, her ears alert and her eyes watching Marnie with suspicion.

“What’s this about?” Marnie asked, her fingers steepled before her.

Sam glanced out into the other room then back at Marnie. “I noticed Amelia’s desk is empty. Is she out today?”

Marnie’s brow furrowed, a flicker of confusion crossing her face. “She took the day off. Why do you ask?”

Sam shrugged, his tone casual. “Just curious.”

Marnie’s lips pursed, a hint of defensiveness creeping into her voice. “I’m not a tyrant, Chief Mason. I allow my people to take time off when they need it.”

Sam nodded, his gaze unwavering. “Of course. I was just wondering how well you know Amelia.”

Marnie’s eyes narrowed, her guard rising. “Not particularly well. She’s a relatively new hire.”

Jo stepped forward, her voice cutting through the tension. “She seems very ambitious.”

Marnie’s gaze shifted to Jo, a flicker of agreement in her eyes. “She is. The girl is a hard worker, always eager to take on more responsibility.”

Sam’s voice took on a thoughtful tone. “I imagine she was thrilled to be promoted to Alex’s position.”

Marnie nodded, a hint of pride in her voice. “She was. She pushed hard for the role, made it clear she was ready for more.”

Suddenly, Marnie’s expression shifted, suspicion clouding her features. Her eyes bored into Sam’s, and her voice was low and measured. “Why the sudden interest in Amelia? Do you suspect her of something?”

Sam shrugged, his expression nonchalant. “It’s probably nothing, but Amelia lied about where she was the night Alex was killed. In fact, we have surveillance that shows she was in the same bar. Might have been one of the last people to see him.”

Marnie’s brows shot up, surprise etched on her face. “I hadn’t noticed anything odd with Amelia or anything between her and Alex. As far as I know, Amelia will be back tomorrow. If there’s nothing further I can do to help...”

Sam held up a hand, interrupting her. “Actually, there is. Why did you switch the phone system over?”

Genuine confusion clouded Marnie’s features. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“The phone system was switched to go through a common number shortly before Alex’s death,” Sam explained.

Marnie shook her head, bewildered. “I ordered no such thing. I don’t even know how phones work or that it didn’t go through a common number before. Alex was the tech whiz.”

Sam nodded slowly, giving Marnie time to process the information, to let the implications sink in. He watched as a flicker of nervousness danced in her eyes.

“Did you ever remember what you and Alex really argued about?” Sam asked, his voice measured. “It could be important, and you wouldn’t want to hold anything back that could be important to the investigation. Might not look good for your campaign.”

Marnie hesitated, her gaze darting away from Sam’s intense scrutiny. “I didn’t want to say anything because I didn’t want to get involved or have you looking into my contributors. And it seemed petty, especially now that Alex is... gone.” She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “I caught him in my office, going through my calendar.” She pointed to a leather binder on her desk, a day planner thick with pages and notes sticking out. “I still prefer to keep my information on paper. I avoid technology when I can, which is why I’m not familiar with the phone system.”

Sam raised his eyebrows, intrigued. This was not the response he had expected. He leaned forward, his eyes locked on Marnie. “Did you have any idea what he was looking for?”

Marnie shook her head, her expression perplexed. “No, I don’t. He shut the folder pretty quickly when I walked in. I confronted him about it, but he lied and said he wasn’t looking in there. I saw him with my own eyes!”

Sam’s mind raced, trying to piece together this new information. What could Alex have been searching for in Marnie’s personal calendar? And why the secrecy?

He reached for the day planner, his fingers brushing against the worn leather. “May I?”

Marnie hesitated for a moment then nodded. “Of course. I have nothing to hide.”

Sam flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning the neat handwriting and colorful sticky notes. Meetings, appointments, reminders, contact information—nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first glance.

He turned to Marnie, his expression serious. “Can you think of any reason why Alex would be interested in your schedule? Any events or meetings that might have caught his attention?”

Marnie shook her head, her brow furrowed in thought. “I can’t think of anything specific. He has everything on his own calendar.” She paused, glancing at the planner. “But I did think maybe he was looking at the contact list.”

Sam leaned forward, his interest piqued. “The contact list? Why would that upset you?”

Marnie sighed. “Some of the donors prefer to remain anonymous. If word got out, it might jeopardize future donations.”

Jo’s eyes narrowed. “So you think Alex was trying to figure out who these secret donors are?”

Marnie nodded, her expression troubled. “It’s possible. But I can’t imagine why he would do that.”

Sam’s voice was low, his tone serious. “Maybe he was planning to leak that information to the newspaper for money.”

Marnie’s head snapped up, her eyes wide with shock. “No! I don’t believe Alex would do anything like that. He was dedicated to this campaign, to our cause.”

Not for the first time, Sam wondered exactly what Marnie’s cause was, but that was a conversation for a different day. “Apparently, Alex did something that got him killed. We need to explore every possibility, no matter how unlikely it may seem.”

Marnie’s shoulders sagged in defeat. “I understand. It’s just hard to believe Alex would betray me like that.”

Sam’s gaze flicked to the day planner. “In the meantime, I’m going to need a copy of your contact list.”

Marnie hesitated, her fingers tightening around the leather binder. “I don’t know, Chief Mason. Those donors trust me to keep their information private.”

Sam met her gaze, his expression sincere. “I give you my word, Marnie. We will keep the donors’ identities secret. But we need that list. It might contain important information about Alex’s murder.”

Marnie sighed, her resolve crumbling. “Fine. I’ll make some copies and send them over.”

Sam nodded. “Thank you. We’ll be in touch if we have any more questions.”