Page 100 of Shadow of Hope
Micha entered the number into his phone. “If there’s anything else you need to tell me about your quest to pin your mother’s murder on Ava, now would be the time.”
“I might’ve given Jamal a note to put in her backpack. A song.”
“Did you write the song?” Ava asked.
“Me? Nah. I’m sure my mother told you I don’t have those skills. I took a song she composed and put words to it. Just trying to scare you and put some pressure on you to turn yourself in.”
“And you called her repeatedly to play the song?” Micha asked so they could hopefully bring him up on charges for stalking her.
“What? No. No.” He shook his head hard. “Never did that.”
“You do know all of this could fall under stalking?” Colin asked. “And you’re looking at prison time.”
“Well, I didn’t do it.” Out came that pointed chin again. “Besides, anything I did, I did for my mom. My motives are pure.”
Micha leaned closer to the screen. “But misdirected, and regardless of your motives, a jury would find you guilty if Ava decides to bring charges.”
Layne sagged in the chair. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“And this is all you did?” Micha asked. “Everything?”
“Yeah.”
“So who else might’ve wanted your mother dead?” Colin asked.
“No one. I mean, she was the best.”
Ava scoffed. “Not like you told her that or spent much time with her.”
Layne’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t really know that then, but now that she’s gone I can see it. Huge regrets in not treating her better. Being there more for her. Especially at the end. If I could change it…” He choked on his words.
Too bad he didn’t figure that out sooner. Micha almost felt bad for him. Almost. But again, he could just be lying to draw them off track. “Even though she wrote the song that you had Jamal give to Ava, there could be a musical connection here with the bassoon bocal.”
“If you say so.”
“Did your mother make any enemies in her concert world?” Micha asked.
Layne shrugged. “Like I said, I didn’t spend much time with her, and I don’t know what went on in her professional life.”
“You never went to hear her play?” Ava asked.
“No. I…” He shoved a hand in his hair. “Besides, these artsy people aren’t really the typical killer type, are they?”
“Anyone is capable of committing murder with a strong enough motive,” Micha said. “What about someone in your family?”
“There’s no one besides me and Mom. At least, not that I know of. I never knew who my dad was. I think he was a one-night stand, but Mom would never admit it. She got really mad whenever I brought him up.”
“And you never tried to find out who he is?” Micha asked, knowing they could catch him in a lie and use it for more ammo to get him to cooperate.
“I did a DNA test before on one of those ancestry sites to see if I could find a match. Then she got sick. When I learned she was terminal, I figured if it hurt her so much just to talk about him, I’d hold off. I could always go looking for him after she was gone.”
At least he’d done one nice thing for his mother before she died. “Do you know a man named Norman Nicks?”
“No. At least, not that I know of. Could’ve met him at work, I suppose. I meet all kinds of people. Why? What’s he done?”
“Nothing you need to concern yourself with,” Micha said, but it ruled out Layne working with his dad to try to kill her. “I’m done with this guy. Anyone else have anything?”
No one spoke, so Micha met Layne’s gaze. “I will expect three things that you’ll comply with, or I will make sure the detective wants to bring you up on charges.”
