Page 99 of Lost Cause
“Not exactly hot. You found a belt buckle. Something I didn’t think to remove. Sure, if you showed it to Victor he would know it belonged to Vincent, but what was your step beyond that? Or did you even have one?”
“We’re running the forensics found at the gravesite. Fingerprints. DNA. We’re sure to find yours on recovered items. We also found the locket buried in the greenhouse. You didn’t say how that ended up there.”
“Like I said, Vincent broke the chain when he grabbed it. Juan picked it up and asked me what I wanted to do with it. Victor had given it to me when we got married, and I wanted no part of it. Besides, if I was caught wearing it, no matter any disguise I could wear, it would identify me. So I gave it to Juan. Asked him to dispose of it. He said he’d bury it in the greenhouse. When you and the detective started investigating I figured I better retrieve it.”
“So it was you we interrupted that night in the greenhouse?”
Estelle nodded.
“And did you light a fire in the office fireplace that night too?”
She lifted her chin, laughter in her eyes. “I burned some papers hoping it would throw you off. Sounds like it did.”
Abby was getting tired of Estelle thinking she was above the law and would never have to serve time for her crimes. “Regardless, we’ll find enough to prosecute you for Vincent’s murder.”
“And then what? I’m leaving town tonight. No one could find me before. What makes you think you’ll be able to find me now? And even if you did, because of Vincent’s advances toward me, it wouldn’t be unlikely for my DNA or fingerprints to be found there. I had no motive to kill him, but Victor did. He would be your most likely suspect.”
She stopped talking and jiggled her gun. “Enough of this. Remove the gun from your holster—slowly—and put it on the counter.”
Abby couldn’t bring herself to hand over her weapon. As a law enforcement officer, it’d been ingrained in her not to surrender her firearm unless absolutely necessary. “Everyone on my team knows I’m here. If you harm me, they won’t stop at anything to hunt you down.”
“I wish them luck.” A sinister laugh rose up out of her mouth. “As I said. They’ll never find me.”
“I wouldn’t count on that. Far more technology tracking your every move exists now that didn’t when you disappeared before.”
She jerked her pistol. “I’m getting tired of this. Gun on the counter now or I’ll just shoot you right here and leave Leonard to take the fall.”
Now, Abby had no choice. Glaring at Estelle, she took out her weapon. Laid it on the counter as instructed and would look for ways to overpower the older woman.
“Now step back,” Estelle demanded.
Abby complied. Estelle snatched up the gun and shoved it in her waistband. She jerked her pistol toward the front door. “Lock the door, and we’ll go out the back.”
Abby slowly walked to the door, scanning through the window to find help, but the street was deserted. Feeling like she was sealing her own fate, she twisted the lock. “Where are you taking me?”
“To see my good friend Leonard.”
“Where is he?”
She jabbed the gun in Abby’s back, her strength very surprising. “The sooner you get moving, the sooner you’ll find out.”
Abby took her time walking to the back room. She entered, but her steps faltered.
Blood. Was that blood smeared near the exit door handle?
She whipped her head around to look at Estelle. “Is this your blood or Shaw’s?”
“The silly man was going to tell you the truth about the crown. I couldn’t let that happen.” Estelle growled like a wild animal. “Take out your phone and leave it here.”
Was Estelle confessing to murdering Shaw? Abby wouldn’t put it past her. Gone was the woman everyone had described when they talked about Estelle in their interviews. Or this was the real Estelle, and she’d just been pretending to be the woman they’d all known.
Abby couldn’t afford to make her angry, so she set her only lifeline on a worktable.
Estelle shoved hard on Abby’s back, pushing her through the exit and directing her toward a blue van with the side door open. At the vehicle, Estelle gave Abby another hard shove. She slammed into the cargo van’s metal floor.
Abby continued to be amazed at this woman’s strength. Sure, she looked as fit as a younger woman, obviously maintaining hershape and likely working out to maintain her muscle strength too. As much as Abby didn’t like that she’d gotten a drop on her, she had to admire the older woman’s fitness.
Estelle gave a sharp punch to Abby’s leg. “Pull yourself in so I can close the door.”
