Page 47 of Dead Man's Alibi

“You’d need someone kind of involved in the case in some way.The killer would need to be capable of framing the innocent suspect who’s been arrested.Access and knowledge, to plant any evidence that would lead to a warrant for someone else.And a person who would know the process—how evidence was secured and used.Unless it was some sort of accidental happenstance, but that doesn’t make for a very good book.”

Cal drank his coffee, seemed to absorb and really think about all this.Jill wondered if there was some way to convince him to sleep, because surely this wasn’t a healthy or productive way to deal with his brother being arrested.

“But, in your book version, the killer would have to understand how a case like this works.And, even if they weren’t targeting a singular person to take the fall, they’d have to have some kind of evidence that pointed away fromthem.”Cal drummed his fingers on the counter.“It all comes back to evidence,” he muttered.“And I don’t know what itis.One verbal argument in a public setting isn’t enough to convict someone of murder, and it sure as hell shouldn’t be enough for an arrest warrant.Nate didn’t think they’d taken anything of merit from any of their searches.”

He seemed to say that more to convince himself than because it was true.

“I need to track down the prosecutor today.”He started to pace the narrow aisle of the kitchen.“I need to talk to fucking Hayes without killinghimwith my bare hands.”

“Grandma talked to Marcy again, but her grandson didn’t know anything about who responded to the call.I feel like if we could get that information, you might be able to finagle some information out of them.Maybe make another connection.”

Cal only grunted.Then he stopped pacing, the wheels in his head clearly turning.“To frame someone—on purpose or on accident—the killer would have to be some kind of law insider?At least in a book version of this shit show.”

“Sure, a lawyer, I suppose,” Jill agreed.“To have access to evidence though they’d probably need to be a police officer or deputy or maybe a…”

Their eyes met, like they’d both come to the same conclusion at the same time.“Detective,” they said in unison.

*

Jake.

It was ludicrous.Cal was finding a lot of fault with Jake these days, but he didn’t think the guy was capable ofmurderand framing Nate for it.

Did he?

It was a ridiculous jump to make.Jill was talking aboutfiction, and Cal was standing here trying to apply it to real life.

But Jake Hayes was no more out there as a suspect than Nate was, so why not follow that line of thinking?

“Hayeshatesmy brother.He made that clear to me.Multiple times.Before this.And as far as I can tell, the only real reason is it pissed him off Sam chose Nate over him.”Jill opened her mouth, no doubt to argue, so he held up a hand to stop her.“Look, I’m not saying it’s reasonable, I’m just saying that’s the only real reason I can see.”He might not fully understand Jake, but hedidknow enough about Jake’s life and background now to maybe come up with a few other reasons.But for now… “Nate never did anything to him.Why did he care enough to be suspicious of him?”

“Well, we don’t know the evidence the police have.Maybe there’s something more concrete, even if it’s clearly wrong.”

“Maybe, and it’s ludicrous to think Jake did it, but I wonder what he’d do if I floated that possibility?”Cal could all but picture the fury on Jake’s face.

But would it be a guilty fury?

And if it wasn’t guilt, would that fury actually convince Jake he was following all the wrong clues if they led to Nate?If Cal could proveotherclues, would that get through Jake’s prejudice against Nate?

Maybe it was the sleep deprivation, but he liked this line of thinking.He liked the idea of pinning it on Jake, even if it was bullshit.Maybe Jake could squirm for a bit, instead of Nate and everyone who loved him.

“What do we know about Jake Hayes?”Cal mused aloud.“Divorced parents.Rocky relationship with a dad who died when he was a teenager.I’ve never really heard him discuss his mom.”He glanced at Jill, remembering what she’d said aboutpatterns.“We know he likes younger women.”

“How old was Jules?”

“Nearly forty.”

“Not quite the younger woman there.”

“No, but murder doesn’t have to be caused by a lover’s spat.”

“It could be though,” Jill said thoughtfully.She got a little line between her eyebrows when she was working something out.“In my fictional version, Jules Hyatt calls the Marietta PD.Gets sent to Jake.He takes her report, realizes there isn’t anything to be done about it, but they hit it off.He invites her for drinks.Maybe he tells her he’s looking into it, so she’s happy.She’s got what she wantedanda date.”

“And maybe she’s pissed when she finds out he didn’t take her seriously at all.”

“They have a fight.Jake loses his temper.”

“Kills her, and he knows all about the case with Nate, because Jules was telling him about it.He knows just who to frame.”