Page 42 of Wicked Games

I frown. “Who? And how is she connected to Theo?”

“I don’t know, Mr. Lockwood. I was hoping you could tell me. Harriet Maitland was a popular gossip blogger who wrote by the name of Hattie Maitland. Her testimony was key in getting Jenkins a solid conviction. Do you know her? Or know of her?”

“I’ve heard of her. Not her part in his trial, but Violet used to read her blog. What does this have to do with me or Theo?”

“We spoke to your ex-wife, and she said that she had dinner with Mrs. Maitland before your son’s death.”

“I don’t know. You’re aware that she was spending more time with Rowan Vale than she was with me. Are you saying Hattie Maitland might have had something to do with Theo’s kidnapping? That she was working with that gang? That doesn’t make sense if she testified to put Jenkins away.”

“No, but I’m trying to figure out if the same gun used in both homicides is coincidental or not.”

I scoff. “I think a gossip blogger is a long way from having a leak inside the police department. Someone passed along the fact that tracker was inside the bag. Did you look for the pieces? Did you find it in the street?”

“You know we searched for several days and didn’t find anything. He disappeared inside that construction zone and got rid of it there, somewhere. There was no sign of it in the bag when that kid found it. Forensics processed it and it came back clean.”

“Then we’re back to square one. That gun could have been used to kill a hundred people, and I don’t think it’s to your credit that you don’t know.”

LaSalle ignores my jab. “I’m scheduled to talk to Jenkins today, see if I can connect the dots between Theo and Mrs. Maitland.”

“Why, when you should be conducting an internal affairs investigation? There were very few people who knew we put a GPS in the bag. Find out who told that son of a bitch where to look for it and we’ll know who targeted my family.”

“That’s a very delicate procedure.”

“So is me suing the entire police department for misconduct.”

“I don’t think it needs to come to that,” LaSalle says mildly.

“You don’t? Because the more I think about it, the more I do. If Avery’s right, someone followed Theo and Marcy to the park. This is personal, but not for reasons we were thinking. It doesn’t have anything to do with money.”

LaSalle’s voice sharpens. “You wouldn’t be referring to Avery McKay, by chance?”

I frown. “Yes. She’s renting the house next to mine. Why?”

“Did you know she wrote the last entry on Mrs. Maitland’s blog?”

“Violet mentioned it. As far as I know, they were friends. Avery’s a writer as well and it makes sense they’d know each other. I don’t think it’s suspicious,” I say, but I pause.

LaSalle hears the hesitation in my voice and says, “You said she’s there for the summer? Your neighbor. That’s . . . interesting.”

“That’s the coincidence you’re looking for. She’d already been here a week before I moved in.”

“And how did she think to rent a house in Lakehaven Falls?”

“I don’t know. I never asked. This town is a tourist destination. People from the city rent houses here all the time.”

“You may want to check into it. I’d be curious to hear what she says, but being that you don’t think I’m doing my job, maybe I’ll ask her myself. I need to get going. I’ll let you know if my chat with Jenkins turns anything up.” He disconnects.

I set my phone on the counter and look outside again. Avery hasn’t moved and Winnie’s still napping next to her.

She knew who I was when I introduced myself, but that doesn’t mean anything. That’s like saying Violet’s involved because she knew who Avery was. When you’re a public figure, that happens. I didn’t know who Avery was, but I don’t read essays about what it’s like being a woman, and I barely knew who Hattie Maitland was because I don’t read gossip. But, I suddenly realize, if Hattie wrote gossip, she knew me.

Grabbing my laptop, I sit on the couch. I open a new tab and search Hattie Maitland. The first thing that pops up is her website, The Luxe Report, and I click on it. Her home page is her most recent blog post, and just like Violet said, Avery wrote it, a couple of sad paragraphs that say goodbye to Hattie.

There are thousands of comments, but I’m not interested in reading them. Instead, I use the search bar and type in my name. As I suspected, a few things come up, speculation that Violet and I are more than friends, my attendance at a fundraiser where L&W Global gave a substantial amount. Nothing about Theo’s kidnapping or death, which is surprising, but all it tells me is that she was a decent person who wouldn’t exploit my family’s pain for a few bucks.

I search Brooke’s name, and she’s the same. Her presence at a benefit dinner, some tongue-in-cheek banter wondering if Brooke can keep up with two men at once and what her exercise and nutrition routine is that gives her the energy to do so. It was dated a year ago, and the picture that goes with the post is of Brooke and Vale at the site where they chose to build the community center. They’re holding on to the shovel together, the metal sinking into the dirt.

I wasn’t there. Violet and I were in the middle of an acquisition, and Brooke hadn’t asked me to go knowing how important that deal was to the company.