Thirty and a Half Excuses
Page 65

Who was Gina Morton?
Jonah’s face paled, and he stumbled before regaining composure. “Gina’s dead?”
“Yes, sir. Her daughter found her body early this morning. We understand you spent the afternoon with Mrs. Morton yesterday.”
“Well…yeah…” he stammered. “Gina invited me over for lunch after church.”
Taylor’s face puckered with disapproval. “We’d like to ask you a few questions.”
Jonah’s hand shook. “Yes, of course. Would you like to come inside?”
Taylor nodded and followed Jonah into the house.
Officer Ernie stood to the side, eyeing Bruce Wayne and me. “Are you two colluding with a murderer?”
I put my hand on my hip. “Are you allowed to ask questions like that?”
Bruce Wayne moved closer to me, looking like he was about to lose his breakfast.
I’d just about had enough of the Henryetta law enforcement thinking the worst of me. “Isn’t that slander? Accusing someone of something when you don’t have any proof?”
Ernie’s jaw jutted forward as though he wanted to say something, but he stopped himself.
I looked over my shoulder at Bruce Wayne. “You haven’t done anything wrong so don’t let him make you feel like you have. And whatever you do, don’t answer any questions.”
Bruce Wayne swallowed and nodded.
I shot Ernie my meanest glare. “Some of us have actual work to do.” I looped my arm through Bruce Wayne’s and tugged. “Let’s get started on the back.”
When we got to the side of the house, Bruce Wayne lowered his mouth next to my ear. “Jonah didn’t say nothing about working on the back.”
“I know,” I whispered. “But I don’t like Ernie looking at us like we’re criminals.” I opened the gate and pulled Bruce Wayne with me. “And I hope to find out what Jonah and Detective Taylor are talking about.”
Bruce Wayne’s eyes widened. “You want to snoop?”
I tried my best to sound offended. “I can’t believe you asked that of me, Bruce Wayne.”
He snickered, the first sign I’d seen that there was a bit of spunk in him. “So, do you?”
“Well, yeah…”
We walked around the backyard, staying close to the house. There was a little landscaping here and there, and a set of windows in the middle of the house looked out onto the large backyard. When I got closer I could see Jonah sitting at a table with the detective.
“I want to get under that window to see if I can hear something.”
Bruce Wayne looked worried. “I’ll keep a lookout in case Ernie decides to come back here and check on us.”
“Thanks.”
Curtains hung on either side of the windows and would block any sight of me from the men inside, but the windows were higher off the ground in the back of the house. I spun around looking for something to stand on, but Bruce Wayne was a step ahead of me. He handed me a bucket.
“How did you know I needed this?”
He gave me an apologetic grin. “I’ve got some experience.”
I didn’t have time to stop and dwell on Bruce Wayne’s former life of crime, nor the fact that I was possibly dragging him back down that road. But then again, I wasn’t sure this was illegal. Rude? Yes. But illegal? Besides, most of the people in town already thought I was guilty of this very crime—eavesdropping. I might as well at least try it once.
I turned the bucket upside down and climbed on top, pressing my ear to the glass. I could barely make out their words. I had to close my eyes and concentrate.
“…roast beef and potatoes.” Jonah said.
“Then what happened?”
“Should I call my attorney?”
Taylor’s voice lowered. “Have you done something that warrants calling a lawyer?”
Jonah didn’t answer him.
“Did you discuss Mrs. Morton’s money or her will?”
“I don’t see why it matters what we discussed.” Jonan tried to sound indignant, but his voice was shaking.
Detective Taylor’s voice turned menacing. “We can do this down at the station if you’d prefer.”
Jonah sounded like he coughed. “We did discuss how she planned to handle her affairs after she passed through the pearly gates. She was about to redo her will. She asked for my advice.” Jonah sounded defensive and seemed to be regaining some of his confidence.
“Did you convince Dorothy Thortonbury to give you her inheritance?”
“No, definitely not.”
“Her niece brought me her will, and it shows that you get everything. And wouldn’t you know it, she signed it about a week before her death.”
“I don’t know anything about that.” Jonah sounded panicked.
“What about Laura Whitfield? What’s your connection to her?”
“She… she was a member of my church.”
“How’s your church doin’ financially, Reverend.”
“We’re doing very well.”
“I see you hired the new nursery to work on your church grounds. They did a lot of work. That had to cost a pretty penny.”
“The church’s financial records are available for church members to review. We have nothing to hide.”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit coincidental that you hired a multiple offender to work on your property right around the time the elderly women in this town started dropping like flies?”