*
THE SUNDANCE ROOM, located down the hall from the main auditorium, was a smallish theater, able to seat only a hundred or so, and used mainly for debuting local independent films. Currently, only the first few rows were filled, but it was enough to make Lynn noticeably nervous. I held my breath, my eyes riveted on the stage where she was beginning her reading. After a couple of wobbly starts, she surprised me by finding her groove. After a few more lines, she started to become more confident, showing everyone a little animation and an ability to captivate a crowd. Up to now, I thought she was a very shy, timid person. But over the course of the week, despite Chuck’s death and everything going on, she seemed to have blossomed. Now, in front of this crowd, she appeared almost vibrant. And by the end of the first page, she had the audience sitting on the edges of their seats, including someone I didn’t expect to see—Sean.
I’d caught sight of him in the second row from the back, notepad in hand as he hung on Lynn’s every word. He jotted down several notes as she read up to the point of a page-turning cliff-hanger—the discovery of the murder victim. His scribbling picked up to a feverish pace during that part and I was pretty sure it wasn’t because he was a fan.
As Lynn wrapped up her reading, she received a nice round of applause. I started toward the stage to offer my congratulations, but before I could reach her, she was surrounded by a small group of future readers. I turned away and set my sights on Sean instead. “Did you get everything you needed?” I asked, my tone more than slightly sarcastic.
He patted the suit pocket where he kept his notepad. “Believe so. She did a good job, by the way. I liked the sound of the book. Any chance I could get a sneak preview?”
I shook my head.
He shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter. I should have the warrant in my hands anytime now.”
“Lynn’s not your killer,” I told him again. “I’m sure of it, Sean. Sure, she seems relieved that he’s dead, but that’s only because . . .” I stopped short, realizing I was about to relay more information that might be damaging to Lynn’s case.
“Because Chuck was abusive,” he finished for me. “She already told me about it.”
“Oh. Well, then you can kind of understand why she might feel a little relief upon his death. It must have been horrible to endure that type of relationship.”
“I’m sure. She must have lived in constant fear. Seeing him again might have caused all those old emotions to resurface. Maybe she just cracked.”
I sighed, deciding to change the subject. “Guess who I saw today? Trey.”
“Trey? Is everything okay?”
“No, it isn’t. He decided to quit school and try making his way as a chef. He’s been staying over at Mama’s for a while. Can you believe she didn’t even tell me?”
“Maybe she was afraid you’d be upset.”
“Well, of course I’m upset! He’s giving up his education, for crying out loud. He’s wasting his chance to go to college. Not to mention the money I shelled out for this semester’s tuition.” I rolled my neck, trying to relieve some of the tension building there.
“Look, I see your point. Being a chef wouldn’t be an easy job. Long hours, crappy starting pay, and it can’t be easy work.”
This from a guy who practically burned down my kitchen last year. He was speaking from experience.
“But he’s going to be twenty years old in just a couple of months,” he added. “He’s certainly old enough to decide what he wants to do with his life. If it’s cooking, then good for him. Look on the bright side—if he gets his own restaurant one day, he’ll probably let us eat there for free.”
He chuckled. I didn’t. Obviously Sean just didn’t get it. He’d probably be singing a different tune if it were his kid, and his wasted money. I could feel myself quickly slipping into a dark place, so I decided to refocus the conversation. “Anyway, he’s working at Machiavelli’s. I ran into him today. I also learned something that might be of interest to your case.”
Sean leaned in, all ears.
I continued, “Trey mentioned that Belmonte was really upset over work Chuck had done at the restaurant. Actually, I’d be upset, too. I saw some of his handiwork up close and it wasn’t safe, let alone pretty. Anyway, guess they had a huge argument over it the day before Chuck ended up dead. Pretty suspicious, huh? And remember Belmonte was here at the time of the murder; he had the means to kill him as well as a motive.”
“That is interesting,” Sean said. “Belmonte didn’t say anything about Chuck doing work for him.”