the situation back in October 2000. That’s all. We understand that Laura Leigh loved babysitting for the Copelands. Was that always the way she felt even in the beginning?”
“It was. She had that job for four years. In all that time Laura Leigh never had a problem with either Todd or Sandra. In fact, she looked up to Sandra, wanted to be like her one day. You would have to know Laura Leigh to understand that she sort of worshipped Sandra. Laura Leigh would never have hurt her in any way. She couldn’t. She got along well with everyone. Why would she do anything to jeopardize the cushy job she had with the family? Like I said that day in your office, the person Sandra had a problem with was her own sister. Sandra had arguments with Jocelyn. Screaming matches. At least one a week. It was Jocelyn who gave Sandra a hard time the most.”
“And what did they argue about?” Lando asked.
“I only know what Laura Leigh told me. Jocelyn wanted access to her trust fund, kept pestering Sandra about it, but Sandra wasn’t having it. There were several heated arguments about the money.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere,” Lando muttered. “Because Sandra controlled the trust?”
“She did. And she had very specific ideas about what she wanted Jocelyn to do before giving her access even after Jocelyn turned twenty-one.”
Lando scrubbed a hand over his chin. “Like what? What were Sandra’s requirements?”
“Like graduate from college and then get a job,” Anna Kate laid out. “Sandra wanted to see her sister show some responsibility.”
“So you might say that Sandra put several obstacles in Jocelyn’s way?” Lando prodded.
“Yeah. That seemed to be at the heart of those two not getting along. According to Laura Leigh, the trust was huge. Millions were at stake. You see why Laura Leigh thought Jocelyn was behind the murders, right?”
“I do now. Tell me something. Do you have any idea what happened to the car Laura Leigh was driving that night? The little Prius?”
Anna Kate’s forehead tightened in thought. “Wow. Good question. It probably ended up towed to the junkyard out on the highway. You realize the Prius was totaled?”
Lando traded looks with Gemma. “It’s a longshot, but it might still be there in some form for a forensic team to examine.”
“I’m getting a sneaky suspicion you think someone ran Laura Leigh off the road on purpose?”
“It’s just a theory,” Lando said as he got to his feet. “I won’t know unless I dig a little deeper.”
“Will you tell me what you find?”
“If…I find anything, I’ll definitely let you know.”
After a long day, Lando and Gemma finally made it home. Pulling the cruiser into the garage next to the Volvo, Lando shut off the engine. “It’s nice to be able to park in here. Thanks for clearing everything out.”
“Clearing everything out” meant finally moving Marissa’s cherished Buick out of the covered parking and into a storage unit for safekeeping. Over the winter, Gemma had made the decision. But she couldn’t bear to sell her Gram’s car or to see it carted off by strangers. Not yet, anyway.
“No problem. It was past time we made room in here for both our vehicles.”
“I know it was a big step,” Lando said, picking up her hand and squeezing her fingers. “I’m grateful you took it.”
“As long as you appreciate my sacrifice,” Gemma cracked, trying not to overthink her decision. After gathering up her belongings, she headed for the door that led to the mudroom.
Entering the house through the side door, she walked in first and got almost knocked down by two anxious dogs.
Worked up, Rufus and Rolo met her with more than enthusiasm. Their behavior bordered on fear. Sensing that something had spooked them, Gemma dropped her bag on the bench and turned to Lando. She put her fingers up to her lips for quiet. “I think someone might be in the house.”
That one caution put Lando on full alert. He reached for his service revolver and rushed past Gemma into the kitchen. The first thing he noticed was that the backdoor had been left open. The rain had splattered the kitchen floor with droplets but not enough to indicate the door had been left ajar for very long.
He darted out into the backyard to look around but was met with darkness. Left behind, Gemma grabbed flashlights out of the laundry room and slipped out into the misty rain after him. She caught up with him in the garden.