“What next?” she asked as they stood in the sunroom.
She’d transformed the space into an impressive office. Her desk looked to be an antique and beautifully restored. The computer and monitor were state of the art, along with a mic and a camera stand and lights.
“I often do interviews and webinars for clients,” she explained.
“Great view,” he said. On the other side of all that glass, a garden bed was framed by low, neatly trimmed boxwoods. The flower bed was mulched for winter, but three large planters in the space were filled with small rosemary shrubs shaped into Christmas trees.
The rest of the office was furnished with a bookcase and filing cabinet as well as a worktable covered with scrapbooking materials, photos and papers. A trio of plain cardboard boxes were tucked under the worktable. And she had a seating area as well where she and guests could enjoy the view.
“If you’re up for it, I’d like to talk about the case, get a feel for what to expect.” He found it interesting that she didn’t sit down in that room, but led him back toward the front of the house. Was she trying to hide something?
“Where should I start?” She flopped down on her couch.
He took the chair across from her. “Walk me through the day before last. Tell me everything you did between noon and the time you went to bed.”
Her pale cheeks pinked up and the sudden blush made her look far younger and too innocent to be accused of murder.
“I worked from home until noon. My first meeting was at one. Then I went by the party venue and we finalized the seating based on my final head count.”
“The one o’clock meeting was where?” he interrupted, refusing to let her gloss over any detail.
“I- I’ll get you that information,” she hedged. “It’s in my planner.”
What was she trying to hide? He hadn’t seen a planner sitting out in the office. Maybe she kept an electronic planner on her phone. She didn’t seem like the type to forget where a meeting had been held or the purpose of it. Her mother, maybe, but Paige was too organized. He opted for patience during this first run through. “Go on.”
“Umm, right. As I said, after the meeting was the stop at the venue. We booked a restaurant on Shem Creek this year.” She paused, pulled the sweater tight around her middle. “Melissa called in that favor for us.” Her gaze dropped to her hands. “I did a little Christmas shopping after that and then stopped by Melissa’s kitchen downtown to pick up the last dessert samplers.”
“The desserts you texted her about yesterday morning?”
Her head snapped up and she stared at him. “How do you know about that text?”
“My technology assistant ran the records.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “It feels intrusive, but everything we’re doing is designed to help you. Did the police keep your phone?”
“No. They wanted to, but the lawyer Dad sent in fought them on it.”
“Good. Where is it now?”
She tipped her head toward the hallway. “In the bedroom on the charger. This morning I just couldn’t deal with it. Maybe I should’ve cooperated with the detectives. When this story breaks, I’ll be inundated with messages.”
He wondered how long they had before word got out. More importantly, he wondered who had the influence to keep it quiet. “Another reason not to call anyone connected to Melissa,” he pointed out.
“Okay.”
“Is there anyone you can think of who might be frustrated or angry that you were working with Melissa on this event?” Carter asked. “Does the holiday party normally go to a different company or location?”
“No.” She chewed on her lip, her gaze on her hands as she plucked at the cuffs of the sweater.
“Paige.” He waited until she met his gaze. She looked so sad and alone. “I can’t help you if I don’t have all the facts. What are you holding back?”
She shook her head, looking away. “It’s complicated.”
He wondered if she would elaborate. Maybe she was simply too overwhelmed by the entire mess. Jack had warned him his wife was fragile emotionally and had attempted suicide in the past. Did Paige take after her mom?
“Melissa and I were not working on the firm’s annual holiday party,” Paige said in a rush, her eyes downcast. “We’re friends. We have worked together in the past. No one was hurt by anything we were doing or any arrangement we had. I’ve worked with other chefs on other events. She was the best choice for this event.”
“If it’s not for the holiday party, what’s the event for?”
“My dad’s retirement sendoff. It’s supposed to be a surprise, but at this rate it will be a miracle if he doesn’t figure it out.”
Her voice was full of bitterness that he couldn’t reconcile with the background on the family. Aside from Cora’s issues, the Cokers were supposedly happy and content as a unit. They frequently attended public events together and supported each other’s pet projects and interests.
“Your mom can’t take over? Isn’t she involved with the planning?”
Paige shook her head. “She’s working on the itinerary for their second honeymoon in the spring.”
Still bitter. She was on her feet again, but at least this time she wasn’t shouting. “Can we table this for a while? I’m a wreck.”
“Sure.” He stood as well. “Go do what you need to do, as long as you don’t leave the house alone. I understand how restrictive that must feel. There are two reasons,” he continued before she could ask. “First off, I don’t want the police to be able to surprise you and try to speak with you alone. There are rules now that you have an attorney, but no one can guarantee they won’t get bent. Secondly, we’ll stick together because it’s possible someone has framed you, which makes you a target.”
“I understand.”
He doubted that, but he took her at her word. “I’ll get my gear and get to work.”
“Great,” she said. “Thanks.”
He waited until she reached the hallway. “Be sure to look up the details on that one o’clock, all right? You can fill me in when you’re rested.”
Paige stopped moving and when she replied, it was a quick answer over her shoulder, “I’ll do that.”
He reset the security system on his way out and followed the gravel path from her front porch to the driveway. When he was well out of earshot and on his way to where he’d parked near the front of the main house, he called Jenna.
“We have a problem,” he said when she answered.
“A killer-client kind of problem?”
“No.” He paused thinking it over. “No,” he said again. “She didn’t kill her friend, but she is definitely hiding something.”
“That big event is a retirement party for her dad,” Jenna said. “That’s all hush-hush.”
No surprise Jenna had found that detail. “Paige told me. This is something else.” Something she did not want anyone poking into. “She had a meeting at one o’clock the day of the murder,” he said, lowering his voice. “She claims she can’t recall the details about who she met where.”