The Ghost and the Mystery Writer by Anna J. McIntyre Page B

Steve company while he eats.”
    She smiled and filled the empty glasses on the table.
    When they were alone again, the chief asked, “You have a problem with Jolene?”
    â€œProblem?” Steve shrugged. “She was on the museum board with me. Millie thought she’d make a good replacement for the board member we lost.”
    â€œShe didn’t?”
    â€œI think her attitude made Danielle Boatman change her mind about donating the Thorndike emerald. We’re a nonprofit, and we can’t afford to be alienating any wealthy members.”
    â€œI heard something about that.”
    Steve shrugged. “I suspect Jolene’s attitude toward Danielle was out of jealousy. Danielle has money, and Jolene had lost hers.”
    â€œI heard she was having money problems.”
    â€œShe came to me for a loan. She was about to lose her house.”
    â€œThat bad?”
    Steve nodded. “Yeah. Her estate was tangled up with Renton’s. Money she had loaned to the law practice. Whoever wrote up the loan agreement didn’t protect Jolene’s interests.”
    â€œRenton maybe?”
    Steve shrugged again. “Doug was still alive back then. It doesn’t matter now. Jolene’s dead. I imagine her daughter will have to sort it all out.”
    â€œYou said she came to you for a loan? I assume your answer was no?”
    Steve picked up his beer and took a sip before answering. “There was no way I could give her a loan. She simply didn’t have the assets or the income.”
    â€œLast night, did you see who left after Jolene?”
    Steve downed the rest of his beer. “That would probably be me. I don’t remember anyone else leaving the restaurant after Jolene. But I could be wrong.” He picked up what remained of his hamburger.
    â€œWhen you went outside, did you see Jolene? Maybe walking on the pier?”
    â€œWhen I went outside, she was nowhere around.”
    â€œDid you see anyone on the pier?”
    â€œThere were a couple of guys fishing.”
    â€œDo you know who they were?”
    He shook his head. “I really didn’t pay any attention, and there wasn’t much light. Might have been someone I knew, maybe not.”
    â€œAnd you never heard anything suspicious?”
    â€œNo. Nothing. Like I told you before, that’s why I didn’t think it was a big deal if I didn’t get right back to you. Nothing really to tell.”

Chapter Eleven
    T he next morning , Chief MacDonald sat at his office desk, reading the newspaper and drinking his coffee, when he heard a knock at his open door. He looked up and saw Joe Morelli standing in the doorway.
    â€œI see you’re reading the paper,” Joe said as he walked into the office and took a seat.
    MacDonald shook his head and slammed the paper on the desk. “Can’t we ever keep anything out of the damn paper?”
    â€œIt’s—”
    â€œDon’t say it!” MacDonald snapped. “If I hear it’s a small town one more time, I’m going to do something we’ll all regret!”
    â€œWell, it is,” Joe said with a shrug.
    â€œHow did the paper find out about Jolene’s rings?”
    â€œCome on, Chief, there were people on the pier when you recovered them. You didn’t really expect to keep that under wraps.”
    â€œIt would have been nice. At least for a while. Now the killer knows we’re onto him.” MacDonald downed the last of his coffee.
    â€œI wish they could have found something at Jolene’s house. Anything.”
    MacDonald set his empty cup on the desk and shoved it to the side. “There really wasn’t much in the house. She had hardly any furniture and relatively few personal items. It didn’t take them that long to go through it.”
    Joe frowned. “I don’t understand that.”
    â€œI called Melony to tell her we were going to go through her mother’s house. She