Deadly Valentine (Special Releases) Read Online Free PDF Page A

wonder why Tempest felt so strongly about this. He had a feeling, though, that it had nothing to do with logic or evidence or even her training.
    He pulled out his cell phone, dialed information and called Sweet Things. He could feel Tempest’s gaze on him as he questioned the clerk at the store. As he hung up, he gave Tempest a nod. She’d been right. The clerk remembered Peggy Kane. She had purchased only one box of chocolates. The reason the clerk remembered was because Peggy had paid for the box of chocolates with Oliver Sanders’s credit card and everyone knew the Sanderses.
    ‘‘Did the Sanderses buy any other boxes of chocolates before or after that?’’ he’d asked.
    ‘‘Not that I know of,’’ the clerk said. ‘‘But I wasn’t the only one working on the Valentine’s Day boxes.’’ Jack asked her to check with the other clerks and get back to him. ‘‘You’re sure that second box came from Sweet Things?’’ he asked Ramsey.
    The old man held it up in his gloved hands, turning it so Jack could see the Sweet Things logo engraved in the bottom. The box was obviously new and hadn’t been opened. Jack could hear the rustle of candy inside.
    Then Ramsey went through Peggy’s pockets, pulling out receipts, which he showed to Jack, then bagged. ‘‘What’s this?’’ He held up a key in his latex-gloved weathered fingers, a brow raised in question.
    ‘‘The elevator key,’’ Tempest said and shot Jack a look.
    Peggy hadn’t left hers in the elevator. That meant that Oliver had lied. The key now in the elevator had to be his. So how did it get there? The answer seemed obvious.
    ‘‘Bag the key that’s in the elevator and check it for prints,’’ Jack told Dobson. ‘‘Tempest, would you mind if we used your key?’’
    She produced it without hesitation.
    With no small amount of effort, Ramsey pushed himself to his feet. ‘‘Ready to take the body,’’ he announced.
    Jack nodded and walked back into the Sanderses living room. Mitzy stood at the window, her back to the room—and Oliver. Oliver was still at the bar, looking glum and guilty. But of what, Jack wondered.
    Deputy Reed stood at the edge of the room, appearing extremely uncomfortable. Neither Mitzy nor Oliver seemed to hear Jack as he entered the room.
    ‘‘I’m going to need statements from both of you, separately,’’ he said without preamble.
    Both turned then, both obviously ready to argue.
    ‘‘It appears Peggy Kane might have been poisoned,’’ Jack said. ‘‘We’re considering this a murder investigation.’’ He read them their rights. Mitzy seemed at a loss for words. Oliver hurriedly called his lawyer.
    ‘‘Deputy Reed will be happy to take you down to the Sheriff’s Department or follow you, but I know that you’ll both want to cooperate fully on this.’’ Jack nodded to Reed, then went back out to find the black-bagged body loaded onto a stretcher.
    ‘‘Won’t know much more until I open her up and check the stomach contents,’’ Ramsey was saying. ‘‘I’ll call the crime lab in Missoula. They’ll want their own pathologist to do it, but I’ll assist. Should be able to tell you something by this afternoon.’’
    Jack nodded. ‘‘Take all the gifts as evidence for now,’’ he ordered Dobson. ‘‘Ask Reed to get handwriting from both Mr. and Mrs. Sanders.’’
    He had Dobson fish Peggy’s keys out of her purse since he was still gloved, then bag the purse and its contents once he knew what she drove and where she lived.
    Deputy Reed brought the Sanderses out and took them down the elevator. Jack hung back, wanting to talk to Tempest alone.
    As the elevator closed behind the Sanderses and Deputy Reed, Jack glanced into the two shopping bags Mitzy had brought up. Both bags contained new clothing. But they could have once held the second box of chocolates.
    He stared at Peggy’s shopping bags for a moment, trying to figure out what was bothering him.
    ‘‘He didn’t buy her