“I need to know where you were the day of the fourteenth and the fifteenth,” she said.
“That’s simple enough. I was down in LA,” he replied. “I took Sage down for a little shopping trip on Rodeo Drive.”
“Sage?”
“Another girl I spend time with.”
“I see.”
He spread his hands out in front of him. “Like I said, I enjoy the company of beautiful young women. No crime in that.”
“I suppose not,” she replied. “So, you were in LA on a shopping trip on the fourteenth and the fifteenth, then?”
“We actually went down on the twelfth for a movie premier and stayed through to the sixteenth,” he told her.
The lavishly excessive way the guy lived made Spenser shake her head. But she didn’t get the sense that he was being deceptive. He made her skin crawl, but like his predilection for gorgeous young model-types, that wasn’t illegal either.
“I assume you can provide me proof of your trip?” Spenser asked.
“Trust but verify, huh?”
“Trust but verify.”
“I’ll have my assistant send you receipts from the trip,” he said. “I can also make my flight crew available to you for interviews should you need it.”
“Thank you, Mr. Russell. Now what about this phone call? Why were you and Hamill still in contact?”
Russell’s smirk fell, and for the first time, Spenser felt she was seeing the real man behind the mask.
“Ah yes, well, I’d heard from an associate that our late friend was going around soliciting investment opportunities. Let’s just say I was inspired to reach out, hmm?”
“I see,” Spenser said. “I guess that would pour some salt on the wound. Very well.”
Spenser got to her feet and pulled a small black case out of her jacket pocket. Taking one of her business cards out of the case, she slid it across the table to him.
“My contact information is there,” she said. “Have your assistant email copies of those receipts to that address, please.”
“Ask and ye shall receive, Sheriff.”
“Thank you,” she said. “I’ll get out of your hair and let you and Eva get on with your day.”
She turned and slipped through the gate in the transom then stepped down onto the swim platform. Spenser was just about to step up onto the dock when Russell called out to her. She stopped and turned around.
“Sheriff, it’s a lovely day,” he said. “Why don’t you stick around? We’ll have some cocktails and I’m going to have a wonderful lobster dinner sent in. Why don’t you join us?”
She laughed. “Tempting,” she said. “But some of us don’t have the luxury of being able to play hooky on nice days.”
“Are you sure?” he asked. “I’m sure there are some bikinis below deck that would fit you. And I’d be willing to bet a large sum of money that you’d look absolutely fantastic in them.”
“Have a good day, Mr. Russell,” she said. “I’ll be in touch if I need anything more.”
“Please do,” he replied.
His tone was smarmy and disgusting and set Spenser’s skin crawling once more. She turned and headed back to the parking lot to make the hour and a half drive back to Sweetwater Falls with little more than she had when she’d set out that morning. If nothing else, though, she was pretty sure she could remove Joel Russell from the suspect pool.
She only wished she could arrest him for being a pig.
“Sounds like the guy is living the dream,” Ryker said.
Spenser arched an eyebrow and looked at him. “Living the dream, huh?”
“What? I meant the whole, playing hooky to go have drinks on your yacht or blowing town to go on shopping spree,” he said. “Not the whole dating gorgeous young women who enjoy wearing next to nothing thing. That’s his dream. That’s not my dream.”
Ryker gave her a wink that made Spenser laugh out loud. “Don’t be a pig. I thought better of you than that.”
“That was probably your first mistake.”
Spenser squealed and slapped him playfully on the arm. “You’re such a jerk.”
He laughed as he slipped an arm around her shoulder and pulled Spenser closer. They sat on a bench in the town square sipping hot cocoa and listening to the string quartet on stage playing spiced up versions of classical music. It was a beautiful night, the music was perfect, and the company was even better. After a long and ultimately frustrating and fruitless day, it was just what she needed.
“So, he’s not your guy, huh?” Ryker asked.
She shook her head. “I’ll have to confirm his alibi, of course, but I don’t think so. He’s a creep but I don’t think he’s a murderer.”
