It’ll Cost You
“Hey, Mom!” Jack called out as he and Chandler walked through the front door.
“Hi, honey.” Mrs. Stratton came out of the study and gave them both big hugs. “I’ve been worried sick about you since what happened in the park.”
“I’m fine, Mom.” Jack gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “If I’m going into law enforcement, I have to get used to that kind of thing.”
His mom’s gaze shifted to Chandler. “How could someone get used to that?”
“That’s what I’ve been saying to him, Mrs. Stratton,” Chandler said.
Jack headed upstairs. “I just need to use my computer to look some stuff up. I shouldn’t be too long.”
He and Chandler planned to spend the rest of the afternoon going over everything they could find on the Internet regarding everyone mentioned in Jack’s notebook.
They started by looking for information on Leland Chambers. It wasn’t hard to find. Soon Jack’s monitor was covered with business articles, several social media pages, and even a scathing review that Leland had left regarding a Mexican restaurant. But none of it seemed to have any relevance to the case.
“How about we take another look at Nina’s Facebook?” Chandler said. “Maybe Two Point reached back out to her?”
Jack opened a new tab. But besides pictures of some “cute outfits” Nina had picked up shopping—and more photos of things she’d still like to buy—there was nothing new.
Jack pulled up the H.T. Wells website next. “H.T. Wells is having a memorial run for Stacy next weekend,” Jack read. “The proceeds are going to help pay for her funeral expenses.”
“Why would her husband need help paying for the funeral?” Chandler wondered. “I thought they owned a house.”
“Apparently they were under some financial strain as it was,” Jack said, reading the details. “They both had good jobs, but neither of them had been there long—not long enough to really save anything.”
“That sucks. You get good jobs, a house and then… boom. Everything is gone.”
Jack pulled up Michael Shaw’s Facebook page. The last post was a week before the murder. There was a picture of Michael and Stacy at a work picnic for his company, Connect IT. They both looked happy. Stacy beamed at the camera, her eyes sparkling. But Jack couldn’t stop a different image of Stacy popping into his head: her body underwater, her dull eyes staring at nothing.
He quickly closed the tab, typed “Connect IT” into the search bar, and went to the web page for Michael’s company. Connect IT was a small firm that created software apps for cellphone users. Idly, Jack said, “Do you know what I’m getting for my birthday from my parents? I think they’re buying me a phone.”
Chandler didn’t say anything.
Jack looked over his shoulder at his friend. Chandler’s lips were pushed tightly together.
Jack smiled. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Don’t tell them I told you.” Chandler flopped down on the bed, and the mattress groaned. “How’d you guess?”
“I didn’t until I saw your face.” Jack laughed. “I was just thinking that this app here would be cool when we’re overseas. It’s like party chat—we can call my parents and then they can call Aunt Haddie. We get them all on the line at once and save some cash by only having to make one call.”
“Sweet.” Chandler grinned. “It’s a two-fer.” His grin widened. “Actually, for me, it’s a zero-fer because you’ll be paying for the call.”
Next, Jack pulled up the website for Right-A-Way Shipping. “Ha—you gotta look at this. This website looks like someone’s kid made it.”
Chandler sat up and made a face when he saw the animated packages flying across the screen. “Wow, that really is cheesy. I could make a better website than that.”
“No you couldn’t.”
“Shut up.”
Jack searched every page of the Right-A-Way website. He made notes as he went and printed out page after page of everything from news articles to their corporate management team bios. All of it was dry and none of it seemed to add up to anything.
Chandler finally sat up and stretched. “Hey, are you getting hungry?”
“No, but feel free to go get a snack. My mom will make you something. I just want to check one more thing.”
Chandler stood. “Look up whatever you want. I’ll be in the kitchen.”
As soon as Chandler was out of the room, Jack pulled up Kelly’s Facebook page. The first thing he saw was that she’d put up a picture of her and Jack. That quickened his pulse. But it was what he saw next that got his heart kicking up a gear.