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ôI wouldnÆt say someùIÆd say a high degree of proficiency. That was a crack shot, babe. Straight through the heart at the first try. No other marks on the womanÆs body.ö

ôFrom what distance does Abe think the arrow was shot?ö

ôToo soon to tell, IÆm afraid,ö said Chase. ôWhy?ö

ôThe further away the killer was standing, the better his aim.ö

Chase nodded.ôI agree. So weÆre probably looking at a member of the Brookwell Archery Club for our killer.ö

ôIs Norwell Kulhanek a member?ö

ôWouldnÆt surprise me if he is.ö

ôSo you still thinkàö

ôI wouldnÆt discount him. You said it yourself last night. The guy left a lucrative career to come to Hampton Cove and become a partner in Valina Fawn. His wife had to change careers, his kids had to change schoolsà WeÆre talking a major shift in lifestyle here. And all of a sudden disasterstrikes in the form of this hack. He blames Valina, they argue, he threatens to sue for reputational damages, she tries to mollify him by promising a complete site overhaul, spouting some soundbites about using this as an opportunity but of course he knows better. Knows it might spell the end of a promising career.ö

ôSo he uses his own key card to enter the office and shoot her?ö

Chase grimaced.ôYou saw him. The guy is a nervous wreck. He wasnÆt thinking straight.ö

ôStill. There are less conspicuous ways to kill a person. And whoever killed Valina added that plush Cupid to make it clear he was targeting both her and her site.ö

ôSo a disgruntled customer?ö

ôOr a disgruntled spouse.ö

Chapter 10

ValinaÆs personal assistant Meghan Fray was the next person being led into our makeshift interview room. She was a raven-haired woman in her mid-twenties with remarkable sea-green eyes and wearing the same kind of business suit her boss favored. She was crisp to the point of bluntness, and far from being shocked by the murder of her employer seemed more annoyed by it, as if ValinaÆs death had messed up her plans.

ôValina was under a lot of pressure, as you can imagine,ö said Meghan. ôWe all were, actually. You wouldnÆt believe the phone calls weÆve been getting, and the emails. People even showed up at the office, demanding we pay them back their membership fees, or threatening with lawsuits. ItÆs been a very difficult time.ö

ôAnyone in particular stick out?ö asked Chase.

Meghan smoothed the hem of her skirt.ôWellà one person did seem more determined to talk with Valina. We all tried to shield her as much as possible from all the abuse, of course, but this woman wouldnÆt take no for an answer. And since sheÆs in a position to create a lot of trouble for us, Valina finally decided to take her call. She later told me it was one of the worst five minutes of her life. The woman was absolutely furious, and demanded access to her partnerÆs private informationùinformation that luckily wasnÆt part of the leak. Things like the profiles he looked at, times he swiped right, dates set up. That kind of thing. Lucky for us the guy was in the clear. Had never once swiped right.ö

Odelia frowned.ôWhat is the name of this woman?ö

ôUmà Charlene Butterwick,ö said Meghan. ôThe Mayor of Hampton Cove?ö

Odelia and Chase both looked appropriately surprised by this piece of news.ôCharlene Butterwick caused Valina to experience the worst five minutes of her life?ö asked Odelia.

ôThatÆs what she said. Mayor Butterwick has the power to close us down, you see. Or at least thatÆs what Valina said. And also, her partner is a cop or someà thingàö Her voice trailed off as she stared at Chase, then grimaced. ôHeÆs your boss, isnÆt he?ö

Chase nodded.

ôOh, God.ö

ôHeÆs a cop, Miss Fray. Not an ax murderer,ö said Chase dryly.

ôHe also happens to be my uncle,ö said Odelia, ôand I can assure you heÆs a great guy.ö

But Meghan didnÆt look convinced. What she was convinced of was that sheÆd just made a very serious faux pas. ôLook, weÆre all on edge here. Valina more than the rest of us. Her business was on the line, and she worked around the clock to make things right. And now this.ö She shook her head, and I couldsee the lines on her forehead. She might not show it, but she was indeed affected by her bossÆs murder.

ôIs there anyone else you can think of who might have done this?ö asked Odelia gently.

ôApart from the Mayor and the Chief of Police?ö Chase added for good measure.

MeghanÆs eyelid twitched. The woman was feeling the strain. ôI can think of a couple of hundred people who might have done this. Or even a thousand. You canÆt imagine how angry people are, detective. You should see some of the emails weÆve received.ö

ôOn another note,ö said Chase, ôNorwell Kulhanek claims his key card was stolen yesterday. Do you have any idea who might be responsible? Maybe something you saw or overheard?ö