Debts and Debtors: (A Geeks and Things Cozy Mystery Novella #3) (Geeks and Things Cozy Mysteries) by Sarah Biglow Read Free Book Online Page B

to move some boxes off the couch so she had a place to sit.
    “OK, let’s see what we’ve got,” she muttered to herself and found the listing of most recently filed plans.
    She didn’t have to look very long before she found the plans for the condo and hotel layout. It loaded in a new tab and she had to blow it up to read any of it. She wasn’t an expert with building plans but it was pretty obvious that the layout of the building stretched over a large section of the waterfront, including the Chase residence. In fact, it was right in the middle of the whole thing.
    “Damn.”
    The little pieces of information she’d been gathering were all starting to fall into place now. The developer had likely hired Thomas because they needed his land to build the hotel and they thought getting him to collect on debts would get them what they wanted. Whether they expected his neighbors to turn on him and run him out of town or some other scenario, they likely counted on him handing things over to them before long. She doubted they’d intended to kill him. The guilty party could have been one of his neighbors but it didn’t explain the gun registered in his name. Perhaps a trip to the only pawn shop in town was a good idea. She also wanted to head back out to the waterfront and see if she could talk to anyone whom Thomas might have tried to collect from.
    Kalina forced herself to eat something before racing off for her day of investigation. Her curiosity was so overpowering at times that she forgot to eat. But fainting in the middle of things wasn’t going to do anyone any good—least of all her—so she hastily downed a banana and some soggy oatmeal before heading out to her first stop. The pawn shop sat on the edge of town closest to the highway. In fact, it wasn’t that far from her sister’s place now that she thought about it. The parking lot was small—only three poorly marked spaces in front of the dimly lit front window. It gave her the creeps but she squared her shoulders and strode in.
    “Well, I never thought I’d see you set foot in here,” a deep baritone said from behind the front counter.
    Blake Jansen had been a few years ahead of her in school and, much like her, had inherited the family business. He was big but in a non-threatening way. It was all belly fat and smile lines.
    “Hey, Blake. How’s it going?”
    “It’s going. I hear your place is hopping.”
    “People love their comics and nerdy stuff.”
    “What can I do for you today?”
    “You may not be able to tell me but I was wondering if you know Thomas Chase.”
    “Real estate guy? Yeah, he helped my parents sell their place before they moved down south.”
    “His wife asked me to check if he’d been in to buy or sell anything recently. They came into some money recently and she’s just worried he might be trying to sell off some antiques.”
    “Nope. Can’t say that I’ve ever seen him in here.”
    “Really? Because she said she also found a gun case in his closet.”
    “Well, if he bought a gun, it wasn’t through me. That I’d remember. There isn’t anyone less likely to come into this place than him.”
    “Does anyone else work at the shop besides you? Maybe he came in when they were working?”
    “I was out a few days last month with the flu. Had my cousin’s kid cover for me. I’ll check the receipts for you.”
    Kalina leaned on the countertop. “Thanks. I know his wife will really appreciate it. I’m just hoping to put her mind at ease.”
    “How do you know the current Mrs. Chase?” Blake asked as he pulled a rolodex of cards from beneath the counter.
    “She was friends with my sister in college.”
    “That so?” He flipped through some cards.
    “Why? Is there something I should know about her?”
    Blake shrugged and continued to sort through the cards. “I heard she majored in theater. Fancied herself something of an actress. If she’s worried her husband’s been pawning stuff, I wouldn’t necessarily