Free Health, Wealth, and Murder by Traci Tyne Hilton

I ever left the organization, he would destroy me.”
    Jane let her fingers hover over the keyboard. Was Francine likely to be a liar? Or needlessly dramatic? Hard to say. “How would the police know this?”
    “Because Christiana would tell them.”
    Jane paused again. She didn’t believe Francine. She wished she could see her face, see how she was holding herself while she said these things. Liars usually gave themselves away. “And why would Christiana say a thing like that about a popular international preacher—who happened to be her own husband?”
    Francine sighed. “I knew you looked young when I hired you, but I had hoped you weren’t so naïve.”
    “Are you implying that you had an affair with Josiah Malachi?”
    “No.” The single word was crisp.
    “Did she think you had an affair?” Irritation with Francine was quickly replacing the sorrow that had overwhelmed her when she heard about the missing child.
    “Yes.”
    “You think the cops will peg you as the most likely suspect because Christiana will tell them that Josiah had threatened you because of an affair.” Jane tapped her fingers on her keyboard. “That doesn’t make sense.”
    “I wanted to leave a long time ago, but I know too much about how they operate their show, and so Josiah threatened to wipe me out—financially, my reputation. He even said he’d kill me, Jane.” For once her voice broke, revealing a hint of real emotion.
    “How did Christiana know? Or how much did she know?”
    “Christiana knows about every trick, every threat, and every girlfriend. She knows it all. He tells her—told her—all about it because he was a megalomaniac. So, she will, or has, already told the police that I wanted to leave but he wouldn’t let me, and the only way out was to kill him.”
    “Was it?” Jane held her breath. She hadn’t meant to ask that, but it had come out.
    Francine didn’t say anything.
    Jane waited a moment longer. “I will look up everyone on the task force, but I think my partner was right. I think I need an insider with the police if I am going to get anywhere with this.”
    “Christiana is back.” That was all Francine said before she hung up.
    Jane stared at her notes. Missing child. Threats. Nine new people to talk to.
    No, only seven new people. Two of them were old friends.
    At least now she knew where to start—Facebook.
    It took five minutes to set up coffee with Reggie, Stacy, and Jake for that night. She realized Gemma would be disappointed to be left out, but…
    On second thought, she texted Gemma and invited her along. Now they’d have to talk about the murder. They wouldn’t be able to help it.
     
     
    A cellist in the corner of the dark little café—Rimsky’s Korsacoffee House—set a melancholy mood. It was Saturday night, so the place was crowded, but eventually Jane and her friends were seated at the low, round table in the southeast corner of the restaurant.
    Right off Jane noticed that Stacy and Reggie were holding hands. And Reggie leaned over and whispered something in Stacy’s ear that made her blush. Though they had all been on the lunchtime Bible study committee together, Jane was surprised. Nothing on their Facebook profiles indicated they were a thing.
    She should have checked out their Instagrams. Blast Facebook. She needed it to keep in touch with her wealthy, middle-aged clients, but it was no way to stay on top of what her friends were up to.
    She’d have to do her best to ignore the weirdness of the speech club president and the captain of the cheerleaders being a thing. This was far from a real social event. They ordered coffee and desserts and settled into the low chairs and benches.
    “So…Jake and Jane, eh?” Reggie laughed. “That might be the second most surprising couple to come out of Prez Prep.”
    “I don’t think we are even close to your league of crazy. No offense, Stace, but Reggie? Really?” Jake nudged Reggie with his elbow.
    Stacy picked up Reggie’s