Free Birthdays Can Be Deadly by Cindy Bell

causes.”
    “What do you mean?” Nicholas asked.
    “It's possible that he was poisoned,” Samantha did her best not to look in Eddy's direction. She knew that he would not approve of her sharing so much information.
    “What?” Nicholas stood half way up out of his chair and then sank back down. “That makes sense I guess.”
    Eddy's eyes widened. It was not the reaction he had expected.
    “It makes sense?” Samantha asked.
    “I just couldn't believe that he died that way. The last time I saw James he was encouraging me to start a jogging regiment. He was a strong and healthy man. For him to just pass so suddenly and so soon after the change to his will seemed odd to me.”
    “Change to his will?” Samantha pressed.
    “Oh uh, you know that information is privileged, Samantha.”
    “It's okay, Nicholas. It will stay just between us. We're just trying to help.”
    Nicholas glanced warily at Eddy and then looked back at Samantha. “Look, after James made his fortune I encouraged him to create a will just in case. He was estranged from his son. So, we set up his will so his inheritance would go to his best friend and business partner. They've lost touch over the years, but James didn't want to change it. Then all of a sudden last week he wants everything switched around.”
    “Let me guess, he wanted to leave it to his son?” Eddy asked.
    “Well, I'm not technically allowed to say but I won't say that you're wrong. Listen, James was a good guy. He felt terrible about the bad blood between himself and his son, so I was happy that he had made up with his son, but it all seemed so sudden. Then when he wanted to leave everything to him, I just felt uneasy. I tried to talk him out of it, I suggested a trust, but he didn't want anything to do with it.”
    “So, Mike stood to inherit all of the money?” Eddy asked.
    “He did.”
    “Then maybe he decided to speed up the timeline of his inheritance,” Samantha said sadly.
    “I hate to say it, but it could be possible,” Nicholas agreed.
    “Thank you for your help, Nicholas,” Samantha smiled.
    “Just remember you didn't hear any of it from me,” Nicholas said firmly. He shook Eddy's hand as they stood to leave. “And don't forget about that lunch, Samantha.”
    “I won't,” she promised.
     
     
     

Chapter Nine
     
     
    As Eddie and Samantha left Nicholas’ office to head back to Sage Gardens Eddy's phone rang.
    “It's Walt,” he said as he answered the phone. “Walt, did you find something?”
    “I sure did. Mike is in debt, a lot of debt. His mortgage is behind, his car is on the verge of being repossessed and he has quite a few outstanding loans. I don't even want to tell you about the credit cards or the collection agencies.”
    “That doesn't sound good,” Eddy said grimly. “We just found out that only last week James changed his will to leave everything to Mike.”
    “Oh wow, that certainly pins the spotlight right on Mike as our potential killer.”
    “Yes, it does,” Eddy said. He hung up the phone and looked over at Samantha.
    “Looks like Mike was in a ton of financial trouble.”
    After they returned to Sage Gardens they met with Walt at his house. As the three gathered around Walt's kitchen table they discussed the case. “So, sonny boy drops back into his life out of the blue,” Eddy pointed out. “Convinces his Daddy Dearest to leave the money to him, and then suddenly James is in the ground. Dale the janitor I talked to said that he heard James and Mike fighting about money a few weeks ago. Maybe Mike got James to change the will, and then felt pressured to strike before James had the chance to change it again.”
    “That does make sense,” Walt nodded. Then he grimaced. “I don't mean that it makes sense that he killed his father, but that he had motive to.”
    “Yes, and motive is what counts,” Eddy said thoughtfully. “But what motive would he have to steal his own father's watch? Unless he wanted to sell it and