Halloween in Paradise (Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries Book 6) by Kathi Daley Page A

homecoming for the paper. She was busy, so he stayed to watch. I noticed Jessie and Nathan noticing each other, but I didn’t think Jessie would risk what she had with Brett to date Nathan, who is famous now but was pretty much a nerd back then. Anyway, after everyone had left I realized I’d left my pompoms on the bleachers and went back to get them. That’s when I saw Jessie and Nathan making out.”
    “Who else might have seen them?” she asked.
    “Holly was watching them, but I didn’t see anyone else around. Actually, I did see someone else: the janitor. He’d come to gather whatever trash had been left. But I’m pretty sure that was it.”
    “Did you think it odd that Holly was watching her best friend make out rather than just leaving and affording them some privacy?”
    “Yeah, I thought it was strange, but Holly and Jessie had an unusual relationship.”
    “Unusual how?” Colton asked.
    Tj paused for a moment. “I don’t know. They were really close, which I guess isn’t unusual. My best friend and I were closer than sisters in high school and we still are to this day. It just seemed Jessie and Holly had a really possessive relationship.”
    “Possessive?”
    Tj bit her lip. “It’s hard to explain. They seemed like more than just friends. They seemed like…”
    “Lovers?”
    Tj frowned. “Maybe. I mean, it never occurred to me back then, but now that I think about it.” Tj scrunched up her nose. “No. That can’t be right. Jessie is married to Brett. She can’t be gay.”
    “Being gay and having a marriage with someone of the opposite sex aren’t mutually exclusive,” Colton said. “And I’m not suggesting Jessie is gay. I’m simply suggesting that she may have shared an intense relationship with a specific person during her teen years.”
    “Yeah, maybe. So what are you saying? Do you think Jessie killed Holly?”
    “I’m not saying anything,” she said. “I’m just asking questions.”
    Tj suddenly felt as though she was on trial. She couldn’t help but squirm in her chair. Samantha Colton had a presence that couldn’t be ignored. Before this conversation Tj had been certain none of her friends could be responsible for Holly’s death, but now she realized she was suspicious of all of them. The woman certainly knew how to dig up whatever dirt there was to be found. Tj just hoped she wasn’t next. Not that she had anything to hide. Or at least she didn’t think she did.
    “I understand Holly had a suitor herself before her death,” Colton stated.
    “I’m not sure I’d call him a suitor, but yeah, there was a guy who had a huge crush on her. He sent her notes and followed her around. He’s a nice guy now, but he was a real pest back then.”
    “And the name of this pest?”
    “Dalton Fowler.”
    “And was Dalton a member of Holly’s social group?”
    “No,” Tj answered. “Holly was firmly established as a member of the elite group, which was mainly made up of jocks and cheerleaders, while Dalton was a nerd. He never had a chance with her, but that didn’t keep him from trying.”
    “And does Dalton Fowler still live in Serenity?” she asked.
    “Yes, as a matter of fact he does, and like I said, he’s a really nice guy now. He’s a respected contractor, husband, and father. We serve on the PTA together for the elementary school. He’s a totally different person than he was in high school, and no, I don’t think he killed Holly.”
    “And why is that?” Colton asked.
    “Why is what?”
    “You said you didn’t think Dalton killed Holly. Why?”
    “He was totally in love with her.”
    “It sounds like he was obsessed with her,” she said.
    Tj hesitated. She almost felt like she was putting words in her mouth. The last thing she wanted to do was get Dalton or anyone else in trouble. “I suppose obsessed would be an accurate word. But, like I said, he’s a totally different person now.”
    Colton shifted her position in her chair. She flipped her