Chapter 19

Chapter 19 of We Solve Murders follows Amy and Rosie as they approach an upscale residence, which Rosie immediately finds surprising. She muses about how law enforcement officers rarely live in such luxury, hinting at possible corruption or alternative sources of income. Amy, however, remains more focused on their primary objective—finding evidence that could shed light on Sheriff Justin Scroggie’s investigation into Fairbanks’ death. Despite Rosie’s excitement at the prospect of snooping, Amy is more cautious, especially considering recent revelations that Kevin may have been paid to kill her. The danger surrounding them has only escalated, making stealth their highest priority. Their strategy is simple: enter the house, search for anything useful, and leave undetected before anyone realizes they were there.

As they scan the surroundings, Amy theorizes that police officers, especially those with something to hide, might keep important files or evidence at home rather than in their offices. If Scroggie had been investigating Fairbanks’ death and was silenced before he could reveal critical information, his home might contain the missing pieces to the puzzle. The house appears eerily silent, leading Amy to assume it is empty—a perfect opportunity for them to move. Rosie, always one for bold moves, suggests knocking on the door and bluffing their way inside, but Amy quickly dismisses the idea. Instead, she opts for a less conspicuous route by heading around the back. The last thing they need is to alert any neighbors or passersby to their presence.

Without hesitation, Amy smashes a window to gain entry, prompting Rosie to quip about her less-than-subtle breaking-and-entering skills. Once inside, the stark contrast between the house’s pristine interior and their unlawful presence fills Amy with unease. The modern decor and neatly arranged furnishings suggest that Scroggie was meticulous, making it unlikely that he would have willingly left anything incriminating out in the open. Splitting up to cover more ground, Amy hurries upstairs while Rosie scours the living room for anything noteworthy. Amy searches through drawers, scanning for documents, electronics, or anything that might hint at what Scroggie was investigating. The neatness of the space unsettles her, as it lacks the disarray one might expect from someone caught up in a dangerous conspiracy.

Downstairs, Rosie calls out that she has found something, prompting Amy to rush back. In a den tucked away from the main hallway, Rosie stands triumphantly beside a desktop computer, proud of her discovery. Just as Amy starts to inspect it, her attention shifts to an even more disturbing sight—a body suspended from a ceiling joist in the center of the room. The grim reality sets in immediately. Sheriff Justin Scroggie is dead, his lifeless form bound and hanging in a manner that makes Amy suspect it was not suicide but murder staged to look like one. A chilling realization settles over them—someone wanted Scroggie silenced, and they might have arrived too late to uncover whatever he knew.

Rosie, despite her usual quick wit, is momentarily speechless, the gravity of the scene sinking in. Amy’s instincts kick in as she examines the situation, noting the odd placement of the rope and the unnatural positioning of Scroggie’s body. If he had taken his own life, there would have been more disarray, more signs of struggle, but instead, everything appears carefully arranged. Amy senses that whoever killed Scroggie wanted it to seem like a suicide, discouraging further investigation. The question is, what had he found that made him a target?

The tension thickens as Amy and Rosie debate their next move. They now possess access to his computer, but with a fresh corpse in the room, their presence at the scene puts them in immediate danger. Rosie, ever the novelist, makes an offhanded remark about how scenes like this unfold in crime fiction, though the reality of standing next to a dead body is far more harrowing than any story. Amy knows they need to act fast—if someone went to this extent to cover their tracks, they might still be watching the house. Getting caught here could be disastrous, but leaving without gathering evidence would waste a rare opportunity.

They decide to access the computer as quickly as possible while keeping an eye out for anything else that might prove useful. Amy wonders whether Scroggie had been trying to warn someone before he was killed, or if he had attempted to pass along crucial evidence before his death. Regardless, she realizes that their investigation has taken a dangerous turn—one that will likely put them at the top of someone’s list of problems to eliminate. Rosie, shaking off the initial shock, steels herself for what’s to come. The two women are now entangled in something much bigger than they anticipated, and with a dead sheriff in front of them, the stakes have never been higher.