This only made me more certain. There was more to Jane's death than met the eye.
At the accident scene, the police mentioned "brake failure," which might be the key to the whole thing.
I looked into the car's maintenance records. It had been serviced at the same auto shop several times recently.
After staking out the shop for a few days, I was surprised to spot Ashley there.
After that awkward night, Ashley didn't try to avoid me. Instead, she stayed at the house, acting as if nothing had happened.
I hinted to her that it wasn't proper for us, a man and a woman, to be living under the same roof alone.
But she just started crying and said, "Eric, this is your and Jane's home, and it's my home too. You promised to take care of me and Mom. You can't break your word!"
Jane had always been straightforward. Whatever she felt showed plainly on her face.
But Ashley... the more innocent she acted, the more uneasy I felt.
After Ashley left the shop, I pretended to wash my car and slipped the mechanic a pack of cigarettes to get the info I needed.
Turns out, every time she went to the shop, she met with a mechanic named Jeremy Brooks.
According to Jeremy, Ashley was his girlfriend.
"That girl looks like a sweet, young college student. Doesn't seem like a good match for Jeremy," I said, making small talk with the mechanic.
I handed him a cigarette, keeping my tone casual.
The mechanic smirked, blowing smoke out of his squinty eyes before taking another deep drag.
"That Jeremy sure knows his way around women. He's got quite the skillset!
"He's not just juggling multiple women, he's also a gambler. Decked out in designer brands at his age, I hear he's been using sugar mommas' money to support his college girls."
Gambling, sugar mommas, and multiple relationships. It was classic.
I immediately contacted my private investigator and waited for some good news.
I got home, exhausted, and headed to the shower. Just as I lathered up my shampoo and rinsed my face, something caught my eye.
I glanced at the corner of the wall and noticed a small red light blinking.
A hidden camera!
Damn it!
My heart nearly stopped.
"What the hell is Ashley up to?"
I needed to stay calm and keep my cool. I quickly stepped out of the bathroom.
If Ashley was spying on me, there had to be more cameras. Pretending to look for my phone, I walked around the house.