The very next morning, he had insisted he smelled a gas leak.

The pieces were locking into place.

Yet the real breakthrough came when investigators conducted an inventory of the secondary phone Mark was carrying when taken into custody.

They didn’t find messages to a hired hitman.

They found a text thread with Evelyn.

“I got Laura to sign the coverage papers.”

“If the water heater doesn’t pilot today, find another way.”

“Once this clears, we pay off the business line and sell the house.”