A hand touched her shoulder. She jumped. The feeling of sudden terror surged through her. She screamed out, “Someone help me!”
The man crouched beside her. “Sandy...it’s Kevin.”
She stared at him, blinked her eyes. “What did you do?”
“I just pulled up. Are you hurt? Looks like you’re legs are bleeding. Who’s that guy? He’s really bleeding.” Kevin untied her hands and then moved over to the body and placed two fingers behind Toby’s earlobe. “He’s dead. You’re not bleeding. I think that’s his blood on you. He’s been shot. Did you shoot him, Sandy?”
“Kevin, what are you doing here?”
Flickers of blue and red lights grew stronger until broad sweeps of revolving lights splashed across the scene. A crowd of the curious collected in the street. They gathered in excited clusters trading their guesses about what had happened.
“Are you okay? Can you move both arms and legs?”
She nodded.
All the uproar, sirens, and flashing lights were a repeat of the scene a few days earlier when Abby shot Bruce Banks at that exact same house. Once again, the police radios were squawking things indecipherable. Again, deputies were again encircling the area with yellow barrier tape.
A paramedic arrived and pronounced Toby dead, then moved over to Sandy and started wiping the blood splatter from her face. Kevin stayed beside her.
“My God, Sandy, what happened here? Is that the Toby guy? Did you go inside? Did you find anything about Jamie?”
“What are you doing here?”
“Abby showed up at the hotel for dinner, but was suspicious. Very defensive, just waiting for me to set her off. When I mentioned Jamie, she yelled something about sick of hearing about kidnapping and stormed off. I called you immediately, left a message on your phone. Afraid she was heading right back here, I tried to get here first to warn you.”
She recognized Triney’s unmarked vehicle pulling up and parking. A deputy hurried over to him and started gesturing explaining the scene. He pointed over at Sandy and Kevin.
She was rubbing her bruised wrists when Triney walked over. “You need medical attention, Sandy?”
She shook her head.
“So what happened? Do you know who shot him?”
“That’s Toby Towalski lying there, the guy we were looking for. I don’t know who shot him.” She didn’t want to admit being in Abby’s house illegally. She could say that she went to confront Abby about the kidnapping when Toby suddenly intercepted her, forced her inside, and threatened her. Toby wasn’t in any position to contradict her. No, that was phony and she didn’t want to lie to him. Maybe he wouldn’t ask too many questions. Maybe he wasn’t too concerned with that angle. The info Toby had divulged concerned Privado Beach, which was a city police case. Triney’s concern would be who shot Toby out here in his county territory.
“Why are you here?”
“I came here looking for Jamie. Toby must have followed me.” That much was true, but misleading. He appeared to believe her but she couldn’t go on. They were beginning to build a rapport; she couldn’t lie. The good part of all this was she was still alive; the bad part was she’d been discovered rummaging illegally through Abby’s house. She’d have to take her lumps for that.
“Triney, here’s how it went. Abby wasn’t home. The place was dark and empty. I knew where the key was hidden. I entered and was still inside when Toby came in after me. He threatened me with a knife. Someone shot him as I was trying to run away.”
He held a steady look at Kevin. “And what were you doing while this was going on?”
“I didn’t see anything. It was all over when I drove up.”
“Okay. Sandy you go wait in my vehicle. I’ll be over there in a minute after I talk to Kevin.”
The smart detective was going to get their statements separately so he could compare statements. She was glad she’d told the truth. She walked over and sat in the front seat of Triney’s vehicle.
She remembered turning off her phone when she went in the house. She reached in her pocket for her phone and was surprised to feel the two wrapped toothbrushes. She examined the drying blood splotches on the lower legs of her jeans. Fortunately, the splatter hadn’t reached her pocket. She’d forgotten about the toothbrushes, but they were not contaminated. She pulled out her phone. There was a missed voice mail from Kevin. She clicked on it: Sorry about Abby tonight. She wouldn’t stay away for dinner with me. Couldn’t keep her here. I hope you can get out of her house before she comes back.
Such a foolhardy way of obtaining DNA. Such a reckless way to search for Jamie. She couldn’t believe she had entered someone else’s house as casually as she had. She was preoccupied with locating Jamie and felt so cocky when she got the idea: go in, look around, a piece of cake. She would have to face the consequences, and there would be consequences.
Although the offense might seem minor, in her case it would be sufficient for Moran to arrest and jail her. She was already out on bail for the conspiracy murder charge. She realized this violation would be enough for Moran to revoke all bail for the duration of Abby’s trial. This could mean confinement for two or three years. So there goes law school.
In addition, Abby would bring charges against her as soon as she found out. And when they processed her at the jail they would empty her pockets and find two stolen toothbrushes. They could add petty larceny; she had to smile at that. She had told herself she was looking for Jamie. Going in that house had to be the dumbest thing in her lifetime. It takes only one “You dumbass” to wipe out years of “You clever girl.”
Through the windshield, she could see Toby’s body being zipped into a black bag and carried off. Someone should call his stepmother. Sandy guessed she’d find out soon enough. Triney was still talking with Kevin and writing notes on a small pad.
She felt a little better now. After the strain of having her life threatened, and having Toby die across her legs, it was a relief to sit in the safety of the detective’s car. He would start by scolding her for being a damn fool entering the house. She could take that. He’d have to report it.
Triney came back over and slid in behind the wheel. “You still okay?”
She nodded.
“First, I need your version of why Kevin Olin was here.”
“He knew I’d be here. That was our plan. He was to keep Abby away while I went in the house and searched for anything that might lead to Jamie. When Abby left him unexpectedly, he thought she might head back here so he tried to get here to warn me.”
“So Abby was headed back here?”
“I don’t think Kevin knew where she was headed. But he didn’t want me caught inside. After the shooting, I was lying in the driveway with the body. Kevin was the first person I saw after that.”
“Did you see or hear anyone after you heard the shot? Any footsteps, any talking, any car driving away?”
She shook her head.
“Did you see Kevin drive up?”
“No, and he didn’t act as if he had heard the shot or knew what happened. Said he just drove up.”
He continued with the interrogation, including what Toby had to say about Privado Beach. He didn’t seem unusually concerned. It all seemed routine and she was thankful for that. It took some time before he stopped writing, apparently satisfied. Finally, he clipped the ballpoint back in his pocket. “Okay you’re free to go.”
She was surprised. “What about the other? You didn’t say anything.” At no time had he alluded to her being in the house illegally.
“What other?”
She folded her arms across her chest. “My breaking and entering. Or getting the key and entering.”
“I don’t see any violation there. The owner of the house gave you permission to enter and told you where to find the key.”
“What? Kevin told me the judge ordered the house transferred to Abby.”
“Yes, he did, but Kevin appealed the ruling and as of right now the deed technically is st
ill in his name. Abby doesn’t have any tenant rights as she isn’t paying rent and there’s no tenancy agreement between them. I’ll make that clear in my report, so you don’t have any problem.” The detective flipped his notebook closed. “That’s it Sugar. I’m glad you’re okay. Sorry you got the hell scared out of you. Do you need a ride home or anything?”
Chapter Seventeen
She had just lived through the worst day of her life. And there were other reasons Sandy slept in the next morning. It was late when Triney excused her from the Toby shooting scene. Later still when she eventually fell asleep. All topped off by a widescreen HD nightmare featuring Toby Towalski. She was on Abby’s couch stripped bare. He was leaning back in his chair with his legs crossed comfortably and sipping a cup of tea with his little finger sticking out. Toward morning, she got enough of it out of her mind to at last fall asleep.
Now it was almost noon. The shower last night was to wash off Toby. The one this morning was routine. Afterward she phoned Chip. He came right over.
She sat with her coffee and bowl of Special K at a card table in the center of her studio apartment. Chip was settled a few feet away in Sandy’s comfy reading spot: a soft-leather armchair with a tarnished-brass floor lamp capable of perfect over the left shoulder light, and a side table to place her tea.
The single room served as her living room, dining room, workstation, and kitchen. The kitchen hid behind folding doors along one closet-like wall. Positioned along the opposite wall was her study desk, wired for her laptop, and two small bookcases. The bathroom was separate. A tiny alcove held her twin-sized bed.
She once remarked she felt comfy cozy there and would hate to leave the place behind when she became rich from her first over-the-top lawsuit. Chip replied she didn’t have to leave it behind; it was so small she could have it bronzed and take it with her. One nice feature of the apartment, he said, was the bathtub wasn’t in the kitchen.
Now he said, “I heard about a shooting last night out in the county, however I didn’t know you were involved. Triney called me after it was all over and said you got home all right. Did you get my voice mail about calling me if you needed anything?”
She nodded. “I guess Triney was worried about me. Driving home, I saw him back there behind me. I always know when someone’s following me, even if I’m dead tired.”
He got up and poured himself a mug of coffee. “I don’t know why you wanted to go in Abby’s house, but it was a really bad idea.”
“Kevin got Abby out of her house last night so I could go in and look around.” She told Chip about the encounter with Toby Towalski inside the house.
“Did he touch you?”
“I’ve been groped worse on a Philadelphia subway.”
“I’m so sorry you suffered all that.” The police radio on his belt squawked and he turned it down. “Who shot him? Who did you that big favor?”
“We know Abby wanted Toby dead because she already tried to shoot him once. Maybe she showed up with a gun.”
“Or someone else came along who either wanted him dead or you alive.”
“If the shooter hadn’t saved me, Toby might have gotten me, kicking and screaming, or maybe unconscious, into his van. I’m still not certain whether he wanted to rape me before or after he killed me, or not at all.”
“He came after you with a knife. That’s a clue.” He sipped his coffee and rested the mug on the side table. “So this is about the kidnapping.”
“I couldn’t get him to talk about Jamie. His comments to me were all inherently sexual about the Privado Beach body.”
That stopped him. “Privado Beach? How do you know about Privado Beach?”
“Triney told me. The late Mr. Towalski admitted he was on the beach that night.”
“That guy, on the beach? You’ve never said anything about that case to me. Why were you discussing it with a sheriff’s detective? That’s a city case. I don’t get the connection.”
“Relax Chip. Don’t take it personally. We were talking about Kevin Olin and Triney remembered the cops stopped him two months ago at the time of the Privado case because he had a white SUV. So Triney explained about Privado Beach. But Kevin checked out okay back then. That’s all. Just a coincidence.”
“How about that, Privado Beach? This is the first break we’ve had. It’s a minor case but it bugged all of us. Now we know Towalski was on the beach and penetrated the body. Case closed.”
“He didn’t exactly admit to that. But he does have a white SUV.”
“Did Toby know the woman? He take her there?”
“The guy I should have asked is now dead. But I don’t think so. He wasn’t cool enough to connect with a woman like that. She wouldn’t have bothered with him. All I know for certain is he was there. Nothing about how the woman got there, or who else came and went that night. Stupid me didn’t think fast enough to ask. He spoke of trying to decide whether to rape her. So he was alone at that point.”
“Did he undress the body?”
“Don’t think so. Said he was looking down at the body, I assumed he meant a naked body because he was all excited and prematured before he even touched her. So he leaves. The body’s still there unmolested. The necrophile must have come along later.”
“You really believe he just walked away. Didn’t even cop a feel. Doesn’t ring true. My theory fits better and doesn’t require a delinquent exercising heroic self-control and a necrophile strolling by later. Remember, Sherlock, Toby’s young. He’d be ready to go again in ten minutes.”
“Gee, I didn’t know that. It takes you over an hour to recover.” She couldn’t resist.
He ignored the crack. “Our original theory was she’s there alone and innocently chokes. The attacker comes along and unexpectedly discovers her body. Now I’m thinking Toby attacked the body. In the first place, he most likely lied to you about everything. He’s already there. No one is around. He gets excited and can’t resist. He touches her and one impulse leads to another. It just seems unlikely that some other person not only finds her, but is inclined to assault her.”
“Do you consider the beach the primary scene?”
“Yes, we believe she choked, died, and was assaulted there.”
“She wouldn’t have been taken to the beach naked and dead. So either she stripped to swim or someone stripped her after she choked. Either way, where’s her clothing? Where’s the beach towel? Where’s the suntan lotion? No clothing left around bothers me. It might be a key to something. Why would the attacker take her clothes? Is Privado one of those nudie beaches?”
“No, what are you thinking?”
“I think she undressed in a car and she left her clothes in there. Maybe she didn’t have a swimsuit. What’s the layout of the beach? Could she have run bare assed from the car to the beach?”
“Possibly. The parking area itself isn’t obvious from the road, although someone on the highway could see a car or a person if they looked over. Maybe a stripper wouldn’t care. But you’d think she’d want something to cover up with in case someone else showed up, like a Boy Scout troop.”
“All the while eating a pretzel.”
“We don’t know if she came to use the beach or was just passing by, or was taken there involuntarily in some manner.”
“I’d guess voluntarily if she’s munching on a pretzel.”
“Soft pretzel or bagel. M.E. went with pretzel because of mustard and salt traces.”
“That led to showing her picture in area stores selling pretzels, I imagine.”
“Some of that. But there are limits. Remember this isn’t murder, only a felony-two abuse.”
“Any chance it was murder? Someone intentionally strangled her? I mean the tinniest little chance at all. And don’t give me the no obvious bruises on her neck routine.”
“The experts considered all of that.”
“What if she ate the pretzel earlier or was eating it when the guy strangles her with a large fluffy beach towel?”
&nbs
p; “There would be signs.”
“I was choked last night with a dishtowel and passed out. Do you see any marks on my throat?”
“No, but you might have internal bruising, or something. I’m not an expert.”
“Triney said the next morning they had a tip from a nearby property owner. He’d seen a white SUV parked there late that night. What time was that?”
“The neighbor wasn't certain because he had driven past that spot twice that night. Once after dinner when he drove to a party and again later coming home around midnight.”
“Toby said it was getting dark, but he could still see the body. In other words, it was dusk. He wouldn’t dare hang around until midnight. But if the neighbor saw a white vehicle early, it could have been his."
"And if the neighbor saw the vehicle late, it could have been Kevin Olin's."
"Not necessarily. We are aware of only two owners of white SUV's. There are plenty of others around. You know how eyewitnesses are notoriously unreliable. Perhaps, the neighbor thought he saw a white vehicle, thought it was that beach, that time, and that night."
"No, Toby is the simplest answer. The simplest answer is usually the correct one. He was there, that says it all.”
Sandy smiled and said, “I just studied that in my textbook on evidence—Lex parsimoniae—the simplest explanation is usually the correct one.”
“Well then apply your studies. He's preoccupied with sex and he attacked you. Obviously, he’s capable of committing such an offense. I like him for this.”
“Chip, your theory still doesn’t answer the question of how she got there in the first place. She didn’t drive herself because no car was left at the scene. No halfway sensible woman would get in a car with Toby. Someone other than him took her there. I wish I’d found out more about what happened on that beach, but I was busy trying to stall him, psych him out, or whatever it was I was doing.”
The Price of Candy Page 12