by Jaycee Ford
I stepped into my office and found my bagel right where I left it. I sat down at my desk and watched Lara, her eyes glued to her computer screen. I knew that I should probably be researching as well, but this bagel needed to be eaten.
“Maybe we’ll go to the diner around the corner for lunch and I’ll give you the scoop on everyone.”
“Sure,” Lara replied without breaking from her task. “That sounds like a good idea.”
I lifted the bagel and was about to take a bite when –
“Peterman.”
The bagel stopped, hovering only centimeters from my mouth as I looked up to see Caleb in the doorway.
“Mrs. Betty just informed me that Jeremy is at Dixie’s right now doing inventory. She said we could come by and question him there.”
I put down my bagel and pouted as I got to my feet to follow Caleb out into the cold.
WINTER HAD ONLY just begun, but it already felt like it would never end. A cold chill lingered in the air and would remain there until the killer was found. It was time to find out if that killer was one Jeremy Lunsford.
Olde Town used to be a quiet, one stoplight kind of place with a pristine view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, but over the past ten years, Main Street had been revitalized, making Olde Town a kind of country resort. Cobblestones paved the street in what was loosely considered downtown. The police station had always been in the same location, but the façade had been redesigned with mountain rock. Next door stood the newly renovated library. We still only had one signal light, but there were talks of putting in a second. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Standing at the corner of this one signal intersection was Dixie’s Tavern, retaining its old rustic charm, unphased by progress.
The streets were starting to wake up. People roamed around downtown and made their morning visits to the café, the diner, Ellie’s Boutique, and the visitor’s bureau. The bakery released the warm smell of freshly baked bread that filled the air and made my stomach growl. I longed for the bagel I’d left behind.
Caleb and I approached the double corner doors of Dixie’s Tavern and found one side locked. Caleb pushed against the other side and it opened with ease. The jukebox was quiet, the TVs were all dark, and there was no one behind the bar. I couldn’t recall ever seeing the place so quiet. The wide-planked hardwood flooring shined with a fresh cleaning while a lemon scent tickled the air, overpowering the lingering smell of stale beer. Caleb left me and headed back to Mrs. Betty’s office. There was once a time when Mrs. Betty tended the bar with the help of only a few servers, but with the growth of the town came the money to hire several new bartenders. Nowadays, she spent most of her time in her office concentrating on running the business.
A rattle echoed from the back, and a broad-shouldered man holding a case of bottled beer walked out. He was one of the transplants. Like Tracy, he wasn’t from our county, but had moved in during the country boomtown that had been happening over the past couple of years. Megan usually served me whenever I came here so I’d never had the chance to really get to know him. I only knew he was one of the more popular bartenders and women liked to flock to him; women like Erica Gunter.
“We don’t open for a few more hours,” he said, barely glancing at me as he began to pack the bottles in ice.
“We’re here to see you, actually.”
“We?”
“Morning, Jeremy.” Caleb entered from the back hallway.
Jeremy stood up straight, his eyes flitting from Caleb, to me, and then back to Caleb again.
“This is about Erica, then?”
Caleb pulled a stool out from underneath the bar and sat. I followed suit.
“You think I did it?” Jeremy asked, pointing at himself. His wide stare shifted back and forth while his mouth hung open.
“We’re just here to ask you about your relationship with Erica Gunter.” I wanted to calm his nerves. If he was too scared about being questioned, he might leave out some needed information. “Your name came up recently, so you made the top of the list.”
“It’s standard procedure. We’re talking to all of Erica’s friends and anyone who may have any kind of relationship with her,” Caleb explained.
“I would love to help anyway I can.” Jeremy picked up the half empty box of beer from the top of the cooler and placed it on the floor. “But as you can see, I’m a little busy at the moment.”
“You can unload while we talk,” I offered. “I know it gets busy here during the holidays.”
“No, no. This is much more important.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and let his shoulders hang forward.
“How long have you worked at Dixie’s?” Caleb took the lead. Back when Mike and I worked together, I always lead the questioning while he sat back and observed. It was obvious Caleb ran a different kind of game, so I let him take over.
“Close to two years by now.”
“And where did you work before Dixie’s?”
“I worked at the Boone Saloon near App State. I had a part-time job there during my last year of school, and I quit a year after I graduated. I guess you could say I wasn’t quite ready to leave the college life.”
“And why did you move here from Boone?”
“Bad breakup. I needed a fresh start.” He dug his hands out of his pockets and folded his arms, guarded.
“What did you study in school?”
“Business.” He uncrossed his arms and rested his hands on top of the cooler. “I’d like to own a bar one day.”
“How did you know Erica Gunter?”
“We met at App State.” He lowered his chin for a moment before looking up at us. “She was the reason for the bad breakup.”
Caleb and I exchanged a sideways glance with each other.
“Can you tell us more regarding your history with Erica Gunter?” Caleb asked.
“She attended Appalachian and used to come drink at the Boone like most college students would. She always seemed older than the others. She had a certain class about her. I don’t know what it was, but I was drawn to her; even though Renee and I had been dating for a year at that point.”
“Renee was the girlfriend?”
“Yeah.” He sighed and drew his eyes away. “Erica knew I had a girlfriend so she was never anything more than friendly with me. I once approached her about a relationship, but she said she didn’t want to be the reason for breaking up my relationship with Renee. She stopped coming around soon after.” He shrugged. “I’m a good enough guy to know it wasn’t right to tug around my girlfriend when I could easily see myself with someone else.”
“That’s when you went through the bad breakup?”
“Yes.”
“Did your ex know about Erica?”
“I think she knew. She never came right out and said anything to me, but she always had a way of knowing stuff. Knowing her, she probably stalked my whereabouts. Plus, she was from the area and knew a lot of people. I’m sure word of my flirting with Erica got back to her.”
“When did you first realize that Erica lived here in Olde Town?”
“The first time I saw her was on Halloween, here at Dixie’s. It was packed as always, but she sat in the corner.” He pointed to the far side of the bar close to the wall. “I talked to her for a bit during my shift that night. I tried to get her number, but she said no. She said she’d come back and talk to me again sometime.”
“And did she?”
“She didn’t come back until the week of Thanksgiving.”
“Was she with people?”
“Yes, a group of nurses. After a few of them left, she came over to talk. Then her roommate walked up and said she was heading out to her boyfriend’s place. Erica stayed, so we talked until the bar closed. I asked for her number again, but she still denied me; however, she did say that if she didn’t find a date for New Year’s Eve that she would find me at midnight.” He closed his jaw, his eyes locking on mine. “And now, she’s dead.”
“Did she ever mention any f
riends or family to you?”
“No, not really. She didn’t have any family that I was aware of, but she talked about wanting to go to nursing school after she saved up a little money. I can’t say if she had a lot of close friends, but she’d made acquaintances with a lot of people.” He breathed out; sadness hanging on him. “I wish I could help more, but I don’t know of anyone messed up with the law. I read in the newspaper that her death was possibly the result of a robbery gone bad, so I’m not sure what else I can say.”
“We’re just looking at every angle,” I told him.
“Could you tell us your ex’s last name?” Caleb asked, leaning on the bar.
“I don’t know how that will help, but it’s Banks. Renee Banks.”
“Everything helps.” Caleb eyed him closely. “Do you have any idea where she might be living now?”
“She moved to Texas with her fiancé. Fort Worth, I think.”
“Well, if you think of anything else or if anything strikes you as odd, give me a call.” Caleb stood and dug in his pocket. He handed Jeremy a business card with the station’s number printed on it. “We want to track down whoever did this.”
Jeremy looked down at the card and slid it into his pocket. “I will. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to help more.”
Caleb and I turned to leave.
“It wasn’t a robbery gone bad, was it?” he probed further.
We turned back to face his question.
“There wasn’t anything stolen,” Caleb offered. “But that’s all I can say at this time.”
Jeremy nodded and returned to stocking the bottles. Caleb and I headed out into the cold. We stood together on the corner of First and Main, neither one of us knowing what to do next.
“Camille Roy is staying with her boyfriend,” Caleb informed me as I followed him across First Street. “I told her we’d come around this afternoon. Maybe she’ll open up more with another female present. Tanner questioned her before, but he’s not exactly gentle in his methods.”
“Camille might have been the only person close to her. But if she’s already been questioned, I don’t know what good it will do.”
“As sad as it is to say,” Caleb started, looking around to see if anyone was within earshot. “The only way we’re going to catch this guy is if—”
“If he does it again.” I knew exactly what he was going to say.
“I can’t let that happen.” Caleb shoved his hands into his pockets.
“We have nothing to go on. How do we stop another murder when we have no motive and no suspects? We found no evidence at the crime scene. As far as we can tell, no one hated her or had any reason to want her dead.”
He stopped at the station doors and turned back to me. “That’s because no one really knew her.”
“So, you’re saying the killer went after her first because she had no one? That whoever did this believed she was expendable? Do you think it’s all some twisted game to get our attention?”
Caleb pulled open the door. “I don’t know, but I do know one thing. If it’s our attention they’re looking for, they’ve certainly got it.”
WHEN CALEB AND I returned to the station, Lara had already become a regular at the library next door. The stack of books had multiplied, each open and spread out across her desk. The keyboard was pushed out of the way, propped on its side against the wall. By now it was obvious how Lara’s brain worked. Once her mind fixated on a detail, she didn’t let it go until it was explained. While I appreciated her efforts, it was hard watching her devote herself to finding something that wasn’t there. If she insisted on restricting her focus to only one detail, she would overlook other clues that could help solve the case. She needed to step back and look at the whole picture.
“Seriously, just stop,” I said at last.
With a subtle movement of the head, she snapped herself out of the zone she had fallen into. She looked up and stared at me, expecting me to explain myself further.
“You’ve not even had lunch yet and you’re trying to be an overachiever. Landry currently holds that title and he’s not going to like it if you take that title away from him.”
“Okay.” She raised her hands up and pushed back from her desk. “Let’s do lunch.”
Lara grabbed her blazer from the back of her chair and led the way through the lobby. Charley was busy talking on the phone at her desk, but her eyes followed Lara. When she caught me looking, she looked down and pretended to be taking a note, but glanced up once more as Lara pulled open the door. I could feel her eyes still watching us as the door shut behind me.
The cold whipped around the corner. Lara tugged her blazer closed across her chest.
“Don’t you have a coat?” I asked. “It does get cold in Atlanta.”
“I do, but I didn’t think I’d need it since I’m staying close by,” she answered, keeping her arms folded against the cold.
“Where are you staying?” I asked when we turned the corner onto First Street, heading toward the Olde Town Diner.
“I’m just down at The Inn for now.” She nodded toward the stately mansion. “I haven’t made any inquiries about houses or apartments yet. Do you know of any good places around here?”
“Not really. Rental and real estate prices have gone up since this town became a tourist trap, but I’ll keep an eye open.”
Lara opened the door to the diner before I could do it for her. The familiar smell of baked pies agitated my empty stomach, but that was the only semblance of how the Olde Town Diner used to be. Cracked vinyl booths and worn Formica that had once given this place a classic harvest gold hue had been gone forever. The diner had undergone multiple renovations over the past few years and now looked like some modern version of the 1950s, with black and white checkerboard print splattered across the entire restaurant, accented by red and chrome. A place once filled with local families and anonymous truckers breaking from their long journeys was now filled with people bundled up in new winter clothes, breaking from their day of touring the town or trekking through the foothills. I missed the quietness of this town. With the death of Erica Gunter, it was hard not to see how much had changed. Thankfully, the menu at this place had never been altered beyond a few healthier additions. With everything shifting around me, I needed the comfort food this place dished out.
The first booth was one of the few left unoccupied. Lara sat facing the door, leaving me to watch the restaurant. I didn’t particularly like sitting where the cold hit me each time the door opened, but it was better than sitting in the middle of the restaurant. Lara glanced over the menu. A waitress came by, dropped off two glasses of sweet tea, and continued on to service other patrons. Lara looked at the tea and then up at me.
“Cops automatically get sweet tea.” I answered her unasked question.
“I think I’m going to like this town.” She pulled the straw up to drink while glancing again at the menu. “So, you want to fill me in on all the people I’m working with?”
“Where to start?” I mumbled, pushing my menu aside without looking at it. I always ordered the meatloaf at lunch.
“Why don’t we start with you … and Mike?”
I looked across the table at her. She stared back, unflinching.
“Okay, y’all. What are you going to have?” The waitress came to a halt beside our table, giving me enough time to process everything I would have to say.
“Meatloaf,” Lara answered first.
“Same.”
The waitress took off after my response. I pushed the menus to the far side of the table and breathed out, accepting that it was time to talk about Mike. Whenever I talked about Mike, the guilt of falling in love with Grace pressed down even harder.
“Mike and I were partners for about four years. I was just out of community college when he got out of the Marines.” I laid my hands across my lap and hung my head. “He was just a good man gone way too soon.”
“I want you to know that my intentions aren’t to replace him. I’m j
ust here to do my job and I don’t want any issue between us. I just want to solve this case and grow as a detective in a more hands-on environment. Are we on the same page?”
I nodded. I appreciated her candor. It was nice to hear she wasn’t out to replace Mike. He was irreplaceable for a lot of other reasons than the fact that he was a damn good cop.
“Okay, now that we’ve got the hard stuff out of the way, give me the run down on everyone else.”
Before I could start, a huge plate of meatloaf, green peas, and mashed potatoes smothered in gravy was placed in front of me. I had to take a moment to breathe it all in. My stomach growled.
“Caleb …” I took a bite of meatloaf and continued with a semi-full mouth. “Sheriff Harris just became the sheriff after the new year. He’s good at what he does; even though, he’s new to the title. He’s the only one of us who’s married.”
“Any girlfriends?”
“Why? You have an eye on someone already?” I scooped a mound of mashed potatoes and peas into my mouth.
“No, it’s just that some women are territorial and don’t like their boyfriends working with females.”
“Nobody’s gone after Charley. I think you’re safe.”
“What’s her story?” She took a bite and waited for me to answer.
“Charley went to school with Heavner and Murphy,” I started before my head got away from me. “She married some guy right out of high school and moved out to the coast. From what I understand, it wasn’t so happy and she just recently finalized her divorce. She has family a little north of here. Murphy watches out for her a good bit.”
“God, this food is good.” She cut into her meatloaf again. “Are they close?”
“Yeah … well, they’re best friends.”
Her demeanor didn’t change at the mention of their relationship. In fact, she didn’t seem concerned in anyway, a completely opposite reaction to the way Charley had acted upon learning about Lara. Maybe Charley was one of those territorial girlfriends despite not actually being Evan’s girlfriend.
“And what about Jack?” she pressed on.