“It’s Head Shrinking 101 as far as I’m concerned. Give me a bloody knife or a gun at the crime scene any day,” Barry said. It was obvious they weren’t going to agree on the debate, so Marlee dropped it. For about a minute.
“Duh! A weapon at the scene with the culprit standing there waiting to give a confession is the dream scenario, but how often does that happen?” Marlee asked, not pausing to give Barry a chance to answer. “Not very often, I bet. That’s why you have to rely on feelings and intuition too.”
Barry was tired of arguing too, and it was his turn to let the matter drop. He drove her back to the dorm and dropped her off. “Let me know if there are any updates, okay?” Marlee asked and he agreed.
After giving Jasmine a brief update, Marlee realized she still had time to prepare for her classes on Monday. Pulling her backpack from the bottom of a heap of dirty clothes, she looked at her day planner. It was then she realized she had a paper due the next day in her social problems course. “Dammit!” she yelled. Marlee was good at scheduling and rarely forgot anything, but the drama of two deaths in the past week had put her into a tailspin.
“How am I going to get this paper done before class tomorrow morning?” She rummaged through her notes, reminding herself of her topic and headed off to the library. Her class was at 9:00 am the next day, and she finished late that afternoon with hours to spare, wondering why she’d been so worried.
Trudging back to the dorm, Marlee bumped into Barry on his way to the library. He motioned her over, and Marlee thought he was going to apologize for his asinine behavior at breakfast that morning. Instead, what he had to say was better. Much, much better.
Barry was upbeat, almost giddy, as he reported his news. “I found something out about Beth Van Dam this afternoon. It doesn’t change the ruling in her death, but it’s very interesting. Turns out, she wasn’t a prostitute after all.”
“How do you know?” Marlee nearly shrieked until she realized she was in a public campus building and people were turning to look at them.
“Detective Barkley went to the Moon Glow Motel and put the pressure on Robbie, the manager. He backtracked on the story he told you about Beth meeting clients there. When Barkley threatened to arrest him for providing false information to the police, Robbie admitted he was paid to tell that story to the cops or anyone else that asked.”
“Why? Who paid Robbie to say that?” Marlee asked.
“They haven’t gotten that out of him yet. They took him down to the station for additional questioning and are hoping he gives up the person who hired him,” Barry said.
“If Beth’s case is closed, then why did Detective Barkley even go to the Moon Glow to confront Robbie?”
“Through his work on another case, he found out the story of Beth working as a hooker was false. He had to talk to Robbie anyway on this other case, and Beth’s name came up.”
“Barry, why did you say that this new information doesn’t change the ruling on Beth’s case? It seems to me that it blows the case wide open,” Marlee said. Seeing Barry’s blank look, she continued. “Tim and his three roommates each told me that Beth was a prostitute. Maybe they’re the ones who started the story and paid Robbie to tell it to the police.”
He gave a deep sigh. “I know you want there to be more to Beth’s case. That’s why I was anxious to tell you this bit of news. But it doesn’t change anything. What motive would Tim and his roommates have for saying Beth worked as a hooker? Maybe they heard it from someone else and just took the story at face value. There’s no reason they would pay a motel clerk to fabricate a story about Beth. No reason at all.”
Marlee smiled. “What if I told you that I can just feel the guys from Stairway to Hell are mixed up in this somehow?”
“I’d say, show me the evidence,” Barry said, his old skeptical self returning.
“I’ll do that!” Marlee said with more confidence than she felt as she continued her walk back to the dorm.
I never thought about it before now, but I guess you can be a victim and a criminal at the same time.
Chapter 24
Jasmine wasn’t in the dorm room when Marlee arrived, and she was disappointed not to have her roommate there to discuss the latest news in both Beth and Tim’s cases. Since she couldn’t talk about it, she did the next best thing. By the time Jasmine returned from the library at 6:30, Marlee had updated the notebook. She also put together a timeline for both cases and was in the process of synthesizing all the comments people had made to her about the cases. Marlee had a separate sheet of paper which set forth the information about Billy’s death at the DeWitt farm ten years ago.
“I take it you didn’t get your paper done,” Jasmine said as she unpacked her backpack and began putting books on her desk.
“Nope. Finished the paper. Then I decided to bring the notebook up to date, and I’m putting together timelines,” Marlee said, showing her finished work to Jasmine like a proud kindergartener hungry for praise.
Jasmine peered over her roommate’s shoulder and took in the latest news. “Wait! Beth wasn’t a prostitute?” Her long, boney fingers grasped Marlee’s shoulder in a death grip.
Struggling away from her roommate’s clenches, Marlee detailed her conversation with Barry and her suspicions regarding the guys from Stairway to Hell. “Each one of them told me they heard Beth was working as a hooker. Why do that unless they have something to hide?”
“Exactly! There’s no reason to say that unless they were intentionally spreading a rumor. Do you think they’re the ones who paid the motel clerk to confirm it?” Jasmine asked.
“I don’t know. There are several possibilities. Only one of them could be involved or two or more. Or they all might be in on it. What I don’t get is why any of them would do it. What would they have to gain other than trying to throw the cops off the trail of a death investigation? That suggests they had something to do with Beth dying, or they know something very important about it.”
Shaking her head, Jasmine tried to wrap her head around the latest news regarding Beth. “Did you ever talk to her dirtbag boyfriend again? You know, the guy who hit on you when you were there asking about Beth?”
“No, I never went back. That guy gave me the creeps, but that’s not why I didn’t go back. It just didn’t seem like there was anything new in Beth’s case that involved him. Maybe it’s time to go chat with him again. This time I’m taking someone with me!” Marlee said.
“Oh, no! Not me. I don’t want to be used as bait again,” Jasmine said.
“Not you, Jazz. I’ll take Barry. Maybe Barry can get that slimeball to answer some questions. He’ll probably call tonight, and I’ll run the plan by him,” Marlee said.
“You two seem to be getting pretty cozy,” Jasmine teased.
“Not at all. We’re strictly co-investigators working on the same cases. Besides, he doesn’t think psychology is a science. How could I ever date someone like that?”
“I don’t know,” Jasmine continued in a sing-song voice. “You spend a lot of late nights and early mornings together. If I didn’t know better…”
“Very funny. I have no attraction to Barry, and the feeling is mutual. But if I ever became a cop, I wouldn’t mind working with him. We make a good team. That’s all,” Marlee said, and she meant it. She finally felt comfortable around Barry knowing that he was no longer pining for her. In fact, she had a friend that she was thinking of setting up with him.
When Barry called that night, he didn’t have anything else to report on any of the cases they’d been discussing. “I mentioned your theory about the Stairway to Hell guys to my sergeant, and he laughed at me. Then he said he’d think about it. You might actually be on to something.”
“Jazz and I were talking, and she suggested that I go back and talk to Eddie Turner, Beth’s icky boyfriend. I wondered if you wanted to go along,” Marlee said letting the idea hang in the air while the cop thought it over.
“Yeah, sure. Tomorrow is my day off. I�
��ll call you after I have some sleep, and we can put together a plan. Maybe my sergeant will have more thoughts on the Stairway to Hell guys by then.”
After they finished their call, Jasmine continued with her teasing. “Sounds like you have a date!”
“Only if the date includes confronting liars and sleazebags,” Marlee said with a smile, already anticipating what she was going to ask the Stairway to Hell guys and Eddie Turner. It was time for some serious answers, and she meant to get them one way or another.
The two went upstairs to the dorm cafeteria and were soon joined at their table by Polly and Kristie. “Hey, strangers! Haven’t seen you guys around much,” Polly chirped in a way that made Marlee want to slap her even before she sat down.
“We’ve been around, just busy with classes and such,” Jasmine said.
“And such? Ooh, that sounds interesting,” Polly said as she leaned in, always ready for the latest gossip. “Does ‘and such’ involve guys?”
“Yes, it does, Polly. Jazz and I have been dating twin lumber jacks, and we’ve been out on the town with them for several nights.”
Polly’s jaw dropped, figuring she would need to work a lot harder to get the scoop on her neighbors. “Really? How did you meet these guys?”
“We went roller skating one day, and they were there. They came up to us and asked us to couple skate,” Jasmine added, jumping on board with the developing story.
“I didn’t know there was a roller rink in town. Actually, I didn’t know people roller skated anymore,” Polly said.
“Roller skating is making a comeback,” Marlee assured her nosy neighbor. “How about you? What have you been doing?”
The only thing Polly loved more than collecting information was spreading gossip. “Did you hear about Janice from third floor? The one who fell down the stairs at Stairway to Hell at their party right before Christmas? She’s pregnant!”
Marlee and Jasmine both raised their eyebrows as Polly continued with the lowdown on the impregnated dorm mate and the possibilities as to the paternity. “It could be anybody. Janice is such a slut.”
“That’s a bit harsh, Polly,” Jasmine chided. She didn’t really know Janice, but neither did Polly.
“Well, that’s just what I’ve heard,” Polly said defensively. “Everyone says it about her.”
“I never heard anything like that, and it doesn’t matter anyway,” Marlee said. “If she’s pregnant, I’m sure everything will work out just fine. And if she’s not, then I don’t want to be somebody spreading gossip about it.” She gave Polly a pointed look. It shut her up for thirty seconds, which was a new record.
Although Marlee tried to steer Polly’s gossip toward Tim and his roommates, she appeared not to know much. Either that, or she was protecting Blake Rikers, whom she had a crush on since she spent an evening at his house. “I already told you everything I know about Beth, the party, and Blake. I only know Tim from parties at his house and have no clue how he died. Why are you so interested anyway? You didn’t know Tim or Beth much better than I did.”
Marlee didn’t answer. She knew anything she said or did would be exaggerated and then Polly would pass it on to whomever was available to listen to her poison. They made small talk until they finished their meals.
Seething inside, Marlee complained to Jasmine on the walk back to their room. “Polly can be such a bitch. And she does it for no reason whatsoever. I think she feels bad about herself, so she goes out of her way to bring others down to her level.”
“Did you learn that in one of your psychology classes?” Jasmine asked.
“No, my mom explained it to me when I was a little girl. Somebody who’s mean to others is upset with their own life, not everyone else’s.”
“That makes total sense. Your mom sounds like a wise lady,” Jasmine said.
“She is,” Marlee replied. “She understands how people work.”
“Polly can be nice if she wants something, but most of the time she’s a super-shitty friend. I don’t want anything to do with her any more. She’s getting worse,” Jasmine said. “And Kristie hates being her roommate. She barely talked tonight at supper.”
“I don’t like Polly at all, and I’m going to take a stand. I’m not hanging out with her any more even though I know it means walking to the bar and to parties from now on,” Marlee said.
“We’ll walk together, because I’m not hanging out with her anymore either,” Jasmine said with a nod in solidarity. “And Kristie will walk with us too.”
Marlee smiled as they walked back to their room, knowing her true friends were with her and that she would always have to deal with gossip mongers and hate spreaders like Polly. Jasmine and Marlee spent a quiet night in their room reading and preparing for the next day’s classes.
The next morning, Marlee and Jasmine woke up on time, ate some toast, and made it to their first classes. It felt wonderful to be prepared and on time, and Marlee vowed to keep this trend going, no matter what developed in Beth and Tim’s cases. She engaged in her classes, ate a quick lunch at the Student Union, went to the library to study, and then attended her criminology class in the afternoon.
After criminology, Marlee and Barry met at the coffee shop on the corner of campus. “Anything new with your sergeant? Has he considered that maybe the Stairway to Hell guys had something to do in Beth’s death?” Marlee asked as she sipped her hot chocolate.
“No decisions yet, but he called me in to talk about it some more. I think he believes there’s merit to your theory about Tim and his roommates,” Barry said. Marlee smiled at him, knowing it had to be hard to admit he was wrong, and she was right. He was an eight-year veteran of the police force, and she was a sophomore college student. Still, he handled it well, acknowledging her theory.
“Each one of the Stairway to Hell roommates told me that they either knew or had heard that Beth was a prostitute. Obviously, we can’t talk to Tim about it, but the other three are still around. How do you think we should go about questioning them?” Marlee asked.
“I’ve been thinking about it, and it seems like you and your roommate got a lot of information using the tactics you devised,” Barry said.
“You mean having Jazz dress in a miniskirt and flirt with the guys while I pull one aside at a time to question them?” Marlee asked. “You want us to do that again?”
“Yes, but with me in the room while you talk to them individually. That way I can make sure you’re safe and also ask questions,” Barry said.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I think Jazz is more in need of protection than I am,” Marlee said. “She handled those guys just fine last time, but I’m kind of worried about her now. Especially since we found out about Adam’s rape charge. Plus, if the other roommates are involved in Tim’s death, and maybe Beth’s too, then I think Jazz needs someone to keep an eye on things.”
“Jasmine seems very strong to me. I don’t think you give her enough credit,” Barry said.
Marlee glared at him. “But you think I need someone to watch over me? Are you kidding?” She envisioned herself ten times more able to take care of herself than Jasmine or any of her other female friends.
“No, that’s not what I meant. Jasmine comes across as harmless and flirty. They’ll see you as a threat because you don’t play around,” Barry said.
At that point, she felt closer to Barry than ever before. “Thanks,” she said as she blushed. Marlee didn’t need to be complimented on looks, but she did want to be recognized for her street smarts and ability to get shit done. Barry just accomplished both of those things and had managed to dig out of the hole he worked himself into during their previous conversation.
“So, what should I ask them?” Marlee asked. “I thought I’d start out with some chit-chat like before and then ask how they knew Beth was a hooker. After they told their story, I’d hit them with the fact that I knew Beth never worked as a prostitute and that they’d lied to me.”
“Sounds good to me,” Barr
y said. “It might hamper the interview if I sit in, but I want to be able to hear what’s going on. We’ll get you fitted with a wire so I can sit outside and hear what’s going on. If any of them threaten you or Jasmine, I’ll be able to intervene. Doug will help, and I’m sure he’d be happy to help Jasmine get wired up too.”
“What’s Doug’s deal? Jasmine likes him,” Marlee said, stating the obvious.
“Doug’s a nice guy, but he’s not single. Not yet. He’s going through a divorce, and it should be finalized by summer. I hope he told Jasmine about that. They would be good together, but I don’t want him to lie to her about his wife and his son,” Barry said.
“Wow, you’re actually ratting out your friend to make sure he does the right thing by Jasmine? That’s cool,” said Marlee.
Barry looked at the floor, embarrassed by the positive affirmation. “I don’t know if Doug told her about his situation yet, but I’m sure he will in due time. He likes her too. And I’m not ratting him out by saying this!”
“No, of course not,” Marlee said, backtracking so as not to offend the officer with the medium-sized ego. “I was just impressed that you told the whole story about Doug. A lot of guys would say their friend is the best person in the world even when he’s a serial killer.”
Barry broke into a hearty laugh. “I’m sure Doug’s not a serial killer, unless you count hunting pheasants.”
“Is he trying to fix things with his wife? Is he seeing anyone else?”
“Doug’s been a mess since he found out his wife is a drug addict. The only time I’ve seen him come to life in the past six months was when he was around Jasmine. I know for a fact that he and Margo are not getting back together. The only reason they aren’t already divorced is that they’ve been fighting over custody of their son,” Barry said. “He’s not seeing anyone else either. I’m sure of it.”
They finished their discussion about meeting with the Stairway to Hell roommates that night. Marlee walked back to the dorm and explained the whole process to Jasmine.
Fatal Footsteps Page 19