Deadly Target (Detective Sarah Spillman Mystery Series Book 6)

by Renee Pawlish

“Leave it,” Spats said.

  Shrimp sneered, then jerked his head at Paulie, and the two of them backed into the hallway. McNair glanced through the door, then turned to Spats.

  “They’re gone.”

  “Thanks for the backup,” Spats said as he bent down and picked up Shrimp’s gun. “You came just in time.”

  McNair smiled at Spats. “I’ve dealt with those punks before. Like I told you when we talked at the station, I know a little about Shrimp. Like he said himself, he is crazy, and who knows what he would do, especially if he’s high.”

  Spats pocketed the gun and rubbed his hands together. “You think he was telling the truth?”

  McNair shrugged. “It’s hard to say. Let’s go check with the guy at 7-Eleven, but who knows, he could be covering for Shrimp.”

  Spats nodded, and they walked out of the building. They didn’t see Shrimp or his friend around, so they hurried back to the 7-11 and went inside. The clerk was a short man with a beard and a ponytail. He stared at both of them, and Spats flashed his badge.

  “Are you Tony?”

  The clerk nodded. “What’s it to you?”

  Spats eyed him. “Was Shrimp here last evening?”

  The clerk nodded, his dark eyes darting between Spats and McNair. “Yeah, he was in and out all evening.” He shrugged. “It’s the truth.”

  “And you don’t find that suspicious?” McNair said dryly. “Someone hanging around the store like that?”

  Tony shrugged and didn’t say anything. McNair’s lips curled into a knowing smile. Spats glanced around, then thanked the clerk, then walked outside with McNair.

  “Do you trust Tony?” McNair asked as they strode to the corner.

  “I don’t know.” Spats put his hands on his hips and looked around. “What do you think about Shrimp?”

  McNair shrugged. “I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

  “You think he’d kill Cody, then go after a couple of other people, just to send a message to Austin?”

  “Maybe,” McNair said.

  “I think I’ll look into Shrimp more. He sure seemed angry at Cody’s roommate, Austin.”

  McNair shrugged. “Shrimp’s angry at everyone.”

  Spats grimaced. “Well, if I need any help with Shrimp again, I’ll let you know.” He thanked McNair, then walked back across Colorado Boulevard to his car.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Oakley grimaced as he stood with Ernie on Julie Novack’s front porch. “Let’s see if this goes somewhere.”

  Oakley rang the bell and they waited.

  When Julie Novack answered the door, Ernie’s first impression was that she was nervous. She was medium height, with blond hair, but her lips twitched into a hesitant smile that was accompanied by a nervous laugh.

  “Detectives, please come in.” Another edgy laugh as she turned and walked with them into a living room decorated in a Southwestern style, yellow and terracotta walls, distressed coffee and end tables, and tan couches with multi-colored throw pillows.

  “Please, take a seat.”

  Ernie and Oakley sat at either end of the couch, and she perched on an upright chair. Her gaze darted anxiously from Ernie to Oakley. Ernie gave Oakley a subtle signal to stay quiet, and Oakley got it. He stared at Julie but didn’t say a word. Ernie waited as well. The house was still, a flowery smell in the air.

  “What can I do for you?” Julie finally asked. A little titter.

  Ernie looked at a few wooden vases on a shelf in the corner. “Those are beautiful.”

  She smiled. “Yes, they are. I got those from an artist in Santa Fe. She has some other works where she fills the wood cracks with silver, but those are too expensive for me.”

  “I like Santa Fe,” Ernie said. “I enjoy visiting the galleries.”

  “It’s fun.” She sat back, but still wasn’t relaxed. “I haven’t been in a while.”

  Oakley shifted, and Ernie turned his questions to the investigation. “It’s terrible what happened to Nick Armistead.”

  Julie couldn’t find her voice for a moment. “Yes,” she finally said.

  “How well did you know Nick and Rachel?” Ernie asked.

  She put her hands in her lap. “Gosh, I guess it’s been about five years. They’re great neighbors. We’ve had some good times together.”

  “Oh?” Ernie said.

  The tension crackled in her voice. “Yes. We’ve had some barbecues, and we go out to dinner once in a while, sometimes to the movies.”

  “Sounds like you knew the Armisteads pretty well,” Ernie said. “How did you meet?”

  She thought about that as she fiddled with her wedding ring. “Wow, it’s been a while since we met. I think it was one time when we were outside, and they walked by. Rachel and I got to chatting, and our husbands found out that they both like to golf, and it went from there.” She dabbed her eyes with a pinky finger. “One thing led to another, and we have a nice friendship.”

  Ernie mulled that over. “What did you think of Nick?”

  She stared at him. “Nick? Well, you know, he’s a nice guy. He gets along with my husband, Kevin. Nick’s got a pretty good sense of humor. I guess that’s about it.”

  Now she looked down and away, and Ernie knew she was lying. He began to press her.

  “A moment ago, you said you would go to the movies with the Armisteads, things like that. Now it sounds as if you didn’t know Nick that well.”

  She forced herself to look him in the eye. “I just meant that Nick seems like a good guy, but I don’t know him very well.”

  Ernie rubbed his chin. “I see. You know Rachel better?”

  “Yes.”

  “It was nice of you to be able to be with her this morning.”

  She nodded. “How could I not be? What happened, that’s just terrible.”

  “Do you know who would want to murder Nick?” Ernie eyed her.

  “I don’t. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to kill him.” She gulped a few times, her breath short. The tears were about to come, but she managed to hold them back.

  Ernie narrowed his eyes. “You know, I’m puzzled about something.”

  Fear swept across her face. “What’s that?”

  He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “You say you don’t know Nick that well, but you sure seem broken up about his death.”

  She fiddled with a thread on the arm of the chair. “Well, he was my friend.”

  Ernie glanced at Oakley, and Oakley then interjected. “Just a friend?”

  Her gaze went to Oakley, then back to Ernie. She seemed not to know what to do with questions from both of them. She finally shrugged at Oakley. “Yes. I saw Nick here and there.”

  “But you went to the movies, had barbecues.” Oakley stared at her. “Surely you had conversations with Nick?”

  She shifted uncomfortably. “Well, yes. That doesn’t mean I talked to him that much.”

  “What can you tell us about him?” Oakley fired off.

  “Just that he worked at a software company, and I know he traveled some.”

  “Where to?” Ernie asked.

  She turned to Ernie and blinked a few times. “I don’t know, different places.”

  Oakley took a blunt turn in the conversation and peppered her with more questions. “Did he speak of enemies? Anyone who would’ve wanted to kill him? When he traveled, did he talk about any concerns?”

  She shook her head. “Not that I know of. I know when we – when he was in Reno, he ran into some men outside a restaurant who gave him a hard time. But it really wasn’t anything.”

  Ernie glanced at Oakley. They’d both caught her slip. They let an uncomfortable quiet linger.

  “We?” Ernie leaned in even more. “You traveled with him somewhere?”

  She shook her head and looked at Oakley as if he could rescue her. He sat and stared at her. Ernie took over the questioning again.

  “Julie, were you having an affair with Nick?”

  Her lower
lip trembled, and a single tear ran down her cheek. “No,” she whispered.

  Ernie stared at her, the silence as accusatory as any question he could ask. She looked at him, guilt etched on her face. She finally nodded.

  “Rachel doesn’t know.” Her voice was barely audible.

  Ernie sat back. “How can you be so sure?”

  She thought about that. “Nick always said she had no idea. Nick and I were super-careful, and we only ever got together out of town, or when one of our spouses was out of town.”

  “Does your husband know?”

  She reddened, then shook her head. “I don’t think so. Kevin and I have kind of fallen out of love. He travels a lot, and when he’s around, he’s not really here. If that makes sense.”

  Ernie glanced at Oakley. They’d both heard this story often enough. The neglected spouse, the excuses to wander.

  “How did you and Nick talk to each other so your affair wouldn’t be discovered?” Ernie asked.

  “Disposable cell phones,” she replied.

  Ernie glanced at Oakley as if to say, “You were right.”

  “It was hard for you to comfort Rachel, given your feelings for Nick,” Oakley said to her.

  She sniffled and struggled not to break down. “I feel so bad,” she choked out. “I loved Nick. I was going to ask my husband for a divorce, and I think Nick was going to leave Rachel. But I know she still loves him, and I know how much she’s hurting.”

  Ernie held up a hand. “This sounds more serious than you said just a moment ago.”

  “I guess it is,” she said.

  “And you’re sure Rachel didn’t know?” Ernie stared at her. “You slipped up with me, said ‘we’ went on a trip, not ‘I’ or ‘he.’ How do you know you haven’t done that around Rachel without ever realizing it?”

  She averted her eyes as she thought about it. “I don’t think Rachel knew. Nick was sure of it. He said everything was like normal between them.”

  “What if it wasn’t?” Ernie pressed.

  Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m speculating, but what if Rachel found out Nick was having an affair, that he was going to leave her? What if she didn’t want that to happen?”

  Julie’s jaw dropped. “What are you saying? You think Rachel could’ve hired somebody to kill Nick?”

  Ernie glanced at Oakley, and they both nodded.

  “Stranger things have happened,” Oakley said.

  She thought about that, seemingly for the first time. “Maybe you’ve heard of that kind of stuff happening, but I don’t see Rachel doing that. She’s the sweetest person you could meet.” She swallowed hard. “I felt so guilty about what Nick and I were doing behind her back, how she didn’t deserve to be deceived. I mean, I can’t help my feelings, but she doesn’t deserve it. She really is nice, and she really did love Nick.”

  As Ernie had said to her, he and Oakley had heard a lot of things. They’d both heard similar statements like this before. Ernie wondered if Julie saw the irony in her actions, saying how sweet Rachel was, and then admitting that she had betrayed Rachel’s friendship by sleeping with her husband. And he had a hard time listening to other people excuse their behavior. He shoved those thoughts aside and went on.

  “You know anything about Nick and Rachel’s finances?” Ernie asked. “Would she have the ability to hire someone to murder Nick?”

  She frowned. “I guess so. As far as I know, they both do well at their jobs, and Nick was able to hide money from her. So I guess she could’ve done the same to him.” She pursed her lips. “But I don’t believe it. I know you have to look at everything, but talk to Rachel again. There’s no way she would do anything to Nick.”

  Ernie glanced at Oakley. His face was blank, but he knew Oakley was processing the conversation, and that meant they’d have to dig into Rachel’s personal life and re-interview her, too.

  “Rachel and Nick liked to go to the gym?” Ernie asked.

  “Yes. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. If they’re in town.” She realized what she’d said, a hint at her infidelity, and she gulped with guilt. She looked at both of them. “Please don’t tell my husband.”

  Oakley held up a hand. “No guarantees.”

  She gnawed her lip. “I’ll tell him, when the time is right.” She glanced at her watch. “I need to go. Is there anything else?” Another nervous laugh.

  “A couple more things,” Ernie said. “Do you know Sarah Spillman or Cody Sheen?”

  She shook her head. “No. Should I?”

  “Did Rachel or Nick ever mention those names?” he asked.

  “No,” she said.

  “Where were you last night?”

  Oakley’s question took her off-guard. “Oh. Kevin worked late, so I got some Chinese delivered. Yen King. It’s close, and I like their Mongolian beef.” She pointed out the front window. “I also talked to my neighbor, Sally, around seven or so.” The answer was smooth, but didn’t seem rehearsed.

  “Thank you,” Ernie said.

  He and Oakley stood up, and Julie led them to the door.

  “Would you please, if at all possible, not tell Rachel about the affair?” Julie peered up the street. “I should tell her.”

  Neither Ernie nor Oakley committed to that, and she looked resigned as they stepped outside. She slowly shut the door, and Ernie and Oakley walked down the porch steps.

  “That was a hell of an interview,” Oakley said. “It didn’t take much to get her to break.”

  Ernie hefted up his pants. “She was ready to tell someone about the affair. The guilt was eating at her. And you had a hunch about her right away, didn’t you? When she was with Rachel?”

  “Yeah, but it was best to have you help me follow through on it. Two sets of eyes and ears are better than one. And so, now we know: she was screwing around. She was in love with Nick.”

  Ernie thought for a moment. “You think Rachel knew?”

  Oakley chewed on that. “Well, I have to agree with Julie. Rachel seemed like she was in love, that everything was okay between her and Nick.” He jerked his head toward Rachel’s house. “Obviously, she was missing a lot, but for her, ignorance definitely seemed to be bliss. She thought things were fine.” He put his hands on his hips. “Nick certainly deceived her well. Or, she knew about the affair, and she’s a really good actress.”

  Ernie cocked an eyebrow. “Which do you believe?”

  Oakley took a moment before he answered. “I don’t know. I had a case once, where I was sure that the guy was telling me the truth, that he didn’t know what had happened to his girlfriend. Turns out, he’d shot her, took her body out east of town, dragged her into a field, and buried her. I wouldn’t have thought he’d done it.”

  “Yeah, we can be fooled. Some people are so cold, they can pull it off. But eventually they screw up.”

  Oakley glanced up the street. “We’re going to have to tell Rachel.”

  “Before that, we need to check up on Rachel thoroughly, see if we can get any bank statements, anything like that. It’s possible she knew about the affair and planned her husband’s murder herself.”

  “I’ll do that, and I’ll research Rachel a little bit and check on her alibi, too.” Oakley jerked a thumb toward Julie’s house. “Just to make sure that one’s telling the truth.”

  “You should talk to Julie’s husband, too.”

  “I will.”

  They walked to Ernie’s car, and Oakley leaned against the side of it. “If Rachel murdered her husband, what about the other two shootings?”

  Ernie looked up the street. “We keep coming back to that, don’t we? I’ll go talk to her about the investigation and see where that leads me.”

  Oakley nodded. “I’d like to know your impressions of her.” He went to his car, but stopped before he got in and smacked his forehead. “I can’t believe I almost forgot this.”

  “What?”

  “Some surveillance video from a business near the gym shows
a dark SUV near the parking lot. We got a license plate number, and it’s registered to Enterprise Car Rental. We’re working to track down which facility the car was rented from. I need to get the credit card records from the rental, too.”

  Ernie fist-pumped. “Finally, something tangible. Good work. Keep me posted on that.”

  “Will do.” Oakley got in his car, waved, and drove away.

  Ernie watched the car turn the corner, then walked toward Rachel Armistead’s house.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Ernie walked two houses down to Rachel Armistead’s house and rang the bell. When she answered the door, he was taken aback. Ernie had seen a picture of her the other night, but it didn’t do her justice. Even though her eyes were heavy with grief, she was a beautiful woman, with a round face, long brown hair, and artfully applied makeup.

  “Yes?” Weariness filled her voice, and she looked at him with only slight curiosity.

  “Mrs. Armistead? I’m Detective Moore, Denver Homicide.” Ernie showed her his badge.

  Her blue eyes widened with hope. “Yes? Have you found something about Nick?”

  “We’re still in the middle of the investigation. I’d like to ask you a few questions, if I may.”

  The fatigue returned, and she looked up and down the street. She finally nodded and stepped back. “Come on in.” She turned and plodded into a sleek, modern kitchen, with practically bare white walls. Ernie guessed she normally kept the room neat, but right now it wasn’t, with cups sitting on the counter, dishes piled in the sink, and food crumbs specking the counter.

  “It’s a mess, I’m sorry,” she explained as she gestured for him to take a seat at a round table in a large dining area. “I’ve had so much to do with Nick’s … death, and I just haven’t felt like doing anything with this.”

  Ernie pulled out a chair and sat down. “No need to apologize to me. I understand.”

  She slumped into a seat across from him. “I’m sorry, would you like anything to drink?”

  Ernie studied her. It would probably take a monumental effort for her to get him something, and so he politely declined. She pulled an empty coffee cup toward her and fiddled with it.