Cypress Lake

by Graysen Morgen

  "Thanks, Henry. I'll check in with you later," she said.

  Henry nodded, closing the bag and buckling the straps across the body.

  Dani shook her head and walked over to her SUV. Removing her gloves, she pressed the last call button on her phone and waited as it rang.

  "Ricketts? Did you find out anything?" Sheriff Fisher asked, groggily.

  "It's Roger Fillmore and it's not a suicide."

  "Son of a bitch. I had a feeling you were going to say that. I'll be there in a few minutes."

  "Alright. Henry is leaving now with the body."

  Dani ended the call and donned a new pair of gloves before walking back to the truck. She went through the glove compartment and center console, looking for anything that would indicate who he met and why, but she found nothing except for receipts for his lawn service customers.

  "We've searched every inch of the area," Adam said. "There aren't any shell casings or tire tracks."

  "Call the tow service and have them take the truck back to the station. Follow behind them and log it into evidence, and then get back on patrol," she replied.

  Dani took her gloves off and tucked a few strands of hair behind her left ear. She'd forgotten to put it up when she'd left in a haste and although she had a hair tie in her SUV, she hadn't bothered messing with it.

  "Do you think these two murders are linked?" Sheriff Fisher asked, walking up to her.

  Dani shrugged. "If they were tied to the same drug deal or possible dealer, then…yeah, but there isn't much to go on."

  Sheriff Fisher stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans as he watched the wrecker driver load the silver truck.

  "The Mayor's going to lose it," he sighed.

  "Keep playing the drug angle," Dani said, looking at him.

  "I guess this ends our theory about Roger killing Paul."

  "Not exactly," she countered, pursing her lips. "Whatever this is…it's bigger than both of them. Maybe they've been dealing drugs in the city. Since we know Paul had a coke habit, it's possible that he made a large dope deal and used the money to snort coke. Roger would've been pissed and could've gotten rid of him. Then, the person who made the deal could've come after Paul when he didn't get the product."

  "That makes sense, but at this point, we don't have anything except theories. Has the tox screen come back on Paul yet?"

  "No. I'll check on it later when Henry finishes the autopsy. The bullet should still be in his head, since there was no exit wound. Let's hope it's intact and we can match it in the system."

  Sheriff Fisher sighed. This was the last thing his sleepy little town needed. In the ten years that he'd been sheriff he'd only had two other homicides. One was a wife who'd shot her cheating husband and the other was a man who'd stabbed another man to death in a drunken brawl.

  "You don't suppose that Malone woman had anything to do with this do you?" he asked.

  Dani raised an eyebrow. "Kristen?" She shook her head. "No, there's no motive. I think Paul's body was found there by coincidence. Whoever dumped it there thought the place was vacant. Which, it had been for a number of weeks over the winter, until she arrived back in town a few weeks ago."

  "I know I'm grasping at straws, but at this point we're sitting ducks. It won't hurt to see what she knows about Roger Fillmore."

  "We went to school with him and Paul, but she's been gone from Cypress Lake a long time. I doubt she knows anything, but I'll swing by on my way home. Henry should have something for us before lunchtime."

  "Sounds good. I'll see you back at the station later. Let me know if you find out anything. I need to brief the mayor," he said climbing into his SUV that matched hers.

  *

  Dani watched the orange rays of the sun start to peak through the woods and mountains on the horizon, in the distance. The last place she wanted to be was standing on Kristen's doorstep. She knocked on the door a second time, tucked her loose hair behind her left ear and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

  "Dani?" Kristen squinted and yawned, opening the screen door. She ran a hand through her tousled hair and pulled her dark blue robe a little tighter around her naked body. "What are you doing here at the crack of dawn?" she asked, taking in Dani's attire. She looked much younger out of her uniform.

  "When's the last time you saw Roger Fillmore?" Dani questioned as she stepped inside.

  "Roger? I don't know. High school probably. Why?"

  "He was found dead in his truck a few hours ago."

  "What! Oh my God," Kristen sat on the couch, shaking her head.

  "You know he and Paul were friends. Are you sure you haven't seen either of them since you returned?" Dani tried to avoid the feelings that Kristen's disheveled state stirred deep inside of her.

  "No." Kristen stared at the floor.

  "What are you hiding from me, Kristen?"

  "Nothing," she answered.

  Dani's cell phone rang, dragging her attention away from the woman on the couch. "Call me when you decide you're ready to talk," she said as she pulled her phone from her pocket and walked out the door.

  "Get over to Roger's house as soon as you get a chance. We have probable cause to search his property and go through his business records. Maybe this will give us the link we're looking for," Sheriff Fisher said after she answered.

  Dani started her SUV and pulled out onto the main road. "I just left Kristen Malone's. She said she hasn't seen neither Paul nor Roger since high school."

  "Alright. It was a long shot anyway. Wilbur is meeting you at Roger's to help with the search."

  "Tell him to give me about thirty minutes. I'm headed home now to change into my uniform. Did you inform Roger's family? I'm not sure if his parents are still in town."

  "The next of kin listed on his license is Patty Fillmore. Perry's on his way to her house now."

  "She's his ex-wife," Dani said. "I'll get over there to question her after I finish the search." She pulled into the parking lot behind the store and waved at her father who was unloading a delivery from one of his suppliers. She got out of her truck, taking the stairs two at a time up to her apartment.

  Chapter 8

  Dani spent two hours going through Roger's belongings. She checked every single drawer, cabinet, and closet in his small two bedroom house. His business records weren't exactly perfect, but they were organized enough for her to get an idea of the order they were filed in the two-drawer cabinet next to his dining room table that doubled as his work desk and home office area. His bank statements showed monthly check deposits and a bunch of cash withdrawals. She ran her finger down the list of lawn customers, hand-written in his record book, gasping when she saw Kristen Malone's address and the name Malone Family scribbled next to it.

  She traced the address back as far as four years, noting the quarterly bill had always been paid on time and by personal check. The most recent payment had been received two weeks ago. Dani gathered all of the business papers relating to Kristen's house and took them out to her truck. She was unable to find anything with Paul's name on it, but his calendar had the name Mary Jane written in the box for yesterday's date.

  "I searched the shed and utility room. I bagged the knives I found in the two tackle boxes. The boat was pretty clean, but I did get some samples of tiny stains that could be dried blood. I put everything in the evidence box in your truck," Wilbur said.

  "Good. Did you check the lawn trailer?"

  "Yeah. There's nothing in there, except lawn equipment and an old toolbox full of tools."

  "Okay. I'm finished with the house. I didn't find much either, only a few bank statements and customer lists for his business. Head back on patrol. I'll call you if I need help with anything else," she said, before climbing back into her SUV. She pulled up the address for Patty Fillmore that the sheriff had emailed to her and headed off in that direction.

  *

  Dani knocked on the door and rested her hands on her utility belt while she waited for someone to answe
r. A petite blond dressed in a t-shirt and jeans finally answered. Her face was flushed and her eyes were red. She'd obviously been crying.

  "Hey, Patty. I hate to bother you today, but I need to ask you some questions," Dani said.

  "It's fine. Come in. Do you want something to drink?" Patty asked.

  "No, thanks." Dani followed her inside and took a seat on the chair adjacent to the sofa as she opened the notepad she carried.

  "I can't believe this," Patty ran her hand through her head.

  "When is the last time you saw Roger?"

  "We see each other around town here and there, but I haven't had a conversation with him in five or six months. We've been divorced for almost three years."

  "Did you see him in town recently?"

  Patty thought about it. "I don't know. I don't think so. He doesn't go to church anymore. I think the last time I saw him was probably a month ago at your parent's store."

  "Did he mention anything about going to the city?"

  "No. We said a quick hello and moved on. He started going to the city a lot before we got divorced though. That's when I realized his drug business was more important than I was."

  "Was he a user?"

  "He smoked pot from time to time, but it wasn't an everyday occurrence."

  "When's the last time you saw Paul Davis?"

  "Paul? I read in the paper that he died a few weeks ago. Was he murdered too?"

  "Yes."

  "Oh my God. Do you think the same person killed them both?"

  "I can't talk about either case because it's an ongoing investigation. Did you see Paul recently?"

  "No. I haven't seen Paul since right after my divorce. You know he and Roger have been best friends since they were kids, but Paul's been in and out of trouble and I blame him for bringing Roger down to his level. When they started selling drugs in the city, I gave Roger an ultimatum and he obviously didn't choose me."

  "When you were married, did he ever mention where he went in the city or maybe a name?"

  "No. He never talked to me about any of that stuff. I knew this was going to come back to bite him in the ass one day," she wiped a tear from her face. "I tried to tell him to stay away from Paul."

  "So, you think Paul had something to do with his death?"

  "Oh I'd bet money on it. Paul probably screwed some big dealer over in the city and they paid with their lives. He wasn't the brightest crayon in the box to begin with and once he started snorting coke, he went further downhill. Roger used to say he was useless as tits on a bull at work because of his drug habit."

  "Do you happen to own any guns?"

  "I have a shotgun that I keep under my bed. Do you need to see it?"

  "No. That won't be necessary. Here's my card with my cell number. Call me if you think of anything else," Dani said, walking towards the door.

  She sat in her truck for a minute writing a few additional notes before driving back across town towards the lake.

  *

  Kristen was about to back out of her driveway when a white sheriff's office SUV pulled up across the end of the driveway, blocking her in. She blew out a frustrated breath and shut the engine off. Dani was walking towards her, dressed in her uniform once again, as Kristen climbed out of the car.

  "What now?" Kristen growled.

  "We need to talk."

  "I don't have time for this."

  "Well, as of right now, you're my only suspect, so you better make time for it. I've just about had enough of your little dog and pony show. You need to tell me the truth right now," Dani sneered.

  "What the hell are you talking about?" Kristen countered.

  Dani nodded towards the neighbor's house at the open window.

  "Oh for Christ's sake! Come into the house," she said, unlocking the door.

  Dani walked inside behind her, shutting the front door.

  "You can't possibly be serious. You actually think I killed Paul and Roger?"

  "You tell me."

  "Dani," Kristen said, looking at her.

  "You lied to me this morning and I want to know why. I know you're hiding something. I'm not Dudley fucking Do-Right and if you keep treating me like I am, I'll run your ass down to the station and we can do this there."

  "I'm not hiding anything and I didn't lie to you. What the hell are you talking about?" Kristen huffed as she crossed her arms.

  "You haven't talked to Roger Fillmore since high school, isn't that what you told me this morning?"

  "Yes. I haven't talked to anyone in this town since I moved away, except for you and the other officer that was here when I found Paul's body."

  "You've been paying Roger Fillmore to cut the grass here for the past four years. How do you explain that?"

  "Roger? My father hired a company called Cypress Landscaping to care for the property a while ago and when he transferred the deed for the house to me two years ago, I simply kept the same company."

  "Roger Fillmore owned Cypress Landscaping. In fact, he's the one that'd been physically mowing your lawn. Actually, he and Paul because at one time Paul worked for him. You're telling me you knew nothing about this?"

  "No." Kristen stepped back. "I had no idea and if I did, he wouldn't have been doing our lawn any longer," she added, shaking her head.

  "Why not?"

  "It's a long story that I don’t have time for right now, Dani."

  "Damn it, Kristen. I wish you'd just tell me what the hell is going on." Dani walked back over to the door. "Don't leave town until this gets straightened out. That's coming from the sheriff not me," she said, before leaving.

  Kristen watched her walk down the driveway before flopping down on the couch. Shit. Things had gotten way out of hand and she had no idea how to regain control. Seeing Dani wasn't helping matters. The more she saw her, the more she wanted her and she didn't have time for distractions or strolls down memory lane. She had wanted to explain everything to Dani on more than one occasion, but the timing had never been right and there was no sense in dragging her into the mess anyway.

  She walked into her bedroom and loaded the pistol she kept under her mattress.

  *

  Dani walked into the sheriff's office and tore open a banana as she sat down across from him.

  "Did you get over to Henry's yet?" he asked.

  "Son of a bitch," she squawked.

  Sheriff Fisher shook his head.

  "I found out Kristen Malone was one of Roger's lawn customers. I think it's a coincidence, but I questioned her anyway. She said she didn't know he was the owner."

  "Do you believe her?"

  "I don't know, but I just don't think she did any of this. What would her motive be?"

  "Maybe she's a scorned lover," Sheriff Fisher shrugged.

  Dani shook her head. That was one thing she knew for sure. Kristen was definitely not interested in men. "You've been watching too much cable TV," she laughed. "Kristen hasn't seen anyone here since high school. I think she's just caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time."

  "Keep an eye on her anyway. She's our only suspect at this point."

  "I know. Roger's ex-wife, Patty, reiterated the drug angle. Roger's affiliation with Paul and pushing drugs in the city were the reasons behind her divorce."

  "Did you find any connection to the city in Roger's stuff?"

  "Nope. Well, nothing except the words Mary Jane written on his calendar the day he died. It could be that he was doing a pot deal in the parking lot and it went south."

  "That's right on track with your drug dealer theory. Mayor Olsen is talking on the morning news tomorrow and he plans to touch on the subject of the two recent drug-related murders. Let's hope this is the end of the trail."

  *

  Dani walked into the hospital, yawning like a lazy dog.

  "You're too young to be doing that this early," Henry smiled, checking the clock on the wall.

  Dani grinned. "Yeah, well this spring chicken's been up and working for almost fourteen hours." />
  "Me too. Well, I did take a power nap after I finished your body from this morning. Digging the smashed up bullet from someone's head was the perfect way to spend my day off," he said sarcastically. "If these murders keep up, I may have to hire an assistant."

  "Let's hope this was the last one or I may be looking for a new job," she teased.

  He slid a blue folder over to her. "That's the toxicology report on the last guy."

  Dani opened it, flipping through the three page report on Paul Davis. He'd had both marijuana and cocaine in his system when he died.

  "It's hard to say how much time passed between absorbing the drugs and time of death, but I'd say he was definitely high when he was killed. Cocaine doesn't stay in the system long and the levels in his blood were the highest I've ever seen."

  "High enough to not know what was going on?" she asked.

  "Most likely." He nodded. "That's probably why there were no defensive wounds. He was too high to fight back."

  "I had a feeling you were going to say that. What about the one from this morning?"

  Henry handed her a small glass jar with shards of metal in the bottom of it.

  "That's the bullet. It fragmented into three pieces."

  "Wonderful," she said tipping the bottle. The chunks rattle against the glass.

  "Based on the size of the entrance wound, I'd say it was probably a .380 caliber, but it could be a 9mm, and the path of the bullet definitely points to a defensive position like we talked about at the scene. He probably saw the gun and turned away, but his seatbelt held him still long enough for the bullet to hit him."

  "Great. Got anymore useless news for me?"

  "Nope."

  "Let me know when you get his tox screen back, although, I doubt it'll help," she said as she left.

  Chapter 9

  A week later, Dani sat at her small kitchen table, cleaning her .45 caliber service handgun and the 9mm revolver that she'd had for years and used as her backup pistol. She thought about the bullet in the glass bottle sitting on her desk at the station. Henry had said it was either a .380 or a 9mm, both of which were the most popular concealed carry calibers, which made it nearly impossible for anyone to figure out exactly whose gun had delivered the fatal shot to Roger Fillmore's head.