Sifting for Suspects

by Cindy Bell

  “Against me? For what?”

  “For false reports.” She frowned. “I suspect that you mean well, Lucy, and for that reason I’m not going to write a report about this. I understand that you want to hold someone responsible for Derek’s death, but you can’t just make random accusations with nothing to back it up.”

  “But there’s still the towel.”

  “Yes. For now, just go home, Lucy, it’s the best thing you can do.”

  Lucy searched her mind for anything that could draw Annaliese’s attention back to Sharon. There was no way that she hadn’t seen the dumbbell. But she had nothing more to offer. She returned to her house and showered the sweat off. Even once she was clean, she couldn’t shake the sense that she was still coated in filth. Could she have been so blind to Sharon’s intentions the entire time that she dated Derek? What kind of instincts wouldn’t let her see the truth?

  Chapter 14

  A few hours after leaving the gym Lucy’s cell phone rang. She picked it up when she saw it was Chantelle.

  “Hey sis.”

  “Hey, it’s totally okay to say no, but remember that weekend we talked about?”

  “Yes. Oh that’s today isn’t it!”

  “It is, but if you’re not up to it it’s okay. Everything will be fine.”

  “No, I’m totally up for it. I need some Greg time.”

  “Okay, well can you be here around six then?”

  “Sure no problem. I’ll pack up now.”

  “Thanks Lucy.”

  Lucy hung up the phone and began to throw some clothes in an overnight bag. She was relieved to have the distraction from the chaos of her morning. As a last minute decision she tucked the jar of protein powder into her bag as well. Maybe if she had some time after Greg went to sleep she could research into it more. It might be evidence in the murder. As she left the house she placed a call to Annaliese to check on the results from the towel. Her phone rang several times then went to voicemail. She assumed that Annaliese was done with her theories. She likely wouldn’t answer the phone any time soon. Instead of thinking about that she shifted her thoughts to Greg. She wanted to find out how Greg was handling Derek’s death. When she arrived at the house Chantelle and Noah were packed and ready to go.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind, Lucy?” Chantelle kissed her cheek.

  “Not at all. I love my Greg time.”

  “Thanks so much, Lucy. Chantelle deserves a getaway.” Noah smiled and hugged her. Lucy hugged him in return, but she drew back faster than she might have in the past.

  “Oh, Lucy can you check in the study and see if you can find the fliers from last year. Mom wants to have another sidewalk sale and I know I put the originals somewhere in the study, but I haven’t had time to look for them.”

  “Sure no problem.” She smiled at her sister. “Now go, go, be romantic, and keep that stuff away from me.”

  “Me too!” Greg hollered from the kitchen.

  “What are you doing, Greg?” Lucy laughed and followed his voice into the kitchen.

  “Making a snack.”

  “Oh, let me help.”

  “It’s okay, I can do it. I’ll make you some, too, if you grab me some more crackers.”

  “Sure.” Lucy reached in the cabinet for the box of crackers. When she pulled it out of the cabinet she noticed a small glass jar with white powder in it. “What is this?” She asked as she pulled the jar out to show him.

  “Oh, it’s protein powder. The container is so big so Noah put the rest into the smaller jar.” Was the container the same as the one that she had found at Derek’s house? Was it the same brand?

  “Greg, are you drinking this stuff?”

  “Oh no.” He shook his head. “Sharon, one of the trainers at the gym, she offered it to me for free. I drank a few glasses, but Derek was annoyed so I promised him I wouldn’t drink any more.”

  “So why is it still here?”

  “Noah drinks it.” He nodded to a glass on the counter. “He had some right before he left.”

  “Oh, okay.” She eyed the glass for a moment. When Greg left the kitchen she picked up the glass and looked at the powder film around the rim of it. Could Noah be responsible for the protein powder at Derek’s house? It didn’t make sense to her. Why would Noah bring the protein powder over there? Had he lied about not going to see Derek that night?

  “Aunt Lucy, are you ready for the movie?”

  She jumped at the sound of Greg’s voice. With the distraction of the glass she’d almost forgotten that he was there. With a quick glance in the direction of the kitchen door she slid the glass into a plastic bag. Then she tucked the bag into her purse. She wasn’t sure what she was going to do with the glass just yet, but she knew that she couldn’t leave it to be washed. As she joined Greg in the living room for the movie she tried to keep her mind off the fact that her sister was alone with someone that she suspected might be a murderer. There was no way that Chantelle would ever believe her, even if she had the evidence to prove it. She adored Noah in a way that was akin to every romance movie she’d ever watched. Still it left her unsettled to think that she might be in harm’s way.

  “How are things with Noah, Greg?”

  Greg looked away from the television screen.

  “Did he put you up to this?”

  “Up to what?”

  “Talking to me about him?”

  “No Greg, I’m just a little concerned. Your mother mentioned that you two have been butting heads lately.”

  “We have.” Greg sighed. “Noah’s never going to see me as an adult, no matter what I do. I’m tired of trying to prove it to him.”

  “Sweetheart, you’re not an adult. You have a little time left.”

  “You know what I mean, Aunt Lucy. He treats me like a baby. He didn’t want me working out so many hours, he always wants to know where I am and who I’m with. He acts like someone is always out to get me.”

  “I know it feels that way, but that’s a parent’s job, to make sure that you’re as safe as you can be.”

  “I know.” He sighed. “I don’t know what’s going on with him lately, Aunt Lucy. It’s like he’s afraid of something.”

  “What do you think he might be afraid of?” She met his eyes as the music on the television swelled.

  “My Mom says it’s because he wants me to think of him as my father. Of course I think of him that way, he’s the only father I’ve ever known.”

  “Have you thought about maybe letting him adopt you, or calling him Dad?”

  “I don’t know.” He rubbed a hand over his forehead. “It all seems so complicated. Like why do I have to prove who he is in my life. When Derek was training me he was getting angry because Derek kept pushing me to try harder, and he told me I needed to take it easy and not strain my body so much. He tells me he cares about my health, then next thing I know he’s drinking that junk protein powder that Derek told me not to drink. What sense does that make?”

  “Adults aren’t perfect, kiddo. We make mistakes, too.”

  “I get that. Or I’m starting to. But it’s all too confusing for me. I like things just the way they are. If it’s working, why change anything?”

  “I see what you’re saying.”

  They fell into silence as the movie continued to play. Greg’s attention was locked on the screen, but Lucy’s mind wandered over memories of Noah. She could recall more than a few times when he was overprotective of Greg to the point of threatening people. Thinking that Derek tried to step in and fill his role might make him angry enough to strike out. Long after Greg fell asleep, she couldn’t close her eyes. She headed into the study to do some research on the computer for a little while.

  When Lucy stepped inside she recalled that Chantelle asked her to look for some fliers from the year before. There were a few file boxes piled up next to the computer desk. She dug through them in search of the fliers. She didn’t find them in the first box. In the second box was a thin off-white folder. She gues
sed that Chantelle might have put the fliers in there to keep them from getting wrinkled. When she flipped open the folder she saw a pile of papers, but they were not the fliers. They had Noah’s name stamped all over them.

  As Lucy began to look through them she recognized that they were police records with Noah’s name on them, and dated twenty years before. The charge was aggravated assault and he’d been released on bail then pleaded down to probation. The shock made her rock back on her heels. Chantelle never mentioned that Noah had a criminal history. Did she even know? If Noah had a history of violence it made him an even more likely suspect. Her stomach churned again. It was impossible for her to believe, she would have sensed something about him if it were true. Unless, as Chantelle often said, her instincts were just lucky guesses. She checked to be sure that Greg was still sound asleep on the couch then she pulled out her cell phone and dialed Annaliese’s number. Several rings later someone picked up. “Lucy?”

  “Jack?”

  “Yes, sorry Annaliese left her phone here and I thought if you were calling it might be important.”

  “I thought she might have been avoiding me.”

  “No, she’s not. But there is something she wanted to tell you.”

  “What?” She braced herself.

  “The results came back on the towel. It wasn’t blood, Lucy. It was a cleaning fluid used to remove rust.”

  “No.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “That’s that I guess.”

  “Wait, why did you call?”

  “I wondered if Annaliese could test something else I found that I think might be a clue in Derek’s murder. A jar of protein powder and a glass with protein powder on the rim.”

  “Can you bring it to the police station?”

  “I can’t really leave right now, I’m staying with my nephew for the weekend and he’s asleep.”

  “Okay, I’ll come pick it up.”

  “You don’t have to do that, Jack, really.”

  “I don’t mind. Just text me the address. I’m sure it’s not far.”

  “Really, I don’t want to bother you.”

  “Lucy, it’s no bother. I wouldn’t offer if it was.”

  “You still want to help me even though all of the evidence has fallen through?”

  “Just because you can’t prove something doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Now you say you have something else you want to check in to. All I can do is take it to Annaliese and let her decide if she wants to do it. I have to take her phone back to her anyway.”

  “Okay, great. Thanks Jack.”

  “No problem.” He hung up the phone and she texted him the address. As soon as she hit send her heart skipped. He was going to be there in a few minutes. She jumped to her feet and checked her hair in the mirror in the front hall. Once she’d smoothed down the blonde strands she checked her teeth for any bits of popcorn. When she was satisfied that she wouldn’t scare him away she got the bag with the glass in it and dug in her overnight bag for the container of protein powder she’d taken from Derek’s house. Just as she pulled it out, there was a knock on the front door. She glanced at Greg who remained fast asleep. As quietly as she could she made her way to the door and opened it.

  “Hi.” Jack smiled, his eyes crinkled at the corners. Her lips parted but no sound came out. After a second she managed to speak.

  “Hi, uh, here.” She held out the bag with the glass in it.

  “Who does this belong to?”

  “I’d rather not say. I’d just like to know if it’s the same protein powder that’s in this jar.” She held out the large jar and only then noticed that her bra dangled from a rough edge of the bottom of it.

  “Oh uh, don’t need that.” He grinned and held up his hands.

  “Ugh, I’m sorry.” She grabbed it and tried to pull it free, but the hook of the bra got caught on the container. She pried it for a moment as she broke into a nervous sweat.

  “Here, let me.” He reached past her and freed the hook. She tried not to think about the fact that he had his hands on her undergarment.

  “I’m so sorry. I’m a mess.”

  “You’re not. You’re a detective, working for free.” He winked, then took the container. “I’ll run these over to Annaliese and let her know to give you a call.”

  “Is she upset about the towel?”

  “No, she knew it might not be blood. I think she just wants to give the detective something solid to go on with the case so it can be solved.”

  “Yes, I imagine she would.” She frowned.

  “Hey, try not to let it get to you. Even if it is someone that you care about, you have to keep your distance so that you don’t get too emotionally bogged down. I try to explain that to my sister all the time, but she doesn’t listen.”

  “I’m trying to keep a clear head, but it’s hard.”

  “You have my number now. Anytime you want to talk. I’m available. All right?”

  “Thanks.” She leaned against the door frame as she smiled at him.

  “Goodnight Lucy.”

  “Goodnight Jack.”

  Chapter 15

  The next morning Lucy woke up early to take Greg to his training session. She noticed that Sharon’s car wasn’t in the parking lot.

  “Do you mind if I come in with you? I want to thank Lance for taking over your sessions.”

  “No I don’t mind, come on in.” She followed him into the gym. Lance was the only trainer there. He smiled when he saw her.

  “Morning Lucy, I didn’t know you would be coming in with Greg. After what happened with Sharon, I thought you wouldn’t be coming back here at all.”

  “Oh, so you heard?”

  “Go get changed.” Lance nodded to Greg. Greg headed off to the locker room. Once he was gone Lance turned his attention back to her. “Yes, I heard. She was furious. Why would you accuse her of something like that?’

  “I didn’t. I saw a dumbbell in her trunk. I thought it might be the murder weapon.”

  “But the police didn’t find one.”

  “No they didn’t.” She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him. “Someone must have taken it out of the trunk.”

  “Are you accusing me now?” He laughed.

  “No, of course not. But I do think that you’re hiding something. Like exactly why you and Derek got into a shoving match.”

  “Okay, fine, I’ll come clean. It’s no secret around here, but I’ve been trying to date Sharon. She kept turning me down. One night I took her out on a surprise date, gave her a gift, a necklace, and she finally agreed to try things out. Then it seemed like every time I saw her she was with Derek. I got jealous. I thought since things were winding down with you that he was trying to make a move on Sharon.”

  “Oh.” She tried not to let his words sting. “And was he?”

  “I don’t know.” He frowned. “I believed him when we had it out and he said that he wanted nothing to do with Sharon. Then when you picked up the box of his things, I saw her necklace.”

  “That’s hers?” She recalled the silver necklace on her dresser. “I wondered who it belonged to.”

  “So if nothing was going on why would he have it?” He sighed. “I don’t know what to think anymore. But it doesn’t matter now. Derek’s gone, so I can’t exactly ask him.”

  “What about Sharon? What does she have to say about it?”

  “She refuses to talk about it. Says it’s too painful to think about Derek right now. So I’m giving her some time.”

  “Ready to train?” Greg walked up to them.

  “Sure, let’s get started.”

  “I’m just going to use the restroom.” Lucy walked towards the locker room with an idea in mind. If Sharon gave her necklace to Derek, maybe it was because she wanted more from him than just friendship. Maybe she’d tried to insist and Derek had resisted. Or maybe Derek had the necklace because they were in a relationship and things went sour.

  As Lucy walked passed the lockers she noticed Sharon’s. It was easy to
know who it belonged to because it was labeled with her name. Lucy stared at it for a long moment, then turned to walk away. As she did another woman pushed past her to get to the showers. She only brushed against Lucy, but Lucy’s shoe slid in a small puddle on the floor and she lost her balance. Her elbow landed hard into a locker, but she caught herself and stayed on her feet. Pain shot through her elbow. When she pulled it away from the locker to rub it, the locker door swung open and the contents of it spilled on to the floor. There was a tangle of gym clothes, papers, and towels. In a panic she gathered the items up and tried to shove them back into the locker. As she did she noticed that it was Alice’s locker. If she was caught, someone might think she’d broken in on purpose.

  As Lucy picked up the towel to put it back in, it unfurled and a cell phone tumbled out of it. When it clattered to the floor her heart stopped for a second. Her eyes widened as she stared at it. It was Derek’s there was no question in her mind. Why would Alice have his cell phone? Should she keep it? Put it back? Her cell phone rang as she tried to decide. It made her heart jump into her throat. Was anyone around? Did they hear it ring? She shoved Derek’s phone into her pocket and rushed for the door of the locker room. As she pushed it open Sharon stepped through.

  “Lucy. I thought you were told not to come in here anymore.” She scowled.

  “I was just dropping off Greg, and I had to use the bathroom.” Her stomach clenched as she was hyper aware of the phone in her pocket.

  “Don’t let me see you here again, do you understand?” She pointed her finger at her.

  “You won’t. I’ll wait in the parking lot.”

  “Good.”

  Lucy hurried past her and through the gym out to her car. As soon as she was closed in she locked the doors. Then she pulled the phone out of her pocket. From experience she knew it would fit her phone charger. Once it had enough power she turned it on. There it was, Derek’s background, and all of his apps. She skimmed through some of them, then moved to the pictures. She noticed there were more on the phone than had been uploaded to his online files. Three to be exact. As she opened them up and looked through them she noticed that they were of Sharon in what looked like the alley behind the gym. One by one she studied the pictures. One was of Sharon alone. The next was of her with another man. The third was a snapshot of what looked like an exchange of money and a small bag. Her eyes widened. Was Sharon buying drugs? That’s what it looked like. She looked through the windshield at the gym. Greg still had twenty minutes left in his session. She didn’t want to keep the phone there any longer, in case Alice noticed it was missing. She threw the car into gear and drove straight for the patisserie.