[Detective Jade Monroe 01.0] Maniacal

by CM Sutter

  I checked the time as I set the table—four forty-five. She should arrive any minute. I set out a small plate and put both fortune cookies on it. She could take her pick of the fun treat after dinner. We’d both read our fortunes out loud. A heads-up knock sounded ten minutes later, then Amber let herself in.

  “I’m here, and I’m bearing gifts.”

  I peeked around the corner from the dinette into the foyer, where she sat on the bench, removing her shoes. It was nice that I didn’t have to remind her. I was sure Amber would be a great roommate—she was neat and respectful.

  “I bought Chinese.”

  “Oh, yum. I hope you got Chicken Almond Ding, pot stickers, and fried rice.”

  “Is there anything else?” I smiled.

  “Yeah, I brought two bottles of wine, one for you and one for me. We can hang out, talk trash, and get tipsy.”

  “Sounds good. Let’s eat.”

  By five thirty, the table had been cleared and the dishwasher loaded with the few plates we’d used. We sat on the sofa and got comfortable, each with a glass of wine, as we looked over the condo listings. The plate with the fortune cookies sat on the coffee table in front of us.

  “Can I pick which fortune cookie I want?”

  “Sure, go ahead. You have to read it out loud, though.”

  “Okay, here goes.”

  Amber tore the cellophane wrapper open with her teeth and pulled out the cookie. She cracked it in half and slid out the small white strip of paper.

  She cleared her throat. “Okay, here goes. It says, ‘A secret admirer will soon be revealed.’ Wow…mysterious, huh?” Amber laughed. “There is Sean from school. I think he’s had a thing for me for a while. Okay, now it’s your turn.”

  I cracked open my cookie and stared at the message.

  “You have to read it out loud. It’s the rules.”

  “It’s just a stupid saying.”

  Amber pulled the note from my fingers. “I’ll read it. ‘A stranger will present you with a gift.’ That’s a nice fortune. I like yours better.”

  “Well, whatever, you can have my cookie too. Let’s plan next weekend to view a few more three-bedroom condos, and I want to take a look at the ones you liked already. I have to get Melissa to list the house right away too.”

  “Jade, I’m really excited about moving in with you. I promise you won’t regret it. Mom is already talking about making my old bedroom into a craft room. That means there’s no turning back.”

  I squeezed her hand. “I know, hon, and I won’t change my mind. We’re in this together, and here’s your own set of keys.” I laughed. “These are Lance’s old ones. He definitely has no need for them anymore.”

  Chapter 18

  Dime relived the encounter he’d had with Melissa Mately yesterday. He sat at the table, enjoying his Monday morning breakfast with a sly grin on his face. Suckering the ditzy bleached blonde into believing anything he said was as easy as taking candy from a baby. He had entered Realty World around eleven forty-five and saw her sitting at her desk. The bell above the glass door clinked when he passed through. She looked up and smiled. He checked the parking lot before he walked in. Only one car sat outside, and he assumed it belonged to her.

  “Good morning.” She chuckled when she looked at the clock. “Oops, I guess it’s almost noon. Hi, I’m Melissa Mately.”

  She stood to shake his hand.

  “Hi, I’m David Ingles. Is that your car outside? I love that model. I was actually looking at the new Infinity sedan myself.”

  “Yes, I just bought it a few months ago. I’ll admit, I love that car and gold—well”—she laughed—“it’s the color of success.”

  He looked her over slowly. “It sure is.”

  “Well, Mr. Ingles, is there something I can help you with?” She glanced at the clock again. “Actually I’m waiting for a client to arrive. I’ll be locking up in a few minutes.”

  “No problem, just checking out the Realtors in the area to see who really wants my business. You see, I’m new in town and was hoping to tour some of the more upscale, private properties you have listed, like the one on Oriole Lane, but if you’re too busy—”

  She hushed away his comment. “I’d love to work as your Realtor, Mr. Ingles. Oriole Lane is quite the property. I’d be happy to show you that home and any others in that general price range if you like, maybe later this afternoon?”

  “How about giving me your card and I’ll think about it? I’m not sure if later would work for me. How does your schedule look during the week?”

  “Let me take a peek here and see.”

  Dime listened as she mumbled to herself while clicking through her computer’s calendar.

  “Hmm… I guess I didn’t realize how busy I was, clear through the weekend. I have an all-day showing for condos on Saturday. I could probably fit you in after my last appointment on Tuesday. That’s at five o’clock.”

  He deliberately paced as if he were losing interest. “Maybe.”

  “It’s no problem, really. I aim to keep my clients happy.” She smiled and waited for him to make eye contact with her, but he didn’t.

  He stared at her business card as if he had to think about it. “I’ll get back to you if it works for me. Thanks.” Dime headed for the door.

  “Are you sure? I’d love to show you our executive properties at your convenience if Tuesday doesn’t work. Please call me if you change your mind.”

  The bell above Realty World’s glass door clinked, and he was gone.

  He laughed at the memory from yesterday and looked at his watch—eight a.m. Dime wiped his mouth with the paper napkin, balled it up, and tossed it into the stainless steel trash can next to the stove. His plate and cup went into the sink, and he left the house.

  He thought of the right approach to connect with Melissa tomorrow evening while he drove. He didn’t want his fake name or the property she was going to show him to come up on her appointment calendar. He would wait and call her at the last minute, probably around five thirty. He’d make sure to remind her that if she couldn’t accommodate his needs, he would work with a different Realtor. He knew she didn’t get to the position of being a top earner by slacking off. Dime was sure she would agree to show him the property on Oriole Lane.

  He pulled into the lot and parked his Jeep. As long as she was on his mind, he went ahead and set the alarm on his watch for five thirty tomorrow afternoon. Melissa Mately would get a phone call. Her ambition, or lack of it, would determine her fate.

  The voices came to life and told him to make a quick call to the florist before going inside. He obeyed.

  Chapter 19

  A mixed floral arrangement was delivered to the sheriff’s department by a driver from Lilly’s Garden at nine o’clock. The delivery man told Jan at the reception counter that the flowers were for Jade Monroe. Jan signed for them.

  The arrangement was huge, colorful, and filled with purple and yellow lilies, tulips, carnations, baby’s breath, and roses. Jan sniffed the flowers before buzzing herself through to the bull pen.

  “I’m jealous,” she said, as she entered the room. “Sure wish someone would send me flowers once in a blue moon.”

  “Check that out,” Jack said. He whistled as he watched Jan to see where she was taking the vase.

  I looked up from my computer when Jan zeroed in and locked eyes with me.

  “These are for you, Jade.”

  “From who?” I cleared a space on my desk for the beautiful, expensive-looking vase of flowers.

  “No clue, and there wasn’t any card. The driver just said they were for you, and here they are. I wish I had a secret admirer that would send me flowers.”

  My mind flashed back for a second to the fortune cookie note. I shook it off. I didn’t believe in that nonsense. “What florist delivered it?”

  “Lilly’s Garden. Anyway, I’m jealous.”

  “Me too,” Jack joked.

  “Knock it off. I’ll get to the bottom of t
his. I’ll call the florist and find out who bought them. Somebody had to pay the bill. Thanks, Jan.”

  “Yep, no problem.”

  Jan exited the bull pen while I stared at the flowers. They were beautiful.

  “So what do you think it means? Your birthday isn’t for another week, your house hasn’t sold yet, Lance hasn’t reconsidered… has he?”

  “Heck no. I am impressed, though.”

  “Really? About what?”

  “You. You’re a guy. Guys don’t remember birthdays.”

  “Ouch. My name isn’t Lance.”

  “Thank God.” I breathed a sigh of relief. “Now I know who they’re from.” I smiled widely.

  “Who?”

  “Amber. Who else would do something so sweet?” I chuckled and remembered that she’d read my fortune cookie too. “I’m letting her move in, and she looked at condos for me yesterday. We went over the listings last night at my place while we had a Chinese dinner together.”

  “And you didn’t think to invite me? Damn it, girl. I sat alone watching a Lifetime movie and with a TV dinner on my lap.”

  I chuckled. “You know I don’t believe a word you said. Anyway, it was our way overdue girl’s night.” I looked at the clock. Amber was in class; I couldn’t call right now, so I texted her instead. “Thanks for the flowers, Sis. They’re beautiful, and you’re a sweetheart.”

  My mind drifted back to Elise. The autopsy would be complete soon, and Perry could finally ID her. I was certain Doug had started it.

  “Could you do me a favor, partner?”

  “Sure, name it.”

  “I’ll make a fresh pot of coffee if you go downstairs and check on Doug’s progress. I’d like to call Perry and tell him when he can come in. Ask Jason if he set up the time for the transport company to pick up Morris’s body too. I want to call Terrance and let him know.”

  “Yep, on it. Get that coffee started.”

  I poured water into the pot and lined the basket with a paper filter. I knew we’d go through an entire pot, so I made twelve cups, scooping six heaping tablespoons of Colombian Roast into the basket. I hit the start button and knocked on Lieutenant Clark’s door. He glanced up through the window and waved me in.

  “Jade, what can I do for you?”

  “We’re stuck, boss. None of the names from Morris’s list of associates cross-referenced with Elise’s names. Plus, we know Perry isn’t good for this crime.”

  He ran his palms over his eyes and exhaled a groan. “Yeah, I know. I’ll admit I haven’t slept much this last week.” He rubbed the belly that his starched shirt was stretched across and leaned back in his chair.

  I nodded. “I just don’t know where to go with this. Even with a profile on this killer, we still have nothing. He’s a ghost. The media can’t help us. We already know who our victims are. Plastering their photos across the TV screen isn’t going to do anything except agonize Perry even more. We can’t even put together a composite of the killer for the media. No eyewitnesses.”

  “Have all of the people in Elise’s yoga class from Friday night been interviewed?”

  “Yep. They all left before she did, and she never mentioned plans other than going home after the class.”

  “So that’s a dead end too. And her car? Did the guys get anywhere with the seat being pushed back, any trace?”

  “Nothing. The perp must be gloved at all times. We’re not doing our victims justice.” I smacked the doorframe with my open hand and walked out, irritated.

  Jack entered the bull pen just as I got back to my desk.

  “Doug has about an hour left with Elise. Jason said the transport company is on their way.”

  “Good, I’ll call Terrance and give him a heads-up.”

  Jack sat down and rapped his knuckles on the desk. “I’d tell Perry to come at noon to be on the safe side. Of course the autopsy is just for protocol, right? Elise was a healthy, fit woman, wasn’t she?”

  “Yeah, the only thing off might be the toxicology report if she was slipped a drug. Highly unlikely, though. We saw the time stamp on the video of her leaving right after class, and it didn’t sound like she intended to stop anywhere. Anyway, the tox report should be back in a few days. I know Doug is busy right now, but Clark wants the rest of us in the lunchroom to touch base on everything we’ve done so far. I’ll call Perry first and tell him to be here at noon.”

  I picked up my desk phone and made two calls. The first was to tell Perry to come in at noon for Elise’s official ID and the other call was to Terrance. Morris’s body would arrive at Phillips Funeral Home in a few hours. Terrance said he would let me know what day the funeral would be scheduled for. Jack and I planned to attend.

  We went through everything again with the lieutenant. This time our group included Kyle, Dan, Todd, and Bill. We had several officers from North Bend PD, John and Lucas from their tech department, and Detective Miller on speakerphone with us.

  Over the course of an hour and with each person sharing their bit of information, we still came up blank. We agreed it would take a miracle and a lot of luck to catch this killer.

  Perry was a mess, and it was difficult dealing with him when he came in to ID Elise, but it had to be done. He was an emotional wreck, and I could feel his pain. He asked if I would accompany him to the viewing window, and I agreed. I didn’t think he was strong enough to handle seeing her alone. He seemed as though he was ready to collapse any second. Perry squeezed my hand tightly when Jason opened the blinds and rolled the gurney to the window. He lowered the white sheet covering Elise’s face. Perry’s entire body shook as he sobbed and nodded. I motioned for Jason to close the blinds.

  The visitor’s lounge was a peaceful shade of biscuit and peach colored blinds covered the windows facing south. Two couches and two side chairs lined the walls and a few magazines and a Bible were spread across the coffee table. Soft music played so quietly it was barely audible. I sat there with Perry, feeling awful for him, and stayed until he was composed enough to drive home. Just watching Perry made me wonder how Terrance was dealing with Morris’s death, so I called him back and talked for a bit, just person to person. Even though it didn’t seem as though Terrance and Morris were as close as they could have been, I knew the man was grieving nonetheless. I offered my condolences again and told him Jack and I would be at the funeral on Friday.

  I busied myself with monotonous paperwork for the rest of the day. I didn’t have anything else to work on, and I felt hopeless.

  “Jack, I’m heading out unless you need help with anything.”

  “Nah—go ahead. I’m right behind you. Unless new leads come in, we’re at a standstill anyway. Let’s see what the lieutenant thinks about releasing Elise’s body soon. I’m sure Perry wants to give his wife a decent burial.”

  I noticed the flashing light on my phone just as I was ready to drop it into my purse.

  A text had come in hours earlier from Amber. “Don’t know what you’re talking about, Sis. No flowers from me. Sorry I didn’t think of it. Remember the fortune cookie? Sounds like you’re getting some good karma.”

  I seriously had my doubts.

  Chapter 20

  His load was beginning to lighten.

  It’s time to get this party started again. As usual, I’ve gone unnoticed. I think it’s the perfect day for Melissa and me to get better acquainted. Dime had checked out the weather forecast for the entire week. A slow-moving warm front was coming in from the southwest. It ensured dry weather and plenty of sunshine going into next weekend. No tire tread marks or footprints would be found at the home on Oriole Lane.

  He headed out in his Jeep and drove east on Decorah Road, a two-lane state highway that would take him away from North Bend. He could have set up the appointment with Melissa any time during the week, but he knew she had a five o’clock appointment, and he wanted to catch her off guard. He headed in the general direction of the home for sale on Oriole Lane and checked the time, even though the alarm was set on
his phone.

  A small bar with a worn-out facade came into view on the south side of the highway. Two cars sat in the gravel parking lot facing the front door of Eddy’s Tap. Dime assumed one of the cars belonged to the bartender.

  What’s the harm? I still have a half hour before I need to call Melissa.

  He clicked the right-turn blinker and slowed down. The Jeep’s oversized tires kicked up gravel from the unpaved parking lot as he pulled in and parked. Dime exited his vehicle and walked the ten steps to the front door. He reached back and pulled up the hood on his black sweatshirt and put on the dark green aviator glasses he kept in his pocket. The old saloon-style swinging doors squeaked when he pushed through them. The bar had a strange western and biker bar theme going on. Motorcycle forks and handlebars were bolted to old barn-beam support pillars as wall art, and the barstools were saddles on posts. The bartender wore a black leather vest and a cowboy hat. He waxed the ends of his mustache so the tips curled up and held their twisted, thin shape. The walls were lined with Harley posters of nearly naked women posed provocatively on motorcycles.

  Dime grumbled as he took a seat, careful to avoid the saddle horn between his legs. He shrugged and cracked his neck from side to side. Having to get the bartender’s attention annoyed him since the place was nearly empty.

  He called out, “I’ll have a Stella Artois.”

  Mr. Mustache walked over. “A what? Never heard of that before. Is that some kind of fancy-ass beer?”

  “Fine… how about a Guinness?”

  The bartender stared at him.

  “I’ll have a Bud Light.”

  “That I can do, pal. Can or bottle?”

  “Can, and pour it into a glass.”

  Dime sat at the bar, mindlessly watching the evening news on TV. An old-timer sat alone near the door, plugging quarters into a video poker machine. Dime took a gulp of beer and continued staring at the screen. He still had time to kill. He chuckled at the thought, clever man that he was. The world news segment had just ended, and the local news had begun. A mention of the two recent murders in the North Bend area perked him up. The old-timer stopped playing video poker momentarily and turned to watch the news report. According to the anchorman, there were no suspects in custody, and the sheriff’s department had no leads. It was a mystery to everyone in this normally safe, family-oriented community, and people were fearful. Parents were advised to watch their children closely and to keep their doors locked even during the day. The anchorman reminded TV viewers that if anyone had information that could help the North Bend Sheriff’s Department or local police department apprehend this killer, they could call the number at the bottom of the screen and remain anonymous.