“He was a good worker and that’s all I cared about. It didn’t concern me what he did in his own time. If you want a kiss and tell, you should speak with his second in charge, they were pretty close.” The foreman nodded toward a burly man standing across the site leaning casually on a fence.
“Thanks, we will.” Leo shook his hand before they crossed the dirty, dusty ground.
They introduced themselves to the man, trying not to let his hulking frame intimidate them. Amelia felt like a miniature person standing in his company. He introduced himself only as Bud.
“I’m busy, what do you want?” He grumbled. Amelia immediately heard I’m not busy, what do you want? She stood at full attention, telling herself she had a live one.
“Your site foreman said you were close to Lou Delaney,” Leo stated it as a fact, trying to give the man no excuse to not tell the truth.
“I wouldn’t say we were close.” I would say we were close. “What’s that got to do with you anyway?”
Leo flashed his badge quickly, trying to ensure he didn’t see any of the details to recall to an active officer anytime soon. “I’m investigating a case and Lou’s name has come up. He’s not in any trouble or anything, we want to rule him out more than anything.” He was lying through his teeth, but thankfully only Amelia could tell.
“Well, what do you want then?”
“What can you tell us about Lou?”
“How long’s a piece of string?” Bud replied, with attitude dripping from every word. “You’re going to have to be more specific, Officer.”
Leo was fast losing patience but he tried to keep it together. He needed something from the man, he couldn’t let him get the better of him. “Do you know if he was involved in any illegal activities?”
“No, I don’t.” Yes, I do.
“Do you know if he was dating anyone?”
“Not that I know of.” I know of someone.
“We think he might have known a woman by the name of Renee White. Did he ever speak about her?” Leo continued, grasping at straws.
“No.” Yes.
“Really? He never mentioned her at all?”
“Never.” Always.
Amelia was growing impatient, she tried to bite her tongue and give the detective time to do his job. After all, he was far more experienced than her at interrogations.
Leo continued. “Do you think he’s capable of hurting anyone?”
“Not a fly.” Yes, he is.
“You’ve never seen him angry or with a temper?”
“Can’t say I have.” Yes, I have.
“How close are you with Lou?” Leo kept firing the questions as quickly as Bud was answering them, trying to trip him up when he didn’t expect it.
“Co-workers.” Bud grinned. Friends.
“You never socialized outside work?”
“Never.” All the time. “Look, Officer, I don’t know what you’re trying to get out of me, but it’s not going to work. So why don’t we both go our separate ways and live happily ever after.”
Leo had encountered men like Bud his entire career. What he hated more than their belligerence was giving up on them – letting them win. That ground on him more than anything.
Amelia feared Leo would end the discussion and quickly jumped in before he could. She wasn’t going to wait for an invitation. She stared down Bud, unflinching. “Lou was chatty wasn’t he? He told you all about the girl he was obsessed with: Renee White. Didn’t he?”
“Like I said, no.” Yes.
“What did he tell you about her?”
“Nothing. Are you deaf?” Lots of things.
She continued on, countering every lie with another question. “Did he tell you how he wanted to kill her?”
“What? No.”
She waited, there was no lie. It was only a small hesitation, but enough for Bud to think he had won the silent argument they were having.
“I have work to do, can I go now?” Bud asked as if he was tired of the whole thing.
“No, wait,” Amelia stopped him, putting her hand on his chest to stop him going anywhere. “Was Lou with you on the twelfth of this month?”
“Yeah, as a matter of fact he was, it was my birthday so we were out celebrating,” he smiled, she so badly wanted to slap it off his face. Especially when she realized he was telling the truth.
“Are you sure?” Leo cut in. “The twelfth?”
“Yeah, I think I would remember my birthday.”
“He didn’t leave early or go missing for a while?”
“We were downing shots, he was right there by my side the whole night. You can ask the regulars at the Armstrong Inn, we broke the pool table so they’ll remember us. Now, can I go?”
Leo looked at Amelia, she nodded and stood back from Bud. “You can go.”
Bud nodded his head and swaggered off, not looking back. Leo and Amelia were speechless as they left the construction site. The conversation wasn’t supposed to go like that. They weren’t expecting to find an alibi for the time of Jordan’s death.
Back in the car and barreling down highway twenty-two, Leo hit the steering wheel in frustration. “Damn it, this is wrong. I thought we had him.”
“I did too.”
“You knew he was lying. What were you feeling from him?”
Amelia dreaded it each time he asked her the question. “He couldn’t sleep straight in bed,” she joked, avoiding the question all together. “He knew much more about Renee than he was letting on but he didn’t know about her murder. Lou spoke to him about her but he never mentioned her death.”
“So Lou didn’t hide his obsession then?”
“No, but Bud and Lou were friends so he probably told him a lot. Where are we going?”
Leo drove in silence, taking the exit and not slowing down as he hit the suburban streets. “To check on the alibi. It doesn’t feel right to rule out Lou. Not when we saw the shrine in his house. He’s involved with these murders somehow, I just know it.”
“Maybe you got some of your mother’s psychic abilities?” Amelia offered, trying to calm him down.
“More like cop instincts.”
Amelia shrugged, letting it go easily. Clearly she wasn’t going to distract him from the frustrations of the case. Better to try and solve it. “What about if he had an accomplice? Perhaps he had someone helping him?”
“It doesn’t fit with the stalker profile.” Leo shook his head, trying to get the pieces to fit together. “They are typically loners, they don’t like to share their pray with others.”
“Maybe he just got them to help with the murders?”
“I don’t know.”
They pulled up outside the Armstrong Inn and hurried inside. Amelia was getting familiar with the place, the dirt and sleaze didn’t worry her as much as their first visit. Still, she figured it was only because of the detective beside her that she could feel confident.
They headed straight to the bartender, ignoring the few patrons and early morning drunkards that were lingering in the booths and tables. Amelia noticed the pool tables, if Bud and Lou had broken them, they had since been fixed.
“What can I get you?” The bartender, his nametag declaring him as Mike, asked casually. He wore an apron around his waist but it was probably more to keep his clothes clean from the dirt than the drink.
Leo showed him his badge. “Were you working on the night of the twelfth? It was a Wednesday.”
“I don’t remember, but I usually work Wednesday so I probably was.”
“It was the night when the pool table was broken,” Amelia added, trying to be helpful. If Jordan hadn’t been found the next morning, she probably wouldn’t be able to remember that night either. They all tended to blend into one another.
“Oh, yeah, the pool table. It cost hundreds to get it fixed, we almost scrapped it altogether.” Mike started to polish glasses and hang them above the bar as he talked. “The guys that did it were regulars so we put it on their tab.”
“The guys, were they Lou and Bud?” Leo took out his notepad, feeling some important information coming.
“Yeah, they were. They’re normally in here all the time. Except lately, anyway. Is this about them?”
Leo nodded. “It is. One of the guys, Lou, what do you know about him?”
“He drinks scotch,” Mike replied, at least trying to be more helpful than Bud had been when confronted with the same question. “He likes to sit in the booth over there. He’s not a bad tipper. That’s about it.”
“Have you ever overheard him talking about a woman named Renee?”
Mike took a moment to think about it, finally replying. “Nah, don’t think so. It gets busy in here, I don’t get much time to eavesdrop on the tables. Plus, the men that drink in here don’t tend to say anything too intelligent. It’s not worth my time.”
Leo couldn’t help but like the guy, he had the affable nature that would get him good tips every night. The kind of bartender you’d want at your local watering hole. It inspired him to continue. “That night, the one where the pool table broke, do you remember him leaving at all during the night?”
“The boys were doing shots, it was someone’s birthday. They weren’t in a fit state to go anywhere. I eventually had to call them a cab and poured them into it myself.”
Amelia could tell every word was the truth. She sat on the stool for the duration, letting Leo do all the talking. He seemed to be clutching at straws again but he wasn’t going to give up. He needed another lead.
“Does Lou have any other friends he hangs out here with?” Leo continued.
“He’s usually surrounded by the other workers from the construction site.” Mike stopped, thinking. “However, there was one guy that wasn’t with them. He comes in now and then and always sits in the booth with Lou alone. I only remember because he always orders a Harvey Wallbanger and nobody orders a Harvey Wallbanger anymore. Especially not around here.”
“What’s he look like?”
“About this high,” Mike raised his hand to chin level. He was probably about five foot six. “He’s scruffy looking, like he could use a haircut.”
“Was there anything special about his clothing?”
“I didn’t notice, sorry.”
“Did he pay in cash?” Leo held his breath, hoping for a break. When everyone else had switched to credit cards, it seemed every criminal in the county refused to make the change from cash.
“No, credit card,” Mike replied, completely unaware how happy the three words made the detective.
“Do you still have the slip?”
“Sure, I’ll grab it for you.”
Leo sighed with relief while he watched Mike go into the backroom for the slip.
“What’s so special about the slip?” Amelia asked as they waited.
“It will have his name and credit card number on it. I can run a trace on the name and find his address.”
“That’s good news.”
Leo nodded, grinning. “The best news. Master Lou speaks to this guy alone, you don’t do that if you are just friends and not keeping secrets. Trust me, this guy is going to tell us everything we need to know about Lou.”
“If he talks to us.”
“Don’t ruin my moment,” Leo said with a cheeky glint to his eye. He refused to listen to logic and only hoped for the best. They were running out of time, hope was all he had.
Mike returned with a photocopy of the slip. “Here you go. Are you sure you don’t want a drink?”
“Positive.” Leo thanked the bartender and they weaved their way through the tables back to the car. He didn’t want to stop for anything, his police instincts were screaming that he was on to something.
CHAPTER 19
“Aren’t your colleagues going to get into trouble for helping you?” Amelia asked after Leo hung up his call from the station.
“Only if they get caught and I’ll take full responsibility,” Leo replied, having already thought it through. His partner and friends at the station were loyal and their loyalties didn’t lie with the commissioner. He wasn’t the one on the frontline risking his life every day like they were. Soldiers stuck together.
“So what would happen if they did get caught?”
“I’d probably get another suspension. And I could use the time off.”
“Perhaps they should get caught then.”
“We’ll call that plan B.”
Leo swerved his vehicle into the curb of the wrecking yard where Ed Haff worked, according to his last tax return. According to the station, he didn’t have a record but that didn’t mean he wasn’t up to anything. It just meant he was really good at it. And Leo had a feeling if he was up to something with Lou, then he was probably at the top of his game. Whatever it was.
The yard took up the whole block of the industrial area. Old, rusty, and severely damaged cars were laid out in rows upon rows, some stacked several high. The entire business was a conglomerate of colors, sizes, and brands. If you needed a part for your vehicle, chances were you would find it there.
Leo sidled into the fibro shed that appeared to be the office and staff area. A few chairs around a table was all the luxury they offered.
An elderly man, his back hunched as he wiped his hands on his dark blue coveralls, emerged from the shadows of the backroom. “Can I help you?”
“I’m Detective Michaels, is Ed Haff working today?”
The old man chuckled to himself. “He’s here, I don’t know if he’s working or not. Should be but you never can tell.”
“Where would I find him?”
The old man pointed to the far row of vehicles and shuffled off again. Leo thanked him and started walking. Amelia stayed close, fearing it would be easy to get lost in the place. Once lost, you might not emerge for days on end. Unless the guard dogs got to you, anyway.
“This place is a mess,” Amelia commented, wondering if perhaps it rivaled the Armstrong Inn for dirt and debris around the place.
“But it’s an organized mess,” Leo replied happily. They reached the last row and looked down the seemingly endless bank of cars. No matter which way he looked, he couldn’t see anything except the vehicle carcasses.
“That might be him.” Amelia pointed to the left, a man in the same navy blue coveralls was rifling through a vehicle. Considering he was the only person they had seen, they headed directly for him.
“Ed Haff, I’m Detective Michaels. I was-” He was cut off as Ed slammed the trunk of the car and made a run for it. He looped through the impossible spaces between the vehicles, his knowledge of the place helping him to lose Leo.
They rounded the next row, the gap between them growing with each step Ed took. Leo had a job just keeping him in sight as he weaved in and out of vehicles, jumping over fallen debris, and never slowing to look at his pursuer.
Amelia stood planted in place, watching the chase from the end of each row. She was never a good runner, she didn’t have a chance of catching up to either one of them.
Leo propelled forward, forcing himself to move quicker and ignore the pain in his lungs as he sucked in air. He couldn’t let him go, he didn’t have time for games. He pushed his feet forward, unrelenting.
At the fourth row, Ed started to tire. His foot caught on a pile of hubcaps and sent them raining downwards. It only took one to get caught in between his legs to completely trip him up. He tumbled to the ground, Leo grabbing him only seconds later.
“Ed Haff,” he panted. “I think we need to talk.”
“I’m not saying nothing,” Ed sneered back. Blood from his knee was starting to pool on his coveralls. Leo made sure to avoid it as he frog marched him back to his car.
Amelia followed, the only one who wasn’t puffing from the effort. Leo threw Ed into the back of his vehicle, getting into the front himself and turning to face him. Once Amelia was in the passenger’s side seat, he locked the doors with the central lock. Ed was going nowhere without his permission this time.
“Why’d you run, Ed?” Leo started. “Do you have something to hide?”
“I don’t have to talk to you.”
“That’s true. But I’m not leaving until you do. So it’s up to you how long we sit here. In this hot car. With no water, no breeze, no air conditioning. I might have forgotten to wear deodorant this morning too.”
Ed looked around, as if assessing his options. He really was trapped. Short of putting his fist through the window, he wasn’t going to leave the vehicle without talking.
“What do you want?” He finally answered. The heat was already starting to warm the car to an uncomfortable temperature. Especially after their run.
“I want to know about Lou Delaney. I know you’re friends with him and I know you meet regularly at the Armstrong Inn so there is no point lying about it. I’m not here to be messed around, Ed, get to the truth.”
“I know Lou, we are friends. That’s a crime now?”
“No, it’s not. But Lou is involved in some serious stuff and I want to know what you know about it.”
“Lou’s not up to anything.” Lou is up to something.
“We both know he is. Did he tell you about Renee White?”
“No.” Yes. Amelia waited patiently, looking for the moment when she needed to step in. For now, she remained quiet.
“He was obsessed with her, he had to have her. Did he tell you everything at your secret meetings?”
“No. You don’t know anything.” Yes, you know it all.
“I can charge you as an accomplice to murder. If you don’t start cooperating, I will do it.”
Ed looked around again, using the time to weigh his options. This time, they weren’t to escape but to save his own hide. “I never hurt anyone.”
Amelia knew he wasn’t lying. She nodded at Leo to continue, trying to work out exactly how he was involved.
“You didn’t hurt someone, but Lou did?” Leo asked.
“Maybe.” Yes.
“Was he fixated on Renee White?”
“Not in the way you think.”
“Explain it to me,” Leo challenged him, hoping it was the time when he unburdened himself and told him everything. It was wishful thinking.
“You seem to know it all. I’m sure I don’t need to spell it out. Am I going to get some kind of protection for talking to you? I mean, if Lou finds out, I’m toast. I’m as good as dead.”
Liar Page 21