“There’s a lot going on here, Jesse. Cynthia created quite a hubbub at your house last night and then again this morning. But somewhere in all that, while she had everyone’s attention, Ronald Bennett died. And that’s got me wondering.”
“Wondering what?”
“You were probably the last person to talk to him other than the killer. That phone call you were telling me about could have been after he was attacked. Or as it was happening. I’m going to want you to give some thought to what you heard and tell me everything you can remember.”
“I told you what I remember. A lot of static, thumping and bumping, rain and thunder, and what sounded like my name whispered over the sounds of the storm.” Describing it brought the night and all that happened back with uncomfortable clarity, but no details that seemed helpful.
“No other voice?” Joe prodded.
“Just sounds. Two different tones that might have been two different voices, but I couldn’t hear the words. They were just sounds.”
“If you remember anything else, I want you to share it with me if you would.”
“You sound so professional when you say it like that. Honestly, I’m still in shock. All I can think of is how awful this is for Misty.”
“Are you afraid she’s going to blame herself? To think that if she hadn’t come here, this wouldn’t have happened?”
“Oh, dear heavens, I hadn’t thought that far ahead. How awful!”
“I don’t think her coming here had anything to do with it. Whatever this is, I think it followed them all from Texas and would have happened wherever they were. You be sure to tell her I said that.”
“Thanks. Knowing that it comes from you might help.” Jesse stared at the sky washed clear after the storm and tried to soak in its peace. Instead she found a blank canvas for thoughts she didn’t want to have. “It worries me that two people who might know the most about this are his mother and Misty.”
“And you.”
“Me?”
“You’re another common denominator, Jesse. You have a history with the decedent. To some you might be considered a person of interest.”
“Person of interest? That’s almost the same as a suspect!”
“In a manner of speaking. And Misty could also fall into that category.”
“He was her father!”
“There was obviously a lot of friction between them. It’s a long trip from Austin to Myrtle Grove just to make a point. Which brings me to another question. Did Misty make her own reservations? And how did she pay for them?”
“I don’t know.”
“I’m thinking maybe she got an adult to the make the reservation for her. Maybe her grandmother. Maybe a friend who’s out of school and has a job. Does she have a boyfriend?”
“I don’t know.”
“So you two haven’t really stayed in touch. When did you talk to her last before she showed up on your doorstep?”
“Christmas.”
“Christmas? And yet she ran to you when she was in trouble. Why do you suppose that is, Jesse?”
“Maybe because I don’t ask her so many questions. We talk about feelings, not about why and how. And maybe because it’s a long way from Austin to Tulsa, and she didn’t think her dad would think of me until he’d checked closer places first.”
“But your mother called him, so he knew where Misty was almost as soon as she got here. And Cynthia was on practically the next plane with Ronnie not far behind. And a few hours later he was dead.”
“That doesn’t make my mother a person of interest, too, does it?” Jesse demanded.
“I don’t think so.”
“Because she talks to Peg regularly. She even talks to Angela’s mother occasionally. You know Sophia. She gets along with everybody.”
“I know that Peg is Ronald Bennett’s mother. Angela was his wife?” Joe asked.
Jesse nodded. “I can’t remember the grandparent’s names.”
“But you said Sophia knows them.”
“Definitely. Mom was visiting in Austin when Ronnie got the restraining order. She was very sympathetic to Angela’s parents. So was Ronnie’s mom, for that matter.”
“Sounds like maybe you had a little sympathy for them, too.”
“It would be hard not to. Their hearts were breaking, and Ronnie was taking away all they had left of their daughter. But Misty was grieving, too, and she didn’t need all that turmoil. Ultimately, I told them they were being selfish and had to stop fighting over a child and begin to act like adults. After that, they really didn’t like me.”
Joe hooked his finger under her chin, turned her face to his and kissed her. It was a light kiss, quick and soft, and then he pulled his lips away.
“I’ve been fighting that all day.”
Jesse’s eyes fluttered open again as the back of his fingertips grazed the line of her jaw. His hand moved on, and his fingers slipped through her hair to cup her head. His thumb stroked the line of her cheek as his lips gently brushed hers.
Jesse melted against him like a kitten seeking warmth. His kiss deepened, and he pulled her nearer. Scooping her up and onto his lap, he cradled her against him while Jesse snuggled into his arms, and their kiss caught fire.
When they finally parted, her lungs burned from lack of oxygen, and she realized she had forgotten to breathe.
Joe’s arms tightened around her, and he pressed his forehead against hers. “Lord have mercy, woman.”
“Should you be kissing a person of interest like that?” she asked in a voice that sounded like she had just finished a marathon.
“No. But that’s why we’re out here in the middle of nowhere. I shouldn’t be discussing the case with you, either.”
“And, yet, you are.”
“As an officer of the law, I’m ashamed of myself.”
“You hide it well.” The last word was barely out of her mouth before his lips took its place and, once again, she forgot everything else.
He sounded as breathless as she felt when he finally tore his mouth away. “I’ve been having trouble getting that kiss last night out of my mind.” He touched his forehead to hers and the tip of his nose brushed her nose as he shook his head.
“Yeah, me, too,” Jesse whispered. “I’ve been wanting to do it again, but I wasn’t sure it would happen, considering everything else going on.”
“I think it’s pretty safe to assume we’ll be doing it again. But we’ve got to keep it on the down-low, Jesse. If anyone found out, it could jeopardize this whole case.” He pulled back then and looked into her eyes. “You’re too closely connected. I’m going to have to question you and everybody who’s staying in your house.”
“I’ve never been a person of interest before.”
“Yes, you have. I just didn’t tell you.”
“Really?” Jesse felt that she should be outraged, and yet she just wanted to kiss him again. She felt like a girl discovering what it was like to be a woman for the first time, which made no sense considering she’d been married twice. And yet that’s how it was.
“That’s all you’re going to say?” he teased. “You’re not usually so easygoing about these things.”
“I haven’t usually just been kissed senseless.”
“You mean that’s all it takes?”
“Well, that’s really hard to say. I may have developed a resistance by now.”
“After only two kisses?”
She shrugged. “You never know.”
“I have a feeling we’re about to find out.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed the tip of her nose to his. “I was so hoping you would say that.”
Chapter Fifteen
Jesse walked into the sheriff’s offices on Joe’s heels. She came to an abrupt halt at the sight of her mother and Misty huddled arm in arm on a bench across the room. They looked frightened, and Jesse’s protective instincts bristled. Why were they here, and how in the world was she going to tell Misty about her father?
Bef
ore Jesse start toward them, Joe turned back to face her. His body blocked them from the rest of the room, and his voice dropped to an undertone. “This is what I need from you.”
Still focused on her own worries, Jesse ignored him. “Why is my mother here?”
“Because I didn’t want to bring Misty down here by herself. And because you said that Sophia might have firsthand knowledge of Misty’s maternal grandparents.”
“I could have asked her myself.”
“This is a police investigation, Jesse,” he said with an obvious effort at patience. “Any information you gave us would be hearsay, and we’d still have to interview her officially. Besides, you’re getting dangerously close to material witness status yourself.”
Jesse sucked in an offended gasp.
“Listen to me,” Joe snapped before she could speak. “You were arguing with the deceased earlier in the evening.”
“Over the phone!” Jesse protested.
Joe ignored her interruption. “And you may have been the last person to speak with him before he died. So do what I say and only what I say.”
“Is that why you brought me down here?” she demanded. “Because I’m a suspect?”
“No. I brought you down here for you to watch from the next room while Marla and I question Misty. There’s a two-way mirror so you can see everything. If Misty gets upset, I’ll signal you, and you can join us.”
“And what about Mom?”
“Todd’s doing her interview. We just need some background information.” Joe’s tone softened. “Don’t worry. He’ll be gentle.”
“And Cynthia? Where’s she? What’s happening with her?”
“At the moment Cynthia Stanton is kicking her heels in a holding cell. She finally went back to the motel, and Todd picked her up. But since she seems to have been unconscious on your kitchen floor at the time of Ronald Bennett’s death, she’s on the back burner for now while I question everyone else.”
Still fighting a nameless fear, Jesse opened her mouth to protest but couldn’t find the words. Joe held up a finger to keep her silent.
“We have no idea what Ronald Bennett died from until after we get the results of the autopsy,” Joe reminded her. “It’s already been a long day, Jesse, and I’m letting you be more involved than I should. But if you’ll cheer up and give me a smile, I’ll let you watch Cynthia’s interrogation when I do it.”
She scowled up at him, touched by his offer and puzzled by an uncharacteristic desire to please him. If a couple of kisses could mellow her this much… The thought died as a chill of uncertainty crept through her. He couldn’t have planned all this. Joe Tyler was nothing if not honest—brutally so at times. And yet…
Jesse leaned in closer, hating her suspicion and dreading his answer. “Joe,” she said in a whisper, “you didn’t kiss me just to make me more cooperative, did you?”
“No. It never occurred to me that it would.” One side of his mouth lifted in a crooked grin. “Has it?”
“I find myself strangely reluctant to argue with you,” she admitted, alarmed anew by the relief that swept through her.
Joe’s grin widened. “Well, I wouldn’t worry about it too much, sweetheart. The situation won’t last long, I’m sure.”
“I certainly hope not.” Frowning, she staunchly ignored both the sweetheart comment and the warmth it generated deep inside her.
“Okay, I’m going to quit smiling now,” he warned. “And when I turn around, we need to be back to our normal bossy sheriff and irritating amateur sleuth roles. Think you can do that?”
“How about irritating, depressed amateur sleuth? Because that’s how I’m starting to feel. How in the world am I going to tell Misty about her dad?”
Equally solemn, Joe said, “I think that’s going to be my job today. And as terrible as this is, Jesse, Misty will be okay. You helped her through it after her mother died, and you’ll help her through this, too.”
He turned then, and when Jesse could see what his tall, broad frame had been blocking, she found her mother standing three feet away and staring at them as if they both had two heads.
“I was going to ask what’s going on,” Sophia said. Her gaze moved from Jesse to Joe and back. “Now I’m not so sure I want to find out.”
“How much of that did you hear?” Joe asked quietly.
“Enough to know I should have stayed on my bench. We’ll ignore what’s going on between the two of you for the moment, but… Has something happened to Ronnie?”
“Mom.” Reaching toward her mother, Jesse took a step forward and collided with the hand Joe had extended to block her.
“Mrs. Camden—Sophia—I’m sorry you heard that.” He flattened his palm against Jesse’s midsection, holding her slightly behind him as he continued, “If I could beg your indulgence, I need to talk to Misty first. As much as I regret it, her father has died under suspicious circumstances…”
Jesse grew quiet, yielding to him. This was his house and his show even if it was her mother he was talking to.
“…and I’m going to have to talk to her again. I’ve asked Deputy Angeles to take a statement from you as well. Your daughter has indicated you have some background information that would be valuable to us. Anything you could tell us would be deeply appreciated.”
While he spoke, he released his pressure on the unresisting Jesse and motioned Marla Murphy forward.
Eyes burning with curiosity, Sophia stared straight at Jesse, who mouthed the word “later.” Sophia nodded.
Within seconds Marla joined them. “Yes, sir.”
“Deputy Murphy, I’m going to be in interview room two with Misty Bennett. I want you to show Jesse into the observation room where she can see and hear the interview. Then I want you to join me.”
“And you’re going to tell Misty?” Jesse hated to think of that moment. She didn’t want to do it herself, but she didn’t want anyone else to do it either. She wished she could go back in time and stop whatever had happened on that roadside so none of them would be facing this, most of all Misty.
“First I need to get some background information. Business associates of her father’s. How to reach her grandmother. Anything she might have noticed out of the ordinary recently.”
“I can give you what you need on her grandmother,” Sophia said.
He nodded. “I know. And Deputy Angeles will take that information from you, but I’ll need to hear it from Misty as well. After that I’ll play it by ear.” He looked toward Jesse. “If she’s upset, I may let you tell her. And afterward she can see her father if she wants to. Best to do it before the autopsy begins. After that I’ll talk to Cynthia.”
“Did anything ever happen with her car?”
Joe shook his head. “We towed it into impound. We’re towing Ronald Bennett’s car in now. Once it gets there, we can compare the two vehicles for common elements since he was possibly in the vicinity before her first visit to your house. For all we know he could have been in Myrtle Grove itself at the time. Maybe he really did send her to get Misty.”
“Oh, dear heavens.” Jesse dropped her head into her open palms as she realized that she knew nothing. Everything Ronnie said had obviously been a lie. Why would he do that? What did he have to gain?
Quietly, as if reading her mind, Joe said, “People lie, Jesse. Perfectly good people lie all the time, for their own reasons. And when they die, it’s our job to figure out the truth in the middle of the lies. I’m just sorry when innocent people like Misty get caught up in it.”
“What a mess,” Jesse said with more frustration than anger. “What a bloody, horrible mess.”
“It could have been an accident,” he reminded her.
“Do you really think that?”
“It would be unlikely. But it’s possible.”
“Damn him anyway!”
Chapter Sixteen
“Hello again, Misty.” Joe tossed a notepad onto the table between them and sat down directly opposite the nervous teenager.
“Why am I here?” Misty asked without preamble.
“Well, we have Cynthia in custody now, and I wanted a little more information from you before I question her. I appreciate your coming down here to talk to me.”
“I didn’t have much choice,” she grumbled. “Is Jesse in trouble?”
“No. Why would you think that?”
“Because she…” Misty nodded toward Marla who had just entered the room and taken the chair next to Joe. “…took Jesse away. Then she came back and took Sophia and me away. And I didn’t see Jesse again until she walked in here with you.” Misty’s gaze dropped to her hands clasped in front of her on the tabletop. “She didn’t look very happy.”
“Ah.” Joe nodded. “Well, we’ve had a few developments. Jesse’s been what you might call consulting with me.”
“Like that detective work she does sometimes?” Misty looked up with a spark of interest replacing her suspicion.
Joe winced at the reminder, then forced a weak smile. From behind the glass that hid her while making everything in the room visible to her, Jesse put a hand over her mouth and smothered a laugh. Marla had assured her that while Jesse could hear the conversation in the interrogation room, they couldn’t hear her. However, a full out belly laugh might carry, so she held herself to a chuckle.
“Yes,” Joe agreed, “sort of like that. So, what I was wondering, Misty, was if you had noticed or overheard any recent discussion regarding your father’s business that seemed out of the ordinary. Was his business doing okay? Were there any problems recently? Or anything out of the ordinary that involved Cynthia or seemed to worry him?”
Misty looked around as if assuring herself that they were alone. Then she leaned in and lowered her voice. “Well, I’m not supposed to know this, but I overheard an argument between Dad and a business partner of Cynthia’s. It sounded like Dad had invested in the gallery Cynthia runs. Then something happened in the stock market that had him trying to sell his interest back to her partner without her knowing. But the guy wouldn’t do it. He said Dad had to find somebody else to buy his piece of the gallery. Dad didn’t seem too happy about it.”
A Misty Morning Murder (Myrtle Grove Garden Club Mystery Book 4) Page 11