Lenses, Lust, and Murder: A Crystal Coast Case (Crystal Coast Cases Book 2)

by A M Ialacci

  A few rangers had followed them into the locker room. “Do any of you have a way to get ahold of Greg Chan?” Charlie asked.

  One of them held out a walkie talkie. “I think he’s around here somewhere.”

  Charlie pushed the button on the proffered device and said, “Ranger Greg Chan, do you copy?”

  After a few moments, they heard, “Chan here. Who’s this?”

  “This is Chief Detective Bishop. Do you have your cell phone with you?”

  “Yes, why? Is it not working?”

  “No. There is a cell phone in your locker that’s ringing. I’m going to cut the padlock off to get to it if you can’t get here in two minutes.”

  “There’s no way I can—”

  Charlie handed the walkie talkie back to the ranger who had offered it, and a maintenance worker approached them within a minute, holding out a pair of bolt cutters. Charlie made quick work of the padlock. Allie pulled some plastic gloves from her back pocket and lifted the phone carefully from the top shelf of the locker.

  “Problem,” Allie said.

  “What?”

  “The phone won’t register my touch through the gloves.”

  “Crap,” Charlie said. “Can you mute it somehow?”

  “Yeah, I can do that.” Allie pushed the mute button down and put the phone into the evidence bag Charlie was holding out.

  “We’ll need to process for prints first, then we can get into it and see what it says.”

  “Do you think it’s Harriet’s?” Allie asked.

  “It’s pretty likely, don’t you think?”

  “Would Greg be dumb enough to leave it turned on and in his locker?”

  “Don’t know him well enough yet,” Charlie said. “But we’re about to get real close, I think.”

  “Does Cruz get that, then?” Allie pointed at the evidence bag.

  “Yeah, probably,” Charlie said. “I’ll text him.”

  Allie took the opportunity to look in Greg’s locker for a moment. Pictures of the ranger Greg with friends and more than a few different girls in various natural settings, many with mountains in the background. She didn’t recognize any of the faces and wondered if Greg had made any friends while working here. There wasn’t much else. It was a work locker, not a high school ode to self-expression. She did one more cursory look and spotted something in the very back of the top shelf. Allie had to step on the bottom of the locker to reach it, but reach it she did. When she stepped back onto the floor, she opened her gloved hand to reveal a closed utility knife.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “Cruz’s coming. He was in the situation room,” Charlie said and within seconds, the agent found them as Allie was putting the knife into another evidence bag.

  Charlie held out both of the bags.

  “You think this is Harriet’s phone?” he asked.

  “We spoke with Vi again. She said it was an iPhone, and I spoke with Greg remotely who said he had his cell phone on him.”

  “It was in his locker, then?”

  Charlie nodded.

  “And the knife?” Cruz asked.

  “Found it on the top shelf in the back,” Allie said.

  “Where is he?”

  “Not sure, exactly. I told him I’d cut his lock off if he couldn’t get here in two minutes.”

  “We need to speak with him as soon as possible.”

  “The kid with the walkie talkie left.” Charlie shrugged.

  Greg swept into the room moments later. “What in the hell is going on?”

  “We broke the lock off your locker,” Charlie said.

  “Because there was a phone ringing inside? Whose phone is it?”

  “We don’t know that yet.”

  “Then why would you do that?” Greg asked, his voice rising.

  “Why are we here, Greg? We’re investigating a murder. Of one of your colleagues. Maybe it has something to do with that.” Charlie said.

  Allie looked at him. Something was going on with Charlie. He wasn’t usually sarcastic with people, and he had been ready to push Vi too far earlier in the day.

  Greg had gone white. “You think it’s Harriet’s phone? I have no idea how it got in there.”

  “You don’t?”

  “I really don’t! I… Actually, now that I think about it, earlier this week, there was a new lock on my locker. They left the key in it,” he said, agitated. He ran his hand through his hair. “At the time, I thought maintenance had cut my lock off my locker by mistake and replaced it.”

  Charlie scrunched his forehead. “You didn’t think to ask someone about it?”

  “No. I didn’t have a ton of time to worry about it. With the preparations for the climb and gala. It’s not like anyone around here is going to steal anything.”

  “No, no thieves. Just murderers,” Charlie grumbled.

  “So you didn’t put this phone in there?” Cruz asked, pointing at the locker.

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “If your prints are on here, we’re going to have a problem,” Cruz said.

  Greg held up his hands. “You won’t.”

  “And the knife?”

  “What knife?” Greg asked.

  “The knife we found in the top,” Cruz said.

  “That’s not mine!” he shouted. “Mine is right here on my belt!” He pointed to a knife in a leather sheath attached to his side.

  “All right,” Cruz said. “I’ll get these to my team. You know how to get into the phone?” he asked Allie.

  She nodded.

  “Text me the info,” he said.

  “Okay.”

  “Stick around town for the next few days, Greg,” Charlie said.

  “Am I in trouble? Are you charging me?” Greg asked.

  “Don’t know yet.”

  Greg’s hands balled into fists and his face went from white to red. His face contorted as he tried to control his emotions. “Fine,” he said and stomped out of the room.

  Charlie pulled out his phone and called a deputy. “I need you to do a thorough background check on Greg Chan. I’ll get his details from his employment file and send them to you.”

  Cruz pulled Allie aside. “Can I take you to lunch tomorrow?”

  “Uh, okay. For work, right?”

  “Mostly,” he said as the corner of his mouth pulled upward.

  She hesitated. I can’t get a handle on this guy. Something is up with him. The only way to find out is to spend some time with him, I guess.

  “All right,” she said.

  “Great. I’ll text you later,” he said. “Now I have to get this to my team. Check in with you later.”

  She watched him walk out of the room and looked at Charlie.

  “What?” he asked.

  “You sure he’s a good guy?” she asked.

  “Who? Cruz? Yeah.” He laughed.

  “I’m trusting you, Charlie,” she said as they left the locker room.

  When Allie and Charlie reached the back parking lot, he turned to her. “Didn’t you park in the front?”

  “Oh crap,” she said. “I forgot I drove separate, I guess. I’ll see you later.” The staff entrance required a code that she didn’t have, so she decided to walk around the outside of the building rather than bang on the door and hope someone heard her. As she rounded the corner of the building, she saw two people in ranger uniforms speaking in hushed voices. Rearing back and hoping she hadn’t been seen, she flattened her back against the side of the building and listened.

  “You don’t have them?” a male voice said.

  “No, I don’t have them. I checked her office the day after the murder and they were gone. I searched everywhere,” a female voice hissed.

  “But if you don’t have them…”

  “Someone else got there before me.”

  “Why would someone else be interested in them?” the male voice asked.

  “Maybe they picked them up by accident.”

  “Or maybe it’s leverage.”
<
br />   “You think someone is going to try to blackmail us?” the female voice asked.

  “It’s possible. We’ll have to be careful.” He paused. “Dammit, Becca. You said you would fix this if I did my part!”

  “Unless they turn up, it is fixed, Greg. They’ll have to be redone.”

  “That wasn’t the plan, though,” he whined.

  “It’s what we have to work with now, so get used to it,” she said.

  Allie peeked around the corner and saw them leaving the hiding spot behind the air conditioners and heading back toward the front of the building.

  How far would Becca and Greg go to “fix” whatever was missing? Better yet, how far did they go?

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  When Allie and Ryan had returned home, Peg was ready for an update. She opened her screen door as Allie was opening hers. “Mind if I bring Louis over and we can chat about your case?”

  “Mike’s dad is with you tonight?”

  “Yes, I’ve been picking him up a few evenings this week to keep him company. Mike asked me to, and of course I said I would.”

  “You are the sweetest. Of course!” Allie said. “Come on over!”

  Within minutes, everyone was settled in the living room, Louis seated on the end of the couch nearest Peg in the armchair.

  “Okay now, fill me in,” Peg said, leaning forward.

  Allie leaned back in her chair, folded her hands, and summarized what they had found so far. Ryan was on the couch in his pajamas watching a pirate movie and giggling at his favorite lines.

  “So who do you like for it?” Peg asked.

  “It’s a tricky one, Peg. Like I told Charlie, whoever it was that got Harriet up to the top of that lighthouse must have been very persuasive. And why meet her up there if you’re going to kill her?”

  “Sounds like they didn’t plan to because they improvised with what to do with the body, too, didn’t they?”

  Allie nodded. “Yeah. I guess they were hoping to hide the body until after the gala and then dispose of it somehow.”

  “And then not only crushed her temple, but stabbed her, too? Sounds like some big emotions behind that,” Peg said.

  “Definitely not a contract killing,” Allie said. “We still don’t know if the pregnancy was the motive. It could have been completely unrelated.”

  “How did everybody get there again?”

  “The rangers took one of the NPS boats. Everyone else took a ferry,” Allie said. “Oh, except for Les. He had his own boat, but I think he had been camped out there for several days beforehand.”

  Ryan stood and started to pace and flap.

  “Hm,” Peg said. “Waiting for the event, I suppose.”

  “Could be,” Allie said.

  Ryan was scripting about the arcade again interspersed with pirate talk. “Swab the decks, ye maties!”

  “Les seems pretty unstable. Charlie says he has problems with authority,” Allie continued.

  “And Harriet Brennan was an authority,” Peg said.

  “The phone is rather weird,” Allie said. “And the knife.”

  “Agreed. That’s almost too obvious.” Peg smirked.

  “A plant, you think?”

  “If you believe his story about his lock being accidentally cut off and replaced,” Peg said.

  Ryan stood in front of Allie and reached for her hand.

  “What is it bud?”

  “This machine is out of order,” he said. “You’ll have to go with your second choice.”

  “He’s scripting,” she explained to Peg. “He’s remembering the time we were at the arcade and he couldn’t play his favorite game. He was quite upset.”

  “Oh, I hate it when that happens,” Peg commiserated.

  “We’ll head back in a couple of days and see if it’s working again, okay?”

  Ryan smiled. “Ice cream?”

  “Of course.” She laughed.

  “I’ll get it for him.” Peg hopped out of her chair and Ryan followed her into the kitchen.

  Allie could hear them talking and laughing and it warmed her heart. We’re so lucky to have her.

  “Allie,” Louis said.

  Surprised, she said, “Hey, Louis.”

  “I didn’t see you sitting there. How’s the P.I. business?”

  “Pretty busy, actually,” she said with a smile.

  “Holding your own with the good ol’ boy club?”

  “Trying to. They do what they can to shut me out, but I usually find a way,” she said.

  “Good. You’re a fighter. I knew it the moment I met you. No one is going to hand you anything in this life, young lady. And you have exactly what it takes to get the job done. Don’t you forget that.”

  “Aw, thanks, Louis.” Allie felt the tears rise to her eyes. It sounded like something her dad would say, and she was grateful Louis had the clarity to say it to her.

  “Now where’s that ice cream?” he yelled out.

  Peg laughed as she and Ryan returned with hands full. “Hold your horses, old man!”

  Allie grabbed the bowl and spoon Ryan held out to her. “Thank you, buddy. You’re so sweet.”

  “I know,” he said with a smile and flopped onto the couch to finish his movie.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The next morning when she arrived at the Visitor Center, Allie picked up her phone and dialed Mike.

  “Hey, babe,” he said. “How is everything going?

  “Hi, there. Pretty good. You?”

  “Busy,” he said. “They try to cram in so much information in these short classes. My head is spinning.”

  “Mine too. Too many suspects and not enough alibis,” she said.

  “You’re being careful?”

  “Of course.” She rolled her eyes.

  “You know I only say that because I care about you,” he said. “Very much.”

  “I know,” she said softly. “I miss you.”

  “I miss you, too,” he said. “How’s your Special Agent?”

  “He’s not my Special Agent,” she said, flustered.

  “I was teasing,” Mike said.

  “I know.” Allie hesitated. She should tell him about lunch with Cruz today, but didn’t know how he would take it. She decided not to.

  “I think he’s attracted to you, though,” Mike said. “It was weird that he didn’t just call that one time he came over.”

  “He’s said a few things that make me think he knows more about me than he should.”

  “You think the FBI has a file on you?” Mike asked.

  “What? No.” She laughed.

  “What does Charlie say? Doesn’t he know the guy?”

  “Charlie says he’s a good guy, but won’t tell me any more than that. Says it’s Cruz’s story to tell.”

  Mike paused again. “Yeah, that’s weird.”

  “Yeah,” she said. The silence grew between them. “Okay, I have to go catch bad guys.”

  “Man! I’m missing out on all the fun stuff,” Mike said. “Tell Ryan I said ‘hey!’ and call me later.”

  “I will,” she promised.

  “Love you, babe.”

  “Love you too,” she said.

  Charlie was just getting out of his cruiser as she shut her truck door.

  “Hey,” she said.

  “Hey, yourself.” He smiled. “Sounds like Cruz found some important stuff on Harriet’s phone.”

  “Oh?” Allie asked.

  “He’s bringing us a visitor this morning.”

  “I can’t wait,” Allie said.

  Once inside, they settled into the situation room and waited.

  Within minutes, Erika Slater preceded Nick Cruz into the room, looking very relaxed for someone about to be questioned by an FBI agent. Allie and Charlie were seated behind a long table next to an empty chair for Cruz, and across the table from a single chair, which Cruz gestured to now.

  “Have a seat, please, Ms. Slater. Can I get you anything? Water? Soda?”


  “I’m fine, thanks,” she said and sat.

  Cruz introduced Charlie and Allie and sat in his own seat. “Do you know why you’re here, Ms. Slater?”

  “I’m assuming you found my number on Harriet Brennan’s phone,” she said, the corner of her mouth upturned. Allie supposed men and women alike would find Erika’s messy blonde bob and red matte lips attractive. And Erika seemed to know it.

  “We did. You were in a relationship?”

  Erika nodded. “For a few months. We broke up a month ago.”

  “Who broke up with who?” Cruz asked.

  Erika shrugged. “Does it matter?”

  “In a murder investigation, it does.”

  Erika lowered her eyes. “She ended it. But we were both getting tired of each other.”

  “Your text messages tell a different story, Erika. May I call you Erika?”

  “That’s fine.”

  “Your text messages indicate you were not happy about the breakup, and that you were trying to maintain contact with her, as late as Friday night, the night before she was murdered.”

  “We had broken up but we were still friends,” Erika said.

  “But Harriet didn’t reply to your texts.”

  Erika bit her lip. “We were working it out.”

  “Where were you Saturday evening?”

  “Out with friends. Nowhere near Cape Lookout.” Erika flapped her hand as if to dismiss the idea.

  “Do your friends have names?” Cruz asked.

  “Lana Garner, Melanie Rivero, and Darlene Ferris.”

  “I’ll need their contact information, of course.”

  “I can give it to you,” she said.

  “Do you own a boat?” Cruz asked.

  “Uh, yes. But I haven’t used it since the middle of the summer.”

  “What do you typically use it for?”

  “I take the girls to Shack or do a little fishing in the Sound. Maybe party at the sandbars, that kind of thing.” She leaned an elbow on the table.

  “You said you fish. Do you own or use any knives?”

  “What, like kitchen knives? Of course, I have a set of knives.”