Murder Exposed: A Naked Eye Cozy Mystery

by Leah Burke

  Without anything concrete on the tracks, Marissa clicked through the next few pictures. There wasn’t anything noteworthy until she saw the bush on the other side of the road. At first glance, it looked fine. However, she did notice that a few branches were broken. Maybe the truck had scraped against it when it pulled out.

  So, if Chambon was driving a pickup truck that had a scratch on the passenger side, it would mean that he was definitely the killer. Case closed. It was too bad that she didn’t have anything else to go on, though, otherwise her night would be much better.

  Suddenly, she got a text message. It was from Thomas. Do you want to head to another nesting site tomorrow? he asked.

  Sure, but do we have to go out at 5 a.m. again? Marissa hoped that the answer would be no. She was not really in the mood for another rude wake-up call.

  Yes, he replied.

  Dang it. Another early morning, she thought. Well, if that was going to be the case, then she would have to go to sleep soon. She turned her computer off and then crawled back into bed. The waterthrush could wait until tomorrow.

  Chapter 7

  Marissa sat on the water’s edge, bathed in the sun’s rays. As she relaxed, she could hear the soothing sounds of the ocean waves, gently lapping against the shore. She closed her eyes. I could get used to this, she thought. Moments later, she was interrupted by the feeling of a cold glass pressed against her skin.

  She looked up and saw Brand smiling at her. He was holding a cocktail, the glass looked cool and refreshing, with a small umbrella sticking out of it. “Here you go, sweetheart,” he said. His eyes twinkled as he handed her the drink.

  For a while, they both sat on the sand, staring out into the open ocean. Suddenly, Brand reached over and pulled her close. “What are you thinking about right now?” he asked, his eyes piercing into her soul.

  “Um, I don’t know.” Marissa fumbled her answer.

  “I know what I’m thinking about.” Brand moved closer.

  He rested his lips upon hers. It felt magnificent. She could taste the sweetness of his drink as he started to get into it. She let herself go. BEEP BEEP BEEP! Out of nowhere, a sharp, piercing sound shattered the calmness of the air.

  BEEP BEEP BEEP! It was excruciating. Brand recoiled in horror, covering his ears. “What is that?” he asked. He looked around as if to find the source.

  Suddenly, he was gone. The beach, the ocean, the mixed drinks, all of it vanished without a trace. BEEP BEEP BEEP! Marissa opened her eyes. Her darn alarm clock was going off. What a way to ruin a perfectly good dream. She slammed the clock with hatred, and then buried her face in her pillow.

  Why do we have to go out so early? She cursed herself for agreeing to such terms. Perhaps Thomas would be running late today? She could only hope. Unfortunately, though, as she checked her phone, she saw a text from him. I’m about thirty minutes away. That was ten minutes ago, so she had to get ready fast.

  Downstairs, Thomas waited patiently in the lounge. He checked his watch. It was now 5:15 a.m. He had been here for ten minutes already. Where was she? He glanced at the elevators, but they were silent and empty. Should I call her? he thought. No, I’ll give her a few more minutes.

  Suddenly, the elevator doors opened and Marissa walked out. She looked ticked. She was still tying her hair into a ponytail and looked like she had just woken up. It sounded like she was muttering to herself.

  “Good morning, Marissa.” Thomas stood up to greet her.

  “Yeah, we’ll see. Are you ready?” Marissa snapped back. Clearly she had woken up on the wrong side of the bed.

  “Um, yeah. I wanted to ask you something first, though. I talked to a friend of mine at the ranger station at Ocmulgee. He said that the cops have sectioned off part of the park, but we can go to another section if you want. Otherwise, we’ll have to go to a different wildlife refuge further south.”

  “How long will it take to get to the new place?”

  “Almost four hours.”

  “Screw that, let’s go back to Ocmulgee. I’ll need to stop by that coffee shop again, though.”

  In her mind, Marissa realized that this could be something good. Considering that the police already had a suspect in custody, they probably weren’t still scouting the area for clues. That would give her a chance to find something that could give her the angle she needed to make it a cover story. Hopefully, she would be able to spin something before the case went cold.

  Once again, Marissa slept her way through the journey to the park. Once they arrived, she peeled her face off the glass and wiped her eyes. This time, it felt like it was a much shorter trip. However, she was pretty tired, so perhaps it just felt that way because she was still groggy.

  Even though her coffee was again cold, she gulped it down anyway. In a bizarre sort of way, she was starting to get used to the taste of cold coffee. While it certainly wasn’t something she would prefer, it wasn’t as bad as she expected.

  “Where are we?” Marissa asked as she looked around. The place didn’t look familiar.

  “We’re at the ranger’s station. We need to check in and they’ll take us the rest of the way. They don’t want anyone out here unsupervised because of the police activity.”

  Dang it, she thought. How was she going to get some good shots if Ranger Rick was hovering over her? She had to think of some way to get around it.

  “You coming in?” Thomas asked.

  “No, I’m just going to stay out here. Get some fresh air.” What was she going to do?

  She started pacing. Maybe she was going to be out of luck this time. If they took them to another section of the park, then she wouldn’t even be able to get close enough to see anything. As she walked, she made her way to the employee parking lot. There were four pickup trucks, each of them emblazoned with the park’s logo.

  She continued to pace around, wondering what she could do. Should she just give up? If the police had their man, what were the odds that she could find something worthwhile? After all, it wasn’t like Harlan was on board with the idea in the first place.

  Marissa turned around, and she froze. She stared at the truck in front of her. She couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Is this real? she thought. She moved in closer to make sure that she wasn’t imagining things. On the side of the truck was a large scrape, as if it had brushed up against a bush or a tree or something. She ran her fingers across the paint. It can’t be.

  Immediately, she ducked down and checked the tire tread. It was wide and zig-zagged, but was it an exact match? She pulled out her camera and took a couple pictures of the markings. She then took a close up of the scratch marks on the paint. If this is what she thought it was, it would be huge.

  “Marissa?” Thomas called her.

  She quickly put her camera away. “Yeah?” She walked out of the parking lot and saw Thomas standing with a ranger.

  “Oh, there you are. Um, this is Ranger Mark. He will be our guide for the day.” Thomas introduced Mark to Marissa. They shook hands.

  “Nice to meet you.” Marissa tried to keep her cool.

  “Likewise. Thomas tells me you’re some kind of reporter?” Mark looked at Marissa, trying to scope her out. He was decked out in full ranger gear, with a hat, jacket, and boots. He looked like something out of a catalog.

  “Yeah, something like that. At least, that’s what it says on my business card,” Marissa joked. She could tell that it fell flat.

  “Well, I can take you guys to the creek, but we’re going to have to stay away from the police investigation. They’ve closed off a three-mile section of the park. It’s pretty much all of the area surrounding the dump site.” As Mark talked, he led them to one of the trucks.

  Everyone got in. Marissa made sure to get in the back, so that she could keep a better eye on things. If her hunch was correct, she had no idea who to trust at this point.

  “So you’re looking for Louisiana waterthrush? Is that it?” Mark looked at Marissa in the rear-view mirror.

 
“Yeah, I’m doing a piece on how climate change is affecting their migration patterns. Are you an expert on them? I would love to get your thoughts on the matter.”

  “No, I can’t say that I am,” Mark replied. “You should talk to Nash Wilkinson. He’s another ranger here. He knows all about the birds in the area.”

  They pulled out of the parking lot and headed down the access road.

  “Is he here today?” Marissa asked.

  “No, he’s been on vacation for the last week or so. He’ll be back tomorrow, though.”

  “Excellent, I’ll make sure to come back and talk to him. That will really help me out.”

  The ride was quiet and awkward. No one spoke, and there wasn’t even the radio to drown out the silence. Marissa was lost in thought, and it seemed like Thomas had no idea what to say. Mark, on the other hand, seemed like he couldn’t care less about either one of them. He probably had better things to do than babysit a photojournalist and her driver.

  At the creek, the awkwardness continued. For some reason, having a chaperone made everyone quiet. They silently walked through the foliage until they reached the river. After about ten minutes, Thomas discovered another waterthrush nest, so the three of them hunkered down nearby.

  For what seemed like hours, they waited patiently for the birds to return. Normally, there would be small talk, but Mark’s steely glare kept Marissa and Thomas quiet.

  “How long will this take?” Mark asked as he pointedly checked his watch. “I have other duties, you know.”

  “Um, they should be back pretty soon. Last time it only took about ten minutes,” Thomas whispered back.

  Marissa stayed quiet. She was still mulling over what she had seen. Could Mark have been the culprit? He had the stone cold demeanor of a murderer. But why would he do it? Could he have been working with Chambon? She had a million questions and no answers. Suddenly, Thomas nudged her leg.

  She pulled up her camera, and spotted the waterthrush right away. There were two of them in the nest. She zoomed in and could see some eggs buried inside. This will make a great pic, she thought. She zoomed in a little more and got some images of the mother bird checking on her eggs.

  After a few more snaps, she figured that she had enough. She also made sure to get some more pictures of the surrounding area and the creek itself to provide filler material for the piece. “Alright, I think I have enough footage.”

  “That’s it? We came all the way over here for a couple pictures?” Mark seemed taken aback.

  “Well, unless you know of another nesting site, I don’t need that many images. I’ll get more information from Ranger Rick tomorrow.” Marissa put her camera away.

  “You mean Nash?” Mark seemed insulted at the Ranger Rick comment.

  “Yeah, sorry. I’m terrible with names.”

  The three of them headed back to the truck. It was now mid-morning, and the heat of the day was creeping up on them. Marissa’s shirt was already clinging to her, and she could tell Thomas was starting to sweat. Ahead of them, Mark unzipped his jacket and started to fan himself.

  The ride back was just as silent as the ride going to the creek. Although the trip only took about fifteen minutes, it felt like it was much, much longer. Back at the ranger’s station, Marissa was glad to be out of the truck. Even with the air conditioning on, it still felt stuffy.

  “So I guess I’ll be back tomorrow then? Do you have a number that I can reach for Mr. Nash?”

  “Yeah, hold on.” Mark went into the station.

  “Well, that was fun,” Thomas quipped. He looked at Marissa; she smiled back.

  “Yeah, it was a thrill a minute out there,” she joked.

  Mark came back out of the station with a business card. He had taken off his jacket and was just wearing a brown button-down shirt and tie. He handed the card to Marissa. “This is his work number. He usually comes in around 8:00 a.m.”

  Marissa looked down, and her eyes went wide. She noticed something on Mark’s tie. Something that made her blood run cold. It was a tie clip. On the front of it, there was a circular logo, the same one that was on the trucks. Ocmulgee Wildlife Management Center. She froze in place.

  “Everything okay?” Mark asked. He glanced down at his tie. “What are you looking at?”

  “Do all of you wear that tie clip?”

  “Um, yeah. Technically, it’s part of the uniform. Although some of the guys don’t wear it. Why do you ask?” Mark seemed puzzled by the question.

  “No reason. I just think it looks really cool. Do you think I could get one?”

  “Sorry, but we don’t have any more at the moment. The department gave them out at the beginning of the year, but they haven’t ordered any more.”

  “Do you guys lose them a lot or something? Like, are there tie clips littering the forest right now?” Marissa tried to keep things light, even though her heart was racing.

  “Um, not that I know of.” Mark was again confused by her question.

  “Well, it’s my loss then. If you do find an extra one, let me know.”

  “Do you wear a lot of ties, Miss Larkin?” Mark asked.

  “No, but I like them. I dunno, I guess they remind me of my dad.” It was a lie, but she had to come up with something. “Anyway, it was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you for all your help. I’ll see you around.” She shook Mark’s hand.

  Marissa and Thomas went back to Thomas’ van. He looked at her, trying to figure out what was going on. They got in. “You want to tell me what’s up?” he asked.

  Marissa was lost in thought. What did this all mean? “Hm? Oh, nothing.”

  “Come on, I know that you’re not that big a fan of tie clips, are you?” Thomas seemed genuinely interested in her fascination with such an insignificant item.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She winked at him and chuckled.

  “Fine, don’t tell me.” Thomas started the engine.

  As they headed back, Marissa’s mind was racing. What had she uncovered? What happened to Robert Burton? Again, she was full of questions without answers. Hopefully, when she came back to talk to Nash, she could get some more insight. While it could all be a random coincidence, she had a gut feeling that something was going on. But what?

  Chapter 8

  Her cell phone rang. Without even looking at it, Marissa picked it up. “Hello?” She didn’t even avert her gaze from her computer screen.

  “Hey, how are things going? Were you able to get some footage at least?” Brand was on the other end. He sounded a bit more chipper than usual.

  “Yeah, I did. You can tell Harlan that I’ve already started on the piece.” It was a lie, but she felt that Harlan would be breathing down her neck. In front of her, she was scrolling through news articles about Robert Burton and his company.

  “Are you in the middle of something? I can call you back if you’re busy.” Brand could always tell when Marissa was distracted.

  She snapped out of it. She had been Googling information for the last two hours; ever since she got back to the hotel. “Sorry, I’m just finishing up a paragraph. So, what has Harlan been saying? Is he worried that I’ll find something on the Burton case?”

  “I didn’t realize that there was anything left on the Burton case. Last I heard, the police have a suspect in custody.”

  “Well, have they formally charged him with anything? Is he going to trial yet?” Marissa asked playfully.

  “What did you find? You found something, didn’t you?” Brand was intrigued.

  “I don’t know yet. But if it is something, then it will be huge.”

  “Like, front page huge or page six huge?”

  “I can’t say for sure yet. But it has the potential to be a full spread, with prime placement and everything.”

  “Wow, that is huge.” Brand sounded impressed. “What do you have so far?”

  “Come on, Brand, you know better than to ask that question. It’s bad luck to spill your secrets before you have all the facts. At this
point, I need all the luck I can get,” Marissa joked.

  “Yeah, of course. How could I forget?” Brand shot back. “So were you lying to me just now?”

  “What?”

  “About starting the bird article. Were you just blowing smoke or what?” Brand didn’t sound angry, but he did have more of an interrogative tone.

  “Would you be mad at me if I said yes?”

  “Maybe. But I’ll tell Harlan that you’ve started anyway. No reason to get him involved.”

  “Sorry, I guess it was more of a reflex. Can you forgive me, Brand?” Marissa asked in a saccharine sort of way.

  “I don’t know. Can you trust me, Marissa?” Brand sounded somewhat serious.

  “You’re right, I do trust you. Completely. I’m sorry,” Marissa responded in kind.

  “So does that mean that you’ll tell me what you found?”

  Marissa paused. Was this his ploy all along? Getting me to feel bad so he can get some juicy details? “Let’s just say that I have reason to believe that this case is a lot bigger than just some old beef between business partners.”

  “You have any evidence?”

  “I think so. But I can’t move forward until I know for sure. Right now, it’s all circumstantial. You understand.”

  “Alright. Well, tread softly. Thomas said that you were asking some weird questions today at the park. You don’t want to make the locals nervous. This isn’t your backyard, remember.” Brand sounded concerned.

  Marissa was taken aback. Had he been spying on her? “Oh, so you talked to Thomas, hmm? What was all this about trusting each other?” Marissa chided Brand.

  “It’s not like I interrogated him or anything. He just thought it was bizarre, that’s all. You were there to capture birds, and instead you’re asking about tie clips?”

  “Well, that’s none of your business, is it?” Marissa wasn’t sure how to feel about this.

  “You’re right. I apologize. Will you be able to forgive me?”

  “Let’s just say that we’re even now, okay?” Marissa replied. Suddenly, she had an idea. “Unless you want to buy me dinner to say you’re sorry, of course.”