As much as he might complain about doing so, Mr. Rankle was doing them a favor. He had brought out a heavy-duty metal detector, and the three of them were examining the beach near the victim’s house.
“This is where the killer must have been standing when he threw it into the water,” said Heather. “If we believe Tammy’s story.”
“It depends on the waves whether it was brought to shore or not,” said Mr. Rankle.
He held out the metal detector and led the way. After finding a dozen beer bottle lids, a can opener, and a wrench, Heather was starting to feel discouraged.
“Maybe it’s not out here,” said Amy.
“You, young people, give up so easily,” he grumbled.
“I’m flattered you’re calling us young,” said Heather. “And I’m not giving up. If you need a rest though, we could take one.”
“No,” Mr. Rankle said. “This is just the exercise that I need for my leg.”
They walked a little farther in the wet sand, and the device began beeping again.
“Ten to one it’s another beer bottle lid,” said Amy.
Heather bent down and began digging. She saw a handle and tried not to get too excited in case she was wrong. However, when she pulled the object out of the ground, she could see that it was a knife.
“We found it,” Heather said. “We found the murder weapon.”
“You’re welcome,” said Mr. Rankle.
Seasonal Friends
“That really was a great idea,” Ryan told his wife.
“I hate to say it,” said Heather. “But we couldn’t have done it without Mr. Rankle.”
“Then just don’t say it,” Amy joked.
The private investigators had joined Ryan at the police station again. He was impressed by their idea on how to find the knife but was even more impressed when the medical examiner called to confirm that it matched the shape of the wounds on the victim. It really was the murder weapon.
“Unfortunately, because of the water and sand, there aren’t any prints that could be recovered,” said Heather. “But maybe having the knife could lead to something.”
“It does have a distinctive handle,” said Amy. “A pretty red wood one. It’s a shame something so nice had to be used for murder. I’d much prefer it as a cake knife.”
“Now that we know it’s the murder weapon, Peters and I will see if we can trace it from anywhere.”
Detective Peters joined them and smiled. “Were you just talking about me?”
“About how you’re going to help trace the murder weapon,” said Heather.
He nodded. “And I will. But I have some other good news about tracing first. I was able to track down Devon Davidson’s friend, Andrew.”
“That is great news,” said Heather. “Maybe we can see if what they were whispering about relates to the murder.”
“He’s waiting in the interrogation room,” said Peters.
The investigators all headed to the room, entered, and took their seats at the table. Andrew was a young man covered in freckles.
“I can’t believe Devon is dead,” he said. “He was so full of life, you know?”
“We’ve heard a lot about it,” said Amy.
“It was always so much fun when he came to town,” Andrew said, wistfully. “I don’t like thinking that it won’t happen again.”
“You and Devon were friends?” Heather prompted.
Andrew nodded. “I live here year-round, so I only saw him a few times per year. But we were friends. We always had a good time catching up, and he made sure I came to his parties. His parties were always amazing.”
“You went to his most recent party?” Ryan asked.
“That’s right,” said Andrew. “And I don’t remember seeing Devon after about two. I thought maybe he had gone off to cheer up his girlfriend. She was really unhappy that night. But that might not have been what happened, was it? He might have been dead.”
“How late did this party go?” Amy asked.
“I left about four,” said Andrew. “I hadn’t seen Devon in a while, and I felt like it was winding down. I decided to go home and sleep.”
“Do you remember anything suspicious about that night?” asked Peters.
“At the time I thought everything was great. Now that I know he was killed, I’ve been trying to go over everything. Trying to figure out who could have done it,” said Andrew. “His new girlfriend, Tammy, was kind of upset that night. She seemed high maintenance.”
“You think she might have killed him?” asked Amy.
“I don’t know,” said Andrew. “Something was bothering her though.”
“She said you and Devon were whispering about something all night,” said Ryan.
Andrew looked sheepish. “That’s true. I just needed to whisper about one thing, but then we thought it was kind of funny how Tammy was trying to listen in on us. We started talking about nonsensical things.”
“Was one of these things about an ex-girlfriend?” asked Heather.
“That was the real thing I was whispering about,” said Andrew. “His ex-girlfriend, Alice, was at the party. I wanted to let him know that she was annoyed that he had brought Tammy with him.”
“If she was his ex, why did she mind so much?” asked Heather.
“Because she wasn’t exactly an ex,” Andrew explained. “He and Alice would get together whenever he visited the island. It was an off and on thing because he didn’t live here and she did. But I guess he didn’t tell her he was seeing someone else. And I guess it was serious enough to bring her here.”
“Yeah. I think I’d be mad too,” said Amy.
“Was Alice at the party after one o’clock?” asked Ryan.
“I’m not sure,” Andrew said. “She didn’t want to talk to me after I tried to explain that I understood where Devon was coming from. After all, they only saw each other for a few days every year.”
“Do you think Alice could have killed him?” asked Peters.
“No. I can’t see her doing that,” said Andrew. “She’s a nice girl.”
“Who do you suspect of this crime?” asked Heather.
“I guess I’d look at the neighbor. Mr. Brewster next door really hated the parties. He should have just come to one. He would have had a great time.”
“Do you think it’s possible that robbery was a motive?” Heather asked. “Did you notice anyone looking for his valuables that night?”
“I don’t remember anybody doing that,” he said. “And anyway, everything that was really valuable was inside his safe.”
“Unfortunately, we can’t get into it right now,” said Peters.
“Did you try all his cousins’ birthdays?” Andrew asked. “I’m pretty sure one of them is the combination to the safe.”
“Devon told you that?” asked Heather.
“Well, he mentioned how he always remembered their birthdays because he used them for passwords. Because he was constantly using them, he never forgot them.”
“Not a bad idea,” Amy said.
“And not a bad lead,” said Heather. “Now we can see if anyone did get inside the safe or not.”
The investigators returned to the safe. With the information they had learned and Ryan’s search of Devon Davidson’s family history, they were soon able to crack it open.
They looked inside and were greeted by a full safe. It contained all the things that Jack had said would be there: documents about the house, money, and a ring box containing a pearl ring. There were a few other items too, including a watch and some savings bonds.
“It looks like everything is there,” said Heather.
“So that means that this wasn’t a robbery?” asked Amy.
“At least not a successful one,” said Ryan.
The Ex
Though they were still debating the robbery aspect of the case, the investigators decided to pursue other leads as well. The other helpful information that Andrew had given them was about Devon Davidson’s ex-girlfr
iend, Alice.
They arrived on her doorstep and knocked.
“Hello?” a petite woman said, looking through the door’s window.
Ryan introduced himself and the group. Alice came outside on the porch and leaned against the railing.
“You’re here about Devon, aren’t you?”
“That’s right,” said Heather. “Did you hear what happened to him?”
“Only that he was killed,” said Alice. “I’ve been trying to grieve, but I do admit we weren’t on the best terms when we last spoke. That’s why I expected the police to come by at some point.”
“You dated the victim?” asked Ryan.
“That’s right,” Alice said, nodding. “We hit it off during his first visit to Key West when he bought his house. We’d been seeing each other whenever he came back to the island.”
“How often was that?” asked Peters.
“Just a few times per year,” said Alice. “But we always made the most of our time together. That’s why it was so surprising when he brought someone during this trip. He apparently found a new girlfriend and neglected to tell me.”
“That must have made you upset,” said Heather.
“Of course it did,” said Alice. “But I didn’t kill him. He was very much alive when I left the party, still grinning and holding his polka dotted drink.”
Heather jumped on this detail. “A polka dotted glass was found by his body.”
“Well, he was drinking all night,” Alice said, crossing her arms. “Of course it would be. That’s not a detail from his murder. That’s a detail from his life.”
“What did you say when you spoke to Devon Davidson?” asked Ryan.
“I told him that I didn’t appreciate his not giving me any warning about bringing someone here and that I thought we meant more to each other than that. I told him that we were definitely finished no matter what.”
“What did you mean by that?” asked Peters. “The no matter what part?”
Alice shrugged. “It didn’t look like they would last as a couple. I wanted him to know that he couldn’t come back to the island single next time and expect things to pick up the way they used to. I felt like I was taking the high road, considering what he did.”
Amy nodded. “I agree. I’d be furious if someone did that to me.”
“Our mutual friend, Andrew, wasn’t being very supportive that night. He wasn’t taking my side, which I thought was wildly unfair. He only sees Devon a few times per year, while we live in town together year-round. I thought he might have my back, but he didn’t care. The party didn’t end up being much fun, so I left early.”
“What time was that?” asked Heather.
“I don’t know the time exactly,” Alice said, shrugging. “But it felt like it was early in the night.”
“Did you notice anything unusual that night?” asked Ryan.
Alice stared out into the distance. “His neighbor, Katherine, was acting a bit strange at the party, lugging around a mini cooler. However, the person who was acting the strangest… Well, if I tell you, you’ll think it’s just sour grapes.”
“His new girlfriend?” asked Heather.
“Exactly.” Alice said the woman’s name with distaste, “Tammy.”
“What did she do exactly?” asked Ryan.
“Firstly, she was whining about everything and acting like a total drag. However, that could be explained just by Devon picking the wrong sort of woman to make his girlfriend. No. What she was doing that was strange was that she was hanging out by his safe. I saw her by it several times. I even think I even saw her trying to break into it. I think she made some marks on it.”
“You’re sure it was Tammy by the safe?” Peters asked.
“Oh, I wasn’t likely to mistake her for anyone else,” said Alice. “And I think seeing her with the safe only proves that she was with Devon for his money. He made the wrong choice all around.”
“But was that what killed him?” Amy asked aloud.
“I think it was,” said Alice. “I think his decision to bring Tammy here brought about his end. She’s the person I’d suspect for this crime. But I know how that sounds coming from me.”
“You’ve certainly given us a lot to think about,” said Heather.
The investigators thanked her for her time and left. They had another interrogation that they wanted to conduct. It was time to talk to Tammy again.
The Safe Explanation
“Is this a bad time?” Toni asked.
“No,” Heather said into her cell phone as she talked to the hotel manager. Truthfully, it was a bad time. Heather was just about to join the other investigators as they talked to Tammy in the interrogation room. However, she wanted to hear if Toni had uncovered any new information. After all, she was looking into Tammy’s whereabouts that night.
“I found out some new information,” Toni said. “And I’ve been feeling pretty good about my work. I think doing this investigation stuff is bringing me out of my slump. Sure, I was mistaken about my business and friends. Yes, a terrible murder happened at my hotel. Yes, I was betrayed. But…what was I talking about?”
“You were feeling better about things,” said Heather.
“Was I?” Toni asked.
“You also had information that you wanted to tell me.”
“That’s right,” Toni said, sounding cheerful again. “I tracked down that Tammy like you wanted me to. She checked into the Lantern Five Motel just after two thirty a.m. It’s one of the cheaper places on the island. That’s why it took me a little longer to track this down. The Seahorse Hotel is a really nice place. It’s spacious too, which is why they had a room available. Where Tammy stayed is a bit of a dive. Is this helpful?”
“Great work, Toni,” said Heather. “I’ll let you know when we catch the killer.”
She hung up and went to meet the investigators. Tammy checking into the motel proved two things. One was that based on the window of time when the murder was committed, she could have killed Devon Davidson and still checked into her room. The other thing it proved was that Tammy did not have a lot of money on her own.
Heather sat down at the table with her friends and fellow investigators. Tammy eyed them.
“I don’t understand what there still is to discuss,” said Tammy. “I really don’t like talking about this terrible day anymore.”
“There were some things that you didn’t tell us the first time we spoke,” said Ryan. “That’s why we needed to bring you in.”
“What did I forget?” asked Tammy. “I told you how I was being ignored so rudely, so I left the party. I told you how I was on the beach until I decided to check into a hotel. I told you what I knew about the neighbors and the suspicious stone skipper. That’s all I can say, except about how devastated I am about Devon’s death.”
“Is it Devon you’re missing or his money?” asked Heather.
“Excuse me?” said Tammy.
“The motel you stayed at that night was the cheapest you could have chosen,” Heather began.
“Just because I don’t have a lot of money on my own doesn’t mean I was interested in Devon’s. I liked him because he was fun. And until this trip, he made me feel special.”
“Why were you trying to break into his safe?” asked Ryan.
“His safe,” Tammy said. “You know about that?”
“We had a witness tell us she saw you trying to get inside it and that you scratched it,” said Ryan.
Tammy sighed. She looked down at the floor. “I didn’t want to have to tell you this. It’s embarrassing.”
“Trying and failing to rob your boyfriend?” asked Amy. “What could be embarrassing about that?”
“I wasn’t trying to rob him,” Tammy protested. “There was just something inside that I wanted to see.”
“What was that?” Heather asked.
Tammy gave herself a hug as she began to explain. “My romance with Devon had been a whirlwind one. Everything was wonderful, and I wa
s so happy. Devon was too. We hadn’t been together very long, but it felt like we had known each other our whole lives. When he brought me with him on vacation, I thought it was a sign that we were becoming even more serious.”
“But that wasn’t the case?” asked Amy.
“I don’t know. That’s what I wanted to see. When I started hearing about his ex-girlfriend at the party, I wanted to find out how serious he was about me.”
“How does this relate to the safe?” asked Heather.
“You see, I was there earlier in the day when Devon opened his safe. He was trying to fit a vase inside, but it was too big. Apparently, it’s valuable, so he was trying to protect it. But when it didn’t fit, he shrugged it off. He said if it were broken or stolen, he’d just collect the insurance and decorate the house with something else. But when he opened the safe, I saw something else inside.”
“Money?” Amy suggested.
“A ring box,” said Tammy. “And I thought it was an engagement ring that he was trying to keep safe. I thought he might be planning to propose. When he started ignoring me at the party, I was upset. I started to think about the vase.”
“How to collect the insurance?” asked Amy.
“About how easy Devon found it to replace things. I started to wonder whether I was like the vase. Did he replace his ex with me easily? Was he serious about me at all? I wanted to see if it really was an engagement ring or not. Because then I thought I might know where we stood. But I couldn’t get inside the safe. So, I left the house, hoping he would notice.”
“Nothing was missing from the safe,” said Peters.
“Because I didn’t get inside it,” said Tammy. “And I was embarrassed about it. That’s why I didn’t mention it before. I felt foolish searching for a ring and failing.”
“I can admit foolishness is part of the game when you’re expecting a proposal,” said Amy. “I’ve been expecting one and been wrong about it twice.”
“And I still don’t know whether it was or not,” said Tammy. “I don’t know exactly how Devon felt. And now I never will.”
Caffe Latte & Murder_An Oceanside Cozy Mystery Book 30 Page 5