“Fine, but you don’t have to sleep on the couch,” She offered. When she saw the look of surprise, and maybe some hope, on his face, she quickly added. “You can stay in Shane’s old room.”
“That’d be perfect,” Brett agreed and pulled out a chair to sit. “You find out anything new?”
“Yes, but I’m not sure what any of it means,” Sarah followed Brett’s lead and took the chair across from him. “Chad had apparently met with a lawyer and filed to divorce me the day before he was killed.”
“You didn’t know?”
“Not until the police told me,” she confessed. “I’m going to head over to Chad’s office tomorrow morning to see if I can find out anything from his colleagues.”
“You think his death had something to do with work now?”
“I don’t know. It could be anything. Maybe he was involved with someone from his office, or maybe his assistant would have seen or heard something.”
“You think she’ll talk to you?”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Brett stood again and pulled Sarah to standing. “You look tired, why don’t you head up to bed? You need some sleep.”
“You’re right,” she agreed when she yawned. “I’ll show you where Shane’s room is.”
****
Brett stared at the ceiling and tried counting sheep. He’d been laying there for what seemed like hours, but was unable to fall asleep. Each time he closed his eyes, he pictured her. She was just across the hallway, probably wearing next to nothing, curled up in her bed.
He wanted more than anything to walk in there and take her in his arms. She was stretched so thin he could almost see the stress written on her face. He just wanted to hold her and offer her any small comfort.
He still hadn’t figured out why he was caught up in this mess. Sure, Sarah had been a part of the reason he’d come back to Missouri. In the last eight years, he’d seldom fallen asleep without dreaming of her face. When the pull for a family and a place to call home became all-encompassing, he told Mr. Carter that it was time to find his father. It wasn’t a lie. He wanted to know who had been at least half responsible for his existence. But, that wasn’t the only person pulling him back here.
After he’d gotten settled and the Sheriff had hired him on, he tried to find out everything he could - about his father and about Sarah. He drove by her house and her company, never able to work up the nerve to stop and speak to her. He didn’t want to screw up her life; he just wanted to make sure she was happy.
You need to tell her.
The angel on his shoulder had been repeating the line for days. He should tell her that he had been following her like the police had said and tell her the truth about why he was at the bar that night. She was finally starting to trust him. He could see that and he couldn’t afford to lose her trust right now. Would she believe him or the police? It would look bad if she knew he’d been following her. And the police were right about one thing: he had been harboring feelings for her these past few years. Was he responsible for the mess her life was in? At the very least, he owed her the truth.
He pulled back the blankets and climbed out his bed. He crept across the hall and knocked very softly on her door. When he didn’t hear anything from the other side, he gently turned the handle and inched the door open.
She looked beautiful lying in the bed with the moonlight cascading through the curtains. For the first time in since he came back, she looked utterly peaceful. He tenderly pulled the door closed behind him and crept back to bed.
Then he tossed and turned all night.
****
At 9:05 a.m., Sarah entered the revolving doors leading to the posh marble reception area at Jarrett, Smith & Lockhart. Brett was reading a newspaper in the visitor parking lot since, although he insisted on driving her, they both agreed it would be best for Sarah to go in alone. No one was going to talk to her if her supposed accomplice was with her.
Not recognizing the cute blonde receptionist, Sarah gave her name and said she needed to drop off some papers for Lauren Green, Chad’s assistant. The perky girl of no more than twenty made a brief call to announce Sarah’s arrival and then instructed her to have a seat. Sarah thanked the girl, Ashley according to her nameplate, and turned toward the waiting area.
The room was large, with a two story ceiling and ultra-modern décor. The sofa and chairs looked less than comfortable, but Sarah perched herself on the edge of one just the same. She clutched the expandable file containing the documents she’d found in Chad’s home office.
“Sarah?” the male voice came from behind her and she turned her head and smiled. “Lauren told me you were here. How are you?”
She rose from her seat and turned toward Jeffrey Cahill to shake his hand. He was in his mid-twenties and Sarah knew him from several dinner parties at both her house and his. He had joined the firm at the same time as Chad and they frequently worked on cases together.
“I’m okay. Thank you for asking.”
“What brings you by?” He inquired and he couldn’t hide his surprise at seeing her.
Sarah lifted the file she was holding. “I found these in Chad’s office and thought they may be important.”
Jeffrey took the file from her hands. “Thanks, but you didn’t need to bring them down yourself. We would have sent a messenger.”
“I know,” Sarah admitted, “but I was kind of hoping that I could talk to you for a few minutes while I’m here.”
“Ummm,” he hesitated.
“I promise it will only take a few minutes, Jeff, please?”
“Alright,” he relented. “Let’s go up to my office.”
They made awkward small talk about benign topics like the weather as they entered the elevator and rode it up to the fourth floor. When they exited, the rush of emotion took Sarah by surprise. The foyer, with all it’s cold lines and empty spaces didn’t have the same effect as the warming décor on the floor Sarah had come to many times to visit Chad.
She followed Jeffrey down a short hallway and noticed with sadness that the door to Chad’s office was closed and there was no light coming through the blinds.
She entered Jeffery’s office and took a seat in the red leather chair across from his desk. Jeff took his own seat, setting the red file Sarah had given him on the credenza behind him.
“I heard about the arrest,” he acknowledged.
“Jeff, I…” Sarah began but he held up his hand to stop her.
“Sarah, don’t. You don’t owe me any explanations.”
“Don’t I?” She wondered aloud. “You were one of Chad’s best friends and I, well, I considered you a friend as well.”
“I still think of you as a friend, Sarah, that’s why I’m stopping you.”
“I don’t understand,” she admitted.
“This conversation,” he continued as he waved his hand between the two of them. “They could call me as a witness, Sarah. I could have to testify about anything you say to me. I’m not your lawyer, so you can’t expect confidentiality.”
“I know that, Jeff. I didn’t kill him.”
“Be that as it may, I just felt I should warn you.”
“I appreciate that,” she sighed. “Jeff, I uh, did Chad happen to say anything to you about filing for divorce?”
“No. Were you two talking about divorce?”
“No, but according to the police, he already filed. He did it the day before he died. I haven’t seen the petition yet, so I don’t really know any of the details. But, Chad hadn’t said anything to me. It took me by surprise.”
“I guess it would.”
“I knew there were some problems in our marriage, but I had no idea he was thinking about leaving. He always told me that divorce wasn’t an option for him. I’m trying to figure out what changed.”
“He didn’t say anything to me, Sarah. I’m sorry.”
“Do you know if he was seeing someone else?”
“Are you asking me if
Chad was having an affair?” His face showed a little too much surprise.
“That’s exactly what I’m asking you,” she clarified.
“I have no idea,” he said flatly.
“Would you tell me if he was?”
“Honestly, I don’t know if I would. But, I really don’t know anything about it, so it’s a moot point.”
“Thanks,” Sarah said sincerely, her mind racing to think of any other questions she could up with.
“Why did Lauren send you down to meet me?”
Jeff put his arms on the desk and leaned toward her. He had entered lawyer-mode. “You have to understand. Lauren worked for Chad for a couple of years. She was devastated to hear about his death. Then, you were arrested. She probably just couldn’t face you. It’s been a difficult time for everyone.”
“I understand, but that gives me another question. Do you know why Lauren didn’t come to the funeral? I mean, if she and Chad were so close, why wouldn’t she at least come to the visitation?”
“Maybe she didn’t think she could handle that, either,” he said calmly and looked at his watch. “Listen, Sarah, I really need to get some things done. I really wish I could help you, but I don’t think I can.”
“Can I just ask you one more question?”
“Sure,” he approved grudgingly.
“What does it mean if someone cites ‘fraud’ as their grounds for divorce?”
“Are you talking about Chad?”
“Yes.”
He scratched his head. “Well, fraud indicates that the other person lied about something when they entered the marriage contract, but in this case it would be irrelevant.”
“What do you mean?”
“Sarah, Missouri is a no fault state. That means you don’t have to cite any grounds for divorce. You only have to state that the marriage is irretrievably broken. It doesn’t make sense to cite fraud, or any reason for that matter.”
“Thanks, Jeff,” Sarah said as she stood. “I really appreciate your help. I’m sorry if I’ve put you in a difficult position.”
Jeff stood up and followed her toward the door. “Really, Sarah, it’s fine. I’m sorry I couldn’t have been more help. I assume you know your way out.”
“Of course,” she smiled. “Thanks again.”
“No problem. You take care of yourself.”
Jeff walked back into his office and closed the door behind him. Sarah walked back down the hall to the bank of elevators and noticed that Lauren’s chair was still vacant. She wondered if Lauren was hiding out from her somewhere. Was there some other reason that Lauren couldn’t face her at the funeral or today? Guilt, perhaps?
As Sarah entered the elevator and pushed the button that would take her back to the lobby, she made a mental note to call Samantha and add Lauren Green’s name to the list of people they were investigating. She didn’t have any proof, but her gut told her she’d just identified Chad’s mistress.
****
“What’s next?” Brett asked after Sarah finished relaying her meeting with Jeffrey Cahill.
“What do you mean?” She questioned.
“We aren’t any closer to figuring out who killed Chad,” Brett clarified as Sarah immediately recognized his frustration.
“I know,” she muttered. “Our list of people to check out keeps getting longer, but I have no idea where to go from here.” She let out a laugh and Brett gave her curious look. “In all the cop shows I’ve ever seen, they make a list and it miraculously leads to the killer. What kind of cop are you, anyway?” She added with a grin.
“Well, for starters, I’m not a detective,” he answered and she could tell by his tone she hadn’t offended him. “But, I say we stick with that list. We need to figure out who had motive and who had means.”
“Everyone on our list had means,” she argued. “That’s why we put them on there in the first place.”
“No,” he clarified, “they all had access to the gun. That doesn’t mean they had access to Chad. For all we know, half of those people could have been out of town at the time.”
“Good point,” she conceded and pulled her little notebook from her purse. “Let’s start at the top: Cole Johnson. He had the longest access to the garage. He and Chad were friends in high school but to my knowledge they hadn’t spoken in recent years and then there was thing about the real estate deal they had going. How did he act when you asked him for a list of tenants?”
“He was a little strange, I guess. But, I just figured it was because he wasn’t buying that I needed the names for tax purposes. Nothing else about our conversation really stood out.”
“Okay,” Sarah thought for a moment and glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “How about this? I’m supposed to meet Kristen at the library this afternoon. It’s only 11:30. Why don’t you drop me off in town and I’ll stop in the Kozy Kafe for lunch before I head to the library.”
“I’m not following you,” Brett admitted.
“If there is one place in town that spreads more gossip than a beauty shop, it’s the Kozy Kafe. Besides, Jessica Callaway is a waitress there.” Seeing that Brett still wasn’t following, she explained. “Jessica is married to Mike Callaway, one of the guys who rented your house. Maybe I’ll pick up on something.”
“Are you sure you want to go in there by yourself? Your arrest has been all over the papers.”
“Then you sure as hell can’t come in with me,” she retorted. “Besides, I’ll be fine. I’ve known most of these people my whole life and, believe me, they won’t be able to help themselves. They’ll have to talk to me if for no other reason than to try to get some fresh gossip out of me.”
****
Sleigh bells rang as Sarah pushed open the glass door that led to one of the few places in Farmington to eat. The air was a mix of coffee, stale smoke and bacon grease. She could hear the clattering of plates and the murmur of voices. When the room went instantly silent, she knew they’d all just realized they had an honest-to-goodness murder suspect in their midst. Whispers went through the room like the Wave goes through a baseball stadium. Sarah acted as if she didn’t notice.
Bright smile plastered on her face, she turned around and couldn’t believe her luck. Cole Johnson was seated at the counter staring at her with the look of surprise shared by all of the diner’s patrons. She walked toward him and pointed at a vacant stool.
“May I?” She asked nonchalantly as if she didn’t realize there were close to twenty people staring at her.
“Ummm…” Cole muttered before his manners kicked in and he regained his composure. “Of course.”
“Thanks,” she offered and perched herself on ripped vinyl that had been repaired with duct tape. “I guess I should have expected this,” she admitted in a conspiratorial whisper. “Everyone in town must’ve heard the news.”
Cole didn’t disappoint. He leaned down and matched her hushed tone. “Don’t worry about it, Sarah. I think everyone is just a little surprised. No one has seen you out since the… in a few weeks. It’s a bit of a shock is all.”
“Is everyone still starting?” She asked, burying her face in her menu. She was trying to pull Cole in as her confidant and prayed that it was working.
Cole barely glanced over her shoulder before answering. “Not really,” he said with a comforting smile. “Most of them have gone back to their food.”
As expected, Jessica Callaway, dressed in standard waitress garb, approached with glasses of ice water. Sarah realized that Cole must’ve arrived only a few minutes before her and hadn’t eaten yet. She sent up a silent prayer of thanks that she’d even have some time to speak with him.
“Hey, Sarah,” Jessica greeted, but her tone belied her smile. She clearly didn’t know how she was supposed to act.
“Hi Jessica,” Sarah replied. “It’s good to see you. How have you been?” So far her performance had been Oscar-worthy. Neither Chad nor Jessica could tell that she was just as uncomfortable as they were.
“We’re
all good,” Jessica answered and Sarah noticed that she couldn’t meet her eyes.
“Good?” Cole laughed and then looked at Sarah. “Jessica just found out last week that she and Mike are expecting. She’s been on cloud nine ever since.”
“That’s wonderful!” Sarah said. “When are you due?”
“February,” Jessica’s transformation was visible. The excitement of her pregnancy pushed aside the discomfort she’d been feeling only moments before. “Mike and I are just thrilled. We’ve already been to St. Louis twice to go shopping for the nursery.”
Sarah had hit a veritable jackpot. Not only was she seated next to the first person on their little list of suspects, but her server was pregnant by another suspect. And as anyone who has ever met a pregnant woman can tell you, they don’t know when to stop talking!
She focused back in on the conversation Jessica and Cole were having. Apparently, Cole was the realtor helping Jessica and Mike find the perfect house in which to put that nursery.
“I have a couple of listings for you,” Cole told Jessica as he pulled some papers from a file Sarah hadn’t noticed on the counter beside him. “You and Mike can take a look tonight and give me a call tomorrow to let me know which ones you like. Maybe I can set up appointments for later this week.”
“That’d be perfect,” Jessica glowed. “We really want to find something right away so we can get everything ready before the baby comes.” A bell sounded to alert Jessica that an order was up. She seemed startled by the sound as if she were so lost in her conversation with Cole that she’d forgotten she was at work. “I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your order,” she told them as she hurried to deliver food to another table.
“I didn’t know you were in real estate,” Sarah lied.
“Well, only part-time. I still work at my folks’ farm during the busy season, but there’s not much to do there in the dead of winter so I thought I’d try to make some extra money. Now, my client list has grown so much, my dad might have to just hire a farm hand when it’s time to harvest.” Cole was obviously very proud of his success and rightly so. He was likely the first Johnson in generations to work outside the family farm.
Killer Desires Page 17