“I’m Heather Shepherd, and this is Amy Givens. We’re private investigators consulting with the Key West Police on a matter. Do you mind if we ask you some questions?”
“Not at all,” Alec said, leading them inside to his modest living room. He invited them to sit down and then said, “The police must be having trouble with this robbery case if they’ve brought in more help.”
“I’m afraid it’s not just a robbery case now,” Heather said. “It’s also murder.”
“Murder? Who died? No one was working that night.”
“Some suspects in the case were found killed.”
“Suspects?” Alec asked. “You mean more than one person?”
“Do you mind if we ask the questions?” Amy asked, folding her arms.
“I’m sorry,” Alec said. “Please go right ahead.”
Amy perched on the couch and took out her tablet to record notes on the conversation, while Heather considered what she should ask the man first.
“You told the police that the night of the robbery you were out at a party all night?”
“I was part of a pub crawl to celebrate my friend’s 30th birthday. We were out until close to three and then kept the party going at his house. It was a fun night. I feel a little bad that I was partying at the time that the shop was robbed. If I knew that my job might be over, I might not have spent so much on shots.”
“Where were you Monday afternoon?” Heather asked.
“Believe it or not, I was still sick from all the partying. I think the police can back me up that I was a little worse for wear when they interviewed me the day after the robbery. And Monday I still wasn’t feeling well. I couldn’t leave the bathroom if you know what I mean.”
“Unfortunately, I do,” Amy said.
“But I was sick and didn’t leave my house all day. I just laid in bed and decided I should give up drinking.”
“Nobody saw you?” Heather asked.
“I did call some of my friends from the party to see if they were holding up any better than I was, but I didn’t see them in person.”
“And, how were they?” asked Amy.
“Better than me,” Alec admitted. “The birthday boy was sick Sunday, but everyone else was able to go to work on Monday. Though I guess I didn’t end up having to go to work Monday. I’m not sure when the store will open up again. Not until after you solve this, I guess. It’s pretty sad – knowing some bad guys got away with everything. All those diamond rings and shiny necklaces. The sapphires and rubies and opals.”
“Do you remember all your customers?” Amy asked suddenly.
“A lot of them.”
“Did anyone drive up in a mobile pet grooming van and then buy an engagement ring?”
Alec told them that he often didn’t see the cars that people arrived in when they parked. Amy tried to describe Jamie in more detail, but Alec couldn’t remember him.
Heather tried to steer the conversation back to the other mystery.
“Were you aware that the security system reset at two a.m. every night?” Heather asked.
“I guess I knew that it reset,” Alec said. “But I don’t know if I knew the exact time. Just that it was overnight. I don’t always sweat the details.”
Heather rose from her seat, and Amy followed suit.
“Thank you for talking to us.”
“I only wish I could be more helpful. It’s a shame that the robbery fell on my friend’s birthday.”
“All right,” Heather said, as they approached the other employee’s door. “If you want to snoop about whether Jamie bought you an engagement ring, we’ll do that first, so then we can focus entirely on the case.”
“I’ll find a picture of him to show this time,” Amy said, taking out her phone and scrolling through her photos.
Linda Santiago answered after Heather rang the doorbell. The investigators introduced themselves, and she invited them into her home. It was full of family photos and toys.
“Before we discuss the robbery in-depth, I’d like to ask whether you’ve seen this man before,” Amy said, showing Linda the picture that she selected of a smiling Jamie.
“I don’t believe so,” Linda said. “Why? Is he the man you suspect? Is he the thief?”
“No,” Amy said quickly.
“Do you have to say that because the police haven’t made an arrest yet? Is he your prime suspect?”
“No,” Amy said, regretting her decision to pry into the proposal.
“You’re sure?” Linda asked. “He looks like he could be shady to me.”
“He’s not shady,” Amy protested.
“Mrs. Santiago,” Heather began. “The night of the robbery, you were hosting a sleepover for your daughter?”
“Yes. As I told the police multiple times, I was chaperoning my daughter’s sleepover. She had three girls sleeping over that night, and they were giggling into the wee hours of the morning. I didn’t abandon them to go and rob the store.”
“We just need to double-check this information,” Heather said.
“I understand. I’m just tired of telling you all the same thing. I hope that man you showed me is a suspect and that you catch him soon.”
Heather caught Amy’s eye and warned her to keep cool. Amy took the tablet out again to stay focused on writing notes.
“Where were you on Monday afternoon?” Heather asked.
“Monday afternoon?” Linda repeated. “I didn’t have to go to work, so I was home. I was here relaxing while my daughter was at school. It was nice, actually. I watched TV and took a bubble bath.”
“Did anyone see you?” Heather asked, before quickly adding, “I mean that afternoon. Not while you were in the tub.”
“No,” Linda said. “It was a relaxing afternoon alone.”
“I see,” said Heather. “Did you know Denny Fallon or Burt Braun?”
“I don’t believe so.”
“But did you know about the three-minute lapse in the security system?”
“Yes,” Linda said. “I knew everything there was to know about the shop because Mr. Franklin trusted me. He trusted both of his employees. And I think you should trust us too. It’s very tiring being questioned all the time.”
“I wonder if she’ll fall asleep on us like Mr. Franklin did,” Amy muttered.
Heather thanked Linda for her time and assured her that they would get to the bottom of it. She felt like they were getting close to an answer.
A Present for Mr. Rankle
Mr. Rankle, we have a gift for you,” Heather said.
“It better not be any more of those horrible donuts,” he grumbled, as Ethel helped him into the living room.
“Nope,” Amy said, depositing a tabby cat into his lap as soon as he joined them.
“What is this?” he asked.
“A cat,” Amy said simply.
“Why did you bring a cat into my home?” he sputtered.
“This cat belonged to the victim you saw murdered,” Heather explained. “He was all alone when his owner didn’t come home. We thought you might be able to care for him for a while.”
“It’s the least you can do,” Amy said. “After keeping us running in circles on this case.”
“That’s my fault?” Mr. Rankle asked indignantly.
“We can see if Denny Fallon has any family that would like to take the cat, but so far, no one has offered. He needs a place to stay for a while.”
“And you just expect me to care for this mangy rascal?” Mr. Rankle asked. However, the gentle way he was smoothing the cat’s fur undermined his harsh words.
“He is a cute little fellow,” Ethel said. “And he might scare away some of those birds you hate so much.”
“What’s his name?” Mr. Rankle asked. He tried to sound gruff and uncaring, but it wasn’t working.
“We’re not sure,” Heather admitted.
“I’m going to call you Otis until I hear otherwise,” Mr. Rankle said to the cat. “You look like an Otis to me
. And such fine fur you have. You’re such a good kitty.”
The car purred, cementing the friendship between them. Mr. Rankle looked up at the investigators and, realizing he had shown a soft side, he scowled.
“Any other reason you stopped by? Besides making me work to take care of this animal in my injured condition? You have other jobs you want me to do? You want me to install some drywall as well? Do your taxes?”
“We thought we could update you on the case while we’re here,” Heather said. “But if you’re not interested, we don’t have to.”
“Well, since you’re here,” Mr. Rankle said. “I suppose I can listen to what you have to say.”
“Thank you for deigning to listen to our words,” Amy said with mock grandeur.
“How is the case coming along?” Ethel asked. “I bet Carl’s account of what happened is really helpful now.”
“So, you do believe me now?” Mr. Rankle asked. “I don’t seem so crazy after all.”
“No, dear,” Ethel said. “The bad murderer tried to make you look crazy, but he’s not going to succeed. These young ladies are going to figure it all out.”
“Them?” Mr. Rankle asked. “I’m the one who saw the killer.”
“Yes, but he also got killed,” Amy reminded him.
“That’s what was so confusing about this case,” Heather said. “Things weren’t lining up the way we thought they should based on what you saw. However, now I think that the reason for the confusion is because there were two killers.”
“I know who the first killer is,” Mr. Rankle said, splitting his attention between the case discussion and the cat. “The man with the scar killed the dark-haired guy.”
“Right,” Heather said. “ Burt Braun killed Denny Fallon. But what happened next?”
“If I were Burt Braun, I’d try to cover up the crime,” said Amy.
“Right,” Heather agreed. “But Burt Braun’s body was found where we expected Denny Fallon’s to be. The man who was killed on the beach like Mr. Rankle saw should be the one who washed ashore.”
“Were they both killed on the beach?” asked Ethel.
“Maybe,” Heather said, thinking aloud. “Someone had to kill Burt Braun and put him in the water.”
“Was he killed because of the robbery?” asked Amy.
“What robbery?” asked Mr. Rankle.
“A jewelry store was robbed Sunday morning,” Heather explained. “We believe the two victims were the thieves.”
“Maybe that’s what they were fighting about on the beach,” Mr. Rankle said. “How to split the money or something like that.”
“But who is the second killer?” asked Ethel.
“Someone else who was involved in the robbery?” Amy suggested.
“Oh dear, this is complicated,” Ethel said.
Ethel stood up to find some snacks to offer her guests, but Heather and Amy assured her that they were fine. Heather was too focused on the case to think about food.
However, Mr. Rankle suggested that Ethel get some milk for the feline. Heather smiled, happy that her hunch about Mr. Rankle and the cat seemed to be correct.
Ethel returned with the milk, and they all watched as “Otis” happily began to lap it up.
“Look at how happy he is,” Mr. Rankle said. “Thanks for your help, Ethel.”
Heather continued to ponder the case, and then an idea occurred to her. “What if Burt Braun asked for help?”
“What do you mean?” asked Amy.
“What if Burt Braun called someone to help him clean up his murder? This accomplice met him at the beach, but instead of helping Braun, he killed him instead?” Heather suggested.
“ Burt Braun killed one of his partners to get a bigger share,” Amy said. “And then, that gave the other partner the same idea. There’s more money when it’s split in half, instead of in thirds. And all the money for one person is even more.”
“That makes sense,” said Heather.
“But it’s so terrible,” said Ethel. “These people fighting over money or jewels and killing each other. I don’t believe any sapphires or rubies or diamonds are worth that.”
“Or opals,” Heather said, suddenly.
“Yes,” Ethel agreed. “Those too.”
“That was the mistake,” Heather said. “And now it’s just a matter of proving it.”
“Proving what?” asked Mr. Rankle. “Did she solve this case?”
“I think so,” said Amy.
“Well, is she going to tell us what happened?” Mr. Rankle asked, throwing his arms up in frustration.
“Eventually,” Amy said.
Heather was only half paying attention. She had taken out her cell phone and was calling Ryan. She needed to know if Mr. Franklin could send out a rumor about his newest jewels.
“I can’t believe this,” Mr. Rankle grumbled. “We’re in my house. I’m taking care of this stupid cat for her. I was the star witness in this case. And she won’t tell me the answer! How is this fair?”
Opals
It felt strange trailing the killer and not arresting him right away, but Heather knew they needed to be patient. If the killer didn’t lead them to the stolen jewels, then they didn’t have a strong case against him.
Heather, Amy, Ryan, and Detective Peters kept their distance. They waited until they were certain that the thief had removed the jewels from his hiding spot inside the tree. He was looking through the collection of stones when the investigators interrupted him.
“Stop right there,” Ryan warned.
Alec Bradshaw looked up in surprise but tried to cover it. “I’m so glad you’re here, officers. I was just about to call you. I found the stolen jewels. Isn’t that wonderful?”
“How did you find them?” Heather asked.
“Well, it was because of a tip from Mr. Franklin. He said that some new gems had arrived right before the robbery. Some opals. And that they had been equipped with a tracking device. He felt stupid for not thinking about it earlier, but he had been sleep deprived. He was going to activate the tracker with the company later today. But, well, I found an app that could track it on my phone, and I thought I’d get a jump on it. I might have accidentally deleted the app when I got here though.”
“Nice try,” Amy said.
“What do you mean?” Alec asked. “That’s the truth.”
“No,” Heather said. “The opals were not equipped with tracking devices. Mr. Franklin agreed to tell you that story because he wanted to prove that his employees were innocent. But we made it up because we thought the thief would lead us straight to the stolen jewels.”
“You wanted to get rid of the opals before they gave away your hiding location for all the other stones,” Amy said.
Ryan and Peters handcuffed Alec Bradshaw as they read him his rights. They began walking away, but Alec stopped.
“This is all a misunderstanding,” Alec said.
“Was killing two people a misunderstanding too?” asked Heather.
“What are you talking about? You can’t prove I killed anyone.”
“Only one person,” Heather said. “But you tried to cover up two murders.”
“This is ridiculous,” Alec Bradshaw said. “Maybe – maybe you have a case with the robbery, but nothing about murder.”
“Burt Braun and Denny Fallon were your accomplices in this heist,” Heather said. “You gave them all the information they would need to break into the store without getting caught, especially about the lapse in the security recording. Then, you made sure that they committed the crime at a time where you would have a solid alibi.”
“Not as good as Mr. Franklin’s alibi, but still a good one,” said Amy.
“Then, the plan was to wait until the heat died down to sell the jewels and each of you would get your share of the money,” Heather continued. “I suspect that Burt Braun and Denny Fallon were supposed to find a safe hiding spot for the stash. That might have been why they were meeting on the beach with a shovel and t
he bag. Of course, Burt Braun might have planned his murder earlier and just wanted an excuse to approach his victim with his weapon of choice.”
“I don’t know anything about this,” said Alec.
“It wasn’t part of your plan,” Heather said. “You didn’t want Denny Fallon dead, but Burt Braun must have contacted you for help cleaning up the crime scene. You went to the beach to help him, but then you decided that having both of your accomplices dead would mean you got to keep all the money.”
“So, you killed Burt Braun with the shovel,” said Amy.
“And you disposed of Burt Braun’s body in the ocean,” said Heather. “But you decided to move Denny Fallon’s body to the trunk of his car.”
“Why would I do that?” Alec asked. “It seems to be like this killer you’re after should have disposed of both bodies in the water.”
“But you wanted one of them to be found,” Heather said. “You expected Burt Braun to be lost at sea forever, but miscalculated. However, you wanted Denny Fallon to be found eventually.”
“Why would I want that?” Alec asked.
“Because you wanted the police to stop suspecting that the robbery was an inside job. If Denny Fallon’s body were found in the trunk of his car, we would suspect that his partner killed him and fled with the money. It was supposed to lead us to Burt Braun, but we were never supposed to actually find him.”
“This is an awful lot of speculation.”
“You made your mistake when we were interviewing you,” Heather said.
“First, you were too interested in our saying suspects as a plural noun,” said Amy. “You only ever expected us to find one thief.”
“And you made a slip when you mentioned the opals as some of the stolen jewels,” Heather said. “Those jewels arrived after the employees went home for the night. Only Mr. Franklin and the robbers would have known that opals were missing too.”
Alec looked angry.
“And, did we mention we have an eye-witness?” Amy asked.
“It was supposed to be mine!” Alec yelled, feeling caught and finally breaking. “I was surrounded by jewels all day. I just wanted some money of my own. Burt and Denny were supposed to be professionals, but then Burt slips and kills somebody. Sothen I had to get rid of him.”
Hot Fudge Sundae & Murder Page 6