“Look. I had to ask.”
“Let me make my answer crystal clear. I would trade all the money I have to get my sister back,” Seth replied.
“I really hope you’re telling the truth.”
“I am. What would even make you question that?”
I picked up one of the racetrack schedules from the coffee table. “I see you’re a fan of the ponies.”
Seth shrugged and gave a nonchalant answer. “I go to the track every once in a while.”
I grabbed a second schedule from the table. “These are from consecutive days. It appears that you go more than just every once in a while.”
Seth gritted his teeth. “So I like going to the races. What’s the big deal? I thought you were here to investigate my sister’s death, not ask me what I do with my free time.”
David stared Seth down. “Mr. Lambert, how has your luck been at the track lately?”
“Just fine,” Seth said.
David looked deep into Seth’s eyes.
“Are you lying to me?” David asked.
“No. And besides, that’s not relevant,” Seth replied.
“Mr. Lambert, you don’t get to decide that.”
“Why are you so focused on my luck at the track?”
“Maybe your luck hasn’t been just fine. Perhaps you got in over your head and suddenly found yourself with some steep debts to pay off. During times like that, inheritance money really comes in handy,” David said.
“Wait a minute. You don’t think I might have killed my sister, do you?” Seth asked.
“I didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t deny it, either.”
“I’m a detective. It’s my job to consider every possibility.”
“I didn’t kill Julie.”
“Hey. If you want me to get off of your back, there’s one easy way to do that.”
“Name it.”
“Tell me where you were on Friday night,” David said.
Seth narrowed his eyes. “Why do you want to know?”
“Just answer the question,” David said.
“I was here,” Seth replied.
“Doing what?”
“Watching the game. The Marauders were taking on the Gorillas.”
“Was anyone here with you, or were you watching the Marauders alone?”
“I don’t get why that matters. I was watching the game. Go ahead. Ask me what happened.”
“The question I’m most interested in is whether you were alone. I’m guessing the answer is yes.”
“All right. Yeah. I was alone. But that doesn’t prove anything.”
“Sure it does. It proves that you have no alibi for the time of the murder.”
Seth snarled. “You have a lot of nerve.”
“Am I wrong?” David asked.
“If you’re looking for someone who had a reason to want my sister dead, why don’t you talk to Matt Wallace?” Seth said.
“Julie’s ex-boyfriend?” I asked.
Seth nodded.
“Mr. Lambert, we’re not done talking to you yet,” David said.
“I’m telling you,” Seth replied. “You should be talking to Matt right now.”
“Fine. I’ll bite. Why Matt Wallace?”
“He couldn’t believe that Julie dumped him—for Wally Tuttle, no less.”
“Is that all you’ve got?” David asked.
“Trust me. That’s plenty. Matt has a huge ego and an explosive temper,” Seth said.
“Thank you for the tip. Now, back to you—”
Seth cut him off. “Why? I already told you I had nothing to do with my sister’s death.”
“Mr. Lambert, I’m the one conducting this interview.”
“But Matt Wallace—”
“Seth, I know what you’re doing.”
“Pointing out that Matt is a suspect who can’t be ignored,” Seth said.
“I was going to say trying to point the finger of blame elsewhere,” David replied.
“Because it shouldn’t be pointed at me in the first place.”
“That’s debatable.”
Seth shook his head. “To me, there’s no debate.”
“It turns out your opinion is pretty biased,” David said.
“That doesn’t make it any less true.”
“I only believe what can be proven. And in your case, that isn’t much.”
Seth became exasperated. “Look. I don’t have anything more to say.”
“You don’t get to decide when we’re done,” David replied.
“Are you arresting me?” Seth asked.
David stared long and hard at Seth. After a few moments, he answered, “No.”
Seth folded his arms. “I’m not saying another word, then.”
Chapter Twenty
Seth was true to his statement. David and I peppered him with a few more questions, but he didn’t answer any of them. When we realized that Seth wasn’t going to give us any more information, we left his house and headed toward central Treasure Cove, where Matt Wallace owned a dark-blue Victorian-style home with an enviable wraparound porch.
The muscular, tall, athletic thirty-nine-year-old answered his front door after a couple of knocks. As Matt stood in his doorway and listened to David tell him the news about Julie’s body being found, I watched his body language closely. Matt had a handsome face, and he knew it. There was cockiness to him that was off-putting, like a foul-smelling cologne that hung pungently in the air.
That wasn’t all. Matt looked really broken up about Julie’s death, but I couldn’t tell if he was just putting on an act, or if his reaction was genuine.
When David finished speaking, Matt replied somberly and with a raspy voice.
“That is awful news. I was really hoping that Julie would be found alive,” Matt said.
“That’s how we all felt. Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out that way,” David replied.
“No. Which is especially heartbreaking considering it’s the holiday season,” Matt said.
“I can’t argue with you there.”
“That said, I have to admit that I’m pretty confused.”
My nose crinkled. “About what?”
“Why you two are here,” Matt replied.
“Because there are some things that we need to ask you,” David said.
“What kind of things?” Matt replied.
“You know, it would be a lot easier if you just let us ask the questions,” David said.
“Look. I’m not trying to give you a hard time. I just can’t figure out why you’re wasting your time talking to me. I mean, shouldn’t you be out looking for Julie’s killer?” Matt asked.
“That’s exactly what we’re doing.”
Matt’s forehead wrinkled. “I’m sorry. I don’t follow.”
“Trust me. You will soon enough. Now, can we please get to our questions?”
Matt nodded. “Sure thing. I just think there’s a much better use of your time. Especially considering that I don’t know anything about Julie’s death.”
David stared him down. “You never know where a break in the case might come from. That’s why we want to gather as much information as we can.”
“Okay,” Matt replied. “Although this still doesn’t make any sense to me.”
“Look. Mr. Wallace, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to worry about,” David said.
“I’m an open book.”
“Good. This should be quick, then.”
“Fine. What do you want to know?” Matt replied.
“Where were you on Friday night?” David asked.
“I was here.”
“All night?”
“Why do you seem so surprised?”
“I just thought maybe you had gone out.”
Matt shook his head. “No. The Marauders game was on, so I drove straight home from work. I didn’t want to miss a minute of the action.”
“Did you have some friends over to watch the game with you?�
� I asked.
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I asked some of the guys, but they all had other plans. You know, dates, and whatnot. Which wasn’t surprising considering that it was Friday night.”
“So you watched the game alone, then?”
“Uh-huh.”
I couldn’t help but notice that both Seth and Matt had referenced the Marauders game. Perhaps it was just a coincidence. Then again, maybe it wasn’t. That said, the Marauders were a popular sports team, so it was not out of the realm of possibility that both men truly had been watching the game that night. Then again, maybe neither of them had been at home that evening. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the evidence that was necessary to determine the truth.
“Why do you care so much about what I did on Friday night?” Matt asked.
“These are all just standard questions,” David said.
“Maybe for you, but not for me.” He squinted. “Wait a minute. When was Julie killed?”
“Friday evening,” David replied.
I expected Matt to tense up. Instead, he didn’t break a sweat.
“You don’t think I had something to do with Julie’s death, do you?” Matt asked.
“I don’t know what to believe right now. That’s why I’m trying to gather as much information as possible,” David said.
“In that case, I’ll make it easy for you. I didn’t kill Julie,” Matt replied.
“I wish I could just take your word for it,” David replied.
“What do you mean, you wish? Don’t you believe me?” Matt asked.
“It’s not that simple.”
“Really? Because it seems pretty clear cut to me.”
“It would be if you had anyone to corroborate your story.”
“It’s not a story. It’s the truth. I was watching the game that night. Go ahead. Ask me what happened—”
David held his hand up. “I’m going to stop you right there. You can recite as many stats about the game as you want, but without anyone to verify your alibi, it’s not going to matter.”
Matt scoffed. “This is ridiculous.”
“It’s just standard police procedure. You either have an alibi for the time of the murder, or you don’t. And in your case—”
“I don’t need an alibi,” Matt said. “I had no reason to want Julie dead.”
I held my pointer finger up. “Now you’re the one who is being ridiculous. Julie was your ex-girlfriend.”
“Yes. The key word there being ‘ex,’” Matt replied.
“If anything, the fact that she left you only makes you even stronger of a suspect,” I said.
Matt shook his head. “That’s not true. We broke up a long time ago.”
“Seven months isn’t all that much time,” I said.
“It’s long enough,” Matt replied.
“Are you saying you’re over her?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Do you have any proof of that?”
Bafflement came to his face. “We’re talking about an emotional state. How am I supposed to prove that I was over Julie?”
“Let me ask you this. Are you dating anyone right now?” I said.
“I’m between girlfriends,” he replied.
“So that’s a no.”
Matt held his pointer finger out. “Here’s an idea. Why don’t you talk to Wally Tuttle?”
David folded his arms. “Mr. Wallace, I know what you’re doing.”
“I don’t know why you’re staring me down. I’m just stating the obvious,” Matt said. “After all, I watch TV. I know that crimes like this are usually committed by a significant other.”
“Except this isn’t a TV show. It’s real life,” David replied.
“The same principles apply. Besides, are you going to stand here and tell me that Wally couldn’t have done this?” Matt asked.
“That’s exactly what I’m going to say.”
Matt scrunched his nose. “How do you figure?”
“We’re the ones asking the questions here,” David said.
“If you’re so convinced that Wally is innocent, why not just tell me why?” Matt asked.
“Fine. Because Wally has an ironclad alibi,” David said.
I stared Matt down. “Unfortunately, the same thing cannot be said for you.”
“Hey. Just because I was here alone doesn’t mean that I wasn’t watching the game. I already told you. I didn’t kill Julie,” Matt said.
“That is still yet to be determined,” I replied. “Although you sure had a strong motive, seeing as how Julie dumped you for Wally—”
“I got over Julie,” Matt said.
“At least that’s your side of the story. But based on what we heard, that is difficult to believe.”
“What did you hear?”
“That Julie dumping you really hit you hard.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know who told you—”
“That isn’t important. All that matters is the truth.”
Matt exhaled. “Don’t get me wrong. Those first couple weeks after Julie left me were rough. But I’ve had seven months to get over her. And I have.”
“Mr. Wallace, we’d really like to believe you, but that would be much easier to do if you were currently dating someone. But as you told us before, you are between relationships,” David said.
“Just because I’m not dating someone new doesn’t mean I’m still hung up on Julie,” Matt replied.
“True,” David said. “But appearances—”
“Can be deceiving. Now, are we done here?” Matt asked.
David shook his head. “Not quite.”
“We should be. Especially since there is someone else you should be talking to right now,” Matt said.
“I already told you. Wally has an ironclad alibi,” David said.
“I wasn’t referring to Wally,” Matt replied. “I was talking about Natalie Hollingsworth.”
David’s eyebrows rose. “Your ex-girlfriend?”
Matt nodded.
“And why should we speak with her?” David added.
“Because she hated Julie,” Matt said.
“Is that so?”
“Oh yeah. To this day, Natalie still blames Julie for our breakup, even though Natalie and I stopped dating a year and a half ago,” Matt said.
“How do you know that your ex-girlfriend still feels that way?” David asked.
“She told me as much when she randomly showed up at my house last week.”
“Wait a minute. Last week?”
Matt nodded.
“What did she want?” David asked.
“To get back together with me,” Matt said.
“How did you respond?”
“I told her to go home.”
David’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you take her back?”
“Her boyfriend had just broken up with her, so she was all emotional. Not to mention drunk. Which is one of the reasons that I called things off with her a year and a half ago. The last thing I want is to deal with her drinking problem again,” Matt replied.
“When you told her to go home, how did she react?” David asked.
“She completely lost it. Natalie went on this big crazy rant about Julie,” Matt said.
“Why her?” David asked.
“Haven’t you been listening to me? Natalie blames Julie for our breakup. Never mind the truth, that I just got tired of dating a lush. But Natalie refused to listen to reason. I’m telling you, that woman is completely unstable. Go talk to her. You’ll see,” Matt said.
“Do you think she’s capable of murder?” David asked.
“If you would have asked me a month ago, I would have said no. But after seeing the look in her eyes the night I rejected her, I wouldn’t rule anything out,” Matt said.
“We’ll have to pay Natalie a visit,” David replied.
“Why don’t you go do that right now?”
David held his hand out. “Not so fast. We
’re not done with you yet.”
Matt shrugged. “What more do you want from me?”
“You’re under plenty of suspicion as well. In addition, there’s no way to verify your alibi for the time of the murder,” David said.
“Look. I have answered all of your questions. I don’t know what else there is to say,” Matt replied.
“How about something that proves you are innocent?”
“All I can do is give you my word,” Matt said.
“That’s not proof,” David replied.
“According to you. Then again, you don’t have any proof that I’m guilty, either,” Matt said.
David stared long and hard at Matt.
Unfortunately, by that point, we were just going around in circles. Realizing that he had hit a wall in his questioning, David decided to cut his losses. After giving Matt a warning not to leave town, David ended the interview.
Chapter Twenty-One
Natalie Hollingsworth was more than just Wally’s ex-girlfriend. The curvy, round-faced thirty-eight-year-old was also a woman who had no patience for David and me showing up at her front door. Especially when David told her that Julie was dead.
As I stared into her crystal-blue eyes, she looked completely annoyed about having to speak with us. She ran her fingers through her long, wavy black hair nervously. It was clear to me that she couldn’t wait to make an exit from this conversation, despite the fact that it had just begun.
Natalie declined to let us inside her dark-green Victorian-style house. Instead, she opted to step forward and talk with us on her front porch. That was an unwelcome choice, given the chill that was in the air. It also roused some suspicion.
“I don’t understand why you wouldn’t let us speak with you inside,” David said.
“Yeah. It’s cold out here,” I added.
“I like my privacy,” Natalie replied.
Surprisingly, just like the other two suspects, Natalie had a raspy voice as well.
David stared Natalie down. “So it’s not because you have something in there that you are trying to hide?”
Natalie shook her head. “No.”
“I hope that’s the case, but that remains to be seen. Now, we need to ask you some questions,” David said.
“Don’t bother,” she replied.
“Why not?” David asked.
Daley Buzz Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 83