by Cindy Bell
As Brian made a few phone calls, Wendy decided to call and check on the bride and groom. After she checked in with them, she felt a little better. Everything was running smoothly, but to Wendy’s relief Shawna wanted to postpone the meeting about the seating chart until tomorrow.
“I have a name and address,” Brian said as he hung up his phone. “I can go check it out, while you finish up with the wedding stuff,” he offered.
“No,” Wendy said firmly. “I'll go with you. But let me pick up my car at Mulligans on the way. I want to go straight to the wedding venue after we’ve spoken to her.”
“Are you sure you want to come?” he frowned as he studied her. “I don't want you getting too stressed out.”
“I think solving a murder trumps a walk through of the wedding venue,” Wendy smiled in return.
“All right, let's check it out,” Brian said. “We'll hold off on calling Polson until we know for sure that we have something solid.”
Chapter Nine
After Brian dropped Wendy at her car she drove to the address trying to piece together what they had learned.
Brian was already waiting for her when she parked her car in front of an average looking rancher.
“Her name is Theresa Blake,” Brian said when he opened the car door for her.
“Okay, Theresa, let's hope that you're in a talkative mood,” Wendy said. She took a deep breath. Brian led the way up the driveway to the front door. There was a small cement porch in front of the door. Wendy knocked firmly three times and then she glanced around the neighborhood as they waited for someone to answer the door. It was quiet enough, and working class. After several minutes no one had answered the door.
“Are you sure this is the right address?” Wendy asked as she glanced over at Brian.
“It is,” he nodded as he double checked the text he had received with the information. Seems like someone doesn't want to talk,” Brian said with an edge of impatience. “Knock again,” he instructed.
Wendy nodded and knocked again, a little more firmly this time. “Theresa?” she called out, hoping to get the woman's attention. Brian put his finger to his lips and then hovered his ear close to the crack in the door. He nodded a little as if he heard something.
“Someone's in there,” he whispered. “Let's see if we can wait them out.”
Wendy nodded and the two simply stood on the front stoop, waiting. Wendy hated to be so difficult but she knew that Theresa had to have information that was important to the case. After a few more minutes, the doorknob began to turn. Wendy and Brian both took a step back in anticipation of the door opening. When it did, it was only a crack. Theresa peered through the opening.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“We just want to talk to you,” Wendy said with a slow smile. “Please, can we come in for a minute?”
“Absolutely not,” Theresa barked. Her short, curly hair was reddish-gray. Her eyes were a gray color tinged with blue. “I have no idea who you are, why would I let you into my house?”
“So sorry,” Brian said, smoothing his voice even more than usual. A charming smile crossed his lips that surprised Wendy. She didn't get to see him in action that often, but she could see why he was able to get information out of people. “We're just trying to help out a friend who's been put in a bit of a bind. We're hoping that you would be able to help.”
“I have no idea what you're talking about,” Theresa glared between the two of them. Brian's charm didn't seem to be working.
“We're here because someone is lying,” Wendy said in an even tone.
“Are you accusing me?” Theresa demanded, with anger brewing in her voice. Brian stepped in front of Wendy and smiled his charming smile again.
“Look, we're not here to cause any trouble,” he assured her. “We're friends of Alisha’s, we're not police,” he added.
“Friends of Alisha’s?” Theresa said skeptically. “She didn't tell me that you would be coming by.”
“We didn't tell her,” Wendy admitted. “My name is Wendy,” she added. “I planned Alisha's wedding, along with my boss at the time.”
“Oh right,” Theresa nodded and rolled her eyes. “All she would talk about was that wedding. How terrible it was, how it ruined her chance at a happy marriage, how she would never forgive herself for going through with it. It can get really annoying sometimes. That's why I was glad to get away for a little while.”
“Get away?” Brian asked with interest
Theresa eyed him with some annoyance. “What is this all about?”
“Alisha said that she was at the conference last night and this morning,” Wendy explained. “But we believe you went instead of Alisha.”
“Yes, I went,” Theresa nodded with a puzzled expression. “Is this because of the credit card? Is that what this is about?” Theresa asked quickly. “I had permission to use the card, in fact Alisha insisted I use it so she could write off the expenses of the trip. I don't know why she would say that she was at the conference though, I was the one at the conference. She said she was too miserable over her divorce to be of any use when it came to advertising. I didn't really want to go, but she pleaded with me to. Then they had this terrible early breakfast meeting this morning that I almost flaked out on, but she called to make sure that I was going.”
“Alisha called you?” Brian pressed. “About what time?”
“Before six,” Theresa replied. “She asked me to make sure that I filled her car up before the meeting because she wanted to claim the gas as a travel expense. I am not a morning person,” she added with a grimace. “That's why I didn't respond to your knocking right away. I was taking a nap to catch up on the sleep I missed this morning.”
“Do you think there's a reason why she would claim that she was the one at the conference?” Wendy pressed. “Did she mention any particular activity she was going to do while the conference was on?”
“No,” Theresa said, slowly. “She just said she couldn't make the conference and asked if I could cover it.”
Brian shifted uncomfortably. “I'm sorry, I really need to use the restroom,” he said shyly. “Do you mind if we step inside for a minute?”
“All right,” Theresa said reluctantly. “But only to use the bathroom,” she opened the door further so that they could step inside. Wendy could see that Theresa's house was spotless. Everything had its place. It also appeared that she lived alone. There was no hint of another person’s presence, such as an extra pair of shoes, or several dishes in the sink. She wondered why Theresa was so hesitant to let them inside.
“It's down the hall on the right,” Theresa instructed Brian. “Not the first door, the second. Do not go in the first door, understand?” she demanded.
“I understand,” he nodded. When Theresa turned away Brian cast a suspicious look in Wendy's direction. Wendy was beside herself with curiosity as well. She had no idea what Theresa was trying to hide, but she was certain that Theresa was hiding something.
“How well do you know Alisha?” Wendy asked as Brian disappeared down the hallway.
“Honestly, I haven't gotten to know her very well personally,” Theresa replied. “She's a bit hard to get to know that way. We've been working together for a few months. I helped her open up the shop, but we don't really socialize together.”
“Did she say anything to you about visiting Handley’s Café?” Wendy asked. Theresa glanced nervously down the hallway.
“No, she didn't mention it to me. I don't see why she would go there. She said she despised Oliver Handley,” Theresa shook her head. “I can't remember her ever telling me about anyone she liked though.”
“I see,” Wendy nodded.
Wendy jumped when she heard a blood-curdling scream from the hallway.
“Oh dear,” Theresa said and clucked her tongue.
“What is going on?” Wendy asked as she rushed to the hallway. She found Brian standing in the doorway of the room that Theresa had warned him not to go into. His mouth was hanging o
pen and his skin had grown quite pale. Wendy looked past him into the room and soon discovered why he had screamed. The room had several aquariums with large snakes in them. But stored right by the door was the real reason that she thought Brian was scared. A cage filled with mice.
“I told you not to go in there,” Theresa admonished with annoyance. “Most people don't understand my pets,” she explained with her arms crossed over her chest. “It's better just not to share them with too many people.”
Wendy was still in shock as she stared at the large collection. Brian backed away from the cage filled with mice. Wendy finally found her voice.
“What about Alisha?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Did she know about your pets?”
“Yes,” Theresa smiled a little. “That is one thing I like about her. She didn't seem to think my affection for them was as strange as most people do. She even asked me about their eating habits, and such.”
“Did she ever come over to see them?” Brian asked.
“No,” Theresa shook her head. “Like I said, she wasn't very social, and I wouldn't have even considered inviting her over.”
“What about any break-ins?” Wendy asked her. “Or any of your mice that might have gone missing?”
“No, nothing like that,” Theresa responded quickly. Then she pursed her lips for a moment. “Although, there was one day earlier this week that I came home to find my front door slightly open. I freaked out, thought maybe someone had broken in. I searched the house, and found the door to my pets' room was open. I thought someone had stolen them or hurt them, but they were all safely inside. I just assumed that I had forgotten to close the doors all the way before I left for work. Nothing was missing. But then, I didn't do a head count on the mice,” she pointed out.
“You probably wouldn't notice if a few went missing,” Brian suggested.
“I try not to get too attached,” Theresa shrugged. “They are food for my pets, not pets.”
Brian raised an eyebrow in Wendy's direction. Wendy pretended not to notice. She felt as if they had now proven Alisha as a strong suspect.
“Would Alisha have access to your keys during the day, at the shop?” Wendy asked.
“I guess,” Theresa frowned. “I just leave my purse behind the counter, so she could have taken them at some point I suppose. But why would she want to steal mice?”
“Why indeed,” Brian nodded slowly. “I think it's time we call Polson.”
“Am I going to be in trouble?” Theresa asked nervously. “If they arrest me, no one will take care of my pets. What will I do?”
“You're not going to be arrested,” Wendy assured her. “As long as you are honest with them, just like you've been honest with us, nothing bad is going to happen. Your pets will be safe.”
“Good,” Theresa sighed fondly as she looked through the glass at one of the large snakes. “No one understands them like I do.”
“I’ll call Polson,” Wendy said grimly. She knew that Polson gave Brian a lot of information when it came to cases and she didn't want there to be an issue between them about how long it took them to share the important information that they had.
“Aw, you're ruining my fun,” Brian smiled a little with a glint in his eyes.
Wendy shook her head. “No need to get his feathers ruffled,” she reminded him.
“Well, we did solve his case for him,” Brian said smugly.
“It's not solved yet,” Wendy said as she stepped up to the door of Theresa's house. “You stay with Theresa. If she skips then there won’t be a leg to stand on when it comes to Alisha.”
“She doesn't like me at all,” Brian pointed out. “I don't know if I can convince her to let me stay in here alone with her.”
“Oh, I think I can think of a way,” Wendy said mischievously.
“Huh?” Brian stared at her.
“Theresa, Brian's really interested in your pets. Do you think you could introduce him to a few of them?” Wendy asked sweetly. Brian's eyes widened as he continued to stare at Wendy. He grabbed her loosely by the arm and pulled her close.
“You're going to pay for this,” he whispered beside her ear in a playful tone. Wendy laughed and pulled away from him.
“Oh absolutely, I love to show off my little ones,” Theresa said proudly. “Come on back with me, Brian,” she invited.
Brian followed her back down the hallway. He shot a glare over his shoulder in Wendy's direction. Wendy was too busy slipping out the front door to notice. Once she was outside she pulled out her phone and dialed Polson.
The first time she called she was sent to voicemail.
“Polson, this is Wendy, please call me back,” she said before hanging up the phone. She was a little irritated that she couldn’t get hold of him. She decided to try Detective Dunn. She didn't usually call her as she knew that she was very busy and wasn’t as forgiving of Wendy’s investigative endeavors as Polson, but she wanted to see if she could get through to someone and Dunn was more forgiving than Delaney. Detective Dunn answered almost immediately.
“Detective Dunn,” the voice on the phone said sharply.
“Detective Dunn, I'm sorry to bother you, this is Wendy,” she stumbled over her words nervously.
“Wendy, what is it?” she snapped. “I'm right in the middle of an interview.”
“I'm sorry,” Wendy said and grimaced. “I think I know who killed George.”
“What?” Detective Dunn demanded. “What exactly are you talking about?”
“Brian and I have been able to disprove Alisha Baker's alibi,” she explained swiftly. Even over the phone Detective Dunn made her feel as if she was a bumbling fool. She was always on top of everything, and never stammered.
“Wendy, I have an important question for you,” Detective Dunn said in a cold tone. “Why exactly are you and Brian investigating a murder suspect's alibi?”
“Uh, well,” Wendy cleared her throat. “We just happened to be in the area so we thought we'd check into some things. It turns out that Alisha's employee, Theresa, was the one who actually attended the conference. She also filled Alisha's car with gas, and used Alisha’s credit card to pay for the gas, the motel and breakfast this morning.”
“Well, that does blow her alibi out of the water,” Detective Dunn said, her tone softening with interest. “Do you know this for sure?”
“Yes, I do,” Wendy replied. “We're at Theresa's house now, and she has confirmed that she was the one that attended the conference.”
“Excellent,” Detective Dunn said. Wendy thought she could hear a smile in her voice. “Text me the address please and I'll send Polson right out.”
“Okay,” Wendy said. “We'll wait until he arrives.”
A few seconds after Wendy hung up the phone, her phone began ringing again. She picked it up straight away.
“Hello?” she asked.
“This is Polson,” Officer Polson said. “Were you calling me?”
“Yes, I was,” Wendy replied. “Has Detective Dunn got hold of you yet?”
“No, why?” Polson asked with confusion.
Wendy took a deep breath and prepared to tell him the entire story. “Alisha's alibi isn't true,” Wendy explained.
“What are you talking about?” he asked. “I'm just leaving her house now. I was doing a final interview with her.”
“Polson, if you're still there, go in and get her,” Wendy insisted. “Detective Dunn is supposed to be contacting you to let you know that Alisha is the main suspect.”
“Wendy, you're not making any sense,” Polson sighed. “Hang on, I've got another call,” he switched over before Wendy had a chance to say a word. Wendy waited for Polson to come back on the line. After a few minutes she was disconnected. Wendy frowned and hung up her phone. She stepped back into the house to wait for Polson or Dunn's arrival. Brian was just stepping out of the hallway. His face was pale.
“I watched her feed them,” he said with horror in his eyes.
“They were awfully
hungry!” Theresa said with a laugh. “Now their bellies are full. Thanks for your help, Brian,” she said warmly. Wendy was amazed that Theresa's attitude had changed so much towards Brian.
“Well, good thing you fed them,” Wendy said with a broad smile. “The police should be here soon to discuss the situation with you,” Wendy added. “They're looking forward to your help.”
“That's good,” Brian sighed with relief. “Maybe, I'll just wait out front for them.”
“No, stay,” Theresa pleaded. “I have a few pictures to show you.”
“Yes, stay,” Wendy grinned at Brian. Her cell phone began ringing again. Brian was glaring at her as she answered it.
“Polson?” she asked.
“Listen Wendy, Alisha isn't at the house. As soon as I spoke to Dunn I turned around to get her, but she was already gone. Are you still with the employee?” he asked urgently.
“Yes,” Wendy replied. “Are you on the way?”
“I am, but you and Brian need to keep a look out. Alisha might have been tipped off somehow,” he warned. “She could be on her way to cover her tracks. If she’s murdered once who knows what she is capable of doing. Stay inside and keep the doors locked until I get there.”
“Okay, I will,” Wendy said anxiously. She hurried inside and turned the deadbolt over on the front door. When she hung up the phone she turned to Brian and Theresa. “Theresa, are your windows locked?”
“My windows?” Theresa asked. “Why?”
“We need to lock everything up until the police arrive,” Wendy said anxiously.
“How come?” Theresa demanded to know.
“Alisha may be on her way here, and she may already know that she is the prime suspect,” Wendy said
“That's not good,” Brian grimaced. “I'll check the back door.”
Once everything was locked up Theresa settled on the couch. She stared nervously at the door.
“Maybe this was a bad idea,” she said grimly. “I'm sure Alisha had a good reason for whatever she has done.”
“There's never a good reason for murder,” Wendy said sternly. As she spoke, there was a sharp knock on the door. All three looked up at the door warily. Brian walked towards it. He motioned for Theresa and Wendy to stay on the couch. He peered through the peep hole in the door.