Cozy Creek

by K M Morgan

  “Driving to my sister’s. That’s where I spent the night.”

  “What time did you arrive at your sister’s place?” Detective Thicke asked.

  “Around eleven,” she replied.

  “Around?”

  “I had a lot on my mind. I wasn’t hyper-focused on what time it was.”

  “Were you driving alone?” Detective Thicke wondered.

  “Yes,” Lily said.

  “So you don’t have anyone to verify your story either,” Detective Thicke insisted.

  Lily sighed. “I guess not, but I was driving.”

  The detective stared into her eyes, scribbled another note down, and then turned his attention back to Adam Foster.

  “Are you still sticking with your story?” Detective Thicke asked.

  “I was at home,” Adam replied.

  “Alone, though, right?”

  “I have no one to verify it if that’s what you mean. But I was there,” Adam said.

  “Let me tell you something, a story is only as good as an independent party’s ability to corroborate it,” the detective replied.

  Detective Thicke moved on to Sasha Irwin next.

  “How about you, Ms. Irwin, where were you last night?” he asked.

  “I was taking my dog for a walk,” Sasha answered.

  The detective was critical. “At that hour?”

  “He’d been cooped up all day. He needed to burn some energy off,” Sasha said.

  “But at such a late hour? I find it curious that a woman would be walking alone at night like that.”

  “Sir, I have a German Shepherd. Trust me, I have no problem walking alone at night.”

  “So you do admit that you were alone then?” the detective said.

  That question caught her off guard. “Well, technically. But I was out walking my dog.”

  Detective Thicke stared her down, then approached the greasy-haired man.

  “Mr. Voss, you’re up next. Where were you last night?” the detective asked.

  “I was watching my team win their third straight,” Voss replied.

  “Was anyone with you?”

  “Nah. I was watching the game alone. But I can tell you everything that happened in that game. Every touchdown, every sack, everything,” Voss insisted.

  “A simple Internet search can tell you that too. The fact is, you have no one to corroborate your alibi,” the detective said.

  Detective Thicke then moved on to Chloe.

  “Ms. Cook, either you keep finding trouble or trouble keeps finding you,” Thicke said.

  “It’s the latter,” Chloe insisted.

  “Uh-huh. Where were you between ten and eleven last night?” the detective asked.

  “I was at ‘Pie Paradise’ talking with my friend Shannon McGraw. You can call her at 555-3849. She’ll verify my story,” Chloe said.

  Detective Thicke smiled. “What a refreshing answer. I’ll have my deputy do just that.” He then turned to Deputy Stanton. “Hey Stanton, call this Shannon McGraw up.”

  “Yes Sir,” Deputy Stanton replied.

  The detective then approached Paige O’Doul.

  “Ms. O’Doul, where were you last night?” Detective Thicke asked.

  “On my way back to my parents’ house,” Paige said.

  Chloe furrowed her brow at that answer. She expected Paige to say that she was in bed or watching TV, not on her way back to her parents’ house. Chloe had dropped Paige off at her folks’ place well before then. Had Paige left after that? Chloe wasn’t the only one with questions.

  The detective was just as curious. “The question is, where were you on your way back from?”

  Paige tensed up. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

  The pit in Chloe’s stomach got bigger. What was going on here? Chloe had a feeling she didn’t want to know the answer.

  The detective sure did. “Let me help you out. We got a call from one of the neighbors saying they spotted you getting in your car and pulling out of Ryan Foster’s driveway around ten o’clock.”

  Everyone in the lineup gasped except Chloe, who sighed.

  Panic was all over Paige’s face. “That’s true. I was here. I had a quick conversation with Ryan, then left. I didn’t kill him, though. He was alive when I left.”

  Detective Thicke shook his head. “Do you really expect me to believe that?”

  Paige nodded. “It’s the truth.”

  “Are you saying you just happened to have a conversation with the deceased a few minutes before he was murdered, but that some mysterious other person came by after you left and killed him?”

  “I know how it sounds—”

  “Ridiculous is how it sounds.”

  “We’ve all heard the saying, but the fact is, sometimes the truth really is stranger than fiction,” Paige insisted.

  “Why don’t you just confess already?” Detective Thicke said.

  “Because I didn’t do this.”

  “We’ll see about that. My men are dusting this whole place for prints, including the murder weapon. If you didn’t do this, it shouldn’t be long before I find out who did. Either way, I should have all the physical evidence I need to charge the guilty party before long. In the meantime, don’t any of you even think about leaving town,” Detective Thicke declared.

  Chapter Eleven

  Chloe’s heart was nearly beating out of her chest. What a stunning turn of events. If things were looking bad for Paige before, they were downright dire now. It was clear that in the detective’s mind at least, Paige was the prime suspect in this case.

  Still, despite appearances, something was gnawing at the back of Chloe’s mind. A key part of this scene didn’t make a lick of sense to her, and she wasn’t afraid to tell the detective just that.

  While the other suspects looked eager to put as much distance between themselves and this crime scene, Chloe took a quick breather, then headed straight towards the detective.

  “Detective Thicke,” Chloe said.

  Thicke finished talking with Deputy Stanton. He turned to Chloe.

  “Ms. Cook, I had a feeling I hadn’t heard the last of you,” the detective said.

  “You sure haven’t.”

  “Although I must say, you really should stop going to parties. They never seem to end well.”

  Chloe sighed. “Don’t remind me.”

  “There is some good news. My deputy checked out your alibi. Congratulations, you’re no longer a suspect in this case.”

  “Thanks, but I’m not actually here to talk to you about me.”

  Detective Thicke looked eager to shut her down. “Don’t even start with me.”

  Chloe was confused. “But you don’t even know what I’m going to say—”

  “Stop treating me like a fool. I’m far from it. I know you came over here to try and convince me that Paige O’Doul is innocent.”

  Chloe’s eyes opened wide. He was completely spot-on. Maybe he wasn’t as thick as she thought.

  “How did you know that?” she asked.

  “I’m a detective. It’s my job to know things like that and let me tell you—you’re wasting your breath trying to plead your case for Paige.”

  “You must have a shorter memory than I thought. You questioned my instincts on the last case too and look how that worked out,” Chloe said.

  “The problem with luck is that it eventually runs out.”

  “I’d be careful who you’re underestimating.”

  Detective Thicke didn’t back down. “And I’d be careful who you’re defending. Paige admitted she was here around the time of the murder.”

  “Yes, around the time, not at the time. It’s entirely plausible that Paige could have had her conversation with Ryan Foster, then left before the killer arrived. As a matter of fact, the killer could have watched the conversation and realized Paige would be the perfect fall girl.”

  “What about the murder weapon? It’s the same one as in the play she’s starring in,” the d
etective reasoned.

  “Is it really the same one as from the play, or just similar to the one in the play?”

  “My boys are going to be checking that out. They’ll be swinging by the props department and seeing if a golf club is missing. Either way, the fact that a golf club was used to kill Ryan Foster seems more than just coincidental.”

  “I couldn’t agree more.”

  Relief came to the detective’s face. “It’s good to hear you’re finally listening to reason.”

  “The golf club was the perfect weapon to use to frame Paige for the crime,” Chloe revealed.

  Detective Thicke groaned. “You may be able to argue with me, but you can’t argue with lab results. If Paige’s prints are on that club, this case is closed.”

  “Come on detective. We both know the killer was probably smart enough to wipe the prints off that club. They’d be foolish not to. Which means you’re going to need a confession.”

  “You’re presuming a lot. I’d prefer to let the facts speak for themselves.”

  “And what facts are those?”

  “My team is working on that now. I’m confident I’ll have the evidence I need to make an arrest in this case in the near future. Now, excuse me, I have work to get back to,” the detective said.

  “Just one thing. If Paige killed Ryan Foster, why would she leave the murder weapon at the scene of the crime?” Chloe asked.

  Detective Thicke hesitated before answering. He was clearly caught off guard by that question.

  “Maybe she heard a noise and panicked.”

  “In that case, she’d still bring it with her. A golf club makes her look guilty by default.”

  “That’s because she most likely is guilty.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Chloe said.

  Detective Thicke stared her down. “We certainly will. Now, for the last time, I have work to do.”

  The detective walked away, leaving Chloe completely frustrated.

  Chapter Twelve

  Chloe approached Paige, who was a complete wreck. She knew her friend needed comfort, but Chloe needed something as well. There was a shortage of answers to some very important questions. That had to change, and fast. It was time for Chloe to drop the veil of mystery and come clean. But first, Chloe gave her friend a hug.

  “I’m so sorry,” she said.

  Paige was trembling. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

  “You and me both,” Chloe replied.

  “Yeah, but you have an alibi. I’m out here flapping in the wind.”

  “I know it’s hard to believe, but you’re going to get through this.”

  “You’re right, that is hard to believe. I mean, this is the worst moment of my life. That detective really thinks I did this,” Paige said.

  “I know he does.”

  Paige’s voice cracked as she replied. “What am I going to do?”

  “The best defense is the truth,” Chloe insisted.

  “I told the detective the truth. He didn’t believe me.”

  Chloe stared deep into her eyes. “Paige, I know you’re holding back. You were doing it last night, and I can see in your eyes that you’re doing it right now. I want to help you, but I can’t do that until you tell me the whole truth. Do you understand?”

  Paige nodded.

  “Good. Now, what were you doing coming here in the middle of the night?” Chloe asked.

  “Look, I know it wasn’t the best choice.”

  “Given the circumstances, I can’t imagine a worse choice.”

  “I made a mistake. I let my emotions get the best of me. When I saw Ryan and what he was doing, I couldn’t help myself,” Paige said.

  “Paige, for the last time, you have to tell me what you were doing here.”

  Paige exhaled. “It’s complicated.”

  “Simplify it.”

  “All right, here goes. Ryan used to date my old college roommate, Becca Patterson. Becca was mad about Ryan. She thought they were going to get married. Then one day, Becca caught Ryan cheating on her…with her sister.”

  Chloe grimaced. “Oh no.”

  “It gets worse.”

  “How could it get worse than that?”

  “Becca had been fighting depression all her life. She finally seemed to be getting better after Ryan came into her life. When she caught him cheating on her, she went into a tailspin. She wasn’t able to pull out of her downward spiral and ended up committing suicide,” Paige explained.

  “That’s so awful.”

  Paige began tearing up. “Becca is gone because of Ryan. I’ve never gotten over that, nor will I ever be able to forgive him for his actions.”

  “I can’t say I disagree with you.”

  “The amazing thing is, Ryan never tried to make up for his actions. In all these years, he showed no remorse for what he did.” Paige had to take a moment to catch her breath before continuing.

  “Last night dug up old wounds. I could see history repeating itself, and I wanted to stop that from happening.”

  Paige’s story about her old roommate was tragic. There was no doubt about that. Unfortunately, the more she talked, the more a motive emerged. Chloe hoped the truth would make Paige look less guilty, not more.

  Chloe was reluctant to ask her next question. “What did you do to stop it?”

  “It’s like I said. I came over here to confront Ryan.”

  “Then what happened?”

  “I gave him a piece of my mind. I was determined to get a different answer this time, an admission of guilt, or at least some closure. I’ve been carrying this pain around for so long—I just wanted him to know what it felt like, and to maybe even learn from his mistakes.”

  “Did he?”

  Paige scoffed. “Not even close. Some people never change. He refused to take any responsibility for pushing Becca over the edge. He acted like he played no part in crippling depression. I couldn’t convince him otherwise.”

  “And then?”

  “Then I went home, feeling completely defeated.”

  “Wait. That’s it?” Chloe asked.

  “That’s not enough?”

  “I’m just saying, you were in his garage, you were steaming mad, and you had plenty of reasons to want him dead.”

  Paige looked horrified. “You don’t actually think I did this, do you?”

  “It’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s just that with everything you’ve told me, things are not looking good for you with this case.”

  “Chloe, you know me. You’re one of my oldest friends. You know I could never do something like this. You have to believe me.”

  Chloe opened her mouth to answer, but Paige kept talking.

  “I know everything I just told you makes me look guilty, but I’m innocent. Did I hate Ryan? Of course, but I would never kill someone, no matter how much I thought they deserved to die. Unlike Ryan, I have a conscience. And if I did something like commit murder, I’d have to live with it for the rest of my life. You have to believe me.”

  Chloe peered deep into her eyes. Paige may have been an actress, but she wasn’t acting now. Chloe could see the truth, and she was happily surprised by it. Despite appearances that suggested otherwise, she knew her friend was innocent.

  “I believe you,” Chloe said.

  “Good.”

  Paige didn’t stay relieved for long. Chloe knew the hurdles in front of Paige in this case.

  “The problem is, the detective doesn’t know you’re not a killer, and you’ve painted yourself into a serious corner,” Chloe insisted.

  Paige sighed. “I know. What am I going to do?”

  “Don’t worry. I’m going to prove that you’re innocent.”

  “How?”

  “By finding the real killer,” Chloe revealed.

  Paige jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

  Chloe nodded. “And I’m going to need your help.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Are you sure about this?” Paige ask
ed.

  Paige was still in disbelief as they returned to her parents’ house. Chloe sat her down in front of her laptop, eager for her to get to work. There was a lot to do, and not much time to work with.

  “What’s the alternative? We can’t rely on the police here. They think you did it. The way I see it, this is the only way,” Chloe explained.

  “I can’t believe you’re really doing this for me.”

  “If you can’t turn to an old friend for help, who can you turn to?”

  Paige smiled. “You’re right. Now, what do you need from me exactly?”

  “I want you to find out everything you can on the suspects. Their addresses, frequent hangouts, social media updates. Spare no expense.”

  “Ok.”

  “If someone posted something stupid on the Internet, I want you to find it.”

  “Will do,” Paige said.

  “That reminds me. At the party last night, Ryan Foster threatened to ruin Sasha Irwin’s career by releasing some pictures he had of her. Do you have any idea what might be in those photos?”

  “Not a clue.”

  “It would be great if you can find out.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” Paige said.

  “Oh and do some extra searching on Eric Voss. I don’t know the first thing about him,” Chloe insisted.

  “That makes two of us.”

  “You have your work cut out for you.”

  “Like you should talk,” Paige joked.

  “I know, right?”

  “Good luck.”

  “This isn’t about luck. It’s about finding that one clue that will blow this case wide open,” Chloe declared.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Before Chloe could get to the bottom of things, she had to try and sort out the mess in her head. Her mind was a complete jumble, with her thoughts going every which way. She took a long, deep breath, closed her eyes, and then did her best to get things straight. The easiest way to start was to run down the suspects in this case.

  First on the list was Ryan’s brother, Adam Foster. Sibling rivalry wasn’t uncommon, but these brothers took it to a whole new level. There was certainly no love lost between them. For good reason. Ryan Foster nearly broke up Adam’s marriage by having an affair with his wife. If that wasn’t enough, by the looks of it last night, Adam’s wife was still harboring feelings for Ryan. While all this was happening, it was also revealed that Adam’s wife Lily was pregnant. What if the child was Ryan’s instead of Adam’s? There were plenty of reasons to want Ryan dead. The question was did Adam do the deed?