Cozy Creek

by K M Morgan

  She had been watching TV with her boyfriend, Dylan Robertson, when she received a distressing phone call from Jennifer. That was when everything changed for Chloe. Her relaxing evening was no more. It had been obliterated in an instant, and replaced with a nightmare that she couldn’t wake up from.

  She wanted to help her friend, but she needed more information first. Currently, this was all that she knew.

  Richard Gilbertson was dead. And Jennifer had been arrested for his murder.

  To Chloe, none of that made any sense. Jennifer was an absolute sweetie. She didn’t have a murderous bone in her body. She was a simple makeup saleswoman. She loved walking on the beach and browsing the clearance racks at retail boutiques for great deals. She just wanted to live a simple life. To get married and have kids.

  So much for her hopes and dreams. Right then, the only thing that mattered was proving her innocence.

  That was much easier said than done. Chloe wasn’t about to tell her friend that, however. Jennifer was already in the dumps. Chloe didn’t want to make her even more depressed.

  Chloe tried to put on a good face. “I’ll do everything I can,” she said.

  “Good. I need to get out of here. This cell is freaking me out,” Jennifer replied.

  “I’ll bet. Just hang in there, though—”

  “How am I supposed to do that? Do you have any idea how terrifying it is to be in jail?”

  “Thankfully, I don’t have any experience with that.”

  “Let me tell you, I’m this close to pulling my hair out.”

  Chloe winced. “I’m so sorry.”

  “I still can’t believe this is really happening.” She pinched herself. “I keep thinking that this is just a terrible dream. But it isn’t.” She gritted her teeth. “This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be here.”

  “Detective Thicke disagrees.”

  “I know. I tried to tell the detective that this was all a big mistake, but he didn’t believe me. You have to talk some sense into him,” Jennifer pleaded. “You know me. I’m not a killer. You have to believe me.”

  “Just tell me what happened.”

  “The police found me standing over Richard’s body,” Jennifer said.

  Chloe grimaced.

  Jennifer continued. “I know how that looks.”

  “Terrible,” Chloe said.

  “I didn’t kill him, though.”

  “Jennifer, you’re going to need to back up a little bit. Start from the beginning.”

  “All right. Earlier today, I discovered that Richard was cheating on me. So, I went to his house to confront him about it.”

  “And? What did he have to say for himself?”

  “At first, he didn’t want to admit what he had done. But as our conversation continued, I got the awful truth out of him.”

  “What happened then?”

  “I told him it was over between us. That I didn’t ever want to see him again. Then I turned around to walk away. That was when he grabbed my arm.”

  “What did you do next?”

  “I told him to let me go.”

  “Did he?”

  Jennifer shook her head. “Not at first. He pleaded with me. He told me that he knew he had made a big mistake. That he was incredibly sorry about what he’d done. That he would do anything to make up for it.”

  “How did you respond?”

  “I told him to let me go.”

  “Did he listen? Or did he get violent with you?”

  “He let go of my hand. I then ran out to my car.”

  “Okay. What happened next?”

  “I got into my car and drove away.”

  Chloe squinted. “Hold on a second. I’m confused. Why did the police arrest you then?”

  “Because when I came back to Richard’s house a few minutes later, he was on the ground, completely motionless.”

  Chloe’s eyebrows rose. “Wait a minute. You went back?”

  Jennifer nodded.

  Chloe shrugged. “Why?”

  “I got halfway home and realized that I had forgotten my purse at Richard’s house.”

  “Oh dear.”

  “I had been in such a hurry to get out of there that I wasn’t thinking straight. When I turned around and went back, I saw Richard’s body on the ground. Naturally, I went over to check on him. That was when I spotted a big bloody gash on the top of his head. I also saw the poker from his fireplace on the ground beside him.”

  “Was he still breathing when you arrived?”

  Jennifer shook her head. “Unfortunately, he was dead.”

  “What happened then?”

  “About thirty seconds later, the police arrived and saw me standing over the body. A number of officers pointed their guns at me and told me to put my hands up.”

  “Just like that? They didn’t question you?”

  “They asked me a bunch of questions when they hauled me over to a police car. I told them that Richard was already dead when I got there. I told them I had nothing to do with his death. But the detective didn’t believe me. Instead, he arrested me and brought me back here.”

  “That’s terrible.”

  “I don’t know why he wouldn’t listen to me. I’m innocent.”

  “Let me talk to the detective.”

  Chloe turned around to walk away.

  “Please don’t leave,” Jennifer said.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll be back. I just need to plead your case with the detective.”

  “Okay. Good luck.”

  Chapter Two

  Detective Todd Thicke did not look happy to see Chloe approaching him. Thicke and Chloe had an interesting history. When they first met a number of years ago, they had an antagonistic relationship. Thicke did not like Chloe’s amateur sleuthing. At all. In fact, he absolutely hated it.

  When Chloe’s investigative instincts proved to be spot-on, Thicke’s opinion of her changed. The more cases that she solved, the more he took a liking to her. To the point where the two of them even worked on a case together a few months ago.

  It had certainly taken a while, but Thicke and Chloe had become friends. That was what made this upcoming conversation so difficult.

  Thicke knew that he was about to get an earful. Chloe had a fierce loyalty to her friends. She also had a seriously stubborn streak to her. That would be on full display right then.

  Thicke tried to talk Chloe down before she could give him the business.

  “Ms. Cook, I know you’re upset, but I’m just doing my job,” the detective said.

  “You’ve made a huge mistake,” Chloe replied.

  “That’s doubtful.”

  “Detective, you need to listen to me.”

  “Actually, you’re the one that needs to listen right now—”

  “Jennifer is innocent.”

  “I’m sure she told you that she had nothing to do with Richard’s murder. That’s what she said to me too. Meanwhile, the facts tell a different story.”

  “Are they really facts, though? Or are those details misleading?”

  “I know it’s going to be tough for you to hear, but it’s the truth. All signs are pointing to Jennifer being the killer.”

  Chloe shook her head. “There’s no way she did this.”

  “Are you saying that as her friend? Or as a sleuth? Because from an investigative standpoint, I don’t know how you could say that she’s anything but guilty.”

  “Detective, the murder only took place a few hours ago and you’ve already arrested her. How can you be so certain that she’s a killer until you’ve done a more thorough investigation?”

  “Not all cases have to be long and drawn out. Sometimes, you get lucky and catch a break almost immediately. This is one of those times.”

  “You’re dead wrong.”

  Thicke put his hand up. “Look. I get that Jennifer is your friend. I also understand that this must be devastating for you. But it doesn’t change the facts. Look at things from my perspective. With evidence like this,
I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t take her into custody.”

  “I understand that.”

  “Good.”

  “Even so, there’s a number of things about this situation that just don’t add up.”

  “Do you really believe that? Or is it too hard for you to be objective at a time like this?”

  “You keep trying to make this about me and my emotions.”

  “Because you seem to be ignoring the facts. After all, when we arrived at the scene, Jennifer was standing over the body. That is very telling.”

  “I understand that looks bad.”

  “It isn’t all—”

  Chloe cut the detective off. “By the way, what made you show up at Richard’s house in the first place? The timing seems really strange.”

  “9-1-1 received an emergency call. Apparently, the caller heard yelling and became distressed. They decided to phone us to investigate the situation.”

  “When you say that 9-1-1 received a call, was it anonymous?”

  Thicke shook his head. “No. The call came from Richard’s next-door neighbor.”

  “Before you hauled Jennifer back here, did you speak with this neighbor?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did this neighbor actually see Jennifer over at Richard’s place when the yelling occurred?”

  “The neighbor is an elderly woman. She was too afraid to look outside for fear of being spotted herself. Besides, her vision isn’t great. But her sense of hearing is just fine.”

  “So, what you’re saying is that you can’t definitely prove that Jennifer was at Richard’s house when the murder occurred?”

  “Why are you making me repeat myself? When we arrived at the scene, Jennifer was standing over Richard’s body.”

  “Yes, but you also said that ten minutes went by between the time that the call came in and when you arrived at Mr. Gilbertson’s house. It’s possible that someone else killed Richard. The killer might have immediately fled the scene. Then Jennifer might have shown up once the killer was already gone. At that point, Jennifer would just be the victim of really unfortunate timing.”

  “That’s quite an interesting theory. Do you have a shred of evidence to back it up?”

  “Currently, no.”

  “That’s what I thought. Now, if you find a way to prove that wild theory of yours, get back to me. In the meantime, the case against Jennifer is very strong. That’s why she’s staying behind bars.”

  “You’re really not going to budge, are you?”

  “Not one inch,” Thicke said.

  Chloe groaned.

  “Are you surprised?” Thicke asked.

  Chloe shook her head. “No. I’m just disappointed. Let’s say you were in my position. What if you had a friend behind bars? And you believed that they were being wrongfully imprisoned? Wouldn’t you be determined to discover the truth?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s exactly my point.”

  “It might not seem like it, but I sympathize with you. It’s a terrible situation. At the same time, the evidence is stacked against your friend. So, as hard as it might be for you to do, you need to strongly consider the possibility that you are wrong about Jennifer.”

  Chloe remained defiant. “I’m not. And I’m going to prove it to you.”

  Chapter Three

  After finishing up with the detective, Chloe went back to Jennifer’s cell. Jennifer became excited when she saw Chloe. A little too animated, given how grim the situation was. It was clear that Jennifer had gotten her hopes up.

  “Please tell me you have good news,” Jennifer said.

  Chloe hated being the bearer of bad news. Unfortunately, she didn’t have any choice in the matter.

  She grimaced. “Not exactly.”

  Jennifer’s heart sank. “Oh no.”

  “I tried my best to convince the detective to let you go, but he refuses to budge.”

  “Why not?”

  “The fact is, he has some pretty compelling evidence. The police did find you standing over Richard’s body.”

  “I didn’t kill him. You have to believe me.” Jennifer got quiet for a moment. She then asked, “You believe me, don’t you?”

  Chloe stared deep into Jennifer’s eyes.

  “I do,” Chloe replied.

  Jennifer breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. At least I have one person on my side.”

  “True. Although, it’s not me that you have to convince. If you’re going to get out of here, you’re going to have to get the detective to buy your story.”

  Jennifer threw out her arms. “How am I supposed to do that?”

  “I’m working on that part.”

  Jennifer let out a groan. “I should have never gone back to get my purse.”

  “Let’s be honest. Even if the police hadn’t found you standing over Richard’s body, even if you were nowhere near Richard’s house when the police arrived, they would have spotted your purse at the scene and immediately suspected you.”

  “You’re probably right,” Jennifer said. “Which means that I shouldn’t have forgotten to take my purse when I left Richard’s house the first time.”

  “You can’t blame yourself. You were in distress. You just wanted to get out of there. You weren’t thinking straight.”

  “You’re right. Still, I can’t help but think about how much different things would be right now if I had been a little more on the ball.”

  “You shouldn’t obsess over that.”

  “Why not?”

  “To start, it’s not healthy.”

  “Maybe not, but I can’t help myself.”

  “Also, obsessing over that isn’t going to change anything. The past is written in stone. There’s no going back.”

  “What am I supposed to do? If I don’t get out of here, my life is over.”

  “Instead of dwelling on the negative, we should try to be productive.”

  Jennifer’s nose crunched. “How are we supposed to do that?”

  “If I’m going to get you out of here, I’m going to need all of the information that I can get. We’re also going to need a lot of luck.”

  “Trust me. I’m going to do a lot of praying that you get lucky.”

  “That said, luck can only take me so far,” Chloe said. “Meanwhile, information might prove invaluable.”

  “I’ll tell you everything you want. I’m just not sure how helpful it will be.”

  “Let me be the judge of that. You might be surprised how useful the info might be.”

  “Okay. What do you need from me?”

  “I’m going to ask you some questions. Answer as honestly as possible.”

  “I will.”

  “All right. Here we go. How long between when you left Richard’s house the first time and when you returned?”

  “It was probably about fifteen minutes.”

  “Did you see anyone suspicious around when left the first time?”

  Jennifer shook her head. “No.”

  Chloe became discouraged. “That’s a shame.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize. This isn’t your fault.”

  “Tell that to the detective.”

  “I’m not going to waste my breath talking to him anymore. Not until I find a lead.”

  “What makes you so sure that you’ll find one?”

  “There’s no such thing as the perfect crime. Because human beings aren’t perfect. They make mistakes. Based on that logic, I just need to find out where the killer slipped up.”

  Jennifer squinted. “How are you supposed to do that?”

  “The first step is to compile a suspect list. That’s where you might come in extremely handy.”

  “How so?”

  “I need you to think. Who had a reason to want Richard dead?”

  Jennifer shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Jenn, dig deep. Your freedom depends on it. Was Richard having problems with anyone? If you can give me any names, it woul
d be a big help.”

  Jennifer bit the corner of her lip. She then said, “Now that I think about it, a few people come to mind.”

  Chloe pulled out some paper and a pen. “Good. Who are they?”

  Chapter Four

  Jennifer was actually able to give Chloe a decent amount of information. By the time Chloe left the police station, she had quite the suspect list. Chloe would certainly have her work cut out for her. That wasn’t exactly surprising. She had never come across a simple murder case in her entire life. She was convinced that they didn’t exist.

  Even though this investigation was probably going to be complex, at least she had something to work with.

  As Chloe drove away from the police station, she couldn’t help but think about the terrified look that was on Jennifer’s face. Her entire future was on hold. There was a chance that her life would never be the same. She was pinning all of her hopes on Chloe.

  From an investigative standpoint, Chloe wanted to start working on the case right away. But the hour was late. Really late.

  Chloe knew better than to start poking her head into the dark corners of Cape Cod right then. It was asking for trouble. That could do more harm than good. There was a reason that criminals preferred to operate under the cover of night. It was easier for them to conceal their illegal activities.

  There was even a chance that Chloe could be killed. Granted, there were always risks involved when working on an investigation, but the potential perils were far greater at night.

  Chloe wanted sunlight to be on her side. A killer was less likely to do something crazy in the middle of the day. The risk of getting caught increased dramatically.

  For those reasons, Chloe opted to head home. She would tackle the case with fresh eyes in the morning.

  As Chloe arrived at her house, a surprise was waiting for her. Her boyfriend was still there.

  When she left earlier to head off to the police station, she had told Dylan that he didn’t have to wait around for her return. She had no clue how long she would be out. Rather than making him wait around for her, it seemed like a better idea for him to just head back to his place.

  Clearly, Dylan had other ideas.

  “What are you still doing here?” Chloe asked.