Cozy Creek

by K M Morgan

  Tyler turned the tables on her. “That only makes me wonder, what made you come here on a day like this?”

  Charlotte became defensive. “This my store. I can come here whenever I want.”

  “It’s also a crime scene,” Tyler explained.

  “The police had cleared out when I got here,” Charlotte said.

  Deanna took her turn questioning the widow. “What the detective means is, why would you come back here so soon after your husband was murdered? I figured you’d be home all day grieving.”

  “That’s what I plan to go and do,” Charlotte insisted.

  “You still haven’t answered my question. Why did you come here now?” Tyler wondered.

  “I forgot something here last night. I came back to pick it up,” Charlotte said.

  It was very suspicious how tight-lipped she was being. Getting any information out of her was like pulling teeth.

  “What did you leave here?” Tyler asked.

  “My, uh, phone,” Charlotte said.

  Deanna stopped her right there. “Wait a minute. Are you telling me in this day and age that you went all night without your phone?”

  “I was preoccupied,” Charlotte explained.

  Charlotte had unknowingly given Deanna an opening, and she took it.

  “With Victor Wright?” Deanna asked.

  Charlotte got very guarded all of a sudden. “Where did that come from?”

  Tyler also seemed to be rather surprised by that question.

  Deanna didn’t let anyone throw her off her game. She pressed on. “Charlotte, I was at the bookstore yesterday when you were fighting with your husband. I heard him accuse you of having an affair with Victor.”

  “Those are just accusations, and false ones at that,” Charlotte insisted.

  “Maybe they are, maybe they aren’t. One thing was clear. You were clearly in favor of your husband selling the store to Victor,” Deanna said.

  “Because it was a good business move. I didn’t want the store to go out of business.”

  “Of course not. If it did, you’d get almost nothing in the divorce. You weren’t about to have your husband throw away your marriage and your portion of the proceeds from selling the store.”

  “You’re just making wild speculations now.”

  “Am I? The fact is, your husband was cheating on you. Another fact is, he didn’t want to sell the store. If that wasn’t enough, it was a known fact that you hated the man’s guts, enough to tell the whole store you couldn’t wait to divorce him. You roll all that into one, and it makes for a seriously killer motive,” Deanna said.

  Charlotte’s face went white.

  Deanna wasn’t done. “Even more, you say you came back here this morning to get your phone, but what if you really came back here to remove incriminating evidence that you’d left behind last night?”

  Charlotte blew her lid. “How dare you talk to me like that? I’m out of here.”

  When Deanna’s barrage of questions was in full swing, Tyler had held back. Now that Charlotte was trying to make an exit, he stepped in again.

  “Not so fast, Mrs. Gibson. I need to know, how late were you here last night?” Tyler asked.

  “I don’t know. Six o’clock,” she answered.

  Tyler continued. “Where were you between eleven and midnight?”

  “I was at home,” Charlotte replied.

  “Alone?” Tyler said.

  “Yes. After the exhausting day I had, I had a few drinks then passed out pretty early. Why?” Charlotte replied.

  “So you have no alibi for the time of your husband’s murder?” Tyler asked.

  Charlotte became defiant. “I didn’t kill him.”

  “You say that, but you have no one to verify your story,” Tyler remarked.

  “Look, if you want to find my husband’s killer, why don’t you talk to Hailey Henderson?” Charlotte suggested.

  Talk about being thrown for a loop. Neither Tyler nor Deanna saw that accusation coming.

  “Where did that come from?” Deanna asked.

  Unfortunately, Charlotte chose that moment to withhold any further details. “I’m done talking to you.”

  “You don’t get to say when we’re done,” Tyler declared.

  “Look, we both know you don’t have enough to hold me for more than seventy-two hours, and I don’t have anything else to say without a lawyer present. So if you’re not going to arrest me, I’m leaving,” Charlotte said.

  Tyler hated to admit it, but she was right. There was no hard evidence pointing to Charlotte, nor did she confess to committing the murder. As much as it pained him to do so, he let Charlotte get in her car and leave.

  Chapter Fifteen

  As Deanna and Tyler walked back to the detective’s car, they had much different reactions to the confrontation that had just occurred.

  Deanna’s focus was on Charlotte’s odd behavior.

  “She was awfully evasive for a woman who claims she’s innocent. On top of that, how often do you see a widow that remorseless when their husband was just murdered the night before?” Deanna asked.

  Tyler was more concerned with Deanna’s interrogation approach.

  “What were you doing in there?” he asked.

  Deanna was confused. “What are you talking about?”

  “You completely unloaded on her. You were badgering her like crazy. How do you expect to get things done by being that combative?”

  Deanna couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Seriously, that’s what’s on your mind? Charlotte couldn’t wait to throw Hailey Henderson under the bus, and you’re focused on my interviewing technique?”

  “I’m just saying, there’s a way to do things—”

  “Let me guess, by the book?”

  “Deanna, I’m a police detective. I can’t just throw around wild speculations.”

  “I don’t have that problem,” Deanna replied.

  “I realize that, but you can’t keep doing that,” Tyler said.

  “Why not? It worked for me last time. Besides, we both know that people let things slip when you make them uncomfortable.”

  “Wouldn’t you prefer to just stick to the facts?”

  “No.”

  Tyler didn’t like that answer.

  “Look at it this way—you have your approach, and I have mine. You’re the good cop, and I’m the bad cop,” Deanna explained.

  Tyler cut her off. “I’m going to stop you right there. In this equation, there’s only one cop, and it’s me.”

  “Details, details. At the same time, let me remind you, the fact that I’m not a cop has its advantages.”

  “Like what?”

  “I have the freedom to do things cops can’t. I can push the boundaries. Don’t try to rein that in. You should take advantage of that.”

  Tyler shook his head. “You’re lucky I’m mad about you.”

  “I know you’re looking at me like I’m crazy, but remember who solved the last murder case.”

  Tyler couldn’t deny that. Instead, he just sighed. “Things really are different in the desert.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing. Sometimes different is better.”

  “And sometimes different just gets you into trouble.”

  “Let’s be honest—you kind of signed up for trouble the minute you started dating me,” Deanna said.

  “You’re a tough person to argue with, you know that?” Tyler said.

  “You’re just proving my point. Now, let’s hit the road. We have another suspect to question.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  When Tyler’s car pulled onto Hailey’s street, Deanna wasn’t sure what to expect. Would she be alone? Would her boyfriend be there? It was so much better to question suspects individually than as a group. There was comfort in numbers, and sometimes the details got muddled when multiple suspects were being questioned at once.

  Either way, there was one clear bright spot for Deanna going into this interview. With Tyler at
her side, it practically eliminated the possibility of her greatest nemesis showing up. That nemesis, of course, was having a door slammed in her face. No one would be dumb enough to do such a thing to someone with a badge.

  Sometimes it truly was the little things in life that made a huge difference. The mere fact that Deanna didn’t have to worry about having a door slammed in her face was refreshing enough to bring a sense of calm to her. How long that tranquility lasted was yet to be determined, but it was nice to have it stop occasionally.

  Deanna’s mood was about to be put to the test. She stood on the doorstep to Hailey’s brown adobe rental house with Tyler. After a moment, Hailey Henderson slowly opened the door, looking emotionally guarded.

  “Hailey Henderson,” Tyler said.

  “Yes?” Hailey replied.

  “Detective Goodman, Desert Palms Police Department. I have to ask you some questions,” Tyler said. He flashed her his badge. “Can I come in?”

  Hailey gave Deanna a critical eye. It was clear she recognized Deanna from the bookstore yesterday. “What’s she doing here?”

  Tyler thought up a good excuse on the fly. “She’s a special advisor on this case. Now, can we please come in?”

  ***

  Being with Tyler had more advantages than Deanna even realized. Deanna couldn’t believe Hailey actually allowed her in her home. This was a first for Deanna. She was used to having to cram half a dozen interview questions into a small window before the suspect had an emotional explosion. Not this time.

  Deanna and Tyler entered Hailey’s living room, where the tattooed, blue-haired, self-published writer stood in front of them, looking uncomfortable in her own skin.

  “What do you want to know?” Hailey asked.

  “Where were you between eleven and midnight last night?” Tyler wondered.

  “I was here,” she replied.

  “By yourself?”

  “Yeah. Why does that matter?” Hailey asked.

  “Because I want to see if you have anyone to verify your story,” Tyler said.

  “I told you. I was here. I sat here all night binge-watching Ghoulish Tales of Sadistic Delight.”

  “At least that’s your story, but it doesn’t mean anything to me if I can’t verify it,” Tyler insisted.

  “Quiz me on the TV show all you want. I guarantee, there won’t be a question I can’t answer,” Hailey said.

  “That’s irrelevant,” Tyler replied.

  “Why?” Hailey wondered.

  “All that information is just an Internet search away. You could have watched those episodes at a previous date, or just looked up the plot info online,” Tyler explained.

  Deanna had held back long enough. She had a nagging concern that she wanted to get off her chest. “Why wasn’t your boyfriend with you?”

  Surprisingly, Hailey seemed to be caught off guard by that question. “I, uh, just wanted to be by myself.”

  Deanna couldn’t help but follow up on an answer that vague. “Why?”

  Hailey was eager to change the subject. “What does that have to do with the case?”

  Tyler stepped in and got Deanna’s back. “Just answer the question.”

  Hailey averted her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before coming clean. “My author reading yesterday was a complete disaster. I left the bookstore feeling completely miserable. I was so embarrassed and depressed that I just wanted to be alone to collect my thoughts and regroup.”

  “There’s something very odd about that story. You’d think at a time like that, you’d want your boyfriend with you for comfort,” Deanna said.

  Hailey was hostile with her response. “You think that, but guess what? You and I are different.”

  “I’ll say,” Deanna replied.

  That was the understatement of the century. Deanna was a business professional. Hailey looked like a tattoo artist.

  Tyler tried to get things back on track. “All right, let’s focus on what’s important here.”

  Deanna got right back to the heart of the matter. “For example, why would Charlotte Gibson say if we wanted to find her husband’s killer, you’d be the person to talk to?”

  That really set Hailey off. She shook her head in disgust. “That underhanded witch. She actually said that?”

  Deanna nodded. “The question is, why would she say something like that?”

  Hailey’s temper started flaring up. “Isn’t it obvious?”

  “Spell it out for us,” Tyler insisted.

  “To throw the blame off herself,” Hailey revealed.

  Tyler wanted clarification. “Wait a minute. Are you saying—?”

  “Charlotte is the killer,” Hailey declared.

  “What makes you so sure of that?” Tyler asked.

  “She just found out her husband was cheating on her with some weirdo hippie lady that worked for him. And she was incredibly angry about it,” Hailey said.

  Deanna couldn’t resist jumping in again. “You seem eager to throw Charlotte under the bus, but let’s not forget, Kenneth Gibson gave you plenty of reasons to hate him too.”

  Hailey played dumb. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Deanna was too smart for that. “Let me refresh your memory. Kenneth Gibson was pretty vocal about his distaste for you, both as his son’s girlfriend and on a personal level. He thought you were a freak. That you ruined his son. He wanted Wyatt to break up with you and go back to his mathlete roots. On top of that, Kenneth stubbornly refused to turn over the management of the bookstore to your boyfriend. Need I go on, or does that sound like enough motive to you?”

  Hailey was defiant. “I don’t care what you, Charlotte, or anyone else says. I didn’t kill Kenneth Gibson. I was here last night watching TV. And that’s all I have to say on the matter.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Hailey Henderson may not have slammed the door in Deanna’s face, but she did shut her down. Tyler and Deanna could have pressed her further, but it wouldn’t do any good. Hailey wasn’t going to say another word.

  With a shortage of evidence pointing to Hailey and a number of other suspects to question, Tyler and Deanna decided to move on to the next suspect. Much to their surprise, they only had to take a few steps outside of Hailey’s house to find themselves face-to-face with their next interview subject.

  Just as Tyler and Deanna were walking back to Tyler’s car, they saw Wyatt Gibson walking up the driveway, carrying a pint of ice cream. It wasn’t often a suspect fell into their lap like this. Neither was going to let this opportunity slip through their fingers.

  Tyler stopped him.

  “Wyatt, we have a few questions for you,” Tyler insisted.

  As Deanna looked at Wyatt’s nose ring, Mohawk, and tattoos, she couldn’t believe the guy had once been a mathlete. She couldn’t linger on that fact for long. There were more pressing issues at hand.

  Wyatt looked exasperated by the detective’s request. “Do we have to do this now?”

  “Is that a problem?” Tyler wondered.

  “It’s just that I’m holding ice cream,” Wyatt explained.

  “You should be worried about more than ice cream,” Tyler said.

  “Look, I’m in rough shape right now. What do you want from me?” Wyatt wondered.

  Unlike his mother, Wyatt did look remorseful. He was definitely a little worse for wear.

  “Where were you last night between the hours of eleven and midnight?” Tyler asked.

  “I was at my apartment,” Wyatt said.

  Tyler continued. “Were you by yourself?”

  Wyatt nodded. “Unfortunately.”

  “Why do you say unfortunately?” Tyler wondered.

  “I wanted to be with my girlfriend. She had a rough day. I tried to comfort her, but she said she wanted some time alone,” Wyatt explained.

  Deanna saw an opening and took it. “You had a rough day, too—thanks to your father.”

  Wyatt looked offended. “You don’t think I coul
d have done this, do you?”

  “You had a motive. Your dad thought you were freak. He wouldn’t accept you. He thought you were an embarrassment to the family,” Deanna explained.

  Wyatt stopped her right there. “Hey, take it easy. Have some respect. I just lost my father.”

  “And we’re trying to find the killer,” Deanna said.

  Wyatt got choked up.

  Tyler took over the questioning again. “Are you okay?”

  Wyatt took a deep breath. “Of course not. I just lost my father.”

  “Right,” Tyler said.

  Wyatt sighed. “I know when you look at my Mohawk and tattoos, you don’t think I’m the kind of guy that would get emotional about things, but I have feelings. I mean, my father is dead. He’s gone. Murdered—just like that. Despite all the strain in our relationship, I still loved him.”

  “Trust me, we’re doing everything we can to find the killer,” Tyler explained.

  “Good. Now, can I go bring this ice cream to my girlfriend before it melts?” Wyatt asked.

  “Just one thing first. Your mother seems to think your girlfriend killed your father. Your girlfriend, meanwhile, thinks your mother is the killer. What do you think?” Deanna asked.

  “I don’t know what to think anymore,” Wyatt replied. He then peered into the shopping bag, where his ice cream carton was getting more liquefied by the second. “Can I go now?”

  Tyler thought it over then nodded.

  Chapter Eighteen

  After leaving Hailey Henderson’s house, Deanna and Tyler headed over to the Spanish-style townhome that Fiona O’Dell was renting. Deanna had no idea what to expect from this interview. Even by wacky desert standards, Fiona stretched the meaning of oddball.

  Deanna was interested to see how Fiona explained the Mystic Enchantment business card she found at the crime scene under that dumpster. Tyler looked to be just as eager to question Kenneth’s mistress with his own set of queries.