Cozy Creek

by K M Morgan

  The detective, meanwhile, waited for an answer. When he didn’t get one, he put the pressure on Walter one more time.

  “So, which is it? Do you have anyone to confirm your story or not?” Crumple asked.

  Walter sighed. “Everyone else had gone home.”

  “That’s what I thought. With a killer motive and an unconfirmed alibi, things don’t exactly look good for you. What do you have to say for yourself?”

  Walter folded his arms. “I’m not saying another word without a lawyer present.”

  “Oh, really?” Crumple replied.

  The mayor nodded. “I know you don’t have enough to arrest me, so it’s time that you leave my office.”

  Crumple wasn’t about to leave that quickly. He fired off a warning of his own. “Don’t push me. I have enough to detain you. That wouldn’t look good with the election coming up.”

  Walter shot Crumple a glare. “Detective, if there’s one thing you need to know about me, it is that I won’t be threatened. Now, as I already told you, if you have something else to say to me, take it up with my lawyer.”

  While Crumple certainly had enough to detain Walter, he didn’t have enough evidence to charge him with murder. That meant that the detective would have to release him in a few days. Considering that fact, it didn’t seem like it was worth the trouble to haul Walter back to the police station. Instead, Crumple decided to leave city hall and pay the last suspect on his list a visit.

  Chapter Twelve

  The offices of the Brady Real Estate Development Corporation were the location of Daisy and Crumple’s final suspect interview. Detective Crumple’s police badge once again proved useful when they entered the sleek glass office building where Ryan Brady worked.

  After initially putting up resistance to Daisy and the detective questioning her boss, Jessica Taggart, Ryan’s female slim, redheaded, twenty-nine-year-old executive assistant, led the investigators through the doorway of the corner office that Ryan Brady worked out of.

  A large window at the back of the office looked out on the Pacific Ocean, providing a stunning view. The ocean waves crashing were almost too much candy for Daisy’s eyes. She was there about deadly serious business. This was not some day at the beach.

  As expected of a man who owned a multi-million-dollar corporation, Ryan had an ornate office. Unlike the mayor’s office, which had a traditional look and had been decked out with a mahogany desk and bookcases, Ryan’s digs were as modern as could be.

  As for Ryan himself, the athletic fifty-three-year-old had gelled short black hair, a goatee, and an unmistakable taste for custom-tailored Italian suits. He had the look of a man who could model men’s suits in catalogs if his career in real-estate development ever floundered. Not that he was in danger of having to make a career change. Ryan was one of the wealthiest men in Cozy Creek. Even so, he wasn’t content to rest on his laurels. He had plans to line his wallet with even bigger paydays.

  The next project on his slate was building a slew of five-story condominium complexes right on the beach that threatened to block the view of the ocean and would displace some of the local wildlife. Those plans put him in the center of controversy, both with the local residents and with the candidates who were running for mayor. Walter Redmond supported Ryan’s project, while Adam Mitchell had come out hard against it.

  That was why Daisy and Crumple had stormed into Ryan’s office that afternoon. The developer didn’t skip a beat when he saw the investigators staring him down. It was rare to see a man who didn’t break a sweat when a homicide detective came to his office armed with questions. Daisy couldn’t remember a murder suspect ever looking so nonchalant. Whether that would change when push came to shove was yet to be determined.

  Ryan looked up from his computer and leaned back in his desk chair as he spotted Crumple and Daisy. “Can I help you?”

  The detective held out his police badge. “Detective Chris Crumple, Cozy Creek Police Department. This is my special advisor, Daisy McDare.”

  Most suspects tensed up a little when they saw the police badge. Not Ryan. He was cool, calm, and collected.

  “Let me guess. You are here about the murder investigation,” Ryan replied.

  That response put Crumple back on his heels. The detective’s face wrinkled with confusion. “How did you know that?”

  “I just had a hunch I would see you at some point,” Ryan said.

  “Really?” Crumple asked.

  Ryan nodded. “Yes.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Adam Mitchell very publicly opposed my oceanfront condominium plan. He went so far as to make a pledge that if he was elected, he would do anything in his power to stop me from building those condos. So naturally, with Adam being murdered, you have questions for me.”

  Daisy couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Never before had a suspect laid out their own motive for murder so clearly in front of her. She had always wished that suspects would be more truthful with her, but this was ridiculous. Ryan was putting up no fight whatsoever.

  That suited Crumple just fine. “As a matter of fact, I do have questions for you.”

  “Ask away. I have nothing to hide.”

  The detective stared him down. “We’ll see about that. Now, like you said, you were at odds with Adam Mitchell. With his murder, however, the odds are that Mayor Redmond will get reelected.”

  “I can’t disagree with that,” Ryan replied.

  “If Mayor Redmond wins the election, you will have a clear path to build those oceanfront condos.”

  Ryan still wasn’t sweating. “Indeed.”

  “So what do you have to say for yourself?”

  “I know how things look, but let me remind you that things aren’t always as they seem,” Ryan replied.

  Crumple narrowed his eyes. “Is that all you have to say for yourself?”

  “I didn’t kill Adam Mitchell if that’s what you’re getting at,” Ryan said.

  Daisy got in on the action. “Why should we believe you?”

  “Other than the fact that it’s the truth?” Ryan replied.

  Daisy was critical of his assertion. “We’re not just going to take your word for it. The truth is what you can prove.”

  Ryan remained as relaxed as ever. “Like I said, I have nothing to hide.”

  “In that case, where were you last night between seven and eight o’clock?” Daisy asked.

  “I was with my assistant,” Ryan replied.

  “You mean you were both working late?” Daisy said.

  A smile crept across Ryan’s face. “In a manner of speaking.”

  “What manner exactly do you mean?” Daisy asked.

  “An intimate manner,” Ryan replied.

  “Are you saying you two were—?”

  With Ryan’s interruption, Daisy wasn’t able to finish her answer.

  “Sleeping together. Although, no sleeping was going on, if you get my drift,” Ryan replied.

  It didn’t take a genius to know what he was talking about. He wasn’t exactly being subtle. If anything, he seemed to be bragging.

  The detective followed up. “Your assistant will be able to verify that?”

  Ryan nodded. “Yes.”

  Crumple cast a critical eye Ryan’s way. “We’ll see about that.”

  Ryan doubled down on his story. “Let’s do just that.” He pressed the call button on his desk phone and paged his executive assistant. “Jessica, will you please come in here?”

  A few seconds later, the redheaded executive assistant entered the doorway.

  “Yes, sir,” Jessica replied.

  “The detective would like to know where I was between seven and eight o’clock last night. Would you please tell him?” Ryan asked.

  Jessica was hesitant to answer at first.

  Crumple opened his mouth to get Jessica to reply. Before the detective had the chance to say anything, Ryan spoke up, encouraging his assistant not to be shy.

  “Jessica, don’t be
afraid. You can say it,” Ryan replied.

  “Ryan and I were together,” Jessica said.

  “Together how?” Crumple asked.

  Ryan urged his assistant to elaborate.

  “We went back to his place, then one thing led to another,” Jessica said.

  “You mean you slept together?” Crumple asked.

  Jessica nodded.

  “Thank you, Jessica. That will be all for now,” Ryan replied.

  The redhead walked away and closed the door behind her as she made her exit.

  Ryan then got a smug look on his face as he turned to Daisy and the detective.

  “Are we done here?” Ryan asked.

  While both Daisy and Crumple would have loved to poke holes in Ryan’s story, neither was able to. Reluctantly, the investigators left Ryan to his business and walked out of his office.

  That wasn’t to say that Daisy bought Ryan’s alibi. Ryan was a slick man, maybe a little too oily for his own good. Daisy felt an overwhelming sense that the whole bit between Ryan and his assistant had been staged. That could actually have been the case.

  After all, if Ryan and Jessica truly were romantically involved, they didn’t look the part. There was a very awkward and forced nature to the way they interacted with each other. Not to mention a distinct lack of chemistry.

  After leaving Ryan’s office, Daisy and Crumple stopped at Jessica’s desk and put her story under the microscope one more time. Yet even after applying plenty of pressure on Ryan’s assistant, Jessica didn’t cave or change one detail about her story.

  That either meant that she was telling the truth, or she was a good liar. Either way, Ryan’s alibi would get to live another day.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Suddenly, Daisy and Crumple had exhausted not only their suspect list, but also themselves. With no one else left to question and their energy levels dangerously low, it seemed like a good time to shelve investigating the case any further until the morning.

  When Daisy returned home, she fed her dog, Shamus, who seemed ravenous, then turned her attention to feeding her own stomach. That was when her mind turned to her boyfriend. She wondered what Gavin’s plans were for the evening.

  After a day when various murder suspects had shot more glares in Daisy’s direction than at any time in recent memory, she could have used the warm gaze of her fiancé in her life more than ever. Daisy grabbed her phone from her purse and called Gavin to get word on when she would see his dynamite smile again.

  “Hey there,” Daisy said into the phone.

  “Hey,” Gavin replied on the other end of the line. “I was just about to call you.”

  Daisy replied playfully. “Beat you to it. Should I be expecting you soon?”

  By that point in their relationship, it was assumed that they would see each other almost every night after work.

  That night proved to be different from the others. “Actually, that’s why I was about to call you. I won’t be coming over tonight.”

  There was an unmistakably somber tone in Gavin’s voice.

  Daisy wanted to get to the bottom of it. “What’s the matter?”

  “My mother got news today that one of her oldest friends has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.”

  Daisy’s heart became heavy. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Yeah, it has been a really rough day for my mom.”

  “I can imagine.”

  “My mother spent the whole day at her friend’s house trying to comfort her. Now that my mother is back home for the night, I figured she could use some comforting of her own. I’m going to get some flowers and a box of chocolate for my mom then head over to her place to see if I can do anything to make her feel better.”

  “Do you want me to come with you?” Daisy asked.

  “Thanks for offering, but I’m not sure that my mom is going to want too much company.”

  “I understand. Give her my regards.”

  “I will,” Gavin replied. “Sorry I can’t come over tonight.”

  “Don’t worry about it. There will be other nights. Your mother needs you tonight.”

  “I just hope I can make her feel a little better.”

  “I know you are going to do everything you can,” Daisy replied.

  Gavin lamented the situation. “Unfortunately, I can only do so much.”

  “You’re such a sweet man. Your mother is lucky to have a good son like you.”

  Gavin had a different opinion on the matter. “I’m only doing what any good son would do.”

  “I guess that’s the thing. Not every man is a good son.”

  “True. Although, I don’t know why. My mom means the world to me. I literally wouldn’t be here without her.”

  “That’s why you’re a good son. You appreciate everything she has done for you. Like I said, not every man is like that.”

  “It’s a good thing that some men are,” Gavin replied.

  With all the talk about mothers and their sons, Daisy’s mind became fixated thinking about another notable mother-and-son duo that she had spoken with that day.

  What began as a tangent in Daisy’s mind soon turned into a fixation. She became wrapped up in her thoughts, to the point where the conversation fell awkwardly silent.

  After a few moments passed, Gavin began to worry. “Daisy, are you okay?”

  A smile then crept across Daisy’s face as she came to a realization. “Yeah. I’ll be just fine.”

  Gavin was still in the dark about why Daisy’s mood had changed so suddenly. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

  “Later,” Daisy said. “Right now, I have to go.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Daisy decided to follow her hunch, convinced that she finally knew who had killed Adam Mitchell. She called Detective Crumple and explained her theory. From there, they both headed over to Gary Mitchell’s house to talk to him for a third time.

  As Gary answered his front door, he was openly hostile with the investigators and made no attempt to hide his contempt for them.

  “Why do you keep harassing me?” Gary barked.

  Crumple puffed his chest out, not intimidated by Gary’s bluster on any level. “I would advise you not to take that tone with us.”

  Gary didn’t back down, either. “I’ll take whatever tone I want. Keep pushing me all you want, but I know you have nothing on me.”

  Daisy chimed in. “Actually, we’re here about your mother.”

  Gary looked like the rug had been pulled out from under him. His face contorted with confusion. “What about her?”

  “We have some bad news for you,” Daisy said.

  Stress lines formed on Gary’s face as panic took hold of him. “Did something happen to her?”

  “You love your mom, don’t you?”

  “Of course I do.”

  “It would kill you if something bad happened to her, wouldn’t it?”

  Gary became frantic. “Don’t string me out like this. Did something happen to my mother or not?”

  “I hate to break it to you, but it looks like your mom will be going to jail for a long time,” Daisy said.

  Gary’s eyes were filled with fear. “For what?”

  “For killing your father.”

  He shook his head in disbelief. “No. That doesn’t make sense.”

  “That’s what you say. But did you know that more often than not, the killer ends up being a jaded spouse?” Daisy replied.

  Gary refused to believe Daisy. “That’s not the case this time.”

  “Are you saying that we are wrong?”

  Gary nodded. “You’re dead wrong.”

  “How can you be so sure?” Daisy asked.

  “I know my mother.”

  “Maybe you don’t know her as well as you think.”

  Gary shook his head. “No. She has a heart of gold. She stayed with my father, even after he cheated on her. Even after he admitted it to the entire town. Even after he dragged our family through th
e mud just because he wanted to be elected as the mayor of Cozy Creek. Trust me, my mother is no murderer.”

  Gary had gotten so worked up defending his mom that he hadn’t realized that Daisy had been playing him this entire time. Right then, after listening to Gary’s impassioned plea, Daisy turned the tables on him.

  “You’re right. Your mother isn’t a killer,” Daisy said.

  Gary began to breathe a sigh of relief.

  Daisy wasn’t quite done yet. “The same cannot be said about you.”

  Gary shot her a glare. “What are you talking about?

  “Gary, we know you killed your father,” Daisy said.

  He lashed out at her. “You’re crazy.”

  Daisy held her ground and fired back at him. “No, you’re the crazy one. Like you said, your mother has a heart of gold. She put up with so much—too much, in your eyes. If she wasn’t willing to make your father pay for dragging your family through the mud, you would. And that’s exactly what you did.”

  Gary jumped on the defensive. “No.”

  “Gary, stop lying. It’s time to come clean. Like you said, he dragged your family through the mud just so he could be elected as the mayor of Cozy Creek. But that wasn’t all. No. He also fired your girlfriend. The man wreaked havoc on your family life and your romantic life. That was too much for you to take, wasn’t it?” Daisy said.

  Gary fell silent and lowered his head.

  Daisy pressed on. “You couldn’t let him get away with that, could you?”

  Gary finally lost control over his emotions and broke down. “It was bad enough that my father cheated on my mother in the first place. But ten years later, to have it dredged up again, all because my father wanted the ego trip of being elected mayor, was too painful to watch. Never mind the fact that my mother was a very private person, that she shunned the spotlight, and that the last thing she wanted was for her husband to run for public office. My father didn’t care what my mother had to say. He never took her feelings into consideration—about anything. It was always about him. He was determined to have things his way, even if it meant firing the love of my life. My father thought that he was a steamroller. He believed that no one could stop him, but I did. After all he had done to tear my family apart, I just wanted to put an end to all the pain he had caused.”