by Peggy Dulle
Jimmy suddenly appeared on the other side of the bars that confined me. His face looked drawn and tight. “Easy, Liza. I’m doing the best I can to get you out of here.”
“Why am I in here?” I bellowed. “They haven’t even bothered to come and talk to me, yet.”
He shook his head and muttered, “I really don’t want you to talk to them.”
“Why?” I said, drawing my head back in response to his words. What was wrong with talking to me?
“I don’t want you telling them that Danielle, her sister, Sally and James were all murdered and you’re going to find out who did it.”
“I wouldn’t…”
Jimmy interrupted me. “Yes, you would.”
“Okay. Tell me what’s going on.”
He pulled up a chair outside of my cell. “Okay, your gun was used in a drive-by shooting this afternoon.”
“How is that possible? It was locked in the safe the whole time.”
“I don’t know.”
“Was anyone hurt in the shooting?”
“No, it just scared some local kids.”
My heart stopped. “Someone shot at kids?”
“They’re fine.”
“Are you sure?”
He reached through the bars and put his hand on my arm. “Yes.”
“Okay, so let’s go back to when this happened.”
“Early this afternoon, around one-fifteen.”
“In between the time I was at the kids eating contest and the library.”
“Exactly.”
“Someone intended it that way, you know that.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure that was the plan.”
“So now what?”
“I’ve made a few calls and I’ve got Edith coming over to tell them what time you got to the library. I’m glad you went there early to pick out a book or you wouldn’t really have much of an alibi.”
“Great, I didn’t think I needed an alibi or I would have made sure to account for each and every moment of my time.” My voice elevated with every word.
“Easy, Liza.”
“You take it easy!” I stood and paced in the cell. “This is ridiculous!”
“I know.” Jimmy stood and put the chair back against the wall. “I’ll let you know when you can go.”
“Thanks.” As he walked away I thought of something. “Jimmy?”
He turned. “Yes?”
“How did you know the combination to the safe in my room? I noticed you walked right over and took the gun out.”
“I know all of the combinations to every safe in the local hotels. There’s a trick. I’m not going to share it with you or they might arrest you for stealing, too.”
I laughed. “Probably.”
Jimmy left and I sat down on the cold metal bench. If he knew the combination to my safe, then it meant all of the other officers did too. When I woke up thinking someone was in my room, maybe someone actually had been there. No, Shelby wouldn’t have let someone come into the room without having a fit. They had to have gotten the gun while I was at the kids’ contest and then returned it when I was reading to the children.
An hour later I was still in the cell, but I was also hungry and needed to go to the restroom. I started yelling again. “Hello!”
Another officer came down to my cell. “Yes.”
“I need to use the restroom and I’m starving.”
“Okay. I can do something about the first thing but not the last.”
“I’ll take what I can get.”
The officer led me to a door with a restroom sign on it. I went inside and locked the door. No window in the room, so no possible means of escape. I used the facilities and then splashed water on my face. The reflection in the mirror looked exhausted and gaunt — slightly better than I felt at the moment. The last three days had been hell – two accidents, and now I had been arrested.
A few seconds later, someone pounded on the door. “Hey, lady. Are you done yet?”
“Yes,” I yelled back and opened the door. “Thanks.”
Instead of going back to the cell, the officer walked me into another room. It had a small table in the middle and three chairs, two on one side and one on the other. One wall was mirrored. It looked like a scene from “Law and Order.” This would be funny if I wasn’t being charged with attempted murder.
The officer pointed to the chair facing the mirror. “Have a seat.”
“Okay.” I deliberately sat in the other seat.
He came over to me. “No, you need to sit in the other chair.”
“But I’m superstitious. I never sit on the right side of a table. It’s bad luck, like a black cat or walking under a ladder.”
He looked stunned. “Well, okay. But they may ask you to move later.”
“We’ll see.”
The officer left the room and when I heard the lock engage on the door a sharp shiver ran up my spine. I could feel the panic starting to well up again, so I started counting and using all of the “calm down” techniques I teach my kinders every year.
More time passed. I got up several times and paced around the room. This was getting ridiculous. I sat back down. Maybe that was their technique. Wear you out so you’ll confess to anything. Finally I laid my head down on the table and fell asleep.
Someone slammed a file on the table and startled me awake but I didn’t lift my head.
“Liza!” Lieutenant Damson bellowed. “Wake up!”
Slowly I lifted my head and smiled at the lieutenant. I kept my voice calm and even, stifling my desire to reach over and strangle the man. “I want a lawyer.” Then I put my head back down. If I’d learned anything from all those television programs I watched, it was ask for a lawyer immediately.
“You don’t need a lawyer, you’re not being charged with anything.”
“Great.” I stood up and walked toward the door. “Then I’m leaving. I’m hungry.”
He took that opportunity to take my seat. “But I do have some questions. If I get you something to eat will you stay and answer them?”
I’d seen this on television, too. Unfortunately, I had to sit down in the single chair facing the mirrored wall. There was no way I would sit next to that arrogant man. “Sure, I’d like a prime rib sandwich from Rogan’s Steak house, some seasoned fries and a Diet Coke.”
“No problem.” He took his cell phone out of his pocket and ordered my food. “We just want to figure out how your gun was used in the drive-by shooting.”
“I don’t know.” I sat back and crossed my arms.
“When did you see the gun last?”
“When I put it in the safe.”
“When was that?”
“The first morning I was here – Sunday.”
“That was after your alleged auto accident?”
“What do you mean ‘alleged’? Do you think I deliberately drove my car into a ditch?”
“No, but we can’t be sure of anything. Who was with you when you put the gun into the safe?”
“Jimmy and Bill.”
“Anyone else?”
“No.”
“Why did you come to Clainsworth?”
That caught me off guard until I remembered an old “Law and Order” episode. Switch topics and get the perp confused. I was starting to enjoy this interrogation. “I love apple desserts?”
“That’s not what I heard.”
“Fine. I knew Danielle Slammers and I wanted to know what happened to her.” I turned and smiled at him. “Nobody else seemed to care.”
“She was killed by a vagrant looking for money.”
“Then why didn’t the vagrant take the money?”
“We have no idea but we aren’t actively working that case because there weren’t any leads to follow.”
“And what about Sally and James? Are you still actively working those cases?”
“No. They were accidents.”
“Yeah, that’s what I heard, too.”
“Who else knew you h
ad a gun with you?”
Another switch, how fun. I really didn’t want to bring Tom into this, so I lied. “No one.”
“Why were you at the mine?”
“I wasn’t. I was walking through the field when I fell into the mine. I didn’t plan it that way, you know.”
“You seem to have a lot of accidents.” He leaned forward. “Don’t you?”
“That seems to happen a lot in this town.”
“Maybe you should go home.”
“And miss the rest of the eating contests? No way.”
Just then another officer arrived with my food. He handed it to me and I quickly unwrapped the sandwich and started eating. I looked up at the officer who had brought the food. “Got any ketchup for my fries?”
He glanced at the lieutenant, who nodded, and said, “I think there’s some in the staff refrigerator.”
“I’ll get it,” the other officer said and left the room.
The sandwich was warm and full of at least a pound of thinly sliced prime rib, layered with melted Swiss cheese and sautéed mushrooms. It was amazing and especially good because I hadn’t paid for it. After dinner last night, this lunch would have certainly overextended my budget. The officer arrived with my ketchup and sat in the empty chair beside the lieutenant.
I glanced at the both of them. Was it time for good cop – bad cop? Or would it be bad cop – worse cop? It didn’t matter; I just concentrated on the delicious sandwich and seasoned curly fries.
Neither officer spoke the entire time I ate. I started to feel a little unnerved and decided to strike up a conversation. “So.” I looked at the new officer. “Who are you?”
He glanced at the lieutenant, who nodded, and then looked back at me. “My name is Officer Thompson.”
I stuck my hand out and he shook it. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too, Liza. How are you enjoying the festival?”
“It’s great. The eating contests are new to me, so they are fascinating.”
“Wait until the apple pot contest. It’s the best. We even have cameras to televise the event.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Most of the contestants use the other eating contests as practice runs for the apple pots. That’s when the big money prizes are given out.”
“How much do they win?”
“First place gets ten thousand dollars, second place five thousand, and third gets two thousand.”
“That’s a lot of money for eating an apple dessert.”
“That’s what brings the contestants here. If we didn’t offer good money prizes, no one would come.”
The lieutenant slammed down his file. “That’s enough chit chat. Let’s get back to my questions.”
The role of the bad cop suited the lieutenant. I glanced at Officer Thompson. “Is he always this grouchy?”
Officer Thompson stifled a chuckle and sat back. “No, he just doesn’t like anyone shooting up his town.”
“That’s right!” the lieutenant roared. “I want to know how your gun got out of the safe that, you supposedly put it in, and then was used to shoot at some kids.”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged, dipped my last fry into the ketchup, and ate it.
Officer Thompson reached over and touched my arm. “Is there any possibility that someone got into your room and took it?”
It was a stupid question, but he asked so nicely, he made a great good cop. “I don’t know. I suppose they could have. I’ve been out of my room quite a bit in the last few days.”
“Who else did you tell about the gun?” The lieutenant bellowed.
I looked at Officer Thompson. “I didn’t tell anyone about the gun. That would have been reckless of me, don’t you think?”
“Yes, I’m sure you’d be careful. You seem to be a very responsible person.”
“I try.”
“Well, you didn’t try hard enough. Someone found out about the gun and shot up one of my streets with it!” The lieutenant stood up and paced the room. “A couple of kids walking to the carnival were almost killed. That’s totally unacceptable!”
“I agree with you,” I said, shaking my head. “And what are you going to do about those safes in the motels? Obviously they’re not secure if anyone can walk into a room and take things out of them.”
“The safes are totally secure. Nobody but the motel owners and my officers know the combinations.”
“Is it possible one of your officers took my gun and shot at those kids?” I suggested and then leaned back to wait for the barrage of anger that would come next.
The lieutenant’s face turned red, like a volcano ready to erupt. Officer Thompson’s eyes went wide, as if he were afraid of the explosion, too.
But before the lieutenant could say anything, the phone on the wall rang. Officer Thompson jumped up and answered it. He listened for a few seconds, then came over to the lieutenant and whispered in his ear. The lieutenant’s red face drained of color; he raised his eyebrows and glared at me. Then he stood up and he and Officer Thompson left the room.
Well, that was kind of fun. What was next? Bad cop – worse cop? I laid my head back on the table and thought about asking for a lawyer again. Maybe I could get some ice cream or an apple pot for dessert.
The door opened and I didn’t even raise my head. I just said, “I want to see a lawyer.”
No answer.
“Really, I want a lawyer.”
No answer.
I heard someone walk across the room and tap me on the shoulder. When I glanced up, Tom stood over me. He was dressed in his uniform - a spectacular sight, indeed. I caught my breath and my skin tingled.
My face broke out into a huge smile as the sight of him warmed my entire body. “Hi, love.”
“Hello, honey,” he smiled, then concerned, he narrowed his eyes. He reached down to touch my forehead. “Are you okay, Liza?”
I’d totally forgotten about my head. It was probably still pretty purple and swollen from where I’d hit the steering wheel in the accident and the ground of the mine. “I’m fine.” I smiled and waved my hand in the air.
He squatted down, so he’d be at my eye level. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I leaned over, kissed him gently on his cheek, and whispered, “Better than fine now that you’re here.”
He stood and smiled. “You’re in a very good mood.”
“Oh, I was having such fun.” My smile broadened.
He shook his head. “I gave you some of my business cards and told you if you ever got in trouble with the police to just give them my card.”
“Oh, that would be too easy.”
Tom shook his head and pointed toward the door. “I think it’s time for you to get out of here.”
“Not yet,” I whined.
“Why not?” he asked.
“It’s been so cool. I got to ask for a lawyer. Then, of course, they told me I wasn’t being charged. So I told them I was leaving because I was hungry. Then they said they’d feed me if I stayed and answered some questions. So I ordered the most expensive sandwich from the most expensive restaurant in town, and you know what?”
“What?”
“They brought it to me.” I laughed. “It was fabulous and way out of my budget, which made it even better. We were just getting into the ‘good cop – bad cop’ routine.”
Tom laughed. “Only you could get enjoyment out of being interrogated.”
“I haven’t even gotten a chance to play ‘bad cop – worse cop’ yet.”
“Come on, Liza. I’ll play ‘bad cop – worse cop’ with you.”
I raised my eyebrows and smiled at Tom. “Oh, that would be so much more fun. And you are dressed in the right uniform for it.”
Tom eyes glistened and he smiled at me.
“I think I know what’s on your mind.”
“Liza, it’s been almost three weeks since I’ve seen you, and listening to the excitement in your voice while you recount your own episode of “Law and Order” h
as me thinking of only one thing.”
“Oh.” I waved my hand in the air. “That’s always on your mind.”
“That’s true. Come on,” he smiled and his eyes glistened. “I’ll get you some dessert, afterwards.”
I stood up and took his hand. “You know exactly how to get what you want. Maybe you could give the local cops some pointers.”
He shook his head and we strolled out of the interrogation room. As we walked through the office, Tom nodded at the lieutenant. Parked in front of the office was Tom’s patrol car. It went so well with the uniform.
I checked my watch. I’d been in custody only four hours. I tilted my head and smiled at him. “How did you get here so quick?”
“Lights and sirens.”
“Not even you can drive that fast.”
“I had a head start.”
“Excuse me?” I said, but before he could think up an excuse, I added, “and the truth Sheriff Owens.”
He shrugged. “I’ve had the radio in my office tuned to this area’s police dispatch network ever since you fell into the mine. When I heard about the shooting, it didn’t feel right, so I started here. I’m glad I did. I don’t like it when they put my girl in the box.”
“But I had a good time in the box.”
He shook his head. “Get in the car, Liza.”
“Okay.”
Tom started the car and I gave him directions to the inn. Then I put my hand on his arm. “Wait.”
“What?”
“I don’t know what they did with Shelby. She was with me at the inn when the police came and got me. Jimmy said he’d take care of her, but I don’t know what he did with her.”
“We better go find her first. I’d like your mind on me rather than worrying about the dog.”
“Thanks. Can I use your cell phone? They didn’t let me take anything with me when I left the inn.”
“Sure.” Tom pulled his cell phone from his belt and handed it to me.
I didn’t know Jimmy’s number, but I had Bill’s, so I quickly dialed it. He answered on the second ring.
“Bill’s towing.”
“Hi, Bill.”
“Hi, Liza. How was your interrogation?”
“Actually, it was kind of fun.”
“I hear your boyfriend’s in town.”
“Wow, word travels fast around here. Do you know where your brother is? He was with me when they came and arrested me. I don’t know where Shelby is.”