The Straight Crimes

by Matt Juhl

  “I love you,” he assured her, with an amused smile.

  How she’d longed to hear that sweet expression, those perfect words rolling off his tongue for the first time. She closed her eyes and kissed him tenderly. “I do too, Nik. I love you so much.”

  He wiped the tears from her cheeks and cradled her face against him. Never in his entire existence had Nik felt more complete than he did at that moment.

  The pair lay blissfully in each other’s arms under the starlit sky, cradled in their picturesque love nest. The icy breeze blew across their exhausted vessels, casting shadows off the dancing candlelight as they fell asleep.

  After their brief respite, Nik was abruptly woken to the sound of a roaring engine. Without standing or drawing attention, he carefully opened his eyes and scanned the perimeter.

  In the distance, he spotted a black SUV parked along the boardwalk. Nik hadn't noticed it earlier, but felt the weight of their stare. He was certain someone was inside, watching them. It was the same ominous feeling that overcame him the night of the fire, when he’d been alone in the woods.

  Mindful not to wake Harper, Nik propped himself up and reached for the nautical telescope tucked under his bag.

  Looking into the lens, he detected a shadowy figure in the driver’s seat. It didn’t take long for him to realize the stranger was staring back through a pair of binoculars.

  Without giving it a second thought, he threw his clothes on, leapt off the boat, and raced down the boardwalk.

  As soon as Nik was spotted approaching, the driver immediately threw the vehicle into reverse and squealed the tires against the pavement. In the quick retreat, the stranger knocked over a trash can and peeled out of the parking lot.

  “Get back here, asshole!” Nik shouted. He chased after the driver, furiously pumping his toned arms and stomping against the ground like a black stallion.

  He pursued the vehicle until the taillights vanished into the darkness. Whoever it was did not want to be seen.

  Nik wasn’t sure who was watching them, or why. The only thing he was certain of was that he had to protect Harper.

  On the way back to the boat, he contemplated whether or not to tell her what happened, ultimately deciding against it. He’d already vowed not to let anything ruin their perfect evening—even if meant ignoring a stranger, stalking them in the night.

  SIXTEEN

  Harper let out a maddening huff. “Detective Harris, may I have some water, please?”

  “Of course.” Tonya excused herself from the desolate interrogation room.

  The austere surroundings of the police station did little to ease Harper’s nerves. Tiny beads of perspiration swelled at her temples as she looked down, nervously strumming her fingers against her quivering knee. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping it would end. However, the haunting memories invaded her mind as if they were some unforgiving disease, desperate to paralyze her entire existence.

  The immeasurable pain had softened since Faye’s murder. Harper worked tirelessly to keep it from the forefront of her mind, but rehashing everything with the police served as a perpetual reminder that Faye was never coming back.

  “Here you go.” Tonya placed the tall glass of ice cold water directly in front of Harper’s somber face.

  “Thanks.”

  “I appreciate you meeting me again.”

  “As hard as is it, I want justice for my Aunt Faye.”

  “As do I. Over the past month, we’ve done an exhausting search into her past. Finding someone with a motive has been a challenge. There’s an ex-girlfriend of Faye’s, Mary Kamp, but she has an air tight alibi for that evening.”

  “Oh my God, you found Aunt Mary?” Hope twinkled in her eyes.

  “I did, yes.”

  “I can’t believe it. I haven’t seen her since I was a lil’ girl. She used to braid my hair ‘cause Mama never would.”

  Tonya cracked a smile. “Mary sends her deepest condolences.”

  “Did she say anything else?”

  “Nothing pertinent to the case.”

  “Where is she?”

  “Boca Raton, Florida. She was a hard woman to track down, but not to worry. We cleared her as a suspect.”

  “Mary would never hurt a soul.” Harper grabbed a tissue and dabbed her eyes.

  “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “You didn’t. It just brought up a lot of memories.”

  “I understand.” Tonya cracked her neck, rubbing her exhausted shoulders. “As you’re well aware, I have very few leads. The list of suspects is extremely short.”

  “I know.” Harper bit her thumbnail.

  “You know where I’m headed, right?”

  “Yeah, I do.” The hollowness in Harper’s stomach rumbled, facing the grim reality of the deadly proposition. “You haven’t found Mama yet, have you?”

  “No, we haven’t.”

  “I figured.”

  “We interviewed your former neighbors, Bill Winston and his worker, Gage Black. Both men witnessed a heated altercation between Mindi and Faye on the day you were evicted from the house. Their accounts painted a dark picture of your mom, much darker than you led us to believe.”

  “I’m not surprised. Old Man Winston hates Mama.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  “He calls her a ‘crazy ass with no class.’”

  “You’ve heard him say that?”

  “A few times. We didn’t talk much. Aunt Faye knew him real well, but I mostly just waved at him when I saw him in the yard. Once in a while I’d go over and see what he’s buildin’ in his workshop.”

  “I didn’t know he had a workshop.”

  “Yes, he makes all kinds of things.”

  “Like what?”

  “Any creation you can imagine outta wood: breadboxes, garbage cans, and tiny figurines. He sells all that junk at his pumpkin stand during Halloween.”

  “He sounds talented.”

  “Yeah, the man’s real good with a knife.”

  Tonya leaned forward intently. “Let’s back track a little. Tell me more about this animosity between your mom and Bill Winston.”

  “She’s done all kinds of crap to make him mad, like throwin’ her cigarette butts on his driveway, runnin’ her car into his lawn, and havin’ loud parties at night while he was tryin’ to sleep. Those two were always facin’ off over somethin’.”

  “But he and Faye were friends?

  “Yeah, they always seemed to get along.”

  Tonya rubbed her chin. “While you were living with your aunt, did you ever catch him trespassing at her house?”

  “No. Why do you keep askin’ about Old Man Winston?”

  “He’s been sifting through the wreckage and wandering around Faye’s property.”

  “Maybe he’s tryin’ to help? That’s just the kind of guy he is.”

  “We believe he may be tampering with evidence. Faye’s house is still blocked off with tape. Not to mention, he was there the night of the fire until everyone cleared out. Since then, he’s called the police station almost every week for updates on the case. His obsessive behavior has raised more than one eyebrow.”

  “C’mon, he ain’t harmful. He’s just an old busy body. Besides, Old Man Winston bailed Nik outta jail and got Officer Brown to drop the assault charges against him.”

  “Why would he do that? Nik’s not his responsibility.”

  “I told you, he’s just a nice guy.”

  “You don’t think it was a possible diversion?”

  “You can’t possibly think he did this to Aunt Faye. He likes everybody.”

  “He doesn’t like your mom…”

  “But Mama has a way of gettin’ under everyone’s skin.”

  “So you don’t agree that his behavior is unusual?”

  “I don’t know. Like I said, I don’t speak to him that often. People around here are always worried about what everyone else is doin’. I don’t think it’s that strange that he’s so concerned, especial
ly ‘cause he lives across the street.”

  Tonya grew irritated. “I’m gonna be direct. Has he ever made a pass at Faye?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Did he ever make any romantic innuendoes towards her?”

  “No, of course not. Why would you say that?”

  “Everyone knows Bill Winston is straight. He dated a woman named Gail Fall for years. After Mary left, he must’ve known Faye was alone. In that time, you don’t think he would’ve ever tried to pursue more than a friendship with your aunt?”

  “What is this, some sort of witch hunt ‘cause he’s straight?”

  “This has nothing to do with his sexuality.”

  “C’mon, I’m straight. Give me a lil’ more credit. I deal with this crap almost every day. That’s exactly what you’re doin’.”

  “Harper, I’m trying to establish motive, that’s all. I don’t care about anyone’s sexuality. I assure you, my only concern is solving this crime.”

  “It sounds like you’re clutchin’ at straws. Besides, Auntie would’ve told me if he tried makin’ a pass at her, especially ‘cause she loved Mary.”

  “You’re sure there’s no connection there?”

  “Their only connection was that they were neighbors—”

  “No, there was also your mom, who drove him crazy. When he talked about the fight between Faye and Mindi on the day of your eviction, he had a scowl on his face. He described Mindi’s behavior as ‘erratic.’”

  “How would he know? He wasn’t there. It was just Mama, Faye, Gage, and me.”

  “Bill Winston claims he watched the altercation from across the street, every second, right down to Mindi threatening Gage and Faye. According to Gage, her exact words were, ‘I ain’t got a sister no more. You’re dead to me.’”

  The recollection made her cringe. It was a moment seared in Harper’s mind, replaying in her dreams incessantly. She could recount every second down to the very breaths she took. “Yeah, Mama was outta line that day.”

  “Do you think it was the drugs she was on?”

  “With Mama, I wouldn’t doubt it.”

  “Harper, I need you to close your eyes a minute and think back to that day. Can you remember her saying anything about where she was going? Did she give you any clue that might help us find her?”

  “I’ve already answered this question a million times. I don’t know why y’all keep askin’ me. I have no idea where she is or where she went.”

  “What about Fire Brush?”

  “Louisiana?”

  “Isn’t that where you both lived before coming here?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So why wouldn’t she go back?”

  “I guess it’s possible, but I don’t know where she’d stay.”

  “You mean because she burnt down your trailer?”

  The question caught Harper by surprise. “It did burn down.” She inquisitively watched Tonya’s face. “Who told you about that?”

  “Your friend, Traci Galva.”

  “How does Traci know what happened?”

  “Miss Galva said you confided in her. She claims that the fire is the reason you guys moved back to Michigan. So is it true, did Mindi burn down your trailer?”

  “I never said that happened for sure. There’s no actual proof.”

  “Really, then why would Miss Galva make such a bold accusation?”

  “I told Traci that Mama may have burnt it down to collect some insurance money.”

  “So what was stopping her?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You both moved back here during troubled times in the past. Why would this time be any different?”

  “I ain’t sure.”

  Tonya grumbled. “What’d she need the money for?”

  “To pay some people back.”

  “Drug dealers?”

  “Yeah, most of them are.”

  “How much does she owe?”

  “I don’t even wanna know.”

  “How much would you guess?”

  “I really don’t know, just that it’s a lot. She’s always bitchin’ about money.”

  “What kind of things has she said?”

  “Just that if she didn’t get those ‘damn scumbags’ off our backs, we’d be up a creek. She’s always paranoid that someone’s comin’ after us. Back in Fire Brush, I wasn’t even allowed to answer the phone. We kept the blinds sealed up all the time, and she was careful about who she brought back to our place.”

  “You didn’t find that strange?”

  “Of course I did, but that was only towards the end of our time there.”

  “What’d she do for a living?”

  “Mama worked as a clerk at a gas station during the day and bartended at night. At least that’s what she said she was doin’.”

  “What was she really doing?” Tonya asked.

  “Hookin’.”

  “Mindi was a prostitute?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How’d you find that out?”

  “Mama was arrested for it a couple times and called me to bail her out. I overheard the police talkin’ about her. She even slept with my friend’s mother. It was real embarrasin’ when everyone at school was talkin’ about it.”

  “I bet.”

  “She never wanted me to know what she was doin’, so I pretended I believed her when she’d say she was headed to the bar. She loved Shreveport’s nightlife. Mama always talked about the casinos and the big tips she got at the bar. However, I never saw any money. I think she was doin’ it mostly in exchange for heroin.”

  “Did she use drugs in front of you?”

  She nodded. “I’ve also seen Mama smoking marijuana and snorting cocaine. It caused lots of problems. Eventually she lost her real job at the gas station. That’s when she started gettin’ paranoid about people comin’ after us. We got all kinds of letters from the mortgage company, sayin’ Mama was behind on the trailer payments.”

  “When did she lose her job?”

  “It was a few months before the trailer burnt down.”

  “Would you say she was pretty desperate by that point?”

  “Yeah, very desperate.”

  “So how much money did she get from the insurance company?”

  “None. They wouldn’t pay out the claim.”

  “Why not?”

  “’Cause the fire’s still under investigation.” The realization hit Harper as she whispered, “Just like the fire at Aunt Faye’s.”

  Seeing that she’d connected the dots, Tonya ran her hand across her chin in satisfaction. “You know, Mindi’s been a very busy woman. I’ve spoken with the police department in Fire Brush. Does she know there’s a warrant out for her arrest in Caddo Parish?”

  “I’m sure she does.”

  “She’s kind of a runaway, burning down her trailer and hiding in Michigan to evade the police.”

  “It ain’t like that. We needed a place to go, so we came here. Besides, if there’s a warrant for her arrest in Louisiana, like you said, why would she go back there now?”

  “Mindi doesn’t have many connections here, but she certainly knows a lot of people in Fire Brush. She’s a desperate woman. She needed somewhere to hide, especially if she was trying to get away with murdering her sister.”

  “Mama didn’t kill Aunt Faye!” Harper cried.

  “Are you sure about that?”

  “Mama’s crazy, but she ain’t that crazy.”

  “She’s a suspect, Harper.”

  “I don’t believe it.”

  “C’mon Harper, don’t act so naïve. The woman has several motives. You even said she was desperate to repay her debts. Without the money from your trailer, what better opportunity is there than to collect from her sister’s estate and burn her house down?”

  “Auntie wouldn’t have left her anything.”

  “Mindi is Faye’s only sister. She left everything to her. You don’t think your mom knew that?”

  “Then why didn’t
she burn it down sooner? Why would she wait? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Mindi’s boss at the plastics factory said he fired her just before Faye threw you guys out. You don’t think she was desperate to keep Faye from learning the truth? You told me your living arrangement was contingent on her drug use and employment. Wouldn’t she have been afraid to admit her failure to Faye?”

  “I don’t know, maybe.”

  “Mindi was furious. Aside from you, two other people have confirmed that fact. Gage Black watched Mindi punch Faye in the face and say ‘you’re dead to me.’ Those don’t sound like the actions of someone who loves their sister. To me, they sound like a haunting warning from a coldblooded killer.”

  Harper squeezed her eyes shut and broke down. It was a hard truth to ignore, something she wasn’t prepared to admit. “Mama ain’t a murderer.”

  “Why are you so insistent that she didn’t do this?”

  “‘Cause I don’t wanna believe that it could be true! Mama brought me into this world. I know she’s done all kinds of rotten things, but this can’t be one of them. The only person she’s ever genuinely loved was Auntie. However, if it’s true, if she killed her, that means there’s nothin’ good about Mama.”

  “Sometimes the truth hurts.”

  “What if she’d gone back to the house to talk to Auntie? Maybe she accidently started the fire by forgettin’ to put out her cigarette and not realize it. She could’ve freaked out and ran, too afraid that Auntie would get mad.”

  “Harper—”

  “Mama’s famous for flakin’ out.”

  “Miss Jones, please listen for a second—”

  “Auntie had trouble sleepin’. Maybe she took a pill. She could’ve been sleepin’ so heavily she didn’t hear Mama at the door, leavin’ her no time to escape the fire—”

  “There’s something we haven’t told you. Faye died before the fire started.”

  “Are you kiddin’ me?” The words didn’t sit well with Harper. “But every statement in the papers from y’all said she died in the fire.”

  “We won’t release all the details to the public because it may interfere with our investigation.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me? I’m her niece for God’s sake. No one thought I should know that?” Harper buried her agitated face in her hands. “How?” she asked.