“I guess so, sir.” Ben just nodded. “I’ll make a printout of this database so we don’t have to write them all down. Would you mind turning that printer on over there, sir?”
Mark turned to look in the direction Ben was pointing. He hurried over to it and pressed the green “on” button. He gave Ben a nod and the Sargent pressed the print button on the screen.
“Do you think the sister or brother in law had anything to do with this murder, sir?” Ben asked, scooting the chair back and stepping away from it toward Mark. Mark looked up at him and shook his head.
“Everyone is a suspect, Keyes. But in this case, with those two, I think probably not. They both seemed genuinely distressed and were very forthcoming with information. They both apparently loved Carrie as a sister, as well. I saw nothing that would lead me to believe there was any kind of affair going on between Danny and Carrie nor did I see the signs of a feud between the sisters.”
Ben nodded. “I agree, sir.”
“I noticed you didn’t ask them where they were yesterday afternoon. I didn’t push the question because I happen to agree with your assessment of them and did then, too.”
Ben gave him a small grin. “Glad to hear it, sir.”
“Let’s have a look at this database printout. You take these pages and I’ll take these pages.” He sorted them into two piles and gave Ben one of them. There were three people to each page, with names, addresses, phone numbers, relationships and even a personal note on some of them. “She took detailed notes.”
“I suppose that’s what professional writers do, Keyes.” Mark sat down on a nearby couch and looked surprised for a moment when he sunk into it. “Good Lord,” He said and pushed himself up with one hand. “I can’t sit there. I think I might be too heavy.”
Ben laughed softly. “No sir. It’s the kind of couch it is. Very deep cushions. My sister has one like it. I hate it, too.”
They both chuckled and sat at a kitchen table that was sitting adjacent to the couch, pulling out the high-backed chairs and spreading the pages out in front of them.
“Here’s Cindy’s profile.” Ben took a yellow highlighter from the inside pocket of his suit and made a big circle around Cindy’s profile. “The two below specify that they are “business only”. Not sure what that means. What kind of business would she have to discuss besides anyone but her publisher?”
“That’s a good question, Keyes. Make a note of it.”
They continued looking through the pages, pulling out Melissa Gilmore’s, three that were first name “Jackie” and Tucker Campbell. They made two piles, one that had any kind of friend or family relationship status and the other all business.
“What do you suppose her business contacts had to do with her, sir? I mean, she was an author, right? I didn’t read anything about business in her autobiography.”
“When was that book released, Keyes?” Mark asked, running his eyes around the room, standing up and walking around. He moved pictures and touched knick-knacks with a gloved hand. It was unlikely they were going to dust Carrie’s home for fingerprints but Mark liked to be cautious.
“It came out this past May, sir.”
Mark nodded. “All right. I think we should start by…Ben, look at this. Have you ever seen anything like this before?”
Mark was standing next to a large globe that had gold trims around the edges and the globe section was etched glass.
“I saw that when we came in, sir.” Ben replied, standing up and approaching the Inspector. “It’s an amazing piece of craftsmanship.”
“It certainly is.” Mark agreed. “Look at this.” He lifted the globe so that the glass slid over to the side and revealed a marble and glass chess set underneath. Ben sucked in a breath of admiration.
“Oh my. That is very nice, isn’t it?” He exclaimed.
Mark nodded. “I think so, too. She had very good taste, didn’t she? Her home is nicely decorated. It looks calm and peaceful.”
“You can tell what she was like by the peace in this place.” Ben said, nodding and looking around the living room behind him. “I’m telling you, sir, it seems so strange that she would be killed like this.”
“I think what’s sad is that we are interpreting this to be something on her. How could it have happened to her when she was such a nice woman? It’s most likely because she was a nice woman. Let’s talk to her friends. Let’s see what else we can find out about our dear late Carrie Wellington.”
They left the house, leaving it in the hands of the patrol officers that were there to make sure nothing happened to Carrie’s things until the investigation was over and it was all claimed by the Joiners.
They headed to the publisher’s office, which, as Amber described, was on the outskirts of town and looked more like a large old house than an office building. They entered the building to see that the inside had been remodeled to look exactly like an office building, without the separation of walls and a wide open space to sit in while waiting for someone to pay attention.
Mark and Ben went to the receptionist’s desk, their IDs in their hand and exposed to the woman behind the counter. She smiled, her eyes shining behind her green-rimmed glasses. “How can I help you, detectives?”
“I’m Inspector Mark Bullard and this is Sargent Ben Keyes. We would like to see Frank Hayes, if you don’t mind.”
“I will ring him immediately, sir, if you would like to just wait here.”
He nodded and turned to Ben. “When we find out what time she left her meeting with him, we will have a clearer picture of what time the death occurred.”
“Sir? There are some policemen here to see you. Yes, sir. All right.” She hung up and put her hand on the small doorknob that would open the half-door and let her out. “Please follow me, gentlemen. Frank will see you right away.”
The men shared a look and followed after the young woman. Frank’s office was down a carpeted hallway at the very end. The receptionist opened the door and stepped into the office.
“Mr. Hayes, this is Inspector Bullard and Sargent Keyes to see you.”
“Thank you, Mary. Please close the door on your way out.”
“Yes, Mr. Hayes.” She stepped behind Mark and Ben and closed the door as she went out.
“How can I help you gentlemen?” Mr. Hayes stood up and leaned over his desk to shake their hands. They sat afterward and Ben pulled out his notebook, looking at Mark.
“We need to inform you, sir,” Mark said. “That your client Carrie Wellington has been found dead in her car.”
“What?” Mr. Hayes face drained white. “That is terrible news! That is just terrible news!” He turned in his swivel chair and put his head in his hands. “How did it happen? Was she in an accident?”
“No sir, we are treating this as a murder investigation.”
His eyes widened in shock. “Murder?! Who would want to murder Carrie? She was the sweetest woman I’ve ever met! She never caused harm to anyone!”
“So we’ve heard.” Mark nodded. “But we must ask the questions that are relevant to finding out how this happened to this woman. Please tell us, sir, what time did Carrie leave from here yesterday after your appointment?”
Frank clenched his jaw and appeared to be keeping himself under control and attempting to remember whatever he could. “I’d say she left here about…close to three. Her appointment was at one-thirty, she arrived a little bit late and we talked for about an hour. She probably left about 2:50 or 2:45.”
Ben wrote this down in his notebook. “Do you have any kind of security cameras on your building?”
Frank nodded. “As a matter fact, we do. Being out here in the country, we take extra precautions so that no wild animals come on the property…and that includes humans.” He tried to grin but his distress was clear. “I will get them to you right away.” He picked up his phone and told his secretary to retrieve the disc from yesterday’s surveillance. “I can’t imagine who would do something to sweet Carrie. May I ask…was she
shot? Run off the road?”
“Sir, what did you do after she left yesterday?” Ben asked, dodging the question.
“I guess I…stayed here. You can ask Mary. She stayed out there until 5pm and then left. I was in here receiving clients all day or talking on the phone to them. I…can’t remember right now who my appointments were with after Carrie. I’m…in a bit of a fog. I have lost a major client. She made a lot of money for my agency. What a loss! What a loss!”
Ben and Mark glanced at each other knowingly. Frank was seeing dollar signs fading away.
“Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt Carrie?” Mark asked. “Anyone at all? Did she receive any letters from crazed fans or stalkers?”
Frank shook his head but looked thoughtful. “I…don’t think so. I don’t remember if we ever received anything like that. She just recently gave me a demo from a fan to listen to but I hadn’t gotten to it yet.”
“Would you know if someone was harassing her or stalking her?” Ben asked. “I mean, is this something that you would know about?”
Frank nodded. “Yes. If one of my major clients was being threatened, I would surely know.”
“All right.” Mark said. “Is there anything you can tell us about her state of mind when she left? Was she happy? Sad? Normal?”
“I…I would say she was normal. We didn’t have anything exciting going on, just more book signings for her and a radio interview coming up. She was on television last week, promoting her Hope in the Journey, not sure if you saw it.”
Ben nodded while Mark shook his head. Ben looked at his boss with a smile and caught Frank’s attention. “I did see it. She was lovely.”
“Yes, I thought so, too. That’s why I can’t believe this. She was such a nice woman.”
“We do appreciate your cooperation, Mr. Hayes. If we think of any other questions, we will be sure to let you know. And if you think of anything you might be able to add to this investigation, please contact me or Ben immediately at this number.” He pulled a business card from his wallet and handed it to him. “That’s my cell. You can even text me if you don’t feel comfortable calling.”
“Thank you, inspector Bullard.” Frank took the card, scanning it and nodding.
The two men turned to leave. Before they went through the door that Ben had pulled open, Mark turned back to Frank. “By the way, do you happen to have a copy of Hope in the Journey laying around the I could have?”
Frank pressed his lips together, giving Mark a look. “I do have one lying around you can have, as a matter of fact.” He reached into the top right drawer of his desk and pulled out a copy of Carrie’s book. He held it out and Mark came back to take it from him.
“Thank you very much.” Mark smiled at him.
“You’re welcome, Inspector. And please keep me as informed as you can. This is a tragic personal and business loss. I hope you find whoever did this to that wonderful lady.”
Mark nodded. “We are going to catch him or her. I promise.”
He turned and the two of them left the office.
He flipped through the book, noting the dedication was to Carrie’s sister and to the four friends Amber had mentioned, each by name. “So this is why she remembered the names of Carrie’s friends.” He mumbled.
“I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t hear you.”
They had stepped out into the light of day again and a large truck passed by in front of them, rumbling loudly. Mark waited for it to pass, still looking over the dedication and then flipping the pages. “The dedication. It’s why Amber was able to remember these names. Look,” he held the book so that Ben could read the names. “It’s got Carrie and Melissa’s last names but not Jackie’s and it’s apparent Tucker was already known by the Joiners and that’s why they knew him already and remembered him.”
“Oh yes sir, I understand.”
“Well, let’s track these folks down, shall we?”
“Yes, sir.”
They stepped down to the short pathway that would lead them to their car in the parking lot. “We’ll talk to the ‘best friend forever’ first.”
“Yes, sir.”
Chapter Three
Cynthia “Cindy” Lockhart, Carrie’s best friend forever, was in complete shock when she found out about the passing of her friend. She greeted the men at the door and allowed them in when they showed their IDs. She was slender, with dark hair that fell softly down her back in waves. She had it held back in a large clip. Her eyes were a deep brown that immediately filled up with tears when they told her the reason for their visit.
“No.” She shook her head and covered her face with her hands. “No, not Carrie. Oh no. I don’t believe it. Why? Who would do such a thing?”
“That’s what we are trying to establish. Can you tell us when was the last time you spoke to her?”
“I talked to her yesterday as she was leaving her publisher’s office.”
“Oh really?” Mark’s voice raised an octave.
“Yes. It was a very short conversation, though, because she said she didn’t want to talk and drive at the same time. She said she…would call me back when she got home. But…she didn’t call.” Cindy broke down crying and the detectives waited for her to calm herself, looking at her sympathetically. “I…I just can’t believe anyone would hurt Carrie. She was a wonderful woman!”
“Yes.” Mark nodded. “Yes, she was. Did she seem in any kind of mood when she was talking to you and before she hung up? Anxious? Upset?”
“Not at all. Why? You don’t think she…tried to hurt herself, do you?”
“I am trying to establish if she felt threatened just before she got off the phone with you.” Mark explained. “As if she was being harassed on the road or something like that.”
Cindy nodded. “I understand. No, she didn’t sound distressed at all. Just said she didn’t like to talk on the phone. Does Amber know? Did anyone tell her and Danny?”
“Yes, they were the ones who found her.”
Cindy gasped. “Oh poor Amber. They were so close. Those were sisters that loved each other, that’s for sure. They were a team, her and Carrie. We were a team, too, but it was nothing like the bond she had with Amber.” She was shaking her head again, her shoulders slumped in defeat. “Poor Amber. Poor Carrie.” She allowed a few more tears to slide down her cheeks. “Come to think of it, they called me last night asking if Carrie was with me. I don’t know if that’s relevant.”
“Anything that has to do with Carrie is relevant at this time, Cindy. What did you do after your conversation with Carrie?”
“My son came home from school. I helped him with his homework and gave him an afterschool snack. We were both here. And my husband was asleep in bed. He works nights.”
“What did you tell Amber and Danny when they called looking for Carrie?”
“I told them she wasn’t with me and they said they were going to go looking for her.”
“What time was that, do you remember?” Ben asked.
“It must have been…about midnight. I was getting ready to go to bed, the late show was on. My husband works the night shift and he wasn’t home. Whenever he isn’t home, it’s difficult for me to sleep so I stay up late. Midnight is kind of early for me to go to sleep.”
“Do you work during the day?”
“Yes, I’m an accountant for Merchant and Blackstock downtown. I’ve worked there for about ten years.”
“Are you Carrie’s accountant?”
She nodded. “Yes, I handle her accounts.”
“Is she wealthy?”
Cindy bit her lip. “I wouldn’t say she was wealthy. I would say she had some money set aside for her retirement and old age. She was no Donald Trump. Before she got with us, she handled her money very poorly and her credit was very bad. It took her years to get out of that bad credit slump. She worked really hard to, though. It was because of her ex-husband that it was like that to begin with.”
“We have it on record that she was never mar
ried.”
Cindy shook her head. “It was very hush-hush. Hardly anyone knew about it. You would have had to dig through marriage licenses to find out. She didn’t make it public when she got famous.”
Ben and Mark looked at each other with wide, interested eyes.
“And what is his name?” Ben asked curiously.
“His name was Andrew Dean. But he isn’t alive anymore. He died of cancer five years ago.”
“Oh.” Ben looked let down. “Who stands to inherit her money?”
“I haven’t seen her will.” Cindy said. “You would have to talk to her lawyer about that. But knowing Carrie, she left the majority of her money to her sister and maybe a little to me and to our circle of friends.”
“Speaking of your circle,” Mark said. “We have the names of Melissa, Jackie and Tucker as the other people in your group. Is there any more to add?”
“You must have read the dedication.” Cindy smiled. “There’s no one else we hang out with on a regular basis. The five of us would get together for drinks every two weeks or so and discuss what was going on in our lives at the time. Carrie and I had daily communication. I am not sure how often she kept up with the others. You might get some information from Tucker.”
Ben and Mark shared a look. “Oh?” Ben asked. “What might he know?”
Cindy looked down, kneading her hands together. “Well…they didn’t seem to be getting along well last time we had drinks. At least…that’s what I thought.”
“What made you think that?”
Cindy was avoiding looking at them, which made Mark very suspicious. He licked his lips and leaned toward her. “If you know something, you need to tell us.”
Cindy glanced at him. “It’s just…a feeling. They have never been terribly close but…it seemed like he was irritated about something and she was having nothing of it. I don’t remember them having said more than a few words to each other that day.”
“All right.” Ben closed his notebook and looked at Mark, who nodded. “I don’t have any other questions for now. Do you, sir?”
A Classic Case of Murder: Detective Crime Mystery Suspense (Ben and Mark Detective Investigator Mystery Series) Page 2