by Jessica Beck
“Now that I think about it, George has it, too,” I said, remembering how my old friend and former sleuthing ally had acted around criminals.
“There you go, then,” Jake said. “Denny was a little tougher than Amanda was.”
“He probably has to be,” I said. “After all, Amanda has someone watching her back, but Denny’s out there on his own.”
“At least as far as we know,” Jake replied.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. I’m just running some scenarios through my head,” Jake said absently.
“Is one of them the possibility of Amanda and Denny killing Rick together?” I asked after a few seconds spent driving back to April Springs.
“It’s something that I’ve considered,” he admitted.
“But it’s going to be hard to prove,” I said.
“Maybe so. I’m hoping we get a break, though. I set something in motion that I hope will pay dividends.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s too soon to say,” Jake answered.
“No, sir.”
“What?” he asked.
“It was okay for you to be tight-lipped when you were a cop, but we’re working together in full cooperation now. There can’t be any secrets between us, Jake.”
He took a moment to process that, and then finally he grinned in response. “Sorry. Old habits die hard, you know?”
“I understand that it’s a tough transition you’re trying to make, and it doesn’t help matters any that I’ve dragged you straight into my investigation, but we need to find a way to make this work for both of us.”
“Agreed. Before I came by the donut shop, I had a little chat with Stephen Grant.”
That news surprised me. “How did that work out, since you don’t have any official status now?”
“What can I say? He trusts my instincts, and there’s also the fact that I’ve had his back in the past. Anyway, he asked me for active suggestions about what he could be doing while he’s waiting for his new boss to start, and I gave him a few of my ideas.”
“There’s nothing that’s going to get him in trouble with Tyler tomorrow, is there?” I asked.
“It shouldn’t, if Tyler is a good cop,” Jake replied. “Stephen might be interim chief for just a day, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t do his job. I respect him for it.”
“So, what tips did you give him?”
Jake shrugged. “Nothing that he wouldn’t have thought of on his own. I suggested that he talk to the vendors working during Spirit Night, particularly those stationed near the bonfire. Someone might have seen something that they didn’t realize was significant at the time.”
“I hadn’t even thought of doing that,” I admitted.
“Hey, you can’t think of everything,” Jake said with a laugh.
“No, but it reminds me that there was a reason you were so good at what you did.”
“I appreciate that, Suzanne,” he said.
“What else did you talk with him about?”
“I suggested that he ask around and see if anyone was shooting film of the festivities,” Jake said. “For example, Ray Blake might have been taking pictures for his newspaper.”
“Chief Martin was already doing that right after the murder,” I said, remembering our earlier conversation when he’d still been in charge.
“What can I say? Great minds think alike. Anyway, Stephen is amassing the photos and video now.”
“I don’t know if anyone’s thought of this yet, but he should talk to the photographer at the school newspaper, too,” I said. “I remember seeing her taking all kinds of pictures. She even took a few snapshots of the special donuts I was offering that night.”
“That’s an excellent idea. Let me give him a quick call.”
As Jake phoned the acting police chief, I continued to drive us back to April Springs. We had two more suspects on our list, and our game plan needed to be the same for each of them. We needed to move quickly before word got out that Jake no longer had any legal standing.
Once Jake was off the phone, he said, “He didn’t think of the school photographer, either. That was nice work, Suzanne.”
“You would have thought of it yourself if you’d been there,” I said.
“Maybe, maybe not. Stephen’s collecting all of the photographs, and he’s invited us to come by the station and look at them as soon as we get the chance.”
“That might not be such a good idea,” I said.
“Why not? Don’t you think it could be helpful?”
“I do,” I said, “but it won’t do him any good if the other deputies see him working so closely with us. Could he meet us at the cottage instead?”
Jake nodded. “Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad idea,” he said as he pulled out his cellphone again and called the interim chief back.
“He had an alternate suggestion,” Jake said when he was finished with the call.
“Don’t tell me. He wants to do it at the donut shop.”
“No, but he did suggest Grace’s house this evening at six. They have a date tonight, and he’s pretty sure that she’d like to see the photos as well. He even offered to pick up a pizza for dinner. Stephen didn’t think Grace would be interested in cooking for us.”
I grinned. “The man certainly knows his girlfriend,” I said.
“Are you okay with that?”
“It’s perfect,” I said. “Did Stephen happen to share anything else?”
“I’m afraid that he’s a little overwhelmed at the moment, and I can’t say that I blame him. The first murder I ever handled solo was a nightmare. I spent half the time chasing down red herrings, and the other trying to tell them from the real clues.”
“Has he had many of those so far?” I asked.
“Clues? Not many. There’s still no sign of the murder weapon, though he’s pretty sure from the medical examiner that a long kitchen knife was used. There was no sign of a struggle on the victim, and no real clues around the crime scene. Oh, his crew turned up a pile of things that might be evidence, including a few footprints in the mud near where the body was found, some gum wrappers, a few discarded cheap bedsheets with eyeholes cut out of them, a wad of paper towels with something crimson smeared on them, and a handful of discarded tickets from the quilt raffle.”
“Hang on. Go back. Tell me more about those paper towels. They had something red on them? Could it have been blood? Maybe the killer used the paper towels to wipe off the murder weapon before they got rid of it,” I said excitedly.
“Sorry. I’d hoped that it would turn out to be something like that as well, but it ended up being nothing but dull red paint someone had mopped up.”
That was disappointing, but not all that surprising. After all, clues usually weren’t that easy to come by. “We can’t forget that we have two other suspects to interview before we meet up with Grace and Officer Grant. Are you up to talking with Travis Wright and Kyle Creasy right now?”
“After the two hard cases we just spoke with, it will be a real pleasure interviewing civilians.”
“Don’t be so sure about that,” I replied. “They can be just as tough to crack as the pros are.”
“I understand that, but hopefully we’ll be able to shake them up a little. My presence might not have done much to rattle Amanda and Denny, no matter what you thought you saw, but Travis and Kyle might have a harder time just blowing me off. I’ve been told that I have a presence when I’m interviewing suspects.”
“You do,” I said. “Just don’t lean on them too hard.”
Jake grinned. “Suzanne, I’m not a thug. I can tiptoe around with the best of them.”
“That’s not what I meant,” I said. “These folks live in April Springs, and chances are that at least one of them isn’t the killer, so that means that we still have to see them at the grocery store and at the park after all of this is over. We don’t need to make any more enemies in town than I’ve already generated
on my own.”
“Understood,” Jake said. “I’ll do my best to handle things a little more delicately.”
Chapter 17
To our surprise, it appeared that we weren’t the only ones interested in talking to Travis Wright. When we got to his place of business, we saw the temp police chief coming out of the construction trailer alone.
He greeted Jake warmly. “I haven’t had the chance to shake your hand and congratulate you on your retirement in person,” he said.
“I didn’t so much retire as I just decided to quit,” Jake answered with a grin as he shook Stephen Grant’s hand.
“Has she already put you to work?” Stephen asked as he glanced in my direction.
“This is just temporary,” Jake said. “How are things going with you so far?”
“Well, I’ve learned one thing; being the boss isn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be,” Officer Grant admitted.
“Is it easier, or harder?” I asked him.
“There are more headaches than I ever imagined, that’s for sure. I’m not quite sure how Chief Martin managed to put up with me for the past few years.”
“I’m sure that you weren’t as bad as you think you were,” I answered.
“Honestly, I was probably worse,” he said with a grin. “I’m going to give the new police chief a lot more respect than I ever gave Chief Martin.”
“What brings you here?” Jake asked him, trying his best to keep his voice casual.
“I’m following up on a lead,” Officer Grant said, his expression growing a little stern.
“Anything that you might care to share with us?” I asked him.
“Suzanne, that’s not appropriate,” Jake said to me.
“Why not? I used to ask Chief Martin about his cases all of the time.”
“It’s okay, Jake,” Officer Grant intervened. “I fully realize that we’re all working toward the same goal, even if it’s going to be temporary.” He looked around, and I did as well. No one was watching us, but he was still being cautious. “I don’t think I’m out of line telling you this, but I’d still appreciate it if you didn’t let anyone know that you heard it from me.”
“We won’t say a word,” I answered hastily, hardly able to wait for some inside information.
“Hang on,” Jake told me, and then turned to the acting police chief. “Stephen, don’t say anything to us that you wouldn’t want your new chief to hear you say. You’ve got this job until tomorrow, and you don’t want to make any grief for yourself that you don’t have to. It’s just not worth it on our account.”
“I appreciate the advice,” the temp chief said with a grin, “but since I’m the one in charge right now, I’m going to make an executive decision and tell you something. Like I said, I’d appreciate it if you’d keep it to yourself, but if you feel the need to share it with someone else, that’s up to you.”
“Can we at least tell Grace?” I asked.
The young officer grinned. “Why do you think I’m so willing to help you? Of course you can tell her.” He glanced back at the construction trailer. “You can take Travis off your list of suspects.”
“Why is that? Does he have an alibi?” Jake asked.
“Yes, and it’s a pretty good one, at that. At the time of the murder, it seems that he was being watched by a team of investigators in Charlotte on a stakeout. Surprise, surprise, Travis has some connections there that are less than stellar. I just found out that a surveillance team spotted him while they were watching a business under investigation for receiving stolen goods.”
“He was at a fence’s place?” Jake asked with the hint of a grin.
“He was indeed. It seems that Travis was trying to peddle a load of copper piping that didn’t belong to him originally to a fence that specializes in questionable construction materials.”
“He was fencing some pipe? Seriously? How much could that be worth?” I asked.
When Officer Grant told me, I took a beat before I spoke again. I had no idea there was that kind of money to be made from stolen construction supplies. “Why didn’t they arrest him on the spot?” I asked.
“I have no doubt that Travis will get what’s coming to him eventually, but they have bigger fish they’re going after at the moment.”
“How did you happen to find out about this?” Jake asked him. Was my fiancé upset that his contact at the state police department hadn’t known about the stakeout, or did he suspect that the omission had been more deliberate?
“I never would have known myself, but I play tennis with a guy from their force sometimes, and when he heard that I was acting chief, he gave me a call. That’s why this is strictly hush-hush. He wasn’t supposed to tell me, and I’m surely not supposed to be sharing it with you two.”
“We won’t say a word to anyone,” Jake said, and then he offered his hand to seal the promise.
Officer Grant took it, and the two men shook hands on it.
“I’m curious about one thing,” I asked. “If you eliminated Travis as a murder suspect, what are you doing here?”
“I promised my friend that I’d look in on him to make sure that he was still around,” Officer Grant said. “He told me that Travis was acting kind of skittish, and he wanted to ensure that he stuck around.”
“Was he inside?” I asked.
“Oh, yes, and from the look of it, he doesn’t have a clue that the good guys know what he’s been up to.”
“What excuse did you use when you checked in on him?” Jake asked.
Officer Grant grinned. “I told him that his truck had a broken taillight, and that he needed to get it fixed before he took it out on the road again.”
“You didn’t happen to break it for him, did you?” Jake inquired.
Grant laughed. “No, this was completely legit. I just used it as an excuse to look around in there.”
“That’s good police work, Chief,” Jake said.
“Officer Grant is fine with me. After all, that’s what I’ll be again soon enough.”
“So, you won’t mind giving up your job title tomorrow to someone else?” I asked him.
“Mind? As far as I’m concerned, Tyler is welcome to the headaches. It’s not worth the bump in pay as far as I’m concerned. Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t mind being chief in a few years, but right now, I’m not ready for the headaches.”
“You’ll be there quicker than you know,” Jake said. “Thanks for trusting us.”
“What are friends for?” Officer Grant said.
“Are we still on for tonight?” I asked him.
“You bet. I’m looking forward to it,” he said as his radio squawked, calling his name. After a brief consultation, he said, “Sorry, but I’ve got to go.”
“Is it anything serious?” Jake asked.
“No, but it’s still something that I need to handle personally,” the acting chief said, and then he left us.
“Well, that helped us out quite a bit, didn’t it?” I asked Jake. He didn’t answer, and when I glanced over at him, he was scowling. “What’s wrong? Are you upset that you didn’t know about the alibi?”
“No, that’s not it,” Jake replied.
“Is it because you’re now officially out of the loop when it comes to information?” I asked him delicately.
“Maybe. It’s not easy from this side, is it?”
I rubbed his shoulder as we walked back to my Jeep. “I’m sorry. I never should have dragged you into my investigation. You know what? We’ve done enough for one day. Should we call Grace, cancel our dinner plans, and have a quiet night at the cottage instead with just the two of us?”
“Why would we do that? Stephen’s been nice enough to let us look at some of his evidence. Suzanne, we can’t afford to pass that up.”
“Jake, we’re not committed to investigating this murder any further. If it’s going to be a problem, let’s just drop it, okay?”
Jake studied me for a moment, and then he said, “I thought you pr
omised Emma that you’d dig into her boyfriend’s murder.”
“I did, but she’ll understand. It’s not worth causing us grief.”
“Suzanne, you can stop if you want to, but this has gotten personal for me. I need to know what really happened to Rick Hastings, and I plan to find out, with or without you.”
“I choose to do it with you, then,” I said, trying to offer him a smile. “Don’t be upset with me. I’m just looking out for you.”
“As much as I appreciate the sentiment, I want to keep digging.”
“Then that’s exactly what we’ll do,” I said. “Now let’s go find Kyle Creasy.”
“That’s the spirit,” he said, and we went off in search of the landscaper.
Soon enough we found Kyle’s landscaping van; just not Kyle. It was parked in the lot in front of the Boxcar Grill again. Did the man ever eat anywhere else? Jake started to mount the steps when I touched his arm lightly. “Hang on a second.”
“What are we waiting for, Suzanne? Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” he asked me as I put a hand on the back door lever. The van was parked in such a way that I was shielded from view inside the diner, but anybody coming up the sidewalk toward it who happened to glance in my direction would clearly be able to see me.
I just hoped that no one noticed what I was about to do.
“I just want to see if it’s locked,” I explained.
“You know that anything you find in there is inadmissible in a court of law without a warrant,” Jake said seriously.
“We’re private citizens, though,” I said. “I know that it’s not acceptable if you’re a police officer, but we don’t have any official standing in this case, remember?”
Jake looked as though he were about to be ill. “I can’t help it. This just isn’t right.”
“I understand your qualms, but we might not have much time. You don’t even have to get your hands dirty. Just do me a favor and go up to the restaurant door and act as my lookout.”
Jake shook his head. “Just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean that I’m going to abandon you,” my fiancé said resolutely.