Moment of Doubt

by Sara Gauldin

  “Well, Dylan claims that Holly was a germaphobe. He said she had a cleaning lady that came every other day.

  “That’s a bit too convenient, Genevieve said.

  “All right. What else?” I asked.

  “We have a computer and a laptop. Both are password protected.”

  “So get the password from Dylan,” I said.

  “That part’s a little fishy, too. He claims both the computers are Holly’s, and he doesn’t know what the passwords are.” Watkins handed me the laptop.

  “Looks like we will need some help on this one.”

  “I’ll call Kirk Nelson. Simple passwords should be no trouble,” Genevieve said.

  I smiled. Kirk was an FBI tech guy now, but I still owed him for helping me clear my name when I was framed. “It sounds like we need to talk to Dylan Troy. This place is creepy. I don’t get the feeling anything close to normal life was happening here.”

  Genevieve nodded. “He has created more questions than he answered.”

  We toured the rest of the apartment. It was sterile and blank throughout. I opened empty drawers and looked in closets that held two or three outfits. There was no sign of a break-in or a struggle. There was no blood and there were no security cameras.

  We made our way back to the front of the townhouse. “It’s doubtful that they even live here.”

  “Excuse me,” said a voice. It was a uniformed officer, a younger man who didn't look familiar. “We found one thing that’s strange.”

  We followed him to the coat closet near the front door. There he showed us a wall covered with blinking machines and wires.

  “What is this?” Major Watkins demanded.

  “We need an expert.” He pointed to a wire. “This looks like a fiber optic line coming into the place.”

  “Fiber-optic. Why would they need a fiber optic line?” the Major demanded.

  “Why would they need any of this?” Genevieve touched a cable, tracing it to see where it connected.

  “Well, I think that’s a great question for Dylan Troy.”

  Chapter 15

  Dylan Troy sat in the interview room with a face as gray as a corpse. “Are you all right?” I asked. I didn’t want to see him throw up.

  He nodded once.

  “Very well, then we will proceed.”

  Another nod.

  I took out two photos, one of Dana and one of Jeffery. Both we had received from the families. “Do you recognize either of these people?”

  Dylan looked at the photos for a long time. “I don’t think I know either of them. But wasn’t this guy on some YouTube channel?”

  “Not that I know of.” I wrote the comment down in my notes. If Jeffery was some kind of amateur video personality, I wanted to know what it was he had to say.

  “We visited your townhouse today. I have a couple of questions.”

  Dylan looked at us with no hint of a response.

  Genevieve clicked her pen. “Right, so we noticed that there isn’t much there. Have you been living there long?”

  “Almost a year.”

  “That seems like a long time to not move anything in.”

  “We did, the place was normal. Holly was trying to figure out where she was going with her career. It stressed her out. So, she got on this kick where you can get rid of everything nonessential to practice gratitude for life instead of stuff. She put a lot of thought and time into it.”

  “So, she got rid of everything. That must have made you angry.” I was fishing.

  “No, I mean it was strange, but it was what she said she needed. And I didn’t haul it all away to donate like she wanted. I rented a storage place. It was a stage. She would change her mind later, I was sure of it.”

  “We also noticed that you have a sizeable amount of electronic equipment anchored to the wall in the hall closet. What’s all that equipment for?” Genevieve asked.

  “You noticed that mess? I don’t know. Holly said it had to do with our internet signal. It seemed like a mess, but she said it was the best.”

  “Why would she need all of that?” I asked.

  “I don’t know. I wish I could tell you.” Dylan rubbed his eyes, as he fought to maintain control.

  “When did you realize your fiancé was missing?” I asked.

  “She’s gone.”

  “Right, she’s dead. We need to talk about that. When did you realize she was missing?”

  “I… I don’t know.”

  “That seems unlikely. If you lived with Holly Mangrum, it would seem that you would notice that your fiancé was missing at some point.”

  “Right. She was traveling. I thought she was traveling. I swear I didn’t hurt her.”

  “Why would you think she was traveling?”

  “She took a new job. She planned to leave for training.”

  “What was the job?” Genevieve flipped through the slim case file, looking at the booking information.

  “She did something with the internet.”

  “Was she in IT?” I asked.

  “No, she, well, she had a blog,” he said.

  “A blog?” I asked.

  “Sure, actually, she had a couple of them. She was trying to change the world.” He ended his statement with a choking sob that appeared to surprise him as much as me.

  “All right, what about the new job?” Genevieve asked.

  “It was something else with the internet. I think she planned to work at home. That’s what she wanted. To work at home.”

  “Why was that?” I didn’t want to know the answer.

  Dylan put his head down on the table and cried without saying another word. A knock on the interview room door was a welcome break from the distraught man.

  I opened the door to find Commander Jennings waiting. We stepped in the hallway. “Your guy has every right to be upset. What I bet he can’t bring himself to say is that Holly was pregnant.”

  “That’s what I was afraid of,” I said.

  “Well, let’s find out what kind of guy he is.” Jennings looked stern, and I knew he had to be. We couldn’t let this guy off the hook just because he felt remorse.

  I nodded. The commander was right. This guy never reported his fiancé missing. I went back into the interview room, closing the door.

  “I still don’t understand where your fiancé went. Didn’t she tell you where she was going?” Genevieve was pressing Dylan for an answer, but he wasn’t saying a word.

  I pulled my chair back out from the table, letting the chair make a loud screech across the floor to announce my arrival and to break Dylan’s glazed over gaze. “All right, I have a question for you. How far along was she?”

  Dylan let out a groan. “Oh, god, it was true.”

  “So you knew Holly was pregnant?” Genevieve had tuned in to the new bit of information.

  “She took one of those home tests. She had a doctor’s appointment scheduled for next week. We didn’t know for sure.”

  “But you thought she was?” I asked.

  Dylan nodded.

  “I need you to answer out loud, for the record,” Genevieve demanded.

  Dylan nodded again. “Yes. We were excited. I mean we planned to get married, anyway.”

  “So you were excited about the baby?” I asked.

  Dylan’s eyes were full of tears that threatened to overflow at any moment. “Of course. Holly and I loved each other. We planned to get married….”

  “But you didn’t report her missing. And you claim not to know where she went on this trip.”

  “She couldn’t tell me, I swear it,” he said.

  “And the name of the company?” Genevieve asked.

  “I don’t know. Look, I’ll try to find out. But it was an opportunity. Holly said the company was interested in her blogs.”

  ***

  The Italian place was mostly empty this late; the dinner crowd was long gone. “What do you think?” I asked Genevieve.

  “I think Dylan Troy knows more than he’
s telling. Why would Holly’s fiancé not know about her new job, or where she was going?”

  Genevieve took a dainty bite of her sub. “That’s a good question. I have one idea why not, but if I’m right, this case is beyond complicated.”

  “You don’t think she was working for something with a security clearance, do you?” I took a bite of pizza.

  Genevieve sighed. “That’s what I’m afraid of. If she is working on something classified, then we will have a gap in the timeline.”

  That was one part of a larger puzzle. If there was something next level going on with Holly, then we would have to proceed with caution, but Holly wasn’t our only lead. “All right, so we put more focus on the other victims and see if they have anything in common with Holly.”

  “I think you’re right.” Genevieve folded her napkin across her plate. “But I will still put in a call to see if I can get any information. Even a rejection instead of denial can tell us there may be something to that possibility.”

  “I guess you’re right.” I took another bite of my pizza. It wasn’t the gourmet meal that my former partner, Ryan Kain, would have ordered, but it was just fine with me.

  “We have time to follow up on at least one more lead tonight,” Genevieve said, looking at her watch.

  Time was critical with this killer. “I was thinking the same thing. We already talked to Holly’s fiancé. Maybe we should go back to the first victim.”

  “If Dana Myer was the first person that was killed, she may be closer to whatever triggered this,” said Genevieve.

  I nodded. “We talked to her mother, but not her exes.”

  Genevieve smiled. “I was thinking the same thing.”

  Chapter 16

  As I took the last bite of my pizza, my phone vibrated to life in my pocket. A glance confirmed it was Jesse. “Excuse me,” I said, wanting to take the call. When I left California, I left Jesse with more questions than answers, but I was torn. The case gave me the thrill of the chase. That would always be something that enticed me. But the comfort and familiarity of Jesse was also appealing in its own way.

  I stepped outside the restaurant, pulling my coat around me to block out the early spring chill. “Hello.”

  “Well hello, stranger.”

  “Stranger?” I couldn’t read Jesse’s tone.

  Jesse laughed. “Calm down, I was only kidding.”

  I forced a laugh. “Oh, I knew that. Do you miss me yet?” I was being sarcastic.

  “Not at all. No, seriously, I miss you. Amelia misses you. Milly misses you.”

  Milly was staying with Jesse while I was on the case. “Now, you’re just trying to get me on the next plane.”

  “Is it working?”

  “Almost. I need to solve this one, Jesse. The evidence is here, and if we can read it, well maybe we can prevent this monster from killing again.”

  “Two victims sounds like the makings of a serial killer,” Jesse agreed.

  “Make that three.”

  Jesse whistled. “You be careful.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m not working alone.”

  “All right, just try not to get yourself into trouble again.”

  “Now, you sound like my dad.” I regretted those words as soon as I said them.

  “How is your dad? Is he still traveling?”

  “It’s funny you asked. It turns out he’s here in Ohio.”

  “Seriously? That’s a strange coincidence.”

  “You have no idea.”

  ***

  Paul Myer lived downtown in a loft. His place was only a few blocks from Haven Outreach where Dana Myer worked until her disappearance. We found a place to park in the busy business district and headed into his building. We took the elevator rather than climbing the three flights of stairs. Neither Genevieve nor I would admit we were tired from the hike earlier, but the day had gone on too long, and neither of us was moving as quickly as we had that morning.

  We found the right unit, 303, and knocked on the door.

  Paul opened the door the few inches the chain lock allowed. I could see his familiar face, but he looked drawn and pale, not like the man I remembered from my friend’s wedding. “I already told everyone, I’m not giving an interview.”

  He didn’t recognize me, I thought.

  Genevieve held up her badge and made our introductions. “We need to ask you a few questions.”

  “Oh, I thought you were more reporters.” He closed the door, and we could hear him sliding the lock to let us in. The door opened, and a man who looked more like a shell of the man Paul once was, showed us into the small studio apartment.

  He looked at me with his brow creased. “You look familiar.”

  I nodded. “I came to your wedding.”

  “My wedding?” He looked at me for a few more seconds. “Must have been friends with Dana.”

  “Yes,” I admitted.

  “And that’s why you’re here then.”

  “Your ex-wife was murdered. I think you should expect the authorities to have a few questions.”

  “Authorities?” Paul scowled.

  “Yes, the police. Weren’t you already interviewed by the local police?”

  “Yes, which brings me to my question, why are you even here?” He plopped down on the couch with a dejected sigh.

  “We need to find out what happened to Dana, and we need to know as much as we can. Not just to give her justice, but also so we can put her killer behind bars where they can’t hurt anyone else.” Genevieve took out her pad of paper to get down to business. He took a seat at the kitchen table, which was only a few feet from the couch in the small apartment.

  “I see,” Paul said, coughing loudly. When he was done coughing, he continued, “Look, I see what you want, but you’re barking up the wrong tree. I’m not your guy. I couldn’t have hurt Dana, even if I wanted to, which I don’t.”

  “And why is that?” I eyed the other chair at the kitchen table but stood to make Paul less comfortable.

  “I was in the hospital when Dana disappeared.”

  “How do you know when she disappeared?” Genevieve asked.

  “Because her mother called me asking if I had seen her.”

  Genevieve flipped through the skeleton file she brought with her. “You never mentioned being in the hospital when the locals came to question you.”

  “No, I didn’t think about it. To be honest, I wasn’t myself when they came last time. The medication I’m on makes it hard for me to think clearly.”

  “Then how are you so sure you were in the hospital when Dana disappeared?”

  “Because once I realized it was in November, I knew I was in the hospital the whole month. I have cancer. I don’t expect to live much longer.”

  The pallor and lack of hair now made sense. “I’m sorry to hear that... When was the last time you saw Dana?” I took a seat at the table.

  “It’s been a while. I don’t know if you realize this, but she and I divorced almost two years ago.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  Paul coughed again. “Don’t be. We were both better off.”

  His words surprised me.

  Genevieve spoke up. “So, when was the last time you heard from Dana?”

  “I guess it was a couple of weeks before she went missing. She called me up out of the blue and wanted some computer I got in the divorce.”

  “Did she say why she wanted it?” I asked.

  “Yeah, she said she wanted to start some kind of blog to deal wither feelings. It sounded ridiculous, but I didn’t need the thing. I told her to take whatever she wanted. I wouldn’t be using it anymore. The ironic thing is we fought tooth and nail over all the junk, and neither of us will be around to use any of it.”

  I nodded. It was ironic but in the saddest way possible.

  Genevieve cleared her throat, breaking the awkward quiet. “How was your relationship with Dana?”

  “She didn’t have much to say to me. I know I hurt her.” />
  “How did you hurt her?” I asked too quickly.

  “You don’t know? I thought you two were close.”

  A fresh wave of guilt hit me with no warning. “We were close when we were younger, but when I moved for work, we lost touch. Things were complicated.” I didn’t contact anyone I knew because my life was on the line, and I didn’t want anyone to be in the same situation. But that was more than Paul, who I barely knew, needed to hear.

  “I understand. Look, the truth is I left her, so I could find myself. I was struggling the whole time I knew her. I thought I could make both of us happy. It was what my parents wanted. But it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t who I was. I think Dana felt like I tricked her.”

  “I understand, I didn’t know.”

  “Look, I want to help, I do. I can show you something. I hired a private investigator when things went bad between us. It’s embarrassing now, how we both acted. We wanted to tear each other apart and for what? Neither of us gained an inch.”

  “I’m sorry you both went through that.” Remembering the wedding day, both Paul and Dana had seemed so happy, surrounded by friends and family. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

  Paul dragged himself to his feet and went to a cabinet across the room. After shuffling through some papers, he found the file he was looking for. “Here, it’s not what I expected, but maybe you knew her better than I did. She had another side, one I never knew about.” He shoved the file into my hand. “Keep it. It’s only a bad memory now.”

  “Thank you.” I didn’t know what else to say.

  Paul sunk to his knees coughing like he could barely breathe. “Call an ambulance. I don’t want to die here alone,” he said between coughs.

  I nodded and made the call.

  ***

  The EMTs arrived within a few minutes. Genevieve and I had already covered Paul with a blanket and made him comfortable, but judging by his labored breathing, he needed to go to the hospital.

  “It’s a good thing you called when you did. His pulse-ox is too low,” a lady EMT said.