“Do you really expect me to believe that?”
Chuck nodded.
“It sure doesn’t sound like the truth,” David said.
“Look. I’m a lot of things, but crazy isn’t one of them,” Chuck said.
“Says the man who broke into an all-out sprint to get away from a police detective,” David said.
“No. You have it all wrong. I would never knowingly run away from the police,” Chuck said.
David stared him down. “Either you’re really good at playing dumb, or you think I’m a moron. And let me tell you something. I’m no fool.”
“I never said you were,” Chuck replied.
“Then stop treating me like one.”
Chuck’s voice cracked as he replied, “It all happened really fast. I saw a car pull up and immediately took off. I didn’t know it was you behind the wheel.”
David bit the corner of his lip. “Say I believe you. If you didn’t think I was behind the wheel, then who did you think it was?”
“Barbara’s estranged husband,” Chuck said.
I shook my head. “That doesn’t add up. If you truly thought that Trevor Franklin was behind the wheel, then what reason did you have to take off?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Chuck said. “Because that guy is crazy.”
“So you thought Trevor would get violent with you?” I said.
Chuck nodded. “There’s a good chance that he killed Mark Wilcox. So why wouldn’t I be afraid that he’d get violent with me?”
“What makes you say that there’s a good chance Trevor killed Mark?” I asked.
“Mark was sleeping with Trevor’s wife,” Chuck said. “Revenge is the oldest motive in the book.”
It was ironic that Chuck brought up that particular motive. Six years ago, Chuck was dating Felicia. Then Felicia broke up with Chuck to be with Mark. All these years later, Chuck was still hung up on Felicia. So it was hardly a stretch to believe that Chuck wouldn’t want a little revenge of his own.
“Do you have any actual proof that Trevor is the killer?” I said.
“Well, no, but—”
David cut Chuck off. “That’s what I thought. Now let’s get back to you sprinting away from Barbara’s door—”
Chuck groaned. “How many times are you going to make me go over the same point? I didn’t know it was you in the car. You drive the same type of sedan as Trevor. It’s even the same color.”
That part we couldn’t dispute. When David was a deputy, he drove a squad car. But ever since he became a detective, he has been driving an unmarked blue sedan. Trevor Franklin, meanwhile, had a blue sedan of his own.
That said, Chuck was still far from in the clear when it came to his behavior.
“How about when I was running after you? I mentioned multiple times that I was with the police,” David said.
“I didn’t hear you,” Chuck said.
David scoffed. “How could you not hear me? I was yelling.”
“I just didn’t. I was too focused on getting away to pay close attention to what you were saying,” Chuck said.
David laughed. “Do you have any idea how flimsy your story is?”
“I’m telling you the truth,” Chuck said.
“That is still yet to be determined,” David said.
“Hey, it’s not my fault if you don’t believe me,” Chuck said.
“I don’t know anyone who would buy your story.”
“I don’t know what else to tell you then,” Chuck said.
With tempers flaring, it was time for a cooler head to prevail.
“Guys. Instead of just arguing, let’s move on for a second.” I turned my focus to Chuck. “Regardless of the true reason that you chose to run away, I can’t help but wonder why you were even here at Barbara’s house in the first place.”
“Because I wanted to confront her,” Chuck said.
“About what?” I said.
“There’s something devious going on with her,” Chuck said.
“How do you know that?” I said.
“You’ve talked to her before. Tell me she’s not crazy,” Chuck said.
David folded his arms. “Is that the best you’ve got? Wild speculation.”
“There’s something off about her. I feel it in my gut. You know what that’s like, don’t you?” Chuck said.
“I’m a detective. Of course I know what a gut instinct is,” David said.
“Then you should be on my side,” Chuck said.
“I’m not in the business of taking sides. I’m just here to discover the truth,” David said. “On top of that, no one knows better than I do that a gut instinct can only take you so far. You need evidence to back up your suspicions. Do you have any against Barbara?”
“I already told you, that woman is trouble,” Chuck said.
“That may or may not be true, but it doesn’t constitute evidence,” David said.
“Why don’t you talk to her again and see for yourself,” Chuck said.
I bit the corner of my lip. “Which brings me to another point. If you had such strong suspicions about Barbara, why confront her yourself? Why not just call the police?”
“I was going to do that,” Chuck said.
David’s eyebrows rose. “Oh really?”
Chuck nodded.
“Then why didn’t you?” David asked.
“I wanted to see if I could find out some dirt on her before I called 9-1-1.”
“What made you think you could get dirt on her?” David asked. “You’re not a detective.”
“This may be news to you, but sometimes people speak more freely when a detective isn’t around,” Chuck said.
“Do you know that from personal experience?” David asked.
Chuck tensed up. “Uh…no. It’s just something I’ve heard.”
David squinted. “You remember what I said to you about lying to a police detective, don’t you?”
Chuck nodded. “Of course.”
“Because it turns out you aren’t exactly the most innocent-looking person I’ve ever spoken to.”
“Stop right there. You’ve got nothing on me.”
“You mean, other than evading a law enforcement officer?” David said.
“For the last time, I didn’t know you were the one behind the wheel,” Chuck said.
“That isn’t the only issue at play right now,” David said.
Chuck shrugged. “What are you talking about?”
“There’s a case to be made that perhaps you came here tonight to kill Barbara. Or at least intimidate her.”
Chuck shook his head. “No. Why would I do that?”
“Maybe she knows too much about you. Perhaps she saw something that she shouldn’t have. So you came here to shut her up,” David said.
“That’s just crazy speculation.”
“You say that now, but Barbara might tell us a different story,” David said.
“The facts tell an even better story. For example, if I had come here to kill Barbara then why didn’t I have some sort of a weapon on me?” Chuck said.
“I’ve seen people killed with all sorts of household objects. You could have been planning to grab a blunt item from inside Barbara’s house to murder her,” David said.
Chuck groaned. “I can’t believe this. You made a huge deal about the importance of evidence, yet here you are making completely unfounded statements about me.”
“They might be unfounded now, but let’s see what Barbara has to say,” David replied.
“Go ahead. Talk to her. I’m not afraid,” Chuck said.
Chapter Eleven
Once again, David and I found ourselves with more questions than answers. Hopefully, Barbara would be able to clear up some of our confusion. But before we speak with her, we needed to make sure that Chuck didn’t go anywhere.
David dragged Chuck back to his car and detained him in the backseat. There was no way that David was going to give Chuck a chance to slip away, especially after he had
been so eager to take off earlier.
David and I approached Barbara’s front door, hoping that she would be able to clear some things up for us.
Unfortunately, she didn’t answer her door. David knocked, rang the bell, and yelled out for Barbara, but he didn’t receive any response.
I had a feeling that was because Chuck had scared her. Although, there was also the possibility that she was making a concerted effort to ignore us in hopes that we would go away.
That wasn’t going to happen.
David was the most persistent man that I knew.
It took a number of additional knocks, and David yelling out “This is the police,” but Barbara finally answered.
While the black-haired, square-faced, curvy, fifty-year-old cracked the door open slightly, she did not come outside. “Detective Carlson. What are you doing here?” Barbara asked.
“Do you want to explain to me why it took you so long to answer the door?” David asked.
“I apologize for that. I don’t know if you’re aware, but Chuck Tillman was trying to pound my door down, so I’ve been trying stay as far away from the door as possible,” Barbara said.
“We were aware of that,” David said. “And we’ve spoken with Chuck about it.”
Barbara held her pointer finger out. “Do me a favor and tell that maniac to stay away from me.”
“What makes you so sure that he’s a maniac?” I asked.
“Weren’t you listening to me? He tried to break my door down,” Barbara said.
“He described the situation a little differently,” David said.
“You’re not seriously buying that nutcase’s story, are you?” Barbara asked.
“You didn’t answer our question. Other than pounding on your door, why do you think he’s a nutcase?” David said.
“That man isn’t right in the head. He’s still hung up on a woman who broke up with him six years ago,” Barbara said.
“If you believe this strongly that Chuck is crazy, then why didn’t you call 9-1-1 when he was pounding on your door?” David said.
“I was about to—”
David folded his arms. “Really?”
Barbara nodded. “Yes.”
I stared deep into her eyes. She avoided eye contact with me.
“Unfortunately, there’s no way of confirming that,” I said.
“Guess you’ll have to take my word for it,” Barbara said.
“That’s easier said than done,” David replied.
“No it’s not,” Barbara said.
“What if you never intended to call 9-1-1 at all?” I asked.
Barbara’s eyebrows knitted. “Where is this coming from?”
“The fact that you’re a murder suspect,” I said. “The last thing someone like you wants is for the police to come to their house. But if you called 9-1-1, that’s exactly what would have happened.”
“Yeah? Well you’re here now anyway. Which doesn’t bother me, by the way,” Barbara said.
I folded my arms and gave her a wary look. “Uh-huh.”
“I just think that you’re wasting your time talking to me,” Barbara said.
“I disagree. You’ve been awfully defensive during this entire conversation,” David said.
“That’s because you’re saying really offensive things,” Barbara replied.
“You mean, truthful things,” David said. “After all, you’re a murder suspect.”
“I can’t believe you’re wasting your time with me. Chuck is the maniac,” Barbara snapped.
“Barbara, I see what you’re doing,” David said.
“Trying to talk some sense into you,” Barbara said.
David shook his head. “No. You’re attempting to deflect the spotlight away from yourself. But the fact is, we have just as much reason to suspect you.”
Barbara groaned. “We already went over this—”
“Yes, and you had no verifiable alibi for the time of Mark’s murder. But you did have ample motive for wanting him dead,” David said.
“You can keep saying anything you want. It won’t change the fact that you have no evidence pinning me to the crime,” Barbara said.
“Not at the moment, at least,” David said.
“Why don’t you stop talking to me like that?” Barbara asked. “I’m the victim here.”
“No. The victim is Mark Wilcox. And we’re going to find his killer,” David said.
“Not here you won’t,” Barbara said.
“Where will we find the killer then?” David said.
Barbara shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“You know, after we finish up here, we’re going to be paying your estranged husband another visit,” David said.
“Good for you,” Barbara snapped.
“Is that all you have to say about Trevor?” David asked.
“He can speak for himself,” Barbara said.
“Fine,” David said. “Now back to you.”
Barbara shook her head. “No. I’ve already said my piece. Now why don’t you just leave me alone?”
Chapter Twelve
We were getting nowhere with Barbara. So instead of lobbing any additional questions her way, we elected to move on. David also decided to let Chuck go. Sure David could have dragged Chuck into the police station, but he didn’t have grounds to hold him there for very long. Instead, he assigned a patrol car to keep tabs on Chuck.
David and I then hopped into his car and headed over to the northeast side of town. With the Franklin’s marriage in shambles, Trevor and Barbara had been living apart from each other. While Barbara lived on Dinsmore Road, Trevor was currently renting a house in a community called Treasure Meadows.
The drive to Monroe Street was always an emotional one for me. With good reason. That was where my sister had been abducted and murdered twenty-nine years ago. Even though her killer had been caught and was now serving a life sentence behind bars, this neighborhood had never stopped haunting my memories.
I got a queasy feeling in my stomach as David’s car turned on to Monroe Street. As hard as it was to hold myself together, I had to find a way. I mustered all the resolve I could while David pulled into the driveway of Trevor Franklin’s brown Spanish-style rental home.
There was a blue sedan parked in the driveway. But when David and I got out of the car and knocked on the front door of the house, no one answered. That didn’t dissuade my husband. He kept knocking for the better part of five minutes.
After the most recent set of knocks, I turned to David.
“I don’t think he’s home,” I said.
David yelled at the door. “This is the police. If you’re in there, you’d better come on out.”
That demand didn’t produce any results.
David groaned. “You might be right.”
“How much longer do you want to stand here?” I asked. “It could be hours before he returns home.”
David grabbed his police radio. “True. Which is why I’m going to have a patrol car drive over here and keep an eye out for Trevor. That way you and I can go about our business.”
In a fortuitous twist, just as David began to call dispatch, a motorcycle driven by Trevor came down the street and started to slow down as it approached the house.
The moment Trevor spotted David and me on his doorstep, he sped up his motorcycle and drove right by his own house.
David gritted his teeth. “That punk.”
My forehead wrinkled. “What does he think he’s doing?”
David sprinted toward the driver’s side of his car. “Come on. We can’t let him get away.”
I darted to the passenger side of David’s car and got inside.
David fired up the ignition, backed out of the driveway, and chased after Trevor.
While David accelerated, I said a quick prayer that this would not turn into a crazy high-speed chase.
When Trevor encountered heavy traffic on Locust Boulevard, I felt like my prayer had been answered. I had never been
happier to see a long string of cars in my entire life.
Thankfully, Trevor did not try to make a reckless maneuver with his bike and attempt to weave through the traffic. Instead, he pulled over to the side of the road.
David parked behind Trevor’s bike. David and I then got out of the car and walked over to Trevor to speak with him.
Trevor Franklin was a burly, long-haired man in his early fifties. Right then, I was less concerned with his physical characteristics than I was about his mental state.
David didn’t hesitate to get right to the heart of the matter. “What’s the matter with you?”
Trevor made an attempt to explain himself. “Look. I know what you’re thinking—”
“That you’re insane,” David said. “What made you think you could give us the slip?”
“I wasn’t trying to get away from you,” Trevor said.
David scoffed. “You’re the second suspect who has said that to me today, and I haven’t believed the story either time.”
“Listen. If I was really trying to get away, I would have cut through traffic. Instead, I just pulled over,” Trevor said.
“Don’t act like you did me this big favor. I’m not a moron. I saw you slow down as you approached your house, only to speed up the moment you spotted us,” David said.
Trevor shook his head. “That wasn’t why I sped up.”
“Don’t treat me like I’m a moron,” David said.
“I only sped up because it occurred to me that I had run out of cigarettes. So I was going to head over to the mini mart to pick up a new pack,” Trevor said.
“You know, that’s a really nasty habit. You should really quit,” David said.
“I’ve tried giving up smoking before. It’s too hard,” Trevor said.
“I wasn’t talking about smoking,” David said. “I was talking about lying.”
“I’m telling you the truth,” Trevor said.
“You could see why I’d have a hard time believing that,” David said.
“It seems pretty easy to me,” Trevor said.
David shook his head. “It’s far more difficult than you seem to realize. Especially given the suspicions surrounding you.”
“You can stop right there. I already told you I had nothing to do with Mark Wilcox’s death. You’re not really going to make me go over everything again, are you?” Trevor asked.
Mysteries of Treasure Cove Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 14