Death Blow

by Emma Rose Watts

  Skylar shook her head. “Harvey, you know as well as I do the moment that he brings in his lawyer he’s going to say that he didn’t put it there and it was one of the frat boys. They’ll get pulled in and what do you think they’ll say?” she asked.

  Harvey stood there looking at her. “They’ll either deny it or say that you found it a day earlier.”

  “Exactly.”

  Harvey slammed his fist against the air. “Damn it, Skylar! This is why we need to do things by the book. There is a reason why we follow the rules. You can’t just charge in there and start rooting through someone’s property.”

  “I was there to question them about Matt, I just happened to see it on the counter and used it to my advantage to gain more details. I’ll admit it probably wasn’t the best move but without that we would have never known what Matt was doing or his involvement with the Latin Syndicate.”

  “Yeah, well this means I’ll have to let him go.” He closed his eyes and exhaled hard. “The only reason I came here was to cover your ass and if he files a civil lawsuit after I let him go then you’re on your own. You got that?”

  “He won’t. With all the scrutiny the fraternity is under with the murder, he wants this all to go away. Filing a civil lawsuit would just cause a scene.”

  “And what if Hanson and Reznik find even more of this at the beach house?”

  “Then we take it from there and let the courts deal with it. The problem is you didn’t find anything else on his yacht tonight. Had we found more we could take him in.”

  Harvey looked back at her studying her face. “I dunno, Reid. Most criminals deny wrongdoing and still get charged. And as for Dawson saying you found that bag on there the day before, it’s his word against ours.”

  “I agree. And I’m going to leave this decision to you on how you choose to proceed but call it a gut instinct, Harvey. While the motivation behind the murder may have been drug related, there is a chance it wasn’t. This could all be smoke and mirrors. In which case it would serve us better by having Tom, Gabriel and Dawson out there where they can screw up than behind bars denying everything. Right now we have little to go on besides some side business Matt was running, a gun found at the scene, a pledging ceremony gone wrong and some obscure connection to the Latin Syndicate. You know as well as I do if we walk into a court with what we have, we might put Iris behind bars but what if she’s not to blame? What if someone else is using the situation to their advantage?”

  “Or maybe we are reading between the lines, Reid, and it is what it is. Iris could have killed him.”

  Harvey sighed.

  “It’s up to you. I’m not going to stop you from taking him in or pursuing that line of thinking. But my gut tells me we need something more, something tangible and we’re not going to find it by pressing drug charges right now,” Skylar said.

  “Great, well I for one hope Reznik finds something because I have to now go suck up to him,” he said turning to walk away and kicking a few loose stones across the gravel parking lot.

  “Just tell him, it’s a small amount and we have discretion on what to do and it’s his lucky day,” Skylar said.

  Harvey turned and flipped her the bird.

  Chapter 16

  “I’m telling you, Joe, she is a loose cannon!” Harvey paced back and forth early that morning in Captain Davenport’s office after updating him on their findings. Joe Davenport was a very hard man to lie to. Harvey had tried to pull the wool over his eyes a few times in his career and it had always failed. No, this time he just spilled his guts. Of course Reid didn’t know he was having this conversation with him but the way he saw it, at the rate she was going she was liable to cost him his career and he hadn’t worked this long to have it tossed to the curb. “It doesn’t matter how hard I try, I can’t control what she does. All I can do is cover her ass.”

  “Calm down, Harvey, you are blowing this all out of proportion,” Davenport said.

  Harvey frowned as he sank into a seat.

  Davenport continued. “I’ll admit her methods are a little unorthodox and questionable but there is no denying she gets results.”

  “Results?”

  “Harvey, how long have we been at this?”

  “Too long,” he said looking out the window. Several herring gulls wheeled overhead and he yearned to be outside instead of dealing with office politics.

  “And what is this community’s strength?”

  Harvey stared back, confused, then shrugged.

  “Unwillingness to change,” Davenport said.

  “What?”

  Davenport exhaled hard. “It’s what every small town in America has that makes it great. It’s the refusal to let in big box stores who will push out local small businesses, it’s the refusal to let large corporations barge in and build roads through the town or take over how things will be done, and yet you know what…?”

  Harvey rolled his eyes.

  “It’s also our weakness. In our need to maintain our way of doing things we limit our ability to go beyond the results we have been getting. Now I’m not talking about throwing the baby out with the bathwater here but the fact is bringing in Skylar Reid was the best thing we could have done for this department. Not only does she bring a new set of eyes, and years of experience in multiple agencies, but she brings…” he got this faraway look in his eyes as he rubbed his thumb and two fingers together, “that missing ingredient which makes us look good.”

  “Look good? Do I have to remind you what has been destroyed, the numerous times the state attorney general has got involved and the scrutiny the department has come under since her arrival?”

  “Growing pains,” Davenport said.

  “What?”

  “It was to be expected. You can’t unleash a lion and not take some casualties.”

  Harvey raised a finger. “Okay, captain, you are starting to worry me. If I’m not mistaken it seems she’s rubbed off on you and not in a good way. Shouldn’t you be furious?”

  He laughed and got up from his seat and came around, leaning back against the desk.

  “Harvey. I get it. We all do. Rules are there for a reason. But you and I know that sometimes in order to catch the guy on the wrong side of the law, we have to bend them. Now sure I could sit here and outline the mistakes made and yell and shout but where is that going to get us? Certainly no closer to finding out who killed Matt Carr. We are only two days into this investigation and thanks to your partner, we have already established where those bruises came from, who was behind them, drug involvement and ties to the Latin Syndicate. So in my books that’s some pretty darn good police work if I don’t mind saying so myself.”

  “Good police work? We may be staring down a civil lawsuit.”

  “You need to trust your partner.”

  He shook his head. “Yeah well that’s the part I’m having problems with… I’m still not sure she should be here. I mean, she’s carrying some heavy baggage and you can’t say that it doesn’t affect her work.”

  “I’m not saying it doesn’t but at the end of the day, all the public really cares about is that their tax dollars are being spent wisely, and if that means pulling in someone from the outside who is a little unorthodox but gets this community results, then I’m all for that.”

  “No offense, captain, but you have changed.”

  “Perhaps we all should. Let’s face it, how many years have you been waiting to arrest Callum Jackson?”

  “Too many.”

  “And how close has she got you to nearly arresting him?”

  Harvey sat there chewing it over. There was no denying that since he’d partnered with her she had managed to draw him out of the woodwork and get them real close to nailing him. Before he retired that was the one thing he hoped to see — the day Callum Jackson was brought down and thrown behind bars. Up until Reid’s arrival they hadn’t even managed to get close. He’d always notched that up to a leak in the department, someone on Jackson’s payroll, but perh
aps Davenport was right, maybe they’d spent so long working the same streets they couldn’t see the forest for the trees, and maybe having a new set of eyes allowed them to gain ground.

  Fortunately or unfortunately, nothing incriminating was found at the beach house the previous evening. Harvey released Tom Bowman who acted surprised, pissed off and downright belligerent for a few minutes. It was to be expected. It must have been confusing to be arrested and then released. Harvey had tried to downplay it and calm him down by feeding into his ego and position in life. He came up with some cock-and-bull story about having been part of a fraternity and it was important that they stick together and watch each other’s backs. He could have easily been a car salesman in another life. Tom bought it hook, line and sinker. His demeanor changed and he returned to his boat that evening under the assumption that all was well at least between him and the department — his daughter was another thing entirely.

  Although they had appeased the powers that be, that didn’t exactly help them. They were still no further ahead with the investigation and none of the law enforcement agencies had managed to track down Santiago.

  Skylar and Harvey entered the Carrabelle Junction the next morning so they could go over the case, what they had and the next course of action to take, however, Skylar had a sense he’d taken her there to clear the air with Barb.

  “I really don’t like the idea of this, Harv.”

  “Reid, you don’t want someone like Barb on the wrong side of you. Trust me.”

  “She’s just a café owner.”

  “No, she’s more than that. She’s like a grandmother around these parts. Her words carry weight and if for even a second she has the inkling that you are against her, it will make your life a living hell.”

  “Oh please, you really have bought into her spiel.”

  She pushed through the door into the café and there were six other patrons inside. The bell above the door jangled and all six looked over to them and scowled at her.

  “See. I told you, Reid. It’s too late. The wheels are in motion.”

  Skylar chuckled. “You’re paranoid.”

  They took their usual booth by the window and waited for Barb to come over. Skylar noticed that all eyes were on them as Barb wandered over with a pad in hand. She didn’t even look at Skylar.

  “Harvey. Good to see you.”

  She acted like Skylar wasn’t even there. She couldn’t believe how childish people could get. All this over where she bought her coffee? Man, small-town folk had issues. They needed to spend a little time in the city where there was a café on every street. Then they would know the true meaning of competition.

  “And you, Barb” Harvey said looking at Skylar.

  “What can I get you?”

  “Just a black coffee, and one of your apple turnovers.”

  “Got it.”

  She went to walk away without even acknowledging Skylar.

  “Uh. Hello? What about me?”

  Barb stopped in her tracks and put a hand up to her ear. “Did I hear something? I must have left the door open.”

  “Barb. Seriously, how old are you?” Skylar said.

  “Old enough to know where people’s loyalties lie,” she said turning back around.

  “So I buy my coffee from Vagabond. So what?”

  “It’s not a case of where you buy your coffee, it’s the fact that you support him over an establishment that has been here for as long as this town has.”

  “Hardly,” Skylar said.

  Harvey was quick to jump in. “Actually, the business has been around a long time. Before Barb, her mother and grandmother ran this place.”

  “And?” Skylar said stating the obvious. “Barb, I know it must be a struggle to have two cafés in town but there are restaurants that serve coffee, heck, there are a lot of establishments that sell coffee. I don’t think the issue is where people buy, it’s the fact that you are not the center of attention anymore. You can’t stand the fact that there are others in your neck of the woods.” She paused. “Well where I’m from we call that jealousy. The way you acted yesterday was appalling.”

  “Appalling? I brought you a nice bag of gifts.”

  “And took it away.”

  “Because you sided with Donnie Wu.”

  “And?” She stared back at her. “He has every right to open a café in this town. And you know what, until yesterday he hadn’t said one bad word about you, but now he thinks you are crazy and — you know what — I think I believe him.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “You know I have the right to not serve you?”

  “And I have the right to go elsewhere.”

  Harvey gritted his teeth and pulled a face realizing that bringing Skylar in there was a bad mistake. Skylar got up and tossed a napkin down. “In fact, I think I’ll leave. I came in here when I really didn’t need to. I could have just gone to Vagabond but I didn’t. If you take issue with that or me not signing your asinine petition then so be it but I think it’s time you grew up.”

  With that said, Skylar brushed past her and headed for the door. She heard Harvey mutter an apology to Barb and then he followed. Outside in the heat of the morning sun she made her way across the parking lot back to the truck. Harvey fell in step.

  “Skylar, you can’t say stuff like that to her.”

  “Of course I can.”

  “This woman is a pillar of the community.”

  “You mean a fly in the ointment. She’s got you folks wrapped around her finger. She says jump and you all ask, how high. Well not me, buddy. In New York that crap don’t fly. We call it out for what it is… pure manipulation. Childish manipulation. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the first time she’s had anyone disagree with her.”

  “Oh she’s had plenty of people disagree, they just aren’t in this town anymore.”

  “Let me guess, she ran them out of dodge with her spatula?” Skylar chuckled making it to the passenger side and asked him to open up.

  He placed his hand on the door. “You need to go back and apologize.”

  “Apologize. Why? If anyone needs to suck down some Southern humility it’s that old gal.” Skylar looked back over her shoulder and could see Barb peering out the window. She was eating this up. She must have thought Skylar was just going to roll over like all the other sheep in town. Well not her.

  Before he could respond, Skylar’s phone jangled in her pocket. She jabbed the air with her finger and fished it out.

  “Yeah?”

  It was Hanson.

  “Axl managed to get into the phone belonging to Diego Martinez. It seems there were several text messages exchanged. One from Iris, and one later that evening from an unknown source, telling Diego that Matt Carr was at the hospital. I also followed up on the cell phone records for Matt. It seems he was in contact with Iris not long after he was dropped off. He wanted to meet her. The last known ping on his phone was out at the Point.”

  “Where his body was found. Right. Good job, Hanson.”

  “Oh don’t thank me. It was all Axl.”

  She asked him to forward the messages on to her before hanging up.

  “Did anyone take Iris’s phone from her or follow up with her phone records to see who she’d been chatting to on the night of the murder?” she asked Harvey.

  “Yeah, I did,” Harvey said. “There were no messages to anyone after six and before that there was nothing that would lead us to believe she was anything but a loving girlfriend.”

  “Then how has Diego ended up with messages from her?” Skylar asked. “And who messaged Matt back?”

  Harvey shrugged. “Maybe she was using a burner phone or…”

  “Someone else was signing off as her and maybe that’s why Matt’s phone was missing.” She nodded. “Time to go chat with Iris. She’s still being held, right?”

  “Actually no, she made bail this morning.”

  “But her prints? The gun?”

  “Circumstantial right now. It seems her fa
ther’s lawyers came through. Until there is a trial she’s out and staying at her father’s place. They don’t think she’ll flee and she has to wear an ankle monitor.”

  Chapter 17

  The Bowmans lived in the northern part of Carrabelle, down a barren stretch of land called Skipper Road. The two-story brown-brick home was nestled into the woodland. A large stone wall with a black gate blocked off the entrance. Harvey’s truck rolled up to the gate intercom, and he leaned out the window and pressed it. It buzzed and a few seconds went by before Iris came on the line.

  “Hello there?”

  “It’s Detectives Baker and Reid from Franklin County. We’re here to ask you a few questions.”

  “My father’s not in at the moment.”

  “That’s okay, this won’t take long,” he replied.

  They could tell there was some hesitation on her part as she tried to convince him to come back later when her father was around and that she wasn’t comfortable talking to the cops without her lawyer or father present.

  Skylar leaned across. “Look, Iris, if Matt meant anything to you and you want this all to go away, then it’s in your best interest to help us out here. Now all we are asking for is five minutes of your time. Can you give us that?”

  Silence. Then there was a buzzing noise and the black metal gate groaned open. Harvey’s eyebrows went up and he smiled and gave the truck some gas and they forged onward up a large driveway that snaked between sand pine trees and scrub. The home could just be made out between the trees.

  “I want you to hang back on this one,” Harvey said. “We are already walking on eggshells with her father. We don’t want to give him any more reason to get upset. And let’s keep this to five minutes, okay?”

  “You’re the boss,” Skylar said with a smirk on her face.

  They parked outside and pushed out of the truck. Iris was there to meet them at the door. She beckoned them inside the overly large home.

  “This is quite the place. What’s your mother do, Iris?”