“What photograph is that?” she asked.
“You know very well the one I’m talking about,” he said. “It shows me at a crowded—very crowded—party.”
“And?” She shrugged. “You’re here to ask me to see if I can get you a copy, too?”
A muscle worked along Schuler’s jaw, and Katie could tell he was grinding his teeth. When he spoke again, his voice was steely. “I am here, Ms. Bonner, to inform you that jeopardizing my job in any way would be an egregious mistake.”
Stiffening her spine, Katie asked, “Is that a threat, Detective Schuler?”
“It’s a promise,” he said.
“So, are you saying Captain Spence removed you from the case?” That would be damaging in itself if Schuler came here to threaten me about a case to which he’s no longer assigned.
“I have most certainly not been taken off the investigation, but I find it very interesting you want me to be.” He leaned closer. “Why is that?”
“Whether you’re on the case or not is of no consequence to me,” Katie said. “I merely thought that if you were well acquainted with the victim, it would be a conflict of interest for you to be investigating. I know you wouldn’t want anything to hamper the veracity of your evidence.”
“Nothing will, Ms. Bonner. I can personally assure you of that.” With that rebuke, he turned and stormed out of her office.
Waiting until she heard the side door open and close, Katie checked her phone. While their conversation had been adequately recorded, Schuler had been too clever to say anything really damning. Even his threat against her was sufficiently vague to have been “misconstrued” or “taken out of context.” But she hadn’t recorded the conversation to attempt to have it hold up in a court of law—she’d done it to protect herself and to prove to herself, if to no one else, that Schuler was hiding something.
Using her phone, she emailed Seth a copy of the recording. In the subject line, she wrote: Apparently, I poked a bear…
Seth called soon after. “Sorry, Katie, you don’t have much to go on with this recording. How’d you get it anyway?”
She explained how she’d seemingly fumbled with putting her keys in her purse and used that opportunity to set the phone to record.
“You need to be careful,” he said. “Spence didn’t think Schuler’s being at the same party as Erikka Wiley was a big deal. Schuler explained to him that it was a fundraiser for a charity to which his wife’s parents contribute generously and his wife is on the board.”
“But why was Erikka there?” Katie wondered aloud. “Doesn’t that prove that Erikka was—or could have been friends with both Schuler and his wife?”
“Not necessarily,” he said. “There were apparently a lot of people at the event, and many of them were arguably strangers to each other.”
“You are not being helpful,” Katie said.
“Sorry, darlin’, but I assume you wanted my legal opinion.”
“Yes,” she grudgingly replied.
“Good. Keep your head down.”
“More legal advice?” she asked.
“Only the best.”
“Yes, big brother.”
“Goodbye, little sister.”
Katie tapped the end-call icon.
So, the Sheriff’s Office didn’t find it at all suspicious that Schuler and Erikka had been seen at a prominent social function, but that made Katie even more suspicious. Erikka didn’t have enough money to contribute to a fundraiser. Either she’d gone on the arm of someone who did have deeper pockets than she, or else she’d gotten in some other way.
Katie sat back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest. She needed to learn the identity of the women who were in the photo with Erikka. Unfortunately, the best way to do that was to ask Erryn.
Did Katie dare approach the woman?
Chapter 31
Wracking her brain for half an hour before she circled back to her original conclusion, Katie decided to call Erryn. Since she didn’t have her personal information, she tried reaching her at the hospital only to be told that Erryn was off work. Despite her resolution not to rely on her male friends, she called Nick.
“Hey, Velma,” he answered, obviously seeing Katie’s number on his caller I.D. “Are we going out looking for clues again?”
“Not exactly. I was hoping you might be able to help me figure out where Erikka’s sister Erryn might go on her day off.” She explained why she needed to speak with Erryn and how she’d had no luck calling the woman at work.
“Um…not to sound mean, but she’d have probably just hung up on you anyway,” he said. “I think she’s made it abundantly clear she doesn’t want to talk with you, love.”
“True, but if I could make her understand that we’re on the same team—that I want to find out who murdered her sister as badly as she does—then surely, she’d help me. Right?”
“I don’t know.” He paused. “Let me reach out to her and see if I can arrange a meeting here at Sassy Sally’s.”
Katie breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.” If anyone could talk the woman into meeting with her, it would be Nick. The man could charm a snake right out of its skin.
“I’m not promising anything,” he warned.
“I know, but I appreciate the fact that you’re willing to try. You’re the best.”
“Well, that is true. Talk to you soon.”
Katie smiled and shook her head as she put down her phone. Back to work!
A knock on her office door interrupted the check of her email for responses to the Merchants Association update she’d sent out earlier. Since her meeting with Schuler, she was double wary of visitors.
“Who’s there?” she asked.
“It’s me—VJ. May I come in?”
Putting her PC to sleep, she called, “Of course.”
VJ came into her office, shut the door, and stood with his hands stuffed into the front pockets of his jeans. “I…I know I have no right to ask you this, but could you not…you know…say anything to Izzy about…about what you found?”
“You mean the photo?” she asked.
He nodded. “Mom told me you found it in the folder she gave you. She was awfully embarrassed and upset about that.” He shrugged. “Anyhow, Izzy and I just made up, and we’re doing all right, you know? I don’t wanna blow it with something that I didn’t even want.”
“You didn’t want it?” Katie asked.
VJ took his hands from his pockets and slumped against the file cabinet, looking boneless as only a teenage boy could look. “No. I mean, I only took it because Matt pushed it on me. I didn’t want to come across like a jerk.” The side of his mouth quirked up. “Izzy would say it’s all right to be rude sometimes, but I didn’t want to get on Matt’s bad side. Plus, Izzy didn’t like Erikka anyway.”
“Why not?” Katie asked.
“A guy Izzy used to date got his head turned—to use her words—by Erikka. He and Erikka didn’t date or anything, but Izzy says it was disgusting how Erikka would manipulate the guy.”
Who would Erikka be manipulating? It could certainly be any of the boys from Angelo’s. “Did she tell you the guy’s name?”
“Nah.” He straightened. “I’d better get back. So, are we good? You won’t tell Izzy about the picture, right?”
She smiled. “Picture? I don’t know anything about any picture.”
VJ grinned. “Thanks, Ms. Bonner. You’re the best.”
Katie spent the next half hour slogging through the emails from the few members of the Merchants Association who’d bothered to respond. It appeared no one had questions—not about the Harvest Festival vendors’ party anyway. There had been some about the meeting itself, but she chose not to answer those, simply advising the merchants to contact Janey Ingram with any further concerns about the party.
The phone rang. Katie recognized the number and immediately picked up.
“Am I the master or what?” Nick asked.
“You tell me.”
“I’ve arranged for you and Erryn to have a meeting at Sassy Sally’s this afternoon at four o’clock. Don is going to watch Erryn’s baby, and I’m going to mediate…or referee, whichever is necessary.”
“Thank you!” Looking at her phone, she saw that it was close to four already.
“Don’t thank me yet.”
“I’ll be right over,” she said.
As Katie stepped out of Artisans Alley’s front entrance, she saw Roger’s sister Regan exiting Angelo’s. The young woman had updated her spiky blue hair with some lavender highlights.
“Hey, Regan! How’ve you been?” Katie asked.
“Pretty good.” She jerked her head toward the pizzeria. “I took Roger some cookies from Tealicious and I got a calzone out of the deal,” she said indicating the small to-go box. “Rog got addicted to sweets while he was working on your apartment.”
Katie grinned. “Brad makes some delicious goodies. That’s why I try to get in a power walk every morning. Now that I’m living above the tea shop and smelling all those delights every day, I might have to start walking every evening, too.”
Regan laughed. “I sure would. And Roger might have to join you.”
Inspiration struck, and Katie asked, “Hey, did Roger ever date a girl named Izzy? She works for Matt Brady.”
Regan’s expression went from sunny to suddenly wary. “Yeah. Why?”
“Oh, I met her recently, and someone later told me she used to date one of the guys at Angelo’s.” She reasoned that wasn’t really a lie. For Erikka to be manipulating a young man, the odds were good that he worked at Angelo’s. “And since Roger is the cutest guy there…”
Regan laughed. “That’s true. But don’t tell him that—he’s already too full of himself. He and Izzy weren’t together for very long, but she seemed cool. I liked her.”
“I like her too. It’s a shame they didn’t work out,” Katie said. “By the way, how is he holding up since Erikka’s death? I mean, since Andy and I aren’t together anymore, I haven’t felt comfortable checking in on the staff.”
“They’re all taking it hard,” Regan said. “Roger included. Erikka went out of her way to be kind to them, and her death was a shock—especially since…well, you know.”
Since she was murdered. Yes, she did know. Too well. “If there’s anything I can do, please let me know.”
“Just have Brad keep making those chocolate chip cookies.”
“I will,” Katie promised.
As she walked away, Katie wondered if Roger—or any of the young men who worked at Angelo’s—might have misconstrued Erikka’s kindness for love and then killed her when learning she didn’t feel the same way. Plus, that kindness could have very easily been mistaken for something more if Erikka was using it as a way to manipulate them...although for what reason? Just a tease…or something more?
When Katie stepped onto the porch at Sassy Sally’s, she saw that Nick had prepared a tray with lemonade and homemade butter cookies. The tray sat on a white wicker bistro table, and Nick and Erryn were already seated there.
Erryn stiffened as soon as she saw Katie. “This was a mistake.”
Nick placed a hand on her arm. “Please hear Katie out—that’s all I ask.”
Shooting a brief glare in Katie’s direction, Erryn said, “You have two minutes.”
Rather than taking the empty chair, Katie remained standing at the bottom of the steps. “I have reason to believe Erikka was meeting someone at the warehouse—not just the night she was killed, but on a regular basis. I think that person scheduled a rendezvous with her, Erikka got there ahead of time, and he crept up behind her and strangled her.”
“Forty-five seconds,” Erryn grated.
“Erikka was strong,” Katie said. “She had to have been murdered by someone she knew—someone who could overpower her. She’d have never put herself in a dangerous position if she feared for her life. Look at me.” She waited until Erryn lifted her eyes. “Erikka was taller than I am. You must know from the evidence that the person who murdered Erikka was at least two inches taller than she.”
Erryn closed her eyes but couldn’t stem the sudden tears that flowed. “I know the killer was most likely a man. But Detective Schuler had been so adamant that you were involved.”
“I swear to you I’m not, and it’s because of Schuler’s bias against me that I’m so desperate to find out who did kill your sister.”
“What do you want to know from me?” Erryn grudgingly asked.
“There was a photo on your social media page of Erikka at some sort of charity event. Detective Schuler was there, and I later learned his wife is on the organization’s board.” Katie waited for Erryn’s nod before proceeding. “Are the Schulers friends of your family?”
Erryn shook her head. “No, I’ve never even met Mrs. Schuler. I don’t think I’d ever spoken with Detective Schuler until…until this happened.” She took out her phone, pulled up her social media page, and scrolled to the photograph in question. Pointing to the blonde woman to Erikka’s right, she said, “This is Laurel Westin. She invited Erikka to the party. She thought Erikka was too hung up on Andy and wanted to introduce her to some other guys.”
“What was the event?” Katie asked.
“Some stupid fancy-schmancy society for saving butterflies, of all things. They’re bugs. Who cares?”
Katie cared. Not only were they beautiful, but they were beneficial to the environment. They help pollinate plants, eat harmful insects, and are sustenance for other species.
“Where did you get the picture?”
“Laurel. She’d known Erikka since grade school.”
“Could it have been one of the men from that party that Erikka was meeting at the warehouse?” Katie asked.
“I don’t know.” Erryn frowned and let out a weary breath. “I’m sorry to say that my sister enjoyed living life just a little dangerously. Although she was clearly in love with Andy, she wasn’t going to miss out on any fun while she was waiting for him to come around.” She looked down at her slim hands, and Katie knew this had been a hard revelation for her to make.
“What about Luke Stafford? Is there any chance she could’ve been meeting him?”
Erryn shook her head. “I don’t think so. Erikka knew how I felt about that jerk.”
“Then she wouldn’t have mentioned it to you,” Katie pointed out.
“I guess you’re right,” Erryn admitted, her gaze dipping to her untouched glass of lemonade.
Katie’s questions seemed to be wearing her down. Dare she ask for a favor?
“Do you know how I can get in touch with Laurel Westin?”
Erryn shrugged. “Sorry. I know her—but it’s not like we’re friends.” She stood. “I’d better check on the baby. I haven’t heard a peep out of him.”
Nick smiled. “He and Don are probably asleep on the sofa.”
Erryn wiped her eyes. “Let’s see if you’re right.” She opened the front door and went inside the house. Katie watched her go.
“Thanks again for arranging this meeting, Nick,” she said quietly. “While I realize Erryn and I will never be friends, I don’t think she believes me guilty of killing her sister. That’s a huge improvement.”
“I’m glad I could help.” Nick blew Katie a kiss. “Now I’m going inside, too. I don’t want Don getting all the baby time for himself.”
Chapter 32
It had been a while since Katie had spent a lot of time on her own. Sure, Andy worked long hours, but he’d often pop up the stairs to have dinner with her and help wash the dishes. And he seemed to spend more nights in her bed than his own. While Katie had more friends than after her break-up with Chad, she didn’t have anyone to hang out with in the evening or weekends.
It would take some time to get used to the new normal.
That evening, Katie decided to concentrate her investigative efforts on finding out where the picture of Erikka and Detective Schuler had been taken and turned to the Internet
for answers. While there were several area organizations dedicated to butterflies, including the Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden at the Strong Museum of Play, it seemed the only recent fundraiser was held by the Rochester Area Butterfly Conservation Project, hosted by its benefactor Bethany Schuler.
The next morning, after her power walk around the Square and a quick shower, Katie called Vance just before she headed out of McKinlay Mill to tell him she had an errand to run.
The office resided in an impressive brick building off Linden Avenue with a lovely garden on the right. Beautiful asters and mums of rust and gold and lavender were neatly arrayed in beds and planters alongside white marble benches and wooden arbors. Katie wondered if the garden had been created as a habitat for the butterflies the organization sought but had now been dressed for the fall season.
She walked into the building, found the location of the Conservation Project, and strode purposefully down the hall to her left. When she opened the heavy wooden door, she was surprised by the office’s opulence. Although it was a charitable organization, the mina-khani daisies indicated the floor covering was either Varamin or an excellent fake. The walls were decorated with impressionistic paintings, not photographs, of the delicate butterflies the charity was sworn to protect.
“May I help you?”
Katie turned to see an elegant young woman sitting behind a large, curved desk. “Yes, hi.” She smiled. “I’m Katie Bonner, and I’d like to speak with Bethany Schuler if she’s available.”
“Do you have an appointment?” The woman frowned.
“I don’t,” Katie said. “But we have a mutual friend, and I promise not to take up much of Mrs. Schuler’s time if she’ll agree to see me.”
“One moment.” The woman rose from behind the desk and went to an office down the hall. She returned momentarily and said, “Mrs. Schuler has ten minutes she can spare before her next appointment. Right this way.”
A Murderous Misconception Page 21