by Cindy Bell
Chapter 8
Nikki’s stomach twisted as she tried to process what might have happened right there in front of her. Each thought that crossed her mind only made her heart pound harder. Did Chelsea struggle? She recalled the deep scratch on Betty’s face. It might have been the last day that Chelsea intended to take pictures of the mansion. Maybe Betty thought that if she eliminated the competition she would be able to take over the job. She might have seized that day as the last opportunity for her to stop Chelsea from completing the painting. But why would she have gone into the woods with Betty? She had to know that Betty was upset with her.
Nikki hated to think it, but what if there was some truth behind the rumor that Chelsea had blackmailed the Middlesons. She thought she knew her as a nice person, but she also thought she knew much more about Chelsea than she actually did. She had a secret husband, a powerful father, and apparently an enemy. She hadn’t known any of those things about her. Wasn’t it possible that she had misjudged her from the beginning? She couldn’t really believe her friend would do that. If she had blackmailed the Middlesons that might be motive for Betty killing her. Her thoughts were disrupted by the sound of voices in the distance.
“This is it, this is the place.”
“Are you sure? We should get some pictures beyond the tape. No one will know.”
Nikki narrowed her eyes. The voices sounded like they were coming from the road. She didn’t want to leave the purse to go see who they were, but she also didn’t want them disrupting the crime scene.
“Hey! Who’s there?” Nikki shouted, which caused the dogs to start barking.
“Let’s go, let’s get out of here!”
The high-pitched shriek made it clear that her shout, and the dogs barking had scared off whoever intended to take pictures of the crime scene. At least, she hoped so. She heard another shout in the distance and recognized the voice right away.
“Get out of here!” Quinn’s voice boomed. She closed her eyes as she recalled hearing it that stern before. How strange that years could vanish as the result of a familiar sound.
“Quinn! I’m back here,” Nikki called out to him so that he would be able to find her on the trail. Moments later she heard his footsteps crunch towards her. Coco lifted his head, sniffed the air, then stared hard in Quinn’s direction.
“Easy boy.” Quinn hesitated a few feet away from them. “Why is he staring at me like that?”
“He’s just being protective.” Nikki reached down and stroked Coco’s neck. The other dogs had settled around her, but Coco still stood rigid, as if he anticipated something would happen.
“That’s good.” Quinn frowned as he studied her. “What are you doing all the way out here?”
“Honestly, Coco insisted we come out here. I wasn’t going to let him, but I decided to let him show me what he smelled. And this is where he led me.” Nikki stepped aside to reveal the purse. “It’s Chelsea’s.”
“You’re sure?” He glanced around the trail. “Anybody could have tossed it back here.”
“I’m sure. I know it’s hers. She designed it and she always had the same one with her.” Nikki sighed as she looked at it. “She never would have left it behind, Quinn. I’m pretty sure that something happened here. Someone must have made her drop it.”
“It looks that way.” He surveyed their surroundings again. “Did you notice anyone out here?”
“No. I didn’t even know this trail went out this far. I called you as soon as I found it.” She patted Coco’s head again, and finally he sat down.
“That was the right thing to do. These woods were combed, but somehow this spot was missed. If it wasn’t for you, we might never have found it.” Quinn glanced at her, then back at the purse.
“Thanks to Coco.” Nikki smiled some. “He was determined to find it. I would have walked right past it.”
“It’s a good thing you listened to him. You have good instincts.”
“Thanks.” She noticed one of the smaller dogs digging at the dirt. “What do you think this means, Quinn?”
“I’m not sure just yet.” His eyes scanned the ground. “I like to let the scene tell me what it can before I make any guesses.”
“That makes sense.” Nikki watched as he focused on the bushes.
“Step back, please.” Quinn moved slowly around the purse. His steps were gentle, but his gaze was sharp as he swept it over the entire scene again, then returned it to the purse. “Did you let the dogs get to it?”
“I didn’t intend to. They got to it before I did, but I pulled them back as soon as I could.” Nikki frowned as she reached down to pat Coco’s head. “I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Quinn glanced back at her with a faint smile. “If it wasn’t for you we might never have found this. You might have helped the investigation.”
“Really?” Nikki braced herself as emotion swirled within her. “Do you think you might be able to figure out who did this now?”
“I think she might have been murdered here.” Quinn pulled out a pen and used it to lift the edge of the purse. Underneath, there were a few footprints pressed into the soft soil.
“Do you think she was chased into the woods? I thought maybe that was what happened.”
“It’s possible. Or maybe she was cutting through here?” Quinn eased the purse back down, then straightened up and walked towards her. “Maybe it was a shortcut to somewhere she wanted to go?”
“No.” Nikki gazed down at the purse. “No, she wouldn’t have gone into the woods by herself. She was a cautious person. Well, from what I knew of her. But I didn’t even know she was married.” She rolled her eyes. “Honestly, I think she had more secrets than I can count.”
“We are going to bring the husband, Mike, in for questioning. We haven’t located him, yet, but I have a witness in the neighborhood that says he saw him in the area that morning. Considering that he lives two states over, it would be a pretty strange coincidence that he would just happen to be in the neighborhood at that time.”
“Very strange.” Nikki shook her head. “Is that enough to arrest him?”
“No, not quite.” Quinn frowned. “But he is definitely a person of interest. Can you tell me where you were last night?” He met her eyes again.
“Where I was last night?” Nikki stared at him. “Why?”
“I just need to know for the investigation. I’m asking everyone involved in the case.” Quinn pulled out his tablet. “You’re a witness, and you’re a friend of the victim. So, I’d like to know where you were.”
“Okay.” She sighed as she wondered if she’d landed right back on the suspect list. “I was at Mrs. Whitter’s house, pet sitting for her dog, Princess.”
“I see. And was anyone else there with you?” He glanced up at her again. “A boyfriend? A friend?”
“No, it was just me and Princess. In fact, I have to get these pups back to their owners and get back to her. It’s almost time for her mid-morning snack.” Nikki tugged the dogs back onto the path. “What’s your next step?”
“I’m going to have the crime scene lab come out and salvage what they can. The fact that no one else found or stole the purse tells me there’s a good chance that no one else has been down this path since the crime. However, with you and the dogs and now me, we’re likely contaminating whatever might be here. Let’s head back a bit.” He gestured to one of the police officers, who nodded, then took a post nearby the purse. “Make sure no one gets in this area. I want everything to be as pristine as it can be.”
“Yes, sir.” The officer nodded, then turned his attention to the path that extended past the bushes. “Where does that go, Detective?”
“I’m not sure actually.” Quinn followed his gaze. “I’ll be sure to find out, though. This park has so many little trails and paths, it could lead all the way to the bay, or it could dead end at some trees. Just keep your eyes open as I’m sure someone used it as a cut through from somewhere, otherwise the path w
ouldn’t be here.”
“I’m on it, sir.” The young officer nodded again.
Nikki couldn’t help but notice that the two weren’t that far apart in age. Quinn had to be about twenty-five, maybe twenty-six. He placed his hand on her back and steered her back towards the road.
“It’s fantastic that you found that purse, Nikki.”
“So fantastic that you’re ready to cross me off your suspect list?” Nikki kept the dogs close as two more police cars approached.
“You never were.” He smiled some. “Not really. Of course, it’s in the detective’s handbook that everyone’s a suspect. But for some reason I never really suspected that you would do anything to hurt Chelsea.”
“I wouldn’t.” Nikki met his eyes. “You’ve got that right.”
“Good. Maybe I have good instincts, too?” The detective’s smile spread fully across his lips.
“Maybe.” She glanced away to hide the heat that coursed into her cheeks. It frustrated her that she couldn’t control it. She wouldn’t be off the suspect list long if every time he looked at her, her face turned red.
“Listen, I know I’ve asked you this before, but I’m going to ask you one more time.” He stepped around the dogs so that he could look into her eyes. “Do you know of anyone that might want to hurt Chelsea?”
“Have you talked to the district attorney, Rick Parker?” Nikki lowered her voice.
“Uh, no. I haven’t been able to get an appointment with him, yet.”
“An appointment? Can’t you just flash your badge and walk in?” She noted that his badge was clipped to his belt and looked a bit dull.
“No, it doesn’t really work that way. If I had good reason to, then yes. But I don’t. I have a rumor and no actual proof that it is true. I will be speaking to him soon. But if anyone else has come to mind, I’d like to hear about it.”
“Well, you know about her husband. If he was in the area, doesn’t that make it kind of a slam dunk?” She shrugged. “Why else would he have been around?”
“I’m afraid it’s not that simple. I’ll need more evidence than that. Just being in the same area as someone else isn’t enough to arrest someone for murder.” Quinn tapped the screen of his tablet. “I’m trying to line up a few more pieces of evidence that might help me get to that point, though.”
“You should talk to Calvin. He is always at his post when he’s rostered on. He might have seen Chelsea’s husband that morning.” Nikki glanced in the direction of the guardhouse. “I’m not sure that he’s there now because he worked overnight last night. But maybe give him a call.” She glanced back at him.
“How do you know he worked overnight?” Quinn met her eyes, his own stern.
“Oh, I heard some people outside last night behind the Barrandoahs’ mansion, so I checked with him to see if he heard them as well.” Nikki rolled her eyes. “It was totally paranoia on my part. Anyway, he told me he would be there all night. I imagine he has to sleep sometime, right?”
“I would think so.” Quinn nodded, and continued to stare at her.
“What is it?” She blinked.
“Nothing. Sorry. I don’t want to keep you.” He gestured to the dogs. “But why would you tell Calvin about these people instead of contacting me?”
“Well, like I said, it was just some paranoia. Apparently, there’s a trail that runs the length of both properties and people walk it pretty often. It was probably just a few teenagers out for a little fun.” She winced as Coco tugged on his leash again. “Calvin was in the guardhouse, so I asked him if he had seen anything and he explained to me about the trail. I didn’t think it would concern you.”
“Anything around this crime scene concerns me.” Quinn quirked a brow as he looked towards the guardhouse. “I will definitely speak to Calvin again. If you notice anything else suspicious, please don’t hesitate to contact me. All right?”
“Yes, sure. Of course. I should really get going.” She was pulled a few steps by Coco, who she guessed was getting pretty hungry.
“Sure, I’ll catch up with you later.” He turned his attention back to his tablet.
As Nikki walked away she wondered if she’d just directed Quinn towards Calvin. She hoped that wasn’t the case. Calvin was sweet, and she believed he would never harm anyone. She wasn’t sure if that was the case with the man she intended to see that day.
Chapter 9
After Nikki dropped off each dog she returned to Mrs. Whitter’s house. She noticed that there was no one at the crime scene when she walked past. Princess greeted her as she stepped inside.
“Sorry, I was gone a little longer than I expected to be, little one. But I’m here now. Let’s get your snack ready for you.” Nikki patted her.
Princess followed her into the kitchen. As Nikki prepared the dog’s snack, she wondered if she would really be brave enough to do what she intended. Princess yipped happily as she gave her the bowl with her snack. A glance at the clock on the wall revealed that Mrs. Whitter should be back at any moment. She never liked to overstay her welcome at her sister’s house. The two were good friends, but could also bicker like barnyard cats. Right on time, she heard the front door swing open.
“Princess! Princess!” Mrs. Whitter’s sing-song voice filled the air.
Princess darted out of the kitchen and straight into Mrs. Whitter’s arms.
“Welcome home.” Nikki smiled at her as she stepped into the living room as well. “Did you have a nice time?”
“Yes, it was quite nice. Well, until she wanted to talk politics, then I knew that it was time to go. I couldn’t wait to get home, to be honest. It was just not the right time to go out of town.” Mrs. Whitter set Princess down on the floor.
“Yes, it is a tough time right now. But I’m glad that you got to see her.”
“Me, too.” Mrs. Whitter smiled. “However, on the drive home I heard some disturbing news.”
“You did?” Nikki braced herself as she wondered if the rumor about Rick Parker had already made its way around town.
“Yes. Apparently, it wasn’t enough to kill that poor girl, but last night her home was broken into, and ransacked.” Mrs. Whitter sighed. “Here I thought this was a fairly decent place to live. But now I am starting to think that it might be time to move.”
“Broken into?” Nikki’s eyes widened. “I haven’t heard anything about that. Are you sure it’s true?”
“I’m certain. Fred told me all about it. He said that everything was torn apart. I’m not sure why anyone would do such a thing.” Mrs. Whitter picked Princess up again. “Were you a good girl for Nikki?”
“Yes, she was great.” Nikki’s mind spun with the revelation. Someone had broken into Chelsea’s house the night before? That was why Quinn asked her where she was. But he hadn’t bothered to tell her about the break-in.
After Nikki said goodbye to Mrs. Whitter and Princess, she walked back towards her apartment. She wondered if there was a reason behind Quinn not telling her about the break-in. He claimed that he didn’t suspect her, that he never suspected her, but was that just him working the case? Maybe he wanted her to trust him, so that she would give him whatever information she had. Maybe, he wasn’t interested in solving this murder at all. Maybe the district attorney had used his influence to sweep the investigation under the rug as much as possible. That would explain why Quinn hadn’t gone to speak to him, yet. Maybe he had no intention of ever speaking to him about the murder. The more Nikki thought about it, the more frustrated she became. Yes, of course, she’d let him pull the wool over her eyes because she remembered what he’d done for her in the past. But one good deed did not mean that he was a good man.
By the time Nikki reached her apartment she was infuriated. She decided to give Quinn a chance to explain himself. She dialed his number.
“Nikki, I was just about to call you.”
“Were you? To tell me about the break-in that happened last night at Chelsea’s place?” Her voice was so tight it cracked aro
und her words.
“No, to tell you that the case is being shut down for lack of evidence.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
“I’m sorry, it’s not coming from me. Resources are getting pulled as we speak. I have no idea what is happening, but I’m going to try to find out.”
“Wow, really?” Nikki grimaced.
“Listen, I didn’t tell you about the break-in because I thought the less people who knew the better. I thought it was for the best.”
“And, do you think closing this case is for the best, too?”
“No, of course not.” He sighed. “Look, I have to go, I’ll speak to you soon.” He hung up the phone.
It was impossible for her to believe that Chelsea’s murder wouldn’t be investigated. She needed to try and make sure that it was.
Nikki grabbed her keys and headed for her car. She wasn’t going to let this slide, she was going to follow through with her plan. If she was the only one who cared about solving Chelsea’s murder, then she would have to be bold enough to take some risks.
As Nikki drove towards her destination she tried to keep herself calm. She didn’t know anything for sure and even if her suspicions about Quinn were right and he was not interested in solving the murder, that didn’t mean that she could just tell anyone about it. The conspiracy might go deep, and if she was not careful she might find herself in a bad situation. Thinking back over her conversations with Quinn she realized that she did make a pretty good suspect. She was in the area when Chelsea was killed, she claimed to be a friend, but didn’t know much about her, and her only alibi for the break-in the night before was Princess. If questioned, Calvin would probably let them know that he saw her, but that only covered a few minutes of the evening.