Dead by Sunrise

by Richard Ryker

  Brandon stayed out of the way while Lisa and her techs gathered evidence.

  Once the techs gave him the okay, Brandon examined the tree where Justin had been hanging. The rope attached to Justin’s neck had hung from a limb about a foot above him. Rope then led to another branch about five feet away where it was wrapped around two times and then tied into a knot.

  Brandon borrowed a step ladder from a crime scene tech and inspected the knot where the rope was anchored. There were at least three areas where moss and bark had been rubbed away, exposing the meat of the tree underneath. As if someone had used the branch like a pulley to haul up Justin’s body. Even a grown man would have a hard time dragging Justin to this location, then lifting his body.

  Apparently, the murderer had killed Justin, put the noose around his neck, and then lifted him into position using the rope. The damaged tree bark was evidence it hadn’t been easy.

  Whoever had killed Justin was in a hurry, not very smart, or both. The head wound made it obvious this wasn’t a suicide, but the scene was staged to make it appear he had.

  Lisa appeared next to Brandon.

  “I figure he was killed by the rock or the shovel or both. But—”

  “Just preliminary, I know.” Brandon said.

  She smiled. “Quick learner. We’ll see if its only his blood or we find something else.”

  Brandon’s eyes caught on her purple-tinted hair. Some people might think it was an attempt to appear younger. Lisa was probably in her mid-thirties. Let her color her hair any shade he wanted. There was something bold about it. A little quirky. He liked that. Her hair fell into her eyes and he had to resist the urge to reach up and move it aside.

  “The bite?” he asked.

  “There’s the possibility of saliva. At least a better chance than last time.”

  Brandon nodded. It sounded like she had everything under control. He wouldn’t’ expect anything less.

  “We still on for tomorrow night?” she asked.

  “Wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

  Brandon contacted Justin’s parents in Spokane, where the young man had grown up.

  The boy’s father had answered the phone, had been in shock just like every other parent he’d had to notify. Brandon only asked one question—any idea who would want to do this. Justin’s father didn’t have an answer and Brandon didn’t push the issue any further for the time being.

  Brandon was back in town when Nolan called him.

  “I have the girl,” Nolan said. “The boy is here too.”

  “What boy?”

  “Adam Cane.”

  “Where?” Brandon asked.

  “At the aunt’s home. Where the girl is staying.”

  “I said bring her down to the station.”

  “She’s too upset.”

  “You told her about Justin?”

  “What was I supposed to do, lie?”

  “Dammit, Nolan. I told you not to say anything.”

  Nolan was silent on the other end.

  “How did she react?”

  “I don’t know. She was crying. Wouldn’t you be—”

  “Just, don’t say another word to her. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  The red and tan rambler wasn’t far from the police station. He’d found the address in the notes he taken that first night he’d interviewed Lauren’s friends.

  A stone walkway cut through neatly mowed grass. Matching hydrangeas guarded each side of the steps leading up to the front door, bees hovering and flitting about their blue blossoms.

  It would be a good day for a picnic with Emma. If there weren’t two murders to solve.

  Brandon rang the bell. The door opened.

  There, frowning back at him, was Olivia Baker, the mayor’s Minister of Tourism.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” Brandon asked. He looked beyond the young woman, expecting to see Ted the reporter, too.

  “I live here,” she said.

  “You what?”

  “This is my house.”

  “I thought…Brooke and Justin were staying with her aunt.”

  Olivia smiled. “I am her aunt.”

  Chapter 31

  “I thought you knew,” Olivia said.

  All the times he’d discussed the case with the mayor when Olivia was present, she’d never once mentioned she was Brooke’s aunt.

  “It looks to me like you went out of your way to hide your relationship to one of my suspects—”

  “A suspect? Brooke isn’t—”

  “I decide who is a suspect. You stick to party planning or whatever the hell it is you do for the mayor.”

  “Brandon?”

  Speak of the devil.

  The mayor appeared behind Olivia. What was this, a frickin’ party? Half the town was there, stepping all over his investigation.

  “Did you know?” Brandon asked Mayor Kim.

  She stared back at him quizzically.

  Brandon continued “That Brooke was Olivia’s niece. That she was staying in this house?”

  “Not until today,” she said. “But I’m sure this has nothing to do with the missing girl.”

  “What are you doing here?” Brandon asked.

  “Olivia called me for support,” Mayor Kim said. “when she learned her niece’s boyfriend had been found murdered.”

  And the only reason she knew that was because Nolan had opened his big mouth. Now, Brandon had lost his chance to see Brooke’s—and Adam’s—reaction to the news of Justin’s death.

  “I need to speak to Adam and Brooke,” Brandon said.

  “Come right in,” Olivia said, not hiding the irritation in her voice.

  She led Brandon to a den. Nolan stood next to a couch where Brooke and Adam were together, Adam’s arm around her back.

  Brandon made eye contact with Nolan.

  “I’ll take it from here,” Brandon said.

  “But—”

  “You’ve done plenty today, Officer Nolan. Head to the station and do your write up.”

  Nolan paused, hands on his belt. He nodded to the mayor and Olivia before leaving.

  Brandon sat down in a chair across from Brooke and Adam.

  “I’m sorry about Justin,” Brandon said.

  Brooke sniffled and wiped her nose with a wad of tissue paper shed scrunched into a ball.

  “He left last night…”

  “Is it true he killed himself?” Adam asked.

  “Is that what Officer Nolan told you?”

  “He said you found him hanging.” Adam’s eyes landed on Brooke. “Doesn’t that mean…”

  “It could mean a lot of things,” Brandon said. “Including murder.”

  Brooke glanced up at him. “You think someone did this to Justin?”

  “Too soon to make any judgements—”

  “I told you,” Brooke said. “I told you.”

  She buried her head in her hands.

  “Told him what, sweetie?” Olivia asked.

  Brooke was silent for a long time.

  “That woman Ruby. She threatened Lauren, threatened me and Justin,” Brooke said. “She even chased us down the other day. And we had to go to the police department. But he wouldn’t help us.” She eyed Brandon accusingly.

  “Is that true, Chief Mattson?” the mayor asked.

  “Yes, Brooke and Justin made a complaint about Ruby.”

  “Then why isn’t that woman in custody?” the mayor asked.

  “If you had done your job,” Olivia said. “Justin might still be alive.”

  “I’m going to let that slide, considering the situation here,” Brandon said, eyeing Olivia. “But as far as I’m concerned, it would be a hell of a lot easier to do my job if I wasn’t being lied to or deceived by the mayor’s staff.”

  “How dare you—”

  The mayor put a hand on Olivia’s shoulder. “Let Chief Mattson talk.”

  Olivia huffed, breaking off eye contact with Brandon.

  He turned to Adam. “I
need you to come down to the station with me.”

  Brooke leaned forward, the wad of tissue between both hands. “You don’t think Adam did this?”

  Adam rested his hand on her knee. “It’s no big deal. I’ll be fine.”

  Brandon stood.

  “Glad to hear it. I’ll need to talk to you too, Brooke.”

  “Wait, what?” Olivia interjected.

  “We have a few questions.”

  “If you’re accusing my niece—”

  “At this point I’m not accusing anyone.”

  Olivia planted herself in front of Brandon. “Brooke was with me last night, from the time I got off work until now.”

  Brandon stepped around Olivia. “And her friend Adam here, can you vouch for his whereabouts too?”

  “He got here a couple of hours ago,” Olivia said.

  “Good to know.” He motioned to Brooke and Adam. “Let’s go. I’ll try to make this as painless as possible.”

  Unless one of you is the killer. If that’s the case, the gloves are coming off.

  One, or both, had information about Justin’s death. And it seemed they’d suddenly become very close, Adam’s arm around Brooke, his hand on her knee.

  Alibi or not, something about their story didn’t fit.

  Brooke fell defiantly into the chair in the corner of the interview room.

  Brandon read the girl her rights and began recording.

  “Tell me again where you were last night.”

  She crossed her arms. “My aunt already told you. I was at her house.”

  “When, exactly?”

  “I came down here with Justin when you talked to us yesterday afternoon.”

  He had interviewed Justin and Brooke around 4:30 or 5:00.

  “And then what?”

  “We went back to my aunt’s house.”

  “You didn’t leave after that?”

  “No.”

  “At what point did you realize Justin was missing?”

  “This morning.”

  “And the last time you saw him?”

  “I guess last night.”

  “You guess?” Brandon asked.

  “My boyfriend just died, okay? I can’t remember everything.” She pulled out a tissue, her eyes welling with tears. “Why are you asking me all of these questions? It’s like you don’t believe my aunt.”

  “I’m sure your aunt Olivia is as honest as they come,” Brandon said.

  Brooke’s gaze trailed away, as if considering the comment.

  When she didn’t respond, Brandon asked, “Was Justin there when you went to bed last night?”

  “No.”

  “And he never came home after that?”

  Brooke sniffled. “I guess not.”

  “At some point, you didn’t think that odd?”

  Most women in her situation would become worried sooner about a missing boyfriend.

  “No. I mean, he’d go out sometimes, hang out with his buddies.”

  Justin wasn’t from Forks.

  “He had friends around here?”

  “You act like I know everything about Justin,” she said. “I was just his girlfriend, okay? Maybe he went up to Port Angeles.”

  “But he didn’t, Brooke. We found him on the side of the road."

  She slapped the table, the hard echo bouncing off the interview room walls. “I know that, you freaking jerk. That’s why he’s dead. Because you let that whore Ruby kill him.”

  Brooke covered her face again, strands of her uncombed hair hanging over her hands.

  Brandon leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “We don’t have proof Ruby killed anyone. Unless you know something I don’t.”

  “She’s a freak. She wanted all of us dead…me, Lauren, Justin…”

  “What do you mean, she’s a freak?”

  Brooke considered him for a moment. “I don’t know.”

  “You must have meant something by that.”

  Did Brooke know about Ruby’s involvement with the vampire coven? If so, how?

  Her eyes landed on the door. “Can I go now?”

  “Not yet,” Brandon said, crossing his arms. “Tell me about Justin and Lauren.”

  A flash of hatred slipped through her narrowed eyes. “What about them?”

  “You knew they’d slept together.”

  She leaned away from him, sliding the strands of hair out of her face.

  “That’s not true.”

  “Has Justin cheated on you before?”

  “Why does that matter?”

  Because it could be motive for murder.

  “How long have you known?” Brandon asked.

  “All I know is my boyfriend is dead,” she said. Brooke lowered her gaze. “I’ve had loser boyfriends before.” Her gaze rose to meet Brandon’s. “Most men do the same thing.”

  Brandon gave her a wry smile. “Not most men, I hope.”

  She scoffed. “Because you’re different, right?”

  Brandon pointed a thumb at the door. “Did Adam believe Lauren and Justin were sleeping together?”

  “Everyone knows Adam thought Lauren was cheating on him,” she said.

  “Adam told you Lauren was with Justin?”

  “He said he suspected it. Like a couple of weeks ago.”

  “But yet you still went on the camping trip…”

  “I didn’t believe him.”

  “And what about now? Do you believe Justin slept with Lauren?”

  She glared back at him. “No, I don’t.”

  “Okay, what time did Justin leave?”

  “Like six or seven last night.”

  “And you were with your aunt the entire time. Didn’t leave the house for even one moment?”

  “I already said that.”

  “I appreciate your consistency,” Brandon said.

  “Thanks,” she replied sincerely. The young woman had little appreciation for sarcasm.

  “Why would Justin purchase red spray paint?”

  She took her time answering.

  “I don’t know.”

  “That doesn’t surprise you?”

  “Maybe he was going to paint his truck.”

  Except he didn’t.

  “Okay. Thanks Brooke. I’ll be in touch.”

  Brandon stood but Brooke stayed put.

  “Yesterday you asked me about my relationship with Justin—you wouldn’t tell me why. Is there something…do you have proof that Justin and Lauren slept together?”

  “Did Justin tell you he’d slept with Lauren?” Brandon asked.

  “No.”

  “Well then, let’s just leave it at that for now.”

  “But I heard...”

  “You heard what?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Your aunt—Olivia. She told you something?”

  Brandon had mentioned the DNA results to the mayor—that both Justin and Adam’s semen had been found with Lauren’s body. He’d informed the mayor about the results while Olivia was present.

  “No,” Brooke said, standing. “She hasn’t told me anything.”

  Apparently lying, or at least hiding the truth, was a family trait.

  Back in the interview room, Brandon asked Adam, “You want anything to drink?”

  “I’m good,” Adam said.

  “We’ve been trying to find you for two days now,” Brandon said.

  “Yeah, the sheriff left a card on my door.”

  “And yet you didn’t contact us?”

  “I just got home when Brooke called and told me she couldn’t get ahold of Justin.”

  “And you were concerned because Justin was such a good buddy?”

  The enmity between Adam and Justin was one of the first things Brandon had noticed about Lauren’s trio of friends.

  “Most of the time he acted like a d-bag, but that doesn’t mean I killed him.”

  “I never said you killed him,” Brandon said.

  “You implied it,” Adam said.

  Actual
ly, he hadn’t. Did Adam have a guilty conscience?

  “Tell me again why you came down to visit Brooke instead of returning our calls.”

  “I wanted to support her.”

  “Where have you been the last couple of days?” Brandon asked.

  “I went camping,” Adam said.

  “Where?”

  “Olympic National Forest. Near the Deer Park campground.”

  Deer Park was up on the northern side of the Olympics, past Port Angeles. The middle of nowhere.

  “Alone?” Brandon asked.

  “Yes.”

  “So, no one has laid eyes on you for two days.”

  “I know it looks bad—”

  “You let us decide what looks bad, okay?” Brandon said.

  Adam nodded hesitantly.

  “Why did you go camping with Lauren and her friends if you knew she was sleeping with Justin?”

  “I didn’t—”

  “According to Brooke, you told her as much.”

  His eyebrows scrunched together. “I didn’t—”

  “You didn’t know Lauren and Justin were together?”

  “No,” he insisted. “I swear.”

  “Yet multiple people claim you were suspicious of Lauren cheating on you.”

  “Why would I go with them if I thought Justin was the one she was cheating on me with?”

  Good question, but yet he still went camping with his girlfriend and the man she was sleeping with.

  “What evidence do you have that Lauren slept with Justin?” Adam asked.

  “We found semen.”

  “So? We had sex the night she died.”

  “But here’s the problem, Adam. The semen was from you—and Justin.”

  Adam stared back at Brandon as if he’d just punched him in the gut. He seemed genuinely surprised. Either Adam didn’t know about Justin and Lauren, or he was a damn good actor.

  Adam took a deep breath. “What the hell.”

  “Do you believe Brooke knew about this?”

  “Brooke? No, I mean, I don’t think so. But why did she say I suspected Justin—”

  “Good question.”

  “Maybe she misunderstood…”

  “I’ll be honest with you, Adam. You’re a suspect. It doesn’t help that you have no alibi for the last two days. And you told at least two people, your co-worker and Brooke, that you believed Lauren had been unfaithful.”