Behind The Lies

by Mark R Beckner

  “Ryan,” questions Masters, “how much did you have to drink last night?”

  “I don’t remember.”

  “You must remember drinking?”

  “Yeah, I can remember drinking. I think Justin was there with me. But again, I’m just not clear on that. I usually don’t drink more than a couple at a time.”

  “Ryan, you were passed out and can’t remember anything,” says Masters. “Don’t you think you may have had too much to drink?”

  “Yeah, I guess I must have.”

  “You think your partner was there last night; did he have any reason to kill your wife?” asks Masters.

  “No, of course not, they were friends.”

  “Were you drinking with Justin?”

  “I believe so, but again, my mind is fuzzy.”

  “What would you say if I told you there was no evidence, at least to this point, that anyone else was there?” continues Masters. “We will ask him of course, but there were no other drink glasses found other than yours.”

  “I seem to remember him being there, that’s all I can say.”

  “Ryan,” Tippen says, “Let me show you a picture I took with my phone here. Can you see that? And if so, what is it?”

  “It looks like a gun,” answers Cooper.

  “Do you recognize the gun?”

  “I can’t be sure, but it looks like my small revolver I keep in my office. Where did you find it?”

  “It was on the floor on the right side of the chair you say you fell asleep in,” states Tippen.

  “Well, I sure as hell don’t know how it got there. It was hidden behind some books in my office.”

  “Did you handle the gun last night?”

  “No, I haven’t handled that gun in a long time.”

  “Ryan,” interjects Masters, “how were you and your wife getting along?”

  “Just fine, why?”

  “Why?” repeats Masters, “because your wife is found shot to death in the room you are passed out in and what will probably turn out to be the murder weapon is on the floor next to your chair. And, you claim to have no memory of what happened. Now, tell me, what problems were the two of you having?”

  “None, other than normal stuff. She always wanted me to be more spontaneous and thought I worked too much at times. But no, we didn’t have any serious issues. I loved my wife very much.”

  Just then, another detective steps into the room and asks Masters and Tippen to step out for a minute. They stop the interview and exit the room.

  “What’s up?” asks Masters.

  “The crime scene techs found something you might be interested in. A printed letter was found on Mr. Cooper’s desk to him from his wife Naomi. He texted me a photo. Look at this.”

  Masters and Tippen look at the enlarged photo on the laptop handed to them. The letter reads as follows:

  Dear Ryan,

  I am so sorry I hurt you last week by telling you about my affair. I hesitated in telling you because I was afraid of what you might do. I did not intend to hurt you. It just happened.

  I still love you, but not the way I used to. It is not fair to you or me to continue this way. When I get home tonight, I would like to discuss a peaceful way to end our marriage. I just don’t want to fight with you anymore.

  Sincerely,

  Naomi

  “Whoa,” says Masters, “that certainly sheds some light on this case. He probably sat there drinking and stewing about this letter. He had time to plan what he was going to do.”

  “It doesn’t look good, does it?” agrees Tippen.

  Masters gets a copy of the photo printed out and takes it back into the room. He lays the copy on the table in front of Cooper.

  “Want to tell us what this is about?” says Masters.

  After reading it, Cooper says, “where did this come from? I’ve never seen this, and Naomi was not having an affair.”

  Tippen leans in, “Come on Ryan, don’t play dumb. Tell us the truth about what happened last night.”

  “I’ve told you what I remember!”

  Tippen continues, “this is starting to look like you killed your wife because you were angry over the affair and the end of your marriage. You drank a lot, got your gun, and shot her when she got home last night. It’s understandable, you had to be incredibly angry.”

  “That is not true!” shouts Cooper. “I loved my wife and have never seen this letter. You can ask Justin. I would have told him if I knew Naomi was having an affair.”

  “So let me get this straight Ryan,” says Masters. “You think you remember your partner being at the house, but you’re not sure. You drank rum until you passed out, and then woke up this morning with your wife dead from two gunshots. Your gun was next to the chair you slept in, and your dead wife was only feet away. A letter from your wife is found in your office, but you say you knew nothing about her affair, although she says in the letter you found out a week ago. Do I have this straight?”

  Cooper remains silent for several seconds. “I don’t know what to say. I’m telling you the truth.”

  “Are the clothes you are wearing now the ones you were in all night?”

  “Yes, they are the same clothes I had on when I came home from work.”

  “We are going to need to collect those clothes,” Masters tells him. “An officer will be in with a change of clothes to collect those you are wearing. After that, you will be able to leave. You will also need to find a place to stay tonight. We won’t be releasing the crime scene until sometime tomorrow.”

  Both detectives then leave the room. Within minutes, an officer comes into the room to collect Cooper’s clothing. Once he is done changing, he is allowed to call his brother Richard to pick him up.

  Back in the office, Tippen looks at Masters and asks him what he thinks.

  “I think he killed his wife,” says Masters.

  Tippen nods her head in agreement.

  “Let’s complete our reports from today and make a list of people we need to interview. We can then get started first thing tomorrow,” suggests Masters.

  While waiting for his brother Richard, Cooper thinks, what is going on? Am I crazy? Did I kill Naomi and don’t remember it? During the drive to Richard’s house, Cooper explains to Richard all he knows about the murder.

  “Was Naomi having an affair?” asks Richard.

  “Not that I know of,” says Cooper. “She never said anything, and I never saw that note.”

  Friday

  On Friday at 9:00 am, Masters and Tippen are at KC Spark Electric to talk to Justin King. King invites them into his office. Detectives explain why they are there.

  “Yes, it’s horrible,” says King. “When Ryan didn’t come in yesterday I got worried and tried to call him. I later heard on the news that his wife had been murdered. He finally called me from his brother’s phone in late afternoon and told me what had happened. I’m just sick about it.”

  “I can imagine,” says Tippen. “were you at Ryan’s home Wednesday night?”

  “No. But you know what? He told me he thought I was there, and we were drinking. Really strange.”

  “Why would he say you were at his home?” Tippen presses.

  “I don’t know, I guess he was confused. We often meet at his house to either talk business or socialize.”

  “When was the last time you were there?”

  “It would have been Tuesday night. We needed to go over some details on a large new contract we had recently signed. He probably has Tuesday mixed up with Wednesday. Naomi can confirm I was,” King stops in mid-sentence. “Sorry, it’s just so hard to believe she is gone.”

  “Justin, were you aware Naomi was having an affair?” asks Masters.

  “Yes, I was. She told me about it a week or so ago. I told her if she didn’t tell Ryan I would. He is my partner and good friend.”

  “Did you tell Ryan?”

  “No, she promised me she would.”

  “Who was she having an affair with?”<
br />
  “I don’t know, she wouldn’t tell me.”

  “Any ideas?” challenges Masters.

  “No, I really don’t. But I can tell you this, Ryan did not seem himself this past week.”

  “What do you mean?” asks Tippen.

  “He seemed noticeably quiet and sullen, like depressed. I asked what was eating at him a couple of times, but he just said he was okay. I figured Naomi must have told him.”

  Masters then asks, “Do you have any idea who might have wanted to kill Naomi?”

  “I hate to say this,” cautions King, “but I think Ryan couldn’t take the news and lost it. From what he told me, it sounds like he shot her and blacked out or something.”

  “Did Naomi ever express any fear of Ryan?”

  “She was afraid of how he might react.”

  “In what way?”

  “She wasn’t sure, but she was afraid, I know that.”

  “I need to ask one more time,” says Masters. “Are you sure you were not at the Cooper home anytime on Wednesday?”

  “Positive, Ryan has to be confusing Tuesday night for Wednesday,” King assures them.

  Masters then shows King a picture of the gun. “Do you recognize this gun?”

  “I’m not sure, it looks like the one Ryan owns. He went to the range with me one time and had a five-shot revolver like this one.”

  “Do you know where he kept it?”

  “No, only that he kept it hidden somewhere.”

  “We would like to take your fingerprints for elimination purposes. You did say you were there Tuesday.”

  “Yes, that’s fine,” replies King.

  Before leaving the police station, King has his fingerprints scanned by a crime technician.

  The next interview is with Naomi’s sister, Serena Mills. Mills lives in a quaint country home with her husband and daughter about five miles south of Castle Rock. Upon the detectives' arrival, Mills, while being visibly upset, invites the detectives in and offers them fresh coffee. Masters graciously accepts. He figures it’s going to be a long day.

  Mills tells Masters and Tippen that yes, Naomi was having an affair. Naomi had told her this several weeks ago and Mills had encouraged Naomi to tell Ryan. Mills is now upset and blaming herself for Naomi’s death.

  “If only I hadn’t encouraged her to tell Ryan, maybe she would still be alive right now,” cried Mills.

  “Don’t blame yourself, Mrs. Mills,” says Tippen with a comforting tone. “She had to tell him sometime, or he would have eventually found out anyway. Who was she having the affair with?”

  “I don’t know, she wouldn’t tell me,” Mills replies sadly.

  “Was she unhappy with Ryan?”

  “Yes, she said he was inattentive to her and worked too much. She told me her affair made her feel alive again.”

  While driving from Mills’ home, Tippen says, “I sure wish we knew who this mystery lover is.”

  “Sounds like Mrs. Cooper was very secretive about it,” states Masters. “Maybe it’s because she knew how her husband would react. King indicated she had been afraid to tell him.”

  “Drive to 1512 North Spencer Avenue,” advises Tippen. “That’s the accounting office where Debbie Davis works, the host of the book club meeting. I already called and told her we were coming.”

  Detectives contact Davis at her office, and she invites them in. With tears in her eyes, she says, “I can’t believe Naomi is dead. It is devastating. She was a close friend.”

  “We are sorry for your loss Mrs. Davis,” sympathizes Tippen. “Were you aware of an affair Naomi was having?”

  “No, not at all. That doesn’t sound like Naomi,” says Davis.

  “Did she mention any problems with her husband?” Tippen continues.

  “No, not that I remember.”

  “What time did Naomi arrive on Wednesday night?”

  “Around seven pm. That’s when we start.”

  “And when did she leave?”

  “Oh, I believe it was about a quarter to nine.”

  “Is that pretty normal for book club?”

  “Close, it was a little earlier than normal. We usually go until nine o’clock.”

  “Do you know why she left early?”

  “I think her husband called her. She received a phone call, or maybe she made a call, I’m not quite sure. She left immediately after, saying she had to go.”

  “Did she say why?”

  “No, other than she was tired. She did seem kind of distracted during our meeting.”

  “How so?” asks Tippen.

  “She wasn’t engaged in the discussion like she normally is. She was noticeably quiet that night.”

  “Did she ever mention having problems with her marriage?”

  “No, nothing like that.”

  “Okay, thank you Mrs. Davis. If you think of anything else, please give us a call,” Tippen tells her.

  Before going back to the station, Masters and Tippen stop at Popeye’s for a quick late lunch. Masters orders the Spicy Chicken Sandwich, his favorite, and Tippen orders the chicken fingers. Both have large sodas to quench their thirst as well as for the caffeine. They get back to their office at about 3:00 pm.

  On their desks are dozens of officer and crime scene technician reports to review. Soon, the autopsy report will be in and forensic results will start arriving after the weekend. Both detectives spend the rest of the day sorting through the reports.

  By 3:30 pm the same day, Cooper’s memory is starting to become clearer. He now believes King was visiting him on Wednesday night and having a couple of drinks. He calls King to find out what happened.

  “Justin, I know you came over Wednesday night, but I must have passed out. What happened?”

  “Ryan,” Justin answers, “like I already told you, I was not at your place Wednesday night. I was there Tuesday night. You are confusing the days.”

  “No Justin, I remember because you wanted to talk business and it was the same night Naomi was at book club. Please tell me what happened.”

  “I’m sorry man, but I was not there. It was Tuesday night. You were very depressed, probably over Naomi’s affair.”

  “I never knew about an affair!” insists Cooper.

  “You had a lot to drink Tuesday night. Were you also drinking Wednesday night?”

  “Yes, with you.”

  “I don’t know what to tell you Ryan, I was there Tuesday night.”

  Cooper is now starting to doubt his own memory. Is it actually Tuesday night I am thinking of? After all, he had blacked out and initially couldn’t remember much of anything. Is he now confused? Could he have killed Naomi and just not remember it? No, it can’t be, he says to himself.

  “Justin, did you know about an affair?”

  “Yes,” answers King, “she told me over a week ago and said she was going to tell you.”

  “Who with?”

  “She never told me Ryan, sorry.”

  “Justin,” says Cooper as he lowers his voice, “do you know what happened to Naomi?”

  “I hate to say this Ryan, but I think you were overcome with emotion, had too much to drink, and shot her when she got home Wednesday night.”

  “No, no!” responds Cooper in a much louder voice. “I would never have done such a thing. How can you think that?”

  “It’s just the way I see it Ryan.”

  “You were there that night,” Cooper says sternly, “I remember. You brought over a bottle of rum.”

  “You’re talking crazy now, have you been drinking again?”

  “No, I’m completely sober.”

  “Well, I’ve had enough of this conversation, I’ll talk to you later,” says King as he disconnects the call.

  Cooper is a bit shocked and confused. He now remembers King being at his home, but King adamantly denies it. Am I going insane, or is Justin hiding something from me?

  Saturday

  On Saturday morning, the detectives are back at it. They have schedule
d in-office interviews with Lisa Morgan, the administrative assistant for KC Spark Electric, and Richard Cooper, Ryan Cooper’s brother. First up is Lisa Morgan. After introductions, Tippen starts the interview.

  “Were you aware of any trouble or problems in Ryan’s marriage?”

  “No,” responds Morgan, “as far as I knew, everything was fine.”

  “Did you know Naomi Cooper?”

  “Oh yes, I had met her numerous times at office parties. She would also stop in the office from time to time. Very friendly.”

  “Were you aware of Mrs. Cooper having an affair?”

  “No.”

  “Can you tell us what Ryan’s demeanor was like in the last week or so.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “His mood, anything unusual, any changes in personality, that type of thing.”

  “No, he seemed fine to me.”

  “How well did Justin know Naomi?”

  “Very well, they were good friends.”

  “Could something have been going on between Justin and Naomi?”

  “No, Justin and Ryan are partners and good friends. I don’t believe Justin would do anything like that. And I never saw anything to give me that indication.”

  “Thank you for your time, Lisa,” says Tippen as she ends the interview.

  Next up is Richard Cooper. Tippen agrees to allow Masters to lead this interview.

  “Thank you for coming in Richard,” says Masters, “I’m sure this is difficult.”

  “Yes, it is,” Richard responds, “and you can call me Rich.”

  “Okay Rich, tell us what you know about Naomi’s affair.”

  “Only what Ryan has told me. He said he didn’t know anything about an affair until you showed him the note found in his office. He said he had never seen that note before.”

  “How were they getting along otherwise?”

  “Goodness, I don’t know. Everything seemed fine to me. I know she sometimes complained about the hours Ryan worked, but other than that I didn’t see any issues.”

  “I know this is hard, but it is important,” Masters tells him, “what did Ryan tell you about last Wednesday night?”

  “He was shaken up, and it was hard for him to talk about. He said he kept having visions of Naomi lying dead on the floor covered in blood. He could not remember much until Friday morning when his memory started coming back. He said his partner, Justin King, had come over Wednesday evening while Naomi was at a book thing. Justin wanted to talk business and have a few drinks. He said Justin brought some rum with him and they were drinking rum and cokes. That is pretty much all he remembers until waking up the next morning and finding Naomi dead.”