Dead Woman Crossing

by J. R. Adler

  Tyler let out a huff. “Working offshore with my crew. I have six guys and a manager who can tell you the same. I haven’t been back to Dead Woman Crossing since last Christmas.”

  Kimberley nodded. “Alright. I’ll be sure to confirm your alibi.”

  “Seriously though. Why would you think I had anything to do with it?”

  “I didn’t say you did, but nearly ninety percent of murders are committed by friends, loved ones, or acquaintances. Since you’re Isobel’s father and a former loved one, you fall into that category. We’re just covering our bases,” Kimberley explained.

  “Wait. Did you say Isobel’s father? I’m not Isobel’s father.”

  Kimberley’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not her father.”

  “I know you’re not involved in Isobel’s life, but you’re still her father.”

  Sam shook his head.

  “I don’t think you understand. Biologically, I am not her father. I traveled a lot for work, and when Hannah got pregnant, the dates didn’t line up. Plus, Isobel looks nothing like me. It’s why we broke up,” he explained.

  “Are you sure about this?” Kimberley lowered her chin slightly, realizing if it was true, it was huge for the case.

  “One hundred percent.”

  “Would you be willing to submit to a DNA test?”

  “Yes.”

  “We’ll have to get Lisa to consent, but I’m sure I can convince her.”

  “Good. I don’t want people thinking I’m some sort of deadbeat dad. If Isobel was mine, I’d be there for her. But she’s not,” Tyler said, his voicing cracking at the end.

  Kimberley didn’t know him, but she could tell there was a deep sadness there. This man wanted to be Isobel’s dad and was most likely devastated when he found out he wasn’t.

  “I’m sorry to ask this, Tyler. But do you know who Isobel’s father is?” Kimberley said the words slowly and carefully.

  There was silence.

  “Tyler?”

  “No, I don’t. She never told me.”

  “I’ll have one of my deputies reach out to you regarding next steps for the paternity test. You’ll be able to do it locally and we’ll have the results sent to us. I appreciate your cooperation. Take care, Tyler,” Kimberley said, ending the call and setting the phone down on the table.

  “He says he’s not the father.” She looked at Sam with wide eyes.

  “Do you believe him?”

  “I do. He’s agreed to a paternity test too.”

  Sam leaned back in his seat, glancing out the window beside him, taking in the view while he took in the new information. A nearly empty gravel parking lot edged out to the road. Beyond into the Oklahoma plains, the wind continued on, shifting everything little by little.

  “If he’s not the father, there’s someone out there that is. Someone with motive,” Kimberley said, her eyes scanned Sam’s face.

  Sam nodded.

  “It was well known that Isobel’s father was a man who left town—Tyler. Whoever the father really is clearly didn’t want people to know.”

  “Why do you think that is?” Sam turned his head, his eyes connected with Kimberley’s.

  “Maybe he’s married.”

  “Maybe. But you’re right about one thing for sure.”

  “About what?” Kimberley asked.

  “We have to find out who Hannah Brown was. She’s the key to finding who murdered her.”

  29

  “Alright, I’m gonna leave you to it, Detective,” Sam said to Kimberley as they exited the local diner.

  Kimberley gave Sam a peculiar look. “What do you mean leave me to it?”

  “All those things you said you wanted to do, I want you to do them. Reinterview her co-workers, Hannah’s mom, and the daycare teacher. You got this.”

  “And what are you going to do?” Kimberley lifted her chin.

  “Well, since I’m an elected official, I get to do some of the fun stuff,” he said sarcastically. “We’ve got press clamoring for details, locally and from some of the surrounding areas, so I’ve gotta hold a public information session. And since it’s getting picked up, I’ve got to attend the county board meeting to ask for and justify some overtime pay. All the fun stuff.” He sighed dramatically. “Unless you’d like to act on my behalf?”

  Kimberley shook her head. “Not a chance.”

  “I thought you’d say that. Pharmacy is down the street. I’ll have one of the deputies drop your vehicle off and work with you on the interviews.”

  “I prefer to work alone.”

  “Ouch.” Sam grabbed his chest dramatically.

  Kimberley put her hand on her hip. “Oh, not you.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Sam waved a hand. “Regardless, I’ll have your vehicle dropped off. We’ll reconvene in the morning. If you have anything pressing though, give me a ring right away.”

  Chief Deputy King nodded. “You got it.”

  Sam tipped his head and walked to his vehicle. His eyes meeting hers again as he backed out of his spot. He gave a friendly wave as he drove off. Kimberley looked down the street lined with small businesses, no more than ten of them. It was the equivalent of a downtown, but judging by how barren it was, it sure put the “Dead” in Dead Woman Crossing.

  Chief Deputy King walked down the sidewalk, passing by a hair salon big enough to take two clients at a time. There was a small coffee shop—just one, not like New York City where a Starbucks sat on every block, sometimes across the street from one another. She walked past a laundromat and a convenience store. All the essentials of a small American town, nothing more—no frills, just the basics. Beside the convenience store was the pharmacy.

  She noted the hours that hung on the sign hanging from the glass door. “Open Monday–Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sundays, Closed.” A bunch of local postings were stuck on the inside of the storefront window, including a poster for the Turner Farm with information on purchasing wheat and vegetables. At the bottom was Wyatt’s contact information. Kimberley entered the small store that had several aisles stocked with a variety of medications, covering everything from heartburn to the flu. At the back wall was a pharmacist’s window and at the front a cash register with a woman leaning against the counter filing her nails. The only reason Kimberley knew she worked there was from the name tag pinned to her cotton shirt that read “Michelle.” When she noticed Kimberley, the girl stood up straight and set her nail file down. Her brunette hair was pulled in a ponytail on top of her head, making her look even younger than she actually was.

  “Can I help you?” she asked, her voice delivering the right customer-service tone, warm and inviting.

  “Yes. I’m Chief Deputy King,” Kimberley said, walking up to the register. “I’m here to ask a few questions about Hannah Brown. Do you have a moment?”

  The girl glanced around the empty store. “Yeah, but another deputy already came around asking questions about her a few days ago,” she said, chewing on a piece of bubble gum that seemed to have appeared from nowhere.

  “I know.” Kimberley pulled a notepad and a pen out from the front pocket of her shirt. She flipped it open, noting the date, time and the interviewee’s name at the top. “Were you close with Hannah?”

  “Not really. We talked when we worked together. There’s an overlap in shifts by like an hour. We never hung out outside of work.”

  “Anyone else work here?”

  “Just the boss, Frank. He’s the pharmacist and owner. He’s in the back. Otherwise, it’s just me full time and it was Hannah part time.”

  “No one else? What about Ruth Wills?” Kimberley tilted her head.

  “Oh yeah. She’s technically just on call as she’s retired. But she covers shifts here and there. More so recently, after Hannah, ya know?” She dragged her finger across her neck.

  Kimberley pressed her lips firmly together. “Did Hannah ever work nights?”

  “No, we close at six and then clean up and res
tock ’til seven. Once a quarter, we do inventory later into the night, but Frank and I usually handle that.”

  “Just mornings?”

  “Yeah, Monday through Friday for four or five hours. Occasional Saturdays if I need one off and Ruth can’t cover.” Michelle blew a bubble with her gum, popped it and sucked it back in.

  “Anyone ever come in here to visit her?”

  “Not that I saw.”

  Kimberley scribbled down a few more notes, realizing this follow-up interview was rather pointless. Nothing new was coming out of it, because it seemed no one really knew Hannah Brown.

  “Do you know if she was seeing anyone?” Kimberley raised an eyebrow.

  Michelle twisted her lips like she was considering what to say. Her eyes bounced all around Kimberley and then on her. Kimberley noted her unusual behavior.

  “I ain’t one to gossip,” Michelle said. “But I think she was.”

  Kimberley tilted her head. “Why do you think that?”

  “I seen her purchase a box of condoms from here and a Plan B pill.”

  Bingo. That was what Kimberley needed. Something that tied Hannah Brown to another person. Even though the tie was small, and she didn’t know who the man was, at least it was something to go on.

  “Did she say anything when she purchased the Plan B?”

  “Nope, I pretended not to see her. She was nice and all, but she didn’t talk about herself all that much. Once in a while, she’d talk about her daughter. But we mostly chatted about work or joked around about what medications and ointments customers were buying, who was constipated, who had hemorrhoids, which men couldn’t get it up and were in here buying Viagra.” Michelle laughed. “Just silly stuff like that, nothing serious.”

  “How long ago did she buy the Plan B?”

  “Plan B, a few weeks ago. Condoms, there’s been multiple purchases. She thought I didn’t notice, but I did. We aren’t ever supposed to ring ourselves out if we can help it, but when I saw what she was buying, I just left her to it.”

  Kimberley nodded, jotting down notes on her notepad.

  “And you’re sure?”

  “Absolutely. I mean she could have been buying it for someone else I s’pose, but who does that? She never talked about having a man.”

  “Hello. Can I help you?” A voice called from behind her.

  Kimberley turned around to find a small elderly man with a bald head and glasses lingering at the tip of his nose. He was dressed in a doctor’s coat with a name tag pinned to his chest that read “Frank.”

  “I’m Chief Deputy King. I was just interviewing your employee about Hannah Brown. Mind if I ask you a few questions, while I’ve got you here?”

  “Oh, of course.” Frank walked slowly up the aisle. He stopped just a few feet shy of Kimberley. “It’s just awful what happened to her. Hannah was a sweet girl, dependable too, aside from always being ten minutes late. I was never mad about that though. I knew she had a young daughter and she was raising her on her own, so I gave her some slack. I used to joke around with her, telling her she was on Hannah time and she needed to be on Frank time. See, I’m always early. Been that way my whole life. Such a shame. It’s going to be impossible to replace her. I haven’t even posted a job opening yet.” He pulled his glasses from his face and wiped his eyes. “It’s just too soon. You know? So, I’m doing what I can to cover in the mornings. It’s tough, but my customers have been patient with me.”

  “Frank,” Kimberley finally found a moment to interrupt. He reminded her of her grandfather when he was still alive. He would go on and on when he started talking, as if he had saved up all his words for you.

  “Yes, Chief Deputy King,” Frank said, looking up at Kimberley, returning his glasses to their position at the tip of his nose.

  “Thank you for your time. I appreciate you talking with me today.” There was no point asking him any questions as she felt sure he knew nothing more about Hannah than he had already told her.

  Frank nodded. “Oh, of course. Anytime.”

  Kimberley closed up her notepad and put it back in her pocket. She pulled two business cards from her utility belt and handed one to Frank and one to Michelle. “If you think of anything else, please give me a call.”

  Michelle nodded pocketing the business card. “Have a nice day, Chief Deputy.”

  Frank brought the business card close to his eyes, squinting at it. “So, I just call this number?”

  “Yes,” Kimberley said, immediately regretting giving him her card. He was a nice old man, but she was sure he had nothing of substance to add. He was just a lonely old-timer.

  “Have a good one,” Kimberley said to both of them as she left the pharmacy.

  “Perfect timing,” Deputy Hill said, getting out of Kimberley’s Ford Explorer. He tossed the keys to her.

  “Thanks, Hill. You got a ride back?”

  “Bear is gonna scoop me. Sheriff Walker mentioned you potentially wanting some company?”

  Kimberley smirked. “All good here. Thanks, though,” she said, walking past him and getting into the vehicle. Deputy Hill nodded and disappeared into the coffee shop.

  One down, two to go. Up next was Hannah’s mom, Lisa.

  Kimberley knocked on the door. It took nearly a minute for it to open, and when it finally did Lisa stood on the other side, looking worse than she had before.

  “Did you find my daughter’s killer?” she asked, her eyes pleading for a yes.

  Kimberley shook her head. “Can we talk?”

  Lisa deflated like a balloon, but nodded her head, opening the door for Kimberley to enter. The house was messy with dirty dishes and used Kleenexes covering the coffee table. An empty wine bottle sat next to a dish with a half-eaten pizza slice on it. The television had Judge Judy on, but was muted so she couldn’t hear the clever quips. The couch had bed pillows and a comforter on it. Lisa was clearly sleeping out here, drowning her sorrows in wine and television. The floor was covered in baby toys. A Pack ’n Play sat empty in the corner.

  “Come sit,” Lisa said as she quickly cleared the couch, tossing the blanket and pillows into a ball in the corner and attempting to pick up all the garbage from the coffee table. “I wasn’t expecting company. Sorry.”

  “No need to apologize.” Kimberley took a seat on the couch.

  Lisa disappeared with a handful of dirty dishes, tissues, and the empty wine bottle.

  “Where’s Isobel?” Kimberley asked, concerned for the child.

  “I have her crib set up in my bedroom. She’s asleep in there,” she called out from the kitchen.

  “Can I get you something to drink?” Lisa asked, entering the living room, her hands now free of garbage.

  Kimberley shook her head. “This will just take a few minutes.”

  “Okay.” There was hesitation in Lisa’s voice as she took a seat next to Kimberley.

  Chief Deputy King pulled her notepad and pen from her pocket again, readying herself to take notes.

  “I talked to Tyler Louis earlier today.”

  “And what did that slimeball have to say?” Lisa twisted up her face and folded her arms in front of her chest.

  “Lisa, I’m sorry to say this, but Tyler said he’s not the father of Isobel.”

  Her mouth dropped open in complete shock. “He said what?”

  “That he’s not the biological father of Isobel.”

  “How fucking dare he…”

  “Lisa, getting upset over this isn’t going to help. I understand this is difficult. He has agreed to submit to a paternity test, and as you’re the guardian of Isobel, I need your permission for her to also submit.” Kimberley tried to convey how important this was to the case. She tilted her chin, held eye contact, spoke in her most direct and soothing voice.

  “Absolutely not. I will not have him tarnish my daughter’s reputation.” Lisa shook her head adamantly.

  “Lisa, I need you to listen to me.” Kimberley waited until she looked at her. “Tyler seemed very since
re, and he agreed to a paternity test. He also disclosed that that was the reason they had broken up. That when Hannah got pregnant, he was traveling for work, so he couldn’t be the father.”

  A single tear rolled down Lisa’s cheek. “Why is he doing this now?”

  “He’s not doing this to hurt you or Hannah. He’s doing it to help us.”

  “Why didn’t Hannah tell me? I’m her mother.”

  Kimberley didn’t answer. It wasn’t a question for her.

  Lisa’s eyes went wide. “If Tyler’s not the father, then who is?”

  “We don’t know yet. But if Tyler’s not Isobel’s father, then Hannah was clearly hiding this for a reason. Maybe it went sour, maybe she wanted more out of him, a relationship, child support, maybe he’s married. I’m not sure. But it’s a hunch I have to see through.”

  Lisa turned her head, staring off into the corner of the living room. She wasn’t looking at anything in particular. She was processing everything, trying to understand it, trying to make sense of it.

  “Okay. I’ll agree to the paternity test.” Lisa nodded, still staring off into the corner.

  “Good. I do have a few questions for you as well. Are you up for them?”

  Lisa blinked back tears and nodded.

  “Did you ever watch Isobel at night?” Kimberley held her pen to the pad of paper ready to take notes.

  “Yeah, we did a standing overnight once a week, Fridays or Saturdays. It changed depending on my work schedule. On average, I’d say I watched her two nights a week, one overnight.”

  “Did she ever tell you what she was doing on those evenings she didn’t have Isobel?”

  Lisa tilted her head. “Just that she was running errands or hanging out with friends or something like that.”

  Kimberley moved her pen quickly.

  “And she never mentioned seeing anyone?” Kimberley paused her note-taking to study Lisa’s face.

  She shook her head. “Why wouldn’t she tell me? We were close. I’m her mother. She could have come to me about anything.” Lisa leaned forward, crying into her own lap.

  Kimberley put a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, but she knew it wasn’t possible. The only person that could do that for Lisa right now was her daughter.