Journey to Murder (An Alex Warren Novel)

by DJ Owen

  The music selections suited Alex, as the tendency of the crowd to sing with the band made idle chit-chat difficult. It also set a mood that was fun and light-hearted. After the first set, which lasted about forty-five minutes, the band put a mix tape on while they took a break. This gave Kyle a chance to start a real conversation with Alex.

  "Can I get you something to drink?" Kyle asked, as they headed toward the refreshments. "There's nothing alcoholic, since the dance includes children."

  "I'll take something without caffeine. Thank you," Alex replied. "You have a nice voice, Kyle. Did you know that?"

  "I won't say I think I have a nice voice, but I don't mind being one of the chorus. I used to sing in my church choir when I was a kid. Once I moved out here, though, I decided joining the choir would be too difficult since my schedule at work has to be flexible. You never know when you'll be scheduled for an extra shift or two." He watched Alex for a reaction to his involvement in church. That was often a turn-off for women, or they sometimes started looking at him as marriage material.

  "You're right about that. If you don't have control of your work schedule, it can really play havoc with your personal life," Alex responded. She wasn't surprised by his choice of topic. In her experience, those who choose to do good in the world, such as law enforcement and other emergency personnel, were often involved in religious institutions. "I haven't gone to church since I left home. It's not that anything happened, but you tend to pull away when you leave home and it's hard to go back."

  Kyle was pleased that Alex really didn't react one way or the other to his statement. He still needed to find out why Alex lived off the grid, though.

  "You know, you've never really told me anything about yourself. I don't know what you do, or why you travel so much. You seem to lead such an interesting life. I would love to hear more." Kyle was doing his best to steer the conversation where he wanted it.

  Alex considered her options. She could push Kyle away and be done with the whole relationship thing, but Kyle had an effect on her that she hadn't felt in a long time and hated to lose. Another option would be to continue on the ruse that she lives a normal life in San Francisco, but how would Kyle react if he wanted to visit her there?

  She finally settled on her third option: the truth, or some semblance thereof.

  "Well, I'm a freelance writer. I bought the Winnebago so that I could travel as needed to research my articles and books. I also write copy and blog posts for several clients. You probably haven't seen any of my work because I use a nom de plume. That's a penname, in case you don't know your French."

  "So you keep a residence in San Francisco, but you're never there?" Kyle was surprised at how open she was, but she still hadn't told him why she lied about her residence on her license.

  Alex looked up into his striking blue eyes and thought hard and fast about how to answer. "Well, I really don't want to answer that question since you're a cop. Can I take the Fifth?"

  "First of all, we're not in a court of law, so you don't need to take the Fifth. However, would you feel better if I told you that tonight I'm just a guy who is trying to get to know a really fabulous lady, but hates that she doesn't feel she can be honest with him?"

  "Okay, but don't be mad, alright?" Alex decided to tell him some more of the truth. Kyle nodded at her question. "I used to be married years ago, but my husband and I had started to grow apart after Amy was born. I eventually moved out into my own apartment. I was taking Amy for a visit one day, and found my husband shot dead in the kitchen. I went through a hell of a lot during the investigation since the police were convinced I had killed him, all because we happened to be separated. I didn't...I swear, but the spouse is always suspect, and on top of everything else, I found his body."

  "Why would that make me mad? And was this in San Francisco?" Kyle pretty much knew all of this already, but he still needed to put his concerns to rest and didn’t want Alex to know he had already looked into her background.

  "Yes. After the police finally cleared me as a 'person of interest', I sold the house, broke my lease and moved back East to be closer to my family. Here's the part that might make you mad: at first I didn't change my license because I moved into an apartment and didn't plan to stay there. I didn't think it would be a big deal to wait until my license expired. Then, my parents died in a car accident, and my sister and I ended up with some money from insurance and the sale of their home. She decided to buy a house, but I decided it made sense for me to buy the Winnebago."

  "So why does your license still say San Francisco? Did you move back there?" Kyle was even more confused as he heard the details.

  "No, it just seemed easier to go back and renew my license when it was getting ready to expire. It's really hard to get credit or anything when you don't have a permanent address, and you have to have an address for every legal document, like a driver's license. Since I didn't have a permanent address anymore, I was sort of forced by the system to keep the last address I had. I didn't mean to mislead you, but I was afraid that telling you the address was wrong on my license would just create more problems. It might even make you suspect I had something to do with that fire the last time I was here. That was an accident, right?" Alex had said all she wanted about her past, and it was time she maneuvered the conversation to suit her needs.

  Kyle considered what Alex had said, and it had the ring of truth. In this day and age, if you want a driver's license you have to prove where you live. If you don't have mortgage or rent papers, or a utility bill, it was nigh unto impossible to get a driver's license or register your vehicle. She did explain why he couldn't find much by way of financial history, as well. He decided to test her by watching her reaction when he told her the fire wasn't an accident.

  "Actually, we found out the man was murdered and the fire was an attempt to cover it up."

  Alex was simultaneously shocked at the news, and afraid Kyle knew more than he was saying. She looked at him and saw him watching her intently.

  "We've got to go, then! I shouldn't have brought Amy here where there's been a murder. How do I know it’s safe for her? I only brought her here because Mike told me he hadn't heard anything more about the fire." Realization dawned on Alex. "He knows, doesn't he? The Park Ranger knew all along! How could he lie to me like that, and have me put my only daughter in harm's way?" She narrowed her eyes as she looked at Kyle.

  "Did you tell him not to tell me? Did you think I had something to do with it?" Alex was on the attack and she took no hostages. "Is that why you wanted to see me again? To get me back to the scene of the crime?" She abruptly turned away from him. "I think we're done here!" She began to storm off toward Amy on the far side of the dance floor.

  "Wait! Alex!" Kyle was now convinced Alex was innocent. "Please hear me out. Give me a chance to defend myself, just like I gave you an opportunity to explain."

  Alex whirled around. "There's a big difference, don't you think? I don't think you murdered anyone!"

  A few of the guests standing nearby looked at the two arguing, and took a step back when they heard the word murder.

  "Alex, please...you're making a scene. Let's go sit down and I'll explain." Kyle reached out and gently grasped her wrist. She pulled away but followed him off the dance floor to one of the picnic tables. Kyle sat down and motioned for her to sit next to him.

  "You've got two minutes." Alex was not going to cut him much slack. She had to keep up the appearance that she was angry at his suspicions. That wasn’t too difficult since she was mad at him for manipulating her.

  "Look, here's the truth. When I called you from San Francisco and you said you were out of town, I decided to surprise you and took a rose bush to the address from your license. I knew I couldn't see you to give you a cut bouquet, so I thought a rose bush would be a constant reminder of me."

  Alex softened just a little. "You went by the house?"

  "Yes. I know it was a bit presumptuous of me, but I thought we had a connection and I wa
nted you to know I was interested. When I got there, though, the woman you sold the place to told me you hadn't lived there in years. We had an open investigation and you had a false address, so I had to follow up. I promise, though, I didn't really think you had anything to do with that fire, and I didn't mention it to anyone who's actually working the case. I was always on your side, but I had to be sure. It's my sworn duty to uphold the law, you know."

  Kyle reached out and took Alex's hand. She didn't pull away. It would be good to have a cop on her side.

  The band had returned to start the second set, which was a selection of dance tunes that included "Wake Me Up Before You Go Go", "Night Fever" and "Crazy In Love". With a good dance beat going, it didn't take too much effort for Kyle to coax Alex onto the dance floor. Alex looked over and saw Amy with the group of kids taking over a section of the pavilion to start gyrations of their own.

  By the time the band started their third set, Alex and Kyle were ready for something less intense. The band knew how to work the crowd. Now that the guests had gotten in a little exercise with the fast tempo, they began to slow things down while still encouraging physical contact. They played "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", and followed that up with "Say You, Say Me" and "Leather and Lace".

  Alex wasn't sure exactly when it happened, but Kyle had taken her gently into his arms at some point. As "You Are So Beautiful" came to an end, Kyle reached down and lifted Alex's chin. She closed her eyes as he leaned forward and placed a kiss gently on her lips. Alex abandoned all hope of ever getting Kyle out of her life.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Alex spent most of Sunday with Kyle. They rented a boat and Kyle took it upon himself to teach Alex and Amy how to fish. Amy proved to be a natural, intuitively knowing where the fish would be gathered and what bait would work best. Alex was good at baiting her hook and getting it to land exactly where she wanted it, but the fish didn't seem interested in her bait. She finally gave up and took control of the boat, letting Kyle and Amy vie for the honor of best fisherman.

  Kyle had to be back at the office on Monday, and Alex sent Amy to several of the park's events while she took the shuttle into town. She headed toward the library and looked up the history of Lake Monroe and wrote up several articles she would submit to travel blogs. Each article was different enough that she could submit them simultaneously. While she was there, she also pulled any information she could find on the van fire. There were no new reports in any of the major papers, but an independent bi-weekly local newspaper provided some personal information about Brad. His last name was Luther, and he had been the sole proprietor of a flooring business for the past twelve years. Alex was saddened to see that Brad had a wife and nine-year-old son. I didn't mean to cause them pain, Alex thought, but Brad sure didn't mind causing other families pain. Alex knew she had done the right thing by stopping her dual life. She wondered if the others she had disposed of had families, and what pain she might have caused.

  At noon, Alex strolled along the street to the Sheriff's Office. She asked the officer at the front desk if she could speak with Kyle Buckley for a moment. When he approached, his eyes lit up at the sight of her.

  "Alex! What brings you here?" he asked.

  "I thought perhaps you could take a break for lunch. If not, I understand. I know you weren't expecting me."

  "Sure, I was just thinking about grabbing a bite. Let me introduce you around first." Kyle opened the gate to allow her access to the rest of the office. "I want you to meet my partner."

  Jolene Rayburn had her back to the door when they entered.

  "Jolene! Guess who came by to have lunch?" Kyle called to her as they neared her desk.

  "I have no idea," Jolene teased as she turned around. She had heard all about Kyle's weekend with Alex, and was happy that Kyle had decided Alex was not involved in the murder and fire from weeks before.

  "This is Alexandra Warren. Alex, this is Jolene Rayburn, my partner when we team up." Jolene stood and shook Alex's hand, noting the strong, self-assured grip in return.

  "It's so nice to meet you, Alex. Kyle mentioned something about the two of you going to the dance Saturday." Jolene had heard everything about the dance, the fishing, Amy, the Winnebago, Alex's previous brush with the law over Jeremy's death, Alex's sister...you name it, Jolene had already heard about it....all morning long.

  "Kyle mentioned you, as well. I understand you're the reason he recently went to San Francisco." Alex assumed Kyle had already told Jolene everything, including his concerns about her faux life in California.

  "Yes, that was my fault. I had signed up for a course and couldn't make it at the last minute. I had no idea the seminar would put him within a stone's throw of your address." Jolene didn't want the misunderstanding about Alex's residence to cause any more problems for Kyle. She had already heard about the fight at the dance.

  "Well, it caused a bit of a misunderstanding, but it wasn't your fault. I should have updated my license and registration a long time ago. I'll take care of it as soon as I get back to Ohio. I'll use my sister's address as my home address. Who knows, I might even sell off the Winnebago and find a permanent job somewhere." The words rolled off her tongue a lot easier than she thought they would. With Kyle in her life, she would need to settle down.

  "Kyle's a good man, and a great partner. He's still an officer of the law, though, and has to check things out. We're both happy you came back for a visit." Jolene was glad Alex didn't seem to harbor any ill feelings.

  "Hey, I'm right here, ladies!" Kyle didn't entirely understand the dynamics of the interaction. To him, the conversation was simply chit-chat between two people meeting for the first time. To Jolene and Alex, they were having a dance of their own, each determining the other's place in Kyle's life. Jolene had no interest in Kyle other than as a friend and partner, and wanted to make sure Alex knew that.

  "So sorry, Kyle! I didn't mean to ignore you, but it was such a pleasure to meet Jolene." Alex turned to Jolene, "Would you care to join us for lunch?"

  "Maybe next time. It's my turn to cover for lunch, so I'll be eating late. I brought something from home, anyway. Thanks, though, for asking. You two have a good time." Jolene shook Alex's hand again and headed toward the door.

  Kyle walked Alex around the room to meet two other officers still at their desks. They left and headed toward the town's diner.

  As they approached, Alex noted the white eyelet cafe curtains contrasting the deep green awning over the door. The building's doors and windows were trimmed in dark green, as well. The interior of the building had a homey appearance, with a soda fountain running the length of the left wall. Booths covered in dark green vinyl took up the right wall, and several free-standing tables and chairs were meticulously spaced in the center of the floor.

  The diner was at about half capacity, with several tables needing to be bussed. An elderly woman was doing just that near the door when Alex and Kyle entered.

  "Hi, Sophia! Where do you want us?" Kyle asked the woman.

  "Officer Buckley, what a surprise! And this must be Alex," Sophia said, as she turned and thrust out her hand. "Small town, you know. Everyone around here has heard about Kyle's new lady friend."

  Alex blushed but smiled warmly as she shook Sophia's hand. "Yes, I'm Alex and I'm pleased to meet you. So this is your establishment?"

  "Yes, ma'am! My husband and I opened the place in '70, just after the big flood. He died in '01, bless his heart, and I've been sole proprietor, chief cook and bottle-washer ever since."

  Alex chuckled. She liked this woman, who looked to be well-preserved for someone who had to be at least in her mid-sixties. "I'm sure the town is lucky to have you here. I'm sorry about your husband, though. I bet you two made quite a team."

  "Nah, we argued constantly. I appreciate your sympathy, though. It was a shock when he passed. Died of pneumonia -- of course the lung cancer didn't help. It was probably a blessing in disguise because he didn't suffer long with the pneumonia. The canc
er would have drug on for months. Once I got over the shock, though, I figured it was time to do what I wanted with the place. I picked green because everybody was starting to ask for fresh food rather than typical diner fare, and I thought the curtains were a nice touch."

  "It's lovely. I can't wait to try the food! Where do you want us to sit?" Alex asked. She hadn't expected to hear family secrets, but enjoyed Sophia's warmth and openness.

  "Why don't you two take the back booth? It's more private and I can keep a good eye on your table while I work," Sophia suggested.

  Kyle nodded and led Alex toward the rear of the diner with Sophia bringing up the rear. She stopped long enough wash her hands and pick up clean silverware along with two menus.

  "Can I get you something to drink while you decide?"

  "Coffee for me. Alex?" Kyle sat with his feet in the aisle, avoiding knocking knees with Alex under the table.

  "I'll just have some water. Thank you," Alex said as she opened the menu. She was surprised to find an extensive listing of food items. Small-town diners tend to have a limited repertoire of dishes to minimize spoilage and waste. "Wow! I didn't expect such variety!"

  Sophia turned back as she headed toward the soda fountain. "We've got salads, soups, hot plates, sandwiches and we still do a good business in hamburgers and fries. The special today is a BLT with avocado, if you want it. Comes with home-made potato chips or fries. Only $4.99, or you can add on a bowl of soup or a house salad for $2.00 more." She continued on to get their drinks.

  Kyle settled on the special and Alex decided to try the chicken salad on a croissant. They chatted more about their families. Kyle mentioned that his father had been a State Trooper, and his mother had served in the Air Force before she married.