by Kathi Daley
“I have a list of students who attended the party the night Holly Riverton was murdered that I obtained from the sheriff’s report. I’d like you to look at it to see if it’s accurate to the best of your knowledge and memory.”
Tj looked at the paper. There were initially just ten students. Jenna, Dennis, Hunter, and Tj had arrived just after Brett, his date Jessie, and Jessie’s best friend Holly. Shortly after they got there, Nathan Fullerton and Jada Jenkins had shown up. Within thirty minutes after that Mia Monroe had arrived alone.
During the evening at least ten other students had come and gone, including Mackenzie Paulson, who ended up being the class valedictorian, and several members of the football team who arrived with the female groupies who tended to follow them around.
Tj also remembered seeing Vicki Davis, Doreen Sullwold, Dalton Fowler and Teddy Bolton. As far as Tj could tell, the list was accurate, but there could have been others who’d stopped by for a short visit before moving on.
“To the best of my knowledge the list is correct.”
“Can you walk me through the events of that evening?” Colton asked.
“A bunch of us were hanging out in the parking lot in front of the school after the homecoming dance when Brett pulled up in his new Mustang and invited everyone who was standing there to a party at his house.”
“Was that normal behavior?” Samantha wondered.
Tj frowned.
“Did Brett Conrad often throw parties to which he invited friends from a wide array of social groups?”
“No. Actually, Brett was known for throwing parties that specifically excluded anyone who wasn’t a member of the popular crowd.”
“So his behavior that evening was atypical?”
“Yes, I guess it was.”
She jotted down some notes.
“Had you been to parties at Brett Conrad’s house prior to that night?”
“Plenty of times,” Tj answered. “Brett was the captain of the football team and I was a cheerleader. We hung out with the same kids most of the time.”
“Once you arrived did you notice anything was different from other parties you’d attended at Brett’s house?”
Tj thought about it. There had been an odd vibe that night, but she couldn’t put her finger on the reason. “It seemed like everyone was really amped up,” Tj answered honestly. “I don’t know it for certain, but if I had to guess I’d say the punch was spiked with something other than light rum.”
“And did Brett Conrad supply the punch?”
“I believe so. It was there when we arrived.”
“Did Brett normally serve rum punch at his parties?”
Tj furrowed her brow. “No. In fact, he always served beer. I remember thinking it was odd he served that fruity punch. It really wasn’t his style at all.”
“Do you think Brett could have spiked the punch with something stronger than rum to create a distraction?”
“You think Brett killed Holly?”
“Do you?”
“Absolutely not. I’ll admit the party was different than usual, but Holly was Jessie’s best friend. Jessie was devastated when she died. Brett loved Jessie. He’d never do that to her, even if he did think Holly was a pest.”
Colton stopped writing and looked directly at Tj. “Brett thought Holly was a pest?”
Tj hesitated. “He mentioned to me a time or two that Jessie seemed to do whatever Holly told her to do, and that it caused friction in their relationship, but he wouldn’t kill Holly over something like that.”
“According to my notes, Brett went on to marry Jessie Baldwin. Do you know if Holly would have approved of such a union had she lived?”
Tj was pretty sure Holly had all but convinced Jessie to break up with Brett before she died. Surely Brett hadn’t done what it suddenly appeared he had a motive to do.
“I’m not really sure,” Tj answered. “Holly and Brett didn’t really get along, but I doubt she would have interfered in their relationship if she thought Jessie’s feelings for Brett were real.”
“Were they?”
Tj just looked at Colton.
“Jessie’s feelings for Brett. Were they real?”
“She married him,” Tj pointed out.
Colton tilted her head. She looked as if she were considering the situation.
“Are Brett and Jessie still married?”
“They are.”
“Do they have children?”
“No, they don’t.”
“Have you spent any time with them as a couple since graduation?” she asked.
“No,” Tj admitted.
“And yet you were close in high school?”
Tj shrugged. “We were friends. Good friends. But it isn’t odd that we didn’t stay in touch. A lot of the kids I grew up with moved on to other things after college. Serenity is a small town. It isn’t odd for young adults to move on.”
Colton jotted down a few more notes. The woman was a skillful interviewer. Tj was certain that she was trying to trip her up and make her say something she didn’t mean to say.
“Is it true that Jessie considered breaking things off with Brett prior to Holly’s death?”
“I don’t know. I guess you’ll have to ask her about her thoughts at the time.”
“Can you confirm that Jessie entered into a flirtation with Nathan Fullerton shortly before the homecoming dance?”
Tj gave Colton a sharp look. “How do you know that?”
She shrugged. “I have my sources.”
No one other than Jessie, Holly, Nathan, and Tj knew about that spontaneous make-out session after cheer practice the day before homecoming. Holly was dead, Tj sure hadn’t told anyone, and she doubted Jessie would admit to it, which left Nathan as the source by default.
“So it’s true?” Colton prompted.
“Yes. Sort of. Nathan stopped by practice the day before the game to ask the cheer coach a few questions for an article he was writing about homecoming for the paper. She was busy, so he stayed to watch. Jessie and Nathan kept eyeing each other, but I didn’t think she would risk what she had with Brett to date Nathan, who is famous now but was pretty much a nerd back then. After everyone had left I realized I’d left my pompoms on the bleachers and went back to get them. That’s when I saw Jessie and Nathan together.”
“Who else might have seen them?” she asked.
“Holly was there, but I didn’t see anyone else around.”
“Did you think it odd that Holly was watching her best friend make out rather than leaving and offering them privacy?”
“Yeah, I thought it was strange, but Holly and Jessie had an unusual relationship.”
“Unusual how?” Colton asked.
Tj paused. “They were really close, which I guess isn’t unusual. My best friend and I were closer than sisters in high school and we still are. It just seemed Jessie and Holly had a more possessive relationship.”
“Possessive?”
Tj bit her lip. “It’s hard to explain. Sometimes they seemed like more than friends. Almost like…”
“Lovers?”
Tj frowned. “Maybe. I mean, it never occurred to me back then, but now that I think about it.” Tj scrunched up her nose. “But that can’t be right. Jessie is married to Brett. She can’t be gay.”
“Being gay and having a marriage with someone of the opposite sex aren’t mutually exclusive,” Colton said. “And I’m not suggesting Jessie is gay. I’m simply suggesting she may have shared an intense relationship with a specific person during her teen years.”
“So what are you saying? Now you think Jessie might’ve killed Holly?”
“I’m not saying anything,” she said. “I’m just asking questions.
Tj squirmed in her chair. She suddenly felt as though she was on trial. Samanth
a Colton had a presence that couldn’t be ignored.
Before this conversation Tj had been certain none of her friends could be responsible for Holly’s death, but now she realized she was suspicious of all of them. The woman certainly knew how to dig up whatever dirt there was to be found. Tj just hoped she wasn’t next. Not that she had anything to hide. Or at least she didn’t think she did.
“I understand Holly had a suitor herself before her death,” Colton stated.
“I’m not sure I’d call him a suitor, but yeah, there was a guy who had a huge crush on her. He sent her notes and followed her around. He’s a nice guy now, but he was a real pest back then.”
“And the name of this pest?”
“Dalton Fowler.”
“And was Dalton a member of Holly’s social group?”
“No,” Tj said. “Holly was firmly established as a member of the elite group, which was mainly made up of jocks and cheerleaders, while Dalton was a nerd. He never had a chance with her, but that didn’t keep him from trying.”
“Does Dalton Fowler still live in Serenity?” she asked.
“He does, and like I said, he’s a really nice guy now. He’s a respected contractor, husband, and father. We serve on the PTA together for the elementary school. He’s a totally different person than he was in high school, and no, I don’t think he killed Holly.”
“And why is that?” Colton asked.
“Why is what?”
“You said you didn’t think Dalton killed Holly. Why?”
“He was totally in love with her.”
“It sounds like he was obsessed with her,” she said.
Tj hesitated. The last thing she wanted to do was get Dalton or anyone else in trouble. “I suppose obsessed would be an accurate word. But, like I said, he’s different now. He’s grown up.”
Colton shifted her position in her chair. She flipped her notepad to a new page and jotted down a few items.
“We’re trying to establish whether eighteen-year-old Dalton Fowler could have killed Holly Riverton. The person he has become is irrelevant.”
Tj supposed she had a point.
“According to the initial sheriff’s report, Dalton Fowler was at the party.”
“Yes, he was,” Tj confirmed.
“Did he bring a date?”
“No. He came alone.”
“Did Holly have a date?” she asked.
“No. At least not for the party. She had a date to the dance but he didn’t come to the party with her.”
“And this date’s name?”
“Dusty Baker.”
“Would you say that Dusty and Holly were dating at the time?”
Tj frowned. “No not at all. I really don’t know why they went to the dance together.”
“Does Mr. Baker still live in town?”
“No. I haven’t seen him since high school.”
Colton jotted down a few more notes. “I understand there was at least one member of the high school staff at the party.”
“One of the teachers stopped by for a few minutes to congratulate Brett and the team members who were at his house. He didn’t stay long.”
“And this staff member’s name?”
Tj hesitated. In spite of the fact that Jim Hanover had turned into a stick in the mud she no longer got along with, she didn’t want to get him into trouble.
Still, based on Colton’s comments, Tj was willing to bet she already knew.
“His name is Jim Hanover.”
“And he’s still on staff at this institution?”
Tj nodded.
“Would you say it was normal behavior for Mr. Hanover to attend student parties?”
Tj took a deep breath. “Not currently, but he was a new teacher ten years ago and, like many new and young teachers, he developed close relationships with his students. He didn’t really attend the party. Like I said, he just stopped by to congratulate the guys. I doubt he was there more than thirty minutes.”
Colton frowned but didn’t say anything. Then she continued. “What can you tell me about Mia Monroe?”
Tj chose her words carefully. “You know how every high school has that one student with enough self-esteem to actually not care what others think of her? That was Mia. She knew who she was and she wasn’t afraid to march to the beat of her own drum. At our school, Mia was the girl we all wished we could be.”
“Can you expand on that?” she asked.
“Most teens want to be accepted. They each have their own way of accomplishing that, but Mia just didn’t seem to care what others thought. She was the only student at Serenity High School who really seemed free of all the social constraints of fitting in. She was a unique individual.”
“I agree.”
Tj frowned. Roy told her Colton had accused Mia of having the personality of a killer.
“I see by your expression that you already spoke to Deputy Fisher. I realize I was hard on Ms. Monroe at first, but I had to be certain. I’ve come to the conclusion that she is what she appears to be: an independent soul with a free spirit.”
“Maybe you should tell her that,” Tj scolded. “Do you know she decided not to come to the reunion after your interview with her?”
“If she’s the person we both think she is, she didn’t cancel because of something I said. If I were you, I would look more closely at her real motive.”
Tj frowned. What real motive? Tj suspected Colton had a lot more information than she was sharing.
“So let’s talk about the rivalry for homecoming queen between you and Holly.”
Darn. Tj hoped she’d skip right over that. “What about it?”
“You were both vying for the same position?”
“Along with three other girls.”
“Were these three other girls at the party?”
“No,” Tj admitted. “Let me save you some time with the questions. I’m not saying this to brag but I was popular in high school. Very popular. Everyone knew I was going to be homecoming queen long before the students even voted. Holly was also popular but she tended to exist more on the fringe of the student body. When she decided to run for homecoming queen everyone was surprised, when she won everyone was astonished. I was convinced she cheated. She just wasn’t that popular and not a single person I spoke to admitted to voting for her. I will admit that I was somewhat shallow in high school and being queen was important to me so I tried in an unsuccessful bid to have the votes recounted. Yes I was mad, and yes I said some things to some of my friends that might be construed as threatening, but I promise you I did not kill Holly. I was with my boyfriend Hunter for most of the evening on the night she died. You can ask him.”
“I plan to.” Samantha closed her notebook just as a bell rang in the distance. “We’re out of time. I’ll be in touch.”
With that she was gone.
Chapter 5
Thankfully, Tj’s dad had gotten her 4Runner running and had left it for her in the school parking lot so that she would be able to drop her sisters off at dance that afternoon. After that she headed toward the modest house where Chantel and Lexi Michaels lived. The house was small, but the yard was well kept and the porch was seasonally decorated, giving the property a welcoming feel. Lexi opened the door several seconds after Tj knocked.
“Coach Jensen. What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to speak to your mom, actually. I called ahead; she’s expecting me.”
Lexi opened the door to allow Tj to come inside. “I’m not going back to school. Ever.”
“Yes, I’ve heard that’s your stance. We really missed you at soccer practice today. You know the left side totally falls apart when you aren’t there.”
Lexi frowned but didn’t say anything.
“Coach Jensen,” Chantel greeted as she glided into the room. “I
thought we’d chat on the back patio if that’s okay with you.”
“Patio? It’s pouring rain.”
“It’s an enclosed patio.”
“Oh, then that would be great.” Tj smiled at Lexi and then followed Chantel down the hall to the back of the house.
The patio, like the rest of the home, was compact but well-tended. Tj took a seat at the glass table positioned on the center of the brick entertainment area, which was covered and completely walled in with glass.
“Thank you for meeting with me,” Tj said.
Chantel really was beautiful. Her dark hair, blue eyes, flawless skin, and perfect smile topped a figure that even fashion models would envy. The current it girls at Serenity High seemed plastic in appearance, which paled in comparison to Chantel’s effortless, natural look.
“I guess you know I’m concerned about Lexi,” Tj began. “She’s such a great kid. One of my favorite students, in fact. She’s kind and hardworking, and she has a bright future ahead of her. I hate to see it ruined by some bully.”
Chantel gave a sad little smile. “I agree with you. I’ve thought about the situation a lot since I found out what happened. I’ll admit to being at a loss as to how to proceed. I want what’s best for Lexi but I just don’t see how I can ask her to go back to that school. Kids can be so cruel.”
“They really can.”
“It’s funny. Not ha-ha funny but ironic. Lexi comes from a long line of women who bullied other people, and now she’s the one being bullied.”
Tj exhibited a look of surprise that Chantel would speak so openly.
“It’s true. My grandmother was a bully, and she brought my mother up to be one too. My mother was absolutely stunning. The world stood in line to do her bidding and she knew it. By the time I was in the fourth grade, she’d passed on all her secrets to me. I knew how to demand respect and to own any environment in which I found myself. I cringe now when I look back at the way I treated others. Popularity isn’t something you’re handed; it’s something you earn every day of your life. You have to know how to work it, and then you have to fight to stay on top.”
“But why would anyone want to go through all that?” Tj asked.
Chantel shrugged. “It becomes a way of life. Once you’ve tasted the power that comes with living in the number-one spot, you realize you’ll never settle for less. You’ll do whatever it takes to maintain your position.”
