Tres Leches & Murder

by Susan Gillard

  The door opened and a man with similar features to Theodore came in.

  “Eddie, we have to tell Letty about what happened.”

  “I already did, Mom. She’s trying to see if she can take off of work,” he said.

  "If she can take off of work?" Betty asked. "Of course, she should be able to. Her brother was just killed!"

  “I’m sure she’ll be here soon,” he said. “And who is here?”

  "I'm Eva, and this is Leila. We're friends from the community center. And this is Heather. We thought she might be able to help."

  “Edward Turner,” he said, giving them all a powerful handshake. “Help how?”

  “Donuts,” Heather said, quickly. “Eva and Leila were afraid that she wouldn’t be eating.”

  “Thank you,” Edward said. “I think my mother needs to get some rest now. I’ll make sure that she eats enough. I’ll care for now. I think you should go to bed now, Mom.”

  “I don’t think I can sleep,” Betty said. “Not after what happened, and not when I’m out of my own bed.”

  “Well, we can’t go to the house until the police say it’s okay.”

  “I’m not sure I can ever go back there,” Betty said.

  “Then you can come home with me,” said Edward. “But let’s not discuss this now. This isn’t the time for big decisions.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Betty said.

  The other women told her to let her know if there was anything they could do to help and left the hotel room. Edward closed the door quickly after them.

  “Poor Betty,” Leila said.

  “What do you think?” Eva asked Heather. “Are you going to get involved?”

  Heather thought about it. She was busy opening her shop and dealing with Mr. Rankle’s sabotage, but she couldn’t forget the sorrow she saw on Betty Turner’s face. She would at least make sure that Detective Smith had some solid leads on the case.

  “First thing tomorrow, I’m going to check in with Detective Smith,” she said. “I’m going to make sure that this killer is brought to justice.”

  Dealing with Detectives

  “There’s no chance that you came just to deliver some donuts, is there?” Detective Smith asked.

  “He is a good detective,” Amy said.

  “We are celebrating our grand opening. And we did bring Tres Leches Donuts,” Heather said, displaying a box of the frosted delights. “But we also came to ask about a case.”

  "Is it about the man with the indigestion stand in front of his store on your street? Because I'm afraid, there's not much we can do about that unless his actions escalate."

  “No, we’re not here about him,” Heather said.

  “Though if you could do anything about him, that would be great,” Amy said. “Rankle is worst.”

  “We’re here about a murder,” Heather said.

  “Why am I not surprised?” Detective Smith said. However, he didn’t seem as annoyed as he had in the past. He took one of the offered donuts.

  “Eva and Leila are friends with Betty Turner. They wanted us to make sure that her son’s death was on track to being solved,” said Heather.

  “Does it being on track mean that you’re investigating it?” Detective Smith asked, putting his donut down to give them a serious stare.

  “Not necessarily,” Heather said. “But if we can be of any help, then we do want to do what we can. Betty is obviously upset by what happened to her son. And we and our friends are concerned about her.”

  “Do you have any leads?” Amy asked.

  “Yes, we do,” Detective Smith said. “But I’m not sure I should share them.”

  “We shared our donuts,” Amy pouted.

  Detective Smith held his half-eaten snack out towards them, inviting them to take it back.

  “If you could assure us that you’ll catch the culprit soon, then we don’t have to get involved,” said Heather. “We are already pretty busy with Donut Delights – Key West opening.”

  “And we do have a Rankle annoyance to deal with,” Amy agreed.

  “Telling us your potential leads could reassure us that we’re not needed,” Heather said.

  Detective Smith relented. “Theodore Turner was shot to death inside his home yesterday. We believe the shooting occurred between six and seven p.m. last night.”

  “Your medical examiner was able to pin the time of death down to such a small window of time?” Heather asked, impressed.

  “The victim made some phone calls last night that help us shrink the time frame,” Detective Smith explained.

  “Who did he call?”

  “His mother and brother,” said Detective Smith. “People that would be able to recognize his voice.”

  “Who do you think did it?” Amy asked.

  "We're going to follow up on a potential lead. Apparently, Theodore Turner liked to gamble. He might have owed money to someone who got tired of waiting to be paid and took drastic and deadly measures," Detective Smith said.

  “I better make sure I don’t forget to pay anyone back,” Amy said. She turned to Heather. “I paid you back for new chairs in my house, didn’t I?”

  “Yes,” Heather said. “But I wouldn’t kill you over that.”

  “Worse,” said Amy. “You might cut me off from my supply of donuts.”

  “The first thing we’re going to do is find out who the gun belongs to,” said Detective Smith.

  “The killer left the gun behind at the scene of the crime?” Heather asked.

  “He dropped it in the trash can,” said the detective.

  “That seems like a dumb move,” Amy commented.

  “Not completely dumb though,” he said. “The killer did wipe away any fingerprints that were on it.”

  "Well," Heather said. "I suppose that if the gun is able to easily lead you to the killer, then you don't really need us on this one."

  "Thank you for the vote of confidence," Detective Smith said, wryly.

  “I know you’d like to work on a case with just you and your partner,” Heather admitted. “Since it might be your last.”

  “Do you think this will be your last case?” Amy asked.

  “I don’t know. I just focus on one case at a time,” he replied.

  "Yes," said Amy. "But while you're focusing on this case, could you determine whether it's the last or not? I know the other detective is excited to get on the job."

  Detective Smith said neutrally, “I will be retiring soon.”

  Before they could get any other information about his retirement date, they were interrupted by his partner Detective Peters. Peters was a young officer with a great work ethic and strong sense of duty. However, he was also new in his position and could be unsure of himself.

  “I think we’ve hit a snag, sir,” he said, joining them.

  “Be careful who you say that in front of,” Detective Smith said. “But what’s the issue?”

  “I found out who the gun belonged to.”

  “And?”

  “And it belonged to the Theodore Turner. It was the victim’s gun that shot him,” said Peters.

  “Looks like finding the gun’s owner isn’t going to lead to an open and shut case,” Amy said.

  “That’s right,” said Heather. “Now we’re not sure if the killer went to Theodore Turner’s house with the intention to kill him, or if it was the result of a fight that got out of hand. Did Theodore Turner bring the gun out to protect himself and it got taken away from him and used on him? Or was the gun part of the killer’s plan? Did he know where it was in the house and planned on picking up the murder weapon at the scene of his soon-to-be crime?”

  Peters listened to her questions and began writing them down in his notebook. “Good questions,” he commented.

  “I suppose you’re not going to be walking away from this case now,” Detective Smith said.

  “I’m sorry,” Heather said. “But with a more complicated crime, I think you need all hands on deck to get justice for the
Turners.”

  Detective Smith sighed. “Very well,” he said. “Peters, why don’t you take them to visit the crime scene?”

  The Crime Scene Search

  "It's a mark of confidence that Detective Smith is letting me bring you here on my own," Detective Peters said. He was only half-talking to them, and half-reassuring himself. "I will make sure that you do not disturb any evidence in your search and keep a careful eye on the area. He trusts me to handle the situation. And it's good for me to handle these sort of tasks on my own. He's preparing me for when he retires so that I can be more self-sufficient."

  “Don’t be nervous,” Amy countered. “He probably thinks that this is a waste of time, and is letting you babysit us.”

  “Do you think so?” Detective Peters asked, sounding less nervous but somewhat crestfallen.

  “We’ve helped with other cases before,” Heather said. “He wouldn’t allow us all to go here if he thought it was a complete waste of time. And I think we can find something useful.”

  Peters smiled. They arrived at the Turner house. Instead of walking up the path to the front door, the detective led them around to the back.

  Heather hesitated just for a moment. “It seems strange for our first visit to Betty’s to be through the back and to examine a crime scene.”

  “Yeah,” Amy agreed. “Based on the conversation you had in the shop, I expected it to be playing cards with her and Eva and Leila.”

  Heather shook her head to clear it. “Now we just need to focus on who killed Theodore Turner and stopped that happy gathering from happening.”

  Detective Peters took the lead. He showed them the broken window on the back door.

  “This is where we believe the killer entered from,” he said. “He broke the glass so that he could unlock the door and sneak inside.”

  “The glass was already collected by the forensic team?” Heather asked.

  "Yes," Peters said, consulting his notebook. "The glass was found inside the house, indicating that the force came from outside. That is consistent with someone outside breaking their way inside. So far, no fingerprints or DNA have been found on the glass."

  “What about any fibers?” Heather asked.

  “There were some black threads recovered,” said Peters. “They might have gotten caught in the glass when the killer broke it. But unfortunately, the threads are very common. They are used in several popular shirts and jackets. It might help if we find a suspect and determine their black outfit was ripped, but it doesn’t provide us with a starting point.”

  “That’s a shame.” Amy joked, “Why couldn’t the killer have worn his one of a kind shirt made from only certain silkworms that came from a store that keeps excellent records?”

  Heather was examining the door. “What was used to break the glass?”

  “A rock,” said Peters. “We think it came from this yard. There are other rocks over there in a display around the palm tree that match it.”

  Heather and Amy looked at circle of stones around the tree.

  “It’s missing one there too,” said Amy. “It must have come from there.”

  "Which means that the killer used what was nearby to break inside. He didn't bring anything with him that could be used to incriminate himself," said Heather. "But did he do that because he was a smart criminal that planned on using anything nearby to accomplish the task without providing a link to his identity? Or was he familiar with the yard, and knowing the rocks were here, planned to use them?"

  Amy groaned. “We’re finding more and more questions, but not enough clues to answer them.”

  Heather nodded. “Can we look inside now?”

  Detective Peters showed them inside, careful to make sure that the scene wasn't disturbed.

  “The body was found over here,” he said, showing them to an area of the hallway. “He was shot in the chest. We believe he was facing the killer.”

  “This spot is in the center of the house,” Heather said. “Both the killer and the victim could have been coming from any room.”

  “If it was his gun, Theodore Turner might have been going to get it,” Amy said.

  “We’ll have to determine where the gun was kept,” Heather said.

  “The victim might have been moving to get his cell phone,” Peters said. “It was charging on the table in there.”

  They moved toward the sitting room area that was situated between where the body was found and the broken back door. There was a charger still on the table that must have been connected to the victim’s cell phone before the police took it into evidence. However, that was not what was attracting Heather’s attention.

  “What are those cards doing on the floor?” she asked.

  "It's a card table, and games must have been played there," Peters said. "We thought the wind from the hole in the door blew them off the table. It was a little windy last night."

  “I don’t think that’s why those cards are there,” Heather said. “There’s five of them.”

  “What does that mean?” Peters asked.

  “Ames, you know poker, don’t you?”

  “I know the rules,” she said. “I’m an okay player, but believe it or not, I’m not great at bluffing.”

  “What hand is made from those cards on the floor?” Heather asked, hoping to verify her idea.

  “Let’s see. They’re all the same suit. All hearts,” Amy said. “And there’s a king, queen, jack, ten and nine. That’s straight flush.”

  “Is that good?” Peters asked.

  “You don’t play poker?” Amy asked.

  Peters shook his head. “My friends don’t play cards. If we play a table game, it’s most likely a co-op strategy board game like where you battle zombies or search for a cure to a disease.”

  "Well," Amy said. "The cards all in order and the same suit. It's the second highest hand you could ever get. It would only be higher if there were an Ace instead of the nine."

  “You said that Theodore Turner might have had a gambling problem and that he owed money to the wrong person?” Heather asked.

  “That’s a theory we’re working on,” Peters agreed.

  “Well,” Heather said. “I think that person left us a message. We just need to determine exactly what it means.”

  Another Turn with the Turners

  “Thank you for talking with us,” Heather said. “I know this must be difficult for you.”

  "If it helps catch whoever did that to my Teddy, I can brave anything," Betty said. "The worst has already happened to me."

  “We hope to make it a little bit better by finding the man responsible,” Heather said.

  “And we hope to make the questioning a little bit better by offering you donuts while you answer them,” Amy said.

  Betty picked up a Tres Leches Donut and took a big bite. Then she braced herself, and asked: "Now what can I tell you that would be helpful?"

  Amy took out her tablet so that she could take notes about the interview. She nodded to Heather to let her know that she was also ready.

  “The first thing we’d like to know about is the gun,” said Heather.

  "Teddy got that gun to protect us. He knew I would have difficulty fighting off any intruders because of my legs," Betty said. "I can't believe it was turned against him. Are the police sure of that?"

  “I’m afraid they are,” Heather said. “Where was the gun kept?”

  "It was kept in the kitchen," said Betty. "It was in one of the drawers so it was low enough that I could grab it. It was in a box with a latch, but it wasn't locked."

  Heather nodded. “And who knew about this gun?”

  “Well, the family knew about it,” Betty said. “Letty was quite upset about it being in the house. She didn’t like the idea of me shooting a gun.”

  “Letty is your daughter?”

  “Yes. My daughter Leticia. She should be coming down to join us soon. Apparently, it was difficult for her to get off of work,” Betty said.

  “Did
anyone else know about the gun?” Heather asked. “Maybe Theodore’s friends? Or people he gambled with?”

  “I’m not sure,” Betty said. “I don’t think he would tell people he didn’t know about it. But sometimes he could be a bit of a bragger. I bet he would tell the guys he was playing poker with if he thought they would be impressed.”

  "Speaking of poker," Heather said. "Do you know of any significance for a straight flush from a nine to a king?"

  “That does sound familiar,” Betty said. “I think my Teddy had that hand before. But I can’t remember the circumstances. He played so much. I can’t recall exact details.”

  “That’s all right,” Heather assured her as the older woman started to fret. “I have another question I would like to ask. How was Theodore set with money? You think he owed someone?”

  "We were all right with money in general," Betty said. "My husband was rather wealthy. He left some money to all of our children. And he left enough for me to be cared for. Theodore was in charge of my money. He was very honest. I know this for a fact. I always believed in him because he's my son and I knew him. But objectively too, I can prove it. His brother Eddie was worried that he might be skimming some money off the top and hired a man to look into the matter, and the accountant or investigator came to the conclusion that my Teddy wasn't doing anything untoward."

  “So, he never touched your money,” Heather said. “How was he with his own money?”

  "Not as wealthy as his father. But he did some work with computers to make ends meet. And because he helped me so much I insisted that I pay for the house and all utilities," said Betty. "Teddy would gamble, but I think it was more for the thrill than anything else. Sometimes he would lose, and he'd pawn something of his. But I never expected him to lose enough that it would have gotten him killed. But what else could it have been? That was his only vice."

  Edward Turner returned to the room with some beverages.

  "Are you almost finished with this discussion?" he asked. "I know it must be draining for my mother, and I'm afraid I need to have another unpleasant talk with her after you leave."