by Cindy Bell
With just Coco left to take home, Nikki slowed her pace. She wanted to savor the peace of his company for as long as she could. However, as she neared his house, Coco began to tug at his leash. She tightened her grip on the leash. Coco’s strength could be a force to be reckoned with at times. He tugged again, she stumbled forward a few steps.
“Coco, relax.” Nikki frowned, then crouched down to pet him. “We’re almost home, buddy. What’s up? Are you hungry?” She scratched behind his ear.
Coco looked into her eyes, then whimpered.
“Okay, hon.” Nikki stood up, unnerved by his behavior and eager to give him the comfort of home. She quickened her pace towards his street. As Nikki walked, she searched for anything that might be the source of his restlessness. Sometimes the local cats drew his attention. Sometimes it was one of the local kids teasing him. No one walked down the street, no kids peeked through fences, no cats were in his path. She did detect a smoky scent in the air. Perhaps someone’s cook-out had stirred up Coco’s appetite. He did like to eat. Again, maybe her own paranoia had triggered suspicion, when there was nothing at all to be suspicious about.
Chapter 5
Coco began to bark as Nikki neared his house. She glanced around, curious as to what he might have seen. Coco did like to bark. But he usually only did it when something caught him off guard. It could be anything from a leaf on the loose, to a squirrel bolting up a nearby tree. His barking increased the closer they got to his house. The street was empty, but for some birds perched in the trees. The trees blew in the breeze, but nothing sounded out of place.
“What is it, buddy?” Nikki narrowed her eyes. “Is something wrong?”
Coco pulled on his leash as he stepped onto his driveway. He barked louder and gave a faint snarl.
Nikki caught sight of a shadow along the front of Coco’s house.
“Nikki?” A familiar voice called out, before a man stepped off Coco’s porch.
“Quinn.” Nikki breathed a sigh of relief as she smiled. “What are you doing here?”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, or you, Coco.” Quinn reached into his pocket and pulled something out of it. Then he crouched down and opened his hand to Coco.
Coco gave one last bark, then snatched the treat out of Quinn’s palm. He wagged his tail and gave Quinn’s hand a quick lick of gratitude.
“Ugh, thanks for that.” Quinn cringed and pulled a tissue out of his other pocket. As he wiped his hand off, he met Nikki’s eyes. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
“You have?” Nikki guided Coco towards the door of the house. “Is it about Daniel? Give me a second, let me just get him settled.”
“Sure, of course.” Quinn leaned back against the railing of the porch.
Nikki made sure that Coco’s water dish was full, then locked the door behind her as she stepped back out onto the porch. She caught sight of Quinn as the sunlight played across his hair and face. For just a second, her breath caught in her throat. Quinn, the boy two years older than her who she’d had a crush on since high school, was now a man, and a detective. Since he’d moved back to Dahlia, they’d reconnected, and as they tentatively navigated a new relationship, she still felt a little starstruck when he smiled at her.
“Did you figure out who did it?” Nikki walked over to lean against the railing beside him.
“Far from it I’m afraid. We have numerous suspects, and none that I like.” Quinn folded his arms across his chest and sighed. “Actually, the reason I’m here, is because I’d like your input on Mrs. Whitter.”
“Sonia?” Nikki looked over at him. “What kind of input?”
“I know that she has known Daniel for many years, there is a lot of history there, and so far it seems there weren’t too many people who were close to him.” Quinn met her eyes. “Has she mentioned anything to you about who she might suspect?”
“They weren’t as close as you think.” Nikki shook her head. “She told me they were friends, but not very friendly, more like acquaintances.”
“Ah, I see.” Quinn nodded.
“What is it?” Nikki stepped in front of him and tried to meet his eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“My investigation has revealed that Sonia’s late husband, James Whitter, and Daniel Barclay were in business together many years ago. Apparently, they had a huge falling out.” Quinn leaned back against the railing.
“Really?” Nikki’s eyes widened.
“She didn’t mention anything to you about it?”
“No, I wonder why?” Nikki shook her head. “She must have a reason. She wouldn’t keep important information from the police.”
“Maybe it’s just not something she wanted to talk about. She does seem like a private person.” Quinn curled his hands around the railing and shook his head. “It’s hard to say. But I’m going to have to dig into it, and I wanted to see if she mentioned anything about it to you.”
“No, she didn’t.” Nikki frowned.
“Maybe it just skipped her mind.” Quinn met her eyes and smiled. “You know I care about her as well. I don’t want to cause her any trouble. But I do wonder why she hasn’t shared this information with the police, and why apparently she hasn’t shared it with you, either.”
“Like I said, she must have a reason.” Nikki turned away from the railing and stepped down off the porch. “Whatever it is, it’s probably best to leave it alone.”
Quinn followed her off the porch down onto the driveway, then shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Nikki, I can’t do that.” Quinn shook his head. “This case has to be fully investigated, and right now the only lead I have is the discrepancy in Mrs. Whitter’s statement.”
“What are you planning to do?” Nikki stared at him. “Interrogate her? Do you consider her a suspect?”
“No, of course not.” Quinn raised an eyebrow.
“Look, like you said, Sonia can be private about some things. I’m sure if she’s private about this, then she has a reason.”
“I understand that, but this is a murder investigation, Nikki.” Quinn put his hands on his hips. “I need to know everything that could be relevant.”
“I know, but if she didn’t tell you about the business relationship, then I doubt it’s relevant.” Nikki looked at him. “Why can’t you just leave it alone?”
“Can you?” Quinn looked into her eyes as he waited for an answer.
Nikki wanted to insist that she could, but already her mind was filled with curiosity. Why would Sonia hide something like this from her? Why would she keep this from the police?
“Like I said, I have no interest in interrogating her.” Quinn closed the distance between them and paused in front of her. “I thought maybe you could talk to her. Encourage her to come forward with what information she might have. I don’t want to do anything to upset her, but it’s my job to investigate this case. Honestly, if I don’t take the right steps quickly, someone else is going to take them for me. At least if you talk to her first, we might be able to avoid all of the unpleasantness.”
“Unpleasantness.” Nikki nodded slowly. “That’s something we definitely want to avoid. Quinn, you know she had nothing to do with this.”
“I know, but I have to do something.” Quinn frowned. “She hasn’t told us all the information that might be relevant, Nikki. That’s the only thing I know for certain right now in this case. Am I supposed to just ignore that?”
“No.” Nikki sighed.
“So, will you talk to her?” Quinn met her eyes. “Ask her to come talk to me about her connection with Daniel.”
“I can try.” Nikki looked into his eyes. “But I won’t keep anything from her. I am going to be upfront about it. As long as it’s okay with Sonia, you can trust me to share any information with you that I think will help you find the murderer.”
“That’s all I’m asking.” Quinn held his hand out to her. “But keep in mind, sometimes the oddest clue can be exactly what solves the case.”
“Thanks.” Quinn pulled his hand free, then placed a light kiss on her cheek. “I need to get back to the station. Please let me know once you’ve spoken to her.” He rested his hand on her shoulder and gazed into her eyes. “Sooner is better than later.”
“I hear you.” Nikki nodded, then smiled at him as he turned to walk away.
Nikki knew that she needed to get Sonia to be forthcoming with the information, so there was no reason for the police to suspect or question her. She couldn’t imagine the woman being locked in an interrogation room. She just wasn’t sure if she was more worried about Quinn or Sonia in that situation. She doubted their relationship would remain the same. She had to keep that from happening.
After finally getting her car to start she drove to Sonia’s. Normally, she would walk but she didn’t want to spend the time. She wanted to be face to face with Sonia as soon as possible. No matter how she spun Quinn’s words she couldn’t think of a reasonable explanation for Sonia not telling her everything. What could she have been thinking when she kept it from the police? Didn’t she know that the truth would eventually come out?
Chapter 6
Nikki pulled into the circular driveway in front of Sonia’s house and parked the car. As she sat in the silence, she considered the best way to approach the situation. It appeared as if Sonia was hiding something, but Nikki trusted Sonia and she didn’t want to alienate her in any way. Nikki stepped out of her car and walked to the front door.
“Nikki, I was wondering why you were sitting out there.” Sonia laughed as she opened the door. “Did you forget something earlier?”
“No.” Nikki took a deep breath, then met her eyes. “Sonia, I need to talk to you.”
“Okay, sure.” Sonia stepped aside and opened the door wider.
Princess ran up to the door and yapped happily at Nikki’s shins.
“Hi sweetie.” Nikki reached down to pet her, then looked up at Sonia.
“What’s going on? Is it the shelter? Something about Daniel?” Sonia frowned as she led Nikki into the living room.
“Something about Daniel, yes.” Nikki sat down on the couch and waited for Sonia to sit down beside her. “Sonia, I know that you like your privacy.”
“I do. Doesn’t everyone?” Sonia smiled some, then gave Nikki’s shoulder a light shove. “Relax hon, it’s just me, not a firing squad. Whatever it is, just spit it out. We can figure it out.”
“Quinn came to me this afternoon, and he told me that your late husband and Daniel used to be in business together.” Nikki shifted on the couch cushion. “He said they had a falling out.”
“Ah.” Sonia sat back against the couch and folded her hands in her lap. “He said that, did he?”
“Yes, he did.” Nikki studied her. She noticed the way her usually lively eyes settled on one spot and stared. Her rarely still hands, clung to each other. At that moment, her petite frame looked downright tiny, as if she might be swallowed up by the luxurious cushions that surrounded her. “He wants you to come forward with the information. He thinks it looks suspicious that you kept it from the police.”
“Oh, I didn’t think it was relevant. That’s all. It never even occurred to me to mention it. It happened so long ago.” Sonia’s eyes continued to stare at the vase in the center of the coffee table. “I wonder what happened to Daniel’s vase. The one that was up for auction.” She squeezed her hands together tighter and looked up at Nikki. “My husband had many business partners over the years. I didn’t even think about telling the police about it. I had nothing to do with his business affairs.”
“I understand, but I think you need to talk to Quinn about it before it looks suspicious that you kept the information from the police. Quinn has a job to do. He has uncovered evidence that you weren’t forthcoming in your statement. Now, he doesn’t want to pursue it himself, but he knows that if he doesn’t someone else will.” Nikki shifted closer to Sonia on the couch.
“I understand, the truth is, James could be very ruthless in business, a lot like Daniel. I tried to keep away from it at all costs. I didn’t think that their relationship was relevant to the murder, and I didn’t want to rehash the past. I don’t really know the details of what happened, anyway. James kept me out of the business, and I preferred it that way.”
“I understand.” Nikki placed her hand over Sonia’s and held her gaze. “Do you know anything about what happened between them?”
“He was in business with my husband many years ago and although there was some bad blood between them at the time, we were still acquainted. They were both very strong willed, and they both wanted to be in charge so they decided to sever their business ties. I did hear from a mutual friend that Daniel swindled James out of some money when he left the business. When I asked James about it, he said that it was better to take the loss than burn more bridges. I imagine that it stung, though. James was a very proud man. James and Daniel shared many mutual friends.” Sonia sighed. “Somehow they both managed to keep business separate from their personal lives. If James didn’t, I imagine we would have had no friends at all.”
“Is there anything else you can tell me about Daniel? Anyone else that could have wanted him dead?” Nikki asked.
“Well yes. Daniel Barclay was not only a ruthless businessman, he was a womanizer.” Sonia’s lips tightened as she stood up from the couch. “He had a relationship with a couple of friends of mine and left them heartbroken because he couldn’t commit.”
“So, there was nothing romantic between you two after your husband passed away?” Nikki frowned as she watched her friend hover between the coffee table and the couch.
“No nothing, never.” Sonia sat back down on the couch.
“I think he wanted something more from you.” Nikki smiled. “I saw the way he looked at you. You may think that you were just an acquaintance, but I suspect that you were a lot more to him than that.”
“Maybe.” Sonia shrugged. “I guess now, we’ll never know.” She met Nikki’s eyes. “Is that enough to satisfy Quinn?”
“I think he would be curious about whether you discovered anything about Daniel during the time he was in business with your husband, and for the years you knew him. He would want to know any enemies or secrets that might explain what happened to him.” Nikki patted the back of Sonia’s hand as she studied her. “Anything that you think might lead to his killer.”
“If there was something, you know I would have told the police that. I want his killer found. He might not have been the best man when it came to morals, but he didn’t deserve to be killed. He had a long life ahead of him, and he could have done a lot of good during the years that he had left with the fortune that he amassed.” Sonia narrowed her eyes. “Now, I don’t know where it will go. I suppose it might all go to waste.”
“He didn’t have any children?” Nikki raised an eyebrow. “I would think with his reputation for playing the field he might have had at least one.”
“None that I know of, he was always very adamant that he didn’t want to have children. It wasn’t that he disliked them, he just didn’t like the idea of bringing more people into an overcrowded world.” Sonia shook her head. “I’m assuming he had a will. My guess is that he left quite a bit to Jerome, his accountant, they had been friends for so long. But that is just a guess. I imagine he might have left some if not all of his fortune to charity. Hopefully, some good might still come from all of this.”
“Hopefully.” Nikki nodded and squeezed her hand. “No matter what, we’re going to find out what happened to him, Sonia.”
“Anything I can do to help, you just let me know.” Sonia looked into her eyes. “I want whoever did this to be caught.”
“Me too. But today, you should rest.” Nikki stood up and walked towards the door. “Promise me you will?”
�
�Of course.” Sonia smiled. “What else would I do?”
Nikki said goodbye to Princess then closed the door behind her. She left Sonia’s house feeling as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Sonia had explained why she had kept the information from the police, and Nikki understood her reasoning. When Nikki reached her apartment, she called Quinn as she stepped inside. After his voicemail picked up, she left him a quick message.
“Quinn, I spoke to Sonia. There really isn’t anything she can offer. She didn’t mention the business fallout between her husband and Daniel to the police because she didn’t think it was relevant. It was so long ago and it was no longer an issue, especially seeing as James has been deceased for quite a few years. She did mention that Daniel was a ruthless businessman, and a bit of a player. He might have angered the wrong woman, but considering all his other enemies, I doubt that is the most likely scenario.”
Nikki ended the call, then sprawled out on her couch. As she closed her eyes, her mind filled with thoughts of that day. She’d been looking at the vase as the description was given. She’d seen the reflection of something, a shadowy shape, on the surface of the vase. It could have been anything. But it stuck in her mind. Had she seen more than she realized? She recalled the sound of the dogs barking, and the shock. She’d stood there, stunned, as she processed what had just occurred. She’d watched, as Sonia crouched down beside Daniel, and clung to his hand. Someone had murdered him, and she needed to do something to help find the murderer. She couldn’t do nothing.
Nikki grabbed her phone and began to search through any information she could find about Daniel. There were plenty of complaints on the local social media pages about his business behavior, but nothing she could find about any recent romantic connections. Was Daniel single? She began to dig a little deeper into dating websites. If Daniel was a player, she guessed that he hadn’t given up the habit of dating who and when he could. She skimmed through a few sites, but it was hard to get any details without signing up.
