“So, um...not to somber up the mood or anything, but did you get a look at the guy who vandalized your garage?”
“No, unfortunately. I didn’t. I just saw that he was on the shorter side. I’d say about five eight or so. And husky. Dressed in all black, in what almost looked like riot gear.”
“Short and husky. Well, that certainly doesn’t fit Collin’s physical description.”
Samantha sat back in her chair and dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “I thought about that. Collin is definitely over six feet tall. And he’s pretty slim. So this guy must’ve been one of his flunkies. The skeletal-looking man who drove past Hannah’s and pointed the gun at me didn’t look like Collin, either.”
“Wait, what?” Gregory gasped, dropping his fork so abruptly that it crashed loudly against his plate. “The driver of the van pointed a gun at you?”
Samantha slammed her hands down onto the table and gripped the edge. “Yes! I cannot believe I forgot to tell you that. There’s just been so much going on, with my garage being vandalized and the threatening message I received on my blog today.”
“Hold on,” Gregory uttered, holding his head in his hands. “This is too much, Samantha. What did the message say?”
“It said, and I quote, ‘Quit while you’re ahead, unless you wanna be next. Consider this your last warning.’”
Gregory picked up his glass and took a long sip of wine. “Yeah, I definitely need to get that patrol car out to your house. ASAP.”
He hoped Samantha hadn’t heard the uneasy strain in his voice. But his concern over the escalating threats and acts of vandalism was growing.
Samantha stabbed her fork into a cherry tomato, then peered across the table. “You know what? I’m tired of being passive and trying to fight Collin from behind my computer. The way I’m being attacked is proof that it’s just not enough.”
“So what more do you wanna do?”
Gregory watched as Samantha parted her lips and slid the tomato into her mouth.
He shifted in his seat and stared down at his plate, determined to remain focused on the conversation as opposed to thoughts of kissing her.
When she neglected to answer his question, he looked up and saw a devilish grin spread across her face.
“Uh-oh,” the detective muttered. “Nothing good ever comes from a smile that mischievous. Talk to me. What are you thinking?”
Samantha dropped her fork onto her plate and sat up straighter. “I’m hesitant to even tell you, because I know how by-the-book you are. So just keep an open mind and hear me out before saying yes or no.”
“Now I’m really leery,” he chuckled, rubbing his hands together.
“Don’t be leery. Just be...adventurous.”
Gregory drained his glass then poured himself a refill. “All right. I’m ready. Hit me with it.”
She took a deep breath, then blurted out, “I think we should break into Collin’s house.”
Gregory froze midsip. “Wait, I must’ve misheard you. Run that by me again?”
“I said, I think we should break into Collin’s house.”
Detective Harris bowed his head and released a laugh so boisterous that his shoulders shook. “Sam, I am a detective with the Gattenburg Police Department. What would ever possess you to think that I’d be willing to break into someone’s house?”
“Because you’re on my side, and you’re working to help me prove that Collin killed Jacob.”
“And exactly how would breaking into the man’s house prove that?”
“You never know. We may stumble upon a treasure trove of evidence. There could be bloody clothes or shoes tucked away somewhere. Or a laptop filled with clues. Or even a murder weapon.”
Gregory covered his mouth in an attempt to conceal his amused expression.
“You’d better stop laughing at me! I’m being serious right now. If Collin and his coconspirators have the guts to attack my home and threaten me, then I have a right to fight back. Obviously law enforcement isn’t taking me seriously. So I’m ready to take matters into my own hands.”
“Listen, Samantha. This isn’t an episode of some television crime show. This is real life. You can’t just break into people’s houses. Plus, the chances of you finding the type of evidence you’re looking for just lying around is slim to none. Keep in mind Jacob died months ago. Even if Collin did have incriminating evidence in his possession at some point, I’m sure he’s gotten rid of it by now.”
“But you never know. Collin isn’t that bright. We might go inside that house and hit the jackpot.”
When Gregory remained silent, Samantha threw her arms out at her sides.
“So basically what you’re saying is that I’m in this alone.”
“That’s not at all what I’m saying. We just need to do things the right way. The legal way. Now that Chief Wentworth is in the loop, I think we can get to the bottom of this. Because in all honesty, I’m still not fully convinced that he’s in cahoots with Collin.”
“Yeah, well, I’m fully convinced that he is. And did it occur to you that the chief might be on his best behavior to get you—and me—off the trail of his corruption?”
Gregory ignored her question and took a bite of his salmon, then wiggled his fork in the air. “Instead of breaking into Collin’s house, why don’t you reach out to Kenzie again and find out the latest on what’s happening around Westman’s? I’m sure the employees have been keeping up with your blog. Maybe she’s got some new leads.”
“I’ve actually reached out to Kenzie a few times since our initial meeting and haven’t heard back from her. Ava hasn’t, either.”
“Really? Do you think she got scared off after I showed up at Barron’s and decided not to discuss the case with you anymore?” He hoped that was the reason, and Kenzie’s silence wasn’t due to something sinister.
“She could have.” Samantha shrugged. “I’ll give it one more try before I give up.”
“Good. Now promise me you won’t give any more thought to that ridiculous idea of breaking into Collin’s house.”
Samantha twisted her lips and pushed away from the table. “We’ll see...”
As she raised her arms over her head in a sensual stretch, Gregory found himself unable to take his eyes off her. From her long, slender neck to the outline of her curves, she completely mesmerized him.
“I am exhausted,” she continued. “It has been a long, crazy day.”
Gregory stood up and took their plates. “Yes, it has. I was thinking about brewing a pot of that Hannah’s coffee you were kind enough to get for me. Would you like a cup?”
“I’d love one. Thank you.”
He carried their dishes into the kitchen while Samantha followed him with the empty wine bottle and glasses.
“Now, I don’t have oat milk and raw sugar,” Gregory told her. “But I do have soy milk and stevia. Will that work for you?”
“Aww, how sweet. You remembered how I like my coffee. Yes, that’ll definitely work for me.”
Samantha approached him from behind and set their glasses on the counter. As he filled the coffeepot with water, her bosom lightly brushed against his back, causing a series of tremors to creep up his spine. He lost his focus momentarily, catching himself when the carafe began to overflow. He quickly poured out some of the water, filled the reservoir and set the machine to brew.
“So, Detective Harris, when are you going to tell me the real reason why you left Chicago?”
“Whoa,” he uttered, completely caught off guard. “Where’d that come from?”
“Well, I’ve been curious about it ever since you arrived in Gattenburg. But I didn’t want to pry. Until now, of course.”
“Now that I’ve taken down my guard, huh,” he chuckled.
“Exactly.”
Gregory stalled for time by turning away from Samantha
and taking two coffee mugs down off the shelf. He hadn’t discussed his reasons for leaving the Chicago PD with many people and certainly hadn’t expected to do so tonight.
“Where do you keep your detergent?” Samantha asked as she began loading the dishwasher. Her tone was soft, as if she may have known that she’d hit a nerve.
When Gregory pulled the pods from underneath the sink and handed them to her, he noticed a compassionate glint in her eyes. It immediately put him at ease.
“So, Chi-town,” he said. “Where do I even begin?”
“How about at the beginning?” she rebutted.
“Cute,” he snarked, focusing on the coffeepot as the trickling water brewed.
He was suddenly hit by a jolt of nervous energy. Gregory hoped that Samantha wouldn’t think differently of him after finding out why he’d left the CPD behind.
“Would you mind grabbing the soy milk out of the fridge?” he asked in an attempt to stall for time.
“Sure.”
He pulled the box of stevia from the cabinet just as the coffeepot pinged. After preparing their drinks, he handed Samantha her cup.
“Why don’t we go hang out on the couch?” Gregory suggested. “It’ll be more comfortable.”
“Sounds good to me,” she said, leading the way into the living room.
The detective struggled to stare straight ahead rather than down toward her backside as it swayed in front of him.
The pair took a seat, and Gregory couldn’t help but stare as Samantha puckered her lips and blew into her mug.
“Mmm, this is really good,” she said after taking a sip. “I can’t really even tell the difference between yours and mine.”
“So my substitutions are on point?”
“They sure are.”
“Good to know.”
“Can we be done with all the small talk now? Stop stalling and spill the tea on why you left Chicago.”
Gregory stared down at his wringing hands apprehensively. “Before I get into all that, you have to promise me that this conversation will stay between us. Deal?”
“Deal. I would never betray your trust. Please know that.”
Hearing those words warmed the detective’s heart, making him feel as though they were developing a bond. He slid toward the edge of the couch and turned toward Samantha.
“Just so you know, this situation brings back some pretty painful memories. So bear with me if I seem a little somber.”
She covered his hand with hers. “Hey, you don’t have to do this. If you don’t wanna talk about it, we can change the subject. The last thing I want to do is make you feel uncomfortable, or—”
“No, no,” he interrupted, tightening his grip on her hand. “This is good for me. I need to talk about it. Maybe once I do, I’ll get rid of the last remnants of pain I can’t seem to shake.”
“Okay,” Samantha whispered.
“So,” he began, “I was working on a case involving a married couple who’d recently filed for divorce. Right after they submitted the papers, the wife discovered that her soon-to-be ex-husband had put a hit out on her.”
“What? That is terrible.”
“Yeah, she was devastated. Once we got the husband in custody, I was assigned to keep watch over the wife while we worked to identify the hit man. The husband swore he had no clue as to what was going on. But the recorded phone conversations his wife turned over to us told a different story.”
“Wait, so she actually heard her husband making arrangements with someone to have her killed?”
“Yep. She’d had her suspicions, so she secretly installed a spyware smart-card device inside his cell phone. We all heard the man plotting her demise.”
“Wow. So did you all ever find the hit man?”
“We did. But before I get into that, let me tell you this. During the time that I was protecting the wife, she and I got pretty close. We were spending a lot of time together and developed what I thought was a genuine friendship.”
“Uh-oh,” Samantha interjected, covering her eyes with her hand. “Please don’t tell me you had an affair with this woman.”
“No, no...nothing like that. We were just friends. Or so I thought. Long story short, during the investigation, I discovered that the woman’s husband was a bookie. He and his business partner had been running an illegal sports betting business for years, and they’d made a killing. The business partner and the wife started having an affair, and they framed the husband. He’d never actually put a hit out on her.”
“Okay, so wait,” Samantha said, rubbing her temples while falling against the back of the couch. “If the husband didn’t arrange to have her murdered, then what about the phone recordings?”
“They were fake. They’d been spliced together and doctored up by a professional who took certain words that the husband actually did say, then edited them together so that they’d blend into a stream of manipulated sentences.”
“Oh my word...” Samantha uttered while fanning her face. “That is unbelievable. I mean, it sounds like something straight out of a movie!”
Gregory paused, taking a long sip of coffee in hopes that it would wash down the stinging in the back of his throat. Reliving the experience was more painful than he’d expected.
“So let me get this straight,” Samantha said. “The wife was having an affair with the business partner, all while her innocent soon-to-be ex-husband sat in jail, who she led you to believe was trying to have her killed?”
“You got it. She was just using me in hopes that our friendship would cloud my judgment and block me from conducting a proper investigation. Obviously, she didn’t know me as well as she thought she did. There’s no way I wouldn’t have brought in a forensic audio analyst to review those recordings.”
Samantha threw the detective a knowing look. “She should’ve known the minute you two met that you’re not the type to let anything slide.”
“You would think. I’m just glad that I was able to get the business partner to confess once he found out we’d made that discovery. The wife, however, continued to deny her involvement.”
“Of course she did. Man, Gregory! That was quite a salacious story.”
Gregory ran his sweaty palms down the front of his jeans. “Believe it or not, you still haven’t heard the worst of it.”
“Come on now. I refuse to believe this story can get any worse.”
“Oh, but it can. When I reported my findings to the police chief, he just blew it off and told me to leave the case alone, then took me off it completely.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he and several members of the Chicago PD were being paid off by the business partner. They’d gambled with him, taken bribes from him...plus, he allegedly had ties to the mob. The chief thought that if we pursued the case any further, we’d cause too much chaos throughout the city. So he swept everything under the rug as if it never happened. That’s why you didn’t see anything about it in the news.”
“I’m starting to think you’re making all this up. Because it’s just too insane to be true.”
“Like they say, the truth is sometimes stranger than fiction.” Gregory stood up and stretched his legs. “And in closing, that’s why I left Chicago.”
Samantha held her hand to her head. “My mind is spinning from all this. So what ended up happening to the husband, wife and business partner?”
“The husband was released from police custody after we deemed the tapes inauthentic. We never shared our findings with him, and he didn’t ask any questions. He was just glad to be out. I figured he’d try and get to the bottom of things on his own. The business partner received six months probation, which was a complete joke. And no charges were ever brought against the wife.”
“So was the wife able to collect anything in the divorce?”
“What d
ivorce? The wife ended up dumping the business partner after finding out he’d confessed, then reconciled with her husband.”
Samantha jumped up from the couch and once again paced the floor. “Detective Gregory Harris. I refuse to believe that man took his wife back.”
“I promise you he did. Not only that, but the husband and business partner are still running their gambling operation together to this day!”
“Damn. Well, I certainly can’t blame you for leaving Chicago behind.” Samantha gazed up at him, her eyes softening sympathetically. “Now I understand why you were so hesitant to get involved in Jacob’s case with me. But I can assure you that my intentions are pure, and—”
“Samantha, please,” he interrupted. “You don’t even have to go there with me. I know you just want justice for Jacob and his family. And while it did take me a minute to come around after everything I’ve been through, once I realized who you are, I knew I had to help you.”
She reached over and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re here in Gattenburg now. This town needs you. I need you.”
“Thank you,” he whispered.
Gregory took a step closer to her. The pair studied one another, as if waiting to see what the other would do next.
Just as the detective leaned in toward her, Samantha dropped her head and turned to the couch.
“I’m exhausted,” she said, grabbing the throw blanket and folding it neatly. “I’d better get to bed. I really appreciate you letting me stay here tonight.”
Gregory felt a thud of disappointment drop in his chest. “Of course. I’ve already got everything set up in the guest bedroom and bathroom for you. If you need anything else, just let me know.”
“I will. Thanks.”
As Samantha sauntered off toward the bedroom, the detective eyed her longingly. He wondered how in the hell he would get through the night, knowing she was sleeping in the room right next to his.
Chapter Nine
Samantha pulled out her cell phone and checked it one more time. She was shocked to see a missed call from Kenzie.
“Dammit!” she shrieked after realizing her ringer had been turned off.
Cold Case True Crime Page 9
