Danny’s apartment was the typical man’s place. The whole apartment was painted white. Probably the same color it had been when he moved in. His furniture was more sturdy than stylish and what pictures he had were of stars, like those in the Milky Way. The room’s furniture was arranged around a big screen TV that hung over the fireplace, but the best part of the apartment was its view. It looked out over the river and a park. Tyler took a few minutes just to walk around the apartment trying to get a feel for the place and determine where the best place was to plant the evidence.
After a quick check of the living room, he went into the bedroom and checked it out, focusing on the dresser and the bed. In one of the dresser drawers he found a couple of pairs of women’s underwear, panties and bras, which he assumed were Wendy’s. They were her style and size. He also found a sexy little teddy nightgown folded neatly in another drawer, which was something Wendy had liked to wear. For a moment he contemplated ripping the nightgown to shreds, but his calculating mind dismissed the thought, believing it would be a mistake.
Leaning on the dresser, he wondered where he should hide the knife. He didn’t want to leave it in plain sight because he believed even April was smart enough to pick it up and dispose of it, if it were just lying around. No, the only way it would still be here was if it had somehow become hidden. In the rush after killing someone he was sure most people left evidence behind because it was out of sight and thus out of mind.
As he looked around, he noticed the closet door. Apparently the apartment had been carpeted before the hard wood floor had been installed, for the bottom of the door was a good three inches off the floor. Perfect, he thought to himself.
He withdrew the knife from the plastic bag and flicked it several times towards the bed, hoping it would mimic blood splatter. He then dropped the knife on the floor and kicked it into the closet. It slid easily under the door and disappeared from sight.
With the knife planted, Tyler stood staring at the plastic bag with an inch of nearly dried blood in the bottom. There wasn’t enough of it to convince anyone that a murder had been committed. There couldn’t be more than a quarter of a pint, which was not nearly enough to spread around. Plus, it was almost dry.
From the books he’d read, he knew he needed to stage this in just the right way in order to maximize the appearance of the blood. After a moment, he decided to take what liquid blood was in the bag and pour it on the edge of the bed allowing it to run down the side and drip on the floor. He then dropped April’s earring into the puddle that formed on the floor next to the bed.
He then turned his attention to the rest of the room thinking he needed to make it appear there had been a struggle; but after looking it over, he decided it was already a mess so he didn’t have to do anything more. As a finishing touch though, in the bedroom, he placed Danny’s ring on the nightstand next to the bed along with Wendy’s earrings. He hoped it would give the impression that Danny was having an affair with both women and April was unable to cope with the love triangle, killing both Danny and Wendy in a fit of jealous rage.
Moving on to the bathroom, he found Wendy’s toothbrush and hairbrush on the sink counter. In a drawer he found birth control pills prescribed to his wife, condoms and KY jelly, and his anger surged to the surface again. He pounded his fist on the countertop several times before regaining control.
He opened April’s purse and rummaged around in it for a minute or two, until he found a lipstick which he placed in the medicine cabinet. He also slipped her hairbrush into the drawer on the opposite side of the sink in the same drawer as Danny’s personal grooming things. He also found her birth control pills in a side pocket of the purse and sprinkled a few of them in the drawer with her hairbrush.
Next, he went into the kitchen and poured a few very small drops of the poison on the countertop and then he dropped the smallest of drops into a half drunk beer that someone had left on the counter. He then poured some soda that he found in the refrigerator, into a couple of glasses and added one small drop of poison to each glass.
Finished with planting evidence, he stood admiring his handiwork and cringed. He couldn’t help but be concerned about all the confusing and conflicting evidence. He strongly doubted the police would accept the evidence at face value. For instance, how did April move the bodies? It didn’t make any sense unless April had an accomplice or the love triangle thing was really twisted. Maybe April and Danny killed Wendy first and then April killed Danny. Or perhaps Wendy and April killed Danny and then April killed Wendy. April wouldn’t have needed an accomplice to deal with Wendy’s body.
Yeah, he wished it could be different but it was what it was. There was only so much evidence to spread around. April would have a very difficult time explaining how she managed to get the drug in her system. Plus, how did she manage to drop off Danny’s car, when she was passed out in a ditch, in a car belonging to her missing sister? And if she didn’t kill them, where were they or who did kill them? He knew from the books he’d read that these were the questions the investigators would be asking and not being able to answer them would drive them nuts.
From Danny’s, Tyler drove over to April’s apartment, still wearing the latex gloves, and let himself in using the key he found in April’s purse. Once inside, he stood just inside the door getting a feel for the place, just as he had done at Danny’s apartment. April’s apartment was decorated with the typical woman’s touch. The walls had been painted in pastels and the furnishings were newer and more stylish than functional. She had lots of pictures on the walls, flowers, landscapes and a few silhouette drawings of men and women clinging to each other. She also had plastic flowers in a vase on every table. The overall look of the apartment was warm and inviting, but the bedroom was different story.
In the bedroom, he found the bed was all messed up, just like Danny’s had been. The blankets were tossed off onto the floor and sheets were hanging half off the bed. There were a half dozen pillows piled up in such a way that it appeared that they had been used as supports for rough sex. The pillows and sheets even appeared to be stained with bodily fluids. Tyler quipped out loud, “She was never that adventuresome with me,” referring to when he and April dated.
He pulled a condom from Danny’s wallet, ripped it open and tossed it on the floor. He then took one of April’s lipsticks from her purse and smeared a bit on each of the pillows. Then he did the same with Wendy’s lipstick. Not too much, just small smudges. He then rifled through the night stands next to the bed and found several sex toys which he dropped on the floor and on the bed, trying to set the scene.
Next, he went through the dresser drawers looking for any clothes he knew for sure were Wendy’s. He found a set of her silk pajamas and he ripped them up, tossing the shreds on the floor. He then hunted for and found several pieces of lingerie, which he took a kitchen knife to. He left the shreds all over the floor as well and stabbed the knife into the top of the dresser. He believed by ripping up and cutting up Wendy’s clothes here, it would show that April had been jealous of Wendy and in a rage, destroyed her clothes.
He placed Danny’s wallet under the bed and his watch on the nightstand. He then placed Wendy’s purse in the living room next to the couch making sure it looked neat and orderly sitting there, so it matched the rest of the room. April’s purse he placed on the dresser dumping half the contents out, as if someone had been looking for something. He made sure the small vial of poison was close to the opening but not in plain sight.
As he left April’s apartment building, he walked past a trash bin and tossed in the backpack, the plastic bag the knife was in, both Danny’s and April’s apartment keys, and the latex gloves he had been wearing. That way, there was no chance the police forensic techs would find it and there would be no trace evidence for the police to find.
Driving away, Tyler doubted the police would believe the evidence he’d planted because it looked planted, but he felt it was worth a shot. The worst that could happen was the police wo
uld be baffled by all the conflicting evidence and they didn’t arrest April. The best part about the situation was they wouldn’t be arresting him either.
The only way they could tie him to anything involving Wendy’s disappearance was if he confessed, and he wasn’t about to do that. Though most of the evidence was circumstantial except the knife and the blood, the police would be focusing on poor little April, when Danny Connors and Wendy didn’t show up for work. That is, if he didn’t make that one mistake. The one that always gets the murderer caught.
CHAPTER SIX
Detectives from the City Police Department were finally able to talk with April on the Wednesday after she’d been poisoned. She was still a little uncomfortable, suffering with an upset stomach from all the medication she was on, but otherwise she seemed okay. When the detectives arrived to question her, she volunteered her story before they could even finish introductions.
“Thank God, it’s about time you got here. That bastard killed my sister, tried to kill me and then I killed him,” she immediately informed them.
“Excuse me? Did you just say you killed someone?” Detective Beals asked as he gave his partner Detective Williams a strange look.
“You have to go arrest the bastard. He poisoned me and my sister. My sister is divorcing him and he is really pissed,” April continued talking despite the strange looks from the detectives. It was obvious to them she was still suffering from complications of the poisoning.
“Miss Jennings, it might be better if we started from the beginning and you allowed us to ask the questions, before you answer. Would that be okay?” Detective Beals asked April.
“Fine, but its wasting time.”
“Well, we like to follow procedure. It helps us keep the whole thing straight.”
“Whatever. What are you waiting for? Ask me some questions,” April snapped impatiently.
“I’m going to assume, Miss Jennings, that you have talked with the doctors and they have shared with you that you had been poisoned. Is there anyone you feel might want to harm you?” Detective Beals asked as Detective Williams stepped over and stood in the corner of the room. Once there he stared at April, watching her body language.
“Hell, yes! What the hell have I been telling you? His name is Tyler Stone and he lives out near Brentwood Park and his address is 325 Oaklawn. He works for that all talk radio station, I don’t know where the station is located, I never listen to that crap.” April was talking very fast as if she was a speed freak or maybe a heroin addict right after a fix.
“Okay, let’s slow this down a bit. So you think this guy, Tyler Stone tried to kill you?” Detective Beals was looking to clarify her statement.
“I don’t think so, I know so. Tyler Stone tried to kill me and he killed my sister, Wendy. He gave us iced tea laced with poison.”
“Miss Jennings, do you know where your sister is?” Detective Beals asked.
“I told you. She was with me at Tyler’s house and after I stabbed Tyler, I drove off to try and get help. I left her lying on the floor of his dining room.”
“We’ll have someone check out Tyler Stone’s residence. Now, when did this murder take place?” Beals asked then looked at his partner Williams and they shared a look.
“Last Saturday night,” April reiterated. “I went with my sister when she went to see him. She’s divorcing him and he wanted to talk about the divorce. I never liked him. He hardly paid any attention to her the whole time they were married. I went along with her, so he wouldn’t try beating the crap of her.”
“Has he been violent with her before?” Detective Williams asked and Detective Beals watched April’s reaction.
“He has threatened to, but then he backed down. He’s such a wimp.”
“I see. Was your sister seeing someone else?” Detective Beals asked.
“Ah…she’s just started seeing a guy she works with. He’s a much better choice for a husband. Plus, he makes twice as much money as Tyler does. He’s going to own the company someday, which made Tyler jealous.”
“When was the last time you saw your sister’s new boyfriend?”
“I don’t know, maybe two weeks ago, maybe a week. I’m not dating him, so I don’t pay him much attention.”
“I see.”
“Look, you need to stop asking me these stupid questions and get out to Tyler’s house to collect the bodies.”
“Yes, you said that you killed Tyler Stone and that it was in self defense. For the record, how did that happen?” Detective Beals asked then he and Williams exchanged glances.
“I told you! We went over there to talk about the divorce and he poisoned us. I got a glass of iced tea from the refrigerator for me and Wendy to share. Tyler always has iced tea.”
“Okay, you had iced tea.”
“I shared it with my sister and we got sick within a few minutes. I had terrible stomach cramps and blurred vision. We ended up in the dining room on the floor.”
“And what was Mr. Stone doing while you were on the floor?” Detective Williams inquired.
“He said something about calling someone and he disappeared. He was gone so long, I finally had to get myself up and went to look for the phone. He used to have one in the kitchen but I couldn’t find it. So I grabbed a big kitchen knife and took it back into the dining room with me. I sat down and waited for Tyler to come back. When he finally did, he knelt down next to Wendy and was doing something to her and that was when I stabbed him. I stabbed him right in the heart.” April took a quick breath then continued.
“I waited to be sure he was dead before I got up and ran out of the house. I then drove off in my sister’s car to go get help and the next thing I know, I woke up here and the doctors are telling me, that I was poisoned and almost died.”
“Yes, that is what they tell us, as well,” Detective Beals stated. “So you don’t remember where you were when you had the accident or when you were brought in by the paramedics?”
“No.”
“Do you know where your purse and ID are?”
“They aren’t here with my clothes?” April asked.
“No, but that’s okay. We’ll look into that later,” Detective Beals said as he jotted down a note.
“Do you know where your sister’s new boyfriend lives?” Detective Williams interjected.
“I think he lives over by the university. He has an apartment in the Sycamore Club, I think. I’m not sure exactly of his address, I’ve only been there a couple of times for parties,” April offered.
“Do you know his name by any chance?” Detective Williams asked as Beals wrote something down in his notes.
“It’s…ah…Danny, yeah, Danny Conners.” April tried too hard to act unfamiliar with the man’s name, making it obvious she was faking having to think about it.
“Are you sure you don’t know the address?” Williams pressed her.
“No, I don’t remember. I’ve only been there for a couple of parties.”
“Your sister just started dating him and you’ve already been there for a couple of parties?” Detective Williams reiterated with just a hint of sarcasm.
April looked away to avoid eye contact with the detective, then stated, “I don’t worry about addresses if someone else is driving.”
“Do you do drugs, Miss Jennings?” Detective Williams asked.
“What? No! This isn’t about me, it’s about Tyler killing my sister and trying to kill me. Just because I don’t know someone’s address doesn’t mean I’m on drugs.”
“You’re right, Miss Jennings, don’t worry about that address thing, we’ll find it,” Detective Beals answered making it appear as though it was no big deal. “I think that gives us enough to get started. We’ll be in touch.”
“You need to get out to Tyler Stone’s house, ASAP,” April directed.
“We’ll check out Tyler Stone’s place and talk with Danny Conners, too. Now, we may need to speak with you again, though I think I know where to find you, at least for the next
few days, but just in case, here’s my card with my number. If you think of anything else, you can give me a call. In the meantime, relax and get well. We’ll take care of it from here,” Detective Beals stated as he and Detective Williams walked out the door.
“Well, what do you think?” Detective Beals asked Detective Williams once they were in the hallway and the door to April’s room was closed.
“I think she’s being less than truthful with us.”
“Oh, why?”
“Well, she wants us to arrest the guy she claims to have killed. She hesitated when you asked about her sister and her lover boy then stalled when asked about where he lives.”
“Could be she was just trying to protect her sister’s good name and keep Danny Conners from being dragged into this mess,” Detective Beals offered.
“Maybe, but she claims to have killed Tyler Stone. Yet, you talked to him on Sunday afternoon. She’s obviously lying and probably killed someone else. Plus, she’s trying to blame the whole thing on Tyler Stone,” Detective Williams countered. “Well, I’m sure we’ll figure it out sooner or later, in the meantime, we need to go talk to Danny Conners.”
“Let’s talk to Mr. Stone, first. We’ll get him out of work and have him take us out to his house. That way we can take a look around, while asking him questions,” Detective Beals pointed out. “Afterwards, we can come back here and ask Miss Jennings a few more questions. Hopefully she’ll be ready to tell us the truth by then.”
“That would be nice for a change, having someone tell us the truth,” Williams grinned.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Detective Beals called the radio station and asked what time Tyler Stone got off work. He was informed he had no set hours. He worked flexible hours. Basically, he came and went as he pleased. His job, as the chief researcher for a nationally syndicated radio show, required him to work when the work needed to be done.
Cliff Roberts Thriller Box Set Page 22
