“There were at least twenty women talking to them. I think it was known some of them were cops. Women around here go crazy for the blue.”
So there were women going crazy over Bryce? A twinge of jealousy hit me. I brushed it off and continued my questioning. “Were there any women here alone, not with a group of friends? Someone who may have left alone?”
The bartender shrugged. “There were a few.”
“Could any of them have gotten close enough to drug one of their drinks?”
“Sure. It was a Saturday night. Have you ever been here on a Saturday night? We were packed. There were bodies squeezing into the bar at every opening trying to order drinks. Everyone was on top of each other’s drinks.”
My quesadillas arrived. I asked the bartender if there was a manager I could talk to. He said he’d get the manager for me.
I forked a piece of chicken from my quesadilla and dipped it in sour cream before cramming it into my mouth. I was starving.
Halfway through my meal, the manager of Savoy’s approached me. He extended his hand and introduced himself as Dmitri. He tried to be helpful, but he didn’t have much more information than the bartender.
“I was going to have the bartenders cut the two men off from drinking. They looked wasted, but I didn’t have to, they left. I stopped them on the way out and called a taxi for them. They were in no condition to drive,” he said.
“Which cab company did you call?” I knew the answer, but it was never bad to get confirmation. When Freddy was gearing up for court, witnesses who could confirm times and dates were essential.
“Gabby’s Cabbies.”
“What time was that?”
“Umm, around quarter ’til one, I think.”
With more questioning, I didn’t learn much. Dmitri didn’t notice any strange women. Whoever this woman was, she blended in with the crowd.
“Do you have surveillance cameras in here?”
“On the outside. If you give me a few minutes, I’ll be happy to copy the video from that night.”
“Do you have a list of regulars who were there that night that I can question? Maybe someone else saw something.”
“I can do you one better. There was a band playing here that night called Five O’Clock Shadow. They had a photographer with them. If you go to their website, they have pictures posted. Maybe you’ll get lucky. Give me a couple of days and I’ll take a look at the pictures too, and I’ll email you a list of who I recognize from them. I don’t keep phone numbers of our patrons though.”
“Thanks, I appreciate that.”
I took my time finishing my quesadillas. I asked the bartender for a glass of water to wash down my food. I left him a generous tip for helping me.
Dmitri came out from the back room and handed me a DVD of the security footage from the night Archie was killed. Shaking his hand, I thanked him and left.
I thought about how I’d find time to check out the video and the pictures. Not that my checking them out would help. I didn’t know who I was looking for. But I knew the right person for the job. And he happened to have some free time on his hands.
I unlocked my car door and sat inside while I dialed the phone. Bryce picked up on the second ring. He sounded half asleep.
“Hi. How are you holding up?” I asked.
“Hey. It’s great to hear your voice. Geri and Frank are feeding me well.”
“I imagined so. Were you sleeping?”
“Yeah. I guess I nodded off. Why’d you take off without saying goodbye?”
“Because I knew you’d want to come with me and…well, never mind about that. I have something you can work on for your case.”
“Go on.”
“I just finished speaking with the employees at Savoy’s. A band played the night Archie was murdered. They took pictures. Maybe you can look through the photos, see if there’s anyone familiar—like the girl in the Ford Focus. Or someone you recognize hanging near the bar or something.”
I gave Bryce the web address for the pictures and told him the manager would email me names of employees and regulars that appear in the pictures. I told Bryce I’d send those names when I had them. I also told him about the DVD. He had already seen the video from Savoy’s, compliments of Frank. I thought Bryce could watch the surveillance recording from the entire night—see if he saw anyone entering Savoy’s as well as exiting.
“I’m not sure I need the DVD, Frank seems to have access to the footage from that night. Keep it on you, though, in case I do need it. I’ll come get it.”
“You really shouldn’t come get it. We shouldn’t be seen together and you shouldn’t risk being seen period.”
“Whatever.”
“That’s your biggest flaw, Bryce. You’re stubborn. And you have a blatant disregard for your own safety. A total disregard for consequences.”
“Anything else about my issues you’d like to share?”
“Yeah, you’re impulsive and you’re lucky you have those dimples or I might not be able to overlook your pigheadedness.”
“Oh, you like my dimples now, do you?” Bryce sounded a little too seductive for my comfort. It was probably a good thing we were separated at the moment. I might’ve had some feelings I couldn’t control.
“Okay, Bryce. I’m changing the subject. Have you found any more information on your end?”
“The DNA results on the ring came back showing the blood was from a woman.”
“That’s interesting.” I pondered that. If the ring was a real clue in the murder, then our two main suspects, Drew and Solar, couldn’t have done the deed. It didn’t mean anything, though. There could’ve been more than one murderer. “But it was a man’s ring.”
“Yes…”
“It could’ve been Archie’s ring. Maybe the ring is more valuable than we thought. Maybe the perp tried to steal it and dropped it on the way out.”
“I don’t like the robbery theory. Nothing else was stolen. Archie had a nice house, but he wasn’t rich by any stretch of the imagination. Why drug me if it was a burglary gone wrong? That hypothesis doesn’t fit.”
“Hmm.”
“You don’t agree?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what to think.”
“Anyway, Frank and I got a license plate for the Ford Focus. It’s registered to a rental car company in Madisen.”
“Was it Meyer’s? I was just there.”
“You were? Why?”
“I had a rental car earlier today. I can go check them out next, but I have to go quick. They close soon. Then I’m heading home for the night. I’m exhausted from running around all day. Freddy wants me to get DNA evidence. I’ll start doing that in the morning.”
Bryce gave me the license plate number. I told Bryce I’d call him with updates.
“Call me tomorrow,” he said.
“I will.”
“I love you.”
Did he just say he loved me? What the…?
“Umm…”
“Uh, I mean I love you for doing this for me. I appreciate everything you’ve done.”
“No problem.”
We disconnected. That was awkward. Normally, I would’ve pondered that statement to death, but I had a job to do. There was time for that later.
* * *
Foot to pedal, I sped to Meyer’s and made it there before they closed—barely. I scurried into the front office and asked to speak with someone in charge.
“You were just here. Lose something?” the lady behind the counter chirped.
I whipped out my private investigator’s ID and showed it to her. “I was hoping you could help me with a murder investigation. I need to know who rented a Ford Focus, license plate number MMM71C on the night of May thirtieth.”
The woman took my ID, glanced from it to me several times, and then slid it back to me over the counter. “Not unless you got yourself a court order.”
“Look, we are pretty sure that the murderer drove that car on the night of the murd
er. We know it was a woman. You could crack this case wide open. You’d be the hero who solved Archibald Wallace’s murder!” I grinned, hoping the excitement in my voice was contagious.
“Really?” The woman’s eyes lit up like fireballs.
“Yes!”
Her face turned stern. “Not without a court order.” She was messing with me.
My shoulders dropped. “You don’t know how important this is. An innocent man is about to go to jail for a crime he didn’t commit. You’d be saving his life.”
“So, then, his attorney should be able to get a court order with no problem.”
“He doesn’t have an attorney yet.”
“Then I suggest he get one.” She pointed to the clock. “We are officially closed. It’s time for me to get back to my family. Good day, ma’am.”
Dejected, I turned with my tail between my legs and drove home. I sent a text to Bryce, No luck at Meyer’s. Then I called Freddy.
“Yellow.”
“Why do you say ‘yellow’ when you answer the phone? It’s a color, not a greeting.”
“Whatcha got for me, Chelsey? Any DNA?”
“Not yet, I’m going to tackle that tomorrow.” I relayed my findings from Savoy’s to Freddy, told him about the license plate, and told him how I had no luck at Meyer’s.
“I’ve ruled out Jennifer Pavlica and Tina Liara. I’ve confirmed both alibis, they were both out of state at the time of the murder, so you don’t have to collect their DNA.”
“That doesn’t mean anything. They could’ve ordered the hit.”
“Yeah, and a hitman wouldn’t have stabbed Archie forty-something times. You also don’t need to bother with Drew or Solar. The DNA test on the ring came back as female.”
I protested. “You can’t rule out Drew. I know something is up there. I’m sure of it.”
“Chelsey, I need DNA from the most likely suspects first. If those don’t pan out, we can get more from other suspects.”
“I know, but…”
“Don’t go wasting your time on other people. It may take you a while to get it from the people we need.”
“Fine! Who do we need again? Archie’s wife Pamela. Their daughter Brittany, Cynthia Sterling, and Archie’s first wife Martha?”
“Don’t forget Archie’s girlfriend, Lake.”
“Lake? Are you joking? Her name is Lake? Her first name?”
“Do I sound like I’m joking?”
“No.”
“Then I’m not joking.”
“What’s her last name? River? Ocean?”
Freddy sighed. Not only was Freddy not joking, he was not in a mood for others’ joking. “Chelsey, concentrate.”
“I got it. Pamela, Brittany, Lake, Cynthia, and Martha. See? Got it.”
“Don’t engage with them. Just get the DNA and get out of there.”
“Really? You don’t want me to question them or anything?”
“Chelsey, pay attention. Don’t engage.”
“Alright already. Don’t go getting your panties into a bunch.”
Freddy grunted. “If you weren’t my niece’s friend…”
“I know, I’d be out of a job or demoted.”
“Go get to work. And what did I tell you?”
“Don’t engage.”
“Repeat it to me again.”
“I’m not a child.”
“Repeat it!”
“Don’t engage.”
“Did it sink in?”
“Yes, it’s in. How about Dira?”
“Who?”
“Dira. Bonnie’s assistant. She used to work in the police department at Coral Beach and Archie used to bully her—called her dumb.”
“Let me get this straight, she’s a suspect in your mind because…someone called her dumb?”
“Well, when you put it that way.”
“Consider this Dira as being in the same category as Drew.”
“What? Don’t bother?”
“Don’t bother.”
“Why not?”
I could almost see steam coming out of the phone from Freddy’s head. He spoke through clenched teeth. “I had one of my investigators check her out. She’s clean. No record. And because I said so!”
“Okay, okay.” The thought of Dira actually killing someone was ridiculous. She was not exactly the killing type. She wasn’t the speaking type either.
I hung up with Freddy, but I knew he was annoyed with me since he didn’t give me his usual “ten-four” conversation ender. I shuffled into the kitchen to make myself a chai latte. It sounded fancy, but it only required me to heat up some milk in the microwave and put in two scoops of a powder mixture. It wasn’t as good as the kind you get in a coffee shop, but it wasn’t half bad either. The warm milk relaxed me.
I plopped down on my couch with the chai and pushed the button on the television remote. The Bachelorette was on. It was just what I needed—relaxing and entertaining without my having to think for a change.
Pulling an afghan over me, I curled up wondering who Kaitlyn would pick. It reminded me of my own love life at the moment. There was Kris, who hadn’t called me in a long time. There was Bryce, who I liked more than I wanted to admit. Then there was Randy, who I despised, but I was forced to deal with as the father of my child.
Drifting off to sleep, I dreamt about being in a room with my three suitors, all of whom were dressed in medieval knight costumes. On their respective horses, holding their lances, and about to kill each other for my hand.
Chapter 18
Bryce
Definitely a Freudian slip. I cringed as soon as the words left my mouth. I did not mean to say I loved her. I’m such a dope! I squeezed my eyes tightly and banged my head against the palm of my hand.
The last thing I needed was to freak Chelsey out. I hoped I covered it up well with what I said afterward. I didn’t even know why I said it. It sort of just slipped out. I chalked it up to being in the middle of a nightmare from a food-induced unconsciousness when she called and being half asleep when I answered.
Frank and Geri weren’t in the room when I had woken up. I got up from my chair and looked out the front door. Their car was gone. I paced the hallway, kicking a few toys out of my path as I pondered my next move.
If I was going to help solve the crime, I needed to help Chelsey collect DNA. For that, I needed a disguise. I grabbed my keys and headed out to my vehicle. Remembering that I saw a few items that could be useful at the pharmacy the previous day, I drove there.
Down to my last fifty bucks, I tried to make the money stretch. I couldn’t go to the ATM to get more money, the cops would know I went there. It was possible they had already frozen my accounts. I couldn’t go to my apartment for money. There was probably a stakeout there.
Searching every aisle at the pharmacy, I realized it wasn’t going to stock much in the way of disguises. If only it was closer to Halloween. I found a pair of glasses and a hoodie for under ten dollars on the clearance shelf, so that’s what I went with. Hopping back into the Tahoe with my costume, I headed for my temporary home on Sandals Avenue. I had an idea, but I needed Frank to help me with it.
Back at the ranch—the red-brick ranch—I saw Frank’s Chevy in the driveway. Cool. They’re home. I pulled up in front—I felt like there wasn’t a reason for me to park blocks away any longer, no one knew I was there, and no one knew what I was driving, except Chelsey. Then I thought better of it. What if Chelsey was confronted by my brothers in blue and she slipped about the slightest detail? I pulled around the corner and parked four houses away.
As I walked back to their house, I could see Frank and Geri unloading groceries. As if they needed any more groceries! I lent them a hand. Inside, I unpacked the groceries, but I didn’t know where to put anything.
“Just take the stuff out of the bags and put them on the kitchen table, Bryce. I’ll put it all away.” Frank seemed tired.
“No problem. I’m glad to help. I hate to bother you, but I was wondering
if I could trouble you for one more favor.”
“It doesn’t involve killing anyone, does it?”
I was alarmed. “No. Not at all. Why…I mean, I hope you didn’t think that I’d want someone killed.”
Frank smirked. “Boy, you sure are jumpier than a cat at a pit bull rodeo. You need to relax a little.”
“Sorry. I was wondering if you had a way to find home addresses. I’d like to talk to someone that was with us at Savoy’s that night.”
“Do I have a way to look someone up?”
I waited for a punchline, but realized one wasn’t coming. “Yeah.”
“Do I have a way to look someone up?”
I wondered if the question was rhetorical or if Frank was repeating himself due to old age. “Yeah.”
“Boy, of course I have a way of looking someone up! Haven’t you seen my man cave? Do you really think I couldn’t find someone’s address?”
“I mean, I knew you could, I was wondering if you would.”
“What’s his name?”
“Solomon Aaron Ritter.”
“No problem. Let me put this stuff away and I’ll get it for you.”
“Great. Thanks. Oh, I almost forgot. Chelsey asked me to take a look through some pictures that are on the Internet from the night Archie was murdered. Do you have a computer I could use for that?”
“Sure do.”
“Thanks. One more thing. Chelsey suggested we look through that video from the entire night at Savoy’s to watch everyone entering and exiting. Would you have the whole video or should I get that from Chelsey?”
“I can get the video from the whole night.”
“Thanks again.”
I waited patiently while Frank put all the groceries away. He disappeared into his basement and reappeared with Solar’s address on a piece of paper for me.
“Thanks a lot, Frank.”
“Do you need me to come with you? Bring one of my guns?”
I thought back to the rifles circa World War One in his basement. Plus, with how tired he looked, I didn’t want to bother him any more than I already had. “No thanks, I’m good. I might get back late tonight though, is that okay?”
Major Crimes Page 13
