Caramel Apple & Murder: An Oceanside Cozy Mystery - Book 6

by Susan Gillard

  “Sorry?” Amy said.

  Heather handed Brenda Lee a tissue and thanked her for her time. The two friends walked away.

  “What do you think?” Amy asked. “Besides, that you wouldn’t want to really make her mad?”

  “We can check with the nail salon and her friend to make sure her alibi is real,” Heather said. “But I don’t really think she did it.”

  "Does that mean we're back to square one?" Amy asked.

  “Maybe Detective Smith is having more luck with his suspect,” Heather said.

  The First Suspect

  “I don’t have time for this.”

  “You better make some time,” Detective Smith said. “Because a man is dead.”

  “Another murder I didn’t have anything to do with.”

  “How did you know it was a murder?” Detective Smith asked.

  “Why else would you drag me in?”

  Detective Smith was sitting in the interrogation room across from a man in impeccable clothes. He was a doctor that kept glancing at his expensive watch.

  Heather and Amy were watching the interview on the other side of the two-way mirror. William Verlander had joined them.

  “Kid was always great with interrogations,” he said.

  “I wouldn’t want to be on the other side of one,” Amy agreed.

  “This was the man that was your prime suspect in the Karen Kass case?” Heather asked.

  “I wasn’t officially on the case at the time, remember,” he said. “It was Kid and Wheels’s case.”

  “I really don’t know why Peters is jealous about the nicknames,” Amy said.

  “But Kid came to me for advice. He does that sometimes. It always makes me feel good. I miss being on the force,” he said.

  “Then why did you leave it?” Heather asked.

  “I was in an accident and wasn’t the same after. My leg still isn’t completely right, so I wouldn’t be able to chase suspects on foot. And unfortunately, I had a head injury too. I don’t think it’s affected me too much, but it made my superiors nervous. Now, I don’t want you to think that they left me out to dry. Nothing of the sort. But I wasn’t ready to retire.”

  “I’m sorry,” Heather said.

  “But when Kid did talk to me about the case, we thought that this was the prime suspect. He’s a doctor that worked with Karen Kass. It seems that they went on a few dates and she rebuffed him,” Verlander said.

  Heather nodded, but then turned her attention to the interrogation commencing on the other side of the glass.

  "Let's go through it again, Dr. Whissey," Detective Smith was saying.

  “We’ve been through it countless times,” the doctor said. “And it’s been two years since Karen was killed. Just because you couldn’t figure out who really did it doesn’t mean you should keep bothering me.”

  “Did the doctor bring burn ointment with him?” Amy joked, referring to his barb.

  “The night Karen Kass was killed,” Detective Smith began.

  “We were both working at the hospital that night,” Dr. Whissey said. “She finished her round before me, and I believe she went home. When I got off work, I had one drink at the bar by my house and then went home. I was there all night.”

  “And I believe you told me you were alone with no one to corroborate your story,” Detective Smith said.

  “Yes,” said Dr. Whissey. “My story hasn’t changed because it’s what really happened.”

  “Now you and Karen had been dating?”

  “We went on a few dates and then she told me she wasn’t interested anymore. It wasn’t anything serious, so I wasn’t that upset about it.”

  “A doctor would be able to handle a knife pretty well. After using all those scalpels and tools,” Detective Smith said. “And a doctor would know exactly where to cut to kill someone quickly and efficiently.”

  “A doctor also takes an oath to do no harm,” he responded.

  “Tell me about Walker Collins,” Detective Smith said.

  “I don’t know who that is,” said Dr. Whissey.

  “He’s a bartender that was killed Friday night.”

  “I still don’t know who it is,” said the doctor. “The only bar I go to is the Lucky Dog bar near my house. If he didn’t work there, I didn’t know him in that aspect. The usual bartender there is named Stan. If he was a patient of mine in the past, it doesn’t ring a bell. We could have someone at the hospital go through our records to see if he was ever admitted under my watch.”

  “You see,” Detective Smith said, calmly. “He was killed in exactly the same way that Karen Kass was.”

  “Good. Maybe then you can finally figure out who the real killer is,” said Dr. Whissey. “Because it wasn’t me.”

  “Where were you on Friday night?” Detective Smith asked.

  “I traveled for a consultation in Key Largo on Friday. That night I went out with some colleagues who I’m sure can account for my whereabouts. I have detailed travel reports too,” Dr. Whissey said. “I’ve gotten into the habit of accounting for my movements after being falsely accused of murder.”

  “We’ll be checking up on that,” Detective Smith said.

  “Please do,” said Dr. Whissey. “If you stop focusing on me, then you might be able to actually solve the case.”

  Detective Smith allowed him to leave and then joined the other investigators who had been watching.

  “If his alibi checks out, then he couldn’t have been the one to kill Walker Collins,” Detective Smith said.

  “He still doesn’t have an alibi for the night of the first murder,” Verlander said. “And he’s the only suspect with a motive so far.”

  “Maybe he gave the knife from the first murder to somebody who wanted to kill Walker Collins and told them exactly how to do it,” Amy suggested.

  “If Karen Kass was a crime of passion for Dr. Whissey because she broke up with him, then it’s strange that he did the same thing two years later for a man he had no connection to,” Heather thought aloud. “I wish we knew why the killer chose these two victims.”

  “I wish the killer was already behind bars and we could go home and enjoy coffee and donuts,” Amy said.

  “That would be great,” Heather agreed.

  “If we could figure out why these two people were chosen, we could find the killer,” Detective Smith said. “What am I missing?”

  “We’re all missing it right now,” Heather said. “But don’t worry. We’ll find it.”

  The Other Crime Scene

  Heather and Amy checked to make sure that Janae was still handling training well with the other assistants. She was having a grand time at the shop, and Heather and Amy were happy to sample her trial batch of donuts. They were all confident that this arrangement was going to work out.

  They weren't able to stay at Donut Delights for too long though because they received a call from Ryan. He believed he found the location where the bartender had really been killed.

  Digby informed Janae that this was a regular occurrence as they ran off to visit the crime scene.

  “This was great work,” Heather told her husband.

  “It felt good to be out working a case again,” Ryan said. “Detective Smith provided me with all the resources I needed, and then I just set out to search until I found it.”

  “And this is where the bartender was murdered?” Amy asked.

  “I believe so,” Ryan said. “Detective Smith is heading over with a forensic team to confirm that the traces of blood over there are the victim’s.”

  Amy shuddered. "Such a beautiful place. And it was used to kill somebody. I mean, I guess it wouldn't be any better if an ugly place were used to murder someone."

  They were near a waterway that led to the ocean. There were some trees with fruit hanging overhead. Some residential homes were visible further down the way.

  “The killer must have slashed the victim’s throat right over there,” Ryan said. “Most of the blood was swept away in
the water, but there’s still some on the shore.”

  “Any chance of footprints?” Heather asked.

  “It doesn’t look like any stuck,” said Ryan. “There does look like there are some tire tracks, but they’re only partials. I’m not sure how far they’ll get us.”

  “Something is always better than nothing,” Heather said.

  They spent some time carefully looking around without disturbing the scene until they were joined by Detectives Smith and Peters and a forensic team tech. The man from forensics confirmed that what was on the ground was blood, and then started collecting sampled.

  “Verlander seemed disappointed that he wasn’t coming to the crime scene,” Peters said.

  “He misses being a detective,” his partner responded. “I suppose I might start going through a similar withdrawal after I retire. Especially if I do move to Pennsylvania. But Chess will be more helpful comparing the old case file to the new one. Maybe he can find the connection.”

  “Ryan did find one connection,” Heather pointed out. “At least as far as how the murderer operated. He brought the victim to a source of water near their home and killed them there.”

  “Walker Collins’s house is just over there,” Ryan said, pointed.

  “I should have seen this,” Detective Smith said. “Good work, Shepherd.”

  “Of course, there is something funny about all this,” Heather said. “How did the killer get Collins over here?”

  “He could have caught Walker Collins when he was leaving his house and threatened him with the knife. He forced him to walk over here and then killed him,” Ryan suggested.

  “He’d have to be careful about it to make sure that the victim didn’t fight back,” Amy said. “The victim wasn’t a small guy.”

  “Maybe the killer lured him over here?” Peters said. “Like he asked for help or said he wanted to show the guy something. Then when Collins came over here, he killed him.”

  “I wish we knew which one it was,” Heather said. “If he threatened and forced him, it could be a larger or more intimidating killer. If it was a trap, the killer had to look unassuming.”

  "It could have been a lady too," Amy said. "Maybe she flashed Collins's her come-hither eyes, and he came hither."

  Heather nodded going through all the options. There certainly were many ways that the killer could have gotten the victim towards the water, and it seemed as if a similar thing could have happened to the nurse two years ago.

  "So, the killer forces or lures the victim towards the water," Heather said. "He slashes the victim's throat, killing him. And the water cleans up most of the blood."

  “It seems like a professional kill again,” said Amy. “The killer thought it all out. Do you have any professional killers here?”

  “Not that I know of,” said Peters. “And I think I would know. Both as a cop and as someone who stays on top of community events.”

  “After the victim is dead, the killer breaks the victim’s fingers,” Heather continued. “Do you have any more information about what could have done that?”

  “No,” Amy said. “I can’t hear this part. Why is the killer being so weird and terrible?”

  “It was something flat that broke the fingers,” Peters said, after giving Amy the chance to cover her ears.

  “It’s possible that the killer achieved it by stomping on them with his feet,” Detective Smith said. “Or they used something like a book.”

  “If the killer brought an object, then the second part of the crime was premeditated. If not, it could have been anger brought about after the kill,” said Ryan.

  “Maybe it was just an awful serial killer,” Amy said. “This was part of his ritual after the kill. And there was no rhyme or reason for why he chose these two.”

  "I think serial killers usually have a type that they go after," Heather said. "Like they go after young blondes that they are attracted to, or after middle-aged men with mustaches who remind them of their father. There would probably still be some similarity between the two victims."

  “I did look into whether any other similar murders occurred within the past two years,” Peters said. “I didn’t find any.”

  “Well, serial killer or regular killer, I don’t want to be anywhere near this guy,” Amy said.

  The Janae Jam

  “Want to try one?” Janae asked.

  “Huh?” Heather asked before she realized what was going on. “Sorry. I was distracted.”

  “I tried making the Blueberry Jelly Donuts that Digby recommended I attempt,” Janae said. “Are they up to par?”

  Heather accepted the trial donut and gave it her seal of approval.

  “You really think it’s okay?”

  “I think it’s wonderful,” Heather said. “And I think it’s getting late. It’s been a long day.”

  “For you too,” Janae said. “Searching for clues all day. Are you having any luck?”

  “Some luck and some setbacks,” Heather admitted.

  “But why don’t you let me and Amy close up?” Heather said. “You can head home, and I’ll let the others know they can go too.”

  “Thank you,” Janae said. “For everything.”

  Heather smiled as she left, and then started closing the shop. It was nice to have something done according to routine because he mind was still puzzling over the case. The pieces weren't fitting together properly, and it was becoming frustrating.

  “Did you say everyone could go home or was Digby teasing me?” Amy asked.

  “Probably both,” said Heather. “But I did tell the assistants they could leave. I thought I’d close up and see if any brilliant thoughts come my way when I’m partially distracted.”

  “That does happen sometimes,” Amy said. “Any luck?”

  “Not yet,” said Heather. “I’ve been trying to figure out how the two cases go together. The nurse and the bartender. Both of their bodies found outside by a trail.”

  Heather paused as a thought occurred to her. “No,” she said. “It couldn’t be.”

  “When you say it like that it sounds like it really could be,” Amy said.

  "The victims were found by trails. I bet bikes could be ridden on both of them," Heather said. "A bike tour guide would have plenty of opportunities to find the spot they wanted to leave a body."

  “You don’t think it could be Janae?” Amy asked.

  “I don’t want to,” Heather said. “But she has been very interested in the case.”

  Amy frowned. “You’re right.”

  “We’ll have to talk to her as if she’s a suspect and not a witness,” said Heather.

  “I can’t believe I ate her donuts,” Amy said.

  “Thanks for doing this,” Heather said.

  “I’m happy to talk to Janae,” Peters said. “You know, in an official capacity as you asked. Now, what do you want me to talk to her about? Something she might have seen on the trail? Whether she is seeing anybody?"

  “Whether she had any reason to kill Walker Collins,” Amy offered instead.

  “What?” Peters said. “You can’t think someone as nice as her could slash someone’s throat.”

  “We’re just trying to be thorough,” Heather said. “She told us that she’s the only bike instructor that leads a group on that path on Saturdays.”

  “Sounds convenient for planning when people find something you want them to find,” Amy said.

  “No,” Peters said. “That was bad luck. Not malevolence.”

  “Just talk to her and make certain,” Heather said.

  “Why can’t you do it?” Peters asked. “You try and take over every other aspect of an investigation.”

  “I’m her boss now,” said Heather.

  “Yeah. But I…,” Peters trailed off. “I take her seminars.”

  “What’s going on?” Janae asked, approaching their table with a plate full of Caramel Apple Donuts. “Luz showed me how to make this flavor this morning. I just made some samples. Do they get
your approval?”

  “They get my approval,” Peters said. “And the approval of the entire Key West Police Force.”

  “Do you want to try one first?” Janae asked.

  “Well. To make it official,” Peters said, covering. He took a donut and after eating it, promptly complimented it. “It’s even better than Heather’s.”

  “Calm down, lover boy,” Amy said quietly.

  “So, what are you all talking about?” Janae asked. “Are you discussing the case? Any leads?”

  “We were looking into a more outrageous angle,” Peters said, giving Heather a look.

  “You seem interested in the case,” Heather said, ignoring him.

  “Of course, I am,” Janae said. “I saw what happened to the body. I want to make sure that you’re going to get the person who did that.”

  “We have a few things we’d like to discuss with you,” Peters said. “But first, I do need to ask where you were on Friday night. I need to make that we know where everyone was at the time of the murder. Were you out on a date?”

  “Friday night I went to a yoga class,” Janae said. “Actually, it was at the place just down the street that Harmony owns. Then, I went home and did some baking. I made banana bread for the morning.”

  “Can anyone corroborate that?” Peters asked.

  “My husband and I are separated,” Janae said. “So, no.”

  Peters made a note of that in his notebook.

  “And you told Heather that you’re the only one to bike that trail on Saturdays?” Peters asked.

  “The only one from a tour,” Janae said. “We coordinate a bit to make sure that we won’t bump into each other. If someone wanted to bike on their own, they might end up on that path, but I don’t see too many people there.”

  “Is there any reason why someone would want to target you?” Heather asked.

  “What do you mean?” Janae asked back.

  “Would there be some reason why somebody would want you to stumble across a dead body?”