Murder and Chocolate Cake

by Meredith Potts

  “How many times do I have to tell you? I left that life behind,” Tyler said.

  “So you don’t keep in contact with anyone that you were in jail with?” David asked.

  Tyler shook his head. “No.”

  David stared him down. “I find that hard to believe.”

  “That’s because you’ve never been behind bars. Once you’ve spent years of your life stuck in a cell block with a bunch of psychopaths, you want to put that life behind you,” Tyler said.

  “Fair enough. How about Kyle, though? Did he have many friends in the cell block?” David asked.

  “A few,” Tyler said.

  “Are any of them out on parole now?” David said.

  Tyler became pensive. After a few moments of silence, he shook his head. “Nah. As far as I know, they’re all still behind bars.”

  With each answer that Tyler gave, David became more frustrated. I didn’t blame him. The fact that we were even here speaking with Tyler was a sign of just how desperate we were. So for an interview like this to be going so poorly just exemplified what a tough spot we found ourselves in.

  Instead of immediately firing another question at Tyler, David just stared at him for a moment.

  Tyler became visibly uncomfortable as silence took hold of the conversation.

  A few seconds later, David groaned and replied, “Is that really all you’ve got?”

  “I told you,” Tyler said. “You’re wasting your time with me.”

  A defeated look came to David’s face. He reached into his pocket, pulled a business card out of his wallet, and handed it to Tyler. “Well, if you do run into Kyle…or hear any rumors about where he might be hiding out, give me a call.”

  Tyler took the card. “Don’t hold your breath.”

  “Hey, it could happen.”

  “That’s doubtful,” Tyler said.

  David and I turned around and took a few steps toward the car.

  Tyler then threw out a warning. “Watch your back.”

  David spun back around. “We will.”

  “I’m serious. Kyle is a sneaky little punk. When I was in the joint, he once tried to shiv me from behind. Luckily, I heard him coming just in time to stop him. Otherwise, I might not be alive right now.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Tyler’s chilling story stuck with me. I couldn’t shake it, no matter how much I tried. Clearly, life behind bars was every bit as horrifying as how it was portrayed in the movies. So when my instincts told me that David and I should take a trip to Treasure Cove Penitentiary, my first reaction was to question whether I had lost my mind.

  But when I thought the situation over further, I realized that perhaps the break we were looking for was inside that prison all along. After discussing my theory with David, my husband agreed with me.

  A few minutes later, David called the warden at the penitentiary and let him know we were coming. On the drive over to the prison, David looked over at me with concern in his eyes.

  “It might be a good idea if you stayed in the car when we get there,” David said.

  “Why is that?” I asked.

  He nodded. “For your own safety.”

  “David, what do you think is going to happen?”

  “I’m not sure. That’s why I want to take every possible precaution.”

  “I understand why you’re worried, but the warden is going to be with us every step of the way. As will a number of prison guards.”

  “I know. I’d just feel better if you stayed in the car.”

  “Do you not trust them to protect us?”

  “I’m sure they’ll do their best. But I can’t help but think about the worst-case scenario. I mean, two inmates did just break out of this prison.”

  “If you’re truly worried about something happening, then wouldn’t it be wise for neither of us to set foot inside the prison?”

  “Unfortunately, that isn’t an option,” David said. “Someone has to go in there. And I’m the only one with police training.”

  “True. But I’m not staying in the car,” I said.

  “Are you really going to argue with me right now?”

  “No. I’m just telling you how it is. I’m going in there with you.”

  He groaned. “You’re so stubborn sometimes.”

  “Don’t worry. I have a hunch that nothing is going to happen.”

  “Sabrina, we’re about to set foot inside a prison. It’s impossible not to worry.”

  “Fair enough. But it’s all going to work out.”

  David grimaced. “I hope you’re right.”

  ***

  When David and I arrived at the penitentiary, we were greeted by the mustached, balding, sixty-two-year-old warden, Hank Redmond.

  Hank escorted us to the visitation area. I wanted to know who had come to see Kyle recently. A lanky, twenty-nine-year-old clerk named Robert Pritchard pulled up the penitentiary’s visitation records on a computer.

  “What have you got for us?” David asked.

  Robert shook his head. “Nothing.”

  My eyes widened. “Really?”

  “Kyle Lipinski hasn’t had any recent visitors,” Robert said.

  “How long are you going back?” I asked.

  “Years,” Robert said.

  My nose scrunched. “Is that normal?”

  “This is prison. There’s no such thing as normal,” Robert deadpanned.

  “I meant, is it unusual for an inmate not to have a single visitor in years?” I said.

  “It depends on the prisoner,” Robert said. “You’re talking about a convicted murderer. A man like that has far more enemies than friends. So who would really want to visit him?”

  I took a deep breath. “Who is the last person to come and see him?”

  Robert checked the log. “George Lipinski.”

  “And how long ago was that?” I said.

  “Seven years ago,” Robert said.

  Chapter Twenty

  That went much differently than I thought it would. So much for the visitor log providing us with a huge lead. Instead, we were right back where we started. But there was still another chance for David and me to catch a lucky break while we were at the penitentiary.

  Once we finished up in the visitation area, the warden led David and me into Cell Block B. That was where Kyle and Wade’s old cell was located. As I moved down the hallway of the cell block, I was glad that two prison guards were walking alongside me.

  Even though the inmates were safely locked away in their cells, they were anything but quiet. They verbally taunted David and me as we walked by their cells. As expected, the loudest convicts were the ones that David and I had put behind bars. I hated being in such close quarters with them again. That said, I tried not to make eye contact. But even if our eyes didn’t meet, I still recognized their voices.

  My muscles tensed as my pulse raced. It would have been easy to let their intimidation tactics get under my skin, but I had a job to do. I had to find a way to keep a cool head.

  A few seconds later, we reached Wade and Kyle’s old cell. There was currently no inmate occupying the space. That wasn’t surprising. After all, Kyle was still on the loose and Wade was currently behind bars back at the Treasure Cove Police Department.

  One of the guards opened up the cell door.

  The warden then outstretched his hand. “It’s all yours.”

  ***

  David and I began to search the cell while one of the guards walked down the hallway to quiet down the inmates that resided in this cell block.

  It took David and me over twenty minutes to meticulously go through the contents of the cell. Despite practically turning the place upside down, I had nothing to show for my efforts. As far as I could tell, Kyle and Wade had been very careful not to leave any clues behind.

  Unfortunately, David did not fare any better. Nor did he react well to coming up empty handed. He threw out his arms in frustration. “Face it. There’s nothing useful in this cell.”<
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  “Are you sure we’ve covered every inch of this place?” I said.

  “Are you kidding? At this point, we probably checked everything twice.”

  I squinted. “I just can’t help but think that we’re missing something.”

  David shook his head. “I’m not so sure about that.”

  I groaned.

  David continued. “Look. I know you really believed that coming here would lead to a big break, but sometimes you just hit a dead end. That’s part of being an investigator.”

  “I know that. This isn’t my first case,” I said.

  David became defensive. “I never said it was.”

  I replied with the most apologetic tone that I could muster. “Sorry. I’m just frustrated.”

  “It’s okay.”

  “No. It isn’t. Nothing about this case is okay.”

  “True. This is one of the most difficult cases we’ve ever worked on. But going over every inch of this cell again isn’t going to make you any less frustrated. Nor will it uncover a clue.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  A deflated look came to David’s face. “So as much as I hate to say it, I think we should head out.”

  I took one last look at the cell and then exhaled. “All right. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I did not want to call it quits for the day, but I didn’t see much choice. After failing to produce a lead at the penitentiary, David and I were fresh out of ideas. Besides, by that point, my mind was mush. In addition, my stomach was desperate for food. All I had to do was look at the expression on David’s face to see that he agreed with me.

  With all the running around we had done, I was in no mood to cook. That said, a microwave meal wouldn’t suffice either. Instead, we went out to one of our favorite restaurants. David and I headed over to Treasure Cove Cantina.

  Shortly after ordering our meals, we ran into Jake Williamson, who was just on his way out. The slender, slick-haired sixty-seven-year-old stopped at our table.

  “You look like you’ve had a rough day,” Jake said.

  “That’s putting it lightly,” I said.

  Jake reached into his wallet and grabbed some cash. “I’ll tell you what. Your meal tonight is on me.”

  My eyes widened. “Are you serious?”

  Jake nodded. “Absolutely.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “Don’t mention it. I figure it’s the least I can do after all the effort you have put in to keeping the streets safe around here,” Jake said. “Well, as safe as they can be in Treasure Cove.”

  “You just had to throw that qualifier in there, didn’t you?” I joked.

  “Come on. Let’s get real here. We all know this isn’t some normal small town.”

  I exhaled. “It sure isn’t.”

  “And it’s pretty clear that it will never be,” Jake said.

  “Which makes me wonder why you’re still here after all these years,” I said. “I mean, a man with your level of wealth could move anywhere in the world,” I said.

  “Believe me. That has crossed my mind before,” Jake said.

  “So why is it that you still decide to call Treasure Cove home?”

  “You know how much I have invested in this town,” Jake said.

  Jake wasn’t kidding when he said invested. He was the wealthiest businessman in town. By my count, he had a stake in over fifty local businesses.

  A faraway look came to my eyes as I stared into the distance. “If I were you, I’d cash in and retire on a beach in Hawaii.”

  “It’s not that easy. My business dealings aside, Clarissa’s family is here. As are her friends. Not to mention her business.”

  Clarissa was Jake’s wife. She owned a physical therapy business in town.

  I nodded. “It is tough to leave everything you know behind.”

  “Exactly,” Jake said.

  “Although, it is tempting,” I said.

  David spoke up. “Especially at a time like this.”

  I exhaled. “Yeah. After a day like this, I wonder why we didn’t leave town years ago.”

  Jake cut in. “I have to stop you right there. I understand that this must be a very frustrating time for you, but let’s be honest. You two are never leaving Treasure Cove.”

  I squinted at Jake. “How can you be so sure?”

  “To start, if you were going to leave, you would have done it decades ago,” Jake said. “Face it, you were born here, and you’re going to die here.”

  I grimaced. “Can you please not say the word die?”

  Jake winced. “Sorry. That was poor phrasing.”

  “I’ll say,” David cracked.

  “The point is, no matter how bleak things get in this town, I know you’ll both do everything in your power to make Treasure Cove a better place. That’s why I admire you so much,” Jake said.

  “Don’t get me wrong. I’m flattered by the compliment. But we’ve never tackled a case quite like this one. And we’ve never stared down such terrible odds before,” I said.

  Jake’s voice was filled with confidence as he replied, “You’ll figure this out.”

  I shrugged. “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because you always do,” Jake said.

  I took a deep breath. “I sure hope you’re right.”

  “Just stick with it. I will pray for you,” Jake said.

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “And if there’s anything else I can do, just let me know,” Jake said.

  “You don’t happen to have a lead, do you?” I said.

  Jake shook his head. “Unfortunately, I can’t help you there.”

  “Join the club,” I said. “No one seems to be able to help us in that area.”

  Jake grabbed some additional cash from his wallet and placed it on the table. “I’m sorry to hear that. But this is what I can do. In addition to dinner, go ahead and order some dessert as well. That should cheer you up a little.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  David and I left the restaurant and headed toward the parking lot. Halfway to David’s car, I heard footsteps behind us. My muscles immediately tensed up. Who did those footsteps belong to? Was it Kyle Lipinski? Was he planning to make his move right here in the parking lot? Had he intended to sneak up behind us and enact revenge?

  I didn’t have to wait long to get an answer.

  A few seconds later, I heard the sound of a female voice behind me.

  “Detective, I have a bone to pick with you,” the voice said.

  I immediately recognized the voice. It belonged to Felicia Wilcox.

  David and I both turned around. Felicia was by herself. There was no sign of Kyle Lipinski anywhere.

  Phew.

  Despite Felicia’s incendiary words, dealing with her anger was far preferable than being cornered by Kyle.

  Felicia was a suspect in the last case we investigated. Ultimately, she proved not to be a killer. But for a while, we had every reason to suspect her.

  “Felicia, what do you think you’re doing sneaking up on us like that?” David said.

  The petite red-haired forty-six-year-old scowled at David. “I just told you. I have a bone to pick with you.”

  “If I were you, I’d turn around and walk away,” David said.

  Felicia threw her arms out. “What’s the matter? Is this a bad time?”

  David nodded. “It sure is.”

  Felicia smirked. “That’s tough. You didn’t care when I was having a tough time.”

  “I’m warning you,” David said. “Back off.”

  “Why? Am I making you uncomfortable?” Felicia asked.

  David shook his head. “No. You’re making me annoyed.”

  “You two did far worse to me.”

  “We did what was necessary to solve the case,” David said.

  “You could have gone about it a different way,” Felicia said. “You should have—”

  “Felicia, have you ever solved a murder?
” David asked.

  “That’s not the point—”

  “Yeah it is. As a matter of fact, it’s the only point that matters. After all, your husband’s killer is behind bars because of us.”

  “Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy about that.”

  David scoffed. “You don’t seem happy. If anything, you seem ungrateful.”

  “Do you have any idea what it’s like to be innocent of a crime, only to have no one believe you?” Felicia said.

  “You had ample motive for wanting your husband dead, and no verifiable alibi for the time of the murder. You didn’t give us any reason to believe you.”

  “You mean, other than telling you I was innocent?” Felicia said.

  “Felicia, do you know how many suspects lie to us on a regular basis?” David said.

  “I didn’t lie to you,” Felicia said.

  “You’re the rare exception,” David said.

  Felicia held her pointer finger up. “You should have just believed me. You should have left me alone.”

  “Look. Clearly you’re still angry about what happened. But what do you want me to do about it now? The case is over,” David said.

  “I want you to apologize for what you put me through,” Felicia said.

  “I was only doing my job,” David said. “There’s no way I’m going to apologize for that.”

  While I agreed with everything that David was saying, I knew this confrontation would continue to escalate unless a softer approach was used.

  I spoke to Felicia with an abundance of sympathy in my voice. “I’m sorry for everything you went through. It must have been so tough, losing your husband.”

  Felicia took a deep breath and then slowly nodded. “It was.”

  “That said, lashing out at us isn’t going to bring him back,” I said.

  “That’s the problem. Nothing is going to bring Mark back,” Felicia said.

  “Look. I know what it’s like, losing someone you love,” I said. “And struggling to move on—”

  So much for the softer approach yielding results.