Kiss 'N Tell

by Kathi Daley

  I raised a brow. “You’ll need to walk me through that last one.”

  Parker nodded. “Okay. What if Kyle didn’t go back to the house right away? What if he went to eat and didn’t realize until it came time to pay for his food that he didn’t have his wallet, so he went back to the bar to look for it. He’s tired and fed up by this point, so he decides to go home, but he needs to get his stuff first, so he heads back to the house, only the house isn’t empty. Someone is there. Kyle and this person fight, Kyle is killed, the killer grabs his stuff to make it appear that he simply left, and then takes the body into town and dumps it in the vacant house.”

  I didn’t respond right away.

  “We know the guys had all left the bar by the time Kyle came back for his wallet, but we don’t actually know where any of them went,” Parker continued. “One or more of them might have been at the house when Kyle went back for his belongings.”

  I took a deep breath and tried to wrap my head around the theory. “Okay. Say that’s true. These men were Kyle’s friends. Why would one of them kill him?”

  Parker shrugged. “Maybe Kyle walked in on something someone didn’t want him to see. Maybe both men were drunk, and a simple argument turned into a deadly battle. I don’t know. I’m just offering this scenario as one of many possibilities.”

  “I guess it’s possible,” I admitted. “All the scenarios have holes in them, so I guess at this point, our best bet is to fill in some of the blanks.”

  “I agree. If we assume that Kia is telling the truth, which at this point, I assume she is, the only thing we know for certain is that she walked out with Kyle, and then they each went their separate ways.”

  “We also know that Kyle was still alive an hour later if the bartender is to be believed,” I pointed out.

  “We do know that, although I don’t think we should assume the one-hour timeline is necessarily accurate. The guy said an hour went by, but the reality is that he was busy that night, and it’s not as if he timed it. He just had the impression of an hour passing before Kyle came back. It might have been much sooner or even much later.”

  “I agree with that,” I said. “So what do we do now?”

  “We talk to people. We try to find someone, anyone, who saw Kyle at some point after he left the bar. Maybe he did go and eat, and someone might remember a guy who didn’t have his wallet and couldn’t pay for his meal, or maybe he stopped for gas. Most gas stations and mini-marts have cameras. He may have gone to a nearby bar, or maybe he did head back to the rental. We should interview the neighbors on either side.”

  “Don’t you think Deputy Todd already did that?”

  “He probably did, but it never hurts to check it out.”

  “Okay. I’m free today, so I’ll come with you, but let’s talk to Kevin again first. He never mentioned that Kyle was carrying around a bunch of money. He might not have known about the money, but if he did, he might know why he had it. He also might know what the other guys did after they left the bar. We know a lot more than when we spoke to him yesterday.”

  “I agree. You know Kevin best. Why don’t you call and ask him to meet us at your office.”

  I did as Parker suggested, and Kevin agreed to meet us in an hour. I decided to leave the dogs at home, so I took them for another quick walk while Parker returned some calls. Once I returned to the cottage, I settled the dogs in for a nap, and then Parker and I headed into town.

  “Thanks for meeting us on your day off,” I said to Kevin once he’d arrived at the office.

  “No problem. If I can help you find Kyle’s killer, I’m willing to do whatever needs to be done.”

  “Right now, we just have some additional questions,” Parker said.

  “Okay. What do you want to know?”

  Parker jumped right in. “The woman who Kyle picked up in the bar told me that Kyle had a lot of money on him.”

  “A lot of money? How much?” Kevin asked.

  “She said at least a couple grand, and it looked like he mostly had hundreds.”

  Kevin frowned. “Kyle never had much money. He was a poor college kid just like everyone else in the group.” Kevin paused. “Kyle liked to gamble, and he was pretty good. In fact, he’d been known to count cards. I suppose he might have found a game at some point. He didn’t mention it to me, but if he had been gambling while he was in town, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

  “Do any of the others like to gamble?” I asked.

  “Kyle and Lance were prone to get hooked into any card games that might be going on in the area. Lance had been hanging out with Jimmy all week, and Jimmy is pretty hopeless when it comes to cards, so I sort of doubt Lance and Kyle had been out gambling together, but I’ll ask Lance and see what he knows.”

  “That would be great,” Parker said.

  “What else do you want to know?” Kevin asked.

  “On the night Kyle was murdered, you said that he left with a woman with dark hair. How about the four of you; did you all leave together?”

  “We did. I wanted to go back to the house and just hang out, and Cory decided to come with me, but Lance and Jimmy went off on their own. You need to keep in mind that since the contest was coming to an end, both men were looking to score big that night.”

  “And did you notice if Kyle’s belongings were there when you and Cory got back to the house?”

  “I didn’t notice. I didn’t know anything was wrong, so I wasn’t looking for clues.”

  “What did you and Cory do after you got back to the house?”

  “Cory went into his room to read, and I decided to go and meet up with a couple friends from Gooseberry Bay.”

  “And what time did you get home?” Parker asked.

  “Around one.”

  “Were Lance and Jimmy back?”

  “No, I don’t think so. I didn’t poke my head into the bedroom they were sharing, but I didn’t see either of their cars when I arrived at the house.”

  “And Cory? Was he still awake, or was he asleep?”

  “He was asleep, I think. Cory and Kyle were sharing a room while I volunteered to crash on the sofa. I didn’t poke my head in to verify that Cory was asleep, but the house was quiet.”

  “And what time would you say that you and Cory arrived at the house the first time?” Parker asked.

  “It was early. Like around nine. That’s why I decided to meet up with my friends when I realized I was alone for the evening.”

  Parker glanced at me. I think we both realized that Cory was alone in the house from around nine o’clock to around one o’clock in the morning. Unless Kyle came back for his stuff immediately after leaving the bar, chances are Cory would have been here. Also, given the fact that Cory and Kyle were sharing a room, if Kyle had come back, it was likely that Cory would have seen him.

  “I know that Deputy Todd told Lance, Jimmy, and Cory to stay in town until he was sure he’d asked them everything he needed to. Where are they now?” I asked. “Did you extend your rental on the house?”

  “No. The house was expensive, so Cory is crashing with me, and Lance and Jimmy rented rooms at the hotel down by the general store.”

  “Is Cory at your place right now?” Parker asked.

  Kevin nodded. “He should be.”

  “I’d like to ask him a few questions,” Parker said. “Do you think he would be willing to join us for lunch? My treat.”

  “I can ask him,” Kyle offered.

  “If he’s willing to talk with us, you and Cory can meet Ainsley and me at the Rambling Rose at noon,” Parker suggested.

  “Okay. Do you want to talk to the others?”

  “Maybe eventually,” Parker answered. “But for now, I’d like to limit the conversation to you and Cory.”

  He shrugged. “Okay. I’ll call him.”

  Kevin presented the offer to Cory as having lunch with two women he knew from town. He wisely didn’t mention the reason we wanted to talk to him. Once that was settled, Kevin headed back to hi
s place to clean up a bit before we met for lunch.

  “So what do you think?” I asked Parker after Kevin left.

  She nibbled on her bottom lip. “I’m not sure. It sounds like of all the men, Cory is the one who would have had the opportunity to get into a conflict with Kyle if a conflict with one of the housemates occurred, but next to Kyle, he also sounds like the nicest one.”

  “Do you think Cory would have noticed that Kyle’s things were missing if Kyle had packed up his belongings before Cory and Kevin returned to the house?” I asked.

  “Maybe, but not necessarily. One thing is for certain, however, if Cory was at the house all evening, then he would have noticed Kyle coming in for his stuff after he returned.”

  Chapter 11

  Kevin and Cory were already sitting at a table waiting for us when Parker and I arrived at the Rambling Rose. Kevin introduced us to Cory, leaving out the part about my being a PI and Parker being a newspaper reporter. I could sense that Parker wanted everything on the up and up from the beginning, so once the introductions were made and we’d ordered our food, Parker explained the real reason for this little lunch.

  “Knowing that Ainsley and I are here to ask you about the night Kyle was murdered, are you still willing to speak to us?” Parker asked.

  Cory shrugged. “Sure. I guess. I have nothing to hide.”

  I sat back and let Parker take the lead. She seemed to know what she wanted to ask, and I figured I could jump in at any point.

  “Kevin has already shared much of what went on that night with us, but if you don’t mind, we’d like to hear the accounting in your own words.”

  “Okay. Where do you want me to start?”

  “At the bar,” Parker said. “Kevin said the five of you went to the bar that night as part of a final push effort for each of you to get points before the contest came to an end.”

  Cory nodded. “Yeah. I’m embarrassed to admit that I was even part of that whole thing. It was pretty juvenile. It’s amazing what a lot of rum and friends you knew as teenagers can do to your common sense.”

  “It sounds as if Lance and Jimmy were neck and neck for the title, while you, Kevin, and Kyle were lagging way behind,” Parker said.

  “That much is true. Kyle didn’t have any points by the time that night rolled around. Kevin had a couple since he’d bought a few drinks for women I suspect he already knew, and I had a few points as well. Mine were innocent, drinks bought, cell phone numbers secured, and platonic kisses. But it seemed that Lance and Jimmy were out to prove they really were Casanova come back to life.”

  “So walk me through the night,” Parker suggested.

  Cory repeated pretty much exactly what Kevin had already told us. He’d bought a woman a drink, gotten her number, and even kissed her on the lips. Kevin had made out with a group of women everyone knew he already knew, and Kyle not only spoke to and bought a drink for a woman he’d been eyeing all week, but he’d actually left the bar with her as well. After Kyle left, the other four men had downed a couple more drinks, he and Kevin went back to the house, and Lance and Jimmy went on the prowl for points.

  “How long after Kyle left the bar did you all leave?” she asked.

  “I guess maybe forty minutes.”

  “And after you returned to the rental house, you went into your room to read.”

  “Yes, that’s right,” Cory answered Parker’s inquiry.

  “Kevin said he left to hook up with some friends after you retired to your room, leaving you alone in the house. Did you hear or see anything after Kevin left?”

  Cory hesitated.

  “Cory?” Parker tried again. “Did you hear or see anything after Kevin left?”

  “Like what?” he asked.

  “Like Kyle coming back for his belongings?”

  “No,” he said. “I didn’t notice.”

  “Was Kyle’s stuff still there when you arrived at the house?” I asked.

  Cory slowly shook his head. “I’m not sure. I didn’t notice that they were gone if that’s what you’re asking, but I wasn’t looking for anything to be missing, so I can’t honestly say whether Kyle’s belongings were there or not when we first got home.”

  “But Kyle’s stuff would have been in the room the two of you shared,” I said.

  “Yes, his stuff was in the bedroom we shared. I know it seems that if Kyle came back after we returned to the house, I should have seen Kyle if he came in, but there’s something Kevin doesn’t know.”

  “Like what?” Kevin asked.

  “After you left to meet up with your friends, I left as well.”

  Kevin furrowed his brow. “You did? Where’d you go?”

  “Remember the girl whose phone number I got at the bar?”

  “Yeah.” Kevin looked confused.

  “After Lance and Jimmy decided to go off on their own, and you went off with friends, and Kyle seemed to still be with his girl, I called her. She wasn’t busy, so we decided to grab something to eat. I actually left right after you did and didn’t get back until right before you did.”

  “Why didn’t you say something before this?” Kevin asked, looking just a bit hurt about the whole thing.

  “Because I really like this girl, and I didn’t want our time together to be associated with the stupid game in any way. If Lance and Jimmy knew that I actually had a real date with this woman, they would have made the whole thing seem cheap, and I didn’t want that. The time Gina and I spent together was something I wanted to keep between us.” Cory paused and then continued. “Are you mad?”

  “No,” Kevin answered. “I get it. And don’t worry. I won’t tell the others.”

  “So if Kyle came back for his stuff after both of you left, no one would have been at the house to know he was even there.” Parker brought the conversation back around to the subject at hand.

  “No, I guess not,’” Cory said. “Kevin and I were only at the house for maybe thirty minutes when he left. I left shortly after. Kyle didn’t come by during that time frame, and I honestly don’t remember if his stuff was already gone or if it was still there when we arrived at the house the first time.”

  I had to admit that not knowing when Kyle picked up his personal belongings did complicate things a bit, but we hadn’t had a very good theory to begin with, so knowing one way or the other when Kyle was at the house wouldn’t have narrowed things down much anyway.

  I could tell by the look on Parker’s face that she was disappointed we weren’t able to narrow down the timeline a bit, but she wasn’t one to wallow, so quickly moved on. “The woman who left the bar with Kyle told us that he had a wallet full of money. Do you happen to know where he got it?”

  Cory answered. “I don’t know where he got it, but I do know he had it from the beginning of the trip. On our first night in Gooseberry Bay, the five of us went out for a lobster dinner, and when Kyle took out his wallet to pay his share, I noticed a huge wad of cash.”

  “Did you ask him about it?” I asked.

  “No,” Cory answered. “It wasn’t my place to ask. Kyle was a fully grown man who should have been able to manage his money even if carrying all that cash around was pretty stupid.”

  “Did anyone in the group other than Cory see the cash?” I asked both men.

  “I didn’t notice it,” Kevin said. “I can’t speak for the others. I guess you can ask them.”

  Parker sat back and took a sip of her iced tea as she appeared to be thinking things over. The waitress came by with our lunch, and we all got started on that before she spoke again.

  “On the night Kyle was murdered,” she eventually said, “he lost his wallet. He had it at the bar since he paid for his drinks, but the bartender told us that Kyle came in about an hour after he left, asking if anyone had found it. Did you notice if Kyle dropped his wallet? Did you notice if anyone appeared to be messing around with his jacket?”

  “I didn’t see anything,” Cory said. “Kevin?”

  “No. I didn’t not
ice a thing.”

  “Who was sitting next to Kyle on the barstool not occupied by the woman Kyle left with?” I asked.

  Both Kevin and Cory frowned, but neither answered.

  “Do you remember if it was a man or a woman?” Parker tried.

  Neither man answered for a full minute. Cory finally said that he remembered that a man wearing a red sweater was sitting in that spot when Kyle first sat down. After the man left, a woman sat down next to Kyle.

  “What did the woman look like?” I asked, figuring that whoever took the wallet, assuming it was someone at the bar and not someone on the street, probably did so shortly before Kyle and Kia left.

  “Blond hair,” Cory said. “Short. I didn’t notice her eye color or distinguishing facial features since her back was to us, but it looked like she had a nice figure.”

  “Was she alone?” Parker asked.

  “She seemed to be,” Kevin answered. “She came in alone and seemed to be talking to the bartender. She might have been waiting for someone.”

  I supposed that if she was chatting with the bartender, another chat with Terry might be in order.

  After Parker asked a few more questions, we finished our lunch, and when the men left, Parker and I went to the bar to track down Terry. He wasn’t in, but when I described the tall, nicely built blond with killer legs and a short sassy haircut to the man who was on duty at the bar, he confirmed that he knew who the woman was. The bartender admitted that he’d noticed her each time she’d come in during his shift the past few weeks. She appeared to be a visitor or perhaps a new resident since he’d never seen her until maybe three weeks ago, but since she’d been in town, she’d come in several times a week, and most of the time when the blond woman came in, she’d stop to chat. I asked the bartender if he knew her name, but he admitted that her name had never come up. The only helpful information he had was that the woman always came in alone. He also shared that she left with a different man each time she was in. He suspected that given her behavior, she might be a hooker, but if she was a hooker, she was a classy-looking one. Parker gave the bartender her number and asked him to call her if the woman showed up again. She assured him there was a hundred dollar tip in it for him if he called her in time for her to show up and speak to the woman.