by Cindy Bell
“That doesn’t sound fair,” Jo said.
“Oh, it’s fair.” Eddy grinned. “More than fair, trust me.”
“I don’t know, Sam, is it right to enjoy something like this when we are trying to find a murderer?”
“Nonsense, we are not going to miss out on the rest of the show.”
“Are you sure?” Jo tugged at the strap of her purse. “I mean I know you enjoy an investigation, but the show only happens once a year.”
“Jo, you don’t have to justify it. The whole point of this trip was this show. Besides, Eddy and Walt will be hot on the trail of whoever did this. There’s no reason for us not to be able to enjoy a little foliage. Right boys?” She flashed a smile in Walt and Eddy’s direction.
“Absolutely.” Eddy tugged his hat back down on his head. “Right Walt?”
“Right.” Walt nodded. “Have fun. Try not to kill any plants, Samantha.” He grinned at her.
“It was one plant!”
“One cactus.” Jo grinned.
“All right, let’s just go.” Samantha laughed and walked towards the entrance of the flower show. Jo followed after her.
“I guess we’d better call another cab.” Walt sighed.
“Are you kidding me? My wallet is almost drained. Besides, there’s an easy way to get a ride.” Eddy grinned at Walt.
“Huh how?”
“Well, we’re going to the police station. All we need to do is get picked up by a patrol car.”
“I’m not getting arrested!” Walt growled.
“I’m not talking about getting arrested.” Eddy pulled out his phone. After a quick search he found the number of the police station. Then he dialed it. As soon as someone picked up he met Walt’s eyes. “Hello, I’d like to report a murder.”
Walt’s eyes grew huge. “Eddy!” Eddy turned away and continued to speak into the phone.
“Yes, I have evidence that the man who jumped off the train, did not jump at all. He was pushed. Right, well I can’t come down to the station because I don’t have a car.” He paused and nodded. “We’re at the flower show. All right, we’ll be here.” He hung up the phone. “Done, and done.” He grinned as he turned back to face Walt. His grin faltered when he saw how pale Walt’s features were. “What?”
“Eddy, in your experience when someone claims that there’s been a murder, who do you first suspect?”
“The person who reports it.” Eddy shrugged.
“So, you’ve just made us both prime murder suspects. We were on the train, so we had the opportunity.”
“But no motive.” Eddy smiled. “Yes, I want them to suspect us as that’s the only reason they will send a car out here to pick us up. It saves us money, plus we can gauge the officers that pick us up to see if they are going to be allies.”
“Or, if they’re going to lock us up for murder you mean?” Walt shook his head. “It’s a bold move, Eddy. I can’t say it’s a bad move, but it’s a bold move.”
“It worked didn’t it?” Eddy pointed to the patrol car that pulled up to the sidewalk. “Our chariot awaits.”
“Well, it’ll probably be cleaner than a cab.” Walt sighed with relief.
“Ha, if you say so.” Eddy refrained from detailing the amount of drunks that had thrown up in the back of his patrol car when he worked as a police officer.
Two patrol officers got out of the car and walked towards them. “Did one of you call us?”
“We both did actually.” Eddy straightened his hat. “We’d like to talk to a detective.”
“What about?” The officer narrowed his eyes which were already shadowed by the brim of his hat.
“Let’s discuss that at the station.” Eddy smiled. “Shall we?” He opened the back door of the patrol car. The two officers looked a little put off by his forwardness, but did not stop him. Walt slid in beside him. As soon as he put his foot down on the floorboard of the back seat his pale features tinged with green.
“Eddy, there is a puddle on the floor.”
“Oh yeah, last guy we picked up had a bladder problem.” The officer in the passenger seat laughed. “Sorry about that.”
“Bladder? Did he say bladder?” Walt looked over at Eddy with his mouth wide open.
“He’s just pulling your leg.” Eddy smiled. “But if I were you I would keep your feet up.”
Walt did just that for the remainder of the ride to the police station.
When they arrived at the station it was much smaller than they expected. There was a general sleepy atmosphere. A few of the officers even had their feet propped up on their desks and their chairs tipped back. It was a very relaxed environment.
“Not much action around here, hmm?” Eddy glanced at the officer.
“We like it that way.” He smiled. “There is the detective.” He pointed to one of the men who had his feet propped up on a desk. “Detective Richardson.”
The detective snorted and then opened his eyes. “What is it?”
“Are you working on the death from the train overnight?” Eddy asked.
“Why would I be?” He laughed. “A suicide doesn’t need much investigation.”
“Unless it wasn’t a suicide.” Walt offered him a friendly smile. “Did you consider that possibility?”
“Of course not, we had the suicide note, not hard to predict what happened when someone spells it out for you, is it?” He sat up in his chair and then leaned forward across his desk. “You two claim to know something, so please, educate me.”
“It was clearly a murder.” Walt tapped his finger lightly against his palm. “Ryan had just been released from prison, he was free, not depressed. He was on the way to claim the hand of the love of his life. He was happy. Not only that but we believe that we found a piece of his shirt on the railing by the viewing platform.”
“Oh? A piece of shirt?” Detective Richardson laughed. “That seals it then. I guess we can go out and arrest someone because of a piece of shirt. Oh wait, there are no suspects, because this was not a murder. Are you two a bit senile?”
“Excuse me, Sir?” Walt narrowed his eyes. “Not only is that a very discriminatory comment, it is completely untrue. My mind is as sharp as it has always been.”
“Really? Did you have a little accident there?” He pointed at the cuff of Walt’s pants and his soaked shoe.
“That was the result of a disgusting puddle in the back of one of your filthy police cars. I can’t believe that you would even transport criminals in that nasty environment.”
“Uh huh. Well, you haven’t told me anything solid here. Did either of you witness the crime?” He raised an eyebrow.
“No.” Eddy began. Before he could give any other explanation the detective pushed forward.
“Did either of you commit the crime?”
“Of course not.” Walt scowled.
“All right then, you have no actual knowledge of a murder being committed. Why are you wasting your time?”
“Was the crime scene even evaluated? Was any evidence gathered at all? Were there any marks on the body not caused by the fall?” Eddy asked.
“Did we examine a body that was battered by rocks after jumping off a moving train for any marks that were not caused by the fall?” Detective Richardson asked incredulously. “As for the crime scene, it was rocky terrain. There was nothing to be evaluated. We didn’t collect any evidence because there was no need for it.”
“What about from his room?” Eddy’s eyes widened a little. “Was anything unusual found there?”
“Other than a suicide note signed by the person who committed suicide? No.” He frowned. “I don’t know why you’ve gotten it into your heads that this was a murder, but it wasn’t. Now, it may have looked like I wasn’t doing much when you walked in, but sleep is actually very important to me. So, if there’s nothing else.” He thumped one foot and then the other back up on the desk. “I’d like to get back to it.”
“Sure, we shouldn’t interrupt your beauty sleep with actual polic
e work.” Eddy started to turn away.
“Maybe if you had something to show me, we could talk.”
“I’ve got two prime suspects and a hunch.” Eddy shrugged. “That’s all I can offer right now. I was hoping that you might have more. But I can see that you’ve already tabled this case.”
“I’ve done my job. If you can bring me something that proves me wrong, please do.” He closed his eyes.
Walt and Eddy exchanged a frustrated glance. Eddy knew the detective was right. They didn’t have enough to even make a case for a homicide.
“We’re going to need a ride.” Eddy sighed.
Chapter Fourteen
The attendance at the flower show had thinned out. Samantha strolled through the displays with Jo who snapped pictures along the way. She started to relax and really enjoy herself as she had intended to on the trip.
“This was a great idea, Jo.”
Jo smiled from behind her camera. “It’s easy to forget your troubles when you’re surrounded by beauty.”
Samantha nodded in agreement. She paused in front of a large display of purple flowers. As Samantha looked over the bright purple blossoms she felt a slight prickle along the back of her neck. She knew that there was no reason to be suspicious, but the feeling was usually a sign that someone was watching her from a distance. Her instincts rarely failed her. She decided to move along to the next exhibit and see if the feeling moved along with her. Maybe a random bug had crawled from a petal onto the back of her neck. She slapped at the exposed skin.
“Look at this.” Jo pointed out a blossom that looked similar to a feather with long, white tendrils. “I think this would look very nice in my garden. What do you think?”
“Uh huh.” The prickle raced along her skin again. Samantha looked over her shoulder with a sharp movement.
“Samantha? Are you okay?” Jo frowned.
“I’m sorry, Jo. I just have this weird feeling. It seems like someone might be following us.”
Jo surveyed the crowd behind them. “It’s pretty crowded.”
“I know, but sometimes there’s that sensation of being watched. I feel that now.”
“Do you think it’s Peter?”
Samantha bit into her bottom lip. “I don’t think so. After our conversation on the phone I doubt that he’s interested in speaking to me again. Besides, I’m sure he wouldn’t just follow me.”
“I wouldn’t be too sure about that. After all we suspect he might be involved.” Jo’s shoulders tensed as she looked over the crowd again. “Keep your eyes open, Samantha. Not only is Peter a possible suspect, but if he didn’t do it, we don’t know who did. It could be anyone in this crowd.”
“I hate to think that. Unless we find some serious evidence that Ryan was killed his case will remain closed.” Samantha gritted her teeth. “That would be terrible.”
“It would.” Jo nodded. “Hopefully Eddy and Walt will come up with something.”
“I’m going to use the restroom.” Samantha headed towards the building that housed the restrooms. Before she could open the door the back of her neck prickled again. She felt on edge as she looked around her. There weren’t too many people by the building. Samantha spotted a woman who stood only a few feet from the bathrooms. She didn’t hide the fact that she was staring right at Samantha. She looked to be in her twenties and quite petite. Samantha had no idea who she was, but there was no question that she was looking straight at her.
“Is there a problem?” Samantha locked eyes with the woman.
“Yes there is. A very big one. You know, when people showed up at my door, I assumed they were connected with the police in some way, but now I know better.”
“Who are you?” Samantha looked at the woman with widened eyes.
“My name is Leila, which I’m sure you already know. You and your friends are trying to ruin my life.”
“Leila?” Samantha smiled a little. “Ah, now I understand. Have you been following me?”
“I just want to know why. Why is that you think you have the right to interfere in my life? Everything was fine, and then Ryan got released from prison. Now you and your friends are accusing my future husband of killing Ryan.”
“It was clearly not a suicide.” Samantha folded her arms across her chest. “Doesn’t that bother you at all, Leila? Your ex, who was so in love with you that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you, was murdered.”
“No!” Leila threw her hands in the air. “No, it doesn’t bother me at all! I don’t care if that makes me a bad person. I’m glad he’s dead. I don’t care how or why. He’s out of my life, that’s all that matters to me. He was a terrible person. I can finally start my life without him hanging over my head. I should now have a chance of happiness. Instead my fiancé is being questioned by a bunch of busybodies. I want to know what gives you the right to interfere in my life?”
“Leila, someone was murdered. Whether you liked him or not, he was still a person who did not deserve to be thrown off a train, no matter what he did.”
“You don’t know that, you can’t know that.” Leila glared. “I want you and your friends to stay away from Cory. He had nothing to do with this. He’s a gentle man who could never hurt anyone.”
“Is that what you think?” Samantha said. “You have no idea what a man is capable of when it comes to protecting the woman that he loves.”
“No, not Cory. He loves me, I know that. But he doesn’t have a vicious bone in his body. Besides, if I wanted Ryan dead, I would have taken care of it myself.”
“Is that a confession?” Samantha raised an eyebrow. “You just told me that you didn’t care how he died, you were just happy that he was dead. Do you stand by that statement?”
“I didn’t say I was happy. I just said it was a good thing. I didn’t kill him either, obviously. I wasn’t on the train, I was working.” Leila sighed. “If you four continue, I will press harassment charges against all of you.”
“I’ll keep that in mind, Leila. Are there any other ways that you would like to threaten me?”
“Samantha?” Jo walked towards them. “Are you okay?”
Leila glared at Jo and then walked away from both of them. “Was that, Leila?” Jo stared after the woman.
“Yes, it was.”
“How did she find you?”
“I think she must have followed Eddy and Walt or you and seen the four of us together.”
“What did she want?”
“Let’s just say that she’s not too broken up over Ryan’s death. She’s threatened to charge us with harassment if we keep looking into his death.”
“Oh really?” Jo shook her head. “I guess that she doesn’t have a problem with Ryan being murdered.”
“Not at all. In fact, now I’m starting to wonder if she didn’t have a hand in it. I’m going to make some calls, is that okay, Jo?”
“Sure it’s fine. The flower show is winding down anyway. Only about an hour left.” Jo smiled. “I’m really glad that I got to see it.”
Samantha excused herself to a bench that was out of the way and began looking up information about Leila on her phone. From her social media account it was fairly easy for her to find that Leila worked at a convenience store, ‘Snacks for Sunshine’. She raised an eyebrow. She thought the name of the store was unique and not something she had seen in other areas. She guessed it was a privately owned shop. Samantha decided to see if she was really working around the time of Ryan’s death. She dialed the number of the convenience store.
“Snacks for Sunshine.”
“Hi, I’m calling to inquire about an employee of yours. I need to know if she was the person that I had such a great experience with yesterday. Could you tell me who was working yesterday?”
“Oh sure, it was Leila. She was here all day. She had to be because the boss had off. If you want I can let her know that you called to compliment her and leave a note for the boss.”
“Actually, I’d love to talk to him myself, she was
just so helpful. What’s his name? Maybe I could find a way to contact him myself.”
“Sure. Mr. Smith. Actually, he lets us call him Mick. Mick Smith.” Samantha was shocked as she recognized the name, but she tried to hide it when she spoke.
“Oh wow, what a small world. I think I know his son Cory Smith. Does Cory work there, too?” Samantha poised her pen above her paper.
“Sure, not yesterday though. He was off, too. That’s why I was glad that Leila was here with me. I must have been stocking the cooler when you came by. What did she do for you? I’d love to let her know that you called. What’s your name? Can I give her a message from you?”
“No thanks. I have all I need.” Samantha hung up the phone before he could ask her any more questions. She frowned. Leila clearly had an alibi. It was possible that the employee would lie for her, but with Cory and Mick on the train why would she also need to be there?
Chapter Fifteen
“Can you drop us off here, please?” Eddy knocked on the screen that divided the front and back of the patrol car. The officer pulled off to the side of the road. Walt was eager to get out of the car. The officers pulled away the moment they were out.
“Not too fond of us I don’t think,” Walt said. “What’s your plan? I know you have something in mind.”
“This is where Leila lives. Right down there at the end of the street. I think it’s time we told Cory what we know about his father. It’s the only card we have left to play. I want to see if he will take us to him.”
“All right, let’s give it a shot.” Walt glanced at his watch. “We have a few hours before we have to leave on the train.”
“Are you ready for this?” Eddy looked over at Walt. “He’s a big guy you know. When we bring his father into it, he might get physical.”
“I know. I’m not worried. We want to rile him up a bit. It’s the best way to get to the truth.”
“Since when did you become an expert on interrogation?” Eddy laughed with surprise.
“I know things. I watch those cop shows.” Walt smiled.