“Was she scared or upset that day?”
“No, it was the absolute opposite. Sissy was happy and whistling. In fact, I really thought that she was on drugs or something. Who gets excited about marks all over them?”
Someone who likes really enthusiastic sex, that’s who.
Quinn heard enough. “Okay, thank you, Missy. I happen to agree that it’s best your father not hear any of this for now. I won’t tell him we heard it from you,” he reassured.
Missy stared at them solemnly, trying to find solace. “Are you going to find the person who did this?”
“Oh, yeah, we are. You can bet on it. We’re getting closer, and before long, we’ll nail the bastard who did this,” Quinn promised.
Missy trusted the man. “I have to go. Thank you,” she called, going back inside to her parents.
As they were leaving, Quinn glanced over at Callie. “I don’t get the fancy underwear thing,” he admitted. “Is it because I’m a guy? Is that some secret woman thing?”
Callie clued him in. “Let’s just say that a woman doesn’t buy, or wear, the sexy stuff unless she’s crazy about a man.”
“Oh, I see,” he said. “Are you planning on buying sexy underwear to wear for me?” he asked, leaning over to kiss her briefly.
“No,” she replied.
“Oh,” he said, clearly hurt.
“I already have a drawer full of things that would make you swallow your tongue, big guy. Plus, you like when I ‘forget’ to wear any at all.”
Quinn was relieved. For a second there, his stomach had bottomed out. “You have a very valid point on that last part.”
“Swing me by my place, and I’ll give you a show that’ll stop your heart.”
Quinn didn't doubt that for a second. Oh, how he wished they had some spare time. Sadly, they had one more place to stop before they could head back to the station. It was off to face the family of a seventeen-year-old, who wasn’t as innocent as her mother had thought.
It seemed that sin was definitely plentiful in Myrtle Springs, and it was popping up in all the unexpected places.
Laura Wilkes opened the door on the second knock. She was pale and appeared to be falling apart. Not that anyone could blame her, since she had lost her only child.
“Sheriff, Doctor, please come in. I was just making sweet tea, would you care for some?” she asked, trying to muster some hospitality.
“No, thank you, Laura. We came because we need to ask you a few questions about Aimee Jo,” said Quinn, opening it up for Callie.
She took her cue. “Laura, how are you feeling?”
The woman laughed sardonically. “I’m doing lousy, Doctor. I can’t stop dreaming about her. Every time I close my eyes, she’s there calling to me, and I can’t reach her. I can’t believe my baby is gone,” she said, breaking down into tears.
“Yes, she’s physically gone, Laura, but you’ll always have a part of her with you,” she promised, taking the woman’s hand as she rubbed it gently.
“I just can’t…,” she said, breaking down.
“Tell me about your daughter.”
That must have surprised Laura because it made her smile as the memories flooded back.
“She loved to color as a little girl. Her obsession was modeling clay. God, she thought it was the greatest stuff in the world. Only, she always forgot to close it up, and we had to throw it out all the time. I spent a small fortune on that stuff,” said the woman, wiping her tears.
“What else?” asked Callie.
“Well, she could play the flute. I got her a used one when she was seven, and all she wanted to do was march the mice out of town. My baby had a pure heart and was my everything. Now, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”
“I don’t have my office anymore, but you can call me anytime you need someone to just talk to,” she offered.
Laura smiled. “You’re one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. Most of the townsfolk just look at me funny because I’m married to a drunk. They judge me because of it, and they did the same to Aimee Jo all the time.”
“Well, I, too, have been a victim of prejudice a few times, so I know how much it hurts. I need you to promise me something, Laura.”
She stared at Callie, tears rolling down her face. “What?”
“That if you need to talk to someone about your feelings, you won’t hesitate to reach out and call me. No matter the time of day, I promise you I’ll be available. You can even come to my house and sit with me in my garden.”
Laura started to cry.
Callie wrapped her arms around the woman. “Shhhh, it’s going to get better. I promise. The grief will pass, and you’ll heal.”
“Thank you, Doctor Carter,” she said, again.
“Please, it’s Callie. It’s what all my friends call me. I think that as soon as we catch the killer, you and I will go to ‘The Herb Pot’. We can order a special tree to plant it in honor of your child.”
“That would be nice. I love that store. I always wished that I could work there,” said the woman, wiping her eyes again. “It’s so peaceful inside.”
Callie saw a way to bring her back to the world of the living. “Well, I might be able to help you there. My friend, Susie, owns the place and is looking for some help.”
“Wow, thank you,” she said, once more surprised by the woman’s kindness. “I guess you need to ask some questions now, huh?”
Quinn took over. “Yeah, Laura, but we’re only asking them because we want to catch the killer. We need to find who took Aimee Jo away from you.”
“Okay, I’m ready,” said the woman, sitting back as she blew her nose.
“Was Aimee Jo dating anyone?” questioned Callie.
“No. She mostly worked to buy clothes. She wanted to be a movie star, and wearing pretty things made her feel special,” said Laura, misting up again.
“Was anyone bothering her?”
The woman shook her head. “Other than the normal high school bullying, no.”
“Would you have a problem with us looking around Aimee Jo’s bedroom?” asked Quinn.
“No, I suppose not. What do you expect to find?”
“I’m not sure, but you never know what might help out,” he said, pulling Callie to her feet.
“It’s through there and to the left,” said Laura, as she sat there crying more. “I can’t go in there yet, so you’ll have to do it without me.”
“We understand,” Quinn said, leading the doctor there. All he could hope was they’d find something.
When they entered the room, it appeared to be that of a normal teenager. It was a decent size and filled with posters. There were even some pictures that the girl had cut out and plastered all over the place. Nothing looked out of place.
“I’ll start over here,” he offered.
“Try not to disturb anything, Quinn. Laura needs this room to heal, and it might take longer if anything is wrecked or moved. We need to preserve it the best we can.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He couldn’t hold it in anymore. “You know, what you did in there was really kind. I can see why you’re really good at your job,” he said, carefully opening a desk drawer.
“Everyone needs a little compassion in life, especially when they’ve hit rock bottom. I know she could use a friend, and I sure as hell could use more than just one,” said Callie, searching through the tons of clothing in the girl’s closet.
“I’d like to think that I’m your friend, Callie,” said Quinn, as he checked out the books on the shelves.
“You’re more than my friend, Quinton. You’re the love of my life,” she admitted.
It caught him off guard. The words sent chills down his spine.
“It was love,” said Callie suddenly.
“Huh?” he asked, more than a little confused. “What are you talking about?”
Callie pointed at the nightstand. “She was in love with someone, Quinn.”
“How can you tell?” he asked, staring over h
er shoulder at what was in Callie’s hand.
There she stood with a notebook. Covering it were doodles of hearts and other symbols of love. “She must have been sitting here by the phone, waiting for him to call, or while she was talking to him.”
He understood now. “Then let’s search the place. I don’t see a laptop, and she didn't have a smart phone, so I doubt that she was big into email. Maybe she left us more clues,” he said, sliding his hand along the wall’s baseboard, as Callie checked under the mattresses.
They looked everywhere.
“I think I found something,” he said, as his hand touched a loose board in the floor. Quinn dropped to his knees and gently pulled. “Well this explains why the techs didn’t find this before,” said Quinn, standing with a diary in his hand.
“I bet that will be useful. Girls write about their dream men all the time in diaries or journals.”
Quinn grinned. “Oh they do? Do you have a diary, Callie?”
“Maybe I do, and maybe I don’t,” she said laughing. “All I’m saying is if I do, it’s going to be X-rated when it comes to you.”
Instantaneously, that gave his ego a huge boost. He hated to use sex as a way to get Callie to stay with him, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
“Come on. Let’s finish this room, and then ask Laura if we can take the diary with us.”
“Good idea,” said Quinn. “Then, you can tell me how naughty your private thoughts really are.”
“Oh, Quinton. I may look like a demure doctor, but inside I’m a rampant pervert.”
Hallelujah.
Quinn definitely found his dream woman.
Twenty minutes later, they had finished searching the room. Saying goodbye to Laura, Callie scribbled her cell number down on a piece of paper.
“Where to now, big guy?” she asked.
“We can head back to the station. We have receipts to go through, and you have a diary to read,” he stated. “I think we’ll order in lunch. I’m starving.”
“I’m ready to wrap this all up. I want to move on.”
For some reason, that felt ominous and didn't sit well with him.
At all…
* * *
It was a slow morning at the grocery store. There were only three cars in the parking lot, and few customers milling around.
Nate and Luke headed into the little market to search for Beulah James. Once she corroborated her husband’s alibis, they could head back to base.
Asking a stock clerk if she was working, the man pointed them in the right direction. Sitting behind the register was a fairly attractive woman in her forties. She had medium length hair and she was currently filing her nails as she looked incredibly bored.
The minute the woman sensed them near, she glanced up curiously. “Hello there. Can I help you with something?” She checked out the one man in a pricy suit, and the other in his polo. They were both incredibly attractive.
“Yes, ma’am. We’re looking for Beulah James,” said Nate.
She was even more confused. “I’m Beulah. What’s wrong?”
“We’re with the FBI, and we’re here working on the slayings of the five women in town.”
“Oh, okay. What can I do for you?”
“Are you married to Ed James?” Luke inquired, pulling out his tablet to take notes.
“Why, yes I am. Has something happened to my Ed?” Now, she was worried, expecting the worst. “Was he in an accident?”
“No, ma’am, but we need to ask you a few questions.”
Her heart thumped in her chest. “Okay.”
“Can you please tell me where you were Sunday night?” asked Luke, reading the information that he had noted from Ed’s statement.
“Uh, let’s see. I was with my two lady friends. We were having coffee, and then I came home. Ed was asleep in bed.”
“So you weren’t with your husband the entire night?”
“No, I was at church, and then coffee with the girls. Is my husband in trouble?” she asked, suddenly becoming alarmed.
“No, ma’am. We just need to tie up all the loose ends on our investigation,” said Nate, watching the woman’s face. He could tell that she wasn’t buying a single word he was saying to her. She was fraught with nerves.
“Can we go over the rest of these dates?” asked Luke, giving the woman his best smile.
“I guess so,” she replied, sitting back down on her chair as she prepared to answer the FBI’s questions. “Are you sure he’s not in some kind of trouble? Did Ed do something wrong?”
The Feds simply smiled reassuringly.
That would all depend on her answers.
She was his last chance.
When they had finished questioning Beulah, the two men sat in their SUV. To say they were perplexed at the woman’s answers would be an understatement. Something wasn’t adding up at all.
“She corroborated every night except the first one we asked her about,” said Luke, shaking his head. “I think she figured her husband was in trouble.”
“I agree. She knew why we were there after I asked the first question. Now, we have nothing. I can’t base anything on a single thing she said. Beulah even alibied Ed on days that he admitted he was alone.”
“It’s obvious that she was protecting her husband.”
“Yeah, well, that makes him look more suspicious,” he said, starting up the car. “Come on. I’m starving. Let’s get back to the station and start weeding through the receipts. Maybe we can get some food while we’re at it.”
“Food and some down time would be good.”
“Oh, yeah, tell me about it,” said Nate, still mulling the alibi situation around in his head. It wasn’t sitting well in his gut.
Something was odd in Myrtle Springs. Now, they just needed to figure out what.
* * *
Callie and Quinn were sitting in the conference room when Nate and Luke arrived. Quinn let them in on everything, including how the reverend’s wife gave him the perfect alibi for every date they mentioned.
“We had that same problem,” he added.
Quinn went on to tell them about Sissy Parker, and how her sister had suspected that the young woman was indeed having a sexual relationship with the reverend. They still were unable to connect the reverend to Aimee Jo.
Well, for now at least.
“You think that’s frustrating,” offered Luke, as he proceeded to tell Callie and Quinn about catching Ed with a young girl. “He also admitted to an affair with Jonnie Sharp and an ongoing fling with Martha.”
“It’s not looking good for Ed,” Callie said.
“Yeah, it gets weirder.” He told them about Beulah, and how she covered for him.
“She’s probably worried about her husband, just like the reverend’s wife,” said Callie, as she began tapping her fingers on the table. “If two Feds strolled in and asked me questions about Quinn, I’d be prone to cover for him too.”
He glanced over at her. “But I’m not your husband.”
Yeah, she was well aware.
Callie fought for composure. “Yeah, but I know you’re a good man. My instinct would be to protect you, at any cost.”
Nate didn't like when things weren’t adding up. “We still haven’t connected any of the suspects to Aimee Jo. Neither was having a sexual relationship with her. She didn’t attend church, and she was only seventeen. None of this fits.”
Callie tended to agree. “The killer isn’t going to be picking random people. In his mind, he’s going to see a connection. We just need to figure it out, and find the thread that ties it all together.”
They all thought about it.
Luke clicked his pen. “We can tie the other four women to the two men and connect them to their killings.”
“Then, that should be our focus,” she answered.
“It’s frustrating,” added Quinn, flipping through the receipts. “I think we need to order some food, get some coffee, and try this again as soon as we
fuel up.”
“Yeah, I’m running on empty,” said Luke.
“Let’s get lunch. The FBI’s buying,” said Nate, as he pulled out his credit card.
“It’s about time,” she laughed, as she started dialing the deli.
* * *
Monday Afternoon
An hour later, when their sandwiches had arrived, Callie handed Quinn his lunch before dropping a kiss to his forehead. “I can’t wait to go home, shower, and change.”
“I’m jonesing for some of your peach pie and sleep,” said Luke, biting into his sandwich. “I swear that we need a big break. DNA evidence would be really great right about now.”
Quinn laughed. “I’d like it if the killer just turned himself in so we could go back to having normal lives. I don’t know how you two do this every day,” said Quinn.
“It was easier with Callie. She used to see the tiny clues we missed. She has a very analytical brain,” said her brother.
“Why, thank you, Nate. See, you aren’t the hard ass that I tell everyone you are,” she teased, tossing him a can of soda and sitting down to eat her own lunch.
“I love her for her brain,” said Quinn, chewing. “In fact, I am all about the squishy gray matter between her ears. It’s hot.”
Callie nudged him with her elbow, and earned herself a kiss on the neck.
“Are you bringing him home to meet momma?” asked Nate, as he and Luke smiled evilly at the unsuspecting man.
Quinn glanced back and forth between them, unsure why they looked like the cats who swallowed a cage full of canaries.
“I planned on it the then next time I went home.”
“Should I be getting nervous right about now?” he asked. “What? Does she eat men for dinner?”
“No, our mother is just tough. That’s all, darlin’. She doesn’t put up with much crap,” added Callie, chewing her food.
Nate found that funny. “You’d think our father was the tough one, but you’d be mistaken. That woman has bigger balls than any man I’ve ever met. If you want to see stubborn,” he said pausing, “look at her daughter. She’s her mother’s child.”
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