by Leonie Gant
“I wasn’t using you” said Griffin through gritted teeth.
I smiled coldly. “Yes, you were. Well now you got precisely what you wanted, could you please explain to me why I am here?”
Griffin went to say something else, but took one look at my face and obviously thought better of it.
“We need to know if Adele knew about Eric’s first wife.”
“As far as I am aware she didn’t know.”
“Were you aware of Eric’s first wife?”
“I only met Ruby for the first time yesterday. I informed her of the funeral believing her to be a friend. Her speech today was as much a surprise to me as it was to everyone else.”
Griffin looked at me expecting me to continue. Fat chance of that happening. I would answer his questions but that was it. No way was I trusting this man with any more information.
“On the morning of the murder we found gunshot residue on Adele’s hands, do you know of anywhere that she would have got the gunshot residue?”
“No.”
“Do you believe Adele killed her husband?”
“No.”
“Do you have any idea of anyone else who could have killed Eric Wesson?”
“No.”
“Are you planning on answering any of my questions with anything other than a yes or no answer?”
“No.”
“Dammit Trudie, stop being so stubborn. This is a murder case and it’s a little more important than the fact you have got your feelings hurt. I did my job and I’d do it exactly the same again.”
“Good to know” I said. “As you’ve got everything about today on tape I don’t think there is any need for this to continue. I don’t think Adele killed her husband but you know what, at the moment I’m having serious doubts about my intuition when it comes to the people I believe in. I have no idea who killed Eric. I do not have any further information that will help you, so talking to me is a complete waste of your time and my patience. If you have any further questions for me you can direct them to my lawyer, Reggie. I’m sure you remember him, because I know he remembers you.”
With that I picked up my purse and headed for the door. Griffin jumped up and grabbed my arm.
“Trudie, don’t be like this. You don’t understand, I have a job to do.”
I shook off his arm. “You’re wrong” I said. “I understand perfectly well. You used me. It may have been for all the right reasons but at the moment I don’t like you very much. So, like I said if you need to speak to me, do it through my lawyer.”
Holding my head high I walked away, feeling his stare right between my shoulder blades but I’m proud to say I didn’t falter, not at any point during the walk through the station, not on the car ride home and not on the walk into my apartment. I held it together as I peeled off my clothes and stepped into the shower. Only in there was I finally able to let go and for today it wasn’t tears. No, I was angry, really angry. Part of me kept repeating that he was only doing his job but there was a bigger part of me that felt betrayed. I really wanted to hit something, preferably an arrogant detective, but wait a minute, I was never going to see that arrogant detective again. Once I had that thought the tears did start. After a good cathartic cry I found myself in my most comfortable sweats tucking into a large tub of ice cream.
An insistent knock on my door distracted me from the ice cream headache I was trying to give to myself. Looking at the door I just did not feel up to dealing with anyone and decided to ignore the knocking. It eventually stopped and I could hear footsteps walking away. I breathed a sigh of relief and got back to drowning my sorrows in the ice cream tub. Next thing I heard was those footsteps returning and the scratching of keys in the lock. I dropped my head not even bothering to look up as Crystal walked in. She took one look at my position on the floor, in sweats that were so worn they could not be seen outside the front door and hugging a tub of ice cream, and shook her head as she grabbed a spoon and sat next to me.
“Those keys are only supposed to be used for emergencies” I said as she tried to grab a spoonful of ice cream.
“This obviously is an emergency” she said as she managed to fill her spoon. “So what did Detective Hottie do?”
“What makes you think it was him” I grumbled, “and anyway from now on he’s Detective Dumbass.”
“Ouch” Crystal grimaced. “What did he do?”
“He used me to make a case against my boss for murder.”
“That’s a new one” she said, “but what do you expect? All men are jerks only after one thing.”
“Bad time?” Edwin said from the doorway.
“No, no” said Crystal waving him in. “I was just saying men are jerks after one thing.”
Edwin paused as he sat down. “You do realize that I am a man.”
“Well yeah” said Crystal as she licked her spoon, “but I don’t think of you as a man, not in the normal sense anyway.”
I winced at Edwin’s crestfallen look which he wiped away quickly. Crystal treated Edwin as her gay best friend. Unfortunately Edwin was very straight and had a crush on Crystal. He was also a struggling actor. Seeing as Crystal had struggling actors hitting on her all the time in the hope that she would cast them in a blockbuster movie, Edwin was biding his time until he made his own way in the acting world. Then he would pursue Crystal. The only stumbling block in this grand master plan that he had told me about one night, when he was very drunk, was that Edwin was a really bad actor. He was gorgeous, which was a point in his favor, but despite the endless acting lessons the man gave new meaning to the word wooden. Unfortunately he hadn’t quite worked that out for himself yet and I wasn’t ready to destroy his dreams, so the three of us went ahead as if everything was perfectly normal.
“So what man is proof that the entire gender is worthless” Edwin said as he grabbed his own spoon.
“Detective Dumbass” Crystal said still licking the spoon with Edwin watching her avidly.
“I thought we were going with Detective Hottie.”
“Not anymore, not after what he’s done.” Crystal said with relish as Edwin passed the tub of ice cream to her with a look of anticipation on his face.
I grabbed it and wrenched it back.
Edwin frowned. “So what did Detective Dumbass do that was so terrible that he is being held up as an example of all that is wrong with men.”
I looked at him sourly. “You know you weren’t invited.”
“Yes, well I’m pretty sure that Crystal wasn’t invited either, but here we are. Just look at us as your own personal therapy session, full of judgment and bad advice.”
“He overheard something Adele said to me on the phone and used it to get some incriminating evidence from her house. He called me last night to make sure that I wasn’t near Adele’s house so he could do a search warrant, and he bugged Eric’s coffin today by using me to get access to the funeral home. He did all this without telling me.”
Edwin looked at me quizzically. “Hasn’t he just done his job? He’s a cop looking for a murderer, isn’t he supposed to do anything it takes.”
Both Crystal and I looked at him.
“Or not. Bad Detective Dumbass.” He popped a spoon of ice cream in his mouth.
“Look” I said, “logically I know he was just doing his job, but right at this moment I feel used. I thought something special was happening between us but now I feel like he betrayed me.”
“I understand” said Crystal.
Edwin popped up an eyebrow.
“No, hear me out. I had a date last night with a guy and we started talking about what constituted cheating in a relationship. He was telling me that as a guy he doesn’t think kissing is even close to cheating. And I said that it didn’t matter what he thought constituted cheating. If I’m the girlfriend, it matters what I think is cheating, because it is about my feelings and how hurt and betrayed I felt. That’s exactly the same here. Detective Dumbass thinks what he did was the right thing, but you feel hurt an
d betrayed. Doesn’t matter what he thinks because it’s your feelings at play here. It only matters what you feel. If you can’t deal with what he’s done, then it is better that you give him the flick.”
She sat back, proud of her analogy and looked expectantly at Edwin and me.
“What?” she said looking confused at our expressions.
“No,” I said, “your thinking is sound. I’m just wondering why you are discussing what constitutes cheating on a first date. Were you guys establishing some ground rules for the future or something?”
“No of course not. I worked out I wasn’t seeing him again within the first thirty seconds.”
“Then why didn’t you leave?” I ventured.
“Are you kidding, they make the best dates when there is no trying to impress while you are holding out for a future date. I get to have the most awesome conversations. I start asking questions and next thing I know guys just start letting it all hang out.”
“And you think that is a good thing” I said slowly.
“It’s great” Crystal said. “When both of you know that it’s not going anywhere but you’re still willing to finish the date it means you can say anything.”
“Which brings us to a conversation on cheating on the first date.”
“Exactly, so you have no cause to feel you are being unreasonable. It’s about how you are feeling. That’s all that is important.”
“You have anything to add to Dr Phil over there” I said to Edwin.
“No, I think she got it all. Anyway you’ve got us and you’ve got ice cream. What more could you possibly need.”
Chapter Twenty-One
I kept repeating Edwin’s advice as I sat in the courtroom the next day across from Griffin at Adele’s bail arraignment. I had debated whether to attend the hearing, but I had been with Adele every step of the way, and just because I wanted to spend the day huddled under my blankets, didn’t mean I was going to desert her now. I had to deal with the situation at hand. Unfortunately my situation at hand was a client who was charged with the murder of her husband.
Elliot and Miranda Powell came through the courthouse doors and I smiled tentatively at them. Miranda smiled back and Elliot nodded his head at me. They sat closer to the front of the courtroom, probably trying to make sure that Adele knew they were there. Surprisingly Travis also turned up at and slid into the seat beside me. I could see Griffin frowning when he saw the two of us but I ignored him.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed.
“I was witness in a case earlier. Saw this was on the docket so thought I’d have a look.”
“You know, considering you are not being paid for this you seem to be spending an awful lot of time following this case” I said.
“Just curious I guess. Gotta say, did not see this coming at all. I assumed I’d get another phone call, find Eric with his pants down and a quick and expensive divorce. Would never have guessed that she had it in her to off her husband.”
“She might not have been the one to kill him.” I whispered back.
“I don’t know” said Travis. “Much as I don’t like the guy, Griffin is pretty good at his job. I don’t think he would have charged her unless he had some compelling evidence.”
I stared ahead stonily. Travis looked at me speculatively. “And he used you to get the evidence didn’t he?”
I glared at him.
“Told you he was all about the job. You need to not be in the way when he is after someone or he will roll right over the top of you.”
“You’re going with an ‘I told you so’ now” I said, letting my annoyance show.
“Oh honey, believe me I wish for your sake it could have been different but at least you found out what he is like now rather than later.”
“Well thank you” I said sarcastically. “Now maybe I should start working for you and lose all my faith in humanity.”
“Wouldn’t want that” Travis murmured and as I looked in his eyes I saw seriousness for a change.
At that moment Adele was led into the courtroom. She looked frail. Jail was not going to work for her. Without her makeup and wardrobe she looked fragile and delicate.
Travis let out a breath. “She’s not looking good is she?”
I shook my head. If this was how much she deteriorated after only one night, I didn’t see her being able to hold up for much longer. Watching the legal arguments being made between the prosecutor and the hotshot criminal lawyer that Elliot had organized, I suddenly felt tired. The legal arguments were over quickly and bail was set. Elliot and Miranda hustled Adele out of the courtroom and whisked her away, probably to a drug induced sleep.
“Want a coffee?” Travis nudged me as I stood up.
“Sure” I said and followed him out.
Sitting in the diner Travis leaned back and studied me.
“What?” I said. “Do I have something on my face?”
“You don’t believe she did it do you?”
“No” I said.
“Why not?”
“Probably because I’m a trusting idiot” I said tiredly.
“Even trusting idiots need a reason” said Travis. “What is yours?”
“Adele is deathly afraid of spiders, hates them with a passion.”
“Okay, but what does that have to do with anything?” Travis asked.
“One morning when I came into work, Adele was hunched in a corner. There was a spider on her desk and she was absolutely freaking out. I was going to kill it for her when she stopped me, asked me to catch it, drive twenty miles and release it.”
“Seems a bit extreme” Travis said.
“The point I’m trying to make is that she hated that spider, wanted it gone but even then she would not let me kill it. At the moment I’m the last person to say that the woman is a saint, but I really don’t think she has it in her to stand next to Eric, shoot a bullet into his head and then crawl into bed beside him and go to sleep.”
“Does sound a bit unlikely” conceded Travis as he took a sip of coffee. “Griffin must have some serious evidence if he believes that Adele is the killer.”
“As far as I know they found the gun in Adele’s safe, gun residue on her hands and they’ve got a recording of a discussion Adele and I had next to Eric’s coffin, where she told me that she hated him and that it was a good thing he was dead.”
Travis raised an eyebrow.
“I know, out of context it sounds bad. I mean it didn’t sound good in context either, but I still don’t think she did it.”
“Where would you go next if you were looking into it?”
“I’d probably speak to Eric’s other wife.”
Travis choked on his coffee.
“Another wife?” he queried as he grabbed a napkin and started to wipe up his shirt.
“Yes, it seems that Eric married Ruby, the neighbor we saw the other day, about six years ago. Didn’t divorce her, so legally he was still married to her. She turned up at the funeral yesterday and gave a little speech.”
“Must have been interesting.”
“Yes it was. I had a short chat with her yesterday but this was all before Adele got arrested. I didn’t ask her too many questions. She was hurting. Seems she really loved the jerk.”
I slumped back in my seat.
“Not feeling quite so idealistic at the moment?” Travis queried.
“I’m just dandy” I replied with a forced smile.
“Don’t do that” Travis said leaning over the table.
“Do what?” I queried.
“That fake smile thing. Tell me what’s going on.”
“What are you, a shrink?”
Travis smiled widely. “Honey, I’ve had so many women and men crying on my shoulder, I should be board certified by now.”
“You’re seriously disturbed, you know that” I said, a smile teasing itself out.
“And there’s the smile that I wanted” said Travis as he stood up. “Okay so if we want to find out what re
ally happened to Eric, the next stop is the other wife. You want to come with me?”
“Why are you looking into this?” I asked as I got up. “Surely you have better things to do than look into a closed murder case.”
“Usually I do, but as of this morning I have been hired by Elliot Powell to find any and all information which will provide the defense with reasonable doubt against the charges facing Adele Wesson.”
“For the love of… You were pumping me for information” I said getting annoyed. “Seriously, can I not find one man who is actually interested in my company and not what I may or may not know about a murder?”
Travis grabbed my arm and turned me around. “Firstly I am very interested in your company, with or without the drama that seems to surround you. Secondly, I hadn’t officially taken the case yet. I wanted to get your opinion on the situation before I said yes.” He pulled out his phone. “Now if you don’t want me to take the case I will text Maria and tell her we’re not interested. If you want to help me with the case I will text Maria to send the paperwork through and officially take it on. My next step is your choice honey.”
I looked up at him confused. “Why is it my choice? What I want should have nothing to do with your business decisions.”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with my business decisions. However I like hearing your opinion. You sometimes see things in a way that I may have become too cynical to see. It’s kind of refreshing and sometimes I like seeing the world in the same way that you do. Anyway at least this is a bit of a change from taking photos of men with their pants around their ankles.”
I laughed suddenly. “You are a very strange man” I said. “Take the case. I think Adele needs as much help as she can get.”
Travis shot off a quick text. “Very well then, we need to get to the other wife’s house.”
“What do you mean, we? Surely you don’t want me interfering.”
“You would be wrong” Travis said. “You’ve already established a relationship with her. She is more likely to talk if you are there with me. Also I sometimes have a problem in that women find me intimidating.”
“Really” I said sarcastically, “I can’t imagine why that would be.”
