“So you lied because you were worried that going to a plastic surgeon would end up costing you business?”
He nodded. “Of course. Who wants to hire a personal trainer who goes to a plastic surgeon?”
“That secret getting out is better than going to jail for a murder you didn’t commit, though, isn’t it?” I asked.
“Well, yeah. But I thought I could have it both ways. To be able to keep my secret and also not be arrested for a crime I didn’t commit.”
“I’m afraid there’s no chance of that happening. You need to tell David where you really were that night. It’s your only chance of staying out to prison.”
Wally sighed. “I realize that now.” He grimaced. “It’s amazing how quickly priorities can change when you’re staring down jail time.
“It sure is,” I said. “Now, since you were at the doctor at the time of Julie’s murder, that means there are a number of people who can verify that, right?”
Wally nodded. “Oh yeah. Both the doctor and two members of his staff can confirm I was there. Go talk to them. You’ll see.”
Chapter Sixteen
Since Wally had already lied once, I wasn’t about to just take his alibi at face value. David and I headed over to the offices of Doctor Jacob Hillman, hoping to be able to corroborate Wally’s story.
We tried to get some information out of the doctor’s receptionist, but the moment the curvy redhead saw David’s police badge, she led us to the back of the office to speak with the doctor. Unlike his receptionist, Dr. Hillman wasn’t intimidated by the badge in the least.
“Do I have to remind you about doctor-patient confidentiality?” Hillman asked.
David shook his head. “No. I’m fully aware of the law.”
“Then you know I can’t talk to you.”
“Normally, that would be the case. But this is a special circumstance.”
“I’m all ears.”
“Wally waived that confidentiality.”
Dr. Hillman folded his arms. “Is that so?”
David nodded. He then pulled out his phone and played a voice recording.
“On the day that Julie disappeared, I was at the doctor’s office, getting some work done. Talk to Jacob Hillman and his employees. They’ll tell you,” Wally said on the recording.
David hit the stop button on his phone and turned his attention back to Dr. Hillman.
“So what do you have to say?” David asked.
Dr. Hillman nodded. “Yes, he was here that day.”
***
David was in complete shock as he walked out of the doctor’s office. Not only had Hillman been able to provide verbal corroboration of Wally’s story, but he also showed us security-camera video that proved that Wally was at the doctor’s office during the time of Julie’s murder. Suddenly, Wally had an ironclad alibi.
David remained wide eyed as he took a seat in the driver’s side of his car.
“Talk about a stunning turnaround,” David said.
“Did you really go into the doctor’s office thinking that Wally was lying about this alibi?” I asked.
He nodded. “Is that so hard to believe? After all, Wally’s previous story had been a lie.”
“Fair point.”
David scratched his chin. “It also makes me wonder. If you hadn’t stepped in on Wally’s behalf, when was he planning on coming out with the truth?” He squinted. “Would he really have been willing to go to jail to keep the news of his plastic surgery visits secret?”
“I’ll bet it would have only taken one night in jail before he broke down and blurted out the truth.”
“You’re probably right. Although now we’ll never know.”
“Yeah. Instead, we have a different set of problems.”
David sighed. “We sure do.” He held his pointer finger up. “But before we get back to the case, I have to say, it is pretty wacky that a guy like Wally has been getting work done.”
I nodded. “I know, right? I didn’t see that coming. It’s the last thing I expected to hear out of Wally’s mouth.”
“Which is exactly why he kept it a secret. Still, it’s pretty amazing how there never seems to be a shortage of unusual activity in Treasure Cove.”
I shook my head. “Not even around the holidays. And here I was thinking that some peace and quiet would make for a perfect Christmas gift.”
“It sure would. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that either one of us will be getting that gift this year,” he replied.
“No. It’s too late for that.”
He put his hand on my shoulder. “Maybe next year.”
“I can’t think that far ahead. Right now, I’m focused on finding Julie’s killer,” I said.
“Well, you’re the one with the incredible instincts. What are they telling you right now?”
“That we have our hands full with this case.”
“It doesn’t take great instincts to see that. Is your gut telling you anything else?”
I shook my head. “Not at the moment.”
“That’s a shame.”
“You’re telling me. This is a nightmare scenario. Some lunatic murders Julie right before Christmas and then tries to frame Wally for the crime.” I groaned. “What else could go wrong?”
“I’m not sure you want to ask that question,” he replied.
I laughed nervously. “You’re right. I’d like to take that question back.”
“Done,” David replied. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t change the fact that we are right back at square one.”
Chapter Seventeen
While I understood David’s frustration about the case taking such a striking turn, there was one person I knew who had a much different reaction to the news.
Relief was all over Wally Tuttle’s face as he walked out of the police station as a free man. He stopped on the front steps, took a deep breath, and then stared out into the distance.
As I looked at him, I saw that his eyes were as wide as saucers. I could tell that he was looking at the world in a whole new light. As he should.
I had never been in the position that he was in, but I could imagine what it was like to be falsely accused of murder. To be held by the police, however briefly. To worry if I would ever experience another free day in my entire life. It had been a miserable day for Wally. Even worse was the fact that this had all taken place during the holidays.
Now that he had been exonerated, he was soaking up his freedom with a newfound appreciation. He had only been detained for a few hours, but that was plenty long enough to put a serious scare into him. A lot of worrying could take place in the span of a hundred and twenty minutes.
At that moment, there was only one thing on his mind—freedom.
Wally took another deep breath.
“It must feel nice to get some fresh air in your lungs,” I said.
“You have no idea. It is amazing,” he replied.
“I’ll bet,” I replied. “That said, I hope I never have to experience what you’ve been through.”
“Trust me. I don’t ever want to go through something like this again. This was terrifying enough.”
“I’m really sorry about everything you’ve been through. But at least you’re free now.”
He nodded. “I am. Thanks to you.”
“You mean thanks to your alibi.”
“Sabrina, I owe you a debt of gratitude.”
“That’s nice of you to say, but if you were guilty, there’s nothing I could have done for you.”
“True. But you believed in me and went to bat for me. I won’t forget that.”
“I will always defend the innocent.”
“I know. That’s why you’re who you are.”
“That said, if I hadn’t come along, how long would you have been willing to let yourself stay in jail just to keep your plastic surgeon visits secret?”
“Not long,” he replied. “Speaking of my alibi, can we keep those visits to Dr. Hillman under wraps?”
He breathed a sigh of relief.
“Although if you’re going to be preaching a healthy lifestyle, you should be practicing it as well.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice. I won’t be paying the doctor any more visits.”
“Good.”
Wally looked out. “You know, I never thought air could feel this fresh.”
“That’s because the walls have never closed in on you like that before.”
A look of concern came to Wally’s face as he fell silent. He became lost in thought. To the point where he didn’t even respond to my statement. When a few more seconds passed without a reply from him, I broke the silence.
“Wally, what are you thinking about?”
“Julie.”
I let out a sigh. “I’m so sorry about what happened to her.”
“I still can’t believe she’s gone.”
“I’m having trouble with that myself.”
Wally’s voice took on a reflective tone. “She was so sweet and kind. Just a wonderful woman. Not to mention an amazing girlfriend. Certainly better than I deserved. And now, she’s…”
He couldn’t finish his sentence. Although he didn’t need to. I knew exactly what he was about to say.
I sighed. “I know. It’s heartbreaking.”
Wally’s face strained. “Who could do something so awful?”
“That’s what David and I are going to find out.”
Wally narrowed his eyes. “I hope you make her killer pay for what they did to Julie.”
“That’s the plan.”
Wally stared deep into my eyes. “Do you have any clue who might have done this?”
“Actually, since you mentioned it, I was going to ask you that very question.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I mean, you were dating her. No one has spent more time with her recently than you. So if she was having problems with anyone, I figure you would know about it.”
“I can’t disagree with that,” he replied.
“So can you think of anyone who might have wanted her dead?” I asked.
It didn’t take Wally long to come up with an answer. “As a matter of fact, I can.”
Chapter Eighteen
I rejoined David inside the station when I was done speaking with Wally. When I reached David’s desk, it was safe to say that my boyfriend was not in the best of moods. Frustration hung thick in the air as he stared out the window.
“Is it foolish to ask if you have any updates?” I said.
He pulled his head out of the clouds and looked at me. “No. It’s a perfectly natural question to ask. Unfortunately, you’re not going to like my answer.”
I winced. “In that case, I won’t get my hopes up.”
“Sorry. I wish I had better news for you. Unfortunately, the crime lab didn’t have any additional information to share with me.”
“Which means the killer was very good at covering their tracks.”
David took a deep breath. “Yeah. Just what we need—a smart killer.”
I groaned. “Don’t remind me. This case is already difficult enough as it is.”
“Why do you think I’m so frustrated?”
“You know, it is times like this when I’m glad you keep a box of donuts on your desk.”
I reached for the box.
David grimaced. “I’m afraid I have some more bad news for you.”
I didn’t realize what David was talking about until I opened up the box and realized that it was empty.
“Did you just eat the last one?” I asked.
He shook his head. “That box has been empty for days. With everything that’s going on, I just haven’t gotten around to throwing it out.”
“I understand. It has been pretty hectic around here.” I let out a sigh. “That said, I could really go for a donut right about now.”
“So could I, but we don’t have time to make a donut run right now. The killer is already a number of steps ahead of us. We need to try to gain some ground on them or risk this case going cold.”
“True. But at the same time, I have a feeling that we’ll need all the brain food we can get. My gut is telling me this is going to be a complicated investigation.”
“Is there any other kind?” he deadpanned.
“Don’t say that.”
“I’m just telling the truth.”
“I know. That’s the sad part.”
He groaned. “It’s just so maddening. Just when I think things are finally quieting down in Treasure Cove, a case like this comes out of nowhere.”
“You’re preaching to the choir here. Trust me. I would give anything for Treasure Cove to be just a safe and simple small town. But it just isn’t. And I’m realizing that it may never be.”
He gritted his teeth. “Maybe you’re right. But a detective can hope.”
“Of course you can. But that hope is better directed toward this case right now.”
“You’re right. I just let my emotions get the better of me. When we found the body in Wally’s garden shed, I thought this would be an open-and-shut investigation. Instead, this case is a mess.”
“I know what you mean. I am just as frustrated as you are.”
“On the bright side, it’s not like we’re flying completely blind here. There are a number of other suspects.”
“I’ll say. Wally gave me a whole list of names.”
David got up from his desk. “It’s time we pay those suspects a visit. We may have to do things the hard way, but Julie’s killer will be brought to justice.”
Chapter Nineteen
David and I headed over to the north side of town. Julie’s brother, Seth Lambert, owned a brown stucco ranch-style house on a leafy section of State Street. The rotund forty-three-year-old opened his front door shortly after David’s first set of knocks. Refreshingly, when David asked if we could step inside the house to speak with him, Seth did not put up a fuss. Although, I did see wariness in his eyes when he saw David’s police badge.
Seth’s living room was a mess. He clearly had no concept of what cleanliness was. Either that, or he just didn’t care that he was a complete slob. It would be easy to let myself get distracted and just fixate on how messy his living room was, but I was determined to stay focused.
At the same time, as my eyes scanned the room, I did notice a few things that stood out. Most notable was the glaring evidence that Seth was a man of vices. Judging by the empty beer bottles that were scattered around the room, the full ashtray that was on his coffee table, and the various racetrack schedules that were in plain view, I knew he had no shortage of bad habits.
Seth took a seat on an old puffy recliner and immediately lit up a cigarette. I hated the smell of cigarettes, but I resolved not to make an issue out of his smoking. To start, David and I were in Seth’s house. In addition, there was a good chance that things would get confrontational enough without me antagonizing him over his smoking.
“First, I want to say that I’m very sorry about what happened to you sister,” David said.
Seth looked down, which only made his head of thinning gray hair stand out even more. The more I glanced at him, the harder it was to believe that he was only in his early forties. He looked a good ten years older than his actual age.
“It’s been a rough time,” Seth replied.
I took note of Seth’s raspy voice.
David, meanwhile, continued with the interview. “I imagine.”
“What a miserable couple of weeks.”
David’s nose crinkled. “I’m confused. Julie only went missing a few days ago.”
Seth’s heart was heavy as he replied, “My sister’s death is only the latest bad thing to happen in my life.”
“What else is going on?” David asked.
“I also lost my aunt two weeks ago,” Seth said.
David winced. “That is awful.”
Seth nodded. “It’s a terrible l
oss.”
My eyes lit up when I heard Seth’s answer.
“Were you really close with your aunt?” I asked.
Seth nodded.
I scratched my chin. “Strange.”
Seth gave me a blank stare. “Don’t you mean heartbreaking?”
I shook my head. “No. I meant exactly what I said. Your answer was quite peculiar to me.”
Seth’s eyebrows knitted. “I don’t follow.”
“Before Julie went missing, she told me that you and she had only ever met your aunt once. So you can understand why I’m having trouble trying to figure out why you just told us that you and your aunt were close,” I said.
“It’s always hard when you lose a family member, regardless of how much or little you know them.”
Something about his answer didn’t sit right with me.
I replied with as soft of a tone as I could muster. “I hate to ask you this, but for the sake of this investigation, I have to—”
Seth cut me off. “What are you talking about?”
“Julie told me about the inheritance money that your aunt left for you and your sister,” I said.
Seth shrugged. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Well, with Julie dead now, it’s safe to assume that you’ll end up getting her share of the inheritance,” I said.
Seth squinted at me. “I don’t like where you’re going with this.”
“Trust me, I hate to even bring it up,” I said.
“Then stop right there,” he replied.
I grimaced. “It’s not that simple. If David and I are going to discover the truth about what happened to your sister, we need to explore all options—even the uncomfortable ones.”
Seth scoffed. “This is ridiculous.”
“Why? Are you saying that you don’t get Julie’s share of the inheritance?” I asked.
“No, I do. I meant it’s ridiculous to imply that I would think about money at a time like this.”
Daley Buzz Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 82
