by K M Morgan
“You don’t know how happy I am to hear that. Especially given the fact that your instincts are almost never wrong.”
“Let’s hope that doesn’t change,” Daisy said.
“Trust me. I want nothing more than for you to be right,” Gavin said.
“Good. Now let’s have the time of our lives,” Daisy said.
Chapter Four
While Daisy and Gavin embarked on their trip to Hawaii, there was trouble on the home front. That was bad news for Detective Chris Crumple. After dancing well into the night at Daisy’s wedding, Crumple didn’t get a lot of sleep when he arrived home. So, when he headed over to the police station in the morning to begin his work shift, he prayed for a slow day on the beat.
Instead, before he even arrived at police headquarters, he got a call from dispatch. Apparently, a dead body had been discovered at Cozy Creek Flowers. The deceased was the owner of the shop, Scott Eldridge. Even worse, his death wasn’t from natural causes. According to the dispatcher, Scott had been shot in the chest.
As Detective Crumple sped over to the flower shop, his heart sunk. Homicide investigations were the most stressful part of his job. Honestly, some of the cases were so difficult that he briefly considered taking an early retirement. He worried that he was one grisly case away from going over the edge. Would this be that case? Crumple prayed that it wasn’t.
Six minutes later, Crumple pulled into the parking lot of Cozy Creek Flowers. The moment he went inside the shop and took a look at the corpse, he began to get queasy. Despite being on the police force for over two decades, the sight of a dead body still made Crumple’s stomach turn. But he had to remain strong. There was work to be done.
While the detective looked around for clues, a forensics team arrived at the shop. The medical examiner then showed up a few minutes later. As the specialists thoroughly went over the crime scene, Crumple shifted his focus to the man who had discovered Scott’s body.
David Nicholson was a bearded, rotund thirty-two-year-old. The flower shop employee stood in the parking lot grimacing.
“I know this is a tough time—” Crumple started to say.
David cut him off. “You bet it is. This entire situation is awful.”
“I understand that. But there is a killer on the loose. Which is why I need information from you right away,” Crumple said.
David took a deep breath before replying, “Right. Of course.”
“When did you discover the body?” Crumple asked.
“About half an hour ago,” David said.
“Can you please explain the events leading up to you discovering Mr. Eldridge’s corpse?”
“All right. Around thirty minutes ago, I pulled into the parking lot to start my shift. As I went to open the back door, though, I was surprised to discover that the door wasn’t locked,” David said.
“What was so surprising about that?”
“I was the opener this morning. Which meant that the last person out last night never locked the door.”
Crumple grimaced. “That is pretty disturbing.”
“Let’s be honest. There are a lot of disturbing things about this situation.”
Crumple nodded. “True. Now, keep going.”
“Right. So, I went inside the shop. That was when I spotted Scott’s body on the ground just outside his office. I rushed over to see if he had a pulse, but it was too late. He was already as stiff as a board.”
“What did you do then?”
“I ran out of the shop and called 9-1-1,” David said. “I’ve been standing out here ever since.”
“Is that so?” Crumple asked.
David nodded. “I had to get out of there. The sight of dead bodies freaks me out.” His forehead wrinkled. “I can’t believe someone would do something like this.”
“It is terrible, all right.”
David remained squeamish. “It really is.”
“I realize how difficult this must be for you, but I still need to ask you a few more questions.”
David threw out his arms. “What else do you want to know?”
“When you arrived here earlier, did you happen to see or hear anyone else around?”
David shook his head. “No. It was dead quiet.”
Crumple winced.
“Sorry. That was terrible phrasing,” David said.
“It’s okay,” Crumple said.
David squirmed. “Look. Can I go now? I’m really uncomfortable being here.”
“I’m afraid I can’t let you go quite yet. Just stick around here for a few more minutes,” Crumple said.
***
As the forensics team went to work, Crumple desperately prayed that they would uncover some clues. The detective was rooting for this to be an open and shut case. While those types of investigations were rare, they weren’t unheard of. And in this instance, one would be quite welcome.
Unfortunately, there was no smoking gun to be found. Or really any clues for that matter. While there were plenty of fingerprints around the shop, there were none on the doorknob of the store. That fact really stood out. Mostly because it led the forensics team to believe that the killer had wiped the doorknob clean before they left the scene. Meanwhile, the other fingerprints around the shop probably belonged to the various employees and customers who had come and gone in the last few days.
When it came to uncovering clues, however, all hope was not lost. Later that day, the medical examiner would pull the bullet out of Scott’s corpse. Once that bullet was tested, there was a small chance that a fingerprint could be pulled from the slug. That said, Crumple wasn’t about to hold his breath. After all, if the killer had been smart enough to wipe down the doorknob of the shop on the way out, they were probably savvy enough to wear gloves when they loaded their gun.
Of course, Crumple wouldn’t have to do any of this speculating if the flower shop had a security system. If that was the case, the detective could just review the footage from last night. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a security camera in sight.
If that detail wasn’t frustrating enough, the detective was about to be given more bad news. Just as Crumple got ready to speak with the medical examiner, two police deputies returned from behind the flower shop. The detective had asked them to root through the dumpster for any possible clues. For example, a pair of discarded gloves. Or a gun. Instead, the deputies came back with nothing to show for their efforts.
Instead of getting discouraged, Crumple turned his attention to the medical examiner. Thankfully, the examiner gave the detective a few tidbits of information to work with. That included the time of death and the cause of death. Not surprisingly, the cause of death was the bullet wound in Scott’s chest. As for the time of death, the examiner’s best estimate was that the murder had occurred between nine and ten o’clock last night.
Interestingly enough, the store had closed at nine o’clock the night before. And Scott was listed on the employee schedule as the closer for that evening. So, the killer most likely struck after the last customer had left.
At that point, another point popped into Crumple’s mind. It seemed odd to him that a gun was used to kill Scott. After all, there were a number of flowers and plants that were toxic to humans when ingested or eaten. Some were even known to mirror the effects of a heart attack. If the killer was really sneaky, why hadn’t they tried to kill Scott by getting him to ingest a toxic plant chemical? Or by injecting one into Scott’s bloodstream? That way, the medical examiner might have ruled Scott’s death as a heart attack rather than a homicide.
The more Crumple lingered on that point, the more he felt like it was a clue that an outsider was responsible for this crime. Was this proof that the killer didn’t know much about flowers? That they didn’t work at this shop?
Or perhaps the killer did know plenty about toxic plant chemicals and used a gun specifically to try to make law enforcement believe that someone other than a flower shop staff member was responsible for this homicide. Whatever the truth w
as, Crumple certainly had a lot to chew on.
Rather than spending too much time speculating, Crumple spoke with David Nicholson once more. Much to Crumple’s surprise, the flower shop employee actually had a verifiable alibi for the time of the murder. That meant the detective could safely cross David off of his list of suspects.
Before the detective let David go, however, he asked him one key question. Namely, if he knew of anyone who had a reason to want Scott dead.
Off the top of his head, David was able to think of three possible suspects.
Chapter Five
Crumple did a little more research before getting to the meat of the investigation. That included doing a search of the gun registry. According to the database, none of the suspects that David mentioned had a firearm registered in their name. That meant the killer probably purchased the gun from the black market. If that was the case, even when the ballistics tests came back from the crime lab, they probably wouldn’t be much help in identifying the killer.
Of course, if Crumple was able to find the murder weapon, the case could be broken wide open. But that was a big if. After all, there was a chance that the killer had already disposed of the murder weapon.
While Crumple could have spent far more time coming up with theories, he decided to start questioning the suspects on his list. As far as he could tell, three names really stood out. The first suspect was Linda Eldridge. She was Scott’s estranged wife. The couple had separated a few months ago and were in the process of going through divorce court.
In Crumple’s experience, speaking with a bitter ex was always a good place to begin an investigation. The detective drove over to Oak Hill Road and pulled into the driveway of the beige split-level home where Linda resided.
After a few knocks on the front door, Linda answered. The square-faced forty-four-year-old had her long blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. Given her yoga pants and tank top, Crumple wondered if Linda had just finished a workout, or whether this is what she just normally wore around the house. The detective would certainly get answers from the tall, lean suspect soon enough.
But first, Linda had a question for Crumple. “Can I help you?”
Crumple pulled out his police badge. “My name is Detective Chris Crumple. I’m with the Cozy Creek Police Department.”
Linda’s eyes widened. “Oh my. What are you doing here?”
“I’d like to know where you were last night.”
She shrugged. “Can I ask why?”
“I will answer your question after you tell me where you were last night.”
“All right. I was here.”
“Alone?”
“I’m not sure why that matters, but yes.”
“What were you doing?”
“Just watching some TV.”
Crumple scratched his chin. “Interesting.”
“How so?” Linda asked. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Linda, I have some bad news for you,” Crumple said.
“What is it?”
“Your estranged husband is dead.”
Her jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”
Crumple put his hand up. “That’s not all.”
“What do you mean?”
“Scott isn’t just deceased,” Crumple said. “He was murdered.”
“I can’t believe it.”
“I know it’s a lot to process, but it’s also the truth.”
“How did it happen?”
“He was shot.”
She winced. “What a terrible way to go.”
“It certainly is.”
“Do you have any idea who did it?”
“I was hoping you could help me with that.”
She pointed at herself. “Me?”
Crumple nodded. “Can you think of anyone who had a reason to want Scott dead?”
Linda took a deep breath before responding, “That’s a tough question.”
“Take your time,” Crumple said.
“Can I think about it and get back to you?” she asked. “This is a lot of news to digest all at once?”
“I understand. But I’m also surprised.”
She threw out her arms. “Why is that?”
“I figured that you would have mentioned Angela Whitaker. After all, Angela was sleeping with your husband. She broke up your marriage.”
“If you know so much about Angela then why don’t you go and question her?”
“Trust me. I will.”
“Good.”
“But right now, I still have some questions for you,” Crumple said. “For example, I can’t help but wonder why you didn’t mention Angela’s name earlier. Why did I have to bring her up?”
“I’m going through a lot of emotions right now. I’m not exactly thinking straight.”
“Speaking of emotions, you weren’t exactly on the best of terms with your estranged husband. In addition, you don’t have anyone who can confirm your whereabouts during the time of the murder—”
She interrupted him. “Wait a minute. Are you accusing me of murder?”
Crumple shook his head. “No.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. “Good.”
“But I can’t rule you out either.”
“Sure you can. Like I told you, I was here last night.”
“I know what you said. But I don’t make a habit of taking a murder suspect at their word.”
Her eyebrows rose. “So you do believe I might have had something to do with Scott’s death then?”
“I haven’t ruled you out.”
She stared him down. “Do I need to call a lawyer?”
“Not at the moment,” Crumple said. “But don’t go leaving town on me. Got it?”
Chapter Six
Crumple finished speaking with Linda. He then headed back to Cozy Creek Flowers. According to the deputy who was still on the scene, Angela Whitaker had just shown up at the flower shop and was incredibly surprised to discover that her work place was a zoo of police activity. Apparently, she had no idea that Scott was even dead, much less that he had been murdered.
Whether Angela’s reaction was genuine or an act was yet to be determined. Crumple had the deputy detain Angela until the detective could arrive on the scene. When Crumple pulled up in front of the flower shop, he parked his car, got out, and headed over to Angela.
The voluptuous thirty-two-year-old had an oval face, blue eyes, and long black hair. She was also quite emotional. She looked completely lost.
“I can’t believe this,” Angela said.
“I understand. I’m having trouble with this myself,” Crumple said.
Angela began tearing up. “Can I go home? It’s really tough being here right now.”
“I’m afraid I can’t let you leave quite yet.”
“Why not?”
“Before you go anywhere, I need to ask you some questions first.”
She shrugged. “Why me?”
“I want to speak with everyone who worked with Scott,” Crumple said. “It’s just standard procedure.”
“Oh. Okay. What do you want to know?”
“Were you working last night?”
She shook her head.
“What were you doing then?”
“The same thing I do every time I have a night off. I relaxed at home.”
“Did you invite some friends over, or were you alone?”
“It was just me, a few glasses of wine, and some trashy reality TV shows.”
“It’s safe to say that you and I have a much different opinion of what a relaxing night at home entails.”
“I don’t doubt that,” she said. “What I am confused about is why you asked me where I was last night?”
“Because I wanted to try and confirm your whereabouts for the time of the murder,” Crumple said.
Angela’s eyebrows rose.
“Unfortunately, since you told me you were alone, that means there’s no one who can verify your alibi,” Crumple said.
“Wait a
minute. Alibi? Why would I need an alibi?”
“Ms. Whitaker, I know you were sleeping with Scott. I also know that his affair with you caused the breakup of his marriage.”
Angela sneered. “I get it now. Talking to me isn’t just standard procedure. You asked me those questions because you think I might have had something to do with Scott’s death.”
“I haven’t ruled out that possibility.”
“Well, you should.”
“Why is that?”
“Oh, come on. You can’t honestly believe that I might have killed Scott.”
“If anything, given your answers, it would be impossible not to suspect you right now.”
“How insulting.”
“Angela, it’s not my job to care about your feelings. I’m trying to find out the truth.”
“You want the truth? Fine,” Angela said. “I had no reason to want Scott dead.”
“I beg to differ,” Crumple said.
“Detective, Scott left his wife for me. He promoted me to manager of this shop. And we were very happy together. The fact is, I’m one of the few people who didn’t want him dead.”
“At least that’s what you say.”
“You said you wanted the truth. There it is,” Angela replied. “Now if you’re looking for someone who hated Scott’s guts, you should talk to his ex.”
“I have.”
“There you go. Then you should know how bitter she is.”
“Angela, I know what you’re doing.”
“I’m trying to help you out.”
“No. You’re trying to deflect the spotlight off of yourself.”
“Because the spotlight doesn’t belong on me.”
“I disagree.”
Angela scoffed. “You can believe whatever you want, but it isn’t going to change the fact that I had nothing to do with Scott’s death.”
Chapter Seven
Dominick Robertson was a goateed thirty-eight-years-old with long black hair, brown eyes, and an oval face. He was also a former employee of Cozy Creek Flowers. The key word there being former. Scott Eldridge had fired Dominick a number of weeks back.
