Cozy Creek

by K M Morgan

  Crumple didn’t hesitate to go right after Robert.

  “What do you have to say for yourself?” Crumple asked.

  “I think there has been a huge misunderstanding,” Robert said.

  “I’m sure that’s what you’d like me to believe. But I’m not buying it.”

  “Detective, I’m incredibly confused. I have no idea why you’re holding me.”

  “I’m not buying that story for a second.”

  “Why don’t you just let me go? I’m sure we can sort this all out.”

  “I have news for you. You’re not going anywhere.”

  “Why not? This doesn’t make any sense. Will you please tell me what’s going on?”

  “We found a gas can and a lighter in your trash.”

  “Wait a minute. Why were you searching through my trash? Why?”

  “We had a search warrant for your property.”

  “But why? I haven’t done anything wrong. And I definitely don’t know where that gas can or lighter came from.”

  Crumple scoffed. “Is that the story you’re going with? Because you’re going to have to come up with something better than that.”

  “Story for what? I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”

  Crumple groaned. “Are you really going to make me spell everything out for you?”

  “You’re going to have to.”

  “Mr. Stinson, I have all of the evidence that I need to arrest you for the murder of Charlotte Canfield.”

  Robert’s eyebrows rose. “Wait a minute. Did you just say murder? Is Charlotte dead?”

  “Are you going to continue to play dumb? Because it’s getting old really quickly.”

  “Detective, you have to listen to me. I had no idea that Charlotte was dead.” Robert took a deep breath. “What horrible news. I can’t believe it.”

  “You might act like you’re in a state of disbelief, but wait until you get to jail.”

  “Detective, please hear me out. It would be a mistake to arrest me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I had nothing to do with Charlotte’s murder.”

  “Oh yeah? Then how do you explain the gas can and lighter in your trash?”

  “I don’t know. Someone else might have put it there.”

  “That’s a convenient story. Do you have any way to prove that?”

  “No. But I thought someone was innocent until proven guilty. Not the other way around.”

  “Mr. Stinson. The gas can was found on your property. I think a jury would find that information to be very telling.”

  “Normally, I’d agree. Like I said, though. Someone else could have planted it there. I’ve been out of town for a few days. That would give someone plenty of time to frame me.”

  “Hold on a second. You’ve been out of town?”

  “Yes. I was just driving back into town before the deputy stopped me.”

  “You realize that you’re only making yourself look guiltier, right?”

  “How so?”

  “Leaving town right after a murder is highly suspicious.”

  “I already told you, I didn’t even know that Charlotte was dead. And I have no clue what day the murder took place.”

  “It happened on the morning that you called in sick to work. But it turns out that you weren’t sick after all, were you? Instead, you were healthy enough to leave town. You just didn’t tell your boss that.”

  “I can explain that.”

  “Let’s hear it then.”

  “The only way my boss would let me have the time off is if I called in sick. It’s nearly impossible to get time off of work for any other reason.”

  “Let’s say I believe you. Why did you need the time off in the first place? What was your reason for leaving town?”

  “I just needed to clear my head.”

  “Why?” Crumple asked.

  Robert tensed up.

  “Mr. Stinson, answer me,” Crumple demanded.

  “This next part isn’t going to sound so great, given the news that Charlotte is dead.”

  “Why? What aren’t you telling me?”

  “I was in a rough spot emotionally after Charlotte broke up with me. I thought that getting a change of scenery would be good for me.”

  “You’re right. That explanation doesn’t help your case at all. If anything, it just points to you having a serious motive for murder.”

  “Except that I’m not a killer.”

  “You say that, but can you prove it?”

  “How am I supposed to do that?”

  “You could start by giving me even a single reason to believe you.”

  “Look. I’m innocent. There has to be a way to convince you that I’m telling the truth.”

  “Honestly, the only way I would believe your story is if you had an airtight alibi,” Crumple said.

  Robert’s eyes lit up. “Right. Of course. Come to think of it, I just might.”

  “Is that so?”

  “I’m pretty sure. When did the murder take place again?”

  “Two days ago. In the morning.”

  Robert smiled. “Detective, get ready to let me go.”

  Crumple shrugged. “Why?”

  “Because two days ago, I was in the mountains.”

  “Is that right?”

  Robert nodded. “I’ve actually been staying up in the mountains for the last three days. When I called in sick to work, I was sitting in my hotel room.”

  “That’s an interesting story.”

  “It’s not just a story. It’s the truth. I’ve been staying at the McMayhew Ski Lodge for the last few days. Go ahead and call the front desk. They’ll confirm that I was there.”

  “Mr. Stinson, if you’re lying to me, I’m going to be very angry—”

  “I’m not lying. Call the lodge.”

  “I will.”

  “Good.”

  ***

  Murderers rarely admitted to their crimes. Confessions were typically very tough to come by. Even when they were faced with overwhelming evidence. Some killers refused to ever come clean. It took a jury deciding their fate to convict them.

  Even so, the case against Robert was pretty strong. As Crumple stepped away to call the ski lodge, Daisy wouldn’t be surprised if Robert’s entire story was a total lie. He just looked so guilty.

  That said, the detective would find out soon enough if anyone was able to corroborate Robert’s supposed alibi.

  Crumple was on the phone for a little over five minutes. When he finished speaking with the front desk at the lodge, he had a shocked look on his face.

  Much to his surprise, a number of workers at the lodge were able to verify his alibi. Robert wasn’t just at the lodge on the morning of Charlotte’s murder. He was actually eating breakfast at the lodge’s restaurant during the time that the blaze was set.

  Talk about a stunning turn of events. This changed everything. So much for wrapping this case up. Suddenly Crumple and Daisy were dealing with a completely different investigation.

  At that point, the detective had no choice but to let Robert go.

  Chapter Twelve

  Daisy and Crumple had no choice but to do some serious soul searching. But first, they had to get over their shock. Daisy felt completely blindsided. As she looked at Crumple, she could tell that he felt the same way. Of all of the suspects in this case to have a verifiable alibi, Robert was certainly the last one that Daisy would have predicted. Yet, he was now walking free.

  Every investigation had its fair share of twists and turns, but this was ridiculous. Daisy almost felt like her head was spinning.

  She could have spent hours thinking about how crazy the last few days had been. That wouldn’t get her any closer to solving this case, however. She had to push her feelings aside. Charlotte’s killer was still out there. They were roaming the streets. And if Daisy and Crumple didn’t act fast, there was a chance that they would get away with murder. Daisy knew she couldn’t let that happen.
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  At the same time, knowing what she had to do and actually doing it were much different things. Daisy stared out into the distance as she continued to wrestle with her feelings.

  Detective Crumple walked up to Daisy and tried to get her to snap out of her fog.

  “That definitely turned out differently than I thought it would,” Crumple said.

  The detective expected Daisy to respond, but she didn’t. Instead, she remained quiet.

  When a couple of additional seconds went by without a reply from Daisy, Crumple spoke up again.

  “Don’t get down on yourself. Neither one of us thought he was telling the truth.”

  “Yet he was. Which means that instead of wrapping this case up, we still have a lot of work left to do.”

  “It’s not an ideal situation, by any stretch of the imagination.”

  “That’s the biggest understatement that I’ve heard in a while.”

  “To be fair, it’s hard to overstate how frustrating this is.”

  “You don’t have to remind me. I thought you’d be hauling Robert off to jail right now.”

  “I know. It sucks being back at square one. But that’s just reality. The killer is still out there. And we need to get back to work before they get away.”

  “I realize that.”

  “All right. Let’s go then.”

  Daisy put her hand up. “Not so fast. There’s something about this entire situation that really sticks out to me.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The gas can. It just seemed a little too convenient that you found it in the trash.”

  Crumple squinted. “What are you talking about?”

  “Look at the big picture. We know the killer has gone to great lengths to cover their tracks. I mean, they set Charlotte’s house on fire to cover up the fact that the true cause of death was strangulation,” Daisy said. “Someone who did all of that wouldn’t be careless enough to just leave a gas can and a lighter in their own trash can.”

  “I suppose you’re right.”

  “It makes much more sense that the killer planted the gas can at Robert’s place to frame him for the crime. That sort of devious act fits the profile a lot more.”

  “True. Although, the profile has limitations. Just because we know the killer is devious doesn’t mean that we’re any closer to figuring out their identity.”

  “Maybe not. But I have a few ideas about what our next step should be.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  “If the killer did plant the gas can in Stinson’s trash, it means that they were at his house. You should have some deputies canvas the neighborhood. Maybe someone on his street saw something strange.”

  “Good call.”

  “Also, perhaps one of Stinson’s neighbors has a doorbell camera. Or a security camera of some sort.”

  “Wouldn’t that be great?”

  “It’s worth looking into.”

  “I agree.”

  “That’s not all,” Daisy said. “You mentioned earlier that the tip line received an anonymous call, right?”

  Crumple nodded.

  “Is there any chance that the call was recorded?”

  “Every call that comes into the police department is recorded.”

  “Good. I want to listen to that phone call.”

  “In that case, let’s head back to the police station,” Crumple said.

  ***

  Ultimately, canvassing the neighborhood yielded no results. None of Stinson’s neighbors had seen anything suspicious. Also, there wasn’t a single doorbell camera or security camera on his street. What a shame. Still, it was worth checking out.

  While searching Stinson’s neighborhood proved to be a dead end, listening to the call from the tipster was a much different story.

  The call itself wasn’t the most helpful in the world. The message was brief. There wasn’t anything that could be taken from it.

  Daisy was more interested in hearing the caller’s voice. She was hoping that she would recognize who the caller was.

  Oddly enough, the caller didn’t sound like any of the remaining suspects. Daisy and Crumple came to the conclusion that the killer probably used some sort of voice changing software when placing the call.

  The real lead came from the police department’s tracking system. Thanks to the wonders of police technology, the time and location of the call had been logged in the system.

  According to the police database, the call had come from a payphone on Elk Drive.

  Daisy and Crumple headed out to the car and drove over to Elk Drive.

  Once they arrived, they approached the pay phone.

  “All right. We’re here. Do you want to tell me what we’re looking for?” Crumple asked.

  Before Daisy answered, she did a quick visual scan of the area. That was when she saw something that could potentially break this case wide open.

  Daisy pointed across the street. “Follow me.”

  What was Daisy pointing at exactly?

  A security camera.

  The camera was hanging above the door to Cozy Creek Jewelry.

  If Daisy was correct, it wouldn’t be long before she knew who the killer was.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Daisy and Crumple spoke to the owner of Cozy Creek Jewelry. The bespectacled owner showed them the footage from his security camera. Just as Daisy suspected, that footage contained case-breaking evidence.

  When the investigators left the jewelry store, their next destination was clear. They needed to pay a visit to Krystal Maddox.

  A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of Krystal’s blue Victorian-style home. The only question now was, would she answer her door?

  Thankfully, she did. It only took one set of knocks to get Krystal to come to her door.

  Although, Krystal wasn’t in a good mood. She looked incredibly annoyed to be seeing the detective again.

  She didn’t hide her feelings as she opened her mouth and said, “Why are you here?”

  Crumple didn’t care about Krystal’s emotions. He was determined to put an end to things, once and for all. He went right at Krystal.

  “Ms. Maddox, don’t play dumb. We know what you did,” Crumple said.

  “Detective, I already told you everything I know about Charlotte’s murder, which is nothing.”

  “Let me tell you something. I hate being lied to.”

  “Are you calling me a liar? Because I answered all of your questions truthfully—”

  “Stop right there. I don’t know who you think you’re fooling, but it’s not me.”

  “I don’t have to listen to this. You have no right to harass me.”

  “Stop acting like you’re the victim here. I know the truth. And you’re going to pay for what you did.”

  “For the last time, I didn’t do anything.”

  “Stop lying to me. I know you killed Charlotte.”

  “You’re throwing around some pretty big accusations. Do you have a single shred of evidence to support your claims?”

  “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  Krystal’s nose scrunched. “What are you talking about?”

  “I have to admit. You did a pretty good job of covering your tracks. Starting with setting Charlotte’s house on fire. If the fire department had gotten to the scene any later, there’s a chance that the body might have burned up. Then we’d never know that Charlotte was strangled. You didn’t stop there, though. You were also really careful when you planted the gas can and lighter in Robert’s trash can. You snuck into the backyard, remained in the dark, and kept quiet to avoid being spotted by the deputy who was staked out in front of Mr. Stinson’s house.”

  “I’m sorry. Where is this so-called evidence you have?” Krystal asked.

  “I’m getting to it. Let’s talk about your big mistake. It all goes back to the call that you placed to our tip line. Even though you used some sort of voice changing software, remained anonymous, and purposefully didn’t use your own c
ell phone, there was one thing that you didn’t account for.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “There was a security camera very close to the pay phone that you used to call our tip line. And that camera recorded some very interesting footage.”

  Crumple pulled up a video clip on his cell phone. The clip featured the security camera footage. The clip showed Krystal standing at the payphone. Once the call was done, Krystal walked away.

  “This proves that you were the one who placed the anonymous call,” Crumple said.

  “So what if it does? That doesn’t prove I’m a killer,” Krystal said.

  “That’s where you’re wrong. Some of the details in the call gave away the truth. How could you know that there was a shadowy figure skulking around Robert’s trash can unless you were at the scene?”

  “Say I was at the scene. That shadowy figure was probably Robert. He was probably throwing out the evidence of his guilt.”

  “Nice try, but Robert was at a ski lodge at the time. Multiple people can confirm that,” Crumple said.

  Krystal’s muscles tensed up. She didn’t say a word.

  Crumple continued. “You came so close to framing Robert for this murder, but you’re not going to get away with murder. Now, come clean.”

  Krystal didn’t reply to the detective.

  Daisy waited a few seconds before speaking up. “You and Robert didn’t just have a fling, did you? It meant more to you than that. So, when he broke things off, it really hurt. You wanted him back, but you knew that he really loved Charlotte. So, you decided to take action. You began by killing Charlotte. But you didn’t stop there. Since Robert refused to keep sleeping with you, I’ll bet you figured there was no better way to get revenge on him than by framing him for murder. Am I right?”

  Krystal looked down at the ground.

  “Ms. Maddox, what do you have to say for yourself?” Crumple asked.

  Krystal didn’t look up.

  “You can’t ignore us,” Daisy said. “Nor can you ignore the truth. We know what you did. Just admit it.”

  Finally, Krystal couldn’t keep her emotions bottled up any longer. “Fine. I did it. I killed Charlotte. I wanted Robert all to myself. And I figured this was the way to make that happen. But it turns out that Robert doesn’t love me. Not as much as I love him.”