Belly Up in the Koi Pond

by Cheryl Zelenka

  Looking embarrassed, the guard hung his head and replied, “Because I accidently hit the switch over there,” pointing to a large red switch near the door entrance. “I must have bumped it as I turned off the room lights when I left for the evening.”

  As Timothy continued to probe the guard for information, Mary and Dora moved their attention to the floor of the surveillance room. It was covered in a dark navy blue carpet so the red fingernail was easy to spot, resting beneath the sizeable surveillance screens. Detective Pointman retrieved an evidence bag from her back pocket, along with a pair of plastic gloves. Skillfully, she bagged the acrylic nail and put it inside her jacket pocket. The ladies finished their sweep of the room while O’Cleary continued his questioning.

  “So, Mr. Smith, we have a few suspects in this case but we’ve yet to charge anyone with Miss Sweetwater’s murder. By any chance, did you know Professor Drainer? He designed the Koi exhibit along with Joseph Wiley and was going to speak at the seminar. Unfortunately, because it’s still an active crime scene he had to cancel his lecture.”

  The guard coughed into his arm, doing his very best to conceal his whiskey hiccup. “No detective, I didn’t know either the Professor or Joseph Wiley. However, I do know Mrs. Wiley.”

  “Oh?” O’Cleary perked up and raised a single eyebrow.

  “Uh huh, she’s my AA sponsor, sir. I’ve been sober for nearly a year now, thanks to her help and encouragement.”

  Mary and Dora overheard the guard’s last comment and did their dandiest not to burst out laughing.

  Keeping a straight face, O’Cleary verified the guard’s remark with, “So, you maintain you’ve been off the sauce for nearly a year now, right?”

  Standing up straight and placing both thumbs in his pant pockets, Bob Smith nodded his head vehemently to signify he was standing by his declaration.

  “Right,” Timothy grunted, ignoring the obvious lie.

  “I picked her as my sponsor because we had something in common, besides drinking of course.”

  “Go on, please,” encouraged O’Cleary.

  “Yes, well, she had a career in surveillance. She’s an Information Security Analyst. In fact, that’s how she met her husband. She was working over at the Seven Feather’s Casino in Canyonville and observed Mr. Wiley on the surveillance camera. He was placing large bets and winning every time. Well, she went down to the floor to investigate. She kept an eye on him for over an hour. It turned out he was having a really lucky night and was on the up and up. Little did she know his luck would rub off on her, cuz they fell madly in love. He became her next husband. Ha! I love stories about how people meet and fall in love, don’t you?”

  Timothy vigorously scratched the back of his head, never having been in love, then decided to move his questioning over to the other suspect in custody, Justin Coin.

  “So, Bill, we also have a man named Justin Coin in custody. Is there any chance you know him? He has red hair and works as an accountant for OAN.”

  Without a moment of hesitation, Bill responded, “No, Detective. I’ve never met this guy. I don’t know any men with red hair.”

  Pursing his lips, O’Cleary decided he wasn’t going to get anything else out of the guard. He shook Bill’s hand and left the room, with Mary and Dora on his heels. Once they were safely outside the door, Mary took out the evidence bag containing the red acrylic nail. “Dora thinks she knows who this belongs to and I promise, you won’t be disappointed.”

  “Okay, let me have it,” urged Timothy.

  Speaking quickly, as she often did when she was excited, Dora asked, “Do you remember the day of the murder, when Sadie and I took Zachary to get a cup of coffee and a Danish?” The partners both nodded their heads. “Well, Joseph Wiley was in the hall speaking with his wife, Whinny. He introduced us to her and Sadie noticed she was missing a red fingernail.”

  Mary looked at Timothy and said, “And?”

  “Well, Sadie asked how she had lost it. Whinny replied it was ripped off while trying to change a flat tire.”

  “Indeed!” Timothy piped up. “Looks like we need to make a trip over to the Wiley’s residence before heading back to the station. We might have another suspect to bring in for questioning, detectives.”

  “Our plates just got a lot fuller,” moaned Mary.

  “Come on partner, where’s the tough guy now?” Timothy rubbed his side pretending to be in pain.

  “Back at the station, Mr. Toss-My-Cookies. You better back off or be prepared for story time at the police station!”

  Thomas glared at Dora. She simply shrugged her shoulders and smirked, “Last night was just too good to keep to myself.”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN: The Wiley’s

  While driving to the Wiley residence, Dora called Sadie to give her a quick update. Sadie let out a squeak when her friend mentioned the red acrylic nail recovered from the surveillance room.

  “Dora, I knew the guard and Mrs. Wiley were connected! I saw them chatting before Zachary’s scholarship presentation. When they ended their conversation she gave him a hug, like they were really good friends.”

  O’Cleary made a sudden stop, causing Dora to drop the phone. Retrieving it from the floor of the police car she asked, “Are you there, Sadie?”

  “That’s an affirmative, Detective.”

  “I declare, Timothy needs to attend traffic survival school, or at the very least let Mary drive,” complained Dora. “Honestly Sadie, you don’t want to get in a car with this man.”

  Turning around and looking at Dora, O’Cleary asked, “And why would Ms. Sunshine be riding in my car?”

  “Well, if you had any sense, you’d be taking her to church, dinner, or the movies you idiot!” retorted Dora.

  Sadie heard Dora’s rebuff and smiled. She loved how her buddy was supporting her desire to date again.

  “Are you on your way to the Wiley’s now?” asked Sadie.

  “As we speak, then back to the station. We’ll probably be there most of the night. We’ve got Justin Coin, Professor Drainer, and Whinny Wiley to interview. I think we’re close to a break in this case. Any news on Zachary yet?”

  “No, they’re still administering the MRI. I guess the machine was acting up so patients got backed up. He didn’t get in until 2pm. Hopefully, he’ll be finished soon. I’ll call you after his doctor gives us an update.”

  Dora hung up with Sadie just as O’Cleary drove up the Wiley’s front drive. They owned a beautiful multi-level home, showcased by an impressive waterfall and flowing riverbed. The landscape was lush and filled with many trees, rhododendrons, and colorful accent plants.

  All three detectives stood on the front porch having agreed that Timothy would once again take the lead. Mary rang the doorbell, and in less than a minute Mrs. Wiley answered the door. A look of surprise covered her face, but she then recognized Dora and offered her hand in greeting. “Well, hello detective! It looks like you’ve brought along some friends.” Then in jest, “Was I hosting a late lunch for Portland’s finest today?”

  Dora chuckled then introduced Whinny to Timothy and Mary. Whinny invited them inside and guided the three into a large but cozy living room with an impressive river rock fireplace. Having heard the doorbell, Joseph Wiley descended the metal and wood staircase. He joined the group and took a seat next to his wife asking, “Detectives, how can we be of assistance?”

  “Sir,” Timothy began, “we just finished interviewing Bill Smith, the guard in charge of surveillance over at the Convention Center. He said your wife was his AA sponsor.” Looking to Whinny, Joseph let her answer the question.

  “Yes, detectives. I’m Bill’s AA Sponsor. I’ve been sober for over four years. Right after my divorce, I fell into a depressive state and started drinking. AA was instrumental in getting me back on track and out of the mess I had made of my life. I wanted to help another person by being a sponsor.”

  O’Cleary winced, knowing he had to ask the next question. “And Bill, he’s been sober for a year no
w?”

  Looking guilty, Whinny shook her head. “No, Officer. No. As his sponsor, I can’t lie or cover for him. It’s hard to admit but he’s had a relapse. He assures me he’s working on things and has promised to go back to our meetings.”

  “Where do you usually meet to discuss his troubles?”

  “Oh, just at our AA meetings.”

  “Never outside of the meetings?” Dora queried

  “Well, let me think.” Whinny ran her fingers through her long brown hair. “I did see him at the scholarship ceremony the other day, but that was just a freak run in. He’s usually at his station manning the surveillance cameras.”

  “I see,” Timothy continued. “So you’ve never been inside the room where he monitors the cameras?” When Whinny paused, Joseph looked over at his wife. Her eyes were welling up. “What love? What’s got you so upset?”

  Without warning, Whinny suddenly protested, “Joseph, don’t get all lovey-dovey with me! We both know you were foolin’ around with our nanny. I saw you with Ashley while she was a trusted employee. She was our nanny for goodness sakes! You told me it was just a flirtation. We agreed we wanted to salvage our marriage. You assured me there was no affair.” Joseph Wiley looked like a turtle ducking inside his shell. Whinney continued, “Lies and more lies. Our marriage is simply one big lie! I saw both of you in the Koi exhibit, the day before the Garden Show opened. Bill observed your make out session on the surveillance screen. Knowing I was working on the scholarship presentation, he found me and took me back to witness your unfaithfulness.

  Joseph looked as if King Kong had slapped him in the face. He opened his mouth but nothing came out, so he closed it again. The room was in total silence for several seconds.

  Whinny continued by answering Timothy’s question. “So, Detective O’Cleary, to answer your question, yes. Yes, I’ve been inside the surveillance room at the Convention Center.” With little else to do, Timothy stood up and informed Whinny she’d have to go down to the station for further questioning.

  “She’s a suspect? In Ashley’s murder case? That can’t be possible,” Joseph protested. “She…she, she wouldn’t hurt a mosquito! My wife isn’t capable of murder.”

  Whinny gazed at her husband. For a moment Sadie thought her feelings for Joseph would change and she’d fall back into his arms. It was obvious she still loved her husband, but was terribly hurt by his affair with Ashley.

  Joseph didn’t waste any time calling their lawyer. Whinny cooperated by following the three detectives outside to their parked car and getting in the front passenger seat. Dora and Mary jumped in back for the journey to the station. Joseph Wiley followed behind their vehicle in his Ford Ram pickup. The whole way to the station Dora wondered if he was just now realizing the magnitude of his foolishness.

  CHAPTER TWENTY: The First Interview

  With Whinny processed and secure in a holding cell, O’Cleary asked another officer to move Justin Coin and his lawyer to an interview room. Mary accompanied Timothy but Dora opted for the back room and watched the interrogation while jotting down helpful notes.

  “So Mr. Coin,” Timothy started in, “has your attorney advised you on how to proceed?”

  “Yes, my attorney, Ms. Keller, has heard my entire story and suggested it would be beneficial to share everything I know with the police.”

  “Detectives,” the middle-aged lawyer interrupted, “my client may be guilty of a felony but in no way is he a murderer. What he is about to share will probably help in leading you to the real guilty party. I hope you remember this when the time comes to charging him with any possible crimes. Ashley Sweetwater was not as sweet as you may think.”

  Justin then opened up about the rainy night Paul Sproutman was killed. He told Timothy and Mary he had stopped by a local bar to have a few beers before heading home.

  “It had been a long day at work and I wanted to unwind,” recalled Justin. “After a few beers, I got back inside my car and headed for home. The parking lot was really just a large empty lot. Anyway, I cruised out of there looking for the exit to Burn’s Street when BAM! Out of nowhere, this guy stepped in front of my car. I never saw him coming and was startled when the dude flipped over my hood and up onto my windshield. I was stunned.”

  “Ok, so you’re saying you hit Paul Sproutman with your car?” Mary reaffirmed.

  “Yes, Detective…but not on purpose. I never saw him until he was on my windshield.”

  Picking up the interrogation, Timothy asked, “Then what happened?”

  “Well, I just sat there for a minute. I was in shock. The guy was simply laying there on the ground. Suddenly, a lady with blonde hair jumped out of a parked car. I saw her in my rear view mirror.”

  Mary, hoping for some validation asked, “What can you tell us about her car?”

  “Oh man, like I said before, it was really coming down that night. I think it was an SUV, but I can’t tell you anything else. Wait, it was a dark color… like black or navy blue. For sure it wasn’t white.”

  “So the lady, what did she do?” Timothy asked using an encouraging tone.

  “She ran over to the guy I just hit and took out her phone.”

  Timothy crossed his arms, “And then you got out of the car?”

  From the back room Dora yelled at the video screen, “Stop leading the suspect, Timothy!”

  Justin’s head dropped. “No, Sir. I saw the lady was helping the man, probably calling the police or an ambulance and I…panicked. I left. I drove home.”

  Mary spoke up, “You didn’t give the lady your name or number?”

  “No, but here’s the weird part. A week after the accident, I got a note from her saying I owed her $10,000. If I didn’t pay, she was going to tell the police. I’m not sure how she found me, but she did.”

  “Did you pay her?”

  “Yes. But I had to borrow some money from the OAN membership account. I invested it and made enough to pay her the cash and replace all the money I borrowed.”

  “Impressive,” grinned Timothy.

  Caught off guard, Justin boasted, “Thanks, it was easy.”

  When Justin’s lawyer gave him a look, he quickly changed his demeanor.

  “But then the blonde said I owed her three more installments of $10,000 if I wanted her silence. She was blackmailing me, detectives!” Playing the victim, Justin proceeded to wring his hands.

  Mary asked, “Did you make more than one payment?”

  “Yes, on the night she was murdered I gave her another $10,000 in cash. I dropped off the money at this restaurant called Le Pigeon. She was making out with her boyfriend, Joseph Wiley, when I made the drop.”

  “So, did you manipulate membership funds again to pay Ashley off the second time?”

  “Yes, but I had no choice. I paid it all back, just like I did with the first installment.”

  O’Cleary asked, “You do know that taking money, or to use your word, ‘borrow’ money, is really called embezzlement, right?”

  Justin remained silent but nodded his head to acknowledge his crime.

  “Okay, Son,” O’Cleary continued, “tell me where you went after you dropped off the cash?”

  Justin’s lawyer smiled. “He has an alibi, Detective. He was at a friend’s house, from 9:15 pm until the following morning.”

  Justin gave the detectives the name and address of his friend and Mary left the interview room to verify his alibi.

  Timothy concluded the interview by saying, “Justin, we’re going to charge you with hit-and-run and embezzlement. Your attorney will file the necessary paperwork. When your day in court arrives, I’ll provide a personal testimony to the appointed judge saying you were not a hostile witness in our murder investigation. Hopefully, the judge will be lenient on you.”

  O’Cleary left the room to move on to their next suspect, Professor Drainer. He was still in his holding cell as he was unable to make bail the day he was arrested.

  Coming out of the back room, Dora met Timothy in th
e hallway. “Looks like we’re down to just three suspects, now that Mr. Coin has an alibi.”

  “Yet to be confirmed, but yes. It does look that way,” concurred Timothy.

  “So Dora, who do you think murdered Miss Sweetwater?” Mary probed as she rejoined the group.

  “Well, according to Sadie and Lilly, Zachary Fry is one of the nicest kids they know. So, I’m going to rule him out. That leaves Professor Drainer and Mrs. Wiley. If Ashley knew about his little dark secret and was also blackmailing him, I think the Professor would have to be my pick. College tenure and pyromania don’t mix. He seems very fixed on his position at the university and intent on climbing the prestige ladder. However, a woman scorned is nothing to ignore, so Ms. Wiley is still in the running too.”

  Timothy rubbed his hands together. “I’m ready for round two. Let’s get the Professor in an interview room and slug away at all the lies and secrets.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: Drained

  Professor Drainer was drained and his personal appearance reflected his mood. His usual sprightly step was now that of a snail’s pace. Every movement was laborious, siphoning his life sustaining energy. Depression arrived the night before and she was enthralled with her new victim. When the bank refused to cover his bail, he succumbed to her devious wiles. His career was over. Everything he had worked for, including the prestige he craved, was now lost simply because he worshipped fire.

  He hated the Ashland B & B. It held many dark memories. His stepfather had been a cruel man and his mother had been weak. She never stepped in to protect him from the abuse. No, she would simply stand by and look the other way while her husband took his anger out on her son.

  Burning the old house down transformed his abuse into a thing of beauty. Somehow, the fire cleansed and freed him from the wickedness of his childhood. He only saw the beginning of the fire, having to sit with his mother at the hospital. If the police decided to question him, and they did, he’d have an alibi. But the video camera he’d set up across the street from the B & B caught the glory of his inferno. He watched it over and over and over, for hours.