I exhaled. “Is it that obvious?”
David nodded. “To me, it is. Then again, we’ve been together almost thirty years. After all that time, it turns out I know you pretty well.”
“You sure do.”
“The most important thing is, are you going to be okay?”
There was no easy way to answer that. In my mind, this area of town would always be haunted. It didn’t matter how much time had passed. Or that my sister’s killer had been apprehended and was behind bars for the rest of his life.
As it was, Jessica had been dead for over three decades, yet I still got teary-eyed when I thought about the way her life came to an end. I had a feeling that I would always get choked up about it.
Even so, it was one thing to get emotional. It was another to completely fall apart. Given the circumstances, I had to find a way to hold myself together. I decided the best course of action was to change the subject.
“Why don’t we talk about something else?” I said.
“If that’s what you want,” David said.
“What I want is for Jessica to be alive again. But I know she’s gone forever.”
“Do you want me to drop you off at home?”
I shook my head. “No. I have already shed plenty of tears over my sister’s death. Sitting at home all day thinking about how much I miss her isn’t going to do me any good. Instead, let’s just focus on the Peterson case.”
“All right. Well, if you change your mind—”
“David, I understand that you’re just looking out for me. And I really appreciate that. But we have a job to do.”
“Okay. Well, I’m here if you need me,” David said.
I smiled at him. “Thanks.”
Chapter Twelve
David and I arrived at Trevor Bailey’s house a few minutes later. As David parked on the street in front of Trevor’s brown Spanish-style house, I mustered all the resolve that I could. When we got out of the car, we both saw a red sedan parked in Trevor’s driveway. To me, that was a good sign. It meant that Trevor was probably home. Whether he would open the door for us was a different story.
David knocked a few times. Unfortunately, Trevor didn’t answer. So, David waited a couple of seconds and knocked again. Once more, the door didn’t open.
David then leaned forward and yelled, “Mr. Bailey, if you’re in there, please come out.”
This time, he did get a response. Although, it didn’t come from inside the house.
Instead, David and I were both startled by the sound of a dark barking behind us.
We whirled around and saw a German shepherd standing in the walkway. Thankfully, the dog was on a leash, or it would have surely charged at us.
Trevor Bailey was the man holding the dog’s leash. The twenty-eight-year-old was tall, burly, and had a menacing look on his oval face. There was also a sleeve of tattoos on both of his arms.
He sounded thoroughly annoyed as he addressed us. “Who are you and what do you want?”
The dog barked at David and I again.
“Mr. Bailey, will you please tell your dog to calm down?” David asked.
Trevor looked at his dog. “Zeus doesn’t like strangers and neither do I. Now who are you?”
David pulled out his police badge. “My name is Detective David Carlson.” He nudged his head toward me. “And this is Sabrina.”
“A detective? Is this about my case? Because I have nothing more to say until the trial begins,” Trevor said.
David put his hand up. “Your drug arrest is a separate matter.”
Trevor squinted. “Why are you here then?”
“We’d like to have a few words with you—”
David’s sentence was interrupted by the dog barking.
Once the German shepherd was finished, David spoke up again.
“Preferably without the dog here,” David said.
“Instead of focusing on my dog, why don’t you tell me what this is about?” Trevor said.
“I will tell you. Once that dog is back inside your house,” David said.
Trevor snickered. “What’s the matter? Are you afraid of Zeus?”
“Mr. Bailey. This isn’t a game. We just came here to ask you a few simple questions. There’s no reason to make things difficult.”
Trevor scoffed. “Me? You won’t even tell me why you’re here.”
“I’m going to tell you one last time. Put the dog inside,” David said.
“What if I refuse?”
“Do you really want to play with fire?” David asked. “Because let me tell you something. I’m going to get my questions answered. The only thing left to be determined is whether it will happen here or back at the police station.”
Trevor’s eyes widened. He took a moment to think over David’s statement. “All right.”
Trevor then brought his dog inside. Once the German shepherd was in the house, Trevor walked back out to his front yard.
“Are you going to tell me what this is about now?” Trevor asked.
“Deputy Rick Peterson was murdered last night,” David said.
Trevor held his pointer finger up. “Wait a minute. I have a feeling where you’re going with this, and I’m going to stop you right now—”
“Why? Because you’re afraid of what we’re going to ask you?” David said.
Trevor shook his head. “No. Because I had nothing to do with Peterson’s murder.”
David folded his arms. “Is that so?”
Trevor nodded. “It is. I didn’t even know anything had happened to Peterson until you just told me.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“Because it’s the truth.”
“Trevor, you’re not exactly a reliable source. I mean, at your arraignment, you pled not guilty to drug charges even though Peterson found cocaine in your pocket when he arrested you.”
“I’m telling you the truth. I had nothing to do with Peterson’s death,” Trevor said.
“If that’s true then prove it,” David said.
Trevor shrugged. “How am I supposed to do that?”
“Tell me where you were last night,” David said.
“That’s easy,” Trevor said. “I was here.”
“Were you alone?” David asked.
Trevor shook his head. “No.”
David’s eyes widened. “Who was with you?”
“Zeus.”
David groaned. “This isn’t a joke.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?” Trevor asked.
David gritted his teeth before responding. “Was anyone else here with you? For example, someone who can confirm your story?”
“No,” Trevor said. “But I was here.”
“I really wish I could believe that.”
Trevor threw out his arms. “What’s stopping you?”
“Your alibi is only as believable as my ability to confirm it,” David said.
“This is ridiculous. I didn’t kill Peterson. End of story,” Trevor said.
David shook his head. “You don’t get to decide when this conversation is over.”
“Yeah, I do. If you want to know anything else, you can talk to my lawyer,” Trevor said. “I’m going back inside.”
Chapter Thirteen
What an abrupt way for a conversation to end. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much David could do. Even if David dragged Trevor back to the police station, he didn’t have any proof that Trevor was guilty. Without evidence, David couldn’t detain Trevor for long. Especially if Trevor’s lawyer got involved.
So, instead of forcing the issue with Trevor, David and I turned our focus to Xavier Richardson. Xavier was an ex-convict who was currently out on parole. He had spent eight years behind bars for assaulting his girlfriend. Peterson was the officer who arrested him and put him behind bars.
Given Xavier’s violent history, David and I had every right to be on our toes going into this interview. Unfortunately, speaking with Xavier meant that my husband and I had to driv
e over to the east side of town. That area of Treasure Cove had always been the wrong side of the tracks.
While the city council had made a concerted effort to try and clean up the neighborhood over the last decade or so, it was still rough around the edges. There was still a grit to the east side. If I had to guess, that would always be the case.
It certainly wasn’t a place that I would want to go at night. Thankfully, this interview was going to be conducted in the middle of the afternoon.
As a recent parolee, Xavier had very little money to his name. It came as no surprise then than he lived in a rundown apartment complex. But it wasn’t just any low-rent building. David and I were quite familiar with this building. Mostly, because it housed a number of ex-convicts.
What a dubious thing to be known for. At least, that was how I felt. The owner of the building didn’t seem to feel the same way. He didn’t care who his tenants were. Or what trouble they caused. As a matter of fact, the only thing the owner of the building did care about was whether the rent checks were paid on time.
Ironically, the owner didn’t use any of that money to make his apartment complex look more presentable. The entire building was a dump. The word dilapidated came to mind as David and I walked toward Xavier’s unit.
When David and I reached the suspect’s front door, David knocked a few times.
Xavier didn’t answer.
David waited a few seconds before ringing the bell.
Once again, the door didn’t open.
David then yelled for Xavier to come out.
That also didn’t yield any results.
There was a slim possibility that Xavier was inside the apartment and ignoring us, but it didn’t seem likely.
Realistically, he probably wasn’t home. The question then became, where was he? Unfortunately, there were dozens of possible answers. The most terrifying one was that Xavier was trying to skip town.
While David and I had no evidence of that being the case, we couldn’t dismiss that scenario either. As a precautionary measure, David put out an all-points-bulletin on Xavier.
David also assigned a patrol car to keep watch over this complex. If Xavier did return, a police deputy would radio David immediately.
Chapter Fourteen
Since we had no clue how long it would take to track Xavier down, we weren’t about to just sit around waiting for an update. Especially when there was other work to be done.
There were still four more names on our suspect list. Drake Robinson was currently out on bail as he awaited trial for an assault charge.
Antonio Capaldi was also out on bail. His grand larceny trial was set to begin in a week and a half.
Then there was Nick Maddow. He was an ex-convict who had recently been paroled after serving ten years for attempted murder.
Closing out the list was Vikki Delaney, Peterson’s ex-girlfriend.
Surprisingly, Drake, Antonio, and Nick all had rock-solid alibis for the time of the murder. So, despite having ample motive for wanting Peterson dead, we were forced to cross them off the list.
That left Vikki Delaney to question. As David and I got ready to speak with Vikki, I prayed that she had an alibi as well. The more suspects that we could eliminate, the better. Although, I wasn’t going to hold my breath.
It was safe to say this interview could turn explosive. When talking to a victim’s ex, there was always the potential for fireworks.
But I was getting ahead of myself. Before I became too riled up, there was also a chance that this interview could go smoothly. That Vikki would just calmly answer our questions.
Ah, who was I kidding? That never seemed to happen. Still, I could hope. Although, at that moment, hope seemed to be in short supply.
That was especially true when I looked at David. He was so dour. Not to mention, he was struggling to hold himself together. Not that I was faring much better. Rick’s death was a devastating loss. It was impossible to treat this like a normal case. There were just too many emotions involved.
At the same time, despite everything we were wrestling with, we needed to muster all the resolve that we could. After all, we would be arriving at Vikki’s house shortly.
***
A minute later, David turned right on Oakville Drive. He pulled up in front of Vikki’s beige Spanish-style house and parked in the driveway. As we got out of the car, the lack of foliage in the area really stood out. It was a good thing it wasn’t the middle of summer. Without any shade nearby, the heat would be oppressive.
Once David and I reached the front door, my husband knocked a few times.
Thankfully, Vikki came to the door shortly after that. Ms. Delaney was a forty-one-year-old brunette with a full-figure and hazel eyes. She also appeared to have no clue what we were doing there. All that changed when David broke the news to her about Rick’s murder. Vikki got choked up as David finished speaking.
“That’s so sad,” she said.
David nodded. “It is.”
“Wow. I can’t believe it,” Vikki said.
David looked deep into her eyes. “You seem really broken up about the news.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“I wasn’t implying that you shouldn’t be emotional,” David said. “You just appear to be especially shaken up considering that you and Rick haven’t been a couple for over a year.”
Vikki stared David down. “What are you getting at?”
“You still have feelings for Rick, don’t you?”
Vikki shook her head. “No—”
David interrupted her. “Ms. Delaney, let me remind you, it is a crime to lie to a police detective. Now, we have it on good authority that you were still hung up on your ex.”
She threw her arms out. “Who told you that?”
“That doesn’t matter nearly as much as whether it’s true or not. So, is it?”
“I don’t see what this has to do with anything.” She scratched her chin. “Wait. You don’t think I'm a suspect, do you?”
“We haven’t ruled you out.”
Her eyebrows knitted. “I don’t understand. I mean, say I did have feelings for Rick. What reason would I have for wanting him dead?”
“Isn’t it obvious? The man broke your heart. You couldn’t stand what he did to you. Or the idea of him being with someone else.”
“Are you accusing me of trying to get revenge on him?”
“It’s the oldest motive in the book.”
She shook her head. “No. I would never do something like that.”
David folded his arms. “Is that so?”
“Detective, I had nothing to do with Rick’s death.”
“In that case, why don’t you tell me where you were last night?” David asked.
“I was here.”
“Doing what?”
“Relaxing.”
“Can you be more specific?”
“I didn’t do anything special,” Vikki said. “I made myself some dinner and then spent the entire night reading.”
“Does that mean you were here alone?” David asked.
She nodded.
“That’s a shame,” David said.
Vikki shrugged. “Why?”
“Because if no one else was here, there is no way of verifying your alibi.”
“But I don’t need an alibi,” Vikki said. “Like I said before, I had nothing to do with Rick’s death.”
“I wish I could buy that.”
“Nothing is stopping you.”
David grimaced. “I’m afraid your story isn’t as easy for me to believe.”
“That’s not my problem.”
“I beg to differ.”
Vikki groaned. “Why don’t you ask yourself this? If I was guilty, wouldn’t I have come up with a better cover story than that?”
David shook his head. “Not necessarily.”
I stepped in and added to David’s point. “As a matter of fact, maybe you intentionally made your story as mundane as possible to avoid sus
picion.”
Vikki scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.”
“You’d be surprised how often that happens,” I said.
“I assure you, that isn’t the case here,” Vikki said.
“That assurance doesn’t mean nearly as much as you seem to think. All the suspects I talk to try to convince me that they aren’t guilty. But someone killed Rick,” David said.
“It wasn’t me,” Vikki said.
“Is that all you have to say for yourself?” David asked.
Vikki shrugged. “What else do you want from me? I’ve answered all your questions.”
“I have more,” David said.
Vikki held her ground. “Fine. I’m not afraid of you. Ask me whatever you want. But it’s not going to change the fact that I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Chapter Fifteen
David and I spoke with Vikki a little longer, but we didn’t get anywhere with her. Finally, David received a call over his police radio. It was Deputy Madsen.
Apparently, Xavier Richardson had returned home. That was a relief. I was worried that Xavier had tried to skip town. Thankfully, that was not the case.
David and I drove back to the East side of Treasure Cove to question Xavier.
The muscular forty-five-year-old wore a tank top and had a shaved head.
Once David explained why we were at his apartment, Xavier cut right to the chase.
“You think I might have killed Peterson then, huh?” Xavier asked.
“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” David said. “You certainly had a reason to want him dead.”
“Let’s get something straight. Did I hate him? Yes. Did I kill him? No.”
David held his hand up. “Hold on. You make it sound so cut and dry.”
“Because it is.”
David shook his head. “Not to me. If anything, your answer makes me more suspicious of you.”
Xavier shrugged. “Why?”
“How about the fact that you just admitted that you hated Rick?”
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