Moment of Doubt

by Sara Gauldin

  Richard Allen was short and fit. He sat in the front lobby in athletic wear, checking the time on his Fitbit.

  “Mr. Allen?” I asked.

  He smiled and stood up. “It’s Richard.”

  We shook hands. “Avery Rich, I’m sorry you had to wait.”

  “I understand. To be honest, things have been a little off all week. It’s not every day that you see…”

  “I understand.” I didn’t want to think about the dismembered body any more than he did. “Let’s see if there’s an interview room available.”

  “Room three,” Major Watkins ordered before heading toward his office. I knew he would come to watch the interview once we were in the interview room.

  I showed Richard Allen to the interview room and took a seat across the table from him. After arranging my notepad and pen and pushing the button to let anyone view the interview and know the interview was in session, I looked at Mr. Allen in the eye.

  “I appreciate you coming in and meeting with me. It’s my understanding that you already spoke to several officers at the boat dock,” I began.

  Richard Allen nodded. “I did. I called as soon as I realized what I was looking at.”

  “Why don’t you start from the beginning? When did you go to the boat dock?”

  “It was around eight a.m. The rest of the group was just getting there, so I went down to the ramp to make sure we wouldn’t have any trouble launching our kayaks. I don’t know if you noticed, but it’s not the best ramp. If the water level is too low, there is a drop-off. In that case, it’s better to just go off the bank.”

  I jotted down Mr. Allen’s statement, as I pictured people dropping kayaks off a steep drop and them not being able to climb down into them. “I understand. At what point did you see something?”

  “Like I was saying, I went down to the dock to check to see if it was our best bet. If we can avoid dragging the boats through the woods, it’s all the better.”

  “And what did you find?” This guy was chatty.

  “The water was too low. We needed a better place to launch, so I hiked a little down the shoreline with my kayak.”

  “And that’s when you found the body?”

  “I had just put the kayak in the water when it floated up and bumped into my kayak.”

  “The body’s torso?” I asked.

  “Well, I couldn’t tell what it was at first. It looked like somebody cut up a deer and dumped it in the water. I bent down to have a look, but then I realized it was no deer. Deer don’t have fingers.”

  “So, you saw the victim’s hand?”

  Richard Allen was looking a little green. “I saw lots of parts. What happened to them?”

  I wrote a few notes on my notepad. “That’s what we are trying to find out. When did you contact the authorities?”

  “I took out my phone and called 911. To be real honest, I wanted out of there. I didn’t stick around to see anymore once I realized what I was looking at.”

  I thought of the boot prints. “Was anyone with you when you found the body?”

  “No, it was just me. There was no point in everybody taking a hike.”

  “We will need to see whatever shoes you were wearing, so we can identify your footprints.”

  “Yes, ma’am. They are in my trunk. I’ll bring them in.”

  “Thank you, I appreciate your cooperation.”

  ***

  I sat at a desk near the first desk I ever had. The stack of paperwork looked more like I was buying a house than filing a statement. It was fair. I was the one who discharged my weapon, and I was the one who charged in with no badge and no backup. I used to be a team player. I sighed. Things had changed.

  My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out to see a message from Genevieve. We’re finished up here. The shooter died en route. I’m headed back to the hotel. We’ll follow up at the PD in the morning.

  Sounds good, I replied. It looked like I was taking a cab from here—if I ever finished up the paperwork. At the rate I was going, it could be a long night.

  Chapter 10

  After grabbing a bagel and cream cheese, I spotted Genevieve waiting in the lobby, briefcase in hand.

  “Aren’t you going to eat something?” I waved my bagel in greeting.

  Genevieve laughed. “I already ate. I always start my day with a run. This place has a nice little gym.”

  “Well, now I feel like a real slacker.” I ate the last bite of my bagel as we headed through the lobby.

  Genevieve and I climbed into her replacement cruiser. This one was a simple sedan model and not the SUV she was used to. “I still can’t believe that guy shot up my car.”

  “I still can’t believe we still don’t know why,” I grumbled.

  “Well, you said the dead guy claimed to know you.”

  I glanced at Genevieve, wondering if she knew something I didn’t. “He knew my name. They both did. But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a paid hit.”

  “Who would pay to have you killed?”

  I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. “Well until recently, there was a waiting list.”

  “No, not the George family. I mean locally. Is there bad blood here, from your time with the PD, or maybe family business? You said your father was an attorney. Could these guys be former clients?”

  “I can ask him, but I don’t know if he could tell me. He didn’t practice criminal law, anyhow. He was a contract guy.”

  “Right, and your mother?”

  “My mother’s dead.” I had been so sure of that until recently. Seeing her doppelganger made me doubt my own eyes.

  “All right, but before that?”

  “She did something corporate. She traveled a lot.” And I didn’t know why.

  “So, you don’t think these creeps may be involved with some family history?”

  “No, not that I know of.” But I would call my dad as soon as I had a moment away from this case. Something wasn’t right about any of this. Why did these creeps know my name?

  Genevieve pulled in to the local PD. “We won't know that until we do more digging. The other part of the question is whether these two have anything to do with those two murder victims.”

  “I’d like to know who we’re dealing with,” I said.

  “So would I, especially if they’re tied to a serial killer.”

  I filled Genevieve in about my interview with Richard Allen as we made our way to the police department.

  ***

  The local police chief was no stranger; Commander Brett Jennings was the one who hired me and sent me to the police academy where I first met Jesse. I shook his hand in greeting.

  Commander Jennings gave me a stern look. “Well, if it isn’t Avery Rich. I’m sorry it took two people being hacked to bits to bring you back home.”

  I hadn’t thought of the PD as home, but once Jennings said it, I realized he was right. “Well, the murders gave me a reason to come, but I’m still glad the be here.” The memory of simple police work not muddied by corruption and power plays was inviting. But given the reason for my return and the events that had unfolded since then, I had to wonder if my perception of my early police days was skewed to begin with.

  Commander Jennings clapped me on the back, almost pushing me off balance. “Well, I can’t say the murders are a good thing, but I’m glad to have one of our best on the case.”

  I blushed, despite myself. “I have a request.”

  “If I can grant it, you know I will.”

  “Right. I need to know more about the two men who we caught after our car was shot up yesterday.”

  “That one hit close to home… I had a look at your vehicle earlier. It looks like both of you ladies owe that bulletproof glass your lives,” he said.

  “We really do,” Genevieve said.

  I crossed my arms across my chest. “I’d like to know why we were a target.”

  “That’s understandable. We have confirmation that the younger of the two men involved di
dn’t make it. I believe his name was Ian Guilford.”

  “Hmm, that name doesn’t ring a bell. He had the same last name as the older man.”

  “Yes, they’re father and son,” Commander Jennings agreed.

  “Father and son? Who was the older lady?” I asked.

  “Sunny Clemmings is still in lockup,” Commander Jennings said with a smirk.

  “And the father, where is he?” I asked.

  “He is in the hospital. Apparently, you shot him.”

  I chewed my lip. “Yes, but he charged at me. I warned him.”

  “Oh, I saw the entire thing already. You’re not the only one that can screen security footage, you know.” Jennings smiled down at me like a proud parent.

  “There were cameras behind the salon?”

  “Oh, cameras were surrounding the place. I guess they were a little paranoid. It was after you left, but we found a substantial amount of meth in the back room. It looks like you stumbled upon a dealer without realizing it.”

  “Wow, that old lady was into some next level dealings.” The hair on the back of my neck stood up. This was all too familiar. How tangled up were the criminal lives of this family and actual next level players? Wherever they were in the levels of crime, they were expendable. An entire family of expendable players who were willing to play the game. Suddenly, I felt more like a homewrecker than a crime fighter.

  “We would like some interview time with the older woman.”

  “I’d be glad to lend you an interview room with Ms. Clemmings if you don’t mind me watching. We will have to build a case against Sunny and her five employees. It’s hard to know if those ladies were renting a booth to style hair or to peddle who knows what.”

  “Things have changed since I was here,” I said.

  “The drug market has become a problem, but I think that’s the case in most cities nowadays.”

  “Well, I guess that would explain the odd behavior,” I said.

  Genevieve gave me a look. “If these people were trafficking drugs, they’re dangerous. Period. But that doesn't mean they’re tied to the murder cases.”

  “No, but it doesn’t clear them, either. And it doesn’t explain why they were so willing to fire on a police car,” I said.

  “It’s an unmarked car,” Genevieve said.

  “That still doesn't explain why they targeted it,” I argued. “Besides, the lights were on.”

  “Well, ladies, there is only one way to straighten this out, and that’s going straight to the source.” The commander gestured for us to follow him down the hall to the interview rooms.

  “That would be appreciated,” said Genevieve. I could see that her outlook on the damage to her car had not improved.

  ***

  Sunny Clemmings shuffled into the interview room in handcuffs. The orange scrubs she was wearing made her look even smaller and more shrunken than she had before.

  “Oh, it’s you again. I should have known.” She grinned at Genevieve like they were long lost rivals.

  “You knew I was coming to speak to you about what happened to my car.” Genevieve was angry, and she was having a hard time hiding it.

  “Sure, some car. What about my car? I don’t even know what happened to it after you pulled me over and arrested me. It’s a shame the way this town treats its senior citizens these days.”

  Genevieve glanced at the paperwork in Sunny’s file. “I see that the car you were driving was registered to you. So that leads me to wonder who you allowed to drive your car yesterday.”

  “Well, my son has keys. If he was driving it, I wouldn’t know.”

  “And for the record, your son’s name is?” I asked.

  “You already know. He’s Tony Guilford.”

  I tried to keep eye contact with Sunny, but looking into her cataract covered eyes, I realized that tactic wouldn’t carry very much weight. “Right, and to clarify, did your son have permission to drive your car yesterday?”

  Sunny smirked. “He didn’t ask, but I didn’t tell him no, either.”

  Genevieve glared at Sunny. “What does that mean?”

  “It means he has a key.”

  “And your grandson Ian Guilford, does he have a key?”

  “No, why would he?”

  I took a deep breath, determined not to lose my patience with Sunny. “Yesterday, when your son and grandson arrived at the salon where you work, did they say anything to you?”

  “They were at the salon?” Sunny smiled, showing her loose dentures.

  “What time did your son borrow your car?” I asked.

  “Did he borrow my car?” Sunny faked surprise.

  “What time did you leave the salon?” Genevieve asked.

  “Oh, I don’t know. Who checks the time every time they get in the car?”

  A knock on the door broke through my concentration. I went to the door, wondering who would knock. It was Commander Jennings.

  “May I speak with you for just a moment?” He smiled, as though he knew a secret he couldn't wait to tell.

  “Of course.” I stepped into the hallway, closing the door behind me.

  “I thought you may want these.” He handed me a folder.

  I flipped open the folder and examined the collection of black and white photos. “You already pulled the traffic camera footage?”

  “We sure did. Shirley is the best at keeping track of all those little details.”

  I flipped through the still shots. “The time stamps on these have them coming and going, and it looks like there was a time gap between the traffic lights on either end of the block with the salon.”

  “If we combine these with the gas station footage, we have the shooters leaving the car, and Sunny here picking it up and heading back out on the road as soon as they are clear of the car.”

  “That’s perfect. But we still don't know why they were shooting at us to begin with.”

  Jennings shook his head. “No, that part doesn’t show up in the photos.”

  “I guess that part’s a mystery.”

  “True, but the actual shooting isn’t.” Jennings flipped back a few images. I hadn't noticed it before, the car was almost out of the frame, but there was Ian, sticking out of the sunroof. Only half of his sunglass-covered face showed in the image, but the barrel of the gun was visible.

  “Well, let’s see what Sunny has to say about this.” I reached for the door handle to return to the interview before Genevieve lost her composure.

  Jennings gestured for me to wait a moment. “You know she doesn't know about her grandson,” he said.

  I chewed my lip. As unlikeable as Sunny was, I still didn’t relish being the one to tell her that her grandson didn’t pull through. “All right. If we need to use that, we will.”

  Genevieve's voice was loud. “So, this is what I think happened, you sent your son out in your car and instructed them to shoot at a squad car.”

  I slipped back into the interview room and pulled out my seat with too much force. The sound of the metal chair dragging against the floor made Sunny jump.

  “Why would I do that? That would bring the police force down on my family,” Sunny yelled back.

  I interrupted them. “I don’t know if she sent them. But I’m thinking Sunny here is more of an accessory after the fact.”

  Genevieve turned to say something then changed her mind and stopped herself.

  I set the folder on the table and flipped through the images. “Let’s see what we have here.” I pretended to look at the photos for the first time. “According to the time stamp, your sedan passed through the intersection of Third and Monroe at three-twelve.”

  “So what? I work on that street.”

  “Right, so was this you driving the car?”

  “Maybe.”

  I flipped to the image I had already looked at, the one from the gas station showing her son’s bald head. “This picture is from the gas station, seventeen seconds later. Is this your head?”

  Sunny snort
ed but then shook her head no. “You know it’s not.”

  “So your son, Tony, was driving your car at this point.”

  Sunny shrugged. “Yeah, sure. That doesn’t mean he did anything.”

  “No?” I flipped to another image, the one where Sunny had taken over the vehicle. “But here’s your car again. There’s a brief gap in the time.” I pushed the photo over to her. “But here, I see that it’s you driving and not your son. That’s you right there, isn’t it?”

  Sunny gave me a fake smile. “Yes, it’s me. What are you getting at?”

  “Well, we already know you were driving the car a little earlier. And here it is. Your son and this young man hopped right out of the car at the front of the salon and ran inside. You must have seen them then.” I kept eye contact. I needed to read every reaction to know if I was playing the right card to get to the truth.

  She shook her head. “No, I don't remember seeing them.”

  “Interesting.”

  “What’s interesting about that?”

  “Well earlier, I looked at this same video, and I saw these two men getting out of your car and running into the salon. And I was glad because I found them. But I didn’t stay around and watch the rest of the video.”

  “What has any of this got to do with me?” Sunny’s eyes bulged.

  “Quite a lot. Because I missed the next part of the video. You see here, only a few seconds go by, and here you are, going right out to get in the car.”

  “So, I drove my car.” Sunny shrugged.

  “Right, but for you to leave the store when you did, you would have had to pass right by these men to get to the car.”

  Sunny scowled. “It proves nothing.”

  “Don’t think you're protecting them. There’s nothing you can do for them.” I looked down, wishing I didn’t have to be the one to tell her.

  Sunny blanched. “What do you mean?”

  “What do you think happened when your son and your grandson tried to take on the police? They were armed, dangerous, and they already tried to shoot an FBI agent.”