My breath shortened. It felt like the walls of the police station were closing in on me.
I needed to get some air. So I headed outside.
David followed me.
Once I reached the sidewalk, my breathing returned to normal. But my anxiety remained.
“Are you going to be okay?” David asked.
“I’m not worried about myself right now,” I said. “Diane is the one I’m concerned with.”
“You should be. She has a lot of explaining to do.”
“I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation—”
“Do you actually believe that?” he asked. “Or is that just some wishful thinking on your part?”
I grimaced.
When I didn’t respond for a few seconds, David spoke up. “That’s what I thought.”
My nose scrunched. “What are you talking about? I didn’t say anything.”
“You didn’t have to. Your silence said plenty.”
“Don’t get me wrong. I know how things look—”
“Awful, you mean?” David asked.
I had a softer way of describing the situation. “Less than ideal.”
“Sabrina, it’s time to face the facts. By all accounts, Diane is in a mess of trouble.”
“True. But you and I both know that looks can be deceiving.”
“Just because they can doesn’t mean they are.”
“Why don’t you wait a little longer before you reserve judgment?”
“I have a better idea. I’m going to pay Diane a visit and see what she has to say about all this,” David replied.
I held my hand up. “Not so fast.”
His eyebrows knitted. “What’s the delay?”
“Will you please give me a minute before you dart off? This is a lot to process.”
“Of course,” David said.
I closed my eyes and took a few more deep breaths.
“Feeling better now?” David asked.
I shook my head. “I’m not going to feel better until I know the truth.”
“Honestly, in this case, discovering the answers to your questions might make you feel worse rather than better.”
“Maybe so,” I said. “But I need to know what really happened.”
Chapter Nineteen
David’s car sped past a row of pine trees as his sedan drove down Fulmer Avenue. It was a pretty sight, but I was too deep in thought to fully enjoy the scenery. Silence normally didn’t bother David, but in this instance, it unnerved him.
A concerned tone was in his voice as he spoke to me. “I know you don’t want to hear this, but you should let me talk to Diane alone.”
I shrugged as I looked over at David. “Why?”
“Are you really going to make me explain it to you?”
I shook my head. “No. I get it. Diane was lying to us. But she’s also my friend—”
“Which puts you in a very difficult situation,” he said.
“I can handle this.”
“You say that, but your body language is telling me a different story.”
“This isn’t what it looks like.”
“I wish I could believe that. I mean, if we were about to call out one of my friends for lying, I would certainly be uncomfortable—”
I held my hand up. “Let me stop you right there. I really appreciate you looking out for me like this, but you have it all wrong. The distant look in my eyes—it’s not from thinking about our upcoming conversation with Diane.”
David’s nose scrunched. “It’s not?”
I shook my head. “No.”
“Then what’s it about?”
“I was actually just thinking about Wally.”
David’s voice deepened. “Oh.”
“I just can’t get over the tragic way his life ended.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Of all the ways to die, being murdered is the worst.”
I grimaced. “I was speaking more in the broader sense. Not so much the cause of his death, but the fact that his life was cut so disturbingly short. I mean, he had made so many mistakes through the years. Just one regrettable decision after another. But lately, it seemed like he had cleaned up his act. He had worked so hard to build a bright future for himself.”
“I know what you mean. From the outside, it looked like he had finally turned a corner.”
“Yet in the end, his demons resurfaced. And the mistakes of his past caught up with him.”
“They sure did.”
“It makes me so sad to think that he’ll never get a chance to redeem himself. To make amends for all the sins he committed,” I said.
A pained expression came to David’s face.
“I also can’t help but wonder who else in town is wrestling with demons that might get the better of them. Who else has made mistakes that they can’t outrun?”
David winced. “That’s a whole other can of worms that we don’t have time to open right now.”
“I was hoping you’d say that I was just being paranoid. That Wally is a rare exception,” I replied.
“He might be. I can’t read minds.”
“Neither can I.”
“That’s a real shame. Having mind-reading-abilities would really come in handy with a case like this.”
I nodded. “It sure would.”
“Speaking of the case, we’re almost at Diane’s place,” David said. “We should focus on what we’re going to say to her.”
“You’re right,” I replied.
Chapter Twenty
When David and I arrived at Diane’s place, my husband insisted on taking the lead. Instead of arguing with him, I decided to strike a deal. I would let him steer the conversation, but only if he agreed to use a soft-glove approach with Diane.
Diane opened her front door after a couple of knocks. She looked surprised to see us again so soon. “What are you doing back here?” she asked. “Unless…did you find out who murdered Wally?”
David shook his head. “Not yet.”
Diane became deflated. “Oh.”
“We’re doing our best,” David replied.
“I’m sure you are.” Her forehead wrinkled. “That said, if my husband’s killer is still out there, then I can’t help but wonder what you’re doing here.”
“There’s something we need to discuss with you.”
“What is it? Do you have a hot lead?” Diane asked.
David nodded. “Actually, yes. That’s why we’re here.”
Diane squinted. “I’m confused. What’s this lead of yours?”
David took a deep breath before responding. “This isn’t easy thing to ask, but how was your relationship with Wally?”
Her eyebrows knitted. “Fine.”
“You weren’t having any problems then?” David asked.
She shook her head. “No.” She put her hands on her hips. “Why would you even ask that?”
David ignored her question and continued with a thought of his own. “When we spoke with you the other day, you told us you were working late at your photo studio and then came home to find Wally’s body on the living room floor—”
Diane shrugged. “Yeah. So?”
“Were you alone at your studio that night?”
“Yes.”
“Since you’re the owner of the studio, you don’t happen to use a time clock, do you?”
She shook her head.
“Do you have any security cameras there?”
“No,” Diane said.
“When you left the studio, did you run into anyone on the way home?”
“Why does that matter?”
“I just want to see if there’s anyone who might be able to verify that you were actually at the studio as late as you claim to be—”
“Why do I need someone to verify it? Do you not believe me?”
“Diane, can you please just think back to your drive home that night?” David asked. “Did you spot anyone you know on your way back here?”
Diane searched he
r mind. A few seconds later, she shook her head. “No.”
I grimaced. “That’s unfortunate.”
Diane looked long and hard at my facial expression. “What’s really going on here?”
I took a deep breath before opening my mouth to respond. Unfortunately, my tongue was tied.
“Sabrina. David. You’re scaring me. What are all these questions about?” Diane asked.
David could see how much I was struggling to formulate a response. He decided to be the bearer of bad news. “Diane, we have it on good authority that you and Wally got into a fight the night he was murdered.”
Diane scrunched her nose. “Wait a minute. You don’t think I’m a suspect, do you?”
“It’s complicated,” David said.
“That wasn’t a no,” Diane said.
I finally managed to untie my tongue. “Look. We want to believe that you’re completely innocent—”
“Good. Because I am. I loved Wally,” Diane said.
“I don’t doubt that,” I said.
David gritted his teeth. “Unfortunately, sometimes love goes wrong.”
Diane narrowed her eyes. “You do think I’m a suspect then?”
“I didn’t say that,” David replied.
“It was heavily implied,” Diane replied. “Who told you that Wally and I got into a fight?”
“It doesn’t matter,” David said.
“It does to me,” Diane said.
I responded as calmly as I could. “We just want to know the truth. So please don’t make this any harder than it already is.”
Diane’s control over her emotions began to slip. “Jennifer badmouthed me, didn’t she?”
“Will you stop focusing on who gave us the lead and just answer our questions?” I asked.
“Has Jennifer been eavesdropping on my conversations with Wally? Because I have a restraining order against her,” Diane said.
A baffled look came to my face. “Hold on a second. What makes you think that Jennifer has been spying on you?”
Diane threw out her arms. “How else would she know that Wally and I were having problems?”
My eyes widened. “Our source was correct then?”
Diane continued to go off on a tangent. “I can’t believe Jennifer violated the terms of the restraining order. You need to arrest her.”
“Diane, stop right there,” David said.
“Me?” Diane scoffed. “What about Jennifer? She’s the maniac.”
David folded his arms. “Diane. Jennifer wasn’t the one who gave us the lead.”
Diane’s forehead wrinkled. “Are you serious?”
David nodded.
“Then who was it?” Diane asked.
“We can’t tell you that,” David said.
Diane tried to continue arguing. “But—”
David steered the conversation away from the topic of Jennifer. “The identity of our source doesn’t matter nearly as much as the fact that you and Wally were having marital difficulties.”
“I disagree. So Wally and I were having a few problems. It’s not as big of a deal as you’re making it,” Diane said.
“Answer this. The fight you had with Wally. Was it about the affair that he was having with Amanda Hartley?” David asked.
Diane gritted her teeth. “I don’t like where this conversation is going.”
“Trust me. This is difficult for us too. But it’s also necessary,” David said.
Diane lowered her head and remained quiet.
“Diane, please just tell us the truth,” I said.
“Yes, we fought about Amanda. But I didn’t kill him. Instead, I headed back to my photo studio to cool off. I find working in the darkroom to be very soothing,” Diane said.
I stared deep into Diane’s eyes, but I didn’t say a word.
After a few seconds, Diane broke the silence. “You wanted the truth. There it is.”
“Is that the whole truth?” I asked.
“Yes,” Diane said.
“So let me get this straight. The night your husband was murdered, you got into an argument with Wally and headed off to your photo studio to cool off. When you returned home later, you found his dead body on the living room floor?” I asked.
Diane nodded.
I remained quiet for a moment.
The silence was too much for Diane. “You have to believe me.”
“You realize how bad this looks for you, right?” I asked. “You lied to us.”
“There’s a very good reason for that,” Diane said.
“Which is?” I asked.
“I didn’t tell you about the argument because I was worried that you’d think I was guilty,” Diane said.
“This doesn’t exactly make you look innocent,” I said.
“Probably not. But I am,” Diane said. “I didn’t kill Wally.”
Chapter Twenty-One
That got out of hand in a hurry. So much for clearing up my suspicions about Diane. Instead, David and I left Diane’s place terrified that she might have had something to do with the murder. My husband and I both wanted that not to be the case, but Diane hadn’t done herself any favors. That put us in a terrible position.
While my mind was jumbled, my stomach was empty. We headed over to Shannon’s Sandwich Shop to grab a quick bite to eat. After getting some protein in my system, I had the energy to tackle the case again. Unfortunately, I didn’t quite know what to do next. In addition, David didn’t have any bright ideas. So we headed over to the police station and poured over the case file again.
A few hours went by without anything to show for our efforts.
Then, just as frustration began to creep in, David got a call over his radio.
“Detective Carlson,” a male voice said.
David took the call. “This is Carlson. What’s going on?”
“This is Deputy Wilson.”
“Is everything okay over at Hollenbeck’s place?”
Deputy Wilson had been assigned to keep tabs on Jennifer.
As David waited for Wilson’s reply, I couldn’t help but wonder if Jennifer had done something suspicious.
“I’m afraid we have a situation here,” Wilson said.
“What kind of situation?”
“Diane Tuttle just arrived at Jennifer’s building. She’s yelling and pounding on Jennifer’s door,” Wilson said. “I’m going over to speak with Diane before things get too heated.”
David’s eyes widened. “We’ll be right there.”
***
It took David and me twelve minutes to drive to Jennifer’s apartment complex. The entire time, I prayed that Diane didn’t do something stupid. I couldn’t figure out what she was thinking, going over to Jennifer’s apartment like that.
When we arrived at the complex, Deputy Wilson had detained Diane. He was doing his best to keep her separated from Jennifer. But Jennifer wasn’t making it easy on him.
As David and I got out of our car, Jennifer was flailing her arms, completely livid.
“What’s going on here?” David yelled.
Jennifer pointed at Diane. “She’s crazy. That’s what’s going on.”
Diane snarled. “Me? You’re the maniac who attacked me six years ago.”
“Diane, that’s ancient history,” Jennifer said.
Diane shook her head. “Not to me, it isn’t. Besides, you’re still a maniac.”
“No. You’re the one who needs to get their head checked,” Jennifer said.
“Enough! Quiet down. Both of you,” David yelled.
Thankfully, both Diane and Jennifer shut up.
David told Deputy Wilson to keep watch over Jennifer.
Then David and I pulled Diane aside.
David stared deep into Diane’s eyes. “What are you doing here?”
“Jennifer is the killer,” Diane said. “She murdered my husband.”
“Do you have any proof of that?” David asked.
“I feel it in my gut,” Diane said.
“I’ll ask again,” David said. “Do you have any evidence that she committed murder?”
Diane shook her head.
“I’m afraid we need more to work with than just a gut feeling,” David said.
Diane shot Jennifer a glare. “Look at her. She’s just as crazy as ever.”
“Diane, I know you’re wrestling with a hurricane of emotions right now. But you can’t just show up at Jennifer’s apartment looking to stir up trouble,” I said.
“Something had to be done,” Diane replied.
“Diane, you’re not thinking straight,” I replied. “Say she was the one who killed Wally. By coming over here, you just put your own life in danger.”
A look of fear came to Diane’s face. “I didn’t think about that.”
“No. Because you’re letting your emotions get the best of you. Now go home and let us take care of this.”
“Are you going to arrest her?” Diane asked.
“We don’t have any evidence that she did anything wrong,” David said.
“Listen to me. She’s bad news—”
David cut her off. “Diane, you’re the one who needs to listen to us. Investigating a murder is hard enough as it is. And outbursts like this don’t make things any easier. Now go home and let me do my job.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Thankfully, Diane followed David’s orders. She got back in her car and headed home. Just to be safe, we tailed Diane back to her place. We didn’t feel good doing it. After all, it was the sort of thing that we only did with especially belligerent suspects. But we felt like it was necessary to keep tabs on Diane.
Meanwhile, back on Orchard Drive, Deputy Wilson was doing the same thing with Jennifer Hollenbeck. Wilson allowed Hollenbeck to return to her apartment, but the deputy continued to keep watch over her actions in case she did anything suspicious.
With Jennifer and Diane back in their respective places of residence, David and I were free to get back to work. But I wasn’t quite ready to move on yet. I needed to take a breather. My stress level was off the charts. This case was taking a serious toll on me.
I remained quiet for a few seconds to collect my thoughts.
Mysteries of Treasure Cove Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 34
