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 suspicion.”
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?”
“I thought you’d value my honesty.”
“I do.”
“All right. Then it should be pretty clear to you that I didn’t murder Rick.”
“I disagree.”
“Detective, it’s only logical to assume that if I was telling the truth about hating Rick, then I was also being honest about being innocent,” Xavier said.
“If only things were that simple,” David said. “Unfortunately, a murder investigation is much more complicated than that.”
“Look. I don’t know what else to say to you.”
“How about you start by telling me where you were last night?”
“As in, do I have an alibi for the time of the murder?” Xavier asked.
“Exactly,” David said.
“No. I don’t. At least, not one that you’ll be able to verify,” Xavier said.
“Why? What were you doing last night?”
“Nothing special. I went out for a run, ate some dinner, and played video games most of the night.”
“You’re right. That isn’t anything special.”
“It’s the truth, though.”
“According to you.”
“Detective, I get that you’re skeptical of my answers. But you can’t just outright dismiss them. After all, I’m not avoiding any of your questions. I’m just calmly replying to you.”
“I can’t argue with that.”
“Good.”
David scratched his forehead. “The thing is, though, you’re almost too calm.”
Xavier scoffed. “Are you kidding me?”
David stared Xavier down. “I’m not. Also, it isn’t taking you very long to formulate your answers. It’s almost as if you anticipated me asking you all of these questions and rehearsed what your replies would be.”
Xavier shook his head. “If you believe that, you’re nuts.”
“If I’m wrong, then why are you so calm?”
“Like I told you, I’m innocent.”
“Is that the story you’re sticking with?” David asked.
“For the last time, it’s not a story. It’s the truth,” Xavier said.
Chapter Sixteen
David and I lobbed a few more questions at Xavier, but his story didn’t change. Finally, when it became clear that we weren’t going to get any new information out of Xavier, we left the apartment complex.
At that point, we were fresh out of suspects. It was also getting pretty late. Given how exhausting the day had been, it seemed like a good time to call it quits for the night. We would resume investigating in the morning.
Once my husband and I arrived home, I heated up a quick microwave meal for both of us. We ate silently as the events of the afternoon weighed heavily on our minds.
After loading our plates in the dishwasher, I opened up my laptop and started a video chat with my daughter. When she asked how my day had gone, I broke the terrible news to her about Peterson’s murder.
“That’s so awful,” Jessica said.
I nodded. “It has been an absolutely devastating day.”
“I’m so sorry,” Jessica said.
“So am I. It’s a rough time.”
“How is dad handling things?”
“He’s trying to stay as professional as possible, but I know he’s really hurting.”
“Once we’re done talking, put dad on. I want to pay my respects.”
“Of course,” I said.
“Wow, I still can’t believe Rick is dead. He was such a nice guy. Plus, he was a good cop.”
I began to get choked up as I watched Jessica wrestling with her emotions.
It was then that I got the urge to change the subject.
There was a very specific reason for that. Even though I wanted Jessica to be able to process the news, I had been struggling with this tragedy all day. And, while I considered myself to be pretty strong, I could only handle so much. At some point, I needed some relief.
“How was your afternoon?” I asked. “Are things going better for you at the academy?”
“Mom, forget about the academy. Who cares what is going on in my life right now?” Jessica said.
“I do.”
“It’s nothing that can’t be talked about some other day.”
“I disagree. I’d really like to hear about your afternoon.”
Unfortunately, Jessica was too focused on Rick’s death to notice that I was desperate to change the subject.
“Do you guys have any good leads?” she asked.
“Jessica, I’m not going to discuss the case with you.”
“Mom, I’m not a little girl anymore.”
“I never said you were. I just don’t want to discuss this case.”
“I can see why you wanted to keep investigative details from me when I was younger, but I’m in the police academy now.”
“Jessica, you’re aren’t understanding me. This has nothing to do with your level of training.”
My daughter squinted. “Then what is it?”
“I’ve just been knee-deep in this investigation all day. Right now, what I need is to take a step back and breathe.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry for pushing you.”
I took a deep breath. “It’s okay. Now, can we please talk about something else?”
Jessica nodded. “Sure.”
“Did anything interesting happen to you today?”
“Remember that woman I told you about before?” Jessica asked. “The only other woman in my class?”
“What about her?” I said.
“I struck up a conversation with her.”
“And?”
“It turns out we actually have more in common than I first thought.”
“Like what?”
“To start, we’re both from small towns,” Jessica said. “Amanda was born and raised in Redwood Glen.”
My eyes widened. “Really? What a coincidence.”
“I’ll say. I mean, here I am, three hours away in San Francisco. And the only other woman in my class grew up in a town that is a twenty-minute drive from Treasure Cove.”
“Not just any town. A place that is home to Giuseppe’s Italian Bakery.”
Jessica chuckled. “Leave it to you to bring up sweets at a time like this.”
I shrugged. “Can you b
lame me? Giuseppe’s serves some amazing cannolis. Every time I’m in Redwood Glen, I make a point of ordering one…or two.”
Jessica smiled. “Okay. So Giuseppe’s did come up.”
My eyes lit up. “I knew it.”
Jessica laughed again. “Mom, we did talk about other things.”
“Like what?”
“What a big adjustment city life is. Dealing with homesickness. And how grueling the police academy is.”
“You weren’t kidding when you said you two had a lot in common. Does she have a mother and father who investigate murders as well?” I joked.
“No. Her father is a teacher. And her mother…” Jessica trailed off as she got emotional. “Well, she was a nurse.”
“Was?”
“Unfortunately, Amanda’s mother was killed a number of years back.”
“That’s awful,” I said.
Jessica nodded. “It sure is. But it’s also why Amanda decided to join the police academy. To solve crimes. Just like the detective that arrested the man who murdered Amanda’s mom.”
“What a story,” I said.
“I know. Amanda is a tough woman. And she’s been through a lot, considering she’s only eighteen.”
“How does her father feel about her career choice?”
“A lot like you do about mine.”
“You mean, supportive, yet nervous?” I said.
Jessica nodded.
“I sympathize with Amanda’s father,” I said.
“I’m sure you do. But like I’ve told you before, you don’t have to worry about me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. After spending my entire day investigating the murder of a police deputy, I’m now more worried about your future than ever,” I said.
“Mom, don’t get me wrong. It’s tragic what happened to Rick. But that doesn’t mean the same thing will happen to me one day,” Jessica said.
“I realize that. And trust me, if I couldn’t think of a way to make my worries disappear, I would do it. Unfortunately, worrying is just part of being a mother.”
“I wish I had an answer for you,” Jessica replied. “All I can say is that I love you so much.”
Mysteries of Treasure Cove Cozy Mystery Boxed Set Page 59
