“No, it’s not unheard of for an employer to pay for an employee’s funeral expenses.”
“I don’t know. I just think it’s weird.”
“It’s a nice gesture. If I were you, I would contact Erin Mitchell. Give her Pearson’s contact information, and she can speak to him directly about the funeral arrangements.”
“That’s a good idea, but I’ll call Dr. Turner first and find out when Ruby is ready.”
“So, you questioned Giant Santa, and I take it you feel he’s not responsible for the murder. Did you put pressure on him? Did you make him think you could be looking at him for the murder?”
“No, I didn’t blame him.”
“What did I tell you, Kipling? You got to make people talk. You should have told him that he was having an affair with Ruby. Is he married?”
“No, he’s not. Why would I tell him something like that?”
“To make him talk. That’s why you would say something like that. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. He just needs to open up. I bet my whole paycheck that he wanted her, and she didn’t want anything to do with him.”
“You just love to make up stories, don’t you?”
“Little lies never hurt.”
“That only works for you. Anyway, I can’t see Ruby having an affair with a guy like him. He’s rough looking, and she was a petite girl.”
“You’d be surprised the kind of people that are attracted to each other.”
“I’m sure I would.”
“I heard that Anna accused you of sleeping with her husband.”
“Are we really going there?” I ask, unamused.
He laughs so hard that I almost start laughing myself, but I keep my composure. It’s not funny.
“I was told you were about to put her in handcuffs,” Robinson says after finally catching his breath.
“I had no idea who she was, and she came at me. Sam told me she was mentally ill.”
“She is, but Anna can be a very nice lady when you get to know her.”
“I plan on keeping my distance.”
“Probably a good idea. Hey, I got two place settings open tonight at my table. Kai just canceled. I’m sure he has his hands full with Anna tonight. The offer is open for you and Sam if you’re still interested.”
“No, I have something I have to do.”
“My wife would love to meet you.”
“Next time, Robinson. Maybe.”
The dictation program is still running, and I’ve finished putting in the request for Ruby’s work phone.
I make a call to the medical examiner to ask when Ruby will be released. Dr. Turner said that the body was ready since this morning. A contracted funeral home will pick her up Thursday if the family doesn’t make the arrangements. I give her Reece’s number. I feel like I’ve done the wrong thing, but since he’s willing to pay for Ruby’s burial and Robinson doesn’t see anything wrong with it, I let it go. Dr. Turner thanks me for letting her know and advises the case file was updated with new evidence found on Ruby’s body.
After hanging up, I check the file. Splinters of ash wood were found in her head.
I tell Robinson about the findings.
“Sounds like she was beaten to death with a baseball bat,” he comments.
Oh my God! I know exactly where I can find a baseball bat!
Chapter Eighteen.
I scoop up Sam before leaving the precinct. He’s already changed into street clothes, but he was willing to go with me anyway. He tries to get me to sign out another marked unit since he turned his in, but I don’t have time to go to the motor pool.
On our way, he keeps asking what’s going on. I’m so excited about what I figured out. I can hardly concentrate on what he’s saying.
“Kipling, talk to me. I’m in this with you. We’re partners, right?”
“Yeah, sorry.” I get my mind together and exhale. “So, Dr. Turner discovered wood splinters in Ruby Taylor’s head. There was a baseball bat in her apartment. Finley Price almost hit me with it, remember? He might have used the baseball bat to kill Ruby. I need to get it and have it tested.”
“What about the handwriting samples? You cleared Price.”
“But that doesn’t mean he didn’t get someone else to write the note. Price must have other friends who could have helped him.” I sigh with complete annoyance. “Robinson was right.”
“About what?”
“The problem was when it came to Price, I was hoping he was innocent because I didn’t want him to be separated from Erin. I was worried about her, and it’s affecting how I’m working this case. I have to put more pressure on the people I question. I’m too trusting and too easy.”
“You’re doing the best you can with what you know. Don’t be hard on yourself.”
“What if Ruby was your sister? You would want someone with more experience as a detective. You would want answers. I’m just running around here with no clue.”
“If Ruby was my sister, I wouldn’t want anyone else working the case but you. You’re determined and dedicated. That’s half the battle.”
“Half the battle might not be good enough.”
“You’re doing great. Really need to stop beating yourself up.”
At least, Sam is in the fight for answers with me.
I park right in front of the Crow Building, and we walk through a few guys standing in the entrance. It’s getting cold, and they’re huddled together and talking. Sam is clearly annoyed with their presence but says nothing. I imagine he’s thinking back to those guys that killed his dad. We get into the elevator. Sam’s intensity dies down immediately.
“Sorry,” he says.
“It’s fine. Believe me, I understand.”
When we reach Erin’s apartment, I’m surprised to see an eviction notice taped to the door. The note reads that as of two this afternoon, all unauthorized occupants were no longer allowed entry. The landlord, Aidan Gibson, signed the notice. I knock and try the knob. No one answers, and the door is locked.
“Wait here,” I say to Sam.
I go back downstairs to the first floor, where the notice indicates the landlord lives. He’s in apartment one hundred eleven, around the corner from the lobby. I knock on his door hard enough to hurt my hand.
He answers unceremoniously and without speaking. The man is overweight. On his head are wires of black hair sticking out from his bald head. He wears dirty jeans and a green plaid shirt. He shows no interest in who I am.
“I told you,” he whines dryly, “like I told every tenant, if you got a problem, send a request.”
“I don’t live here.”
“If you want an apartment, you have to go to the website and sign up. So that you know, the waiting list is long. Everyone is just dying to move into this dump.”
“I’m with District Three Police Department. My name is Detective Kipling. The people in apartment six-twelve. Where are they?”
“The tenant who leased the apartment is dead, according to official notification by the City of Exeter. Therefore whoever was left in the apartment were required to vacate the premises.”
“You evicted them?”
“As is my right as the landlord of the Crow Building. They were squatters. They were not approved to live on the premises.”
“Where did they go?”
“My job is to maintain this building and to collect rent, not to keep up with squatters.”
“I need access into their apartment.”
“It’s empty. Nothing’s in there.”
“Where are the items that belonged to Ruby?”
“In the garbage across the street in the alley.”
“Give me the key to the apartment.”
“I was within my rights as a landlord.”
“The key! Now!”
While handing it to me from his pocket, he repeats that he had a right to put them out. I ignore him, heading back to the elevator. The doors open, and I step inside, selecting the sixth floor. I�
�m quickly joined by two of the guys from the entrance. The shortest of the two selects the tenth floor.
Totally ignoring me, they talk about football players and their stats. One of them cracks a joke about the central midfielder for the Exeter team. I actually would like to listen to the rest of their conversation, but the elevator stops on the sixth floor. Without having to ask, the guys move out of my way.
“Where did you go?” Sam stands across from Ruby’s apartment.
“I went to the landlord to get the key.”
I unlock the door. Sam follows me inside. I check all the rooms. Everything is gone. Even the refrigerator is empty. Exhaling with sheer aggravation, I stand in the middle of the living room.
“Why would he put them out?” Sam asks.
“He said he had a right since they weren’t on the lease.”
“Did he say if they left a forwarding address?”
“With no money to get a new place, how will they? They’re somewhere on the streets.” I walk out of the apartment. “Hopefully, they haven’t gone too far.”
I’m aggravated beyond explanation. Not once did I connect the blunt force trauma findings and Finley’s baseball bat. The guy literally took a swing at me with it. The irony is I should have got knocked out. I might have put two and two together.
“Where are you going?” Sam asks.
“Maybe Finley and Erin are nearby.”
When we get to the lobby, the guys are gone. I don’t know if they decided to leave because of the cold weather, but I’m glad they’re nowhere around. Sam is much more at ease. I look up and down the street and across at Sable Alley. It’s getting dark and harder to see.
I trek up the street. At the end of the sidewalk, I stop and look in all directions of the intersection. Not seeing Finley or Erin, I go back the other way and do the same thing. There is no one outside. I guess the cold has sent everyone in, and I know this weather isn’t good for Erin. I have to find them quickly, but first I have to find Ruby’s stuff. I get in my car and make a sharp turn towards Sable Alley. The headlights chase the darkness away. It’s empty, except for the line of garbage bins and the piles of stuff from Ruby’s apartment a few feet back from the opening. I steer into the alley and get out of the car, leaving the engine running and the lights on. Sam gets out as well.
I search through piles of clothes, furniture, and old food. The stuff is definitely from Ruby’s apartment. I find the unopened makeup, the outfits from her closet, and the taser, which is damaged. It seems like forever I’m digging, but eventually, I do find the baseball bat. I bring it over to the headlight to see if its crack and bloodstained. The baseball bat is solid with no chips, no scratches, and no signs of blood, hair, or brain matter. I put it in the back seat and head for the forensics lab at headquarters located in Exeter City Centre.
Finding the possible murder weapon is an accomplishment. But there’s no physical evidence on it at all. I’ll see what comes back. Probably nothing. I can’t picture Finley scrubbing a piece of wood. Then using the same thing on me. He’d want to get rid of it. The test will eventually tell if it’s the murder weapon or not.
Chapter Nineteen.
The baseball bat is turned in to the forensics lab for testing, but our work isn’t done. Sam and I have to look for Finley and Erin. We drive District Three, searching every homeless haven and vacant houses we can access. We question everyone on the street and show their online profile pictures from our IET, but most people aren’t interested and want to be left alone.
Around eight in the evening, Sam wants to give up, and honestly, I’m freezing and ready to give up too. Bullet holes in the door of my car allow the cold inside, and the heat isn’t working. I drop him off at his home, which is surprisingly not too far from where I live. I wait until he’s inside before going on my way.
I want to keep up the search. Erin and Finley could be around the next corner or sitting under a street light a mile away. But admittedly, I am drained. The long day has caught up with me.
When I get home, I go directly inside. I’m disappointed with the small progress I’ve made in the case today. The house is quiet. The only light that’s on is in the office Mum and Dad share to my immediate left, just before the steps to the second floor. The door is cracked open. I hear the radio playing. A woman is speaking about the English Parliament and immigration laws.
All of a sudden, I remember something I forgot. I check my IET and see an email from Logan Scott, the citizen auditor. Cursing under my breath, I select the notification. He has rescheduled my interview for tomorrow morning at nine and sends his kind regards. He also notified DS Green that I will be late for work. I hate I missed the appointment. He is a nice gentleman, despite his job, and the last thing I want to do is to have him think I don’t care. I hope he’s not angry. I’ll deal with him in the morning with apologies.
“Victoria, what are you doing out there?” Dad opens the door.
“I was reading my email. I didn’t mean to disturb you.” I give him a soft kiss on the cheek.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes, everything is fine.” I sigh, realizing I haven’t told him about the citizen auditor, but it’s only because I don’t want him to be alarmed.
“There is something wrong. You want to talk about it?”
“No. Well, I don’t know. It’s not important.”
“It’s important if you’re concerned. Is it something I can help you with? Is it work?”
Why not? It’s no big deal. “I’ve been seeing a citizen auditor.”
“Oh,” Dad says with a lift of his eyebrows. “What’s his name?”
“Logan Scott.”
“Alright. I don’t approve of the relationship, but are you two getting serious?”
“Oh, no,” I chuckle. “I’m sorry, Dad. I misspoke. I’m not dating him. He’s been interviewing me for the government.”
“Well, that makes a difference, but wait a minute. Why are they doing that? You spoke to a citizen auditor when we first brought you here.”
“I think it’s a requirement of my new job.”
“A requirement,” he repeats with annoyance. “What do they want to know?”
“He was asking about the tribe I came from and my biological parents.”
“What did you tell them?”
“I didn’t answer all of his questions.”
“Good. You shouldn’t. Do you have to see him again?”
“Tomorrow morning. I was supposed to meet up with him tonight, but I forgot.”
“Victoria, you have to be careful about what you tell the auditor. They cannot be trusted.”
“I hear you, Dad, but if I don’t tell him everything, I could lose my citizenship. I don’t have a home to go back to. It’s all gone. There’s nothing there.”
“Tell you what, I’ll go with you tomorrow. Mum and I, both of us will go.”
“No, Dad, there’s no need. So far it hasn’t been that bad talking to him. He’s been nice.”
“Anyone can be nice, Victoria, but that doesn’t mean he’s sincere. I’m going with you. I’ll call work and tell them I’ll be late.”
“I don’t want you to go. I’ll be fine.”
“I think you need back-up. Mum and I can testify that you’ve been a model citizen, a great citizen, and the BEAC would suffer a great loss if they tried to send you away. We’ll be like character witnesses.”
“Dad, I’m not going to trial.”
He exhales and crosses his arms.
“I got this, okay. I can handle myself. After all, I am a police officer, and I’m armed.”
Dad laughs and hugs me. “I worry about you, Victoria. I can’t help it.”
“You worry about a lot of things,” I say into his shirt. “I’m going to bed. I’ve had a very long day.”
“I think you need to try and get home early tomorrow. We can have dinner together. I can’t remember the last time we all sat down and had a family meal.”
“We’ll s
ee about tomorrow. I can’t make any promises with this job.” I start up the steps slowly. “You get some rest too, Dad.”
“After the broadcast is over. A lot of things I want to catch up on.”
Dad loves to listen to the dramatics of politics and local events. I rather stay unplugged.
Up in my room, I take off my equipment and store it all away in the panty drawer. Feeling the ache in my head and neck, I lay down on the bed.
My mind begins to tally up today’s events, beginning with the questioning of Finley Price and Erin Mitchell. Thanks to Robinson, I made the connection between Finley’s baseball bat and the blunt force trauma Ruby suffered. Speaking to Father Luca Butler of Sacred Heart Catholic Church led to a dead end. Then there was Ollie Hunt and Georgia Knight of Hunt Projects. They proved Finley Price was illiterate. Reece Pearson, or as Robinson like to call him - Giant Santa, wasn’t a total loss. I found out where Ruby went to school, and I should be getting the call records from her desk phone. Still, with all the traveling and talking to people, I have no persons of interest and no suspects. I’m spinning my wheels. I’m digging, and dirt is going nowhere.
Closing my eyes, I try to shut everything out. The past. The present. The future. I want to sleep.
But I drift back to one person. Erin, Ruby’s sister, the sickly woman possibly living out in the cold. Maybe, Erin and Finley found a warm place to sleep. How would they though? Hotels are not cheap, and not even the cheaper ones are affordable. Renting an apartment takes longer than two minutes. Like the landlord at the Crow Building said, the waiting list is long, weeks actually. So where are they?
At least, Erin is not alone. That’s the critical part, and I can rest a little knowing that.
Chapter Twenty.
Mr. Scott greets me with a handshake. I’m ashamed for missing the interview. He notices and laughs it off as if it’s not important.
“Were you working last night?” he asks, closing the door.
“I was. I should have called, but I honestly forgot.”
“Your job is important. Have a seat, same chair. Are you thirsty?”
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