Murder at the Lake_a small town murder Page 3

  “Okay, what was your sister’s name and where did she and her husband live?”

  “Her name is Lisa, and her and Diego live next door to me. We own a duplex together.” He gave me an address in town. I wished I had my body cam on, but had to take notes instead.

  “Is there anyone I can contact for you?” I asked.

  “My girlfriend, Haley. I’m sure her and my friends have gone to the lake and are wondering where I am.”

  He gave me her number and I dialed it for him and handed my cell over to him. Before he could talk to her, she entered the room and ran to him with tears running down her face.

  “We heard what happened to the houseboat, but didn’t know it was you. We waited at slip number sixteen like forever. Then someone told us that the houseboat for that slip had exploded and the man on board had been taken to the hospital.”

  Haley was a pretty girl with blond hair tied up in a bouncy ponytail. It kept bobbing back and forth as she talked.

  She turned to me and asked, “Who are you?”

  “I’m Detective Jordan, sheriff’s department. I was on scene when the explosion took place. Detective Bubba Crowell and Detective Bo Martinez and I helped to recue Mr. Harris.”

  I let them have a moment while I went into the hallway. I turned to see him sobbing in her arms. I called the sheriff first and filled him in, and then he said to get Roy on it as it was his turn in the barrel. I called Roy. He was on his way back from the lake. I filled him in and he said he would drop Loraine at home and head to the duplex to check on Diego.

  I went back in and told Mr. Harris that Detective Roy Turner was on his way to the duplex to see about Diego.

  While I was in Mr. Harris’ room, I told him, “Mr. Harris, your sister is in good hands. Doc Simpson is a loving and gentle man who will care for her like she was his own. I’ll leave you my card and when you get out, I would appreciate it if you would come by the office and make a statement. If you have any more questions, or remember anything more about this contest you were supposed to have entered, please give me a call at the number on the card, anytime.”

  I left them and headed back to the office to talk to Cindy.

  ******

  Cindy was about to go off and the third shift was coming on.

  “I left your stuff on Henderson on the screen in the conference room.” Cindy told me.

  “Thanks, I need to have a look at it. He’s a real piece of work. Where are you off to?” I asked her.

  “Nowhere, just home. I’ll make something to eat and read for a while. You know Bo brought me a kitten? I named her Shadow. She follows me all over the place, like she’s my shadow.”

  “That’s so cool. Speaking of cats, I need to check in on Ming. I left her plenty of food and water, but she needs my attention or she pouts.” I told her. “Let me run you home or do you have your bike here?”

  “Yes, I rode my bike today, it was so nice, but thank you for the offer.”

  Cindy left and I went back to the conference room to pull up Henderson’s rap sheet. It took me an hour to read through and make notes on him. He had been in trouble since his teens. When I was through with him I turned to my murder board and added Diego’s name and Haley’s with question marks.

  Tomorrow was another day and I was beat. I need to go interview people around slip number sixteen.

  Roy came in before I could get away and said there was no sign of Diego at the Duplex.

  “I looked in the windows and there was some altercation that had gone on inside. Chairs were turned over and sofa cushions were on the floor. I’m waiting on the sheriff to get back to me as what he wants done on this. All that mess could have been related to the girl, and Diego is off fishing somewhere.” Roy explained.

  The door opened and the sheriff came through in a huff. “What have you got for me Roy?” He asked.

  “I was just telling Jenny, the inside of the duplex was messed up, but that could have been from whoever took the girl. I’ve tried his cellphone, but it goes to voicemail. I need a warrant to get inside and take a CSI guy with me.”

  “You’ll get your warrant just as soon as I call a judge. Jenny, what have you got for me on all of this?”

  “The victim in the lake, Lisa, is the sister of the guy who got shot out of the boat. His name is Carl Harris. He’s doing fine since his operation this morning. His girlfriend, Haley, is with him now. Her and some friends came to slip sixteen to go have a good time on the lake for the weekend and they didn’t know about the explosion till the guy in the next slip told them about it. I’m going to head out tomorrow and talk to the people around slip sixteen, if there are any left there after the weekend. So many are just weekenders and go home on Sunday. Also I need to see if the dock owner keeps any surveillance tapes of the comings and goings on the docks.”

  “Sounds like a plan. You need to go home and get some rest. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I want all boots on the ground by eight AM. The TBI or FBI will be on top of this by tomorrow so be prepared. Do you know who took Jerry’s place at the FBI?”

  “I believe it’s now Lonnie Anderson. She used to work with Tom Turnball when Leo was killed. She’s easy to work with. There shouldn’t be a problem if she shows up.”

  “You know the FBI and TBI will be all over this case. They’ll push us right out.” Roy said.

  “Doesn’t matter, we are still working this case. These are people who were hurt or killed on our watch and it’s up to us to take care of them.” The sheriff said.

  “I’m going to see if Ralph needs any help at The Table, if not I’m headed home if anyone needs me.” I told them both.

  “He may need some help. There’s a mule show in the arena Sunday through Wednesday.” Roy told me.

  “Oh hell, I can’t go help Ralph, I told Max I would go out to eat with him. I need to head home and jump in the shower. See you all tomorrow.”

  ******

  At home, Ming was howling her head off, not so much for food but attention.

  “I can’t give you much, I have a date and I need to get ready. Come here on the couch and I’ll scratch your belly and rub your ears.” I told her.

  Afterwards I gave her some treats and headed for the shower. The hot water felt good on my aching muscles and the shampoo took the smell of lake out of my hair. Even though it’s late October, this had been an unseasonably warm month, and the evening was going to be cool. The thing now was what to wear. It all depends on where we were going. I found a skirt and fancy blouse with a pair of sandals. No, maybe regular shoes, when the sun goes down it would be cooler. Ming was on the bed watching every move I made. From her looks, I could just tell she was thinking, “Off she goes again and leaves me all alone”.

  I gave Ming some wet food and fresh water while I waited on Max. Fluffed the pillows on the couch and dusted the coffee table and end tables. Turned the TV on for some news, but just caught the tail end of the weather. Seems we are having the same weather tomorrow as we had today. Well at least I’ll know how to dress.

  I heard a vehicle pull up outside and I peeked out the window. He drove a nice Escalade. No pickup truck. Good!

  I opened the door to a guy who cleaned up well. He had on a dress shirt and jacket, no tie thank goodness, dress jeans and penny loafers. So I was dressed about right.

  “Hey, you’re right on time. Would you like to come in and have a glass of wine?” I asked him.

  “No, we have reservations out at the country club and by the time we get there they should have our table ready. We’ll grab a glass out there.”

  I grabbed a lightweight jacket and slipped out the door locking it behind me. Ming was on her shelf over the couch watching me leave. She’s up to no good, you can bet your life on that!

  On the ride out to the country club, we talked about the houseboat explosion and what he had found so far.

  “We had divers in the area where the boat blew up. They found fragments of the bomb, a timer that made it through the explosion,
and wiring that was either from the boat or how he rigged the bomb. We’ll determine that once everything is assembled back at CSI headquarters. Between us and Coffee County, we’ve collected a lot of the boat pieces, but I can’t even imagine trying to put humpty dumpy back together again. How’s the guy that was shot off the boat?” Max asked.

  “The girl in the water who was tied up with Flex Cuffs and gagged is his sister.”

  “What? Did he do that to her?”

  I went on to explain the contest and the houseboat. What Roy had found at the duplex and what I was going to be doing tomorrow. By that time we were at the country club.

  Max had them set up a special table overlooking the water instead of the golf course. The food was wonderful and Max’s company was very nice. He treated me like a lady instead of a detective. What a change that was.

  After coffee and brandy, we headed home. I was so beat I could have fell asleep on the ride home, but instead he brought up Jerry.

  “I need to know if there’s a chance for me with you. Is Jerry still in the picture or are you guys over?”

  “Yes Max, Jerry and I are over. I enjoyed your company tonight, it was fun and we got to talk not only about shop, but other things. Jerry and I had a long term relationship that exploded in the end. I really don’t want to go into it, but yes it’s over.”

  “Sorry, I know it must have been a heart break for you. You guys have been together for a long time. His loss, my gain.”

  When we got back to my place, we said our good nights at the door and he left. Oh yes, Ming got even. There was toilet paper strung all over the house and not a bit left on the roll.

  Chapter Five

  The morning brought bright sunlight and the call of a rooster. My neighbors were from Mexico and had five little hens caged in the backyard. This was the first time I’d heard a roaster, which he’s not allowed to have, only hens.

  I dressed and crawled into the Jeep and headed for Star Bucks for coffee. Next stop was the marina to talk to anyone that was still there around slip sixteen. All was pretty quiet, but it was early yet and I guess people like to sleep in after a long weekend of company and parties. So I headed to the dock managers office first. On the door was his name and his hours: Mr. Robert Conley and his hours were from eight AM to five PM. I opened the door to find Mr. Conley laid back in his chair with a big mug of what looked like coffee, but smelt of whiskey.

  “Good Morning, Mr. Conley. Having a little of the hair of the dog who bit you? I’m Detective Jordan, sheriff’s department.” I showed him my ID and shield.

  “Come on in, darlin’, and yes after this weekend I needed a bit more than just a hot cup of coffee this morning. How can I help you detective?”

  “I was wondering if you had cameras down on the docks, especially around slip number sixteen.”

  “For privacy reason we don’t have any cameras around the houseboats. The only place we do have them is up here and around the restaurant.”

  “What can you tell me about the person who rented slip number sixteen?”

  “Let me get my book here and I’ll tell you what I can.” He turned and opened a drawer on his filing cabinet and retrieved what looked like a journal. “Hmm, it seems a Mr. John Smith rented that slip a week ago yesterday. He needed it for a week. He paid in full the weeks rent. That’s all I got on him.”

  “Can you describe him for me?”

  “He was tall and slender, right skinny really. Dark hair, never saw his eyes he wore sunglasses. No facial hair, that’s about it. He was just a regular Joe.”

  “If I put you with the sheriff department artist do you think you could describe him?”

  “I could give it a try. Is he responsible for what happened to that boat and that girl?”

  “I would say yes at this time. I can’t really talk about it as this is an ongoing investigation, but most likely he put the explosives on that boat. I’ll be in touch as to when the artist can work with you. Do you require an ID to rent a slip?”

  “No, most folks just want a place to relax or to fish, As long as they pay up front we don’t care much about ID’s.” He said.

  With that I left and walked down to the docks. People who lived here were walking around with coffee mugs in their hands saying good morning to others around them. I walked on down to where slip number sixteen was located and found a gentleman sitting on his deck with his breakfast before him. He was in slip number fifteen.

  ‘Good Morning. I’m Detective Jordan from the sheriff’s department. Could I have a word with you this morning?”

  “Good morning detective, come aboard. Would you like some coffee?” He asked me.

  “Yes, thank you that would be nice.” He went inside and returned with a clean mug and poured it full of rich smelling coffee.

  “Best coffee in the whole world. I have it flown in from Brazil. How do you take your coffee?” He asked.

  “Black is fine with a little sugar.”

  “My name is Mr. Clarence Blackman and I’m from Canada, but I’ve lived here for two years. Now, how can I help you?”

  “Can you tell me anything about the guy who docked his houseboat next to you in slip number sixteen?”

  “I can tell you he had a foul mouth on him. A smart mouth also. I tried to tell him about how to tie the boat so it didn’t slap up against the dock. He told me right where to go.”

  “Anything else, maybe about his looks?”

  “Tall, skinny, he wore a cap and sunglasses anytime I saw him.”

  “Well thanks a lot for the coffee and the info. You have a nice day.”

  I left him and talked with a few others that were milling around, but got nothing new. So I left the marina and headed back to the office.

  ******

  Loraine was at her desk painting her fingernails when I came through the door.

  “Hey girls, what’s up?” I asked her.

  “Nothing right now, everything’s been quiet this morning. Roy’s in the conference room waiting on his warrant to search the duplex and I haven’t seen Bubba or Bo this morning.”

  “When your nails are dry I’d like you to run a check on one Carl Harris. He lives on the other side of the duplex that Roy is going to this morning.”

  “Will do, just give me about ten minutes and I’ll get right on it.”

  I walked back to the conference room and said hi to Roy. Worked on the murder board with the description I had got from Mr. Blackman and Robert Conley.

  Roy’s cell rang and he got busy picking up a file he had in front of him. Then he turned to me and said, “How about you come with me to search this duplex. I need a woman’s sense of what might be missing or what’s just not right in there.”

  “Sure, I don’t have much right now, but I need to ask the sheriff if he thinks maybe we should put protection on Carl Harris for a while.”

  “You go do that and I’ll get the warrant. It’s ready for me to pick up and then I’ll swing back by and get you.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” I told him and head to the sheriff’s office.

  Loraine was busy pulling the info I wanted on Carl Harris so I didn’t bother her. I just knocked on the sheriff’s door and waited to be invited in. I didn’t have to wait too long before he hollowed to come on in.

  “Jenny, just the person I wanted to talk to. Fill me in on what you found out this morning.”

  I told him of the description of the guy who rented slip number sixteen and told him there were no cameras on the dock. Then I asked him, “Jeff, do you think we should put some protection on Mr. Harris? Whoever tried to kill him, they tried not once but twice.”

  “We really don’t have anyone right now unless we pull Officer Janet Evens. You’ve worked with her on the barn murders.”

  “She’s a good officer and she could use the experience.”

  “I’ll pull her in this afternoon. She’s third shift, so she needs some time to sleep.”

  I thanked him and went to the jeep to get my vest
and body cam. Roy came around the corner as I was putting my vest on and I hopped in his way too technical pickup truck.

  The drive out to the duplex was quiet which was most unusual. Roy doesn’t talk much, but he’s not this quiet.

  “Roy, what’s up? You got something on your mind, cause you’re mighty quiet.”

  “I haven’t told Loraine yet, but I’ve been offered a farm out near Tony and Mick Marino’s place. It’s out of town, out in the country and I’m not sure just how she would take to being a country girl. She’s always lived in town where everything is just a minute or two away. So I’m not sure just how she would cotton to it.”

  “Only one way to find out and that’s to ask her. Drive her by and show her the place first then spring it on her.”

  “It’s a real pretty place with a view of the mountains in the back ground and a deck that overlooks a pond that’s as big as a lake.”

  “I know that place. People from somewhere around Chicago bought it, but they didn’t like country life either. Jerry and I use to ride horses up that way.”

  About that time we reached the duplex and we got out.

  “I hate like hell to bust this door frame if leaves such a mess. Wish we had the key.” Roy said.

  “Let me call Mr. Harris at the hospital and see if he has a key to his sister’s side of the duplex.” I called his hospital phone and a woman answered. I was guessing it was Haley or maybe a nurse.

  “This is Detective Jordan; I would like to speak to Mr. Carl Harris please.”

  There was a pause and then Carl Harris said, “This is Carl Harris, can I help you detective Jordan?”

  “We are at your sister’s duplex to serve a warrant to search the place. Do you have a key to her place?”

  “No, everything I had was on the houseboat and it’s at the bottom of the lake, but she keeps a key under a flower pot on the porch.” He told me.

  I told Roy and he looked under the pot and gave me thumbs up.