Mayes, Casey - A Deadly Row

“She’s not that good of a friend,” I said, “but I still don’t think she’s a killer.”

“You know as well as I do that most killers don’t seem like the type.”

Zach put the car in gear, and I noticed that we were heading in the opposite direction of the police station. “Aren’t you going to go talk to Davis?”

“I can find the chief of police whenever I need to,” Zach said.

“You couldn’t yesterday,” I pointed out.

“That’s true, but we’ve got a better chance of knowing where he is than where Samantha Riggins might be. I want to focus on Cindy Glass’s murder for the moment.”

“But you’re not going to forget about Hank Tristan, are you?”

“There’s not a chance in the world of that happening. We’ll deal with Davis after we’ve had an opportunity to talk with Samantha. I just hope she’s home.”

“If she’s not, you’ll be able to track her down. I have faith in you.”

“It’s nice that at least one of us does,” he said.

“Come on, you know you’re good at what you do without me telling you.”

“I have my moments, but this case has more twists and turns than a mountain highway. I’m not afraid to interview my suspects just because they have power in this town, but the chances are good that I’m going to alienate at least one of my friends before this is over, and I don’t have that many to spare.”

I rubbed his shoulder. “No matter what, I know I can trust you to do the right thing.”

“You bet you can,” he said, adding a small smile. We pulled up in front of an apartment complex in the South End, and I asked, “Are we here already?”

“What can I say? Time flies when we’re together. Besides, that was one of the reasons I wanted to go to Luigi’s. It’s not that far from Samantha Riggins’s place.”

“But not the only reason,” I said.

“Not by a long shot. Lunch was so good, we might have to head back there tomorrow.”

“I’m game if you are,” I said.

We got out of the car and walked up to the complex. It didn’t take long to find Samantha Riggins’s apartment, and I started to knock on the door when Zach stopped me.

“What are you doing?” I asked him.

“I’m taking the lead in my investigation,” he said. “I shouldn’t have to remind you that you are here as a consultant, and I expect you to let me conduct this interview without interference. Are we clear?”

“If you’re asking me if I understand you, I do. On the other hand, if you want to know if I accept it, you’re out of your mind.”

“Then maybe you should wait in the car. I’m serious, Savannah.”

After a moment’s thought, I asked, “Would it be proper for me to ask a question, if I see a direction you might not see?”

“I suppose that would be all right. Just let me lead the investigation. Okay?”

“Fine,” I said.

I took a step back, and he rapped on the door. After thirty seconds, a tall and thin, very fit blonde in her mid-twenties answered the door. I could tell she was in shape because it was clear she’d just gotten back home from a run.

“Can I help you?” she asked as she toweled off the back of her neck.

“Samantha Riggins?” my husband asked.

“Yes,” she replied, looking a little nervous, which was understandable, given the circumstances.

“I’m working with the police on the Cindy Glass murder,” he said.

She didn’t budge from the door. “I’d like to see some identification, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course,” he said. I knew he didn’t have a badge anymore, but he did still carry around his credentials from being the police chief.

She studied the photo ID card for a moment, looked at Zach while ignoring me, and then said, “One minute.”

She ducked back into her apartment, and I could hear the dead bolt slide into place.

“You have a way with women; you know that, don’t you?”

Zach just shrugged without replying. When he was working, he changed into a totally different man, one I had trouble recognizing sometimes. It was almost as if he was slipping on a mask that fit him perfectly, and yet it still managed to change everything about him.

A minute later, the door opened, and Samantha invited us inside.

“Did you call the police to check on me?” Zach asked.

Samantha grinned. “No, I did better than that. I Googled you. Sorry about you getting shot. That must have been awful.”

“It was,” I said, not realizing I’d spoken it aloud.

Zach pointed to me and said, “This is my wife, Savannah.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said as she offered me her hand.

I took it and then I started to ask her about Cindy, when I looked over at my husband. He was frowning slightly, and I knew this was no time to overstep my bounds.

“Nice to meet you, too,” I said, and then I did my best to fade into the background.

Samantha studied us both with a polite glance, and then she asked, “Can I get you something to drink? I’m sorry, but all I’ve got is herbal tea and diet soda.”

“Thanks, but we’re good,” Zach said. “Do you have a minute to talk about Cindy Glass? I understand you two were close.”

“We were like sisters,” Samantha said.

“That’s what we heard,” Zach answered.

Before he could say another word, I said, “We’re sorry for your loss. It must have been terrible for you.”

Samantha’s eyes glazed for a few seconds. “It’s the craziest thing. I picked up the phone this morning and started to call her to see if she’d like to run with me. I didn’t even get her answering machine.”

“Her place has been cleaned out,” I said.

“Man, it didn’t take the vultures long to move in, did it?”

“Actually, it was her boss’s idea,” I said. “I was there yesterday helping him go through her things. Evidently he was designated as her executor.”

“Yeah, Barton’s okay with me. He asked me if I wanted anything of hers, but everything I need of Cindy’s, I have.”

I couldn’t help myself. I asked, “What exactly would that be? A sterling silver chain with a cow pendant, perhaps?”

“No, I mean personal things that were between the two of us, like cards she’s given me over the years, and the silliest hat you’ve ever seen. Things like that.”

“Then you don’t know where the necklace might be?”

Samantha frowned. “Barton asked me the same thing. No, I haven’t seen it. Why, is it important?”

“It’s hard to say at this point,” Zach said. “I’m still gathering information.” Zach studied his notebook for a second, and then he asked her, “What exactly was her relationship with her employer?”

I looked oddly at Zach, trying to figure out where that question had come from. He hadn’t even met Barton Lane. Was he really a suspect? I tried to catch his gaze, but he was staring hard at Samantha.

“She loved him.”

“Was there anything romantic about their relationship?” Zach asked.

I started to say something, but Zach offered me a split-second glare that was enough to shut me up.

“Of course not,” Samantha said. “He was like a father to her, in just about every respect. Cindy’s dad took off when she was a kid, and she focused on Barton, but there wasn’t anything creepy about it. He’s a good guy, and he always looked out for her.”

“Fine,” Zach said as he jotted that down. “Then who was she romantically involved with? Would she tell you?”

“Trust me, Chief, if there was a man in her life, I knew about him from the start.”

“Anyone lately?”

Samantha frowned. “That’s a hard question.”

“It shouldn’t be; not if you two were as close as you claim.”