Caramel Apple & Murder: An Oceanside Cozy Mystery - Book 6 Read online

  * * *

  “We’d like some information on Walker Collins,” Heather said.

  * * *

  “Who wants to know?” the old man asked, but not as combative as before.

  * * *

  “We’re private investigators,” Amy said.

  * * *

  The old man nodded. “That rascal hasn’t shown up to work in two days. Abandoned us for our weekend shifts. Let me get the rest of the staff. We’ll tell you what you want to know.”

  * * *

  As soon as he was gone, Amy whispered to her bestie, “Once we’re out of here, you owe me a donut. That drink was gross.”

  * * *

  Heather nodded. “Of course.”

  * * *

  The old man returned with two bartenders: a large bearded man named Nicky and a tan woman named Danielle.

  * * *

  “What’s this about Walker?” Nicky asked.

  * * *

  “Did something happen with his crazy girlfriend?” Danielle asked.

  * * *

  “Why do you ask that?” Heather said, taking their tablet out of a bag to take notes. She decided that she would record the notes so that Amy could remain acting tough.

  * * *

  Danielle shrugged. "He hasn't been into work all weekend and wasn't answering our calls. I figured it had something to do with her."

  * * *

  “Why did you call her crazy?”

  * * *

  "Because she acted like it," Danielle said. "She was irrationally jealous. She came in here and accused me of trying to steal her man because we worked together. I told her that I was married, I never dated co-workers, and that he was too young for me. She threw a glass against the wall."

  * * *

  “Sounds violent,” Amy commented.

  * * *

  “Walker mentioned that she was a handful,” Nicky added. “But it never stopped him from coming to work before.”

  * * *

  "And he chose the worst day not to show up," the old man said. "There was a bachelor party Friday night. We were running around short-staffed all night."

  * * *

  “You were all here all night?” Heather asked. “Nobody left?”

  * * *

  “Last dinner break was at seven,” the old man said. “And then we were serving the party until at least two o’clock in the morning.”

  * * *

  Heather acknowledged this in her notes. If the coworkers were all working together on a busy Friday night, it was a solid alibi for the time of the murder. However, there were still other things that they could learn from the group.

  * * *

  “How would you describe Walker Collins?” Heather asked.

  * * *

  “He was a nice guy,” Nicky said. “But he could be a bit of a pushover.”

  * * *

  “That was why he let his girlfriend walk all over him,” Danielle agreed.

  * * *

  “That was a problem,” the old man agreed. “It was something he was reprimanded for. Maybe I shouldn’t be upset he left us.”

  * * *

  “What was he reprimanded for exactly?” asked Heather.

  * * *

  “He was being swayed by the customers. If someone told him he had given them the wrong change, he would give them what they told him instead of checking his math. When some customers realized they could get away with it, they started doing it more,” the old man said.

  * * *

  “Not all the regulars,” Danielle said. “But a few.”

  * * *

  “He also wasn’t good at telling people that they had enough to drink,” said Nicky.

  * * *

  “That got him into trouble at the last place he worked,” said the wizened man. “When a customer fought back and wouldn’t accept being cut off for the night, then Walker would relent and pour another. It wasn’t as bad here because it’s locals that come here. If anyone is in bad shape at the end of the night, then we can call their spouse to come and collect them. But it could be trouble if a tourist tried to drive. He was getting better about being more forceful. But we all kept an eye on him.”

  * * *

  “Was he being more forceful about standing up to his girlfriend?” Heather asked.

  * * *

  “I don’t think so,” Danielle said. “But what’s going on? Did Brenda Lee hurt him?”

  * * *

  “We’re investigating what exactly happened to Walker Collins,” Heather said. “But he was found murdered Saturday morning.”

  * * *

  “That’s why he didn’t show up to work?” the old man said, finally looking contrite. “I’ve been cursing his name for no reason.”

  * * *

  “Maybe we should all have a moment of silence,” Amy said, quickly.

  * * *

  The coworkers agreed and bowed their heads for a silent moment. Heather joined them, not sure of Amy’s intention until she saw her friend grab something from behind the bar counter while the employees were distracted.

  * * *

  They quickly said their goodbyes after the silence and promised they would find justice for their coworker.

  * * *

  As soon as the friends had exited the bar, Amy proudly showed off what she had found. It was a knife.

  Partners

  Heather could tell that this case was taking its toll on Detective Smith. When they had brought in the potential murder weapon, he didn't question where it came from or whether it had been legally obtained. Instead, he sent it to the lab. They were all waiting for the results with baited breath, except for Detective Peters who still found the ability to chat. He kept suggesting potential nicknames for him and his partner, but Detective Smith was remaining impassive.

  “What if we call ourselves the cat and the mouse?” Peters suggested. “And we can say all our interviews were a game.”

  Detective Smith didn’t look up from the file he kept rereading.

  “Or I could call you Senior Officer. That sounds cool, doesn’t it?” He suggested. “What about Sparky? Old Man? Badge?”

  “What about we stop trying?” Amy said. “He’s tired of nicknames.”

  That proved to be not quite right when they were greeted with a voice calling, “Kid! How are you doing?”

  “Chess,” Detective Smith said, hurrying over to shake the man’s hand. “I’m much better now that you’re here too.”

  Based on the nickname Chess, Heather realized that this must be one of Detective Smith’s old partners that he mentioned before. She thought back and finally remembered that the name was William Verlander.

  She took a good look at him. He walked with a limp and had several noticeable scars, but he looked happy as can be to be at the police station again.

  “Now where is Wheels?” Verlander asked.

  “He moved to Miami,” Detective Smith said. “He didn’t offer to help with the case again. But I’m very pleased that you did.”

  "Hear this now," Verlander said. "I'm always happy to help you. Anything I can do. I'm always ready to assist with police work."

  “I don’t want to remove you from your retirement completely,” Detective Smith started.

  “Forced retirement,” Verlander snapped.

  “But I could use your help on this double homicide that was spaced two years apart,” Detective Smith finished.

  “That does make things interesting,” Verlander said.

  Detective Smith led him over to the rest of the group.

  “Things certainly have changed since my time,” Verlander said. "They're even younger than you, Kid.”

  Heather felt like he had been going to make a comment about women investigators but restrained himself.

  “This is my partner, Detective Miguel Peters.”

  “We’re working on coming up with cool nicknames too,” Peters said.

  “These are private investigators, Heather Shepherd a
nd Amy Givens. They ingratiated themselves into a few investigations, but have been a help. And coming to join us is Detective Ryan Shepherd who will soon be on the Key West police force.”

  Ryan joined them in time for Verlander’s official introduction.

  “This is former Detective William Verlander,” Detective Smith said. “He was my partner and mentor. He still likes to offer advice on cases when it can help. I appreciate him joining us.”

  "There are so many people on the team," Verlander said, after shaking everyone's hands.

  “We need all the help we can get,” Detective Smith said. “We never caught the killer the last time around.”

  “And you’re sure it’s the same killer?” Verlander asked. “Not a copycat?”

  “The medical examiner told us that the slash inflicted exactly the same way. It also looks like the same knife was used,” Detective Smith said.

  “There’s a chance we found the knife,” Amy said. “We’re waiting for the results.”

  Verlander ignored the news to focus on his friend. “What’s your current theory?” he asked.

  “There must be some link between Karen Kass and Walker Collins,” Detective Smith said. “But we haven’t been able to identify what it is yet.”

  “Maybe there is no link,” Verlander offered, playing Devil’s advocate. “Maybe it was a disturbed individual who just acted.”

  “Then why wait two years?” Detective Smith said.

  “Maybe the killer was unable to act during that time?” Heather suggested. “He was in jail or some sort of institution? Or maybe he was killing, but not on the island?”

  “Those are good ideas,” Detective Smith said. “Peters, would you mind following that up?”

  “Right now?” Peters asked. “Well, sure. I can do that. I’ll go do that right now. You can call me Speedy.”

  “If he keeps trying to get a nickname like this, I’m going to dub him desperate,” Amy commented.

  “Where else are we?” Detective Smith asked his team.

  “Waiting to hear back about the knife,” Amy said.

  "And we'd like to interrogate the bartender victim's girlfriend," Heather said. "If this were any other case, she would already be our prime suspect based on the description."

  “You still haven’t found the spot where Walker Collins was actually murdered, have you?” Ryan asked.

  "No. We haven't," Detective Smith agreed. "We've checked his home and his job, and near the site the body was found."

  “Last time, you did find where the nurse was killed before her body was moved,” said Ryan.

  “It was near her house,” Detective Smith said.

  “It was also near the water,” Ryan said. “I’d like to check for the closest body of water near Walker Collins’s home and work. Maybe that’s how the killer dealt with the blood.”

  “Good idea,” said Detective Smith.

  “Last time there was wasn’t any evidence left from the killer at the murder scene,” Heather said, looking for confirmation. “Only from the victim.”

  “That’s right,” Detective Smith said.

  “Maybe he made a mistake this time,” Ryan said.

  “And there wasn’t anything from the killer at the recent dump site either,” Heather said.

  “Nothing that we could find,” Detective Smith admitted. “Though the area was exposed to the elements overnight.”

  “Or the killer knows what he is doing,” Heather said. “Maybe he’s a professional.”

  “But wouldn’t a professional want to hide a dead body?” Amy asked. “And not leave it out?”

  “I suggest that you talk to the main suspect from the last investigation,” Verlander said. “Maybe something will shake loose this time.”

  “Looks like we have our work cut out for us, but all have a plan,” Detective Smith said.

  Before he was able to dismiss them to go investigate their separate ways, Peters rejoined them.

  “Forensics finished examining the knife,” he said.

  “And?” asked Amy.

  “It wasn’t the murder weapon. There are no traces of blood on it. Only citrus,” said Peters. “Most likely it was used to cut limes.”

  Amy groaned. “I didn’t find the murder weapon. And now I’ll have to figure out how to return it without seeming like a weirdo.”

  “I wonder where the murder weapon is,” Heather said.

  The Bartender’s Girlfriend

  “Brenda Lee Lanning?” Heather asked.

  “Who wants to know?” the woman in the doorway asked, putting her hands on her hips.

  “This is going to be a fun interview. I can tell,” Amy said.

  “We’d like to talk to her about Walker Collins,” Heather said.

  “If you’re trying to steal him away from me, you can just hold your breath, alright?” she said, waving a finger in front of their faces. “Because that boy is already dead. He is gone from this world.”

  “You don’t seem very upset about it,” Amy commented.

  “And who are you to tell me how I should be feeling?” Brenda Lee asked. “I’ll have you know that I’m not sad. No. I’m angry. I’m furious. How dare somebody take him away from me like that? And I’m betting it was some cheap piece of skirt that he was cheating on me with.”

  “Why would you assume that?” Heather asked.

  "Why else would he be killed?" Brenda Lee asked. "He didn't have no money. All he did was bartend. And he gave people free drinks when they yelled at him. He was a pushover. But he was my pushover. I can't believe somebody killed him. If anybody was going to kill him, it should have been me. And I would never want to kill him, even if he apparently deserved it for cheating on me."

  “I was right about the interview,” Amy muttered to her friend.

  “Now are you related to the one who stole my man? And do we have a problem?” Brenda Lee asked.

  “Let’s start again. I’m Heather Shepherd, and this is Amy Givens. We’re private investigators working with the Key West police to uncover what happened to Walker Collins.”

  “In that case, I’d love to talk to you,” Brenda Lee said. “I want to find out who killed him too. Maybe then you can give me a few minutes alone with her so I could let my emotions out?”

  “We certainly do want to find out who committed the crime and for his loved ones to have closure,” Heather said, avoiding directly responding to the request.

  Amy took out the tablet to take notes on the interview now that it was officially beginning.

  “What do you want to know?” Brenda Lee asked.

  “Firstly,” Heather started. “Where were you on Friday night?”

  “Why? You think that I could have done him in? I just told you how I couldn’t do that to him.”

  “We have to rule every possibility out,” Heather explained.

  “I was getting my nails done Friday night,” Brenda Lee said. “I was the last appointment of the day. They were trying to rush me out, but I wasn’t having that. I was going to have my nails done right.”

  “It sounds like they’d remember you,” Amy said.

  “I refuse to be shortchanged,” Brenda Lee said simply.

  “And what did you do after that?” Heather asked.

  “I left there around ten. Then I met up with a girlfriend for drinks. She was having troubles with her boyfriend. I was giving her pointers on how to whip him into shape. Like my Walker was. Most of the time.”

  “Do you have any specific ideas about who could have killed Walker Collins?” Heather asked.

  Brenda Lee seemed to think about it very hard, and then said, “No.”

  “But you think it was another woman who did it?” Heather asked.

  “Like I said before, who else would want to hurt him? It had to be some lady who wanted him for herself. I know what it’s like to want someone for yourself.”

  “His coworkers didn’t seem to think that he was cheating on you,” Heather told her.

  “
They might just say that to cover for him,” Brenda Lee said. “People do that.”

  "There was no one else who was angry with him?" Heather asked. "Problems with those co-workers?"

  “He got fired from his last bar, but that was before we started dating and we’ve been together for over a year and a half. He let someone leave after having too many drinks because the guy was yelling at him for more. He didn’t think he had a car, but apparently, he drove after that. I think he died or hit somebody or something. There was going to be a lawsuit or something, but it fell through. Walker still got fired. But his new place was understanding and liked him. He wasn’t trying to hurt anybody. He just doesn’t deal well with conflict. Which I why I don’t understand why he decided to cheat on me.”

  “Maybe he didn’t cheat on you,” Amy said.

  “Do you think that could be true?” Brenda Lee asked.

  “Yeah,” Amy said. “I’d be too scared to cheat on you.”

  Brenda Lee absorbed what she said and then started to tear up. “Maybe he was a good boyfriend all the way through. I am really sad he’s gone. I’m still mad at whoever did it. But now I’m sad too. Why did you do that to me? I was stronger before I was sad.”