5 Alive After Friday (14 page)

On the same evening that Ryan Cramer was being
questioned by the police, Sandy was sitting on the edge of her hotel bed in
West Palm Beach sipping a can of Coke from the vending machine down the hall
and waiting for his call. Her tablet was open beside her. Her shoes were kicked
off, but she was still dressed—waiting. That was the deal. He would come back
from his timeshare near Disney, and she’d go with him to the police.

Sitting there, she had tried to sum up the
investigation so far and had reached the conclusion that everything was going
to hell. Certainties had become questionable and the questionable had become unlikely.

Myra had been her best guess for Jane. She wished they
had met. Then she’d have known whether the woman had the nerve to be Jane. If
her husband’s description was any gauge, it was doubtful. Behind the phony
nasal voice used by Jane that night in the Everglades, was a strong, aggressive
woman. A woman who thought things out and did things her way. “Pay up or don’t
even think about your boyfriend living past Friday,” she had said. Sandy also
remembered the woman didn’t take any crap from Dick. None of that sounded much like
Myra. Boyd had called all the shots for her according to her husband. Except
some person thought the extortion money was hidden in her house and was willing
to kill for it.

What if Myra had been lying to her husband and
Gail all along, and she was actually the main culprit cleverly manipulating
Boyd? What if she were actually Jane but now someone had taken her out of the
action. Someone who knew what she had been up to with Boyd, searched her house
for the four hundred grand and killed her when interrupted.

Now Tonya had to be considered. To hear her tell
it, she would have done anything for Boyd and would passively wait for him to
show up and favor her with some attention. Was that consistent with such a
strong, aggressive woman, one who had gone to prison for killing a man? Perhaps
she was lying about her relationship with Boyd and had just been using him. So
many questions and so few answers.

Her phone buzzed. Chip said, “Hello, sweetheart, you
okay down there? I was hoping you’d be back up here by now.”

“I’m fine. You know, when I heard your voice just
now, I got a warm and cozy feeling.”

“Well, bring all those warm and cozy feelings back
up here. I really miss you. Why don’t you give it a rest for one day?”

“I am, I am. Everything down here can wait. Tomorrow,
I’m coming back up there. I was waiting for a phone call before phoning you.”

“Perfect! Tomorrow is my last day on the FBI task
force. I’ll be home early.”

“Tomorrow it is. What’s happening tonight?”

“Lonely around my house. Nothing to report from
here. Just routine stuff. Sounds as though all the excitement followed you down
there. How about you?”

“Just now I was waiting for a murderer to call me,”
she said.

“Nice that you’re making new friends. You are
joking aren’t you?”

“Remember I told you about the guy whose wife was
cheating on him? Well, now she’s dead and he’s suspected of killing her. He
skipped town. He called me earlier. I told him to come back and I’d go with him
to surrender. He agreed, but now it’s too late tonight, so I’m giving up and
going to bed. The problem is they have an APB out for him and I didn’t tell the
police I knew where he was and had talked to him.”

“That’s serious, Sandy.”

“I know, I should never have stuck my nose in and
agreed to meet him. Geez, I could have been up there with you right now. I
should have just called the police and told them where Ryan was. But that
didn’t seem right. Anyway, the guy promised to come back in two hours...and here
I am waiting for him. I don’t know what happened to him.”

“Well, clear it up with whoever’s in charge, first
thing tomorrow.”

“That would be Detective Walt Dominic, West Palm
Beach police. You know him? He’s the one in charge of the cheating wife's
murder. He’s a real hard head. I’ve been trying to get close to him and he
wants to swat me away like a pesky fly.”

“Don’t know him. Are you getting any closer to
Jane?”

“No. I thought cheating-wife Myra was Jane. Now
I’ve talked myself out of it and I’m back to square one and don’t know where to
head. Perhaps, I should put a lid on my optimism and come home before I’ve
wasted any more time.”

He said, “Correct me if I’m wrong. Myra was shot
down there, and her boyfriend Boyd was shot up here. Therefore, you’ve
definitely connected the two murders and must be on the right track to discover
Jane.”

“Except Boyd could just be some jerk who got
killed in the park. Sure, I’ve been running around putting his history together,
which is interesting. Yet it all might have nothing to do with Dick and Jane,
who could be an entirely unknown couple enjoying an expense paid trip around
the world. In which case, I’ve gone nowhere and done nothing except give away
four hundred grand.” She hadn’t thought about how depressing it was until she
heard herself say it aloud. “Frankly, I don’t see an end to this.”

“I hate to say goodnight, you sound so down. Just
think about tomorrow, sweetheart. All those dark clouds will roll by and I’ll
get the sun shining for you again.”

“That’s just what I need. I’ll dream about you
tonight and be in your arms tomorrow. Now I’m getting all excited. Stay safe
until I see you. I love you, Chip.”

“Tomorrow is the last day of my task force
assignment with the FBI. I should be finished around mid afternoon. I’ll meet
you at my place. I’ll be the guy with the gleam in his eye.”

“And I’ll be the girl who is all aglow. Do you
love me?”

“Only until the stars fall from the skies.”

The first thing the next morning Sandy hurried to
the West Palm Beach police headquarters hoping to have an early meeting with Detective
Walter Dominic to smooth things over. She wanted the meeting over as quickly as
possible because this day she was heading back home to Park Beach. If she could
get away from Palm Beach by noon, she could be showered, ready and waiting for
Chip when he got off duty.

She had expected to be better connected with
Dominic, by this time. This morning wasn’t going to help; she had some tall
explaining to do. She needed to tell him about Ryan phoning yesterday afternoon
from Disney and then not showing up. She stayed dressed until late waiting in her
hotel room for his call. He seemed a decent guy and deserved some help even though
she wasn’t entirely convinced of his innocence. And she might need him to reach
his sister. She had found Gail’s phone number and left messages explaining who
she was and how she fit into helping her brother, but it seemed Gail was
ignoring her.

Sergeant Swanson eagerly sidled up to her, before
she got to the detective’s cubicle and was delighted to report that Sandy was
in big trouble. The Florida Highway Patrol had picked up Ryan Cramer the
previous evening at a turnpike rest stop. After his interrogation, Dominic
arrested him.

The detective was buried in a case file. She stood
in his doorway until he glanced up. He smiled when he saw her and said, “You
still playing cops and robbers?”

“You still playing a hardass?” She gave him a
half-wave and sat down in front of his desk. “I just found out Ryan Cramer’s in
jail. How’s he handling it?”

The detective pointed to a report on his desk, “Why
didn’t you tell me he had a sister who was often at their house. We didn’t know
about her until we interviewed a neighbor.”

“Sorry about that. If you hadn’t cut me off, when I
was in here yesterday, you’d have learned all sorts of interesting things. Yes,
I thought sister Gail might possibly have useful information about Myra and Boyd,
because Myra always confided in her.”

“And you wanted to get to her before I did?”

“If I did, I’d tell you all about it later assuming
I could get your attention.” She shouldn’t have phrased it like that. Better
cool it with the attitude. He could shut her down at any time. “Have you talked
with her yet?”

He looked annoyed. “That part is none of your business.
And I’ve already told you Boyd doesn’t interest me much. I’ve my hands full with
live suspects, which is my main concern at this stage. But I’m glad you walked
in, so we don’t have to go looking for you. We dumped the memory on Ryan’s cell
phone to check his calls. Guess what? We found a call made yesterday afternoon with
a Sandra Reid. You were talking with a fugitive after we told you we had an APB
out on him. And after you assured me you weren’t going to interfere. You’ve all
sorts of secrets don’t you. Now this is important...did he know, or did you
tell him his wife had died?”

“He phoned me from his timeshare near Disney. I
assumed he already knew about his wife, so I didn’t mention it. But he was
acting on the phone as if he didn’t know. He didn’t seem to be grieving, and if
the police were after him, he thought it had something to do with the embezzlement.
After we hung up, it occurred to me that he wasn’t aware that his wife was
dead. In any case, I talked him into coming back.”

“At which point, you should have phoned me.”

“He was reluctant. I offered to meet him, and we’d
walk in here together. He felt better about that. But you’re right, I should
have phoned. I kept waiting for him and then it got too late. I’m sorry.” She
wondered if that was enough to get her off the hook. “Your first name is Walter?
Do you like to be called, Walt, Dom? What do your friends call you?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“How about just, Dominic. Hey, I got him to come
back, didn’t I? When you picked him up, he was on his way to turn himself in,
thanks to me. That should count for something.”

“Very little, even if true. More significant is
the fact that he ran away in the first place. Not the first impulse of an
innocent person.”

“Except, he didn’t know his wife had been
murdered, when he ran.”

“That’s what he says. What else, smart girl.”

That was progress; she’d graduated from smartass
to smart girl. “What time was the murder?”

“You see how you are?”

“Okay, don’t tell me the time. I’ll get it from
the police report.”

“Time of death isn’t in there.”

“Okay, I’ll get it from the M.E. report.”

“That won’t be available for days.”

“Are we on different sides here?” She held out her
upturned palms.

“Of course. The police have no obligation to
assist any defendant, including your client.”

“I’m not his attorney?”

He raised both hands in the air. “Then what’s this
all about? I didn’t think you were his attorney until you said you talked him
into coming back. You really play it on the edge don’t you?” He pointed his
pencil at her. “If you’re not his attorney, and are holding back anything
you’re the one who’ll need an attorney.”

“How’s he doing?” She knew from firsthand
experience that being locked behind bars can be a terrifying experience,
especially the first night.

“He’s despondent. Got him under a doctor’s care
for depression.

“What! You mean he’s been hospitalized?”

“He’s in a cell by himself and on an
antidepressant.”

“Geez Louise. And I’ve been feeling sorry for
myself. Can I see him? Is he on a suicide watch?”

The detective shook his head.

“Look, I’m here to help you. It’s that simple,” she
explained, “For what it’s worth, he told me on the phone that he and Gail saw
Myra last night, when she came over to Gail’s condo. She wanted them to help
her get out of the embezzlement mess. After she left he took off for their
timeshare up near Disney.”

“What time did she leave and what time did he take
off for Disney?”

“I’ve no clue.”

“Why didn’t he go home with her?”

“She was no longer hiding her affair with Boyd.
The guy had been coming to the house and actually stayed there at least one
night. Ryan has been sleeping at his office or over at his sister’s place. I
guess sometimes he showers and changes clothes at home, but doesn’t like to
sleep there because he doesn’t want to wake up and find Boyd next to him in bed.”

“He lets the guy who’s diddling his wife sleep in
his house? Does he fix him breakfast too? What kind of wuss is he? So, Ryan
doesn’t know that Boyd is dead?”

“Doesn’t sound like it, and if he does he didn’t
get it from me. I try to get as much information as I can while giving out as
little as possible. I learned that long ago from a police detective in Philly.”

She noticed his raised eyebrow, gave him a wink
and said, “There’s no story there. Anyway, when he closed the office that
afternoon, I tailed him to Gail’s place just on general principles. I wanted to
interview her and wanted to know where she lived...she’d recently moved—Magnolia
Palms, West Palm. I waited there until around eight. He didn’t go out before
then, at least not in his panel truck. Then I went back to my hotel.”

“Too bad you didn’t stick around. You might have
seen him leave and go home to shoot his wife.”

“Or possibly, if I’d stuck around, I’d have seen
Gail leave and go shoot her sister-in-law.”

“Okay. Time of death is estimated between ten p.m.
and two a.m. that night. Does that make you happy?”

She sensed the detective was beginning to warm up
to her. “Thanks for that. The M.E. has to be thinking she was killed in the
middle of that time span, at midnight.”

“You hit it.”

She was certain the detective was going to explode
when he heard she’d obtained Boyd’s address from Bristol Trucking against the
detective’s warning to stay away from that angle. And if that wasn’t enough to
set him off, in addition she’d learned about Tonya and gone after her. In
effect, jumping around him twice. He might have had his own strategy for
approaching and interviewing Tonya. He wouldn’t be pleased with any of it. She
needed to put lipstick on the pig.

She started in, “Okay, you ready for this? Here’s
another suspect for you. Another woman. Dead guy Boyd—who you should be, but aren’t
particularly interested in—was living with a girlfriend. I’ve met her. She’s
tough. Tall as you and just a tad overweight, which fills her out nicely and gives
her a great shape—if you like amazons. Don’t meet her in a dark alley. She’s done
hard time and has a Glock.”

“How in hell do you know all this?”

“I happened to be at her neighbor’s house talking
when she came in. She thought I was an intruder or so she said. She flashed a
gun. That constitutes a firearm possession violation, since she’s a felon.” She
wanted Dominic on Tonya’s tail not just for Myra’s murder, but because possibly
it was Boyd and Tonya who were playing Dick and Jane out in the Everglades. “Detective
Jaworski had checked her prison record earlier, back when we first thought she
might be Jane.”

“You just happened to be in her neighborhood, huh.
So what was the old charge you dug up?”

“Manslaughter. Five years.”

“How old was she?”

“Eighteen.”

“Give me a break...eighteen? Let her keep her
fucking gun.”

“But it’s a Glock.”

“Everyone in Florida above the age of five has a
Glock.”

“She didn’t seem to know her boyfriend Boyd was
dead, and I didn’t tell her. Said they are sweethearts. So, you have a third
suspect. You’ve got a jealous girlfriend who wanted Myra out of the love
triangle.” Sandy was growing a bit tired of the detective’s seeming
indifference. At least he hadn’t yelled about her investigating on her own. “You
want her name?”

“Why am I putting up with you?”

“I’m sorry. Tonya Rhodes. I have her address.
Don’t you love suspects who have a record?”

The detective sat there pleased and impressed. She
could have asked for anything of him at that point and gotten it. She said, “Did
you ask Ryan about the gun Myra found in the house? I told you he put it his
office safe.”

“Yeah, we took him over to get it and checked it
out. Not the murder weapon. That would be too easy. Forget about it.”

“Forget about it? What am I, chopped liver?” She
straightened in her chair. “Not your murder weapon for Myra, but it might be my
murder weapon used to kill Boyd. Can you get the findings up to Detective
Jaworski ASAP?” Dominic really should have thought of that himself. “You said
you had an inter-agency exchange going with him.”

He gave her a mock salute. He called in Swanson
and told her to get together all they had on the Ryan Cramer gun and get it up
to Detective Eddy Jaworski in Park Beach.

Then Sandy asked, “Did Ryan find an attorney?”

“Last I heard he’s using his business attorney or
something.”

“His business attorney? It’s only a first-degree murder
charge. Why doesn’t he ask his corner barber to defend him? This I have to see.
When’s the arraignment?”

He looked at this watch. “Ten this morning. You
know, he thinks you’re going to back him up...he showed me your card.”

“I gave him my card long before he was in any
trouble. Can I see him now?”

“You’re not his attorney remember?”

“Just to explain that he needs to get a capable
attorney. I won’t talk to him about anything else without his attorney present.”

“Sounds okay. I’ll arrange that. You have me confused.
You’re down here from Park Beach investigating your own extortion crime,
because you’re personally involved. I’m okay with that. Then this Ryan Cramer gets
accused of knocking off his wife and suddenly you’re the Head Majorette out in
front of his parade.”

“To start with, you simply don’t have enough
evidence to hold him. Plus, the man is innocent.”

“And you know that because—”

“He’s still in love with his wife.”

“Are you really that naïve? Some people kill the dearest
thing they love. And go right on loving them after they’re dead.”

“But he wouldn’t even face up to her about having
a boyfriend for fear she’d leave him for good, and he didn’t want that.” Sandy
recognized the rapport increasing between them. “If her lover showed up at the
house, she’d probably tell her husband to get in the closet,” she chuckled. “I
told you he’s a pussycat.”

“You’re half right, but it’s those quiet ones you
have to watch.” He leaned back, still trying to figure her out. “Now, you’re
going to repeat everything we’ve talked about to his new attorney. Am I right?
Or am I right?”

“You’ve been very professional and haven’t
revealed anything to me. I’ve been telling you everything I know and haven’t
asked you for any details, except the time of death. Have I? Now if you feel you’ve
said anything you don’t want repeated, tell me now and I’ll squelch it. I’m
under no obligation to tell his attorney anything.”

Why couldn’t he meet a woman like this? And she
wasn’t a bit afraid of him; he’d always wanted an equal. He wouldn’t call her
hot, at least not the way she was dressed that day, although he bet she could get
glammed up and turn it all on if she wanted. Probably uptight with that Detective
Jaworski up there in Park Beach; she’s getting inside information from someone
up there. Lucky guy. Most likely a handsome dude. Or maybe it’s that Martin guy
she runs around with; he looks at her as though he wants to eat her with a
spoon. In any case, no one like her is going to be walking around unattached.
She certainly isn’t waiting around for someone like me to come around.

And she stays focused on what’s important. Not gazing
around his cubicle wondering if he should put up some curtains or change the
color of the walls. He should ask her out. Yeah, like he’d ever get up the
nerve to do that. Big tough cop afraid of a little rejection. If he didn’t ask,
then she couldn’t reject him, and he could always tell himself he could have
dated her if he’d asked. How stupid was that? How could he approach her? Twice
he started to speak and then halted.