Profile of Terror (19 page)

"Understood. Just so
you
understand, when I question him, he gets no breaks because he's the brother of the lead detective in the case, as well as the county sheriff."

"We don't want special treatment. Any more questions?"

"Not now, but you need to know my boss wants me to investigate the case with you.  He's calling the sheriff about it."

"I don't need you or anyone else looking over my shoulder to make sure I do the right thing."

"Not suggesting that.  My boss thinks the Indiana State Police and I can be of help to you."

"Brody is creating a task force.  I'll ask him to add you to it."

"Excellent.  Thank you.  Now if you'd please ask Gabe to join me, I'd appreciate it."

Cameron gazed at her, trying to penetrate the deliberate blankness of her green eyes.  Was that a dismissal?  Did she really just dismiss him?

Finally, he left the room to fetch his brother.  This woman was getting on his last nerve, yet he couldn't get past how attracted he was to her.  When was the last time he was this drawn to a woman?  Oh, yeah, that would be Mollie, and what an incredibly stupid mistake that was.

<><><> 

Cameron opened the interview room door, and then stood in the door frame for a moment watching Gabe tapping his fingers on the table.

"What's up, Cam?  Where's the detective who's supposed to question me?" 

Instead of answering, Cameron crossed the room and punched Gabe in the arm.

"Ouch!  What was that?"  Gabe jumped to his feet.

"Remember that game we used to play in the car every time one of us saw a VW?"

"Slug Bug?"  He answered as he slugged Cameron in the arm.  "Yeah, I remember."

Throwing his hard, muscled arm around Gabe's neck, he said, "Well, do you remember my famous choke hold?"

"From high school?  Seriously?"  Gabe struggled for release as Cameron laughed between grunts, while his brother demonstrated a few moves of his own.  Finally Gabe broke the hold, grabbed his brother's thumb, twisted his arm behind his back, and threw him face-first to the floor.  Then he braced his knee on Cameron's back to hold him down.

"Where did you learn that move?"

"Duh. The police academy?"

"What the hell is going on in here?" Brody bellowed as he entered the room, closing the door behind him.  "Let him up, Gabe."

"
He
started it."

Brody looked at him incredulously, his hands on his hips. "What are you?  Twelve?"

Cam, still lying on the floor, couldn't control his burst of laughter.  Gabe's sense of humor took over and he began laughing in return.

"You two are crazy." In spite of himself, Brody chuckled. "Do I want to know what started this?"

"No!"  Cameron and Gabe said in unison.

"Is the Indiana State Police detective here yet?"

"Yes," said Cameron.  "She's waiting in the small conference room for Gabe."

"Thanks for letting me know," Gabe called over his shoulder as he rushed from the room.

As soon as his footfalls could be heard down the hall, Brody asked, "What was that all about?"

"Just doing my part to distract and calm my brother down before his interview.  Think it worked?"

<><><> 

Brushing himself off and straightening his clothes, Gabe entered the conference room, took one look at Detective Robynn Burton, and knew that beyond her sweet smile, he was facing an opponent capable of kicking his butt and keeping him on the suspect list.  So he shook the hand she extended, and shot her his most devastating grin.  The one that usually had women swooning.  When he saw it had no effect on her, he quietly sat down.

"Hello."  Her voice friendly and calm.

"Nice to meet you, Detective Burton."

She leaned back and relaxed in her chair like they had all the time in the world, like this was a social call she'd been looking forward to.  "May I call you Gabriel?"

"Most people call me 'Gabe.' "

"Gabe, tell me about yourself." 

Gabe noted how Detective Burton appeared as if she were looking forward to learning all about her new friend.  Not a chance.

"I grew up in Shawnee County.  After high school, I trained to be a cop, graduated from the police academy, and then decided to go to college.  I graduated from I.S.U. in Criminology and Criminal Justice.  I'm a licensed private investigator."

"Indiana State University?"

"Yes, in Terre Haute."

"Good school.  I graduated from I.S.U., too," Robynn looked at her notes.  "Don't you do something with computer forensics?"

Just as he'd known, she'd already read his background.  She was just chatting him up to get him relaxed and running his mouth, saying things that might implicate him in Abby's death.  He'd used the same technique in the past.

"I'm certified in computer forensics, and I'm sure you already know I consult with the sheriff's office when needed."

Ignoring this information, Robynn asked, "How long did you date Abby Reece?"

"About a month or so."

"Why did she break up with you?"

"She didn't really break up with me.  It was a mutual decision."

"How angry were you when Abby broke up with you?  Angry enough to kill her?"

"Like I already told you, it was a mutual decision.  Was I angry?  Not even close.  I was relieved.  I didn't kill Abby Reece."

"When was the last time you saw her?"

"After a friend's birthday party.  I drove her back to her apartment."

"From what I hear, Abby had a lot of boyfriends and lovers.  You had to be hurt or jealous.  Is that why you killed her?"

"I didn't kill her." Gabe shook his head.

"If you didn't murder her, who did?"

"I don't know, but there are a lot of guys who might have."

"Why do you say that?"

"Abby used men.  Notches on her headboard and so on.  She was very open about how she liked sex and having many partners," Gabe began.  "There was also her Facebook page, which was like a beacon beaming a signal to every sexual predator in the universe."

"I've heard about her page, but haven't had time to visit it yet," Robynn said, before glancing at her notes.  "Do you have an alibi for the night Abby Reece was murdered?"

"Yes, I do," said Gabe, wishing there was a way he could avoid involving Kaitlyn.  "I'd asked a client not to do investigating on her own.  I found her at a bar doing just that, so I drove her to my office.  We talked for hours and I took her home around two in the morning."

Pulling out a pen, she asked, "Who is this client?  I will need to contact her."

"Kaitlyn Reece."  He paused for her reaction.

"Any relation to the victim?"

"Kaitlyn is Abby's sister.  I mean
was
.  She hired me to find Abby when she learned her sister was missing."

"Did she realize you and her sister had dated when she hired you to find her?"

"Yes," Gabe replied.  There was no way he was telling this detective how Kaitlyn had seen him in Abby's apartment, copying her laptop's hard drive.  She'd slam the cuffs on him faster than one could say "tampering with evidence."

"She was hiring a private investigator, not an ex-boyfriend of her sister.  Besides, I was already looking for Abby."

"When you were looking for Abby, did you discover any information that could help with this investigation?"

"Yes," Gabe responded.

"Have you shared this information with your brother, Cameron?"

"I didn't have a chance.  I tried to, but Cam got a call and had to leave."

Robynn glanced at her watch. "I'm hungry.  Let's go to lunch.  Why don't you ask Cameron if he wants to join us?"

<><><> 

"Hey, Detective Slug-bug," Gabe said, his voice laced with sarcasm, as he picked up his laptop next to his desk.

"Is your interview over?"

"Not sure.  Detective Burton wants you to go to lunch with us."

"Lunch?  She's taking a suspect out to lunch?"

"So it seems.  Do you want to go or not?"

Cameron smiled as he put on his suit jacket. "Wouldn't miss it."

Robynn Burton was waiting for them in the lobby.  "Glad you can join us, Detective Chase."

"Thanks for the invitation."

As they stepped outside, she turned to Gabe.  "Where is a good place to eat?" 

With a mischievous grin, he pointed to Mollie's Cafe.  "Mollie's has the best food in town."

"Then Mollie's it is," Robynn responded, as she began walking in the restaurant's direction.

Gabe glanced at his brother, whose pained expression almost made him laugh out loud.  Cameron's avoidance of Mollie Adams was probably about to end.

It was only eleven o'clock, so the lunchtime rush hadn't begun and good tables were plentiful. When one of Mollie's waitresses arrived to seat them, Robynn quickly said, "We'd like a table in the back.  And if you could avoid seating people around us until you absolutely have to, I'd appreciate it." 

Once they were seated, the waitress took their drink orders and headed back to the kitchen.  Returning a short time later, the waitress distributed their drinks and whispered to Cameron, "Mollie would like to talk to you before you leave."

"Please tell her that this is a really busy day, and I don't have time.  Thank you."

Robynn studied her menu.  "What's good here?"

"I'm getting the breaded tenderloin sandwich with fries," said Cameron.  "Best tenderloin in the county.  It overlaps the bun by at least an inch."