Demi was still talking. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Nora interrupted. “I zoned out for a minute. This is so fucking overwhelming. Can you start again? What can I do to help you?”
“Okay, let’s start over. Why don’t you start by telling me what her job was here and what your connection to her was.”
After Nora explained Helen’s role at the company and as her direct supervisor, the detective turned to the personal.
“She have a family?”
“No, never married, lived alone. Don’t know about her extended family. I actually think she considered a lot of us here as her family.”
The detective paused. “And what about you? Where were you last night?”
“We had a get-together of people from here at Compo Beach to watch the sunset—something we do a lot on Sunday nights when the weather is good. Lot of Saugatuck people live here only during the week, so we get together when everybody is back at the end of the weekend. This was the last of the season.”
“Can you get me the names of those people?”
“Sure. It was a big group—company-wide invite—but I’ll try.”
“And then what did you do?”
“I packed up and drove home and stayed there for the night.”
“Anybody take your canoe out?”
“Not that I remember. Anybody can, which is why I leave it unlocked with the paddles in it. But I think most of them thought the water was too cold. They have to get their feet wet to get the canoe started and they’re not up for that.”
“You say you were home last night. Can anybody confirm that?”
Nora didn’t intend to, but she laughed. “Do I have an alibi for Helen’s murder? Is that what you’re asking?”
“I suppose it is. Gonna ask a lot of people the same thing.”
Nora shook her head. “I suppose I don’t. My daughter Sophie is with her father this week—his regular week; we alternate—and my mother, who lives with me, is in Cape Cod visiting friends. So no, I have no alibi. Although my phone was at home with me, so if you really care, you could get the location data on it.”
Demi didn’t answer that. “Speaking of your phone, you have any communications with the deceased over the weekend?”
Nora pulled her phone from her pocket, shaking her head.
“Why are you shaking your head,” the detective asked.
“The deceased. Word you used. Makes no sense that it’s Helen.”
She looked through her phone. “No calls with Helen; we usually only spoke in person or over text or email. One text from last night. Need to talk, she wrote, which is what she always said when she wanted to remind me to talk to her about something.”
“Any idea what it was about?”
“No, it’s the kind of thing that I would ask her about the next time we saw each other. But I don’t know what it was.”
“Can I have your phone?”
Nora paused before answering. “Actually, you can’t. I don’t mean to break your chops, but there’s a lot of work stuff on there and I have to protect Saugatuck’s information, especially given my role here. So if you want it, we’ll need legal process and then we’ll work through the privilege and attorney work-product issues.”
Demi dropped it. “Do you know any reason anybody would want to hurt Helen Carmichael?”
“No,” Nora answered, sounding louder than she intended to. “Everybody respected her, loved her really. That’s what makes this seem like a bad dream.” Nora hesitated, but didn’t mention the investigation she was conducting for Helen. No way that’s connected to this.
“Okay, and we’re going to need access to the deceased’s office and her car. Is it here, do you know?”
“Is what here?”
“Her car.”
“I don’t know. Didn’t notice on my way in. I can show you where she usually parks.”
“That’d be great. And her office?”
“That I need to talk to our management about. I’ll have Laslo seal it off, but we need to think through any issues related to you accessing her office or systems. Security is a big deal here and I’m not saying we won’t, but we need to discuss it internally. They don’t even know this has happened. You okay if I tell them all?”
Demi handed her card to Nora. “Sure, you can spread the word. And you’ll send me the names of the people at the beach party last night?”
“Will do, but hard to call it a party. People sit around in beach chairs drinking wine and eating pizza until it gets dark. But I’ll get you the names.”
Nora led Demi to the garage and gestured toward an empty space. “We don’t have assigned spaces, except we kinda do, informally. That’s where Helen usually parked. Red Volkswagen Jetta. Not here.”
“Where do you park?”
Nora turned back toward the rear of a parked white Honda they had walked past. “Right there. That piece of crap CRV is me.”
“Woulda thought the cars would be fancier in here.”
“It’s a thing. Don’t get me started.”
As the two women retraced their steps, the detective paused behind Nora’s car gesturing toward a dark stain above the rear hatch handle, just below the license plate. “Can I ask what that is?”
“No idea. Looks like paint or something.”
“Honestly, Ms. Carleton, it looks like dried blood.”
“Can’t be. No way.”
The detective pulled out her phone and took pictures of the mark. “I’d strongly advise you not to touch that until we can sample it.”
Nora’s face flushed. “Do I look stupid? I’m not going to touch anything and you can sample all you want. I don’t know what it is.”
“Actually, Ms. Carleton, I’m going to stay here until one of my colleagues can come over and sample that. Just to be careful.”
“Be as careful as you like,” Nora answered. “I’ll tell Laslo you’re still here, although I’m guessing he sees us on the cameras. Now I have to go tell Helen’s friends what happened.”