At nine the next morning Sam found herself in the condo of Forrest Johnson. “Shouldn’t you be at work, Mister Johnson?” Sam accepted a cup of tea as a girl not quite a year old slapped a spoon on the tray of her high chair.
“My assistant knows where to reach me. I have a meeting at eleven so we have time.” He sprinkled several Cheerios on the tray in front of his daughter.
“She’s beautiful. How did you come up with the name Savannah?”
“That was where Marti and I had our honeymoon. Savannah was conceived during our trip.”
Conceived…that word conjured up the results of pregnancy test number two Sam had taken at Jackie’s before her meeting with Forrest. Sam still had test number three to take but right now her own doubts were wavering.
“Captain Robinson faxed me the police report last night.” Sam pulled a file folder from her tote bag. She had read the interview with the guard at the gate, the patrol officer who had been writing a truck driver a ticket, and several motorists who had witnessed Marti climb over the railing and jump, without any hesitation. Not one person had been near her so she hadn’t been pushed nor had it appeared that she had been running from someone.
“I don’t see any interviews with any of the residents. There are a lot of units in this building. I’m surprised someone didn’t see Marti that morning.”
The gated community consisted of three condominium buildings assembled along the seventeenth and eighteenth fairways. It was an older public course hampered by flooding since it nestled next to a creek. Underground parking was available with additional parking in the lots outside.
“The police interviewed just about every person in the building.” Forrest’s eyes reflected a hint of anger. He had strong features, an athlete’s body, and only one scar along the side of his neck that looked like a knife wound. Captain Robinson had filled Sam in on Forrest’s background, how he had escaped the gang life and shuffled through several foster homes. “Mostly their questions were about how well Marti and I got along, had they heard a lot of fighting, had I ever struck my wife in public.” His large hands clenched and unclenched. He flicked his gaze to Sam. “Even now I can see you studying the scar on my neck. But it’s okay. I know spouses are the first ones police look at. This scar is a reminder of my youth that I’ll carry with me my whole life. I refused to join a gang when I was in high school. A guy by the name of Duke called himself King Cobra. He was the gang leader and tried to get his hooks into Bobby, my foster brother. I was reaching Bobby, getting him to go to school every day, stay on the straight and narrow. But the gang life was like a siren song and Duke wouldn’t let up. Tried to enlist both of us. Dummy me tried to get Duke to find another path in life. When a rival gang member tried to kill Duke, I threw myself in front of him and ended up with a broken bottle slashed across my neck.” Forrest touched his neck as though making sure the scar was still there.
“Almost bled to death but Duke was safe. He was grateful enough to let me go. But the next time I saw Bobby, he was in the morgue, killed by a rival gang. Bobby was only fourteen years old. Cried like a baby at his funeral. Duke said he’d make it up to me one day. He’s in prison now, although I hear he still has a way of controlling his gang. Marti and I were childhood sweethearts. All we talked about was escaping our neighborhood when we grew up. Go somewhere we would be safe from crime.”
Sam had to force herself to hold it together as she watched Savannah eat the last of her Cheerios, her big brown eyes framed in feathery lashes looking to her father for more. Her little hand was held out, palm up. Forrest obviously didn’t know what to do with the little girl’s hair. It stuck out in a halo around her head.
“Tell me about Marti’s routine.”
Forrest refilled his cup with coffee and painted a picture for Sam of a loving mother who set an alarm to be sure she had her pot of coffee going while she showered. She shaved her legs in the shower, washed her hair and put tons of conditioner on it, brushed her teeth, used very little makeup, was usually through before Savannah awakened. Then she would change Savannah, place her in her high chair and heat up a jar of baby food in the microwave while her own cinnamon raisin bread was toasting. She would sit in the same alcove where they were now seated. While Marti fed Savannah, the two would watch the finches in the bird feeder. Then Marti would put Savannah in her stroller and they would take the walking trail around the back of the course.
“And that day?” Sam had already read it in the police report but she wanted to hear it from Forrest.
“That day, her coffee was poured and the cup was sitting on this table, a piece of toast had popped up in the toaster, the jar of baby food was on the counter next to the microwave, Savannah was in her high chair crying, and Marti’s purse and keys were on the table by the door.”
“You don’t think she ran down to check the mail?”
Forrest shook his head. “The keys to the mailbox were on her key ring still in the tray on that table.” He nodded toward a long sofa table that butted against the wall by the front door.
“And the phone?”
“There weren’t any calls on our home phone that morning, either in or out.”
“And her cell phone?”
“Her phone?”
“Can I see her cell phone?”
Forrest left the room. Savannah stared at Sam with apprehension. She looked around the room. Was she still looking for Marti? Sam walked over to the counter, grabbed the box of Cheerios and sprinkled more onto Savannah’s tray. She returned the box to the counter just as Forrest returned.
“Hey, baby girl. You wrap someone else around your finger?” He kissed Savannah on the top of her head. “Here’s Marti’s phone. I had been meaning to cancel the service on it but it’s going to expire at the end of the year anyway so I kept it in a drawer.”
“Who watches Savannah while you’re at work?”
“We have a day care on the first floor of this building. Our Association approved the use of one of the rooms that used to be the sales office. It’s pretty big, been child-proofed, and a registered child care educator happens to live in the building. Several retired residents volunteer some days to help out.”
Sam checked the phone. She turned it on and a picture of Forrest and Savannah came into view. But then the picture slowly faded and one word appeared on the screen—destiny. It faded just as quickly and returned to the picture of Forrest and Savannah. Was it part of the phone’s wallpaper? Sam turned the phone off, waited a few seconds and turned it back on. Only the picture of Forrest and Savannah appeared. She waited a few seconds. Had her eyes played tricks on her? She dismissed it and clicked on calls to check the history. The last call received was the same day Marti died. “Did the police check this number?”
“They said it was probably a wrong number. They couldn’t trace it and it only lasted a few seconds. We both were always getting telemarketing calls, even though we are on the do-not-call registry.”
“Can I take the phone with me?”
“Why? I mean is there something not right?” He leaned forward, eyes full of anticipation.
“Please, Forrest, don’t get your hopes up. All I know is something doesn’t sound right. I’m not sure exactly what but I know a woman with a loving husband and a beautiful baby just doesn’t walk out of her house and jump off of an overpass. The police look at the evidence and all the evidence points to suicide, cut and dry. Logically that’s all anyone can assume. I don’t deal in logic. Actually, logic is one of my least favorite words.”