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MY PHONE RANG AND ALTHOUGH I didn’t recognize the number, the voice was distinct.
“Henry? It’s Kayla Morton. Listen...I’ll be able to get a copy of Theresa’s life insurance policy...the one Nate was asking about.”
“Oh, that’s good news. But how’d you get it?” I glanced at Alex in the passenger seat.
Kayla said, “Actually, Eric Thompson helped me. He knew which agency held her policy.”
“Can we stop by your office right now? I’m on the road, about ten minutes away.”
She was quiet for a moment. “Uh. actually...I’d rather not. I don’t want Angela to know what I’m doing. In fact, I’d rather you not tell her most of what we talk about.”
“Why?” I said. “Angela’s my client, Kayla. She’s the one who hired me to—”
“Henry, please. I’m sorry. I’m just asking you to do me a favor. Can’t you just come by apartment tonight? I’ll have the policy for you.”
I thought for a moment, and wondered why Kayla needed me to keep quiet about her helping me. “Okay. But if you don’t want to be involved then why are you helping me?”
“I’m helping Nate. But I thought I should give it to you. That way you can help him, and handle it from here.” She was quiet again for a moment. “Henry, I know how you think it looked with me and John. So...I guess I’m hoping if I help you, maybe you can keep my name out of whatever else you come across?”
“I’m sorry, Kayla. But I’m not exactly clear what you’re—”
“Come by my apartment at seven, okay?”
Kayla hung up without another word and I turned to Alex. “There’s something strange about Kayla Morton. But the good news is she has a copy of Theresa Thompson’s life insurance policy.”
Alex looked perplexed. “Got it from where? Wasn’t it with Thompson Insurance?”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t think so. But we’ll find out more when we meet her at seven.”
Alex said, “Is it okay if you go alone?”
I gave her a look. “You can’t come?”
“I have plans.”
I kept my eyes on the road. “Oh, okay.”
We were both quiet for the next mile or so.
I turned to her. “Is it a date?”
She laughed. “None of your business.” But after a couple of moments, she said, “I’m meeting Chris for dinner.”
“Chris? From the Sheriff’s Office?”
She held up the manilla folder in her hand. “I told him I’d take him out for beers, for getting us this.”
“He gets a free dinner, just for getting us an old police report?”
I could feel Alex’s eyes burning through the side of my head. “Are you serious?”
I didn’t answer her. “Does that mean you’ll need your Jeep.”
“I thought Billy said he had a car for you?”
“He does. But I haven’t had a chance to go by his house to pick it up. But I like driving your Jeep, even if it is yellow.” I gave her a look and smiled.
––––––––
AFTER WE LEFT THE MEDICAL examiner’s office we stopped at Rewind Records to see Nate. He called and said he’d be working there, part time, and wanted to meet with us after his shift.
The small building looked old with white paint peeling from the brick exterior. The windows were covered in posters and pictures and album covers featuring famous musicians like Tom Petty and Johnny Cash and even Billy Idol with his white, spiked hair and snarled lip. There were plenty I didn’t recognize.
I looked at my phone. “He said he’d be done by now. Maybe I should go inside, see what’s holding him up?”
Alex had her head down in the medical examiner’s report. “Theresa had a blood alcohol level of point one-three-eight when she died.”
“That’s a lot of booze,” I said as I took the police report from the folder between us.
“Broken skull, fractured hip, and a broken neck.” She looked up from the report. “Excessive blood loss. She fell on the wine glass and apparently it punctured her stomach.”
“Jesus. She must’ve held onto it all the way down the stairs.”
“Held onto what?”
“The wine glass. You fall down the stairs...you’d think you’d at least drop your wine, at least try to grab the damn railing?”
I looked down at the original police report and skimmed over the handwritten information. “She was home alone. Nate was at his aunt’s house. Theresa’d been out of town but came back a day early.” I looked over at Alex. “Keep in mind, this is all according to John.”
“Where was John?”
“According to this, he got home at two in the morning, found her at the bottom of the stairs.” I ran my finger along the words in the report. “He was at a friend’s house, playing cards.”
“Does it say who?”
I looked up from the report but took a moment to gather my thoughts. “He was at Roy Mason’s house.”
Alex stared back at me. “He was at Roy’s house playing cards when his wife died?”
I nodded. “John said he had no idea she was home. Says here he thought maybe she wanted to surprise him.”
“Surprise him? Didn’t he talk to her at some point? Wouldn’t she call him and—”
“I’m just telling you what’s here.” I looked up toward the Rewind Records sign on the building. “I look forward to talking with Roy again...see how much he remembers about his poker game.”
I handed Alex the report. “Let me go see what’s going on in there. Nate said he’d be out fifteen minutes ago.” I stepped down from the Jeep and walked up to the entrance. I found it strange that nobody had gone in or come out the whole time we’d been parked. But I didn’t think much of it until I pulled on the handle and the door was locked. I leaned into the glass and tried to see between the posters and signs blocking the view.
Alex stuck her head out from the Jeep. “Are they closed?”
I turned to her but didn’t answer. I moved and looked through another spot on the glass door. That’s when I saw someone’s feet on the floor—a pair of black Converse high tops—sticking out from the end of an aisle. I pounded on the door with my fist then turned to Alex. “Quick! Give me your gun!”
Alex jumped from the Jeep and handed me her Glock. “What’s wrong?”
“There’s someone down on the floor inside.”
I shook the door’s handle as if I could rip it from the frame, then stepped back and aimed Alex’s gun at the glass. I pointed the muzzle low and pulled the trigger. The glass shattered and I used the gun to clear out some of the glass. I reached my hand through the hole I’d made and turned the lock. The door opened and I turned to Alex. “Call nine-one-one.”
I ran inside and kneeled down next to the young man. There was blood on the floor, on his shirt, and just below his shoulder. But I had no idea how bad it was.
His eyes were open and he tried to sit up. “Help me. I’ve been shot.”
“Stay down,” I said. I rested my hand on the front of his shoulder. “You’ll be okay,” I said. “EMT’s are on their way.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
I nodded and looked around the inside of the building. I looked down at him. “Do you work here?”
He nodded and squeezed his eyes closed.
“Do you know who shot you?”
“No. But he was looking for Nate.” He turned his head toward the back door. “He ran out back...but I don’t know if he got away.”
I looked up at Alex, standing over us. “Stay with him, I’ll go out back.”
Alex kneeled down on the floor next to the young man. I heard her ask him his name as I ran out the exit at the back of the store.