Tuesday Late-Morning
Moss Stone sat at his desk, reviewing his notes on the Ryan Morgan murder. “I just don’t like the fact there were two knives used in his murder, but we found only one knife that was obviously used. The other knife was brand new, and according to Michael Sutton, never used. That leaves another knife unaccounted for.”
“More dumpster diving to find it?” Roberts replied.
“No, at least not yet. The knife may have not been thrown away. Like it may be a knife the killer keeps with him, or her, all the time.”
“Do you still want to visit Brooke Morgan?”
“I do. The wife of the murder victim is always a good suspect, plus the fact she seems to have an unusually close relationship with Paige Butler.”
“Okay, I’ll call Brooke Morgan and confirm she’s home.”
“Good. I’ll grab a coffee to go.”
* * *
Stone parked his car in front of the Morgan residence. “Okay, give Ms. Butler a call and let her know we are going to have a talk with her girlfriend.”
Roberts called Paige Butler, putting the phone on speaker mode.
“Hello.”
“This is Detective Anya Roberts. We are going to interview Brooke Morgan. As a curtesy, we’re letting you know.”
“Thanks, but Brooke already called me. I’m on my way.”
Roberts ended the call. “Those two really stick together.”
Moss Stone knocked on the door to the home of Brooke Morgan. A minute passed and she opened the door, not looking pleased at Roberts and his arrival.
“I thought I told you everything at the police station.”
“May we come in? I just have a couple more questions.”
“Of course.” She gave a tight-lipped smile.
After Stone sat in a living room chair, he flipped open his notebook. “You said you were with Paige Butler all night, the day Ryan died. Were there even a few minutes you weren’t together?”
Brooke sat quietly for a few seconds. “I suppose for a few minutes when Paige went to the washroom. That would be it.”
“Where was that?”
“At the coffee shop.”
“Where was the coffee shop?”
Brooke frowned. “It was Charmain’s Coffee Emporium.”
“The one across the street from Ryan’s office?”
“Yes, but that’s ridiculous to think she would have a coffee with me, stop to run across the street, run back and finish her coffee and act like everything is normal.”
“So, was she acting normal when she returned to the table?”
“She did act upset, but that was because her ex-girlfriend sent her a nasty text. That bothered her, obviously.”
“Thank you for your help. We are trying to find who killed your husband, but so far, we haven’t any strong leads. I trust you understand we’re asking questions to help solve the murder, and not to just pester you with questions.”
“Alright. Do you have any suspects?”
“No one in particular. We do have more information on the cause of Ryan’s death, and that may help us as we assemble the clues together.”
Stone and Roberts left, and they sat in Stone’s car.
“Do you think Paige could dash from the coffee shop to Ryan’s office, kill him, and return to the coffee shop within ten minutes?” Roberts asked.
“I think she could. Brooke did say she was acting upset when she returned to the table. But what about the money? Where would she put that?”
“Maybe she was the first one there of the two attacks. She stabbed him in the back and ran off, not considering he may still be alive. The second person arriving finishes him off and takes the money.”
“Before we interview Paige again, let’s check out the Joey’s restaurant where she had dinner. Maybe the server, Suzz, will give us more information.” Stone started his car. “Why don’t you call to see if she’s working tonight?”
“Sure, I can’t imagine you making a phone call for an interview.”
Stone started his car. As they pulled away from the curb, a Jeep hurried down the street. It parked in the driveway of Morgan’s home.
“She made good time in arriving,” Roberts commented as she listened to her phone.
“Yeah. It makes one wonder about their relationship. If they’re that close, they would lie for one another. With Ryan out of the picture, they can spend more time together.”
* * *
Roberts confirmed the server was starting her shift at 4:00 p.m.. Stone took his time driving to the south-side location. “Do you eat at Joeys?”
“Sometimes. Great food. The portions are small, which I like because then there’s room for dessert.”
Stone parked the car, and they made their way to the front entrance of the restaurant. He showed his police identification to the hostess, requesting to speak to Suzz. “She isn’t in any trouble. We just want information on a customer she served,” he explained when the hostess looked alarmed.
The hostess gave a quick smile and hurried away. Shortly later, she returned with a server following her.
“Hi, I’m Suzz. How can I help you?”
Stone used his phone to show a photo of Paige and Brooke. “Did you serve these women last Friday evening?”
“Yup. I think they were here around six, or a bit later.”
“Okay, anything unusual happen? One woman said you’d remember them.”
“No, nothing unusual. I remember them because the girl with the short hair flirted with me. She also left me a good tip. I think her name is Paige. She gave me her business card for some gym.”
“Is that unusual?”
Suzz grinned. “No, flirting happens. What was different was a woman flirting with me. The other woman had a ring on her finger, so I wasn’t sure of their relationship. In a way, they acted like they were on a date. Both were dressed up.”
Stone thanked her and they returned to his car. “Well, at least we can confirm they were here. Also, that Paige and Brooke had a very close relationship.”
“That doesn’t mean they are killers.”
“I suppose that’s true. What troubles me is if Sutton is telling the truth, and that his knife wasn’t used in the attack. Our coroner said there were two knives used. That likely means two people working together. If Paige and Brooke were not the killers, who is the next likely pair of collaborators?”
“Perhaps they were not any of our suspects. Possibly annoyed investors.”
“There’s nothing in his Day-Timer to indicate he had a meeting on Friday. Could it be other jealous girlfriends or annoyed husbands that got together for revenge?”
“That remains to be discovered. Want me to call Paige and arrange for a time to interview her again?”
“In the morning. I need to have dinner and think about the case.”
* * *
Paige knocked on the door and entered. “Are you alright, Brooke?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” Brooke walked across the living room and gave her a hug.
“What did the police want this time?”
“Just more questions.” She went with Paige to the kitchen. “Wine?”
“Sure.” She watched Brooke pour a red wine into a pair of glasses. The women sat at the kitchen counter on barstools.
“They asked me if at anytime on Friday you were not with me.” Brooke took a sip of her wine. “I told them there were a few minutes we weren’t together when you went to the washroom at the coffee shop.”
“Oh.” Paige swirled the wine in her glass.
“They asked if you acted different when you returned from the washroom.” Brooke frowned. “I told them you had received a text from your ex, that it upset you.”
“Okay. Did you tell them it was Charmain’s?”
“Yes.” She looked at the worried expression on Paige’s face. “Did I say the wrong thing? I mean, I didn’t want to lie to them. I know you weren’t involved in Ryan’s death.”
“It’s all good.” She took a drink of the wine. “I just don’t know why they keep asking us questions instead of finding the actual murderer.”
“It’s possible they believe we know more than we’re saying.”
“Brooke, that Detective Stone is like a dog with a bone. If he senses something is amiss, he keeps after it. I promise you, I had absolutely nothing to do with Ryan’s death. But I do know something more.”
“What is it?” Brooke took in a deep breath.
“Let me give Michael a call. It’s best he’s here when we talk about this.”
“Is Michael involved in Ryan’s murder? Please, tell me the truth.”
“No. Michael had nothing to do with what happened to Ryan.” She put down her wine glass and used her mobile to call Michael. After a quick conversation, she ended the call. “Michael is going to come over. I don’t want to say anything more until he arrives.”
“Alright, but this is making me anxious.”
“Sorry. I know this is a tough time for you. But I’ll be with you to get through this.” She reached for Brooke’s hand. “Michael wants to help too.”