Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Ian, you and Lily need to wait out here while Joe talks to your sister,” the chief explained when Ian, Lily, and Kelly arrived at the Frederickport Police Department.
“Is Kelly under arrest?” Ian asked just as Joe stepped into the room.
“Under arrest?” Kelly gasped.
Joe frowned at Ian. “Why would you ask that?”
Ian reached out and gave his sister’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I just don’t see why I can’t sit in with her while you question her.”
“Ian, this really will go much quicker if you just let Kelly go in with Joe,” MacDonald said.
“If I’m not under arrest, does that mean I can just leave now?” Kelly asked, sounding more confident than she had looked just moments earlier.
“Yes, I suppose so,” the chief said. “But I really hope you don’t do that.”
“Okay,” Kelly said, no longer holding onto Ian’s hand. “I’ll talk to Sergeant Morelli, alone.”
“You sure Kel?” Ian asked.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“I want to thank you for coming back in,” Joe said after he closed the door and gestured toward the table.
“I just want you to know, if I don’t like your questions, I’ll get up and leave. Do you understand?” Kelly took a seat.
Joe tossed his notebook onto the table and looked at her for a moment, before sitting down. “I’d say that’s rather a shift in attitude compared to when you first walked in the door.”
“I just don’t like being bullied,” Kelly said primly.
“I don’t believe anyone has bullied you, Ms. Bartley.”
“Ms. Bartley? What happened to Kelly?”
“I was under the impression you might take offense to an informal greeting.”
“Just because I’m not going to let you bully me, you don’t have to pretend you don’t even know me.”
Joe let out a weary sigh. “I’m not pretending anything.”
“I know all about that two-way mirror.” Kelly nodded toward the mirror. “I also know how you arrested Daniele for her cousin’s murder, when she was innocent.”
“I regret any pain I caused Danielle, and I believe she knows that. I’m not here to pass judgment on you Kelly; I simply want to ask you a few questions.”
“Fine. Because I didn’t have anything to do with Peter Morris’ death. Just because I didn’t like the man, doesn’t mean I killed him. Heck, there are lots of people I dislike, and I’ve never killed any of them.”
Joe smiled. “I’m happy to hear that.”
He pulled out his cellphone and opened his browser window. “Could you please tell me if you’re familiar with this website?” He showed her his cellphone.
Leaning forward, she looked closely at the small monitor. “Why sure, that’s the website on cults. They have a thread about Earthbound Spirits.”
Joe set the phone down. “So, you’re familiar with the site?”
Kelly shrugged and visibly relaxed. “Sure. Is that why you brought me in here, to ask me about that website?” She leaned forward again. “Oh…I get it. You want to use it to locate people who had it out for Peter Morris. I bet you’ll find a bunch.”
“Is there a reason you didn’t mention the website when you spoke to us earlier?”
Kelly frowned. “Why would I do that? You didn’t ask me for a list of websites. I told you I did research for Ian. You knew he was doing an exposé on Earthbound Spirits.”
“Does this mean you’re familiar with CultCurious?”
“Oh, CultCurious. Yeah, he’s a regular on there.”
“Have you two ever exchanged private messages?”
“No, never. But I’m pretty sure he has with other posters.”
“Why is that?” Joe asked.
“Every once in a while someone will post something like, thank you CultCurious or you’re the best, CultCurious. But it’s never something in response to a previous post; so, I have to assume it’s in response to something they talked about in private.”
“What kind of things did you post about on the board? I assume you posted there.”
“At first, I mainly read it. The different members shared their stories—you know, about how some friend or relative got sucked into the cult. Or how someone they knew turned over all their money to Earthbound Spirits. Stuff like that.”
“Did you ever post?”
“After a while, when I wanted to ask a question. I didn’t really share on the board.”
“You never discussed your friend, Candice?”
“Yes, but never publicly, only in private message.”
“Why only in private message?”
“Anyone can join that site and read what people are posting. I was there to find others who’d been hurt by Morris’ group. I wasn’t there to vent or find support. When I messaged someone from the group, I was always upfront with them. I let them know I was working on a story about the cult. And then I would share a little bit about Candice’s story, without getting into specifics. I just wanted them to know I understood. That way, they were more inclined to share.”
“Did anyone ever suggest you hire a private detective?”
Kelly frowned. “You mean someone like Mitch?”
Joe paused and studied Kelly. “I thought you didn’t know what he did for a living?”
“Danielle told me, after you talked to me the last time. She recognized his name, told me Will Wayne had hired someone by that name to investigate Peter Morris.”
“Well…did anyone?” Joe asked.
Kelly frowned. “Did anyone, what?”
“Suggest you hire a private detective to help you with the article.”
Kelly shifted uncomfortably in the chair, fidgeting with her purse.
“So someone did suggest you hire a private detective? Someone did mention Mitcham to you? Is that it?”
Kelly let out a sigh. “No, of course not.”
“Then what is it?”
“I guess I sort of gave some of them the impression I was a private detective—after all, I was researching Earthbound Spirits. I didn’t say that exactly, but a couple people sort of got that idea.”
“Was this on the open board, or in a private message?””
“Only in the private messages. So you see, why would they suggest I hire someone if they assumed that’s what I did for a living?”
“Did you ever have any contact with CultCurious?”
Kelly shook her head. “I told you I never exchanged messages with him. And I don’t remember ever responding directly to any of his posts. Although, a couple times he responded to mine.”
“How do you know CultCurious is a male? Or do you?”
“I don’t really. I suppose it could be a girl. Why are you so interested in CultCurious?”
“I really can’t say at this time.”
“I do remember one thing,” Kelly said hesitantly.
“What?”
“Once I was in a private chat with one of the regulars there—JoJo45—and she told me CultCurious had asked about me in a private chat. I guess he wanted to know what my deal was, since I’d ask questions on the board, but never shared any stories.”
“Did he share his stories?”
Kelly shook her head. “No, not really. After JoJo45 told me what CultCurious had asked her about, I asked her the same question about him. Which, now that I think about it, is probably why I think of CultCurious as a guy because JoJo45 referred to him that way. Anyway, according to JoJo45, CultCurious had been an Earthbound Spirits member, but soon became disillusioned with the group. She never said that anything particularly bad had happened to him. He never claimed to lose a bunch of money or anything.”
“So JoJo45 was a woman?”
Kelly smiled. “Yeah. I know because during one of our private chats she shared how she was a new grandma.”
“What was your handle?”
“Mine? KellyB.”
Lily stood up. “I’ll be right back.”
Cellphone in hand, Ian remained seated, silently surfing the Internet. Without looking up he mumbled, “Okay.”
Lily’s first stop was the chief’s office, but he wasn’t there. Walking down the corridor of the inner offices of the police department, she got a few inquiring glances from staff members, yet no one asked her where she was going or who she was looking for. She found Chief MacDonald in the break room, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
“Hey, Chief,” Lily greeted when she entered the room.
“How did you get in here?” he asked.
“Your security sucks.”
The chief smiled. “You come to say goodbye?”
“Not until Joe’s done with Kelly.”
“He is. Kelly left the interrogation room a few minutes ago.” The chief took a sip of his coffee.
Lily frowned. “I didn’t see her.”
“I heard her ask Joe where the bathroom was. She was probably in there.”
“Were you in the interrogation room with her and Joe?”
The chief smiled and took another sip.
“Oh I get it. What’s with you guys? A bunch of voyeurs.”
The chief laughed.
“What was all this about? Why are you dragging Kelly down here, when it’s Arlene you should be interviewing?” Lily asked in a whisper.
“Danielle told you?”
“Yes, before she left this morning. Told me about Lucas and what he saw.”
“Damn, it must be insane living at Marlow House.”
Lily rolled her eyes. “You have no idea.”
“About Arlene, you have to understand, I can’t very well drag her down here based on something Danielle’s dead husband told her.”
“Does that mean you’re just going to ignore it and harass poor Kelly?”
“Don’t be dramatic, Lily. No one is harassing Kelly. And your boyfriend—and his sister—did mislead us during the first interviews.”
“I know. Ian regrets that. But you have to understand, it’s his job.”
“Yes. And I have my job. I’ve a murder to solve, one that happened under your roof.”
“Don’t you think I know that? What about Arlene? For goodness sake, she kissed the man who killed Peter Morris!”
“According to Danielle, he kissed her.”
“Whatever.” Lily shrugged.
“Don’t worry, Lily, I’m not ignoring Arlene. For the moment I’m just trying to assemble as much information as I can.”
“Any word on that Mitcham dude?”
“No. He still hasn’t shown up.”
Lily’s phone began to buzz. She looked at it. “It’s Ian; he’s waiting out front with Kelly.”
“I imagine you want to get out of here, it is Valentine’s Day.”
“Yeah, Ian had planned something romantic at his house, but it looks like he’ll have a houseguest for another night—thanks to you.”
“I’m sorry, Lily.”
“Yeah,” Lily shrugged. “You and Carol Ann doing anything special for Valentine’s Day?”
“We have a late dinner reservation and a babysitter set up for the kids.”
“Well, have fun.”
“You too Lily.”