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Diana looked at the blood-soaked arm with wide-eyed amazement. “I’m calling a bus. Meanwhile, let me get the first aid kit.”
Gavin nodded at Maria and exchanged a glance with Stacy. “I’ll get a judge to sign the warrant and have it to you within the hour.”
Stacy nodded her approval. Maria looked up to the ceiling and around the walls of the corridor. She resembled a person stranded on an alien planet, trying to find her bearings.
“Let’s go someplace where we can talk,” Stacy said with an extended arm, motioning for Maria to walk in front of her.
Maria just stared at Stacy with a wary look. Her lips quivered. “I’m scared.”
“Don’t be,” Stacy reassured. “It’s just a talk.”
Stacy led her back down the hallway and into the conference room. The leather chairs were all facing inward around the oval-shaped table. Its faux wood was chipped and stained from too many sweating coffee mugs and fists that had pounded into the surface during heated disagreements over sensitive matters.
Maria seemed to shrink inside the room as she maneuvered around the table. She had changed clothes from earlier and was wearing a green T-shirt and jeans with tan Birkenstock shoes. Her arms had gashes with cuts below the skin, and the bruising had turned the area purple and faded yellow.
Her skin seemed sallower than before, with white pockets splotching her tanned skin.
Stacy pointed to a seat at the end of the table. “Sit here,” Stacy said, more of command instead of a suggestion.
Maria delicately pulled out the chair and slid down into it. She would be facing the door, which was what Stacy wanted. The lights from downtown skyscrapers shone through the windows running the length of the wall on the far side, casting a fantastical glow of slatted, colored lights into the stained carpet.
Stacy pulled out a digital recorder and a bottle of water from the cabinet against the far wall, then found a rubber band on the table and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.
“I’d like to record this with your permission.”
Maria stared down at the recorder and nodded. Stacy slid the bottle of water down the table.
“Since you’re here voluntarily, you’re free to leave at any time. But understand that what is said could have an impact on the investigation.”
Maria continued to stare down at the table but nodded her head in agreement.
Diana came into the room, her latex-gloved hands clutching the first aid kit to her chest. “Paramedics are on the way,” she said. “In the meantime, let’s look at that arm.”
Diana opened the kit and began removing items. Both Maria and Stacy watched her for a moment, and then Stacy turned her attention to Maria.
“Want to tell me what happened?”
Maria started chewing on her bottom lip. Stacy wondered if she’d bite it off before she answered. Maria unscrewed the cap to the water bottle and took a small sip from the tip.
“I came home earlier.”
“Let’s be clear about something first,” Stacy interjected. “When my partner and I were questioning you about the whereabouts of Colton DeVito, we were told there was another piece of evidence we needed to see. Then we were ambushed, and I saw someone leaving out the back door of the house. I assume that person was you.”
Maria lowered her head, and her usually defined cheekbones sunk in, then she took in a breath and exhaled.
“Yes, that was me. I heard the gunshots and heard the wood on the porch pole explode. I knew something was happening. I went out the back door and hid in the clearing behind the house.”
“What happened next?”
“Well, the men started shooting at you, Detective.”
Stacy bristled at Maria’s attempt to guide the conversation. “That’s not what I meant. What happened after you took cover in that clearing? The police couldn’t find you anywhere.”
Maria didn’t hesitate with an answer. “I hid,” she said. “For a while. When the gunshots stopped, I managed to walk through some more of the woods for what seemed like a few blocks. I found an old shed painted a light orange, and I stayed there.”
Stacy looked over at the captain. “Those faded orange sheds used to belong to the Cleveland Public Works Department. They keep cleaning supplies and maintenance tools for Fairview Park there.”
Diana chimed in. “When the city quit managing the parks, they sealed the entrances to those sheds. I’m surprised you were able to get inside.”
Maria lowered her head. “I stayed there most of the night. Then I called a friend to come and pick me up.”
“Does your friend have a name?”
Maria nodded. “Yes. Brittany Morrison.”
Stacy made a mental note of the name. “I’m going to check with Brittany to corroborate the story.”
Maria’s chin dropped to her chest. Stacy leaned back and crossed her arms.
“The police have your laptop computer, and Assistant Prosecutor Knox is getting a search warrant that will allow us to access all of the computer files. We know that Colton isn’t the only guy solicited by you online. I don’t care so much about that, but I do care about Colton.”
Diana pulled over a chair from the opposite side of the table and sat on the lip of the seat. She removed a set of scissors from the kit. Maria looked over at Diana with a flat expression.
“I’m going to have to tear the sleeve of the sweatshirt to see the wound,” the captain said. “It might hurt.”
Maria said nothing, and Stacy ignored the interruption.
“Colton DeVito,” she repeated. “How did you meet?”
“Just chatting. I put a profile on an online dating site, and he messaged me. At first, we just talked about stuff.”
“Define stuff.”
“Things we liked, our families, etcetera. Colton seemed embarrassed about talking to me online, but then he opened up. He talked a lot about a girl named Brooke and how she was the love of his life.” Maria winced as the captain cut into the sleeve and pulled back the fabric. There were two streaks of punctured skin on her arm, each with fresh blood running down her upper arm and into the bend of her elbow.
Diana turned the arm slightly and looked. “It’s just a flesh wound.”
Stacy leaned back even further in her chair. “And after all of this online chatting, things got serious.”
Maria patted her shoulder and rubbed the top of it as Diana tore open the end of a small packet of antibacterial ointment. Maria gave her full attention back to Stacy.
"I was just having fun, but Colton took our chats seriously. He wanted us to set aside time to talk each day. If I was late logging in, he would blow up my inbox with messages and leave me these panicked voicemails."
“Panicked voicemails,” Stacy repeated. “So, the two of you did talk on the phone?
“Yes.”
“We never found Colton’s cell phone.”
Maria paled a bit. Stacy waited for a few beats before speaking again.
“Would it be fair to say that Colton liked you more than you did him?”
Maria looked antsy as Diana smeared the ointment onto the bloody cuts with the swab included with the ointment.
“Yes,” she replied quietly.
“So how did he end up back in Cleveland? AEP and Houston police told us he was helping restore powerlines in Houston after Hurricane Harvey. I imagine he was too busy making out-of-state house calls.”
Maria sighed. “I started asking Colton for money.” Diana looked back at Stacy, and they exchanged glances. Both women turned their attention back to their original targets.
"At first, it was just small amounts—fifty dollars here, twenty-five dollars there. Colton never told me, no, and he never asked me why I needed the money, so I kept asking for more.”
Stacy shook her head. “Wow.”
Maria perked up and straightened up in her seat. Diana’s hand slid down her arm. “I know. I know it was wrong, but I expected him to tell me no at some point and that he wouldn’t give me any more money.”
Stacy uncrossed her arms and set her hands on the table. “So, you basically hustled him?”
“Yes. I guess so.” Stacy just stared back at Maria. Then Maria continued. “I knew Colton would eventually ask me for something. I couldn’t just keep taking all of that money from him without him wanting something in return.”
Stacy leaned over the table. “And that something was an in-person meeting.”
“Yeah. So, I agreed that Colton could come to see me. He was supposed to arrive this next week.”
“And instead, he arrived and surprised you.”
“That’s right.”
Maria was getting edgy, but Stacy didn’t care. This story was more than a star-crossed romance. This was the story of a man getting set up by a premeditated scheme concocted by a vixen willing to risk anything to get what she wanted.
Stacy just stared at Captain Bannister as she taped several small bandages over the wounds. The bandages were not long or wide enough, but they covered some of the deeper skin wounds.
“The cab driver that picked up Colton the night he came to see you. He said that something had spooked Colton. Then the driver saw two men in dark clothes and masks running out of one of the back entrances of Fairview Park, almost like the men were chasing Colton.”
Maria’s eyes suddenly got a little more distant.
“Who were those men after Colton?”
“Some friends I had met at a party.”
Stacy arched an eyebrow.
“It was a party over in Rocky River. Some girl that Will knew was throwing a party, and he invited me.”
“Will as in Will Akers?”
Maria nodded.
So they did know each other, Stacy thought.
The realization was not lost on Diana, either. She locked the latch on the kit back into place and then paused for a moment.
“We just hung out that night. Drinking. Smoking a little pot.”
Stacy’s tone got more serious. “I need names, Ms. Fernandez.”
“One of the guys was named Ruben. The other guy was named Malik.”
Stacy stood up, and Maria flinched. “Last names, too!”
“I don’t know, I swear.”
"So, how did they end up at your house chasing after Colton DeVito?"
Maria just looked over and stared at her bandaged arm. “I owed Ruben and Malik some money.”
“For what?”
“Drugs. Cocaine and crystal meth.”
Diana put the first aid kit back in the cabinet and slammed the door shut. Maria jumped a little in her seat. Stacy moved her way to the side of the table.
“I told them I had someone coming over. But not that day. Colton was supposed to come the next week. Anyway, I knew...I knew that Colton would give me whatever money I asked for.”
Diana stuck clenched fists on her slim hips.
Maria seemed to panic. “We did them at parties. Never at home.”
Stacy waited a moment. She began to fill in the blanks. “So Colton takes off running, Ruben and Malik think that Colton’s isn’t going to pay, and they try to jump him for it.”
Tears began to stream down her cheeks. “Yes. That’s how I ended up with Colton’s debit card. Ruben found it after they chased him through the park.”
“And then you paid Will Akers to withdraw money from Colton’s account at the Wells Fargo ATM.”
Maria wiped a trickling tear with a thumb and sniffed. “Yes.”
Stacy stopped and sat in the chair Diana had vacated. Stacy leaned in, and her eyes narrowed into slits. The good cop portion of the interview was over.
“Look at me, Maria.”
Maria continued to stare at the table. Stacy grabbed her bandaged arm and squeezed. A line of sweat crossed Maria’s brow, and her head instinctively snapped over to Stacy.
Maria’s lip began to quiver, and the tears ran down her cheeks more forcefully. “Malik and Ruben are dead.”
Maria put a hand over her lips. A look of astonishment came over her. “What? Why?”
“I think those two thugs were more than just your party boys or your dealers. I think they were the ones that chased Colton. When you went inside your house to get something for us, you made a call, and the enforcers showed up.”
Diana stepped closer to the table. “If you did tip them off and had those men try to kill two of my detectives, I will personally make sure you regret for the next 25-years-to life.”
Stacy leaned close to Maria. Maria leaned back in her chair and slid down, but Stacy kept encroaching. The detective could smell the fear on her breath.
“Where is Colton DeVito?”
Maria shook her head.
“Liar,” Stacy snapped. “Where is he? Where is Colton?”
“I don’t know. I swear,” she babbled.
“I think you do.”
Maria shook her head dismissively. "I don't."
“Someone is out there killing anyone and everyone that had an association with him—a serial killer. The cab driver is dead, and Colton’s parents were murdered and burned to death in a house fire. How long until this person comes after you?”
Stacy could smell peppermint on Maria’s breath. “Tell us where he is, Maria, and we can end this. We can stop this thing.”
Maria ducked her head and shielded her face with her hands. “I don’t know. I swear. I came down here because I’ve been attacked. I don’t want to be that next person.”
Stacy leaned back slowly as Maria watched her every move. Stacy stood up and smoothed her clothes with her hands.
“What happened?” Diana asked.
“My friend dropped me off at my house after the cops left. When I was coming through the back door, someone grabbed me. He had his hand over my mouth and was grabbing at my chest with the other hand. At first, I thought it might have been Malik or Ruben, but...” her voice trailed away. “But the man was thinner than them. I stomped on his foot with mine, and I landed a fist near his dick. When I turned around, he sliced my arm with a knife. He limped away, and I ran into the house.” She paused and swallowed hard. “I thought he was going to kill me. Please help me. I need protection. I don’t feel safe going home tonight.”
Stacy excused herself and stepped outside the conference room, out into the hallway. Stacy had heard enough of the story and was tired of dealing with Maria Fernandez.
Two uniformed officers entered the room. “Stand up,” Stacy said, motioning with her hand. “Turn around.” Maria, wide-eyed with fear, slowly turned around. “Hands over your head.”
“No, No,” she whimpered. “Please. Please, Detective, don’t do this. I don’t want to go to jail.”
Stacy stared at her with a resolute intensity. “Maria Fernandez, you are under arrest for credit card fraud and conspiracy to commit murder. Officer Jenkins will read you the rest of your rights.”