“Todd Coz isn’t the brightest bulb on the tree,” Dan said to Amelia as he drove her to the police station. She’d need to fill out a report. “I’m betting that with the right incentive, he can be very reasonable and accommodating.”
“What have you got in mind?” Amelia said, pulling a paper napkin from the glove compartment and using it to blow her nose.
“Officer Vincent is on his way right now to pick him up and bring him to the station for questioning. I think you’re right about the vandalism, and with Gavin’s statement, we’ve got a vague blueprint. But it’s Todd who will give us all the correct measurements to make sure everything fits.”
“How can you be sure he plays ball?”
“Guys like him don’t mind bragging about the stuff they did do, but they don’t like being accused of something they didn’t do. Especially something as pitiful as scribbling a couple of swear words on a food truck.”
“So you’re going to manipulate his ego?”
“Am I ever.” Dan’s face remained stoic, and Amelia saw him squeeze the steering wheel. He was as mad as she was, as if they’d done something to his property, too.
“Ugh,” she griped then swallowed. “I didn’t get a chance to swallow a gulp of Nyquil or even grab some cough drops. Sore throats are the worst.” She rubbed the front of her neck.
“We might have something at the station.” Dan patted her leg.
When they finally reached the station, Officer Vincent was already there.
“He’s in Room C,” he told Dan. “And mad he was woken up so early.”
“Got it.” Dan looked at Amelia. “Come on.”
The police station was quieter at this hour of the morning. Fresh coffee had been put on and made the place smell good. The police on duty chitchatted or were busy at their desks, working on that endless amount of paperwork all police had to muddle through. Now was the time to get to it before the city woke up and started picking at itself.
Dan led Amelia down the hallway to an observation room.
“I’m sure you’ve seen these on television. He can’t see you or hear you. But you can see and hear him. We’ll get your paperwork started after I talk to him.”
Amelia nodded and took a seat on a metal folding chair in front of the two-way mirror. Almost directly across from her was Todd Coz. His skin was glistening like the other times she’d seen him. His hair was a mess, and he was wearing jeans and a different Harley-Davidson T-shirt that was inside out. Obviously, he’d dressed in a hurry.
“Good morning, Mr. Coz.” Dan’s voice was heavy. “I’m sorry to have gotten you out of bed so early. Yikes. You pounding meat with your fists? Rocky Balboa workout routine?”
“Yeah. What is this all about? You in love with me or something? Is that why you are harassing me? Showing up where I drink. Having me brought here? Look, I can hardly blame you, but I’m not into dudes.”
“A food truck was vandalized last night. The woman who owns it claims you paid her a visit yesterday. Tried to get some money out of her.”
“I don’t know anything about it.”
“Normally, that would be a good enough answer, but it seems we’ve got a witness who also says she saw you at the food truck.”
Todd tilted his head and blinked lazily at Dan.
“The call came in this morning. Now, I hate to tell you this, but the woman who said she’d identify you in a lineup, well, she’s a pillar in the community. People know her. They trust her. She’s got no dog in the fight. She’d never associate with the likes of you.”
“I don’t believe you. You’re lying.”
Amelia saw Todd swallow hard, as he had the night before when Dan described Luann to him.
“Just do me a favor, Todd. Look in that mirror.” Dan pointed to the exact spot Amelia was sitting in.
“I didn’t vandalize any truck!” Todd yelled. “I only went to scare the lady that worked there because…” Todd stopped talking. It was obvious he wanted to say something, but there was some force holding his tongue.
“Well, you don’t have to tell me anything, Todd. You can request a lawyer at any time. But this woman who says she saw you vandalize the food truck said you were also stalking her daughter. That she can’t prove it but thinks you had something to do with the death of Greg Scottson. Is there any truth to that?”
“Luann! You lying bi—”
“Shut up!” Dan yelled. “Todd Coz, you have the right to remain silent.” Dan stood, pulled his handcuffs from the back of his belt, and secured them around Todd’s wrists. He finished reading Todd his rights and asked him if he wanted to end the interview.
Amelia watched as the gears slowly shifted and whirred in his head as he thought of what to do.
“No. I’ll talk. I’ve got a lot to say.” He glared at the mirror, thinking Luann was sitting where Amelia was, not knowing he had been played by one of the oldest shell games ever.
Dan told Todd to sit tight and he’d bring him some coffee or a cola if he wanted one. Of course, Todd said he’d like both. After leaving the room, Dan opened the door for Amelia.
“That was flipping awesome,” she whispered before coughing in her hand. “Now what are you going to do?”
“I’m going to get him his coffee and Coke and see what he has to say.”
“Can I listen? This is better than television.” Amelia sniffled.
“Yeah. You want a coffee, too?”
Amelia nodded and took her seat again. She studied Todd as he sat there. He didn’t look the least bit nervous. Why? What did he have up his sleeve that made him so calm?
Officer Vincent brought Amelia her coffee and stayed to observe Dan’s questioning. Dan entered the interrogation room and placed a hot coffee and cold Coke in front of Todd before taking a seat.
“Why don’t you just start from the beginning?” Dan suggested. His voice had become quieter.
“I tell you what, Detective. I knew that woman was trouble the first time I laid eyes on her.” He chuckled bitterly. Todd explained how he and Luann had met. She had shown up at the Twisted Spoke wearing tight blue jeans and some T-shirt that had something on it. He couldn’t remember since it wasn’t what was on the shirt but inside it that he was interested in.
“We had a couple drinks then ended up in the backseat of her Lexus. Those really are nice cars.” He winked at Dan with a smirk.
Todd went on to explain that he and Luann had developed a kind of relationship.
“You know, a friends with benefits kind of thing.”
“Why do you think a woman like Luann would want a guy like you?” Dan sipped his own coffee. “I’m not trying to be rude, but let’s not BS each other.”
“No, I hear what you’re saying. Look, she had an itch. Wanted to walk on the wild side. You’d be surprised how many women like the bad boys. Hell, I bet your daughter would be on the back of my bike with just a few pretty words and a smile.”
Dan didn’t move, but Amelia shifted in her seat. If she could, she would have slapped him for that comment. Something his mother should have done years ago.
“Well, things are going just fine for several months. Then she starts telling me she needs money, right? She’s driving a Lexus. She lives in Sarkis Estates. She gets her nails done once a week and professional bikini waxing and all those kinds of things. From where I’m sitting, she don’t need anything.”
“So what did you tell her?” Dan asked.
“I said with a body like hers, she shouldn’t have any problem making money.” Todd cackled as though he had recited the funniest joke ever.
“I’ll bet she didn’t like that,” Dan said to urge him to keep going.
“She acted like she didn’t, but I know Luann. It stroked her ego.” Todd pulled the pop-top on his can of Coke and took a sip. “So now she was saying she had to get her daughter married off. That would help solve her money problems, she said.”
“Had you ever met her daughter?”
“Never once. So the idea that I was stalking her is an outright lie. I never met the girl in my life.”
“Had Luann mentioned her daughter dating Greg Scottson to you?”
“Not until after the marriage. I had no idea. Like I said, Luann and I weren’t exactly picking out china patterns together. We had a physical relationship, and that was it. She usually left family stuff outside the motel room, if you catch my meaning.”
“Yeah, I got it.” Dan sighed.
“So she tells me that Greg is no good for her daughter. That he’s married her for her money and that he beats her.”
“Really.”
“Yup. She told me that the guy made her take all her clothes off and beat her with a belt everywhere her clothes would be. So when she went out no one would see the bruises.”
“And you believed Luann?”
“I knew Greg by reputation only. I never heard anyone say he was a woman beater, but I also never asked. If that is what he was up to, then I think he deserved to slip and fall off that roof.”
“Did you push him? As a favor for Luann?”
Todd looked to the left. It was as if he realized he hadn’t really helped himself, telling Dan any of this.
“No,” Todd snapped. “No. I did not. But-But Luann did talk about having him removed from the scene. She did ask me if I knew anyone who could make an accident happen.”
Amelia could tell Todd was lying. He scooted in his chair and slicked back his hair and stared at Dan as if direct eye contact would convince Dan he was telling the truth.
“What did you tell her?”
“I said I might.”
“Then what?”
“Well, I gave her the name of a guy and then left it at that.”
“What was the name?” Dan took out his pen and paper and looked at Todd.
“Um, Mike. That’s all I know.”
“You don’t know his last name?”
“No.”
“So you expect me to believe that you just mention to Luann some guy named Mike, and she hired him to kill her son-in-law based on that little bit of information?”
“Look, I don’t know what she did with the information I gave her!” Todd shouted. “But I didn’t push anyone off a roof!”
“What about Bud Fetzer? He was beat up pretty bad last night. You know anything about that?”
“Okay, yeah, I did that. Luann said that little freak was spying on her and her daughter. Some kind of fatal-attraction thing. Have you seen the cameras he’s got all over his house? So I taught him a lesson.”
“Actually, I have seen the cameras all over Mr. Fetzer’s house. I’ve also seen the telescope he has that faces the Jameson house. It’s almost directly aligned with their roof. Funny, isn’t it?”
“What?” Todd scratched his chin and looked at Dan as if he’d just asked him to solve a calculus problem in his head.
“Yeah, Bud’s got cameras and a telescope and a couple of other devices taking in the sights all around his property. In fact, it’s funny because when I talked to Bud, he told me that he saw a man who fits your description on the roof when Greg fell. That’s funny, isn’t it?”
That was it for Todd.
“I think I’ll wait for my lawyer.”
“I hate to say it, but I think that is very wise, Todd. But thanks for communicating with me. You want another coffee? Coke?”
Todd sat with his cuffed hands in his lap and scowled at Dan. When he came out of the room, Amelia was giddy.
“What do you do now?” She was going to ask for details, but a loud, familiar voice was heard in the bull pen, drawing Dan’s attention. Amelia followed behind.
“I really don’t know what this could be about. I don’t understand why no one will tell me anything.” Luann Jameson pouted.
“Just have a seat, Ms. Jameson,” Officer Vincent ordered. “Detective Walishovski will be right with you.”
“Well, I hope so. I’ve got a property showing at eight o’clock. If I lose this sale because of this, I’ll be very upset.”
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Jameson.” Dan strolled out to the bull pen. “Would you mind coming with me?” He waved her on.
Every eye was on Luann as she slinked through the desks, sashaying like a Miss Universe contestant on a stage. She was wearing black skinny jeans and heels with a tight navy-blue T-shirt that dipped down daringly in the front. But the minute she saw Amelia, her feet tangled up for a second before she regained her composure.
She looked past Amelia as if she didn’t see her at all.
While Dan held the door to Interrogation Room B open for her, he waved to Amelia. Without a word, she slipped into the observation room and sat down as she had when she watched Todd.
“What is this all about, Detective?” She batted her eyes at Dan and pushed her cleavage up as she folded her hands in her lap.
“We’ve got a problem regarding the investigation into your son-in-law’s death.”
“Investigation? He fell off the roof. He was stoned and probably drunk.”
“Well, that’s odd that you say that, because the autopsy revealed there were no amounts of marijuana or alcohol or any other narcotic in his system. How do you think that can be?”
“The test was probably done wrong.” She shook her head, letting her blond hair bounce around her face. “You know how hard it is to get good help these days.”
“Yeah, help like Todd Coz helped you kill your son-in-law.”
“Who?” she asked calmly.
“Todd Coz. Biker. Bit of a bad boy.”
Luann laughed.
“Do I look like the type of woman who dates bikers? I’m sure you’ve heard of my late husband. My standards are very high, Detective.” She looked down at her long, manicured fingernails then back up at Dan.
“But your daughter fell in love with a mechanic. Were you disappointed?”
“I wanted my daughter to be happy. But I sheltered her so much. She gave her heart to the first guy who had the nerve to come up to her. What could I do? I can’t stand in the way of my daughter’s happiness.”
Amelia remembered the insurance policy on Colleen’s nightstand. Colleen was due to receive six million dollars in the event Greg died. The papers hadn’t been signed yet. When Amelia was hiding under the bed, she heard Luann trying to get Colleen to sign the papers fast.
She jumped up and left the room to knock on the door, interrupting Dan’s interrogation.
“What is it?” Dan asked quietly, shutting the door behind him while Luann waited. Amelia told him about the policy.
“With everything else that went on that day, I totally forgot about it until now. Todd said Luann kept saying she needed money. Do you think this could be an elaborate insurance scam?”
Dan walked to the bull pen and asked Officer Vincent to run a skip-trace on Luann Jameson. Her address was in the file on his desk. Dan went back to the interrogation room, leaving Amelia in the bull pen.
When he returned, it had been just a minute, and Officer Vincent was back with a long printout of paper.
Dan grinned.
“This is interesting.”
“What is it?” Amelia wiped sweat from her head. She was starting to feel very warm.
“It looks like Luann Jameson is in debt almost three quarters of a million dollars. Greg Scottson was her meal ticket. A poor kid who was just a mechanic and who happened to like her daughter. He was expendable.”
Amelia felt weak and sat down.
Before Dan could get back to Luann in Interrogation Room B, a pretty young girl who looked like a more conservative, modest version of Luann came into the station. She had a file with her and appeared to have been crying.
“Colleen?” Amelia waved nervously. Was she really seeing her, or had she come down with a fever and was hallucinating?
Colleen smiled and came up to Amelia.
“Hi, Mrs. Harley. Funny meeting you here. I hope everything is all right,” she said politely.
“Just some vandals hit my food truck. I’m just filing a report.”
The smile fell from Colleen’s face.
“So she did do it.”
Amelia looked up to Dan, who had taken a step closer.
“Colleen, this is Detective Dan Walishovski.”
“Hello, Detective. I’m Colleen Scottson. I’m hoping someone can help me.”
“I’ll do my best, miss.”
“My mother killed my husband. I’d like to press charges.”
Amelia and Dan could have been knocked over by a feather.
“Excuse me, Miss Scottson. Why don’t you come with me where we can talk in private?”
“I don’t need to talk in private, Detective.” Colleen squared her shoulders. “Everyone here knows who my mother is. Only I know what she is. And I want to make sure that justice is done.”
“Have a seat, Miss Scottson.”
“I’m fine to stand,” she protested. “It’s all right here. My mother had spent my stepfather’s entire fortune. She’d even tapped into my account, leaving me with barely anything left in my trust.” She handed over to Dan a thick manila folder. “It’s all right here. Her bank transactions. My signature that she forged. The debtors who have been trying to chase her down. And of course, the insurance policy she took out on Greg.”
“You didn’t take it out?” Dan asked, looking through all the papers.
“I had no idea it existed. Not until after his ‘accident.’” Colleen used air quotes for emphasis. “My mother’s fingerprints are all over it. She forged my signature on that, too.”
“Colleen, do you know who Todd Coz is?”
“No. I have no idea. But I saw his name on a couple of personal checks. I just assumed he was a masseuse or a tennis instructor or one of the dozens of people she pays to be around her. Why? Who is he?”
“We think he’s the man who pushed your husband off the roof.”
Colleen’s bottom lip began to tremble, and tears fell from her eyes.
“Right. Because my mother would never do the dirty work. She’d pay someone to do it. She’d pay them with a check.” Colleen shook her head.
Everyone stood still in the bull pen for a few minutes. Finally, Dan spoke.
“We have your mother in an office. With this information, we are going to have to put her under arrest. Do you want to talk to her before we do that?”
Colleen looked at the floor then up at Dan.
“I don’t have anything to say to her, Detective.”
Just then, a ruckus could be heard down the hallway.
“If I’m not being charged with anything, I refuse to wait here any longer. This is unwarranted detainment, and I…” Luann froze when she saw Colleen.
Amelia started to shake as the chills from her fever took hold of her. But she watched the mother and daughter with morbid fascination.
“Mrs. Jameson,” Dan said. “Your daughter has provided us with some very important information.”
Luann still stared at her daughter.
“I’m going to need you to put your hands behind your back. You are under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder of Greg Scottson. You have the right to remain silent.”
“Colleen, what have you done?” Luann asked. “What have you told them? You’re out of your mind with grief. Tell them! Tell them that you didn’t mean it! Colleen!”
“He loved me, Mom, and you had him killed.” Colleen faced her mother. “And you trashed Amelia’s truck. Just admit it. You said you were going to, and you did it. You are pathetic.”
“I didn’t do it! I didn’t do any of it! Todd Coz did it! Honey, he was stalking you! He was obsessed with you, and when he found out you were married to Greg, he took it out on him. He pushed him off the roof!”
“You’re a liar,” Colleen replied, almost whispering. “Detective, call me if you need me. My contact information is in the file.”
The entire police station fell silent as Colleen walked out. The only sound was the ragged gasps of Luann’s breathing. Amelia turned to look at her. This time, Luann really didn’t see Amelia. She was staring into space. Her entire body was taut like a bow when an arrow is about to be fired. How long she’d be able to sustain that was anyone’s guess. But Amelia didn’t want to be around when she snapped and the reality of the situation settled in.
Officer Vincent took Luann by the arm and led her out of the bull pen. Amelia assumed she was being booked and fingerprinted and all that jazz.
“I’m going to take you home, Amelia,” Dan said, offering her his hand. “I don’t know if you know it, but you are radiating heat off your body.”
“Don’t get fresh with me, Detective,” she muttered.
“You have a fever, don’t you,” he stated rather than asked.
“I wasn’t feeling good this morning. I told you. It’s just all caught up with me.”
“Let’s get you home.”
As she climbed into his car, she felt her eyes burning with tears.
“John’s talking about having the kids live with him. When they told me he called last night and that he suggested it, I think my body just gave up.”
“He’s done this before.” Dan pinched his eyebrows together. “He’s asked the kids, and they’ve said no. They’ll say no again,” Dan said soothingly.
“It’s just that he always decides to make these plans when I’m least prepared to deal with them. Why does he do that? Why doesn’t he ask me first?”
“When you were married, did he ever ask you first?” Dan’s voice was angry. Not at Amelia but at her ex-husband, who he currently wanted to punch in the nose.
“No. He didn’t. He never did.”
“Then not much has changed on his end. But everything has changed on your end, and I think that is what is really bothering him.”
“But he’s got everything. The fancy job with the fancy salary and the trophy wife and the huge house. Why would he try to take the kids? He never wanted them before,” Amelia whined. “I’m sorry.” She blubbered. “It’s this bug. I don’t feel good, and I wish I had my mama.”
Dan smiled and rubbed her cheek gently as he drove to her house.
Once there, he ran her a hot shower, left her flannel pajamas for her to get dressed in, then helped her get into bed before he put on a pot of tea.
“Dan, I can’t thank you enough,” she said as the shot of Nyquil she took started to take hold. “I’ve made you late for work. You can go. I don’t need anyone.”
“That’s not true,” he murmured while he held her hand and sat on the side of the bed. “I can’t bring back your mama, but I called for reinforcements.”
At that second, the front door was unlocked, opened, and slammed shut.
“We’re up here!” Dan yelled.
“Lord, I hope you both are decent,” Lila called up the steps.
Amelia’s eyes teared up, but she smiled.
“Look at this. When Dan called me about the truck, I knew you’d take it hard, but honey, we can get that paint job done in no time. I’ve already got a couple guys from the Twisted Spoke cleaning up the garbage for us.”
“Really?” Amelia yawned.
“I told Rusty over the phone, and he said not to worry. When I went out there to see for myself, they were already almost done. Gavin and the folks from the Burrito Wagon were also pitching in.”
“I feel like George Bailey from It’s a Wonderful Life,” Amelia replied with heavy eyes.
“I do hope we find out who did it,” Lila hissed.
“We did.” Amelia yawned again. “I’ll tell you all about it. As soon as I wake up.”
“That sounds perfect,” Lila replied, pulling the blankets up around her friend. “I’ll be reading downstairs. Call me when you wake up.”
“Thanks, Lila. Thanks, Dan.” She grinned slyly at them. “I knew you guys were keepers.”
“Oh yeah? How did you know that?” Lila asked.
Amelia looked lovingly at Dan.
“I went with my gut.”
Continue the Pink Cupcake series with book 7: Bake Sale for Murder. In the middle of a messy custody battle with her ex-husband, Amelia volunteers to organize a high school bake sale to raise money for Meg’s art club. She also has ulterior motives to be inside the school: find out why a popular football player was found dead in the school gym. Read an excerpt at the end of this book.
Catch up on all the books in the Pink Cupcake series here.
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