CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

 

The smell of barbecuing ribs permeated the air on this warm evening. Several expensive cars filled the driveway and others lined the curb in front of the Cramer’s striking two-story home.

Selene and Quinn had decided to walk the two blocks from their place, enjoying the opportunity to stretch their legs.

“You sure they didn’t invite the whole damn city?” Quinn whispered.

Selene chuckled. “You don’t have to worry. I’m sure there will be enough food left for you.”

“I’ll settle for some stimulating conversation.”

Me, too. Selene thought about Ashley Leighton. Maybe Dennis knows something.

The backyard was as impressive as the front of the house with attractive landscaping, swimming pool, and spa. There were several young people splashing about in the pool and the spa looked like it was practically overflowing with people.

Julian McKenzie and his wife, Loraine, were the first to approach Selene and Quinn.

“Well look who’s here,” Julian said, grinning. “What’s up?” Sweat glistened on his upper lip and forehead.

Quinn and Julian shook hands. “We’re good, man.”

Loraine gave Selene a quick hug and said, “Nice to see you.”

“Good to see you, too.” Selene felt a tad guilty that they didn’t get together more often. “So, how are your lovely daughters doing?”

“Growing up way too fast, I’m afraid. Hard to keep up with sometimes.”

Julian put his arm around Loraine. “Yeah, pretty soon I’ll have to get a second job just to pay for their clothes and electronic toys.”

Selene chuckled. She thought about the joy children would bring to the household. After being afraid to have kids with her abusive husband, she was looking forward to it with Quinn. They both wanted children, but planned to wait until they’d been married for at least a year.

“Did you learn anything more about the fire at S.A.W. House?” Selene asked Julian.

“Not really,” he said. “All we know is that it was definitely arson. No clues yet as to who did it. Could’ve been some kids fooling around...”

More likely, it was an adult who was not fooling around, Selene thought.

They made their way past the McKenzies and ran into Todd Foxworth.

“Quinn...Selene, I thought you’d gotten lost or something,” Todd teased, smiling broadly.

He had his arm around the gorgeous woman Selene had seen him with at the parade.

“We took the long way here,” Quinn joked. He looked at Todd’s date. “I don’t believe we’ve met...”

“This is Cyndi Gordon,” Todd said. “And these are the Herreras—Quinn and Selene,” he said to Cyndi.

“Nice to meet you.” Cyndi flashed an effervescent smile.

Todd pulled Cyndi closer. “These folks are the pride of The Woods. They keep our close knit community together.”

Selene wasn’t sure if Todd was trying to impress his girlfriend or actually believed that. In her opinion, it took the whole neighborhood working together to keep them safe and sound.

* * *

Cramer played the part of chef to perfection, complete with an apron splattered with barbecue sauce and oversized grill mitts. He, along with his undercover colleagues, was also taking mental notes on every man in attendance. He hated to think that one of them might be a serial killer, but it now seemed like a real possibility.

Cramer promised himself he would try to keep an open mind as he surveyed his guests. He wondered if it could be Todd Foxworth behind the cool and sophisticated ladies’ man façade. Or maybe there was a darker side to Julian McKenzie. How about Marvin Bonet? He was nice and had a lovely wife. But what if he wasn’t so nice when it came to catching attractive women alone?

Then there was George Zavella, Cramer’s next-door neighbor. He lived alone and seemed to have a problem with the opposite sex. And Les Bastos, who was the perfect family man and a civic leader. Maybe he wasn’t so perfect after all and was really a monster.

The list went on. Which one of them was the killer?

Cramer was well aware that they could be looking in the wrong direction and the killer might not even be a member of their community.

He saw Quinn and Selene Herrera heading his way. What if Quinn is the killer? Who would ever think that was possible?

Not me, that’s for damn sure, the detective thought, dismissing the prospect as highly unlikely.

“Grab some plates and dig in,” Cramer ordered the Herreras. He pointed to a spread fit for royalty.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Quinn said.

Cramer smiled. “Good. There’s too much food here for it to go to waste.”

Selene eyed Cramer and decided this was not the right time to talk about Ashley Leighton. Instead, she said, “If all else fails, I’m sure Quinn would be more than happy to bring some ribs home with him, Dennis. And it might get me off the hook from cooking for a day or two.”

Cramer threw his head back and laughed at the thought. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Melody Cramer joined them. She hugged Selene and said, “I’ve been meaning to thank you for organizing the community the way you have. Heaven knows we needed to band together to try to stop this killer.”

“I only did what anyone would have, if they’d had the time,” Selene said modestly.

“But that’s the point...most of us don’t have the time. That’s why we’ve been so disorganized...until now.”

“I just hope we can achieve our primary objective,” Selene said, “and find the killer before another woman dies.”

“Yeah, you and everyone else,” Cramer muttered bleakly. “Let’s not go down that road now and spoil the picnic, at least not till everyone’s had plenty to eat!”

“I think we’re well on our way to that,” Quinn said, licking barbecue sauce from the corner of his mouth.

“That’s for sure,” Julian offered spiritedly as he joined them. He grabbed some chips and stuffed them in his mouth.

Everyone laughed, though Selene knew that no one was laughing on the inside as long as a killer was in their midst.

* * *

Later that evening, Selene was finally able to corner Cramer away from everyone else. Even then, she hesitated, not wanting to cause trouble where there was none for Ashley. But she also knew it was her duty to try to protect all abuse victims—for their own good.

“Has Ashley Leighton been at work lately?” Selene asked curiously.

Cramer raised a brow. “No, she’s taken some time off.”

“Oh...” That seemed just a little too convenient to suit Selene.

“Why do you ask?”

She met his eyes. “A mutual friend hasn’t been able to get in touch with her. She’s worried and, frankly, so am I.”

He shrugged. “It’s not unusual for people in highly stressful jobs to take some time off for personal reasons—”

“In the middle of a murder investigation?”

“There’s never a good time,” Cramer said. “Let’s face it, this case is starting to get to everyone, including me. If I could, I’d take my family on vacation tomorrow. But I don’t have the same luxury as Ashley right now.”

Selene was far from convinced. “You said Ashley took time off for personal reasons?”

“I was speculating.” He peered at her. “Do you know something I don’t?”

Selene wondered if she should tell him about the domestic violence. Once it was out there, Ashley could no longer deny it to her colleagues and superiors. But what if she wasn’t being battered anymore and things were working out between her and her husband?

Do I have the right to bring it to the attention of her boss?

Selene shrugged. “I heard she was having marital problems.”

“What kind of problems?”

“Maybe you should ask her,” Selene said.

“Look, I appreciate your friend’s concern. And yours, too,” Cramer said. “But no marriage is perfect. Mine certainly isn’t...but don’t tell Melody that.” Cramer chuckled. “I know Ashley’s husband, Robert. Well, sort of. He really loves her—anyone can see that—but I’m sure they have their ups and downs like the rest of us. I trust her to come to me or the chief if she’s got something to say.”

Maybe the police really were naive when it came to their own and denial, Selene thought. Or Robert Leighton had effectively managed to pull the wool over just about everyone’s eyes.

Selene knew then that the best way to ensure Ashley’s safety, without jeopardizing her right to separate her private life from her career, was to pay her a visit.

* * *

Dennis Cramer watched as Selene returned to her husband. He considered the possibility that Ashley Leighton was having some marital problems that she might not have wanted to disclose. He recalled her swollen eye and other bruises, aches, and pains, which Ashley had quickly dismissed as insignificant or caused by something other than her husband.

Then the realization suddenly hit Cramer head on. How had he not put two and two together? Robert Leighton was obviously abusing Ashley, and keeping her from the job in one respect or another. The Bluffs Bay Police Department had zero tolerance for men beating their wives. He would have to let Officer Leighton know that she had the department’s full support on this.

Weighing equally heavy on Cramer’s mind at the moment was the very real possibility that one of his guests at this barbecue was a serial killer.