Quandary: A Detective Series, page 17
Carla wanted to keep this flowing because she believed she was going to find out crucial information. However, this was very painful for Angela, and Carla called for another five-minute break.
CHAPTER 40
While Chief Evans accompanied Angela and Geronimo outside, Carla and Bernie checked their voicemail. After hitting the restroom, they returned to the conference room, waiting for the three of them to return. Although they were a few minutes late, Carla didn’t mind. Angela was opening up and hopefully helping them get closer to solving Bryan’s death. With everyone back, Carla continued her probing inquisition.
“So, Angela, you were telling us what you and your mom talked about before she passed. Let’s begin there, okay?”
After glancing around the room, her eyes ended up fixated on Carla. Taking a deep sigh, she nodded.
“Of course. She told me when she went to Joni’s funeral, she and George went out to one of their old watering holes. Well, my mom said she had too much to drink and spilled her guts, her deepest and dark secrets, to him.”
Pausing for a moment, Angela grabbed a drink of water. With her eyes glistening again, Geronimo handed her a tissue. After drying her eyes, she sighed once more.
“One night, when she was alone with Alex at his campaign headquarters, he opened a bottle of wine to relax after a long day. Anyway, after two glasses of wine, my mom began to get woozy. She normally could handle that many drinks without any problems. However, that night something was different, like, uh, maybe, he slipped her a pill. Anyway, umm, he forced himself on her. He was a strong man. My mom was a small person and couldn’t fight him off. She told him to stop, but he wouldn’t listen.”
As tears streamed from her eyes, she patted them away and sighed. After taking a long drink of water, all eyes focused on her as she continued.
“My mom just laid there, letting him take advantage of her. She just wanted it to end. That son-of-a-bitch raped her several times that night. Uh, once she got home, even a hot shower couldn’t wash away the dirtiness she felt inside her soul. She even blamed herself for it happening. So, yeah, at that moment, if Alex would’ve been alive, I would’ve hunted him down like a hungry lion. Umm, sorry for losing my composure. Uh, I guess I shouldn’t have said that.”
Silence captivated the room at such a revelation. Angela’s heartstrings exploded. Geronimo squeezed her hand, offering words of encouragement.
“Angela, I’m so sorry, are you okay? Why didn’t she go to the police?” No response, as Angela’s emotions were in control of her soul. “I know this is not easy. We can take another break if you want?”
“No, I need to get, uh, all of this off my chest.” Nodding, Carla reached over to show compassion. “Alex was powerful, running for re-election for the state senate. She was a nobody. She didn’t want to go through the humiliation in public. I’m sure you understand.”
Carla nodded and offered comforting words. Angela sighed and took another drink of water.
“When she ended up pregnant, she knew my dad was not the father of that baby. She did the math and realized my father was working out of town.”
“So, Alex is Lenny’s biological father, right?” Nodding, Carla continued, “Then that means Lenny is Bryan’s half-brother. Could Bryan have known that?” Shrugging her shoulders, Angela deflected Carla’s determined demeanor. “Did your dad know?”
“My mom thought he suspected it. Lenny didn’t look like either of them, however, my dad accepted that it was his boy. Every man wants a son, and Lenny became his son and he loved him unconditionally. Furthermore, my dad knew my mom would never cheat on him.”
“Does Lenny know he is Alex Walters’ son?”
“As far as I know, he doesn’t unless someone other than my mom told him. She wanted to take it to her grave.”
“Okay, did Alex know about Lenny?”
“As far as Alex knowing that, umm, my mom never divulged that to me.”
“Okay, Karen said that Chase brought a friend with him to see George before he died. Karen told us his name was Parker Jarrell. Remember the picture I showed you of what Lenny would look like today? You seemed certain it was Lenny. What if George told Chase, then Chase told Parker, or I guess Lenny?”
“Maybe, but Lenny will still be my brother regardless of this. What other questions do you have?”
“Did you kill Bryan out of revenge since you couldn’t go after his dad?”
“No, I didn’t. That’s ludicrous. What good would that do? I know you think I killed him based on all the evidence you have collected and what I said earlier. I know it looks bad, but I’m not your killer. I tried to warn him, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Detectives, Chief Evans, we are done, Angela came of her own volition, spilled her guts, and now you’re accusing her of murder, let’s leave Angela. We’ll show ourselves out.”
Geronimo stood up, pulled Angela’s chair away from the table. She stood, staring at Carla, in an attempt to rattle her, but to no avail. Wiping her tears away, they left the conference room.
Carla zeroed in on her boss, “What’s your gut feeling chief, is she guilty of murder?”
“Guys, I’m just not sure. She seemed sincere, but I’ve seen that before from others. And she’s had some acting experience, and she is a psychologist. I could see in a fit of rage that she could’ve done it. Her DNA, fingerprints, and perfume tie her to him and the crime scene. She was the last person we know of that saw him alive. Now, we have a possible motive, pent-up revenge knowing her brother is only a half-brother born out of rape. I’ll talk to the district attorney and get back to you. I don’t think any of us expected these new revelations.”
“Right, we didn’t. However, what we learned might tell us why George received a monthly check from Capital City Accounting. Blackmail. Alex Walters is running for state senate. If it got out that he raped Angela’s mom and fathered a child, it would have destroyed his life, political aspirations, his marriage, and family. He would’ve lost his chance at being governor. Maybe that’s why it went on for years since Alex was a two-term governor. The question is, why did the blackmail payments suddenly stop? Was it tied to Bryan’s death or something else we don’t know yet? Many questions still need to be answered.”
“Carla, if you are right, proving it will be difficult with both of them dead.”
“Yeah, Bernie, unless we get a confession from Angela, we may never know the answers to all of our questions.”
CHAPTER 41
As Chief Evans left the conference room, Carla mulled over Bernie’s notes in dead silence. They now had more questions than answers. There was no doubt in their minds Angela was bitter and held revengeful thoughts in her subconscious world. Although circumstantial evidence might be enough to get an arrest warrant for her, the motive was unclear and on shaky ground.
They struggled with that and couldn’t dismiss Barbara Tierney’s connection to Bryan or as a person of interest in his death. From their conversation, she led them to believe there was nothing between them. DNA results said otherwise, meaning another visit with her was necessary. Knowing anything was possible in this crazy world, maybe Bobbi could be responsible for his death. The burning question they had to answer was why.
As late as it was, they couldn’t pull themselves away from this bizarre and twisted case. Typically, Carla or Bernie would make an appointment instead of just showing up to talk to a person of interest, but tonight was different. Twenty minutes later, they stopped at the security gate of Camelot Estates. With the code memorized, Bernie keyed it in, and the gate opened, allowing them access. Traveling down Mahogany Way, the street appeared very peaceful under the amber backdrop created by the antique-style lighting. Reaching Bobbi’s house, they pulled into her driveway. Cutting the engine, they immediately exited the car.
Before walking up on her porch, they turned around, looking at the crime scene across the street. The unsightly yellow tape irked Bernie. Surprised that it was still there for no reason at all, he quickly walked across the street and removed it. Returning with the wadded-up ball of yellow tape, he opened the rear driver-side door tossing it in. He joined Carla at the bottom of the steps leading up to the dimly lit but inviting porch.
Finally, standing on the porch, Bernie pushed the doorbell. Chimes emanated from the foyer. Thirty seconds later, Bobbi appeared. Dressed in a pale-yellow lounging ensemble, she opened the storm door, greeting them. No need to flash badges. She knew them but wondered what prompted them to visit her this late.
Bernie, who never thought she was sinister enough to be involved in anything illegal, had a different perception after the DNA results confirmed she had been in the upstairs bedroom. After flipping a coin, Bernie won the rights to grill Bobbi.
“Mrs. Tierney, we apologize for not calling you, but we have an urgent matter to clear up in the death investigation of Bryan Walters. May we come in?”
“Of course, detectives, please come in.”
Entering her house, she motioned them to sit on the sofa. Carla immediately noticed a bottle of Caymus Zinfandel. On a table beside her favorite chair, a half-filled glass of wine and a James Patterson novel described her loneliness. Gas logs created a comforting atmosphere of warmth and peacefulness. After sitting on the sofa, Bernie’s gaze met Bobbi’s questionable eyes.
“Detectives, so how may I help you? Hmm, you said you had something you wanted to ask me about Bryan’s death?”
As Bernie’s curious eyes bored through her soul, she tasted the sexiness of the Caymus Zinfandel. While rolling her eyes, a flirtatious gesture met the seriousness painting Bernie’s face.
“Well, Detective Kowalski, let’s get to it.”
“Okay, it’s late, and I’m tired. It’s been a long day. Anyway, uh, after collecting every shred of evidence from Bryan’s house, forensics found your DNA on the bedsheets in the upstairs bedroom.”
Bobbi repositioned herself in the chair, trying to deflect Carla’s glaring expression. “Well, uh, how do you know it was mine? I never submitted a DNA sample that I’m aware of?”
“That’s not important. Furthermore, forensics found your fingerprints on a wineglass in the upstairs bedroom. How do you explain that? You made no mention of a relationship with him the first time we spoke.”
“Umm, how did you get my fingerprints? I don’t recall submitting to that either?”
“Doesn’t matter. Would you like to explain how your DNA and fingerprints ended up in that bedroom? You know, Bobbi, we can do it here or at the station. If you wish to have a lawyer present, just say so, and we’ll see you both at the station. What will it be?”
After a taste of wine, her eyes wandered around the room. With the gas logs blazing, the atmosphere in the room grew warmer and uncomfortable. Quickly picking up the remote, the dancing flames in the fireplace vanished. As she hit the remote for the elegant ceiling fan, the air began to ease the anxiety invading her soul. Returning her gaze to them, she sighed.
“Okay, Bryan and I began a relationship several months ago. One day, a package for him was delivered to my house by mistake. After taking it over, he invited me in and offered me a glass of wine. He looked lonely and just needed a friend other than the bourbon in his hand. One drink led to another, then several more. We were, umm, just having a good time unwinding.”
“Okay, hmm, go on.”
Finally, Bobbi showed signs of cracking; tears surfaced on her rosy cheeks. Wiping them away, she sighed.
“Uh, I purposely wore a revealing blouse, and umm, I caught his eyes devouring me from head to toe. I smiled. I think he was a little embarrassed, you know, like a teenager.”
She sighed heavily and finished the remainder of her wine. After replenishing her glass, she took another long sip. Setting the glass down, she took a deep, cleansing breath.
“You know, umm, it just happened. I wanted him, and I sensed he wanted me. I put my wine down and took his bourbon from him. After setting it on the table, I leaned in to kiss him. At first, he backed away. Uh, the next thing I knew, his lips met mine. As we searched for more passion, my breasts responded to his tender touch.” Pausing, she tasted the spiciness of the Caymus Zinfandel and returned it to the table. “I stood up and took his hand, leading him to what I assumed was the master bedroom. But he stopped me and motioned me upstairs. Guess he wasn’t ready to kick his wife’s memory out of the master bedroom.”
“Okay, we get it. What happened after that?”
“Uh, we enjoyed each other’s company almost every night. At first, you know, it was just a physical relationship. However, the longer it went on, I thought we were falling for each other until election night.”
“Why is that?”
“Hmm, I knew he lost the election, and I was watching for him to come home. I knew I could erase his disappointment. Finally, I saw a Beamer pull into the driveway. The lady who got out blew me away. I thought his wife had returned from the dead.”
“Umm, Angela.”
“Who’s Angela?”
“Doesn’t matter, go on.”
“I called him that night, said I had a package for him. He blew me off. Well, the next day before I left for work, I confronted him. He told me to screw myself. That was the last time I spoke to him and saw him. I was so mad at him, you know, I could’ve kicked…”
“Could’ve what?”
“Oh, never mind. Do you have any further questions?”
“Yeah, did he ever take you to his houseboat on Lake Jackson?”
“Sort of, he showed me where it was when we took a Sunday drive, but he never took me on board. Anything else?”
“Nah, thank you, you’ve been a big help. We’ll show ourselves out.”
After they left, Bobbi sat in front of the gas logs finishing her wine. She pondered what could have been between her and Bryan. On their ride back to the station, Carla and Bernie wondered if this scorned lover might have taken matters into her hands.
CHAPTER 42
Examining Bortel’s financial footprint revealed a man deep in debt and no plausible way out. As Beth, Carla, and Bernie listened to Sherry explain Bortel’s financial history, Beth could only think of Clarissa Morgan. As she suspected, plenty of evidence suggested that they possibly had been having an affair for a long time. Credit card statements showed he stayed at a Cincinnati hotel almost every weekend over the past twenty years. Also, receipts from various restaurants in the Cincinnati area filled his credit card statements.
One unexplainable thing was his checking account showed miscellaneous monthly transfers from within Freedom National Bank. Only a bunch of numbers and letters described the manual transfers, which started about four years ago.
“Okay, folks, there you have it. Bortel was almost broke and close to bankruptcy. Any other questions?”
“Not from me. I’m going to make some calls to the hotel and see what I can find out. With Bortel staying there about every weekend for like twenty years, someone will know him and maybe someone else, like Clarissa. Thanks, Sherry.”
“You’re welcome. Beth. How about you two?”
“Yeah, Sherry. We were wondering about the evidence collected at Walters’ houseboat.”
“Uh, what about it, Bernie?”
“Is it possible something got missed, you know, got overlooked?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know?”
“Well, Bernie, if you don’t know, I can’t help you.”
“Are you sure you only found one female DNA there?”
“Yeah, Bernie, I am. Do you think otherwise?”
“Umm, just a hunch. We interviewed Barbara Tierney last night, and she knew where the houseboat was. Maybe she went there and saw them. He dissed her for Angela. Based on what I saw last night, she could be revengeful. Umm, what’s that saying?”
“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”
“Right, Carla. Anyway, do you mind rechecking it?”
“Bernie, of course not, just for you, okay?”
“Thank you.”
Nodding, Sherry glared at Carla. “What about you, McBride?”
“Nah, I think you covered everything. We are going to the houseboat. See what we can find.”
Sherry’s infamous “screw-you-bird” smacked Carla’s warming face. She left, leaving them to mull over her findings.
“Carla, I didn’t know we were going to that houseboat again.”
“Me neither, but when forensics missed something as they did in the Black Rose case, maybe they missed something at the houseboat.”
“Umm, I don’t know. It’s been over ten days since they pulled the body out of the water.”
“We’re going, or at least I am. What about you, dickhead?”
About twenty minutes later, they turned down the gravel road to the houseboat. Cutting the engine, they exited Bernie’s car and began walking around the parking area, looking for anything. Moving down the gravel walkway to the boat, they carefully examined the wooden railing. Halfway down the path, the gravel appeared as though someone had slipped there and grabbed ahold of the railing. It seemed to have a small, jagged piece missing as though someone had used the railing to keep their balance. While examining the ground below, nestled in the grass, was a small piece of wood.
After putting on plastic gloves, Carla picked up the sliver of wood and placed it in a plastic evidence bag. While continuing down the path, nothing caught their eyes. As they crossed the gangplank to the boat, eyes searched the water in every direction; nothing caught their fancy. Walking around the port side of the boat, nothing strange caught their eye. After entering the living quarters, everything looked the same.
Moving onto the starboard side, where they found Commissioner Walters’s body, they noticed something dried on the outside walls. Examining it closely, they couldn’t determine what it was. Taking a DNA swab out, Carla rubbed it as hard as she could, hoping whatever it was would leave enough particles on the swab to determine whether it was human or animal or something else. Placing the swab in a plastic evidence bag, she tucked it inside her pocket.
CHAPTER 40
While Chief Evans accompanied Angela and Geronimo outside, Carla and Bernie checked their voicemail. After hitting the restroom, they returned to the conference room, waiting for the three of them to return. Although they were a few minutes late, Carla didn’t mind. Angela was opening up and hopefully helping them get closer to solving Bryan’s death. With everyone back, Carla continued her probing inquisition.
“So, Angela, you were telling us what you and your mom talked about before she passed. Let’s begin there, okay?”
After glancing around the room, her eyes ended up fixated on Carla. Taking a deep sigh, she nodded.
“Of course. She told me when she went to Joni’s funeral, she and George went out to one of their old watering holes. Well, my mom said she had too much to drink and spilled her guts, her deepest and dark secrets, to him.”
Pausing for a moment, Angela grabbed a drink of water. With her eyes glistening again, Geronimo handed her a tissue. After drying her eyes, she sighed once more.
“One night, when she was alone with Alex at his campaign headquarters, he opened a bottle of wine to relax after a long day. Anyway, after two glasses of wine, my mom began to get woozy. She normally could handle that many drinks without any problems. However, that night something was different, like, uh, maybe, he slipped her a pill. Anyway, umm, he forced himself on her. He was a strong man. My mom was a small person and couldn’t fight him off. She told him to stop, but he wouldn’t listen.”
As tears streamed from her eyes, she patted them away and sighed. After taking a long drink of water, all eyes focused on her as she continued.
“My mom just laid there, letting him take advantage of her. She just wanted it to end. That son-of-a-bitch raped her several times that night. Uh, once she got home, even a hot shower couldn’t wash away the dirtiness she felt inside her soul. She even blamed herself for it happening. So, yeah, at that moment, if Alex would’ve been alive, I would’ve hunted him down like a hungry lion. Umm, sorry for losing my composure. Uh, I guess I shouldn’t have said that.”
Silence captivated the room at such a revelation. Angela’s heartstrings exploded. Geronimo squeezed her hand, offering words of encouragement.
“Angela, I’m so sorry, are you okay? Why didn’t she go to the police?” No response, as Angela’s emotions were in control of her soul. “I know this is not easy. We can take another break if you want?”
“No, I need to get, uh, all of this off my chest.” Nodding, Carla reached over to show compassion. “Alex was powerful, running for re-election for the state senate. She was a nobody. She didn’t want to go through the humiliation in public. I’m sure you understand.”
Carla nodded and offered comforting words. Angela sighed and took another drink of water.
“When she ended up pregnant, she knew my dad was not the father of that baby. She did the math and realized my father was working out of town.”
“So, Alex is Lenny’s biological father, right?” Nodding, Carla continued, “Then that means Lenny is Bryan’s half-brother. Could Bryan have known that?” Shrugging her shoulders, Angela deflected Carla’s determined demeanor. “Did your dad know?”
“My mom thought he suspected it. Lenny didn’t look like either of them, however, my dad accepted that it was his boy. Every man wants a son, and Lenny became his son and he loved him unconditionally. Furthermore, my dad knew my mom would never cheat on him.”
“Does Lenny know he is Alex Walters’ son?”
“As far as I know, he doesn’t unless someone other than my mom told him. She wanted to take it to her grave.”
“Okay, did Alex know about Lenny?”
“As far as Alex knowing that, umm, my mom never divulged that to me.”
“Okay, Karen said that Chase brought a friend with him to see George before he died. Karen told us his name was Parker Jarrell. Remember the picture I showed you of what Lenny would look like today? You seemed certain it was Lenny. What if George told Chase, then Chase told Parker, or I guess Lenny?”
“Maybe, but Lenny will still be my brother regardless of this. What other questions do you have?”
“Did you kill Bryan out of revenge since you couldn’t go after his dad?”
“No, I didn’t. That’s ludicrous. What good would that do? I know you think I killed him based on all the evidence you have collected and what I said earlier. I know it looks bad, but I’m not your killer. I tried to warn him, remember?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
“Detectives, Chief Evans, we are done, Angela came of her own volition, spilled her guts, and now you’re accusing her of murder, let’s leave Angela. We’ll show ourselves out.”
Geronimo stood up, pulled Angela’s chair away from the table. She stood, staring at Carla, in an attempt to rattle her, but to no avail. Wiping her tears away, they left the conference room.
Carla zeroed in on her boss, “What’s your gut feeling chief, is she guilty of murder?”
“Guys, I’m just not sure. She seemed sincere, but I’ve seen that before from others. And she’s had some acting experience, and she is a psychologist. I could see in a fit of rage that she could’ve done it. Her DNA, fingerprints, and perfume tie her to him and the crime scene. She was the last person we know of that saw him alive. Now, we have a possible motive, pent-up revenge knowing her brother is only a half-brother born out of rape. I’ll talk to the district attorney and get back to you. I don’t think any of us expected these new revelations.”
“Right, we didn’t. However, what we learned might tell us why George received a monthly check from Capital City Accounting. Blackmail. Alex Walters is running for state senate. If it got out that he raped Angela’s mom and fathered a child, it would have destroyed his life, political aspirations, his marriage, and family. He would’ve lost his chance at being governor. Maybe that’s why it went on for years since Alex was a two-term governor. The question is, why did the blackmail payments suddenly stop? Was it tied to Bryan’s death or something else we don’t know yet? Many questions still need to be answered.”
“Carla, if you are right, proving it will be difficult with both of them dead.”
“Yeah, Bernie, unless we get a confession from Angela, we may never know the answers to all of our questions.”
CHAPTER 41
As Chief Evans left the conference room, Carla mulled over Bernie’s notes in dead silence. They now had more questions than answers. There was no doubt in their minds Angela was bitter and held revengeful thoughts in her subconscious world. Although circumstantial evidence might be enough to get an arrest warrant for her, the motive was unclear and on shaky ground.
They struggled with that and couldn’t dismiss Barbara Tierney’s connection to Bryan or as a person of interest in his death. From their conversation, she led them to believe there was nothing between them. DNA results said otherwise, meaning another visit with her was necessary. Knowing anything was possible in this crazy world, maybe Bobbi could be responsible for his death. The burning question they had to answer was why.
As late as it was, they couldn’t pull themselves away from this bizarre and twisted case. Typically, Carla or Bernie would make an appointment instead of just showing up to talk to a person of interest, but tonight was different. Twenty minutes later, they stopped at the security gate of Camelot Estates. With the code memorized, Bernie keyed it in, and the gate opened, allowing them access. Traveling down Mahogany Way, the street appeared very peaceful under the amber backdrop created by the antique-style lighting. Reaching Bobbi’s house, they pulled into her driveway. Cutting the engine, they immediately exited the car.
Before walking up on her porch, they turned around, looking at the crime scene across the street. The unsightly yellow tape irked Bernie. Surprised that it was still there for no reason at all, he quickly walked across the street and removed it. Returning with the wadded-up ball of yellow tape, he opened the rear driver-side door tossing it in. He joined Carla at the bottom of the steps leading up to the dimly lit but inviting porch.
Finally, standing on the porch, Bernie pushed the doorbell. Chimes emanated from the foyer. Thirty seconds later, Bobbi appeared. Dressed in a pale-yellow lounging ensemble, she opened the storm door, greeting them. No need to flash badges. She knew them but wondered what prompted them to visit her this late.
Bernie, who never thought she was sinister enough to be involved in anything illegal, had a different perception after the DNA results confirmed she had been in the upstairs bedroom. After flipping a coin, Bernie won the rights to grill Bobbi.
“Mrs. Tierney, we apologize for not calling you, but we have an urgent matter to clear up in the death investigation of Bryan Walters. May we come in?”
“Of course, detectives, please come in.”
Entering her house, she motioned them to sit on the sofa. Carla immediately noticed a bottle of Caymus Zinfandel. On a table beside her favorite chair, a half-filled glass of wine and a James Patterson novel described her loneliness. Gas logs created a comforting atmosphere of warmth and peacefulness. After sitting on the sofa, Bernie’s gaze met Bobbi’s questionable eyes.
“Detectives, so how may I help you? Hmm, you said you had something you wanted to ask me about Bryan’s death?”
As Bernie’s curious eyes bored through her soul, she tasted the sexiness of the Caymus Zinfandel. While rolling her eyes, a flirtatious gesture met the seriousness painting Bernie’s face.
“Well, Detective Kowalski, let’s get to it.”
“Okay, it’s late, and I’m tired. It’s been a long day. Anyway, uh, after collecting every shred of evidence from Bryan’s house, forensics found your DNA on the bedsheets in the upstairs bedroom.”
Bobbi repositioned herself in the chair, trying to deflect Carla’s glaring expression. “Well, uh, how do you know it was mine? I never submitted a DNA sample that I’m aware of?”
“That’s not important. Furthermore, forensics found your fingerprints on a wineglass in the upstairs bedroom. How do you explain that? You made no mention of a relationship with him the first time we spoke.”
“Umm, how did you get my fingerprints? I don’t recall submitting to that either?”
“Doesn’t matter. Would you like to explain how your DNA and fingerprints ended up in that bedroom? You know, Bobbi, we can do it here or at the station. If you wish to have a lawyer present, just say so, and we’ll see you both at the station. What will it be?”
After a taste of wine, her eyes wandered around the room. With the gas logs blazing, the atmosphere in the room grew warmer and uncomfortable. Quickly picking up the remote, the dancing flames in the fireplace vanished. As she hit the remote for the elegant ceiling fan, the air began to ease the anxiety invading her soul. Returning her gaze to them, she sighed.
“Okay, Bryan and I began a relationship several months ago. One day, a package for him was delivered to my house by mistake. After taking it over, he invited me in and offered me a glass of wine. He looked lonely and just needed a friend other than the bourbon in his hand. One drink led to another, then several more. We were, umm, just having a good time unwinding.”
“Okay, hmm, go on.”
Finally, Bobbi showed signs of cracking; tears surfaced on her rosy cheeks. Wiping them away, she sighed.
“Uh, I purposely wore a revealing blouse, and umm, I caught his eyes devouring me from head to toe. I smiled. I think he was a little embarrassed, you know, like a teenager.”
She sighed heavily and finished the remainder of her wine. After replenishing her glass, she took another long sip. Setting the glass down, she took a deep, cleansing breath.
“You know, umm, it just happened. I wanted him, and I sensed he wanted me. I put my wine down and took his bourbon from him. After setting it on the table, I leaned in to kiss him. At first, he backed away. Uh, the next thing I knew, his lips met mine. As we searched for more passion, my breasts responded to his tender touch.” Pausing, she tasted the spiciness of the Caymus Zinfandel and returned it to the table. “I stood up and took his hand, leading him to what I assumed was the master bedroom. But he stopped me and motioned me upstairs. Guess he wasn’t ready to kick his wife’s memory out of the master bedroom.”
“Okay, we get it. What happened after that?”
“Uh, we enjoyed each other’s company almost every night. At first, you know, it was just a physical relationship. However, the longer it went on, I thought we were falling for each other until election night.”
“Why is that?”
“Hmm, I knew he lost the election, and I was watching for him to come home. I knew I could erase his disappointment. Finally, I saw a Beamer pull into the driveway. The lady who got out blew me away. I thought his wife had returned from the dead.”
“Umm, Angela.”
“Who’s Angela?”
“Doesn’t matter, go on.”
“I called him that night, said I had a package for him. He blew me off. Well, the next day before I left for work, I confronted him. He told me to screw myself. That was the last time I spoke to him and saw him. I was so mad at him, you know, I could’ve kicked…”
“Could’ve what?”
“Oh, never mind. Do you have any further questions?”
“Yeah, did he ever take you to his houseboat on Lake Jackson?”
“Sort of, he showed me where it was when we took a Sunday drive, but he never took me on board. Anything else?”
“Nah, thank you, you’ve been a big help. We’ll show ourselves out.”
After they left, Bobbi sat in front of the gas logs finishing her wine. She pondered what could have been between her and Bryan. On their ride back to the station, Carla and Bernie wondered if this scorned lover might have taken matters into her hands.
CHAPTER 42
Examining Bortel’s financial footprint revealed a man deep in debt and no plausible way out. As Beth, Carla, and Bernie listened to Sherry explain Bortel’s financial history, Beth could only think of Clarissa Morgan. As she suspected, plenty of evidence suggested that they possibly had been having an affair for a long time. Credit card statements showed he stayed at a Cincinnati hotel almost every weekend over the past twenty years. Also, receipts from various restaurants in the Cincinnati area filled his credit card statements.
One unexplainable thing was his checking account showed miscellaneous monthly transfers from within Freedom National Bank. Only a bunch of numbers and letters described the manual transfers, which started about four years ago.
“Okay, folks, there you have it. Bortel was almost broke and close to bankruptcy. Any other questions?”
“Not from me. I’m going to make some calls to the hotel and see what I can find out. With Bortel staying there about every weekend for like twenty years, someone will know him and maybe someone else, like Clarissa. Thanks, Sherry.”
“You’re welcome. Beth. How about you two?”
“Yeah, Sherry. We were wondering about the evidence collected at Walters’ houseboat.”
“Uh, what about it, Bernie?”
“Is it possible something got missed, you know, got overlooked?”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know?”
“Well, Bernie, if you don’t know, I can’t help you.”
“Are you sure you only found one female DNA there?”
“Yeah, Bernie, I am. Do you think otherwise?”
“Umm, just a hunch. We interviewed Barbara Tierney last night, and she knew where the houseboat was. Maybe she went there and saw them. He dissed her for Angela. Based on what I saw last night, she could be revengeful. Umm, what’s that saying?”
“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.”
“Right, Carla. Anyway, do you mind rechecking it?”
“Bernie, of course not, just for you, okay?”
“Thank you.”
Nodding, Sherry glared at Carla. “What about you, McBride?”
“Nah, I think you covered everything. We are going to the houseboat. See what we can find.”
Sherry’s infamous “screw-you-bird” smacked Carla’s warming face. She left, leaving them to mull over her findings.
“Carla, I didn’t know we were going to that houseboat again.”
“Me neither, but when forensics missed something as they did in the Black Rose case, maybe they missed something at the houseboat.”
“Umm, I don’t know. It’s been over ten days since they pulled the body out of the water.”
“We’re going, or at least I am. What about you, dickhead?”
About twenty minutes later, they turned down the gravel road to the houseboat. Cutting the engine, they exited Bernie’s car and began walking around the parking area, looking for anything. Moving down the gravel walkway to the boat, they carefully examined the wooden railing. Halfway down the path, the gravel appeared as though someone had slipped there and grabbed ahold of the railing. It seemed to have a small, jagged piece missing as though someone had used the railing to keep their balance. While examining the ground below, nestled in the grass, was a small piece of wood.
After putting on plastic gloves, Carla picked up the sliver of wood and placed it in a plastic evidence bag. While continuing down the path, nothing caught their eyes. As they crossed the gangplank to the boat, eyes searched the water in every direction; nothing caught their fancy. Walking around the port side of the boat, nothing strange caught their eye. After entering the living quarters, everything looked the same.
Moving onto the starboard side, where they found Commissioner Walters’s body, they noticed something dried on the outside walls. Examining it closely, they couldn’t determine what it was. Taking a DNA swab out, Carla rubbed it as hard as she could, hoping whatever it was would leave enough particles on the swab to determine whether it was human or animal or something else. Placing the swab in a plastic evidence bag, she tucked it inside her pocket.
