Harbor Cove Murders, page 24
I believed every word he said and did not doubt that he’d have no problem bringing his own sense of justice to the case. I shared a look with Cooper, who didn’t seem to have other questions. “Do you know Samuel Fletcher?”
“Yes, everyone here does.” His features were tight, and I got the sense that he didn’t like the man.
I locked eyes with him. “Have you had any issues with him?”
Chef Andrew shifted his eyes to the side. “We aren’t supposed to speak badly of guests here at the hotel.”
“I understand that and your impressions of him won’t go further than our investigative team.” I pulled the chair closer to the desk, scraping the bottom on the floor and drawing his attention. “What you know may help save another young woman from suffering the same fate.”
Chef Andrew’s head snapped front and center. With his eyebrows raised, he asked, “You think Samuel Fletcher had something to do with these young women?”
“We don’t know,” Cooper admitted. “That’s what we are trying to figure out. I interviewed Fletcher before I came down here. He told me that I should be looking at you as the one harming these young women.”
Chef Andrew slammed his closed fist down on the desk. “That’s preposterous. I’d never harm a young lady like that. I’d never harm anyone unless they truly deserved it or in the protection of others.”
Cooper tried reassuring him. “We are only here because he seems to have a grudge against you and I’m trying to figure out why. Has he ever been down here to this staff area?”
“Too many times. Fletcher has a multitude of demands and none of them ever seem to correspond to our regular menu or the special menu I do each day. I’ve often found him standing over my staff barking orders at them.” He shook his head in disgust. “I’ve kicked him out of my kitchen more than once. He’s a bully and I don’t like the feeling I have around him.”
“Fletcher has been down here to this staff area?” Cooper asked with confidence in his voice. “I asked him that and he assured me he’d never been down here with the staff. That’s also when he pointed the finger at you.”
“That’s a lie. Ask anyone in my kitchen and they will tell you the same. He walks into that kitchen as if he owns it. He’s been down here more times than I could count. We have all spoken to him about it but he does what he wants. Fletcher pays the hotel a good deal of money to live here, so they don’t say anything to him.”
Cooper was quiet for a moment before asking, “That would mean he’d know the lay of the land and when that back door was unlocked. He said something curious to me when I interviewed him. He said that the door went to the shipping area. I had wondered how he’d know that if he hadn’t come down here before. I’m glad there is definitive proof now that he has.”
An idea struck me and Chef Andrew was the perfect person to ask. “Are you able to unlock that side door from the inside without a key?”
He nodded. “It’s a bolt lock turned from the inside, yes.” Chef Andrew seemed uncertain why I’d ask that and then all of a sudden recognition took hold. “Fletcher could have come down here before going out and unlocked the door without anyone knowing. It might not have been staff that left the door unlocked.”
That wasn’t all. I speculated, “Down here with the staff, Fletcher could have swiped keys or a keycard. If he felt comfortable coming down here and bothering staff while they were working, there’s no telling what he was up to when there weren’t any staff working back here at all.”
I felt like we were finally a step closer to learning the truth. Finding enough evidence was going to be another challenge. I couldn’t even think about the potential political fallout.
CHAPTER 35
In the late afternoon, Luke walked to the Sunshine Bar and stepped inside, finding it a little more crowded than he had thought it would be for that time of day. Several journalists that had been staying at the hotel were sitting at tables eating and drinking. It must be a slow news day for them.
Luke took a seat at the bar and ordered a beer. His patience for the case had ground to a screeching halt. He had spoken briefly with Captain Meadows and Det. Tyler, who encouraged him to let it go, enjoy the rest of his vacation, and head home.
A few days ago, even the night before, Luke didn’t think that letting it go would be possible, but with no evidence, few leads left to follow, and a police force who didn’t seem to care about anything other than tourism, he was starting to wonder why he was fighting a battle no one was interested in.
He wanted to speak to the bar manager, but the young guy tending the bar had told him that the manager wouldn’t be in for another hour, so he nursed his beer and ordered lunch. He had nowhere else to be right then. Luke made it three-quarters of the way through his beer when the bar started to fill up. Grady walked in with three other people Luke recognized as media. He excused himself from his colleagues and took a seat next to Luke.
“I’m heading home tomorrow,” Grady said with a shrug. “We’ve covered about all that we are going to cover. Some of the network television stations might stay longer, but I’m hearing that their producers are pulling the plug soon. Det. Hanley has been fairly loud that these cases are runaways and accidents and there is no one saying anything different.”
Luke took a sip of his beer. He couldn’t blame Grady. The decision was higher than his pay grade. “The medical examiner said differently about Daphne Powers.”
“We covered that. Even the medical examiner is refusing to say anything else in an official capacity. There’s some speculation that the mayor’s office has been shutting her down. I don’t know if that’s true or maybe she’s tired of making statements. Either way, there’s not much news for us to cover.”
Luke took a sip of his beer. “I’ve accepted this is one case I might not solve. I hate feeling like this, but there’s not much I can do without my full team here.”
Grady looked over at him. “You’re not the first detective to throw in the towel on a case. I don’t know how you do your job day in and day out. It’s difficult and heartbreaking at times. The Presleys gave me a statement a little while ago that they are heading home soon. Knowing that their daughter is deceased and that she was most likely dumped in the ocean, they don’t feel like they can do anything else here.”
Luke had assumed they’d be heading back soon. “I feel bad that we didn’t get them more answers, but sometimes that’s how it goes. Hopefully, they can make their peace with it. I know that’s an impossible thing to do for some people…” Luke’s voice trailed off. He felt the weight of his grief over his sister, Lily, settle over him. He took another sip of his beer and shifted his thoughts.
“Are you okay?” Grady asked, seeing the emotion on Luke’s face.
“I’m fine,” Luke assured him with a tone that said he wouldn’t entertain any further discussion on it. He angled his head to look at Grady. “What’s next for you?”
“Back to the grind. I don’t know that I have what it takes for the crime beat. I might turn to softer news after this.”
“You’re inquisitive, a good researcher, and have good instincts. You have what it takes.”
“I appreciate you saying that. My editor thinks I do. I don’t know.”
The normal hum of the bar suddenly erupted with cellphones ringing and the chatter growing much louder. Luke spun on the bar stool to look out over the bar area that was filled with journalists. Grady’s phone had chimed as well. He looked down at his phone and then held the screen so Luke could see it.
The message read: There’s been a break in the Daphne Powers case. Det. Hanley is giving a news briefing at four.
Luke checked his watch and he had forty minutes to finish his lunch, maybe interview the bar manager, and then follow Grady over to the police station. Grady excused himself as the bartender dropped off Luke’s burger and fries. He wanted to grab some lunch and confer with his colleagues.
Luke wondered what the break in the case might be. He had no idea and hadn’t been updated by anyone. It occurred to Luke that his visit to the state attorney’s office might have prompted a phone call to the chief of police. Luke had no idea if it had, but if it did and Det. Hanley made some progress, then good for him. Luke wasn’t worried who would get credit for solving the murder – he had more than enough solved cases under his belt.
Luke was finishing the last bite of his burger when the bartender introduced Adam, the manager of the Sunshine Bar. Luke wiped his hands on a napkin and shook the man’s hand. When the bartender reached for Luke’s plate, he nodded that it was fine to take it away.
Luke explained to Adam his role in the cases and that he had a few questions. “We believed that each of the victims went missing from your bar, but we’ve come to learn that isn’t the case. I heard that you don’t have any cameras in here. Is that true?”
“It is. We’ve never felt the need to install cameras. We are a beach bar and not much happens around here.” Adam ran a hand through his blond hair. “That is until now. Our attorney has advised us not to get involved in these investigations. Given you’re not in an official capacity, I can answer a few questions, but I don’t know anything that can help you.”
“Is there a reason you sought an attorney?”
“Liability. If the women were last seen here, then who knows what the families believe. No one here had anything to do with it. People are crazy with lawsuits though.”
Luke took out his phone and scrolled through photos of each of the victims. “Do any of these young women look familiar to you?”
Adam glanced at each photo with seeming disinterest. He shook his head with each one and then raised his eyes to Luke. “These girls look like all the girls that come in here. I see so many every night that I can’t tell one from the other.”
Luke didn’t have any reason to dislike Adam, but there was something dismissive about the guy that rubbed him the wrong way. He ran down the names of men on their suspect list without saying they were suspects. “Are any of those men familiar to you?”
“Well, sure,” Adam said slowly. “Dylan and Ollie are in here most nights of the week. Andy Barber runs the scuba shop right across the way. He’s in here sometimes.”
“We know that Dylan has had contact with almost all of these young women. Ollie has claimed he wasn’t here many of the nights the young women went missing. Do you know if Andy was in here any of those nights?”
Adam let out an incredulous laugh. “I couldn’t tell you who was in here last night. I don’t keep their schedules. You could tell me that a famous person was here and I wouldn’t know the difference. This place gets so packed and I’m in charge of making sure it all runs smoothly. It’s all a blur to me – all night, every night.”
That was what Luke had assumed. He had interviewed bar staff on other cases and they had far too much going on busy nights to notice anything. “Is there anything you can tell me about Dylan and Ollie or Andy Barber that you might think is relevant?”
Adam shrugged. “I’m not sure what to say. Can I see any of them kidnapping girls? Is that what you’re asking?”
“If you can answer that, yes. I’m mostly looking to see if you have any concerns about them.”
Adam searched Luke’s face as if wondering if he could trust him. Then he admitted, “We know that Dylan sells drugs. We don’t allow him to do that here, but we know he’s in here and that people know he sells. The transactions take place someplace else. We’ve stopped him a few times from doing that here. Ollie is kind of a quiet guy. I don’t know much about him. Andy is the same. I’ve seen him with different women though. I don’t know that he’s ever gotten serious with anyone. He’s a bit of a player.” Adam stepped back from the bar. “I can’t offer you anything else.”
Luke thanked him and told him where he was staying if he thought of anything else. He asked the bartender for his check and was settling the bill when Grady stopped back over.
“I heard they arrested Andy Barber for Daphne Powers’ murder.”
Luke wasn’t sure he had heard him correctly. “Did you say Andy Barber?”
“Yeah. I guess the cops got word that Daphne had stayed here in St. Thomas with Andy and then he killed her when she wanted to leave. I don’t have confirmation on this yet, but it’s what everyone is saying. We’ll know more at the press conference. You coming?”
“I’ll be there.” Luke wasn’t surprised that Andy had been arrested. He was surprised by the timing given Det. Hanley’s refusal to believe anything they had told him. Then again, Luke reminded himself, between his talk with the assistant state attorney and Riley’s call with Daphne’s father, it might have been the push that was needed.
Luke followed Grady out of the bar and after a short walk, they were standing outside the police department in an area marked off for press. Det. Hanley and a few other people in official uniforms stood at the front near the podium waiting for the crowd to assemble.
It was weird for Luke being on the other side of a news conference. They were top of his shortlist of things he didn’t like about his job. He hated the media’s interference and having to give formal statements. It felt to him like the most unnatural way of speaking – even though everyone in his department praised him for the formal statements he gave.
Around him, reporters jockeyed for position, so Luke stepped off to the side. He had thought about texting Cooper and Riley but decided against it as Det. Hanley stepped to the podium. There would be no time for them to get there anyway.
Det. Hanley cleared his throat. “Thank you for being here today. As you were notified, through some great detective work from our office, we were able to determine that Daphne Powers intentionally separated from her friends while she was on vacation here. Before visiting St. Thomas, she had developed a relationship over the internet with Andy Barber. While she was here, they made a plan for Daphne to stay unbeknownst to her family and friends. As far as we can tell, she remained with Andy Barber for a few months before her untimely death. While initially ruled as an accidental drowning, more evidence has come to light to indicate that Daphne was strangled before she went into the water. Through additional evidence, we believe that Andy Barber is responsible for her murder. He has been arrested without incident and will be arraigned in the morning.”
Det. Hanley stepped back from the podium as reporters shouted questions at him. He took one at a time but didn’t offer up more information. He simply repeated what he had already said. He gave no indication what this additional evidence might be and would not confirm how they figured out Daphne had remained on the island with Andy. Det. Hanley wasn’t going to give Riley credit for that.
As the press conference wrapped up, Grady yelled one final question, his voice booming louder than the others. “Do you believe that Andy Barber is responsible for any of the other missing women?”
Det. Hanley started to say no, but a man to his right stepped in front of him. He leaned over the podium and said, “We cannot confirm that at this time. It’s certainly something we are looking into. If we have more information, we will let you know.”
The man wasn’t someone Luke recognized from the police department website. It wasn’t the chief of police. Luke knew that much. As the crowd started to disperse, Grady walked over to Luke. “What do you think?”
“I know he’s lying about a few things. Like it was Riley who figured out that Daphne had been living with Andy, but I’ll let it slide if it means he’s doing his job.” Grady offered to write the real story, but Luke declined. “There’s no point stirring up anything if he’s finally taking this seriously. Write the story as they told it.”
Grady looked toward the front of the police station. “Are you going to try to speak to him?”
Luke stared off in the same direction. “I’ve been thinking about it. Not sure that I’ll get very far though.”
“Might be worth a shot.”
Luke agreed and shook Grady’s hand. “If I don’t see you before you go, keep me updated on your progress with the newspaper.” He waited until Grady walked off and the rest of the reporters left and then made his way to the front door of the police station. Luke didn’t know why, but he had the sinking feeling they were missing something.
CHAPTER 36
After Cooper and I finished speaking to Chef Andrew, we went into the kitchen and confirmed what he had told us with two of his staff members. The information was corroborated, and we knew now that Samuel Fletcher had lied on at least one thing that we could prove. Prove being the most important. Otherwise, we were still working with speculation as far as I was concerned.
“What’s the plan now?” Cooper asked as we stood in the staff hallway.
I pointed toward an office door. “Vic said that he was going to get some surveillance video that I could go through. I want to see if we can catch who left Luke the note that pointed us to Fletcher in the first place.”
“Do you want help with that?”
“All I want you to do is find Adele and enjoy the rest of the day. I’ve got this.”
Cooper laughed and red rose in his cheeks. “She did text me and tell me that she bought something sexy that I’ll enjoy.”
“It’s your honeymoon. Go, enjoy it.” As we separated and Cooper headed down the hall and I went to Vic’s office door, we were both stopped by a text. His phone sent a notification just as mine did. We both stopped and shared a look as we reached for our phones. “It’s from Luke.”
“Same,” Cooper said and lowered his eyes to read it. “They have arrested Andy Barber for the murder of Daphne Powers and they might be looking at him for the other disappearances.”
As much as I thought it might be him the day before, something didn’t feel right. I walked down the hall to where Cooper stood. “What do you think about that?”
