CHAPTER EIGHT
Declan
Lena was behind the counter, restocking paper cups.
She was a compact woman in her sixties, with dark hair streaked silver, reading glasses on a chain around her neck, and the kind of face that always looked like it was about to smile.
She spotted me, and her expression shifted into something more guarded.
She’d been expecting me. Bree had called ahead to be sure she’d be available to talk to me.
“Chief Hale.” She set down the cups. “You want a coffee?”
“I’d love one, just a little cream.”
She poured the coffee, added some cream, and slid it across the counter. When I reached for my wallet, she waved me off. “On the house.”
“I appreciate that, but I’d rather pay. You work hard for your money.”
“So do you, Chief.”
I smiled. “Yes, but this is also sort of an official visit.”
Her smile faded. “Oh, that’s true.”
I picked up the coffee and handed her a five-dollar bill. Normally, I might’ve told her to keep the change, but I didn’t want it to look like I was paying her for information. When she handed it back, I dropped a dollar into the tip jar near the register.
“Is there somewhere we can sit that’s a little more private?”
She glanced at the two women in the corner and the guy with the book.
“Give me a second.” She called a young woman from the back to cover the counter, then led me to a small table near the rear of the shop, tucked behind a shelf of bagged coffee beans and local honey.
It wasn’t exactly private, but it was out of earshot if we kept our voices down.
She gave an apologetic smile. “I’d usually take you to my office, but we’re doing inventory tonight, and it’s a wreck in there.”
I smiled. “No worries.” I pulled out my notepad. “I appreciate you talking to me. I know this is uncomfortable, seeing as Craig is a customer.”
She sat across from me, clasping her hands on the table. “He is, yeah. But what he said that day has been eating at me. I probably should have come to you sooner, but I kept going back and forth about whether it was really my business.”
“What made you decide to say something?”
She sighed. “It’s been weeks, and you still haven’t said Eddie’s death was an accident. That scared me. Because if it wasn’t an accident, then what I heard might actually matter.”
I sipped my coffee. “How about you tell me exactly what you heard? In your own words. Take your time. It’s more important that you be accurate than quick.”
She nodded. “It was about a week before Eddie died. Maybe six days. I’m not sure of the exact date, but it was before he died.
It was a morning, I know that. Around eight, eight-thirty.
Craig Barlow came in with another guy. I think he works on the Blue Whale with Craig.
I don’t know his name, but he’s been in here before. Tall, sandy hair, kind of quiet.”
I made a note to find out who his friend was. If he told the same story as Lena, that was important for any case I might bring. “Go on.”
“They sat at a table near the main coffee display case.” She gestured toward the front of the shop.
“I was filling it that morning. I was close enough to hear their conversation, but kind of hidden behind the shelves. Craig was worked up. His face was red, and he was talking loud. Not yelling, but not trying to be quiet either.”
“What was he saying?”
Lena winced. “He said Tess had told him the night before that she’d been sleeping with Eddie Salcedo.” She widened her eyes. “I was shocked. Eddie seemed to adore Rosa. The idea he’d sleep with another woman had me flabbergasted.”
“And Craig was upset?”
She gave a hard laugh. “That’s putting it mildly.
He was furious. The other guy was trying to calm him down, saying something like, ‘Just talk to him, man,’ but Craig wasn’t having it.
He kept saying Eddie was going to pay for what he’d done.
He said—” She paused, her eyes flicking to mine.
“Please excuse my language, Chief, but his exact words were, ‘I’m going to fucking kill him for touching my wife.’“
I wrote down what she’d said. “You’re sure he used the word ‘kill’?”
“I’m sure.” She nodded, fiddling with the strap on her brown apron.
“I remember because his voice sent a chill down my spine. I’ve known Craig for years.
He’s got a big mouth, and he’s always had a temper, but I’d never heard him say anything like that.
He sounded like he meant it. Like he could actually do it. ”
“What did the other guy say?”
“He kept telling Craig to cool down before he did something foolish. Something that would ruin his whole life.” She let out a shaky breath.
“But it was like Craig was deaf. He was shaking, he was so mad. I mean, I don’t blame him for being upset if his wife was cheating on him.
That’s a real betrayal. I can even understand him punching Eddie in the nose or something.
But to threaten to kill a man, that’s just going too far. ”
“What happened next?”
“Not much. They kept on like that for a while, Craig threatening Eddie and the other guy telling him to calm the heck down. Then they finished their coffee and left.”
“Did Craig notice you listening?”
“No. Like I said, I was behind the shelves opening boxes and pricing coffee bags. Craig was in his own world. Heck, he probably didn’t even notice there were other customers in the shop. All he could seem to think about was getting his hands on Eddie.”
“Tell me honestly, Lena, do you think Craig was serious? In your judgment, did he mean what he said, or was he just blowing off steam?”
“At first, I told myself it was just talk.” She looked embarrassed. “Men say things, and they often think violence is the way to handle problems. Maybe they shout and bluster. So I allowed myself to believe that Craig was just blowing off steam.”
“And then Eddie died about a week later.”
She slumped. “Yes.” She looked up, and her eyes were filled with shame.
“But because you didn’t say anything about it being a crime right away, I kept on thinking Eddie’s death had to be an accident.
Then more time went by, and you still didn’t close the case.
That’s when it hit me that maybe it wasn’t an accident, and that was why you were taking so long. ”
I held her anxious gaze, but I didn’t speak.
She swallowed loudly. “And if it wasn’t an accident, then that meant someone had purposely hurt Eddie. And all I could think about was what I’d heard Craig say. I decided I was going to come talk to you, but then Bree came in this morning, and I just blurted it all out to her.”
“You did the right thing by coming forward, Lena. I mean that.”
“I know you’re right, but… still it feels awful.” She shook her head. “It feels like I’m ratting on someone. I’ve known Craig for years. Tess too. I don’t want to cause trouble for anyone.”
“You’re not causing trouble. You’re helping me try to figure out what happened to Eddie. That’s all.”
She didn’t look entirely convinced, but she nodded.
“I promise you,” I said. “I’m going to talk to Craig and get his side of things. The facts are the facts, Lena. So long as you’re telling the truth, you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I guess.” She gave a weak smile.
“One more thing,” I said. “I’d ask that you keep this conversation between us for now. Don’t tell anyone that you spoke to me, not Tess, not Craig, not anyone around town. Can you do that?”
“Of course.” She looked almost relieved. “I don’t want anyone knowing I said anything. Especially Craig.”
“There’s no reason for anyone to know anything at this point.” I stood. “Thanks for reaching out, Lena. The information you gave me will be very useful. If you think of anything else, anything at all, call me directly.” I handed her my card.
She took it and tucked it into her apron pocket. “I hope it was just talk, Chief. I really do.”
“So do I,” I said, and I left the coffeehouse. As I climbed into my SUV, I called Bree.
“What’s up, Chief?” she asked brightly.
“I want Craig Barlow in an interview room today. He can pick the time, just get him there,” I said. “Call him. Be polite but firm. If he gives you trouble, tell him I can come to him, but he won’t like that as much.”
“You got it, Chief.”
* * *
At 4:30 p.m., Craig Barlow arrived at the station.
Craig filled the interview room the way fog fills a harbor.
He was massive, easily six-three, with thick arms sleeved in nautical tattoos and a trimmed dark beard that did nothing to soften the hostility in his face.
He sat with his legs spread wide and his arms crossed, taking up as much space as physically possible.
Everything about his body language said he didn’t want to be here and was prepared to make that everyone’s problem.
“Thanks for coming in, Craig,” I said, taking my seat across from him.
“Didn’t feel like I had much of a choice.”
“You always have a choice. I appreciate you making the right one.” I opened my notebook. “I’m talking to a lot of people about the night Eddie Salcedo died. Trying to piece together who was where, what they saw. Standard stuff.”
“Even though it was an accident?”
I met his gaze. “Eddie’s death hasn’t officially been ruled anything yet.”
He shook his head. “Cops are always looking for shit that ain’t there.”
I ignored his surly comment. “As I said, I’m putting together a timeline of where everyone was the night Eddie died. Trying to find out if anyone saw anything that seemed off.”
“I didn’t see a damn thing,” he said flatly. “I don’t know why I’m here.”
“Were you near the harbor the night Eddie died, by any chance?” I asked, noticing how his jaw tensed.
“Nope.”
“You sure about that?”
He sneered. “Yeah. Of course I’m sure.”
“Well, here’s the thing, Craig.” I kept my tone conversational. “We’ve been reviewing security footage from the harbor, and you showed up on camera that night. Around 9:00 p.m. You took a skiff out and didn’t come back until after 1:00 a.m.”