Chapter Fifteen
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
T hey listened to Zoe talk about how she knew how lucky she was to have all the things she did but how difficult it was to have a parent who refused to allow her to become more independent as she got older. She went on to say that she admired her mother for the way she led her life and how much her mother’s dismissal of her feelings for Zeke hurt her.
Sam watched Frank battle his emotions as his daughter spoke. “What do you think of what she said?”
“It’s all true. Elaine made Zoe’s life very difficult and was dismissive of how she felt about Zeke, which I didn’t think was fair. I mean, Zoe is old enough to know her own heart and how she feels about someone. I told Elaine it was a mistake to diminish her feelings. While this was a problem for all of us, my wife was a good person who did a lot for others.”
“What was your marriage like?”
“We had our ups and downs, like any couple. The teenage years with the girls have been rough, but I was hopeful it would get better as they got older and left home. Although I feared Elaine would get worse about trying to control them after they moved out. ”
“Was your wife under the care of a physician for her anxiety?”
“She took anxiety meds and saw a psychiatrist every week for years and twice a week recently.”
“Do you know the doctor’s name?”
“Colleen Barker in Woodley Park. Elaine liked her a lot and said she’d been a big help to her, but I was frustrated that the therapy hadn’t relieved the pressure in our home.”
“Would you be willing to sign a release that would allow us to talk to her?”
“Yes, I suppose so, if you think it would help.”
“We’d appreciate it.”
“Okay.”
“I hope you understand that I have to ask whether you think either of your daughters could’ve harmed their mother.”
“Absolutely not. They didn’t get along, but Zoe would never have hurt her, and Jada tended to avoid the conflict rather than engage.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Were you angry enough to want your wife out of the picture?”
Frank’s mouth fell open in shock as he shook his head. “I loved her. I could never hurt her. She’s been the center of my life for more than twenty years.”
“Can you think of anyone else who might’ve wanted to kill her?”
“I was awake all night trying to figure out who could’ve done something like this, and I drew a blank. It’s possible someone broke in and took her by surprise…”
Sure, Sam thought, that was possible, but with no signs of forced entry, her gut was telling her this act hadn’t been random. Not with the level of anger these people had been living with for years. That sort of thing tended to metastasize and boil over at some point. If she had to guess, that’s what’d happened in this case. She just needed to prove it.
“What can you tell me about her coworkers?”
“They adored her. She worked countless hours writing and editing position pieces and white papers for them.”
“What organization was it?”
“CVX. They’ve done work for most of the major oil companies, which was another bone of contention with Zoe, who’s a card-carrying environmentalist and was appalled at her mother’s involvement in a business that she claims is harming our climate and our planet.”
This family had been tearing one another apart with endless conflict, Sam thought, wondering how they’d withstood the nonstop arguing.
“I’m going to release you and your daughters to return to your sister’s home. We’ll arrange a ride for you.” She glanced at Freddie, and he nodded as he got up to take care of it. “I’d like the three of you to stay local, as we might have additional questions for you.”
“We don’t have anywhere else to go, and we have a funeral to plan.”
“If you know what funeral home you’d like to use, I’ll ask Dr. McNamara to call them for you after she completes her work.”
“I guess Green’s over on Arkansas Ave would be fine.”
“I’ll pass that on and be in touch.”
“Tell me the truth, Lieutenant. Are you looking at one of my daughters for this?”
“Our investigation hasn’t yet identified a suspect.” It was interesting to her that he included both daughters in his question when only one of them had had obvious animosity with Elaine.
“But are they in the mix?”
“Everyone is until they aren’t. ”
“They’re children who just lost their mother. You can’t believe for a second that they’d have anything to do with this.”
“We just don’t have enough information yet to rule out anyone.”
Freddie poked his head back in. “Haggerty wants prints for the family.”
“Have someone come over here to do that,” Sam said, not wanting to subject them to Central Booking.
“They have to be fingerprinted?” Frank asked, incredulous.
“Yes, so the Crime Scene detectives can tell which prints belong to the family and which ones don’t.”
“Oh, I see. I think.”
“It helps us to eliminate prints that belong there from those that don’t. Unless you have other questions, we’ll get that done and then get you back to your sister’s.”
“How long will our home be a crime scene?”
“Probably a few more days.”
“I don’t understand how any of this is happening. Elaine is such a wonderful wife and mother. She’s never harmed anyone.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss. We’ll do everything we can to get you some answers.”
She left him with Freddie to be fingerprinted and went to speak to Cameron Green. “How’d it go with Zeke Bellamy?”
“He was a bit hostile about being asked to come in for a chat, but he calmed down when we threatened to cuff him. We put him in interview two.”
“Do you want to come in with me?” she asked Cam.
“Sure.”
Sam and Cameron walked into the room where Zeke was being minded by Officer Keeney.
Sam nodded to the officer, who left the room. They sat across from Zeke, who had a lanky build, short, spiky hair dyed white-blond, brown eyes, sleeve tattoos on both arms and small hoop earrings in both ears. She wondered if Zoe had been attracted to the bad-boy vibes he put out.
Sam engaged the recording device on the table.
“I’m Lieutenant Holland. This is Detective Green.”
“Why’d they take my phone? They can’t just do that.”
“We have warrants to examine it.”
“Examine it for what?”
“We won’t know until we complete our investigation.”
“I’m not sure what me or my phone has to do with anything.”
“You’re Zoe Myerson’s boyfriend, right?”
He shrugged. “So?”
“Her mother was murdered, Zeke.”
“Yes, I know. I still don’t understand what that’s got to do with me.”
“Where were you yesterday?”
His eyes bugged out of his head. “You think I killed her?”
“I asked where you were.”
“I was at my house with Zoe for most of the day. My family was out at something with my sisters, and we had some time to ourselves.”
“What time did you meet up with Zoe?”
“Around noon? We met at Union Station, got some food and then took the Metro back to my house around two. We were still there when her dad called to ask her to come home.”
“Was it unusual for her to have that much time to spend with you?”
“Very. Her mom was a hard-ass about letting her do anything. She kept waiting to get a call or text demanding she come home, but that never happened.”
Because her mother was dead, Sam wanted to say but didn’t.
“Zoe must’ve talked to you about the situation with her mom.”
“She did. It was batshit crazy, if you ask me. Who doesn’t let a seventeen-year-old have a job or a boyfriend or a life? Zoe couldn’t wait to turn eighteen and get out from under her mother’s control.”
“Was she eager to speed that process along?”
He looked confused for a second, until her meaning registered with him. “What? No. She had a countdown on her phone to her eighteenth birthday. She was making plans for July to move in with some friends and figure out a life free of her mother. We talked about how she could suck it up for a few more months to have the rest of her life to do what she wanted.”
Sam had learned to trust her gut first and foremost, and nothing about this kid was sending a tingle down her spine, especially since he told the same story Zoe had about where they’d been yesterday. “Is there anything else you can tell us about Zoe’s mom or anything you know about their family that might be relevant?”
“Not that I can think of. I mostly stayed away from her mother. She acted like she hated me simply for existing.”
Sam pushed her notebook across the table. “Write down your name, address, phone number and list any social media accounts you have.”
When he was finished, he pushed the pad back across the table with info about Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok accounts. “When can I get my phone back?”
“Let me check on that. I’ll be right back.” She signaled to Keeney, who was leaning against Matt O’Brien’s cubicle. He straightened up when he saw her. “Hang with him for another minute, will you?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
She went into her office to call Lieutenant Archelotta.
“What’s up?”
“Where are we with Zeke Bellamy’s phone?”
“I’m almost done with the dump. Give me ten more minutes?”
“Sounds good. I’m ready to send him home, and he wants the phone.”
“He doesn’t have as much junk on there as you’d expect from kids his age. Much smaller download than usual.”
“What do you make of that?”
“He has other interests besides those on his phone?”
“Yeah, that’s possible. I’m very interested in his texts and other communications with Zoe Myerson as well as getting a location on where he was yesterday.”
“I’ll have it for you shortly.”
“Thanks, Archie.”
She took a seat at her desk and checked the BlackBerry to see if there was word from Nick about the situation with the twins’ grandparents.
Nothing new.
If she allowed herself to think too much about what might happen there, she’d fall into a full-blown panic. She loved Alden, Aubrey and Eli so much. What would they do if the grandparents succeeded in taking the twins away from them?
“Sam?” Freddie was in the doorway and had apparently been there for a few seconds already. “Are you okay?”
“A new thing with the twins’ grandparents has thrown me for a loop.”
“What new thing?”
“They’re coming for them again.”
“It won’t go anywhere. Eli is in charge, and he wants them with you.”
“I know. I’m trying to cling to that. Thanks for the reminder.” She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly, trying to move on from the terrible worry so she could stay focused on work. “What’s up?”
“I’ve sent the Myersons home with Patrol. Cam said you spoke to Zeke. How’d that go?”
“I don’t catch a buzz with him, but I’m waiting for Archie to bring me the dump on his phone.”
“Here I am,” Archie said .
Freddie stepped aside to admit the IT lieutenant.
“The texts with Zoe are on top, followed by the GPS location that puts him at a residence in Arlington from about two p.m. on yesterday. Her phone also supports that timing, and Jada’s phone shows she was in West Virginia and Maryland for most of the day yesterday.”
All that info matched what Zoe, Jada and Zeke had reported to her.
“Thanks for the quick work, Archie.” To Freddie, she said, “Send Zeke home with Officer Keeney.”
Archie handed Freddie an evidence bag that contained Zeke’s phone.
“You got a second?” Archie asked after Freddie walked away.
Sam waved him in.
As he closed the door and took a seat, Sam noticed he seemed tense. “What’s up?”
“I’ve been seeing someone.”
“Okay…” Sam was surprised he’d mention that to her since they had hookup history from before she’d reconnected with Nick.
“I really like her.”
“That’s great, Archie. I’m happy for you.” His odd expression confused her. “This is a good thing, right?”
“I’m not sure. She’s secretive.”
“How so?”
“I feel like she only gives me bits and pieces, enough to keep me on the hook but not the full story.”
“Do I need to remind you that you’re a detective?”
“I’m resisting that avenue. It feels sneaky to me.”
Sam sat back in her chair as she studied him closely. “But you know something’s not right.”
“Yeah, I guess. The thing is, when we’re together, everything is just right. It’s the rest of the time that concerns me.”
“And you won’t investigate her. ”
“I don’t think I should.” He gave her a tentative look. “But you could.”
Sam wondered if she’d heard him correctly. “Um… what ?”
“I think it’s different if a friend casually looks into the woman I’m seeing as a way to protect me versus me doing it, which could be seen as an act of aggression.”
“Archie… Are you listening to yourself? You don’t trust her.”
“It’s not that…”
“Isn’t it, though? We joke about our Spidey senses as cops, but we’ve learned to take them seriously. Your gut is telling you something is wrong. Why don’t you ask her what you want to know rather than investigating her or having me do it?”
The face he made told her what he thought of that idea.
“Let me tell you something, pal. You know what makes Nick Cappuano different from every other guy I ever dated? Present company excluded, of course.”
“Of course. We didn’t technically date.”
Sam snorted out a laugh. “True. What makes him different is that I don’t ever, ever, ever have to wonder what he’s thinking, what he’s doing, who he’s doing it with, where he is—especially now. There’s no bullshit, Archie. Do you see what I’m saying?”
“I do. I don’t like it, but I get it.”
“I had so much bullshit before him that the lack thereof is the single best thing about being with him. Well, that and his?—”
“Stop! I get it.”
Sam laughed. “I was going to say his sweetness, his kindness, the way he worships the ground I walk on… among other things.”
“You make good points.”
“Call her out on the bullshit or cut her loose. Don’t have me or anyone else investigate her. What if there’s nothing to find? And when she finds out—not if—that’ll ruin everything.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
“Free of charge to you at any time. ”
He laughed.
“Keep me posted?”
“I will.”
After he left, Sam marveled at how they’d managed to carve out a nice friendship after their friends-with-benefits arrangement had ended years ago. He was one of her favorite colleagues, as he could always be counted on to get the job done quickly and efficiently, which was hard to come by at times. Not with Archie. He was as reliable as it got.
“Everything okay with Archie?” Freddie asked when he appeared in the doorway.
“Believe it or not, he was looking for girlfriend advice.”
Freddie’s brows arched with surprise.
“What? I’m good for romance advice. You should know. You frequently benefit from my wisdom.”
It was a wonder he didn’t sprain his eyes from the force of the roll. “What. Ever .”
Sam snorted with laughter.
“Sometimes I think you actually believe your own PR.”
“I know my strengths, and romance is one of them. Just ask Nick.”
“I’ll pass on that, but thanks anyhow. Are we still working on the case, or are you off in la-la land somewhere?”
“I’m right here, ready to work. I want to dig into Elaine’s murdered sister and get the details on that.”
“Have you ruled out the daughter and her boyfriend?”
“For now. Their phones put them at the boyfriend’s house for hours yesterday afternoon. I still need a time of death from Lindsey?—”
Lindsey appeared behind Freddie.
“Speak of the devil.”