Chapter 56 Katie Morrow
Katie Morrow
“The problem with rich people is their attorneys. It’ll take a case months longer than it should, just because a witness doesn’t know how to say good morning without running the wording past one.”
Katie was in the linen closet, reorganizing the pillowcases, when the doorbell chimed.
Climbing down off the stepladder, she checked the notification on her smartwatch.
The camera feed showed a couple on the front porch, and she squinted at them as she headed toward the front door.
The bell rang a second time, and she let out an annoyed huff as she hurried through the living room and up the short set of stairs into the foyer.
If this was the neighborhood HOA about their new landscaping plan, she swore to God—
She pulled open the front door. “Oh.” She paused. “Hello.”
“Hello, Mrs. Morrow. Sorry to bother you.” The male detective was in a cornflower-blue shirt and a pair of khakis, his badge hanging on a chain around his neck. He was with a woman in a navy pantsuit with the same neck chain.
“No, it’s fine. Is everything okay? Do you need to get back in the pond?”
“No, this is about something else. May we come in?”
“Uh—yeah. Sure. Of course.” She stepped back, glancing around the entryway to make sure that everything was in place.
Willow had left her keys on the side table, and Katie swiped them off the surface, then used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe the spot.
She tucked the keys in her back pocket and pointed to the living room.
“We can sit in the living room, if you like. May I get you anything to drink? A soda? I have tea, or sparkling water?”
“No, we’re fine.” The woman took the lead, stepping down into the sunken living room and choosing the mohair armchair that Willow had criticized. The man took the opposite one, and Katie perched between them on the edge of an ottoman.
She felt underdressed for the occasion, but it wasn’t like she had known the police would be coming by. She pulled on the sleeves of her pale-pink cashmere lounge set and adjusted the boat neckline. “So, what’s up?”
What’s up? What was she, thirteen? Still, they didn’t seem to notice.
“We’ve identified the body as David Batcher’s,” the woman started.
“Okay.” Katie nodded. “Did you know that Willow’s here? My husband’s ex-wife? I just wanted you to know, because I think that maybe someone had thought that the body was hers, but obviously, if you’ve identified it, it’s not, but I just thought you should know that she’s fine, just in case.”
“We’ve known that it was a male for a while, so no, Willow wasn’t considered a possibility. But yes, we are aware that she’s here. She called us earlier today.”
“Oh,” Katie said, surprised. “Okay, cool. I know she came back so you could see she’s okay. She’s here, if you need to talk to her.”
“We will, in a moment, but we’d like to speak to you first.”
Katie smiled, confused. “Okay. Sure. What—” She stopped herself before she repeated the juvenile phrase. “What can I help with?”
“We have been working on a tighter timeline for David Batcher’s last whereabouts. That last night he was seen, he was at the Onyx, which is a bar downtown. It’s in the same building where he owned a condo.”
“Yeah, I know the bar.” Katie pinned her palms together, in between her knees.
“Ever been there?” the woman asked.
“Ah, no. But I’ve heard people talk about it.”
“Ever heard your husband talk about it?” he asked.
Katie’s nerves pinged in alarm. “Um, I don’t know.
I think we’ve talked about going there for a drink before.
” She let out a nervous laugh. “To be honest, I don’t know if he’s ever been there or if we’ve ever talked about it.
I might have seen it online or heard about it at the club. But I’m sure Mark’s aware of it.”
“The last time David was at the Onyx, he charged four drinks to his condo account.” The woman leaned forward and rested her weight on her thighs. “That night, just an hour after he put those drinks on his account, Mark’s credit card was charged for more drinks.”
They both looked at her.
“Okay,” Katie said, shifting to a new position on the ottoman.
“I’m sorry. I’m missing something. Is that a big deal?
” The Onyx was a popular spot. Why did it matter if Mark went there the same night as David?
He’d known David. In these circles, all the rich knew each other.
Hell, he’d probably bought David a drink.
“It could be a very big deal,” she said.
“What’s going on?” Willow stood by the arched opening that led to the kitchen. For a woman who had likely spent the last three hours getting trashed in her room, she looked good.
“Willow Morrow?” Detective Palentick stood up, and the female followed suit. “We’d like to talk to you about David Batcher.”
“What about him?” Willow didn’t move, and her tone was a little harsher than Katie would have used.
“Maybe you’d prefer if we asked you these questions at the station.” The female detective smiled, and Katie hadn’t been the only one to sense the hostility in Willow’s words.
“Maybe you’d prefer if I called my attorney,” Willow snapped.
“We can play it any way you want,” she responded, and Katie stepped in to intercept.
“Look, why don’t I call Mark and we can just—”
“Shut up, Katie.” Willow stepped into the room.
“I’ll say this once, and I’m not saying anything else without an attorney present.
David and Sara ran in the same circles as us, so we were acquainted but not friends.
The last time I saw David was at a bar downtown.
I don’t remember when it was or how close it was to his disappearance.
We ran into him, we chatted some, and then we moved on to our next conversation with someone else.
I remember it because I thought it was odd that Sara wasn’t there and I didn’t like how David was acting. ”
“In what way?” Detective Palentick asked.
Willow lifted her chin. Katie still wasn’t over the fact that she had told her to shut up. “Like he was single. Hitting on women. Drinking too much. It wasn’t appropriate, considering he was married.”
“Did you say anything to Sara about it?” The female detective crossed her arms over her chest.
“No. I’m not the judge and jury over her marriage. For all I knew, they had an open relationship. To tell the truth, I didn’t think too hard about it.”
The two detectives looked at each other, and Katie could feel their mental gears churning.
“Okay,” Detective Palentick said. “Katie, has Mark ever mentioned the name David—”
“She’s not answering any questions without an attorney present,” Willow cut in. “Come on, guys. You’re not playing these games with us.” She nodded toward the door. “Come back with charges or don’t bother.”
“Well, ummm . . .” Katie faltered, not sure what to say, but it didn’t seem right to refuse to help.
The two detectives turned to her, waiting, and she swallowed, suddenly afraid to say anything. “Thank you for coming by?” she said weakly, hurrying ahead of them to open the front door. She held it open as they approached.
“Mrs. Morrow, just to confirm . . .” The man stopped in place and twisted back to face Willow. “The last time you saw David was at the Onyx? Is that correct?”
Willow was already heading back to her room, and she wiggled her fingers in the air in a parting way. “Lock that door behind them, Katie,” she called out.
I’m sorry, Katie mouthed, and carefully, making sure not to slam it into the frame, shut the door in the man’s face.
She should add a backbone, she decided, to this week’s shopping list. In the meantime, Willow was probably right. They shouldn’t talk to the cops or answer any of their questions. Even if they were innocent.