Chapter 28
The sedan slow-rolled by, then took off.
I holstered my pistol, and my heart beat easier. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe I was just hyper-paranoid.
We hopped into the van, and I fired up the engine. JD and I cruised across the island to find Zoe. I called Denise on the way over.
“I was just about to call you. I found some interesting information about Zoe. I’ve been reading articles, court reports, you name it. She had some drama in Pineapple Bay.”
“I’m listening.”
"Zoe made allegations against a cop.” She let it hang there for a moment. “IA investigated it but found no evidence of wrongdoing. This was before her DUI.”
"Tell me about the allegations.”
"She claimed to have witnessed a cop murder someone.”
I lifted a surprised brow.
"Said he strangled her in a squad car. Here's where it gets interesting. The cop she made the allegations against is the same cop who arrested her for DUI.”
"That's a hell of a coincidence.”
"I know how you feel about coincidences.” Then she added, "That same cop has multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. All of them investigated and dismissed.”
If there was one thing none of us could stand, it was dirty cops. They gave us all a bad name.
"What's the cop’s name?”
“Matt Howell with the Pineapple Bay PD,” Denise said.
"Is there anything else I should know about her?”
"With her history, I'm surprised she came forward. She’s had a bad experience with cops. It must have taken a lot for her to call and report another crime. It didn't work out so well for her before.”
“Or she fabricated both incidents,” I said, playing devil’s advocate.
“Maybe. But I think she saw something.”
“Proving it is another story.”
I thanked Denise and ended the call.
We cruised to Zoe‘s apartment and pulled into the lot. She lived in the Sapphire Crown. It was a nice building with a fountain out front, a 24-hour valet, and secure under-building parking.
I drove to the valet, hopped out, and handed the kid a few bills. I told him to keep it upfront. We wouldn’t be long.
He checked out the van with wide eyes. It was decked out with Cragar S/S rims, chrome exhaust pipes, and an engine that sounded like a drag racer. This was no ordinary van. It was a custom work of art.
“Nice ride.” Then he recognized Jack. “Holy shit, you’re with the band!”
Jack beamed with pride.
“I love you guys. I totally have tickets to the next show.” He hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Hey, would it be cool if I got a pic and maybe an autograph?”
“No problem,” JD said. He stepped around to the kid as he pulled out his cell phone. They stood close and smiled into the lens. The kid snapped the photo, and Jack signed an autograph for him.
Wild Fury had become a local favorite.
I buzzed Zoe’s apartment from the call box.
She answered a moment later. After a brief exchange, she let us in. We made our way up to her apartment.
Zoe waited for us at the door. “So, now you believe me, huh?”
“I never said I didn’t believe you. I’m still trying to sort this out.”
Zoe rolled her eyes.
I caught her up to speed on Riley.
“Could this have been the girl you saw Richard strangle?” I asked, showing her Riley’s picture.
Zoe studied the image for a moment. "I guess that could be her.”
"What time did this happen?”
Zoe shrugged. "When did I call you?”
I scrolled through my phone. "You called me at exactly 10:59 PM.”
"Well, there you go.”
"Was that right when you saw the alleged crime?”
"I think I was in a panic for a few minutes before I called. But yes. Pretty much."
"Define a few?"
"Maybe 5, maybe 10. I don't know. It's all kind of a blur right now.”
“Maybe 15?”
Zoe shrugged. "Maybe."
"Timing matters."
"Look, I'm doing the best I can.”
I raised my hands in surrender. "What else did you see?"
“That's it. I was watching from the screen as I piloted the drone. Once I saw that, I brought the drone back to recover the memory card.”
“Richard's wife says she came back home around 10 or 10:30 PM. Do you recall seeing her?”
“No,” she said. “I think you guys showed up around 11:15 or 11:20 PM. Did you see his wife come home?”
I shook my head. "No. We were in the backyard, talking to you. She could have come home at any time.”
"Or maybe she was home all along. Have you verified her alibi?”
"Not yet.”
"Sounds like something you ought to do," Zoe quipped.
"Trust me, I’m on it.” I took a deep breath. "Are you sure it was Richard Pearson you saw strangle the blonde?”
Zoe was silent for a long moment. "At this point, I'm not sure of anything."
It seemed like an honest answer.
“I don't have enough probable cause to search the house,” I said. “I need something to substantiate your claim.”
“I know what I saw," Zoe said.
"You just told me you couldn't be sure if you saw Richard Pearson or someone else strangle the girl.”
Zoe frowned.
"Tell me about the incident in Pineapple Bay."
“What incident?”
I gave her a flat look. “You know what I'm talking about.”
Zoe swallowed hard. "Oh, that incident.” She took a deep breath. “I don't know if I'd call it an incident. I'd call it a setup.”
"DUI and vehicular manslaughter.”
Zoe’s face tightened, and her cheeks reddened. "I wasn't drunk, and it wasn't my fault. Somebody tampered with the brakes in my car.” She huffed. “I learned the hard way never to accuse a cop of anything. They did everything they could to discredit me and smear my reputation."
I shared a look with Jack.
"You don't believe me, do you?”
"I don’t know what to believe.”
"Look, I saw that cop strangle a girl. I reported it to IA. The investigation went nowhere. A month later, I got into that crazy accident. It wasn’t my fault. I jammed the brakes, and the car didn't stop.”
We both regarded her with a degree of skepticism. “Tell me about the results of your psychological evaluation?”
She glared at me. “I am not crazy. They sure tried to make me out to be. That doctor who did the evaluation was on their payroll.”
It sounded crazy.
She saw the doubt in our eyes. “My attorney sent a mechanic to look at my car after the accident. He found the brake lines had been cut. I'd be sitting in jail right now if that evidence didn’t go up in flames.” She paused. “Tell me that whole thing is not suspicious.”
I had to admit, the situation was a little suspect. “Some would say you paid someone to set that fire.”
Her nervous eyes darted between the two of us.
"I didn’t pay anyone. Officer Howell knew the truth would come out.
He clearly tampered with my brake lines.
They all protect each other, ‘cause they’re all corrupt.
If Matt had gone down, he’d have taken several people with him.
I’m sure he’s got dirt on every dirty cop in Pineapple Bay.
” A frustrated exhale escaped her lips. “I should have just kept my mouth shut.
About all of it. It's none of my business, right? Who cares if people kill each other?” she said, exasperated.
“Please tell me you're not as corrupt as the scumbags in Pineapple Bay.”
"I think you’re going to find Coconut Key is very different from Pineapple Bay.
Regret tensed her face. “I came down here to get away from all that. I almost didn't report it when I saw Pearson hit his wife. I didn't want to get involved. But then my damn conscience got the best of me. I just couldn't leave it alone. I had to call. Now here we are.”
“You did the right thing.”
“I’m not so sure about that.” She paused. “I looked into Pearson. He's a powerful guy. Got a shit ton of money. A lot of social connections and a large venture capital firm. That’s the kind of guy who can make my life miserable. That's the kind of guy who can afford to have me killed.”
"No one's going to kill you. No one knows you made the complaint, and that information is protected.”
She scoffed. "You expect me to trust the system? The same system that tried to screw me over and put me in jail for the rest of my life?”
I understood her concern.
"Sit tight. We'll look into this. Don't start investigating this on your own.”
"Believe me, I'm staying away from this one from now on. I've had my fill of it. I've done my good deed. No more.” Another exasperated sigh escaped her lips. "You know what they say. No good deed goes unpunished."
I told her we'd be in touch.
As we started to leave, she said, "You know, if I strangled a girl in my house, I'd have to get her out of there somehow.”
“That’s a common predicament killers find themselves in.”
“If I lived in Pearson’s house, I'd probably conceal the body and carry it across the backyard to the canal. I’d put her into the boat, then take her out to sea and dump her with an anchor tied to her waist. The body would never be found.
Hard to prosecute a murder when you can't find the body, isn't it?”
She had a point.
That sense of dread filled me. There was a good chance we’d never pin this case on Pearson or anyone else, for that matter.
We left the apartment and walked the hall toward the elevator.
“Think she’s off her rocker,” JD said.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Why go through the trouble?”
“Some people like attention.”
“Where’s Riley?”
“Maybe we should talk to her ex-boyfriend?”