Chapter Four
Campbell was only too happy to invite Stefanie Nguyen for coffee at Harriette’s Café after she called him for an update on the investigation.
He would have preferred that she was calling with anything she may have remembered or learned regarding the death of Mia O’Dell.
But if truth be told, he was willing to meet Stefanie under any circumstances to get to know her better.
Fortunately, she accepted his invitation.
A good sign, perhaps. The fact that it happened to be an off day for Sarah Huffstetler was even better.
Though Stefanie had absolutely nothing to worry about insofar as his being interested in Sarah, beyond their one date, he’d just as soon not have her serving them and suggesting there was something between them for Stefanie to chew on.
When she came into the café, he waved her over to the booth by the window, thinking that she was definitely a sight for sore eyes.
Standing, he grinned in greeting her. “Hey.”
“Hi.” Stefanie smiled back.
“Thanks for coming.”
“No problem, Detective Sawyer,” she said politely. “I had some free time, so…”
“Sit,” Campbell told her, and watched as she slid into one side of the booth, then he sat across from her. “Feel free to call me Campbell,” he said, not wanting this to be formal, like an interrogation.
“Okay.” She smiled. “So long as you call me Stefanie.”
“I will.” He smiled back, hoping he would get to use the name often.
Almost as if on cue, a short fortysomething waitress with a red shag haircut and round glasses came over with a pot of coffee, filling the two cups at their request.
After she left, Stefanie lifted her cup, took a sip and cut right to the chase, “So, where do things stand in the investigation—if I may ask? Did you find out who the woman is…?”
Campbell tasted his own coffee, having added cream, and responded, knowing it was all about to break, “Her name is Mia O’Dell. She was a local and twenty-eight. An autopsy revealed that she died as a result of fentanyl poisoning.”
Stefanie’s mouth opened, rueful. “That’s awful.”
“I know,” he concurred. “Unfortunately, the drug epidemic in this country is very real. Even in a small town like Reston Hills, fentanyl use and abuse is a problem. In this case, the victim’s fatal overdose, who gave her the fentanyl and how she wound up naked in the park are still under investigation.
” He didn’t want to get too ahead of himself, but he felt that Stefanie, having discovered the body, deserved to be kept in the loop, at least to some extent.
“Mia was a member of a local cult when she died…”
Stefanie lifted a brow. “You mean the Braison Family?”
Campbell looked at her with surprise. “You know about them?”
“Only what I’ve heard, which hasn’t been much, really,” she replied. “At the park yesterday, a member handed me a flyer while doing her best to prop up the group.” She met his eyes. “You think they may have had something to do with her death?”
He sipped his coffee, musing. “It’s entirely possible,” he told her frankly.
“So far, we have no proof that the fentanyl came from someone in the Braison Family. Or that the victim used it of her own accord, as opposed to with malice intent. Either way, you might want to stay away from their compound right now to be on the safe side.”
“I understand.” Stefanie sipped her coffee. “That’s not really my type of thing,” she told him.
“Good.” Campbell didn’t exactly mean to pass judgment on anyone who chose to align oneself with a cult.
To each their own. But most who did were usually searching for some real meaning to life that might not yield the desired results.
Especially if drugs were involved, along with the powers of persuasion that were misused.
In this instance, he preferred not to have to compete for her attention with the likes of Kenneth Braison.
Or, for that matter, any hot-blooded male who was attracted to her like he was.
Campbell couldn’t help but wonder if he wasn’t already too late to make a play for her affections. He decided it was best to ask in a roundabout way. “What brought you to Reston Hills?” Or was it who?
Stefanie stared at the question, her expression one of sadness. Then she said, maudlinly, “Two years ago, I lost my husband, Edward—a firefighter—after he was trapped in a wildfire that got totally out of control.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Campbell had nothing but deep respect for those who were willing to put their lives on the line to snuff out dangerous fires. Obviously, in this instance, it came at a high price.
“It was brutal for a while there,” she admitted.
“Being reminded of the life we had together—before any children could come along—was difficult, to say the least. Things got better over time.” She took a breath.
“Still, after a while, honestly, I felt I needed a change of pace. This seemed like a great location to make that change—so I sold my yoga and tai chi studio in San Antonio and opened a new one here.”
I guess there’s no one in her life at the moment, Campbell thought, figuring that after two years of being a widow, she might be ready to start dating again.
“Glad you chose to make a home in Reston Hills,” he told her, even if that optimism may have taken a hit after finding a dead body.
He hoped that wouldn’t make her want to flee at the first opportunity to do so.
“I have no regrets,” she said, as if reading his mind. “Not counting what I stumbled upon yesterday. Sad as it was, I realize it could just as easily have happened in San Antonio—and, in fact, had more often than I care to admit, as drug addiction and overdoses were an issue there, too.”
Campbell admired her courage and ability to put things in a proper perspective, difficult as that may be. “That is something that needs to be addressed nationwide,” he told her. “But running from the problem and problems it creates is never the answer for any of us.”
“I agree.” Stefanie ran a hand through her hair, which was slightly damp, as if she had just showered. “So, I understand that police work runs in your family—”
“Yes, it does.” He was surprised to hear her say that and couldn’t help but ask, curiously, “Have you been checking up on me…?”
“Of course not.” She colored. “Bella Reston mentioned it to me yesterday at the park, after I told her you were investigating the woman’s death.”
“Bella…” Campbell sat back. “Why am I not surprised? Count on her to be the welcoming committee for newcomers.”
Stefanie smiled. “She said you went to the same high school and that your father and hers were friends back in the day.”
“The first part was true, though being a couple of years older than her, we didn’t travel in the same circles, so to speak.
As for the rest, I wouldn’t exactly say that our fathers were friends.
My dad did do some off-duty work for Bella’s father from time to time, like extra security at one of his fundraisers or things like that. ”
“I see.” Stefanie was thoughtful. “So, have you always worked for the Reston Hills Police Department?”
“Just for the last three and a half years,” Campbell told her. “Before that, I worked as a detective for the Boise Police Department. Guess I wanted to spread my wings somewhat—even though I was inspired by my dad to go into law enforcement.”
She angled her face to the right and asked inquisitively. “Why did you move back home, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“I don’t.” He rubbed his chin and contemplated the question.
“It was due to a combination of too much stress on the job, too little return on my efforts, a failed relationship and homesickness.” Campbell gazed into his empty cup.
“Also, it gave me the chance to get closer to my father, which hadn’t always been the case since my mother’s death years earlier. ”
Stefanie gave him a knowing look. “I lost my own parents when I was just a teenager, but cherish all the time that I had with them. I’m glad you took the opportunity to bond with your father while you still could.”
“Me too.” Campbell found himself liking her more and more with each passing moment.
If it were strictly up to him, he could sit there talking with her all day—and even into the night.
But he was still on duty and sure she had other things on her plate to do.
“Well, I won’t take up any more of your time today,” he said reluctantly.
“And I shouldn’t take up any more of yours,” she said with a straight look.
Believe me, I don’t mind one bit, Campbell told himself, but responded, “Glad I was able to let you know where things stand at the moment in the investigation.”
“So am I.” She offered him a smile.
After paying for the coffee, he walked her to her car, where Campbell said tentatively, “Maybe we could do this again sometime?”
Stefanie nodded. “Works for me.”
“Okay.” He hoped that would be sooner rather than later, but wouldn’t push it just yet.
She got into her Subaru Legacy, started it and drove out of the parking lot.
Campbell followed suit in his own vehicle, trailing for a bit before turning in a different direction at an intersection.
He wondered where things could go between them, allowing his imagination to run wild for a moment or two, before coming back down to earth.
Then he turned his attention to the ill-timed death of Mia O’Dell and the circumstances that may have led up to it.
What might his father have to say about this, given the almost eerie similarities to a case he’d investigated twenty years ago?
* * *
STEFANIE DROVE DOWN Pickford Street, away from Harriette’s Café, glancing up at the rearview mirror to see that Campbell’s car was no longer there, as if his vehicle had disappeared into thin air.
She almost wished he had followed her home, and they could have talked some more.
Apart from getting the scoop on what his investigation had uncovered on Mia O’Dell’s death, Stefanie welcomed the conversation beyond that unsettling news.
It had been a while since she had opened up like that to a man, and she felt good about this.
The fact that he had indicated an interest in seeing each other again, while not necessarily in relation to police work, was something she was totally amenable to.
She wanted a full life in Reston Hills, beyond her yoga studio and hanging with Bella.
Now was the time to push forward with that and see where she landed.
After pulling up to her house, she went inside and was greeted by Curlie. “Hey, you,” Stefanie said, chuckling as the cat lifted it paws onto the leg of her boot-cut jeans. “Looks like you’ve missed me. Well, back at you.”
Picking her up, Stefanie kissed the cat on the top of her head, which Curlie evidently enjoyed. Or at least the attention.
Stefanie fed her and left her alone, while she walked into the living room and took out her cell phone. After sitting on a gray mid-century-modern accent chair, she called Bella for a video chat, wanting to fill her in on the latest in case she hadn’t heard.
Bella accepted the chat and said cheerfully, “Hey.”
“Hey.” Stefanie kept a serious look on her face. “Got a sec?”
“Yes, I’m all yours. What’s up?”
“I just met with Detective Sawyer… Campbell,” Stefanie told her.
Bella’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yes, we had coffee at Harriette’s Café while he provided an update on the case.”
“I see.” Bella narrowed her gaze. “What did he say?”
“The woman’s name is Mia O’Dell,” Stefanie told her.
“What?” Bella looked shocked. “Mia…?”
“I take it you knew her?” Stefanie said, based on the reaction.
“She used to work for my father as his housekeeper,” Bella pointed out. “We weren’t close or anything, but I’d see her in town every now and then.” She sighed. “Now she’s dead. How?”
“Drug overdose,” Stefanie told her. “Campbell said that she died from fentanyl poisoning.”
“That’s terrible.” Bella’s brow furrowed. “Didn’t realize she was into that.”
“She may not have been,” Stefanie pointed out. “Campbell’s investigating how she came to have the fentanyl in her system and if the death was accidental or deliberate.”
Bella reacted, a thin brow shooting up. “He thinks someone could have intentionally caused Mia to OD on fentanyl?”
“Possibly. Or otherwise played a part in her ending up naked, alone and dead in the park.” Stefanie took a breath. “Apparently, Mia was involved with the Braison Family cult. Are you familiar with them?”
“Yes,” Bella answered matter-of-factly and as a local historian.
“They’ve been around these parts for decades—started by a controversial and charismatic man named Wendell Braison—attracting those most susceptible to life outside the mainstream.
As far as I’m aware, they haven’t caused much trouble, apart from occasional skirmishes with the law, and don’t seem to be a hot bed for drug activity. But then, what do I know?”
She became thoughtful, prompting Stefanie to ask curiously, “What?”
Bella licked her lips and answered, “Well, I do seem to recall years ago when another woman who belonged to the cult was found dead at the park—on Founder’s Day, of all things. I’m sketchy on the details, but I don’t believe the case was ever solved…”
“Hmm.” Stefanie found that intriguing. What were the odds? “Coincidence?”
“What else could it be?” Bella offered. “Just popped into my head. Let’s see if Campbell can reach the right conclusions in the death of Mia O’Dell.”
“Agreed.” Stefanie had a sense that he would. She could only hope that Mia’s fatal drug overdose wasn’t nefarious in intent.
After disconnecting from the video chat, Stefanie pondered the tragedy while also wondering if the Braison Family could have been behind it. Or were they truly harmless for the most part, as Bella had suggested?
Maybe I need to see for myself, Stefanie thought. If only to put her mind at ease in feeling a kinship of sorts to Mia, whom she’d happened upon, as though to help her rest in peace, if at all possible.