Mattress Mart Murder (5 page)

Chapter Eleven

The deputies took Chloe to the parking lot of Marty’s Mattress Mart, which was swamped with police officers.  Chloe was still trying to process the news that not only was Marty dead, but someone had murdered him. 

It was sensory and emotional overload.  Chloe couldn’t believe she was at a crime scene.  Yellow police tape blocked off the area directly surrounding Marty’s body.  Chloe didn’t want to look, but like a car crash, she couldn’t peel her eyes away. 

It was then that Chloe spotted Kristina.  At least now Chloe had an answer why Kristina hadn’t answered her phone or text.  Unfortunately, the reason was grim.  By the looks of it, the drama continued long after Chloe and Kristina left the barbecue yesterday, with killer results. 

Chloe didn’t like the fact and she and her friend were anywhere near a murder investigation, no less in the middle of one.  That being said, Kristina seemed to be taking things even worse than Chloe. 

“Oh no.  They got you too?” Kristina asked. 

Chloe nodded.  “Imagine my surprise when I woke up to two police officers at my door this morning.”

Kristina grimaced.  “I’m so sorry you got dragged into this.”

“It could be worse.”

“How?”

“At least I’m not Marty Diamond,” Chloe said. 

Kristina winced. 

Deputy Stanton then interrupted Kristina and Chloe. 

“The detective is ready for you now,” Deputy Stanton said. 

“You still haven’t told me why he wants to see me,” Chloe insisted. 

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Deputy Stanton answered.

***

The deputy added Chloe and Kristina to a lineup that included all the usual suspects.  There was Marty’s wife Delia, his son Stewart, his son’s girlfriend Lucy Lemke, Marty’s receptionist Jennifer Carter, his chief rival Walter Gold, and his nephew—the mystery man. 

Detective Todd Thicke approached.  Todd was a bulky, bespectacled man in his mid-fifties with a round face that matched his beer belly.  The detective had the frame of someone that once had an athletic body, but who had spent too many days at his desk gobbling up donuts, and not enough days burning off those calories on the beat.  As a whole, Todd looked like he’d seen better days.  The job of a detective was a stressful one that made a person world-weary in a way that only getting shot at for a living could. 

The detective wasted no time.  He got right into the investigation.

“Marty Diamond was murdered here last night.  He was a man you all knew, and who you attended a barbecue with yesterday.  My men have found the knife that killed Marty.  It’s only a matter of time before I discover who the killer is.  I believe that person is here right now, and I will not rest until I find out who they are.  Knowing that, we can either do this the easy way, or the hard way.  Would anyone like to come forward and admit their guilt?” Detective Thicke said. 

The lineup was dead quiet. 

The detective sighed.  “The hard way it is then.”

Detective Thicke approached Delia Diamond first.  “Mrs. Diamond, where were you between ten and eleven o’clock last night?” 

Chloe watched Delia’s reply closely.  Delia’s mood could go either way.   She could play the role of a grieving widow, the liberated housewife, jilted wife, or a little mixture of everything.  Delia’s choice was rather surprising, considering she was embroiled in a murder investigation.  Instead of remorse, she opted for cold and standoffish. 

“I was at home,” Delia answered.

“Alone?” the detective asked. 

“Yes.  Why does that matter?”

“Because it means you have no one to verify your story.”

“I don’t need anyone to.  I’m telling the truth,” Delia said. 

“I wish I could believe you,” the detective replied. 

“What makes you think you can’t?”

“How about the fact that you’re a murder suspect?  Let me tell you, it’s amazing what people will say when their back is against the wall.”

“I didn’t kill my husband, if that’s what you’re implying,” Delia said. 

“When was the last time you talked to him?”

“At the barbecue.”

“Really, that long ago?”

Delia became confrontational.  “I already answered your question.”

“It just seems like a long time for a husband and wife to go without talking to each other.  Then again, you did just find out yesterday that your husband was cheating on you with his receptionist,” Detective Thicke said.

Stewart Diamond didn’t like the detective pouring salt into his mother’s wound.  He came to her defense. 

“How dare you bring that up?  My mother has been through so much already,” Stewart said. 

Detective Thicke immediately turned his attention to Stewart. 

“There’s a lot of passion in your voice, a lot of anger.  Especially with the mention of your father cheating on your mother.  Given that, I can’t help but ask you where you were between ten and eleven last night?”

Suddenly, Stewart was at a loss for words.  He tried to untie his tongue, with poor results.  “Uh, Lucy and I were um…”

Stewart couldn’t seem to finish that sentence.  

His girlfriend could.  “At the movies,” Lucy Lemke replied. 

For a split second, Stewart looked utterly confused.  By the time he turned to the detective, he’d wiped the confusion off his face. 

“Exactly.   That’s where we were,” Stewart said. 

“Was it really that difficult for you to remember you were at the movies last night?” Detective Thicke asked. 

“It’s been an emotional time for me.  There’s been a lot going on.  Not to mention I had a little too much to drink last night,” Stewart said. 

Detective Thicke gave Stewart a critical look.  “Uh huh.  What movie did you see?”

Stewart and Lucy both answered at the same time. 

“’Love Like No Other,” Lucy said. 

“Tarantula Apocalypse Part Four,” Stewart answered. 

Detective Thicke folded his arms and stared them both down.  “Do you know how serious an offense it is to lie to a police officer?”

Lucy and Stewart both lowered their heads. 

Detective Thicke focused on Stewart again.  “Where were you really last night?”

“I was out taking a drive,” Stewart replied. 

“Just randomly driving around town?” the detective asked.  

“It helps me clear my thoughts,” Stewart said. 

“Did you happen to swing by here on your drive?” the detective wondered. 

Stewart shook his head. 

“Why should I believe you?  You’ve already lied to me once,” Detective Thicke said. 

“This time I’m telling the truth,” Stewart insisted. 

Detective glared at Stewart, then moved on to Lucy. 

“How about you?  Where were you really last night?” he wondered. 

“At the movies,” Lucy replied.

“I warned you about lying to a police officer,” the detective said. 

Lucy reached into her purse and pulled out a ticket stub.  She handed it to the detective. 

“A ticket to Love Like No Other, just like I said,” Lucy insisted. 

Detective Thicke zeroed in on one part of the ticket.  “This ticket is for a seven-thirty show.”

“So?” Lucy asked. 

“So a movie like that would be long over by ten o’clock.  This ticket doesn’t prove anything,” the detective said. 

“Normally, except I snuck into a second movie after the first one ended.

“Oh yeah, which one?”

“The nine-thirty showing of Love Until It Hurts,” she replied. 

“Do you really expect me to believe that?” Detective Thicke asked. 

“Yes.  It’s the truth.”

Detective Thicke stared deep into Lucy’s eyes, then moved on to Jennifer Carter. 

“Ms. Carter, where were you last night?”

“I was sleeping,” Jennifer answered. 

Detective Thicke was critical.  “Sleeping, at that hour?”

“It was a really long and emotional day for me.  I just wanted it to end,” Jennifer replied. 

“Were you sleeping with anyone?”

Jennifer got short with the detective.  “I don’t see how that’s relevant.”

“I’m just trying to see if you have anyone to corroborate your story.”

“No.  I was at home alone,” Jennifer said. 

“Uh huh.”

Detective Thicke stared deep into Jennifer’s eyes, then moved on to Walter Gold. 

“Mr. Gold, what’s your story?” the detective asked. 

“I was at home,” Walter replied. 

“That should be easy to verify.”  The detective turned to Deputy Stanton.  “Stanton, get Mrs. Gold on the phone.  Ask her if she can verify his story.”

Walter quickly revised his story.  “I meant, I was at my rental property.”

“How could you mistake your rental property for home?”

“Well, because it’s kind of my new home for now,” Walter stammered. 

“You mean your wife found out you had an illegitimate daughter and kicked you out?” Detective Thicke asked.

Walter lowered his head.  “Uh, yeah.”

“Alright.  Say I do believe you were at your rental property.  Do you have anyone to verify your story?”

“No, not technically.  But I was there.”

“At least that’s your story,” the detective said. 

Detective Thicke then moved on to the mystery man.  “Jason Diamond, you just got out of jail recently, didn’t you?”

Jason nodded.  “And I don’t ever want to go back.”

“Where were you last night at the time of the murder?”

“At the gym in my apartment complex.”

“Do you have anyone to confirm that?” Detective Thicke asked. 

“No, but that’s where I was.”

Detective Thick stared him down, then moved on to Chloe. 

“Ms. Cook, how about you?” Detective Thicke asked.  

“I was at my mother’s birthday party.  Three different people can vouch for me,” Chloe answered. 

“I’m going to need names and numbers to check your story out.”

“Gladly.  Do you want them right now?”

“I’ll have my deputy grab them from you when we’re done here,” Detective Thicke said. 

“Alright.”

Detective Thicke next turned his attention to Kristina. 

“And you?” he asked. 

“I was driving home,” Kristina replied. 

“From where?”

Kristina lowered her head. 

“From where?” Detective Thicke asked again.

Kristina looked around, trying to stall. 

“Let me help you remember.  We received an anonymous tip last night saying they saw you drive away from parking lot at roughly the time of the murder,” the detective said. 

“I was here, but I didn’t kill him,” Kristina insisted. 

Everyone in the lineup gasped.

Detective Thicke continued.  “Why were you here, Ms. Miller?”

“I came to ask for my job back.”

“What did Marty Diamond say to that?”

“No,” Kristina revealed. 

“Then what happened?” Detective Thicke wondered. 

“I left.”

“Do you expect me to believe that?” Detective Thicke asked. 

Kristina nodded.  “Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because unlike most of the other people in this lineup, I didn’t lie to cover up where I really was.  I’m honest and upfront about the fact that I was here,” Kristina explained. 

Detective Thicke remained critical.  “You’re seriously going to stand here and tell me you were here, but you didn’t kill Marty Diamond?”

“Yes.”

Detective Thicke stared her down.  “My team is running the murder weapon for prints.  It’s only a matter of time until we have the evidence we need to prosecute someone.”  He then looked around at the rest of the lineup.  “In the meantime, don’t anyone even think about leaving town.”

Chapter Twelve

Detective Thicke may have been done questioning the group, but Chloe was far from finished with him.  While the rest of the lineup couldn’t wait to get away from the scene of the crime, Chloe ran after the detective.

“Detective Thicke, I have to talk to you,” Chloe insisted. 

Detective Thicke turned around and stared at her. 

“You can give the phone numbers of the people from the birthday party to my deputy.  He’ll call them up to verify your alibi,” Detective Thicke said.   

“No, that’s not what I meant. I have to talk to you about my friend.”

The detective looked impatient.  “What about her?” 

“You can’t really think Kristina Miller is a serious suspect, can you?” Chloe asked.

The detective challenged her.  “Why not, because she’s your friend?”

“No, because she didn’t do it,” Chloe replied. 

“How do you know for sure?”

“Because I know her.  She’s one of the sweetest human beings I’ve ever met.”

“Don’t you think you’re a little biased?  No one wants to believe one of their friends is the murdering type.  What you fail to realize is that the sheer fact that you’re friends makes you unable to see the truth about her.”

“And what’s the truth?” Chloe asked. 

“Kristina Miller is not only a suspect, she’s at the top of my list,” Detective Thicke revealed. 

Chloe became outraged.  “On what basis?”

“Try motive, means, and opportunity.  She was fired yesterday.  That makes for a nice motive.  The murder weapon was a knife.  She definitely had the means to grab a knife and stab Marty Diamond in the back.  Finally, opportunity.  She probably had the best opportunity of any of the suspects to kill him.  We received a tip from someone who spotted her driving away from the parking lot right around the time of death.”

“An anonymous tip.  If this tipster is so reliable, why did they choose to remain anonymous?” Chloe asked. 

“Maybe they were afraid of becoming Kristina’s next victim.”

Chloe shook her head.  “That’s ridiculous.  It’s more likely that the tipster remained anonymous because they are the murderer.” 

Detective Thicke laughed.  “Who is being ridiculous now?”

“The fact is, you don’t have proof that Kristina did anything.  The murderer could have watched Kristina’s conversation with Marty, waited for her to drive away, killed Marty, then called in an anonymous tip to frame Kristina for the crime.”

“Only, you forgot one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“If Kristina wasn’t there to kill Marty, why was she there?” Detective Thicke asked. 

“She told you, to plead for her job back.  She figured maybe she could talk sense into him,” Chloe said.

Detective Thicke finished her sentence.  “And when he said no, she killed him.”

Chloe shook her head.  “You have it all wrong.”

“I’m sorry.  Who is the detective here?  Now, let me get back to my job.”

Chloe didn’t back down.  “I’m telling you, Kristina is the wrong suspect.” 

Detective Thicke glared at her.  “Just who do you think you are?”

“A good friend.”

The detective warned her.  “Leave the detective work to the professionals.”

“I’d love to.”

Detective Thicke seemed pleasantly surprised.  “Good.” 

Chloe wasn’t done with her thought however.  “But not if you think Kristina is a murderer.”   

The detective had heard enough.  “Stay away from this case, or do I have to tell you the consequences of interfering with an official police investigation?”

“We both want the same thing.”

“Oh really?  Because what I want is to have you out of my sight.”

“The truth is going to come out, you know?” Chloe said. 

Detective Thicke nodded.  “You’ve got that right.  The forensic team is going to be testing the murder weapon for prints.  My guess is, your friend Kristina’s finger prints will be found on the knife.  If they are, she’ll be going to jail for a long time.”