Her Frozen Cry (Detective Amanda Steele)

THIRTY-SIX

Amanda and Trent were in the observation room next to Interview One and looking in on Tony Bishop. They were standing mere inches apart.

“He’d have reason to want both Alicia and Eve Kelley dead,” Trent said. “You do see that?”

She couldn’t look at him, but said, “Of course I do.”

He touched her arm, and it had her turning to face him. “And you can see why he’d come up with this threat?” He attributed finger quotes to the last word.

“Yes.” She swallowed roughly, her answer going down like broken glass.

“Then why are you giving it so much consideration? It’s like you’re clawing at anything to excuse him.”

“It’s our job to protect the people in the community. Tony Bishop is one.”

He shrugged. “Fine, we’ll… what? Give him the benefit of the doubt?”

“We would anyone else.”

“I think we’ve already extended him a lot of rope.”

She couldn’t even argue that point because she agreed. Her phone rang. Her heart froze thinking it was an update on Malone, but it was the lab. “Detective Steele.”

“It’s CSI Donnelly. Blair asked that I call. Sorry this took so long, but I have the results on the tire treads left in the mud at the cabin. As well as the brand of shoe that left the prints next to the window.”

Amanda was staring at Trent still, her chest heaving. “And?”

“The tires are factory standard for the Dodge Ram fifteen hundred model.”

Dodge Ram… Amanda bounced that around in her mind, knowing she’d seen one in the course of the investigation but couldn’t conjure up where. “And the shoes?”

“Cloud Footwear, their Ithan model. We would have been able to confirm immediately had the logo not been damaged. It’s positioned right in the middle of the shoe.”

“Right where there’s a slash,” Amanda said.

“That’s right. And it’s a model they make for men.”

“Okay, we figured it was a man’s shoe based on size, but this seems to confirm it.”

“I’d say so.”

“Thanks for this.”

“Don’t mention it. As I said, I’m just sorry it took so long to get back to you.”

Amanda ended the call and shared the results with Trent.

“Alicia Gordon had a visitor who drives a Dodge Ram,” he said as if mulling it over.

“Seems so. And I know I’ve seen one during the course of the investigation. I just can’t remember where.”

“But it doesn’t even need to belong to her killer. Tony Bishop was fooling around with the nanny. What’s to say that Alicia wasn’t having her own fun on the side?”

“We never found anything in her phone records or communications to support her having an affair.” She looked back through the one-way mirror at Tony, who was staring into space. Every few seconds, he wiped at his cheeks. She couldn’t see tears, but he was visibly distraught. “We need to go back in there and see if we can get any more answers.”

“We could, or…”

She turned to Trent. “Or what?”

“We let him cool off for a bit and investigate this threat of his.” Trent went to the table in the observation room where she’d set the envelope and returned with it.

“Now you’re encouraging that?”

He shrugged. “In the vein of keeping an open mind and protecting the public.”

She had a feeling his suggestion was more of a concession for her. “Let me see it again.” She held out her hand, and he put the bag in her palm. “The page is creased.” How hadn’t she noticed that before? Maybe she had but pushed it aside in her effort to remain objective.

“I’m guessing that means something?”

“Harold printed out the threats sent to Alicia Gordon. They have the same crease.”

“This threat came from Harold’s printer?”

“Maybe. And I remember where I saw a Dodge Ram now.”

“Me too. In Harold Armstrong’s parking spot at New Belle. Let’s go ask Harold some questions, hopefully get some answers.”

She glanced in at Tony again. “Okay, but let me explain what we’re doing to Tony, er, Mr. Bishop first.”

“You don’t have to do that, Amanda.”

“I know I don’t have to, but I want to.”

“All right, I’ll wait in the car.”

She nodded, and he walked down the hall while she returned to the interview room. She knocked once before entering, extending her former friend another courtesy by doing so. Just the fact she was going to let him know they were looking into the threat was a courtesy of its own.

He straightened up when she entered. “Tell me you’ve got the real killer.”

“It’s not that simple.” She leaned against the wall, not wanting to tower over him, but not wanting to take a seat either.

“Of course it is, Amanda. I didn’t do it. That means the person who poisoned my Alicia and also Eve Kelley is out there running around free while I’m in here. And my boys are…” He rubbed his jaw. “My boys. Guess that’s a joke really. Brad’s practically a man, and Leo… well, he’ll probably end up with Seth, his biological father.”

“We never know what the future holds.”

“Huh. Isn’t that the truth? If you’d told me we’d be here, or that Alicia would be murdered, I never would have believed it.”

“Unfortunately, we are in that spot. We’re going to investigate that threat you gave us.”

His eyes lit, and his expression became brighter. “Does that mean I’m free to go?”

She let out a deep breath and didn’t need to say a word as she watched her answer sink into his slumping posture. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go just yet.”

“Even though you know I didn’t kill them?”