She glanced over at him. “I thought you said you were going to defer to my judgment.”
“Well, neither of us has enough information to make a judgment yet.”
Aha. That’s how he was going to do it. Subtle.
They arrived at the Stokes estate and buzzed the intercom at the gate. They indentified themselves to the disembodied voice that came out of the speaker and the gate rolled open for them. They drove slowly onto the property and it looked like the tree lined driveway went on forever. They finally arrived at a cobblestone area where they assumed they were to park. They went up to ring the doorbell, but the door was opened at once by a pale, dark haired girl who gestured for them to come in. She led them into a large sitting room and they both sat down on a sofa across from an attractive man about sixty years old. He looked in very good health for his age, even though his skin, like the girl who had answered the door, was very pale. She looked over at her partner. Didn’t anyone get any sun around here?
“I’m Gerard Stokes,” said the older man as he shook hands with both detectives.
“I’m Detective Kerry Harrison and this is my partner, Detective Ethan James.”
“May I get either of you something to drink?”
“Nothing for me,” said Kerry.
Ethan said, “I don’t care for anything right now either.”
Ethan was looking at Mr. Stokes strangely, as if he might have met him somewhere before. Kerry wondered if they had run in the same circles. Somehow she could picture Ethan, although he was just a cop, hanging around with the wealthy crowd. He just looked the part. He actually could pass as a spoiled rich boy.
“Mr. Stokes, let’s just get right down to the reason we’re here. I’m sure you know that we came to question you about the murder of Patty Ryan. I want you to go over that day, telling us everything that you remember. Why don’t we start with the morning before her murder?”
“I had been out late at a dinner party with some friends. I came home early in the morning, and I immediately checked all the doors, set the alarm, and then I went to bed. I slept until about three o’clock that afternoon. I got up, took a shower, and then I went downstairs. When I walked into the living room, I saw that young girl lying there. I went over and checked for a pulse, just in case I could help her, but she was already cold. I immediately called the police and you know the rest. I didn’t hear anything. I slept from the time I went to bed until I got up in the afternoon.”
“Mr. Stokes, how do you explain the fact that two people, the murderer and the victim, got into your house without setting off your alarm?” Kerry asked. “You mentioned that you set the alarm when you went to bed. Our report shows that the alarm was still set when the police got here and you had to turn it off.”
Gerard Stokes sighed. “I can’t explain it. I don’t know how that happened, but the fact is that it did. Maybe someone disarmed it somehow, and then turned it back on.”
“You do understand how unlikely that sounds.”
“Yes, Detective, I do. But that’s the way it happened. Maybe someone is trying to frame me.”
“Do you have any enemies that might want to do something like that?” asked Ethan.
“Detective James, when you are in the position I am in, many enemies are made. There could be any number of people who might want to frame me. But in this case, someone had to have the expertise to do it.”
They asked Mr. Stokes several more questions, and then they got up to leave.
“We’ll be in touch, Mr. Stokes. I don’t have to tell you how this looks. You may be arrested. I suggest, if that happens, that you cooperate fully and things will be easier for you,” said Kerry.
Gerard Stokes fixed her with a stare that made her feel uncomfortable and odd. Then he nodded his head and gestured for them to precede him out the sitting room door. They were shown out by the dark haired girl and they got into their squad car and drove off.
“Something is off about this,” said Ethan.
“Yeah, something is off. It’s Gerard Stokes.”
“No, Kerry, I think he’s telling the truth.”
“You’re kidding me, right?” she asked incredulously.
“No, I’m serious. I really do think someone is trying to frame him.”
“That just shows how naïve you are. It looks pretty clear to me. He lured the girl to his house, killed her, set the alarm, and then he called us. Case closed.”
“I’m just asking you to keep on open mind.”
Kerry pulled over to the side of the road and turned around to look at Ethan. He averted his eyes, as if he were uncomfortable with her scrutiny.
“You know him, don’t you?” she asked.