Fulfilling Promises (Red Starr, Book Five) (12 page)

“Mr. Dixon, you strike me as an intelligent man,” Detective Chaisson stated as he tried to take control of the conversation. “I’m sure Ms. Wilde has explained to you that the majority of the evidence we’ve managed to uncover is not going in her favor. Speaking of which, I received a phone call earlier today from a Mr. Eiland explaining that he was now representing you in all matters pertaining to the case. I’ll be sure to let him know we’ve had this conversation, as well as if we should have more questions for you once I’ve had the chance to investigate this further.”

Detective Chaisson’s last statement was directed at Devyn, signifying he still considered her the guilty party and the lawyer’s phone call only solidified his belief. She took a page out of Trigger’s book and decided to show her hand.

“It’s not me you’ll need to be questioning, Detective.” Devyn paused for effect and she could literally feel Trigger’s arm stiffen behind her. “You and your men missed the fact that Joey was keeping personal notations on his customers in the margins of his work orders. We’ve brought them with us, just in case you’d like to review them. Unless you’ve decided that you have all the facts you care to review.”

“Ben, could I speak with you?”

The other detective who had been at his desk was walking toward them, pointing to the hallway. He didn’t stop and brushed past Trigger, as his chair was the closest to the open aisle between the desks. Detective Chaisson appeared rather annoyed with the interruption, but he stood with the file in his hand anyway.

“Excuse me a moment, please.”

“What are you doing?” Trigger reprimanded her, his voice low so no one could overhear them. “You’re antagonizing him when he’s been nothing but professional and straightforward with us.”

“What are you talking about?” Devyn asked harshly, looking his way to find frustration brimming in his brown eyes. “He thinks I did it, John. You weren’t here for hours on end being treated like a criminal and shown pictures that would turn your stomach. I don’t even know why we’re here when we could be out talking to people ourselves.”

“Chaisson is just doing his job, Devyn. He has information we need.” Trigger only managed to anger her with his assessment. Doing his job? The police wanted her locked up behind bars for the ridiculous assertion that she killed her brother. The man wasn’t doing his job; he was trying to make an easy arrest regardless of the fact that she was innocent. “He wouldn’t be doing Joey any kind of justice if he didn’t investigate any and all angles of this case and look at everyone involved…that includes you.”

‡

T
rigger understood all
too well Devyn’s outlook on the police, especially considering the county sheriff wasn’t anything more than a figurehead and a retirement posting for the Corinth mayor’s buddy. Most of the time, folks in the small towns around these parts didn’t have too much to do with government authorities. It was a tradition that ran all the way back to the days of the revenuers. Add to that imagined abhorrence of municipal officials and growing up with a mother and father who weren’t the best role models tended to skew a person’s view on law enforcement. She needed to trust him, though.

“Don’t shut down on me, Dev,” Trigger warned, seeing the signs that she was withdrawing into herself. She’d shifted away from him and crossed her arms, staring at nothing in front of them. She’d become defensive when he needed her to be anything but. “This detective has a job to do and he’ll get further toward that goal if we help him. You have a lawyer for a reason, so I don’t want you talking to this detective until you’ve had a chance to sit down with him. You’re just here to back up the legitimacy of our inquiry for now. It’s a fine line, but I need you to trust that I know the system, as well as how to work it.”

“And what if they end up pinning this on me because we’ve injected ourselves into the investigation?” Devyn asked, for the first time showing him just how scared she was instead of expressing anger. “I—”

“I won’t let that happen,” Trigger promised, taking her by surprise when he reached out and cupped her face in the palm of his hand. Her skin was cold and while he wanted to take the time to warm her, he could hear the two detectives wrapping up their conversation. Instead, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead. “You did not have anything to do with this crime and they can’t prove you did something you didn’t do. Trust me.”

Trigger had said that before, only to find out that Devyn believed he wasn’t worthy of her trust. Yes, she said the words out of anger, but there was a hidden truth inside that tore at his gut. He didn’t know how he was going to work it out with Starr and his team, but he couldn’t leave here until Joey’s killer was caught.

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to cut this meeting short,” Detective Chaisson said, coming back into the office without the other detective. He lowered the file in his hand to the stack of folders off to the side. “Mr. Dixon, I’ll look into who called the station professing to be you and see what I can find. Since I have you here in person, you should know that another warrant is being signed today to give us access to the computer system at the garage. I also appreciate the two of you bringing in those work orders. I’ll have an officer follow you out to your vehicle so he can enter them into evidence and then I’ll look them over later today.”

“Devyn, would you give me a moment with the detective?” Trigger asked, wanting to have a private conversation with Chaisson before this meeting ended. “I’ll meet you out front. Here are the keys to the Jeep so you can get those files for the officer.”

Diesel had stayed behind at the tavern with Isaac. He’d come in early to see if there was anything he could do for Devyn and she more or less gave him full access to run the bar while they took care of what needed to be done today. Trigger was wishing they’d brought Diesel along as an excuse for Devyn to go outside, because dismissing her was only going to get his ass in trouble. She didn’t say a word as she stood and walked out.

“Mr. Dixon, you have to understand that I’m only doing my job.” Detective Chaisson reached for the notepad and pen, handing it over to Trigger. “I know who you are and who you work with. I can assure you that I’m investigating every avenue of this case and I will get in touch with you should I find anything. Please write your number down so that I may give you a courtesy call when the additional warrant arrives.”

Trigger scribbled both his cell number and the bar’s landline down on the pad and handed it back to the detective. Chaisson didn’t need to call, but his offer went to just how friendly this investigation could be conducted. It was much appreciated.

“Look, I’ve been friends with Joey since we were kids. I hired him to manage the garage and he did an outstanding job. I could understand that circumstantial evidence might have led you to question Devyn, but she didn’t kill her brother. If you knew her like I know her, then you’d understand. Meanwhile, the real perpetrator is roaming around free as a bird.”

“You want my personal opinion? I don’t think she did it either, but I still have to follow the evidence. Whoever set her up as the patsy did a good job.” Detective Chaisson appeared ready to leave for the next case, which would only put Joey’s on the back burner. “I do have to go, Mr. Dixon.”

“One more minute,” Trigger pressed as he stood and put the one chair back where Chaisson had gotten it from. “Did you locate Joey’s truck? Isaac Bigham identified his body and retained his personal effects, but his keys were not included. Give me something, Detective. Devyn is grieving for her brother and you pushing her this hard isn’t helping the situation.”

“I’m sure you know by now that a few teenagers headed for the swamp Monday night to have a few drinks and celebrate their upcoming graduation,” Detective Chaisson said, cutting Trigger a break and giving him some basic details that was most likely in some related report of another case detailing juvenile alcohol use that night. He’d probably find out more information from Starr later today, but this open communication from the detective was very encouraging—they had no idea who murdered Joey Wilde and they were scrounging for leads. “They discovered the body and immediately drove to an area where they could get cell service. They dialed 911, the result of which I got assigned to the case. Mr. Wilde was shot with a double barrel 12-gauge shotgun in the side of the head at point blank range. A coach gun capable of creating that very same type of wound was found at the scene…registered to Ms. Wilde. There really is nothing else to tell you at this time, Mr. Dixon.”

“Joey’s phone?”

“On his body, but it gave us nothing besides the telltale voicemail from Ms. Wilde,” Detective Chaisson revealed, extending the courtesy that Trigger had given. “As I’m sure she told you, her necklace was found in Mr. Wilde’s hand. She stated she had no idea it was missing from her apartment, although did say she last wore it when they met for dinner the previous Sunday.”

“What is your theory as to what might have happened if you take Devyn out of the equation?” Trigger asked, needing to know where this investigation was heading before he and Devyn continued, assuming it had something to do with the personal notations Joey had been making on his customers. “Any DNA left at the scene? Fingerprints on the shotgun, maybe?”

“No fingerprints, no DNA, and there were too many imprints in the mud to sort out one individual,” Detective Chaisson revealed as he checked his watch, most likely as a way to move this conversation along than to see what time it was. “Wilde’s wallet wasn’t touched and he certainly didn’t go out to the swamp to meet someone he didn’t know. This was personal…someone he’d met before. I know he wasn’t squeaky clean back in the day and I’m waiting on the toxicology report to see if he might have fallen back into his old ways. Drugs, maybe? He wasn’t a gambler from what I gather and he didn’t have any real enemies among the locals, at least according to those we’ve been able to interview.”

Trigger figured Detective Chaisson had gathered his opinions from those patrons at the bar last night. Both men walked out of the office and down the short hallway. Devyn wasn’t in the foyer, but then again, he hadn’t expected her to be.

“Kirsten, did you have someone follow Ms. Wilde out to her vehicle? She and Mr. Dixon have some files that need to be entered into evidence.” Detective Chaisson slipped a hand in one of the pockets of his dress pants while he waited for Kirsten to delegate the responsibility, pulling out his card. “I’ll be out most of the afternoon. If you need to get ahold of me, my number is on the card.”

A police officer in uniform appeared before Detective Chaisson, who was through speaking with Kirsten and the three of them filed out the tinted glass door. The humidity had risen and the sun appeared brighter as it glared off of the parked vehicles in the lot. Devyn stood beside the Jeep, her sunglasses firmly in place so that he couldn’t see her eyes.

“I appreciate the two of you coming in with the work orders. Any lead at this point will help,” Detective Chaisson said as he shook hands with Trigger. Devyn didn’t even bother to step forward, but instead walked around the back of the Jeep with the key fob in hand to unlock the doors as well as the hatch. The detective shook his head slightly at her defiance, but his blue eyes indicated he understood that was the way it had to be. “I’m sure I’ll be in touch soon.”

Detective Chaisson walked away, not needing to switch out his glasses for sunglasses. He had those lenses that tinted automatically upon being exposed to sunlight. He was a man doing his job and had just been given another assignment to add to his caseload. Crimes didn’t stop just because the stack of files on a detective’s desk reached a certain height. Trigger didn’t envy the man his job dealing with the worst humanity had to offer.

Trigger could hear the exchange of words between the police officer and Devyn, who had come around the side of the passenger side and opened her own door. The officer managed to carry three of the boxes on top of each other, but Trigger followed him to the front entrance anyway to hold open the door. It wasn’t long before he was back at the Jeep and pulling down the top.

“Want to give me a hand?” Trigger asked, needing something to break the ice with Devyn. She was defensive, combative, and downright angry that he would sideline her to speak privately with the detective. There wasn’t anything he could do to change her attitude toward law enforcement, but he could give her insight into the detective on the case. “It’s too hot to drive with the top up.”

Devyn didn’t say a word as she opened her door, leaving her purse inside, and got out of the Jeep after unlatching the top from the windshield on her side. She watched Trigger as he started to pull the material, mimicking his movements. Her long black hair swayed as she started to draw the thick canvas back over the roll bars, reminding him of the time he’d thought of her as a woman instead of his friend’s sister.

Trigger hadn’t been back into town on his terminal leave from the military for even a month before Devyn had driven her vehicle to the garage. She’d pulled directly into the empty stall and gotten out of her little red 1998 Bronco II SUV, her long hair swaying across her back like it was now. He hadn’t known it was her until she had turned around and started to walk toward him, where he’d been standing in Mac’s office. His shock must have shown, because her red lips had formed into a coy smile when she’d caught him appreciating her figure. That was all it had taken and the two of them had ended up sharing a bed that very night.