Scene Of The Crime: Means And Motive

Chapter Three

It was just before noon when thirty-eight-year-old handyman Ed Rollings sat at the table for his interview. Ed had the face of a cherub, slightly plump and with the open friendliness of a man who’d never met a stranger in his life.

However, the pleasant man was another at the top of Gabriel’s list of suspects. Before Ed had arrived, Gabriel had given Jordon just enough information to aid her in her questioning of Ed.

“I understand your brother Kevin owned this place before the Overtons bought it,” Jordon now said.

Ed nodded and a strand of his blond hair fell across his broad forehead. “That’s right. Kev had big dreams for Diamond Cove but he was short in the financial-planning area.” Ed laughed and shook his head. “That’s the story of Kevin’s life... Big dreams and no smarts for the follow-through.”

“And you weren’t upset when the Overtons took over here?”

“Why would I be upset? I was just glad they hired me on. I’d been working here when my brother owned it and jobs aren’t that easy to find around here. I don’t have any hard feelings against Ted and Joan. They didn’t screw things up for Kevin. He did that to himself.”

“What about your brother? Does he have a grudge against the Overtons?” Jordon asked.

“Kevin has a grudge against the whole world. Most of the time he doesn’t even like me or our brother Glen,” Ed replied with another laugh.

Gabriel listened to the back and forth and thought about that moment when Jordon’s eyes had darkened so much. Although he shouldn’t be curious, he was.

He was intrigued about those dark shadows that had momentarily danced in the depths of her eyes. He wondered what had caused her divorce, if her curls were as soft as they looked and what her slightly plump lips might taste like.

He also wondered if the stress of these cases was making him lose his mind. Certainly his thoughts about Jordon were completely inappropriate.

As Jordon continued questioning Ed, Gabriel got up from the table and walked over to stare out the window. From this vantage point he could see not only the cabins up on the ridge, but also the guest shed.

The scene of each murder flashed in his head, along with all of the people he’d interviewed after each one had occurred. Had he interviewed the murderer twice before already? Had he sat across from the person who had viciously stabbed Samantha Kent, Rick Sanders and Sandy Peters and exchanged conversation? Had he somehow missed something vital? That was one of his biggest fears.

“So, where were you on Sunday night when Sandy Peters was killed?” Jordon asked Ed.

Gabriel turned from the window to gaze at the man. “Where I usually am on most nights...at home with my wife.”

“And she can corroborate that you didn’t leave the house all night?”

Ed laughed yet again. “That woman knows if I turn over in my sleep. She’d definitely know if I left the house, which I didn’t.” His blue eyes shone with what appeared to be open honesty. “Look, I’ve got no reason to kill anyone and no reason to hurt Joan and Ted. Ted pays me a good wage for a day’s work. Besides, I don’t have it in me to murder somebody.”

“I think that’s it for now,” Jordon said and looked at Gabriel to see if he had anything to add.

“I’m sure Ed will be available if we have any further questions for him,” Gabriel said.

“You know where to find me. I’m either here or at home with Millie most of the time,” Ed assured them as he got up from the table.

“How do burgers sound for lunch?” Gabriel asked when Ed had left the building.

“Sounds good to me. I’m starving.” She got up from the table and reached for her coat slung across the back of her chair.

“I thought we’d grab some lunch and then head into the station. I figured you’d want to look at all the files of the other two murders.”

“Definitely,” she replied.

It took them only minutes to get into Gabriel’s car and he headed for Benny’s Burgers, a no-nonsense joint just off the main drag that didn’t cater to the tourist trade.

“I seriously doubt that the two housekeepers had anything to do with whatever is going on,” she said once they were on their way.

“I agree.” The warmth of the heater seemed to intensify the fresh floral scent of her that he found so appealing. He tightened his hands around the steering wheel.

“Tell me more about Ed Rollings and his brothers.”

“They were all born and raised here. Ed and his wife have no children but he has two brothers who also live in the area. Glen is two years younger than Ed. He’s single and works as a clerk in one of the souvenir shops. And as you now know, his older brother, Kevin, owned Diamond Cove but lost it in bankruptcy.”

He pulled into Benny’s Burgers’ parking lot, pleased to see that the lunch crowd was already gone and only three cars were in the lot.

Within five minutes they had their burgers and were seated across from each other in a booth near the back of the place. At least in here the odors of fried onions and beef were heavy enough to overwhelm Jordon’s evocative scent.

“I’m assuming you’ve interviewed Kevin Rollings,” she said and then popped a French fry into her mouth.

“Several times, but not in relationship to Sandy’s murder. He’s on my list to speak with later this afternoon. He’s another one who has been on my short list of suspects.”

“You mentioned that Billy Bond was on your list, as well. Anyone else I need to know about?”

He shook his head. “My list is depressingly short and everyone on it has had some sort of an alibi for the first two murders. You can get a better idea of what we’ve done to investigate those murders when you read the files.”

“I’m looking forward to that,” she replied.

For the next few minutes they were silent and focused on their meals. The cheeseburger and onion rings were tasteless to Gabriel as thoughts of the three murdered people weighed heavily in his head.

Jordon’s appetite didn’t appear to suffer at all. She ate her burger and fries, and then, with an assenting nod from him, she pulled his plate closer to her and picked at the onion rings he’d left on his plate.

“This has got to be somebody who wants to hurt Ted and Joan personally,” she said.

“I was hesitant to make that call until now.” He leaned back against the red leather of the booth. “I’ve investigated their background thoroughly and so far haven’t found anything or anybody that would send up a real red flag.”

“What did they do back in Oklahoma City?”

“Ted sold home and vehicle insurance and Joan was a third-grade teacher. According to all their friends and relatives, they’re solid people who didn’t have enemies. Their coworkers also spoke highly of them. Kevin Rollings might want to destroy the business just for spite and I can’t figure out if Billy Bond is hiding something or not.”

“He definitely has a bit of a creep factor going on.” She shoved his now-empty plate away.

“Unfortunately, I can’t arrest Billy for being a creep and I can’t arrest Kevin Rollings on just my suspicion alone. Why did you get a divorce?” The question was out of his mouth before he realized he intended to ask it.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise and then she smiled. “I was madly in love and got married in an effort to play grown-up and be a traditional kind of woman. It took me two years to realize I wasn’t a marriage kind of woman after all.” She took a quick sip of her soda, her gaze curious. “What about you? Are you a marriage kind of man?”

“Definitely,” he replied firmly.

“Then why aren’t you already married? You’re a hot-looking guy with a respectable job. Why hasn’t some honey already snapped you up?”

“I’m cautious,” he admitted. “I want to make sure that when I finally marry it’s a one-shot, forever kind of deal. My parents just celebrated their fortieth anniversary together and I want that kind of a lasting relationship for myself.”

“Footloose and fancy-free—that’s the life for me,” she replied.

The threat of his intense physical attraction to her eased in his mind. She was somebody he would never be interested in pursuing no matter how alluring he found her.

This brief conversation was enough to let him know that he and FBI Special Agent Jordon James wanted very different things in life. He wasn’t sure why, but this fact gave him a bit of peace of mind.

For the first time since she’d arrived he relaxed. “I’m glad you’re here, Jordon.”

“Thanks, Chief Walters. Does that mean lunch is on you?”

He smiled at her. “Yes, lunch is on me, and please call me Gabriel.”

The sexy smile she flashed him in return instantly surged an unwanted tension back in his belly.

* * *

JORDON STRETCHED WITH her arms overhead and got up from the table. She’d been seated in the small conference room alone for the last couple of hours reading all the information that had been gathered on the murders at the bed-and-breakfast.

She definitely admired how Gabriel and his team had conducted such thorough investigations following each of the crimes. She’d also been aware of the respect shown to Gabriel among everyone in the station.

Nobody had joked or been overly familiar with him, indicating to her that he ran a tight ship and kept himself somewhat distant from his staff. Despite that fact, she’d sensed that he was not only respected, but also well liked.

She paced the length of the table, and her brain whirled with all the information she’d gained in the past three hours of intense study. Still, as thorough as the investigations had been, it was all information that yielded no answer as to who was responsible for the three homicides.

Several times throughout the past couple of hours of being cooped up in the conference room, a female officer named Jane Albright had occasionally popped her head in to see if Jordon needed anything. Only once had Jordon requested a cup of coffee.

The murder crime photos had been utterly gruesome and had built up not only a surge of frustration, but also a rich anger inside her. She wanted this perp caught before another person was killed and before Joan and Ted Overton were forced to close their doors and lose their livelihood.

She opened the conference room door, stepped out into the short hallway and headed to Gabriel’s office. She gave two quick raps on his door, and when she heard his deep voice respond, she walked in.

He looked ridiculously handsome seated behind a large wooden desk, a computer on one side and a stack of files at his right. He started to rise but she waved him back down and sat in a chair opposite the desk.

“Looks like a lot of work,” she said and pointed to the files.

“The usual...break-ins, purse-snatchings, robberies and the occasional car theft.” He leaned back in the leather chair, his blue eyes gazing at her expectantly.

“If you’re waiting for me to give you the name of the killer, don’t hold your breath. After reading the files I’m as aggravated as I’m sure you are. This guy is obviously smart and organized. He’s not only managed to commit three hideous murders but he’s also escaped each scene with nobody seeing him and leaving nothing behind.”

He stood. “We can talk about it more on the drive to Mouse’s Maze of Mirrors.”

A knot spun tight in her chest. “Mouse’s Maze of Mirrors?”

He nodded. “It’s a fairly new attraction on the strip, and on most afternoons and evenings Kevin Rollings works the door.”

She got up from her chair and fought against the unsteady shake of her legs. “I definitely think a chat with Kevin is in order.”

Minutes later they were in Gabriel’s car and headed to the popular 76 Country Boulevard, where, he explained, most of the theaters, eateries and attractions were located.

As he pointed out places of interest, she tried to still the faint simmer of panic inside her. See how I got mirrors all set up so you can see yourself? You can watch yourself scream. Ralph Hicks’s gravelly voice filled her head.

The creep had placed three large mirrors in front of all of his victims so they could watch while he tortured them. It had been a horrid form of torture in and of itself.

Buck up, buttercup, she told herself firmly. She’d survived the mirrors and Ralph Hicks. She refused to let those long hours in the cellar affect her now or define who she was. She could deal with a silly maze of mirrors without freaking out.

“I definitely think Kevin Rollings looks good as a potential suspect. His alibis for the other murders weren’t exactly stellar,” she said, shoving away the haunting memories of her past to focus on the here and now.

“It’s tough to break an alibi substantiated by another family member. His brother Glen swore Kevin was at his house drinking and then passed out on his sofa at the time of both the previous murders.”

“And of course Glen would have a motive to lie to save his brother’s hide,” she replied.

“I turned up the heat when I questioned Glen, but he stuck with the story.” Gabriel turned into a parking lot in front of a large brown building with a huge picture of a demented-looking mouse painted on the siding. “We’ll see what kind of alibi Kevin comes up with for the time of Sandy’s murder.”

As they got out of the car and approached the building, the sun broke out of the layer of clouds and gleamed on the rich darkness of Gabriel’s hair.

He walked with confidence, as if he owned the space around him. Salt of the earth...a traditional man with traditional values and three murders that he was desperate to solve.

He seemed to have taken these crimes personally, otherwise she’d be working with somebody else rather than the chief himself. She hoped together they could get this killer behind bars, where he belonged.

There were no other cars in the lot. There had been few cars on the road. Obviously mid-January after a snowfall was a slow time for the entire town.

They entered into a small lobby with a turnstile and a counter behind which Kevin Rollings sat. Although considerably older than Ed, Kevin had the same blond hair, the same round face as his brother, but that was where the similarities ended.

“I figured you’d be coming to talk to me,” he said with a deep scowl that transformed his pleasant features into something mean and ugly.

“You figured right,” Gabriel said and then introduced Jordon.

“Got the feds involved in local business.” Kevin shook his head and sniffed as if he smelled something dirty.

“Nice to meet you, Kevin. We had a nice chat with your brother Ed early this morning and he had so many wonderful things to say about you.” Jordon beamed a smile at the man.

“Ed’s a damn fool,” Kevin replied. “He’s nothing more than a glorified lawn boy.”

“What I’d really like to know is where you were on Sunday night,” Jordon replied, cutting to the chase.

Kevin smiled, a tight slash of lips that didn’t begin to reach his eyes. “That’s easy. I met up with a couple of buddies for beers at Hillbilly Harry’s. We were there until about midnight and then I went home and crashed out. I’ve got to admit I was pretty trashed. I could barely stumble from my car to the front door.”

“Good thing I didn’t meet you on the road. You’d have been looking at a little jail time and a DUI,” Gabriel said.

“Kevin, do you live by yourself?” Jordon asked, not wanting the conversation to get off track.

“Yeah. My wife left me two months after the Diamond Cove went into bankruptcy. And yeah, I hold a grudge about the whole thing. If the damned bank would have just given me a little more time, things would have been fine.”

His nostrils flared as he continued. “Now I’m working a minimum-wage crap job and barely making ends meet. I don’t have anything to do with the Overtons. It’s bad enough their kids hang out here with their snot-nosed friends all the time. Do I wish Diamond Cove would fall off the face of the earth? Damn straight. Did I kill those people? Hell, no.” He drew in a deep breath and stood from the stool.

“We’ll need the names of the men you were with on Sunday night,” Jordon said. She was shocked by the venom Kevin hadn’t even attempted to hide. He certainly had said enough to keep him high on the suspect list.

“Names?” Gabriel said and pulled a small notebook and pen from his coat pocket.

Kevin heaved a deep, audible sigh. “Glen was there and so was Wesley Mayfield, Tom Richmond, Dave Hampton and Neil Davies. You can check with all of them. They’ll tell you I was with them on Sunday night and I wasn’t anywhere near Diamond Cove.”

“Don’t worry. We will check it out.” Gabriel tucked the pen and notepad back into his pocket.

“Maybe while you’re here do the two of you want to go through the maze? I get a percentage of the till each night and today has definitely been a slow day.” The anger that had gripped Kevin’s features transformed to a mask of mock pleasantry. “Go see the mouse inside.”

“It might be the only fun you’ll have while you’re here,” Gabriel said to Jordon as he pulled his wallet from his pocket.

He paid for their admission and Jordon swallowed against the faint simmer of alarm that attempted to grip her. It’s just a silly tourist attraction, she told herself. She went through the turnstile with Gabriel just behind her. Don’t freak out. Mirrors can’t hurt you.

A dark corridor led into the maze, where she stepped into a space with five reflections of herself staring back at her. Gabriel was right behind her, a calming presence as the back of her throat threatened to close up.

“This way,” he said and led her into a corridor of mirrors to the right.

“Have you been in here before?” she asked.

“No, it’s my first time, too.” They both jumped as one of the mirrors lit up and displayed an image of the demented mouse and a loud, wicked cackle sounded from overhead.

“If I find you, Mouse, I’ll tie your tail into knots,” Jordon said as the mirror returned to normal.

“Come on. Let’s find our way out of here.”

She followed Gabriel’s lead through the disorienting corridors as she fought against dark flashbacks. The scars on her hip burned and the phantom scent of cigarette smoke and sizzling flesh filled her nose.

Mouse suddenly appeared behind another mirror. “Beware. If you aren’t fast enough I’ll pull you into my mouse hole and nobody will ever find you again,” a deep voice whispered over the speaker.

Jordon stared at the fat mouse with the oversize teeth and she was back in the cellar clad only in her bra and panties, her arms above her head with her wrists in shackles connected to chains that hung from the low ceiling.

Nobody will ever find you here. You’re mine to play with until I get tired of you. Ralph Hicks’s voice exploded in her head. I’m going to take my time and have lots of fun with you, and you get to watch.

She closed her eyes to dispel the memory and when she opened them again Gabriel was nowhere to be seen. She was alone...with the mirrors, and a deep, gripping panic froze her in place.

Help! Somebody please help me. The pleas filled her head. Don’t let him burn me again. Don’t let him do all the things to me that he did to the other women. I don’t want to die this way. Please help me!

“Gabriel?” His name croaked out of the back of her throat, which had become far too narrow. “Gabriel!” This time the cry was a half scream.

“I’m right here.” He appeared next to her.

She grabbed on to his hand and forced a bright smile. “Whew, I thought you were lost.” She hoped her voice betrayed none of the sheer panic that had momentarily suffused her.

“I think I found the exit—follow me.”

She dropped his hand and practically walked in the backs of his shoes and cracked several bad jokes in an effort to relieve her own tension. After several twists and turns and more warnings from the mouse, they found the door that led outside.

“That was sort of lame,” she said as they walked toward his car.

“From what I’ve heard, this is a really popular attraction among the teenagers in town. And as Kevin said, Jason and Hannah and their friends enjoy it.”

“Probably because the girls scream and clutch on to the nearest testosterone-filled boy,” she replied drily.

He smiled. “You want to get some dinner before I take you back to your room?”

Knots of tension twisted in her stomach and the taste of panic still filled the back of her throat. “I’m really not that hungry right now. Maybe you could just stop someplace and I’ll grab a sandwich to take back to the room for later. I can put it in the mini-fridge until I’m ready to eat.”

“There’s a sub place not far from here—we can stop there.”

They got into the car and Jordon was more than grateful to leave Mouse’s Maze of Mirrors behind. She hated her own weakness. She hated that she still felt a bit shaky and dark memories clutched at her heart and invaded her brain.

The last thing she wanted was for Gabriel to sense any weakness in her. “So, what’s on the agenda for tomorrow? A roller-coaster ride through a cave? A tour through Ripley’s Believe It or Not?” She forced a flippant tone in her voice, determined not to let the memories pull her down.

“Nothing quite so grand. We need to chase down all the men Kevin said he was with Sunday night and confirm his alibi.”