Part 15 (1/2)
”And what if we don't?”
”Don't solve the case?”
”Yeah. What if we never find the truth or the killer?” she asked.
It was a cop's worst nightmare, not to mention the victim's family. Unfortunately he'd experienced that as both a cop and a husband.
14.
A thrill sifted through Kayden as they reentered Brody's gym with a warrant in hand. She couldn't wait to see Brody's smug face settle when they served it to him. If there was one thing she couldn't stand, it was a bully.
Brody caught sight of them. ”You two again? What do I have to do?” He moved at a clipped pace toward them. ”Toss you out of here?”
Jake squared his shoulders ”I'd like to see you try.”
Brody stiffened, only a handful of inches remaining between the men.
Jake didn't budge, didn't flinch.
”We've got the warrant, Brody,” Kayden said, trying to diffuse the tension before the two men came to blows, not that she'd mind seeing Jake knock Brody on his behind, not after his relentless intimidation tactics.
Brody's jaw tightened, and a curse slipped out. Anger flared crimson in his cheeks as everyone in the gym paused to look on.
”This could have all been avoided if you'd just cooperated,” she said, not intending to embarra.s.s the man in front of his clientele.
”Or if you'd minded your own business.” He tossed the logbook across the desk.
Jake quickly scanned the contents, then handed the book to Kayden with his finger pointing at Conrad's signature.
Conrad Humphries had signed in to the gym at three forty-five the day before his murder.
So he'd climbed first and then purchased his chalk, which narrowed the suspect pool significantly. Conrad hadn't left his chalk in his cubby for someone to doctor with Dodecanol, because he hadn't purchased the chalk yet.
”Are we done here?” Brody c.o.c.ked his head.
Jake handed him the book. ”For now.”
”That felt good,” Kayden said upon leaving Brody's gym.
Man, she had a gorgeous smile-it lit her entire face.
The afternoon was warm, nearly seventy and sunny. Kayden wore the same outfit she had yesterday, because of their circ.u.mstances, but it looked just as good today as it had the day before.
She'd left her hair down, and Jake fought the urge to run his fingers through the auburn lengths-so s.h.i.+ny and smelling of apricots.
He'd balked at the fruity scent of the hotel shampoo, but on her it was intoxicating. He let the case ease from his mind momentarily and simply enjoyed walking beside her to Conrad's office.
It felt good to finally get a solid piece of the puzzle locked in place. Their timeline was beginning to come together. Now they needed to speak with Conrad's secretary to confirm when he left work that day and when he returned that night.
As they entered the plush office, a woman he a.s.sumed was Amber Smith, Conrad's secretary, was sitting at the first desk. An open printer-paper box sat in the center of the large mahogany desk, and the woman tearfully slipped items inside.
”Miss Smith?” Jake said.
She looked up from her task and swiped at her eyes. ”Yes?”
”Deputy Cavanagh, and this is Kayden McKenna. We're here to ask you some questions about Conrad Humphries.”
Her hand stilled on a gla.s.s paperweight-a duck. ”What kind of questions?”
”We're trying to determine how Mr. Humphries spent his last day prior to the climb.”
”I see.” She placed the gla.s.s duck in the box and reached for the stapler. ”Conrad came in to work at eight o'clock, as usual, but he left early, around three thirty, to go climbing.”
”And did he return to the office later that evening?”
”No.”
”I mean later that night. Around nine?”
”No.”
”You sound certain.”
”I'm positive.”
”How can you be positive?” Vivienne had claimed that Amber was always in the office when Conrad was working, but who could say he hadn't gone in without calling her back in.
”He would have made me come in if he was going to be working here-it's just his thing. But he didn't have to, because I was here until ten that night.”
”Why so late?” Kayden asked.
She dropped the stapler in the box and reached for the tape dispenser. ”Conrad's business hasn't been doing so well lately. He hit a slump. It's happened before, and he always got through it, so I always stuck it out, but this time he had to fire Kim.”
”Who's Kim?”
”Conrad's bookkeeper.”
Jake looked at Kayden. Perhaps a woman scorned? ”Why'd he fire Kim and keep you, if you don't mind me asking?”
”I've been with Conrad longer, and I don't think she would have been willing to pick up the a.s.sistant duties. I'm good with most of the bookkeeping tasks, but sometimes I had to work late to get things finished.” She set the tape dispenser in the box and glanced around the now empty desk with what appeared to be longing. She really liked her job or her boss.
”Was Kim upset?” Jake asked.
”Of course, but she understood.”
”What kind of terms would you say they parted under? Good, bad, neutral?”