Murder in Treasure Cove Read online

  “You certainly can. At the same time, when two suspects happen to talk to each other in private, it’s inherently suspicious.”

  “I really wish you would stop calling me a suspect.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that. Not unless you happen to have an alibi all of a sudden.”

  Max threw out his arms. “I don’t know what you want from me.”

  “Right now, I want answers. From you. And from Kristin,” David said.

  I looked over Max’s shoulder.

  “By the way, where is Kristin?” I asked.

  Max turned around and pointed. “She’s right here.”

  Max stopped talking abruptly when he realized that Kristin wasn’t sitting on the couch in his living room.

  Max’s eyebrows knitted.

  David folded his arms. “You were saying?”

  “She was just here a second ago,” Max replied.

  David’s face filled with disbelief. “Is that so?”

  “I’m serious,” Max said.

  “Then where did she go?”

  “I don’t know,” Max said. He raised his voice and looked at the hallway. “Kristin, where did you go?”

  Max waited a few seconds for an answer, but he didn’t get one.

  David became impatient.

  “That’s it. I’m done waiting,” David said.

  David stepped forward.

  Max put his hand up. “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “To find Kristin,” David replied.

  Max shook his head. “You can’t just come in here.”

  “Max, if you truly don’t have anything to hide then you don’t have anything to worry about,” David said. “Now, are you going to stand in my way?”

  Max took a deep breath and then replied, “Fine, you can come in.”

  When Max stepped aside, David bolted inside the house. He didn’t like what he found, however. There was no sign of Kristin anywhere. So, where was she?

  Even though David didn’t have the answer to that question, he did have a lead. When he entered the kitchen, he noticed that the back door wasn’t completely closed.

  He then turned to me. “I think she slipped out the back.”

  My eyes widened. “Oh no.”

  David stared Max down. “Don’t you dare go anywhere.”

  “I won’t,” Max said.

  David then turned his focus to me. “Come on. We need to find Kristin.”

  David grabbed his radio and spoke into it. “Deputy Tolliver. Detain Max,” David said.

  “Will do,” Tolliver replied.

  David spoke into his radio again. “Deputy McDougal. I need you to drive around the neighborhood in search of Kristin. It appears that she slipped out the back. We have to find her.”

  “Copy that,” McDougal replied. “I’m on it.”

  David put his radio down and bolted into the backyard. I joined him.

  “I can’t believe it,” I said. “Which direction do you think she went?”

  David shook his head. “I have no clue.”

  “We have to pick one and hope that we’re right.”

  “Honestly, even if we’re right, she has a solid head start on us. Deputy McDougal will probably have better luck catching up with her than we will.”

  “You’re probably right, but it doesn’t hurt to conduct a search on foot either.”

  “It certainly doesn’t.”

  “My best guess is to go up and down Devlin Street.”

  “That’s as good of a place to start as any.”

  ***

  David and I scoured the neighborhood for a number of minutes. We didn’t have any luck in finding Kristin.

  We weren’t alone. Deputy McDougal wasn’t able to track her down either.

  After searching for the better part of fifteen minutes, we all made our way back to Max’s house. It was clear that we would have to widen our search area.

  “Deputy, take a drive over to Kristin’s house. If you spot her, give me a call,” David said.

  “Will do,” McDougal replied.

  David wasn’t about to stop the search there. Kristin had a sister who lived in town. My husband radioed police headquarters and had a deputy drive over to the sister’s house in case Kristin turned up there.

  In addition, David phoned Kristin’s workplace and spoke to her boss. Maybe she would turn up there. It wasn’t likely, but it didn’t hurt to put in the call.

  Finally, David decided to put out an all-points-bulletin. He wanted to cover all of the bases.

  The only thing working in his favor right then was that Kristin had left on foot. Theoretically, she could only make it so far if she didn’t have her car.

  That’s where taxis and ride-sharing services came into the picture.

  Given how easy it would be for her to call for a ride, it was essential that David spread the word that the police were looking for her.

  ***

  Once the all-points-bulletin was in place, David and I headed back inside Max’s house.

  By then, Max was quite irritated.

  “What’s the big idea having a deputy detain me in my own house? I didn’t do anything wrong,” Max said.

  “I need you to listen to me very clearly,” David said. “I want answers, and I want them now.”

  “Hey, what are you getting upset with me for? Kristin was the one who slipped out the back.”

  “Are you saying you had no idea that she would bolt?”

  “Of course not.”

  “It was a complete surprise to you then?”

  “Yes. Why are you talking to me like that?”

  “You have to admit, it’s really strange that she came over here to talk to you and then bolted the moment that we showed up.”

  “I don’t know what you want me to say. I can’t explain her actions.”

  “Do you have any theories on why she split?”

  “No.”

  David stared the suspect down. “You’re not lying to me, are you?”

  “She probably just freaked out.”

  “Why would she do that?”

  “It’s pretty intimidating being questioned by the police. Especially when they show up unannounced.”

  “It shouldn’t be that intimidating. Especially given the fact that you both claim to be innocent.”

  “We are innocent.”

  “I’m finding that harder to believe than ever.”

  “You can believe whatever you want. It’s not going to change the truth.”

  “Fine. Since you claim to be telling the truth then why don’t you tell me what you and Kristin were talking about before we arrived?”

  “Just how great it was to see each other again.”

  “And?”

  “And how nice it will be when this case is over so things can go back to normal.”

  “What else?”

  “That’s all.”

  David’s eyes widened. “Really? Those are the only things you talked about?”

  “Yes.”

  “So, the topic of murder didn’t come up then?”

  Max shook his head. “No.”

  David stared deep into Max’s eyes.

  “You’d better not be lying to me,” David said.

  “I’m not.”

  “You say that, yet I’m getting the distinct feeling that there’s something you’re not telling me.”

  “There isn’t.”

  “All right. Next question. Do you have any idea where she might have gone?”

  Max shrugged. “I have no clue.”

  David folded his arms. “I find that hard to believe.”

  “Look. This is all one big surprise to me.”

  “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we try to solve this mystery right now?”

  “How?”

  “By giving your girlfriend a call.”

  “Right now?”

  “Is that a problem?”

  “No,” Max replied. “What do you want me to say?”
/>
  “I want you to ask her where she is. And why she ran out.”

  “Fine.”

  ***

  Max placed the call. Unfortunately, Kristin didn’t answer her phone. When the call went to voicemail, Max left a brief message asking where she was. He then implored her to call him back.

  After that, David and I stood around waiting for a few minutes, hoping that Kristin would return Max’s call.

  That didn’t happen.

  At that point, Max became impatient. “Look. I’ve done everything that you’ve asked me to. Now, will you leave me alone?”

  David let out a groan and then replied, “Sure.”

  “Good.”

  David put his hand up. “Just one thing before we go.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You’d better hope that you’re not lying to me. Got it?”

  Chapter Seven

  David and I left Max’s house and returned to our car. Both of us were feeling jaded and disappointed about the way things had turned out. There was a lot of information to process. In addition, I felt like I was trying to navigate an emotional minefield.

  “It turns out you were right. That TV interview did rattle some cages. In ways that neither of us predicted,” David said.

  “You’re not kidding,” I replied. “I wish my instincts had warned me about this.”

  “Don’t get down on yourself. There’s only so much you can predict.”

  “Oh, I’m not down on myself. It’s the situation that I’m frustrated with. This is some crazy stuff.”

  David nodded. “Starting with Max.”

  I almost did a double-take. “Don’t you mean Kristin?”

  “Make no mistake. What she did was nuts too. But right now, I’m still focused on Max.”

  “Any particular reason why?”

  “I can’t shake the feeling that Max was withholding information from us,” David said.

  “You might be right.”

  “What are your instincts telling you?”

  I grimaced. “You’re not going to like this.”

  David’s nose crinkled. “Why? Do you believe that things are going to get much worse before they get better?”

  “Honestly, I’m not getting a good read on this situation at all. That’s what scares me.”

  “Really? Your gut has suddenly gone silent?”

  “I know, it’s crazy.”

  “I’ll say. Especially since it was sending you such strong signals just yesterday.”

  “What can I say? A lot can happen in twenty-four hours.”

  David chuckled. “You aren’t kidding. Can you believe it’s only been a little over twelve hours since you came up with your plan?”

  I stared out into the distance. “Wow. That’s crazy.”

  “It’s definitely shaping up to be an insane afternoon.”

  I nodded. “With everything that’s happened, chances are that things are only going to get nuttier from here.”

  “It makes me shudder to think what will happen next.”

  “Maybe we’ll get lucky. Perhaps someone will spot Kristin soon.”

  “Wouldn’t that be great? We’re definitely overdue to catch a break.”

  “I agree,” I said. “In the meantime, what do you want to do now?”

  “Deputy Tolliver is going to keep watch here. Let’s head back to the station and regroup.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  Chapter Eight

  There was no telling if or when we would get a hit on the all-points-bulletin. The truth was that we were staring down a big question mark. That didn’t sit well with either of us. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much we could do about it except to pray for the best.

  It ended up taking a few hours, but David did get a hit on the all-points-bulletin. Apparently, a gas station clerk at the edge of town spotted Kristin filling up a car at the station a few minutes ago.

  It wasn’t her red sedan, however. That was still parked in Max’s driveway. Kristin had managed to get a different car. Had she stolen it? Rented it?

  We were determined to find out.

  Thankfully, a deputy was patrolling that area of town and happened to be nearby. David immediately ordered the deputy to dart over to the gas station and detain Kristin.

  That wasn’t all. David and I made our way out to my husband’s car and burned rubber. Due in large part to the lack of traffic in town, we managed to make it to the gas station in just under eight minutes.

  When we arrived, Deputy Gulch had detained Kristin.

  David and I were anxious to ask her some questions. We didn’t hesitate to approach her and get straight to the point.

  “You have a lot of explaining to do,” David said.

  “Me? Why are you holding me against my will?” Kristin asked.

  “Are you kidding me? You slipped out the back at Max’s house. You had to realize how suspicious that would make you look.”

  “That’s what you say.”

  “I don’t know anyone in my position who wouldn’t think the same thing.”

  “That still doesn’t explain why you’re holding me against my will.”

  “I have some questions for you. And you’re not going anywhere until I get some answers.”

  “Once I answer your questions, are you going to let me go?”

  “That depends.”

  “On what?”

  “What your answers happen to be.”

  She groaned and then replied, “Fine. What do you want to know?”

  “Why were you running from us?”

  “I wasn’t running from you.”

  “Ms. Boxer, do I need to remind you that it’s a crime to lie to a police detective?”

  “No.”

  “How about you start telling the truth then?”

  “I am. I wasn’t running from you.”

  “Do you really expect me to believe that?”

  “Detective, I was running from Max.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because he’s a dangerous man.”

  “Is that so?” David asked.

  She nodded.

  “What makes you say that?” David continued.

  “You don’t think I know my own boyfriend?”

  “If he’s such a dangerous man then why is he your boyfriend in the first place?”

  “It’s interesting that you should bring that up. I was just going over there this morning to break up with him.”

  “Oh really?”

  She nodded. “I went over there and told him it was over between us.”

  “And how did he react?”

  “Poorly. He wouldn’t let me leave through the front door. That’s when I went out the back. I was going to walk around the house to head over to my car, but then I spotted you two. That’s when I took off."

  David put his hand up. “Let me stop you for a minute. Why did you break up with him?”

  “Things just weren’t working out between us.”

  “Can you be more specific than that?”

  “I’d rather not.”

  “How come?”

  “Look. Can you just drop the subject and let me go?”

  “No. Not until I get answers.”

  “Please. You need to let me go.”

  “Why? What aren’t you telling me?”

  “I’m in danger. That’s why I need to leave town as soon as possible.”

  “What will happen if you don’t?” David asked.

  She lowered her head and didn’t say a word.

  David broke the silence a moment later. “Ms. Boxer, you need to tell me what’s going on.”

  “I can’t tell you anything. Not unless you’re willing to make a deal with me.”

  “What kind of a deal?”

  “If I tell you what you want to know, I need you to protect me.”

  “From who?”

  “From Max.”

  “Why are you so afraid of Max?”

  “Detective, do we hav
e a deal or not?”

  “Fine,” David said. “Now, answer my question. Why are you so afraid of Max?”

  “Because he’s a killer.”

  Chapter Nine

  Kristin’s statement was shocking. But it wasn’t nearly as shocking as what she told us next. David and I listened to her entire story. When she was done speaking, it became clear that we had to get back to Max’s house right away.

  We weren’t about to just let Kristin go. She wasn’t going to leave town in the car that she borrowed from her sister. She was coming with us.

  We burned rubber over to Max’s house. On the way, David radioed Deputy Tolliver. My husband then ordered Tolliver to detain Max.

  A few minutes later, we arrived on Max’s street. When we pulled up in front of Max’s midcentury home, we realized that our plan had hit a dangerous snag.

  Deputy Tolliver was standing on the front lawn with his gun drawn.

  His pistol was pointed at Max, who was holding a gun of his own.

  It was clear that Max wasn’t going to just turn himself in. He was prepared to put up a serious fight.

  David parked the car and turned to me. “Stay here.” He then looked at Kristin. “You too. Don’t move.”

  From there, David got out of his sedan and drew his gun.

  “Max, put your gun down,” David demanded.

  “Nice try, but that isn’t going to happen,” Max replied. “In fact, don’t take one more step or I’m going to fire at the deputy.”

  “If you do that, you’re as good as dead. Tolliver and I are trained marksmen. At this range, we never miss. Isn’t that right, Tolliver?” David said.

  “Absolutely,” Tolliver replied.

  “You can try to scare me all the want. If I’m going down, I’m taking the deputy with me,” Max said. “Or you can let me go and your friend will live.”

  “There’s only two ways that you’re leaving this scene. In handcuffs. Or in a body bag. The choice is yours.”

  “Are you threatening me?”

  “No. I’m just telling you the truth. If I were you, I’d put the gun down. Kristin has already told us everything. We know what you did. Killing Jake was bad enough. There’s no reason to make things worse.”

  “You don’t understand. There’s no going back. It’s too late.”