Chapter 15: Chapter 15

DAN

My phone vibrates in my pocket. “Hey, Kat. What’s going on?”

“Dan, I heard about the captain from your partner. Just wanted to let you know I’m on your side. That tree has quite the reputation.

“Also, I’ve got a peculiar case here. Your partner dismissed it as a simple ‘old age’ death, but something tells me there’s more to it. You should take a look,” Kathy says.

“Where’s the scene?”

“Windy Lake Park,” she replies.

“Got it.”

I arrive at the scene, driving under the lifted caution tape. The crime lab van is parked just ahead. I step out of my car and head towards the covered body. Kathy is already there, waiting for me.

“What’s the situation?” I ask.

“Homeless man, dead. Goes by Willie Stiles, or Crazy Willie as the locals call him. The witness over there,” she points, “says she saw him run out of that bookstore,” she gestures to the west.

I glance over my shoulder, spotting the store in the distance.

“Here’s the strange part. I checked his liver temperature, and it suggests he’s been dead for days,” she says, looking at me.

“But the witness said he collapsed just an hour ago.” I’m puzzled.

“Exactly. His liver was ice cold, like he’d been in a freezer for a week before being dumped here,” Kathy explains.

“I don’t understand!” I exclaim.

“Neither do I. In all my years, I’ve never seen anything like this. His liver should be in the low- to mid-nineties. It was thirty-four degrees,” she says, packing up her equipment.

“I’ll take him back to the lab for an autopsy. We need to find out what killed him.”

“Thanks, Kathy,” I say, heading towards the witness.

I reach the witness, standing just beyond the caution tape.

“Hi, I’m Detective Adams. I know you’ve already given your statement, but could you tell me what you saw?”

“Sure,” she replies.

The officer hands me his notes and leaves.

“I was sitting on a bench across from the bookstore. I saw him go in, then a few minutes later, he came running out like he was being chased by something.

“He ran past me, repeating, ‘I didn’t tell them anything. I didn’t tell them anything.’ I followed him here, then saw him collapse.

“I ran over to check on him. His skin was ice cold, and he wasn’t breathing. I couldn’t find a pulse. That’s when I called 911.”

I compare her statement with the officer’s notes. They match.

“Thank you,” I say, handing her my business card. “If you remember anything else, here’s my number. Call me anytime.”

I return to the scene just as the coroner’s van is backing up. Kathy and her assistant have bagged the body.

“Wait a moment!” I call out.

I pull out my phone, unzip the bag to reveal his face, and snap a picture. “Thanks,” I say to Kathy. “How long until you know the cause of death?”

“Give me a few hours. I’ll text you my findings,” she says, hopping into the van.

I glance westward and start walking towards the bookstore.

As I open the door, a bell chimes overhead. A girl pops up from behind the counter.

“Hi,” she greets.

“Are you the owner?” I ask.

“No, my friend’s running the store for her parents. She’s out for lunch. Can I help you?”

I lift my shirt to reveal my badge. “I’m Detective Adams. And you are?”

“Zoey.”

I jot down her name in my notes, then pull out my phone to show her the picture. “Do you recognize this man?” I ask.

“Yes! He’s the crazy old man who came in here and started talking nonsense.”

“What kind of nonsense?” I ask.

“He came in and started saying things like, ‘You didn’t heed my warning. Someone died.’ I asked him, ‘Who died?’

“He replied, ‘You know who.’ Then he said the house was haunted. I asked, ‘What house?’ and he said, ‘The one that was given to your friend.’”

“Who was given a house?” I ask, writing down her words.

“Chelsea Payton,” she replies.

I stop writing and look up at her. “Chelsea Payton? The one who just inherited a house off State Road 22?” Zoey nods. “What’s your friend’s name, the one who works here?”

“Lynn Ryan,” she tells me.

~Holy shit, it’s all connected~.

~Crazy Willie knows about Brian’s accident; he thinks Brian is dead and that the house is haunted.~

“Thank you for your help.” I notice a camera on the wall, pointing at the counter. “Does that camera work?” I ask, pointing up.

“No, they’re fake. Lynn’s parents couldn’t afford a real system, so they put up decoys.”

I shake my head. “Thanks again,” I say, leaving the bookstore and heading back to my car.

Once I’m in my car, I reach for my phone, intending to call my partner and tell him about the connection with Brian. But I stop myself halfway, putting my phone away.

“Screw him. He doesn’t care anyway,” I mutter, firing up the car and peeling out.