She recognized Triney’s unmarked vehicle pulling up and parking. A deputy hurried over to him and started gesturing explaining the scene. He pointed over at Sandy and Kevin.
She was rubbing her bruised wrists when Triney walked over. “You need medical attention, Sandy?”
She shook her head.
“So what happened? Do you know who shot him?”
“That’s Toby Towalski lying there, the guy we were looking for. I don’t know who shot him.” She didn’t want to admit being in Abby’s house illegally. She could say that she went to confront Abby about the kidnapping when Toby suddenly intercepted her, forced her inside, and threatened her. Toby wasn’t in any position to contradict her. No, that was phony and she didn’t want to lie to him. Maybe he wouldn’t ask too many questions. Maybe he wasn’t too concerned with that angle. The info Toby had divulged concerned Privado Beach, which was a city police case. Triney’s concern would be who shot Toby out here in his county territory.
“Why are you here?”
“I came here looking for Jamie. Toby must have followed me.” That much was true, but misleading. He appeared to believe her but she couldn’t go on. They were beginning to build a rapport; she couldn’t lie. The good part of all this was she was still alive; the bad part was she’d been discovered rummaging illegally through Abby’s house. She’d have to take her lumps for that.
“Triney, here’s how it went. Abby wasn’t home. The place was dark and empty. I knew where the key was hidden. I entered and was still inside when Toby came in after me. He threatened me with a knife. Someone shot him as I was trying to run away.”
He held a steady look at Kevin. “And what were you doing while this was going on?”
“I didn’t see anything. It was all over when I drove up.”
“Okay. Sandy you go wait in my vehicle. I’ll be over there in a minute after I talk to Kevin.”
The smart detective was going to get their statements separately so he could compare statements. She was glad she’d told the truth. She walked over and sat in the front seat of Triney’s vehicle.
She remembered turning off her phone when she went in the house. She reached in her pocket for her phone and was surprised to feel the two wrapped toothbrushes. She examined the drying blood splotches on the lower legs of her jeans. Fortunately, the splatter hadn’t reached her pocket. She’d forgotten about the toothbrushes, but they were not contaminated. She pulled out her phone. There was a missed voice mail from Kevin. She clicked on it:
Such a foolhardy way of obtaining DNA. Such a reckless way to search for Jamie. She couldn’t believe she had entered someone else’s house as casually as she had. She was preoccupied with locating Jamie and felt so cocky when she got the idea: go in, look around, a piece of cake. She would have to face the consequences, and there would be consequences.
Although the offense might seem minor, in her case it would be sufficient for Moran to arrest and jail her. She was already out on bail for the conspiracy murder charge. She realized this violation would be enough for Moran to revoke all bail for the duration of Abby’s trial. This could mean confinement for two or three years. So there goes law school.
In addition, Abby would bring charges against her as soon as she found out. And when they processed her at the jail they would empty her pockets and find two stolen toothbrushes. They could add petty larceny; she had to smile at that. She had told herself she was looking for Jamie. Going in that house had to be the dumbest thing in her lifetime. It takes only one “You dumbass” to wipe out years of “You clever girl.”
Through the windshield, she could see Toby’s body being zipped into a black bag and carried off. Someone should call his stepmother. Sandy guessed she’d find out soon enough. Triney was still talking with Kevin and writing notes on a small pad.
She felt a little better now. After the strain of having her life threatened, and having Toby die across her legs, it was a relief to sit in the safety of the detective’s car. He would start by scolding her for being a damn fool entering the house. She could take that. He’d have to report it.
Triney came back over and slid in behind the wheel. “You still okay?”
She nodded.
“First, I need your version of why Kevin Olin was here.”
“He knew I’d be here. That was our plan. He was to keep Abby away while I went in the house and searched for anything that might lead to Jamie. When Abby left him unexpectedly, he thought she might head back here so he tried to get here to warn me.”
“So Abby was headed back here?”
“I don’t think Kevin knew where she was headed. But he didn’t want me caught inside. After the shooting, I was lying in the driveway with the body. Kevin was the first person I saw after that.”
“Did you see or hear anyone after you heard the shot? Any footsteps, any talking, any car driving away?”
She shook her head.
“Did you see Kevin drive up?”
“No, and he didn’t act as if he had heard the shot or knew what happened. Said he just drove up.”
He continued with the interrogation, including what Toby had to say about Privado Beach. He didn’t seem unusually concerned. It all seemed routine and she was thankful for that. It took some time before he stopped writing, apparently satisfied. Finally, he clipped the ballpoint back in his pocket. “Okay you’re free to go.”
She was surprised. “What about the other? You didn’t say anything.” At no time had he alluded to her being in the house illegally.
“What other?”
She folded her arms across her chest. “My breaking and entering. Or getting the key and entering.”
“I don’t see any violation there. The owner of the house gave you permission to enter and told you where to find the key.”
“What? Kevin told me the judge ordered the house transferred to Abby.”
“Yes, he did, but Kevin appealed the ruling and as of right now the deed technically is still in his name. Abby doesn’t have any tenant rights as she isn’t paying rent and there’s no tenancy agreement between them. I’ll make that clear in my report, so you don’t have any problem.” The detective flipped his notebook closed. “That’s it Sugar. I’m glad you’re okay. Sorry you got the hell scared out of you. Do you need a ride home or anything?”
Chapter Seventeen
She had just lived through the worst day of her life. And there were other reasons Sandy slept in the next morning. It was late when Triney excused her from the Toby shooting scene. Later still when she eventually fell asleep. All topped off by a widescreen HD nightmare featuring Toby Towalski. She was on Abby’s couch stripped bare. He was leaning back in his chair with his legs crossed comfortably and sipping a cup of tea with his little finger sticking out. Toward morning, she got enough of it out of her mind to at last fall asleep.
Now it was almost noon. The shower last night was to wash off Toby. The one this morning was routine. Afterward she phoned Chip. He came right over.
She sat with her coffee and bowl of Special K at a card table in the center of her studio apartment. Chip was settled a few feet away in Sandy’s comfy reading spot: a soft-leather armchair with a tarnished-brass floor lamp capable of perfect over the left shoulder light, and a side table to place her tea.
The single room served as her living room, dining room, workstation, and kitchen. The kitchen hid behind folding doors along one closet-like wall. Positioned along the opposite wall was her study desk, wired for her laptop, and two small bookcases. The bathroom was separate. A tiny alcove held her twin-sized bed.
She once remarked she felt comfy cozy there and would hate to leave the place behind when she became rich from her first over-the-top lawsuit. Chip replied she didn’t have to leave it behind; it was so small she could have it bronzed and take it with her. One nice feature of the apartment, he said, was the bathtub wasn’t in the kitchen.
Now he said, “I heard about a shooting last night out in the county, however I didn’t know you were involved. Triney called me after it was all over and said you got home all right. Did you get my voice mail about calling me if
