Cade: *clears throat* So after the day you told him to leave you alone, you never heard from Drake Harris again? No phone calls, letters, emails, etc.? Did his family try to reach out to talk with you at all?
Kresley: No, I never heard from Drake or any of his family after that. I attended college and managed to avoid him and his family when I came home for breaks. I finished school and moved back here to help run my parent’s business. That was 8 years ago and I haven’t had a conversation with Drake in all of that time, until yesterday. And I wouldn’t call what we had yesterday as conversation. He mostly sat or stood in the office and let his fiancé talk. I could read his body language and see he was uncomfortable. Whether it was because of me or his impending wedding, I have no clue. He definitely didn’t look excited.
Cade: Okay, so walk me through the rest of your day yesterday. After Drake and his fiancé left, how did your day progress?
Kresley: I had several more meetings at the office that afternoon. I met with each of those clients. My assistant Grace Puckett can give you those names and contact info if you need them. My meetings ended at around 5:30 PM and by 6 PM I was alone at the office warehouse. All three of my sisters and Grace usually leave each day by 6 PM, but I stayed late to get some paperwork done for a big upcoming wedding I have scheduled in several weeks. I found myself looking for an invoice receipt for flowers that I needed for the wedding. It was a large receipt of $24,000 dollars and when I couldn’t find it, I called my assistant, Grace, at her home and asked her where the receipt was. She was on the phone with me by speaker as I walked from the warehouse to the back door and outside.
Cade: Did you hear any strange noises outside? Did something startle you or make you pause in what you were doing?
Kresley: No, I hadn’t heard any strange noise outside. But these walls are thick with brick and the warehouse itself is big. I’m not surprised that I didn’t hear anything.
Cade: When was it that you noticed something or someone in the alleyway outside your building?
Kresley: I had walked to the back door with Grace on speakerphone with me. I told her I was unlocking the door. I had a high-powered beam flashlight that I had grabbed and I shone it around the parking lot. I had noticed as I tried to push the door open that something seemed to be blocking the door from opening very far. After I pushed harder, it opened enough for me to squeeze through. When I got outside the door, I noticed the body on the ground and my flashlight was shining on the red blood stain near his head. I then noticed the ’69 Mustang parked in the alleyway and put it with the body in front of me and concluded that it was Drake Harris lying there.
Cade: What happened then?
Kresley: I began feeling faintish and could hear my assistant Grace on the speakerphone, screaming my name. I then felt a hard push in my side. My head hit the brick wall and I blacked out. When I came to, I was staring up at you and feeling confused.
Cade: We’ve already pulled your records with your alarm company. I know that the alarm was set at 5:55 PM yesterday and wasn’t deactivated or turned off until 8:17 PM when you went outside to try to find your receipt. That tells me that no one exited or entered your warehouse between those times so I know you didn’t leave for any reason, including to have a conversation with Drake Harris at your business. We know the ME estimates that Drake died around 7:50 PM, so he had only been dead for 25 minutes or so when you emerged.
Kresley: I’m glad you could get that info so quickly, but am I being looked at as a person of interest in this case?
Cade: No, not necessarily. We have to be meticulous in our methods so we can eliminate people who have motive and no concrete alibi.
Kresley: Oh, okay. I understand. Does Drake’s family know what happened yet?
Cade: Yes, they were informed late last night by law enforcement. I’ll be seeing them later this morning in my office to discuss what we know. Ms. Anderson, do you have any knowledge of anyone who would want to do harm to Drake Harris? Do you know of any circumstances that could have happened to instigate this?
Kresley: Honestly, no I don’t. I haven’t kept tabs on him at all and only knew he was engaged when his fiancé came into our business to hire us to plan their wedding. That was months ago. I feel bad for Drake’s brother, Braxton. I think they were close or were at one time. I see Braxton often around town and we speak and are on friendly terms. Braxton, being a fire captain at the MSFD, is more in the public eye. So, I see him more. Drake’s parents are still alive, but we don’t talk. If we see each other in public, we’re polite, but there isn’t any love lost there.
Cade: I think that’s all the questions I have now for you Ms. Anderson, I appreciate your time and answers. Mark this as end of recording.
Kresley watched as Cade turned off the recording on his phone. He immediately reached for her and pulled her across the couch to sit across his lap. Cade wrapped his massive arms around her and proceeded to just hold her without comment. After a few minutes, Cade cleared his throat and stated, “You did so freaking
