Chapter 29

The Chief started the interview by asking me some personal questions, like what my
Charlotte address was, my full name—the usual questions one asks a potential suspect. I watched his mannerisms as he wrote down my information. He wasn’t threatening in any way, but there was a stern aura about him that one expected from a figure of authority.

“Miss Rosewood, I imagine you are aware by now that Melinda Jones was murdered here sometime after 5 pm.” His question was a statement.

“Yes sir, I do. To be honest, I’m in shock and still can’t believe it. I wonder what she was doing inside the house. I locked it tight before I went out.”

“Did you see the victim?”

“Not since this morning…”

“She was here this morning?” The Argus-eyed Chief studied my face.

I idly thought, “Why do I feel as if I am on the hot seat right now?” Instead I answered truthfully, “She came by before 9 a.m. to see Perry about something personal. His sister Nova was here too.”

“Did the deceased stay long?”

“No sir, not even 15 minutes. She was irritated that she had missed him. According to Nova, Perry went to Raleigh for the day.”

“How was her demeanor?”

“Angry that Perry wasn’t around. She was very bitchy to Nova and me, well mainly to me. I didn’t get the feeling she was afraid of anyone.”

“She didn’t like you, Miss Rosewood?” His eyes held mine. I wasn’t going to shy away either.

“She despised me from first sight, Chief Nettles. Partly because I am a guest in what she called ‘her mansion.’ Partly because I am an acquaintance of Perry’s and partly, because she works…I mean, worked at a publishing house that I was signed with. I didn’t meet her until a few days ago and can’t really tell you much about her personal life.”

“How did you feel about her?”

“I didn’t like her. She has…sorry…had a snide way about her that can get under a woman’s skin. Our encounters were brief.”

“Where were you today after 5 pm?”

“I went for a walk along the beach towards the pier. I passed a bunch of people along the way. When I got tired I sat down at the bottom of a small dune and watched the surf. I wasn’t at the pier but I was close enough to see the fishermen on it. I don’t know what time I stood up. The surf was rising and I knew I couldn’t make it back without swimming. So I decided to walk back to the house by way of the highway.”

I paused, wondering if I should edit David out or not. But knew if I did, it would seem suspicious, as if I were hiding something. With Perry in the room, I knew that when he heard me mention David, the warmth and concern he showed me earlier would dissipate.

‘But you showed up here a while ago wet?”

“Well, yes I swam back.”

“You swam back down the highway?” He asked in a baiting tone.

“No sir, I didn’t swim back down the highway. I haven’t finished my story. I was pausing because I’ve had a distressful evening and I am to the point of exhaustion. I’ll continue if you like.” He irritated me, as most policemen do when they interrogate.

“By all means, please continue.”

“I walked for about ten minutes until I came to the convenient store. Oh gosh, I can’t remember the name of it. But the clerk was a redheaded lady, very friendly and sweet. She let me use the phone. “

“That would be the Fish Daddy. Donna works the 2nd shift. Did she have rings on every finger?” I nodded and didn’t miss the look he gave one of the policemen standing in the shadows. He tipped his hat and left the room. I figured he was on his way to check out my alibi.

I continued my statement. “I’m not used to long periods of exercise and was almost too exhausted to walk the rest of the way back to the cottage. So I called Wade but got his answering service. I didn’t know anyone else to call. When I was leaving the store, I ran into my ex-fiancé. He insisted I go for a drive with him to discuss problems.” From the corner of my eye, I saw Perry’s body stiffen. I sighed deeply before continuing. “When we had to stop for an accident that had the street blocked, I slipped out of the car. Our conversation was going nowhere. Instead of having to continue it, I decided to swim back to the Pirate, believing it would be a quicker route. I don’t think he knows where I’m staying.”

“Who is your ex-fiancé? Do you know where he is? We may want to question him.”

I hated to say his name, because 99% of the time I got the same reaction. “His name is David Harper. He lives just outside of Charlotte. I don’t know if he’s staying on the island.”

“David Harper. That name sounds familiar. Does he know the victim?”

“No, I don’t think so.” I hesitated to give any more information on David. Then a voice in my head told me that it would make my situation look better. “David Harper used to play Major League baseball in the 90’s. Now he plays the Minor league, or he did until he suffered an injury a few months ago. I imagine once he’s cleared by his physician, he’ll be back to pitching soon.”

“David Harper is your ex-fiancé?” the Chief asked. He looked impressed.

“Yes, we were together for 5 years. But our goals were on different planes, so I decided it was time for me to take another flight. I broke up with him a few months ago but David’s a baseball player and he doesn’t believe he’s out until he gets three strikes. I needed a break from Charlotte so I came here to vacation without telling David. He found out somehow that I was here and by chance we ran into each other.”

“So he was here to talk about the relationship?”

“Yes, he was but I have nothing to say to him about the past. To me, it’s over.”

The Chief looked over at Perry. “Could you give us a few moments in private, Perry?”

Perry didn’t say anything to either of us. He strode out without looking at me.

“We’ll verify your story with Donna. It sounds strange but most true stories are, Miss Rosewood.” He smiled in a friendly manner.

“Now, I need to ask about Perry. Did he and the victim have a very volatile relationship?”

“Did you ever meet her while she was alive, Chief Nettles?” I asked, thinking if he knew her, he wouldn’t be asking me some of these questions.

“On a few rare occasions, I did run into her and Perry when they were still married. She wasn’t very approachable, so I never interacted with her beyond exchanging pleasantries.”

“When she first came to the Pirate, she was very dismissive of me. Contemptuous is a better word! Then when she found out that I was friendly with Perry, she became very rude to both of us. After that, she went out of her way to be a nasty hateful woman. Though in my opinion, she was a vile person, I did not witness any violence between them. They argued but I never got the impression that Perry would hurt her.”

He nodded, “I didn’t think so either but I have to ask these questions.” His cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation. I got up and walked over to the window, to give him some privacy. From the top floor I could see for miles. But the cloak of darkness wouldn’t let reveal what the night was hiding. When he finished his conversation, I returned to my chair.

“That was Dale, one of my officers. He went to see Donna to see if your story held. She remembered you and was relieved you made it home fine. But she didn’t remember seeing Mr. Harper. I think your story checks out, but we'll need to find Mr. Harper. By the way, Perry’s clear. He was at his gym during those hours, working out with some muscle guys.”

“Who could have killed Melinda?” I mused. “The savagery of the attack is horrific.”

“Yes, it is. I haven’t seen a murder like it in all my twenty years as Police Chief on the island. We’re a quiet bunch, more like a family than most towns. Usually it’s a tourist that gets out of hand. By the way, I’ve got one other task for you to do, Miss Rosewood and I need you to walk through the house with me, to see if anything is out of place or missing.”

“Oh my, I haven’t thought of a burglary. Do you think she startled a robber and was killed so she couldn’t identify him?”

“I don’t know, but to be on the safe side, we aren’t ruling out anything at this stage.”