Page 18 of Beneath Still Waters

Jonie pushed away from the bar, her eyes wide. “That’s not the question I assumed you’d be asking.”

“Why? What did you expect?”

Her focus dashed away, landed on Ferd for a second, then on the bar. “I don’t know, like, who has been too rowdy lately? I’ve made a couple complaints the last two weeks. A new guy keeps coming in and making all sorts of trouble. He meets with out-of-towners, tries to get into fights. He just causes trouble. Didn’t you get my reports?” Her eyes found him again.

“No, I haven’t seen them. I’ll check with dispatch to see who was assigned to your case. When was the last time you saw Bailey come in?”

Her face scrunched and she frowned. “It’s been a while. Maybe a month since I’ve seen him. He used to come in here weekly. He was seeing someone and asked if he could have theprivate booth. Since I know he’s not going to trash it, I let him. She was really nice, but I don’t know her.”

Ferd leaned forward. “Would you recognize her if you saw a picture? You’ve never seen her around here before?” Piper’s Ridge couldn’t keep secrets. When she’d arrived, everyone had known within the hour. How could this person live here and not be known?

“I guess she’s from Cottonwood Bluff. Not too far away. I didn’t even see what car she drove, so I can’t help you. Maybe our street security cameras could help, but you’d better talk to boss man soon if you want them. She hasn’t been here in at least a month, and they don’t keep those recordings for long.”

Duke glanced at her, then at Jonie. “I’ll have one of the guys get a warrant. Can you call the owner and let him know it’s coming and to please not overwrite those files?”

Most systems didn’t even work like that anymore. “Are you sure they overwrite? How old is your system?” Ferd narrowed her eyes, playing the bad guy so Duke could keep his contact.

Jonie stuck her nose up slightly. “It’s fairly new.”

Just like her. Even playing the bad cop hurt. Duke had lived here long enough to fit in. They probably went to the same school. Same as their parents. Nothing ever changed in Piper’s Ridge. Especially their feelings on outsiders.

FIFTEEN

“She may not be home.” Duke glanced at his watch. “It’s one. Prime time to be in someone’s home, doing her job.” He glanced up at the three-story brick apartment complex. The wood slat shingles that hung well past the windows of the top floor screamed seventies design. Brick crumbles lay scattered around the perimeter.

“Needs an update.” She pushed the toe of her boot into a huge crack in the concrete step just outside the front door.

“This place has been owned by the same person since they first got their real estate license. So long ago that my parents told me about the party they had here when it was completed. There’s a pool in the back, but it hasn’t been filled in at least a decade,” Duke said.

She didn’t miss her apartment. It hadn’t been a place of excitement when she moved into it on her own, and she still couldn’t sleep well, even with all four locks engaged. She shook her head slightly to shake the thought loose. This wasn’t about her.

Inside, the low-pile carpet was a dull brown. Worn tracks had formed over time. There was no security door. A square area ofthe hallway offered the option of going up either the right-angled staircase or the left, both meeting at the same landing just above them. One wide staircase in the middle led down. To the far left and right were halls to the main floor apartments.

“She lives on the third floor.” Duke pointed up.

She followed him up the right-side staircase to room 306. He knocked three times, then three again. Ferd shifted her weight. Her hip throbbed walking in heels, but she wasn’t going to wear running shoes to suspect interviews. The ladies on television never did.

The door swung open. A dark-haired young woman in leggings and a slouchy long-sleeved tee jumped back, her eyes wide. She dug an earbud from her ear, blasting the hall with music. “Yo, what are you doing outside my apartment?” She glared at them.

“Knocking.” Duke frowned, his hand still up, ready to knock again. He paused for a moment, then dug out his badge and held it up. “Can we talk to you for a minute? It’s about Bailey Nosboum.”

“I was just heading to his place. Is something wrong?” Her brows shot up and already round eyes widened.

Was she really curious, or had she already heard the news and wanted to be the first to tell everyone new information from the police?

“We’re investigating his death,” Duke said.

Bingo. She didn’t even flinch.

“Oh, I see. Then I guess I have two hours.” She backed away a few steps and let them inside. “That’s how long it usually took me to clean his place.”

The place didn't exactly inspire confidence in her cleaning business. Kelly’s apartment was clearly not her statement piece. Kelly scooped piles of laundry off the sofa and tossed them onthe floor so Duke and Ferd could sit. The sofa creaked loudly under their weight.

“I didn’t know him well, if that’s what you want to know. In fact, he usually wasn’t even there while I cleaned.”

She popped her gum extra loud, reached for an open energy drink on the table and fumbled it, sending the oddly rose-colored liquid flowing toward the floor.

“Oh, man, I’m sorry.” She jumped to her feet, grabbed a dingy towel and sopped up the growing spill.