The Discovery - 18. Chapter 18

Kyle’s back was aching after spending two hours leaning over his desk reading the official police reports from Sharon Ellington’s murder. It had taken a day to get the records sent to him and he had to go over them to make sure the court records of Josh’s previous trial matched up with everything in the report. So far, he had found a few discrepancies and set them aside for later. From what he had gathered in the last hour, Kyle was starting to see another avenue of attack against the prosecution’s claims. Before he could expand on it, he would need more information from some potential witnesses.

Thinking of witnesses only made the urge to call Kevin and Michelle grow again. He knew that there were a few hours to go before they met Rodger and Grant. They had only just arrived in California the night before and their scheduled meeting with two of the last people they had yet to hear from wasn’t until afternoon there. In all likelihood, Kyle would not hear about any of it until tomorrow when they returned. All that was left now was to get Dylan Goode on the record, which was proving tiresome. He had Rosette call Dylan’s office daily for the last two weeks. So far there has been no response from him directly. Only office staff giving them the runaround. He had no other choice than to wait, for now at least. Once Michelle and Kevin returned, Kyle would take what they learned and then look to the court to force Mr. Goode to come in for a deposition.

He took a break for lunch, opting to stay in his office instead of going out. Sitting at the table off to the side of his office suite, Kyle looked over the police pictures from Josh’s apartment from the morning after the murder while he ate his sandwich. While the prosecution’s evidence from six years ago showed the victim in plenty of pictures, the police record showed other things. One of which being a medicine bottle found in the trash. He squinted and leaned over to get a closer look but could barely make out the words on the bottle. That was something that he could use as part of his defense. He put the picture aside for later.

He was just finishing up eating when there was a knock at his door and Rosette stepped in. “Mr. Howard?”

Kyle looked up from his seat, noting a slight smirk of satisfaction on her lips. “What is it?”

“Mr. Goode is on line two.” She tilted her head up slightly with the barest of twitch of her lips.

Kyle smiled as he got to his feet. “How did that happen?”

Rosette arched a delicate eyebrow as she explained, “it’s possible I might have inferred that if we didn’t hear from him today than the local press might hear that there was a subpoena for him.”

Kyle grinned. He didn’t expect Rose to come up with something like that. “Well, good job then.”

She pointed to his phone before she stepped back to the door. “Better get him then before he hangs up.”

He quickly crossed the room to his desk and picked up his phone. “This is Kyle Howard,” Kyle began politely.

“Mr. Howard,” came the response. The voice on the other end sounded professional, dry, and slightly annoyed. “This is Dylan Goode. My office informs me you have been trying to get in touch with me.”

Kyle wasn’t going to be fooled by that excuse, but he played along for the moment. “Yes, I have. I’m glad we found some time to talk. I have some questions about Sharon Ellington.”

“Sharon?” There was a notable silence before he spoke again. “I don’t understand. She’s been dead for years.”

“Over six years now, yes,” Kyle confirmed. “I’ve been trying to speak to her friends and the people she was with the night of her murder. You were at a dinner party that night, if what I was told was true.” He smirked slightly, laying a trap to see how truthful Dylan Goode was willing to be with him.

Another pause before Dylan spoke. “Well… we were both there that night, yes. But we barely spoke. Nothing that I can think of that’s relevant to her death happened. I think I told the police that the day after.”

Kyle sat in his chair as he listened. His instincts told him not to believe him. “I understand, sir. However, I would still like to ask you some questions about that night, and I would rather not do it over the phone. Would it be possible to meet somewhere, and we can speak in private?”

“Well…” Dylan sighed and went silent again before responding. “I don’t think my office would be a good place to speak privately. How about you stop by my house, and we can speak freely there?”

“What time?” Kyle felt like he was close to something important, and he couldn’t give up on it.

“In about three hours, perhaps? It might be a little fast, but it would be best for us to get this out of the way now so you can move on to more important things.”

Kyle frowned slightly at his words. “Give me an address and I will be there in three hours.”

Dylan supplied him with his home address before adding, “my wife and I will be looking forward to meeting you, Mr. Howard.”

“As will I,” Kyle replied before they ended their phone call. Once he put the phone back on his desk, he suddenly realized what time it was and when he was to be expected to be there. He groaned, only now remembering that it was his turn to pick up Matt and Aaron from school, which was going to be in three hours. There was no way he could be in both places at once. If Michelle or Kevin were here, it would be a simple matter to just have them go in his place, but with them in California, that left no one but himself. Monica would not be able to go since she wasn’t as intimately involved in the case or knew what to ask. And if he cancelled, it could be even harder to get Dylan on the record.

Kyle’s main concern was how Jacob would react. They discussed this and Kyle honestly wanted to follow through on his responsibilities as a parent. But this opportunity wasn’t going to come again and if he missed it, it could mean problems for his case to free Josh. He sat at his desk, thinking it over before he reached for his cellphone and called up the one person who could help him out.

After a few rings, the sound of a pleasantly surprised Andy answered. “Well, well, well… You don’t call all that often. What’s up?”

Kyle grinned. “I call enough when you’re not right in front of me. Hey, I need a favor.”

“What kind of favor?”

“The parental kind,” Kyle replied. “I need you to pick up the boys from school today. Probably keep them until Jacob is done at work.”

“Well, that’s not really a favor,” Andy said. “Picking up Matt and Aaron isn’t really a chore. Something up?”

“Yeah. I’m working on a case and got an interview I can’t really pass up. Could have me busy for hours and it’s in Pittsburgh.”

“Alright, bro. I got you covered.”

“Thanks.” Kyle smiled in relief. He knew there was never really a chance Andy couldn’t help him out, but it was still nice to hear it. “I’ll pay you back.”

“No need,” Andy replied. “It’s what we do for each other. I’ll see you later.”

“Okay. Bye.” With that out of the way, he could turn his attention to going over those reports before had made the hour-long trip to his meeting.

 

****

 

Michelle walked briskly down the street towards her destination next to Kevin. Her smirk was enhanced by Kevin’s dour expression as they walked in silence. They had arrived in California the night before and not getting to their hotel until nearly midnight. After their slightly confused morning with the time difference, and a good if expensive breakfast, they were on their way to their intended interview. The mild southern California weather made the day more enjoyable for her. She also was mildly entertained by Kevin and his mood. Finally, after the silence between them started to become intolerable, she felt compelled to speak. “I think you should feel flattered,” she said with an upbeat tone.

“I was flattered,” he replied. “The first ten times.”

Michelle chuckled and could only shrug. “What can I say? You’re in the middle of West Hollywood. Guys are gonna stare.”

Kevin sighed, wishing they could talk about something else. “I know. It’s just a little awkward.”

“Well, a little awkward never hurt anybody.”

Kevin had been cat-called and whistled at over a dozen times since they left their hotel room. While he normally would wear a suit while working, Kyle had told them both to dress casually while they were there and enjoy themselves as long as they got the job done. Getting the job done was easy. When they contacted Grant Dawson (now Reid) the night before, he was happy to sit down and talk with them. He also said that Rodger would be available to talk as well. Now, Kevin was walking down the street in sunglasses, shorts, and a tank-top which while comfortable, had led to more than a few young men and even more older men to compliment his arms. And his legs. And his ass. “Are we almost there yet?”

Michelle pointed. “Right up there. Nice house.”

They went up the sidewalk and turned to go up to the door of a comfortable looking house. “Not bad,” he agreed.

Michelle pushed the doorbell. They only had to wait a moment before they heard movement. When the door opened, a tanned and relatively handsome man in his early thirties answered the door. “Hi. Are you the lawyers I spoke to last night?”

“Yes,” she confirmed with a smile. “I’m Michelle and this is my partner, Kevin.” She extended her hand which the man shook.

“I’m Grant, but I guess you knew that already,” he said as he held the door open for them. “Please come in. Rodger should be free in a few minutes.”

“Where is he,” Kevin asked as they followed Grant down the hall.

Grant led them towards the back of the house and then outside into an enclosed backyard with comfortable furniture that was situated in a covered area next to a pool. “Oh, in his little workout room and occasional office.”

Michelle thought that sounded odd. “He lifts weights and takes meetings at the same time?”

Grant chuckled. “Sometimes. He’s an assistant with the UCLA athletic department.”

“Sounds like that would keep him busy,” Kevin said as he took a seat.

“Most of the day, yeah,” Grant confirmed. “But he loves it. Once a jock, always a jock, I guess.”

“Interesting.” Michelle could tell by his behavior that Grant was very open and didn’t seem at all uncomfortable with their presence. She wondered if Rodger would be the same.

“Would you like something to drink or anything,” Grant asked with a polite smile and casual attitude. “You said over the phone this was something to do with Sharon.”

Michelle nodded. “Yes. How close were you with her?”

Grant moved to the side and opened a small fridge nearby to pull out three waters. He passed them to the two of them before opening his as he took a seat. “I was as friendly with her as any of the others. We weren’t like best friends or anything, but we had fun together whenever we hung out.”

“You met her in college,” Kevin asked.

“Yeah. She and Dylan were dating back then.”

“How did you meet her?”

Grant shrugged indifferently. “Dylan and I were roommates.”

Kevin blinked in surprise only just now remembering to pull a notepad out to start taking notes only to see Michelle was already ahead of him. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” Grant continued with a sigh and a roll of his eyes. “I’m not sure if that helped or hurt me back then. He wasn’t the easiest person to live with.”

“What makes you say that,” Michelle asked.

“He was a touch homophobic,” Grant informed her. “He came from a very conservative family. Much like my own, if you didn’t already know that. Thankfully, I was still in the closet.”

Kevin frowned slightly in confusion. “What about Rodger? Was he in the closet too?”

“Oh yeah,” Grant replied. “He was big into football and wrestling while we were in college. Two sports not known for their acceptance. He played around some. Not that I hold it against him. We weren’t dating then, and I probably did worse than he did. I was just better at keeping things quiet.”

Michelle tried to get the conversation back on track. “About Sharon… Did you know much about her boyfriend Josh at the time of her murder?”

“Josh was great,” Grant said with a bright smile. “He was so cute and sweet. How could you not like him? He was a little bit of an outsider to the rest of us, but it was pretty obvious he was devoted to Sharon. It still amazes me that he could’ve killed her.”

“When did you meet him?”

“Hmm.” Grant looked up as he tried to remember. “Maybe like two years before she died? I remember he was really quiet and for a second, I thought he was just another closet case, but once he warmed up, I could tell he was genuinely in love with her.”

A deeper, more masculine voice interrupted them. “I hope to hell you’re not talking about me.”

Grant looked back at the house behind him. As Michelle and Kevin’s eyes followed his gaze, they saw a tall, muscular man approaching with a towel hanging over one shoulder. Grant grinned back at his lover. “Well, you were never in love with Sharon, so no.”

“Sharon? God.” Rodger Reid sighed as he came around to sit on the outdoor sofa next to Grant. “Haven’t heard that name in years.” His attention went to the two guests. “What’s going on? Why are we talking about dead friends?”

“I’m Michelle Crowder. This is Kevin Bryant. We are doing a more thorough investigation into her murder.”

Rodger nodded slowly before sitting back on the sofa. “Okay. I thought they already convicted what’s-his-name.”

“Josh,” Grant supplied helpfully. “You remember. The slightly cute guy with the dark hair.”

Rodger slowly nodded and smirked. “Oh yeah. And those eyes. Remember his eyes?”

“So hot,” Grant confirmed. “Are you two saying he didn’t do it?”

“He maintains his innocence,” Kevin stated. “He’s been given a new trial. Most of the evidence they used to convict him was circumstantial and it was overturned on appeal a month ago.”

Rodger frowned. “So, you’re saying someone else killed her.”

“We’re not sure yet,” Michelle replied. “I will say though, that according to some witnesses, you and Sharon supposedly had an argument the night of her murder.”

Rodger rolled his eyes dismissively. “She and I used to bicker. Sometimes it went out of bounds. She called me a cocksucker and I let it get me mad.”

“Why would it get you mad if…” Kevin’s hands motioned between Rodger and Grant.

Grant grinned at Kevin. “Because we were keeping that secret and Mr. Jockboy here was always nervous of us getting caught.”

Rodger nodded. “We didn’t yell though. Not that night. And she apologized before she left.”

“Okay.” Kevin felt like there was something more going on. “I’m just going to ask: Why would you two need to keep things under wraps if you were dating and around your closest friends?”

“You obviously weren’t paying attention to the part about Dylan, were you, cutie,” Grant said dryly. “If he had heard, then he would’ve told my parents. Which, turns out, didn’t matter.”

“Why?”

Grant rolled his eyes. “About a year or so later, my mom walked in on. On us. In my bed.” Rodger’s face hardened in annoyance at the memory.

Over the course of months talking to the other witnesses, Michelle had felt that if anyone had killed Sharon Ellington, it was most likely Rodger Reid who was sitting across from her. Now, having heard him speak and seen his demeanor, she realized that theory was a dead end. “Tell me more about Dylan, then. You said he dated Sharon back in the day?”

Grant shrugged. “I mean… dating is kind of a strong word for it. They were screwing, sure. I think… well…” He frowned to himself before he found the right words. “In Dylan’s mind, they were dating. But I think in Sharon’s perspective, they were just fucking. Dylan was kind of upset about her cutting him off.”

“I remember the way he used to look at her sometimes,” Rodger added. “Like a hawk watching a mouse. Used to creep me out.” He turned to Grant and asked, “how the hell did you live with him for a full year?”

“Well, for one, he was nice eye candy,” Grant replied. “But he’s the silent kind of eye candy.”

“The silent kind,” Kevin asked.

“Yeah. Really hot to look at but once they open their mouth, the effect is totally lost.”

“I don’t….”

Grant giggled. “A really hot looking guy like Dylan is meant to just stand there and look pretty. But once he opens his mouth, you realize what an asshole he is, and you don’t wanna fuck him anymore.”

Kevin blinked. “Okay then. I learned something new today.”

Michelle tried to get things back to what was important, but it was difficult to keep a grin off her face. “You said Dylan didn’t take the breakup very well?”

“Oh no,” Grant said. “He was yelling and cursing her for weeks. Said she was a loser and a whore. That she was never going to find someone as good as him.”

“Gotta love his modesty,” Rodger said with more than a little sarcasm. “I had a lot of respect for Sharon being able to be in a room with him and be civil. I think she just didn’t want to start an argument in front of everyone and ruin the mood at the parties.”

Grant’s eyes lit up as he suddenly remembered something. “Oh, shit. You know what? Come to think of it, I remember him giving her shit about Josh like two or three months before she died.”

“Really?” Rodger turned to look at him, totally forgetting the lawyers sitting in front of them. “Well, spill the tea then.”

Grant turned slightly to face Rodger. “Well, I can’t remember when it was exactly, but we must’ve been having a nice party going on that night. Yeah. It had to be in May, now that I think about it because they were outside on the back porch. Anyway, I had a beer in my hand for Dylan and was looking for him. I noticed the French doors to the back were open, so I stepped outside and saw Dylan with Sharon. He had her up against the wall and was doing this ‘charm’ thing he thought was so smooth. He had his arm out, you know, like bracing himself against the wall she was leaning against and telling her what a mistake Josh was and how he was never going to be able to give her the kind of life she deserved.”

“Yeah,” Rodger chuckled mirthlessly. “Like he was any better. What a jackass.”

“Right? Anyway, she was so cool and acted like it was no big deal. Told him, ‘I wouldn’t suck your dick if you paid me,’ and then slipped under his arm like he was nothing. She walked by me and smirked before she went inside. Man, he got so pissed when I started laughing. Grabbed the beer out of my hand and went back in. Sure as shit, he and her both acted like nothing happened.”

Kevin exchanged a look with Michelle before he spoke up. “Why would she act like nothing happened if he was pinning her against a wall?”

Grant turned to look at Kevin as if he forgot he was even there. “That’s just how she was. Not much scared her. She was always the fearless one in the group.”

“I mean look at me,” Rodger said as he spread his arms. “I could do someone serious damage and she had no problem standing toe to toe with me.” He shook his head sadly. “She just loved life. And she loved that little sweet thing she had on her arm.”

Michelle smirked. “You mean Josh?”

“Yeah.”

“I heard you flirted with him once,” she commented.

Grant laughed loudly as he watched Rodger’s cheeks flush in embarrassment. “Flirting is a skill. And like any skill, you have to work at it to stay in peak performance.”

Grant looked at the others as he chuckled. “Seriously. We’ve been married two years and he still loves flirting with someone just for the fun of it.”

“He does this in front of you,” Kevin asked.

Grant grinned. “Most of the time. When he does it and I’m not around, he loves to tell me all about it. He’s serious about calling it a skill. Personally, I think he just loves getting boys all hot and bothered.”

“You two seem to have a pretty unique relationship,” Michelle commented.

“That’s one way of putting it,” Rodger replied. “We started getting serious after college. Once I was out with my degree, I started pushing hard on Grant. Don’t ask me why, but I couldn’t get enough of him.”

“Grant, did Sharon know about the two of you?”

“Oh, yeah,” he replied. “She was about the only one. Everyone else would’ve told the whole fucking world and then I would’ve been screwed.” He took a drink of his water before he continued with a more sober tone. “I knew that if my family found out, I’d be thrown out. I wanted to be with Rodger, but I wanted to make sure I could be a partner for him and not someone reliant on him. Of course, that was all for nothing when we got caught. But I had enough saved up to make a new start by then and we’ve been together ever since.”

“And neither of you saw any disagreements or fights between Sharon and Josh,” Michelle pressed.

They both shook their heads. “Not once,” Rodger emphasized. “Half the reason I flirted with him was to see how he would react. He took it in the spirit it was meant. Which made me respect him more for it.”

Kevin leaned forward a little as he asked, “would you say that killing Sharon was totally out of character for him?”

“Completely,” he said with a nod. “He would’ve had to been drunk or high and the two of them had been clean since rehab. And they were serious about that. I never once saw either of them so much as touch a wine cooler. And trust me, I remember Sharon used to drink tons when we were in college.”

“Which is more than you can say about Dylan,” Grant said as an aside.

Michelle sat up a little straighter. “Oh?”

Grant smirked slightly like he was giving away a secret. “He did the rehab thing three times before it stuck. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he was still getting high today.”

Michelle looked at Kevin before she spoke again. “Our law firm is representing Josh in his new murder trial. It could be helpful to get statements from both of you. We have reason to believe he’s innocent.”

“What makes you think he’s innocent,” Rodger asked.

“He was offered a sweetheart deal by the prosecutor a few weeks ago,” Kevin said. “Pretty much would have let him out of prison today if he took it. All he would have to do is admit he killed her.” He gave them a second to process that before he finished. “He turned it down. He said he wasn’t going to accept blame for killing her when he didn’t do it.”

Grant and Rodger looked at him with expressions of surprise and admiration on their faces. They looked at each other before they stood up and Rodger said, “how about we come inside and get something to eat? We can tape record our conversation and whatever you want to use for his defense will be fine. My baby and I don’t have anything left to hide.”

Michelle stood along with Kevin and smiled. “Sounds good. Though written statements would be just as helpful.”

“We’ll get those too,” Grant said. “But we like you two. You make a cute couple.”

Kevin’s face turned bright red, and Michelle blinked in shock. “Um… No,” Kevin began. “We’re just co-workers.”

Rodger turned and looked back at them, giving Kevin a meaningful smirk as his eyes traveled up and down his body. “Aww. There’s hope for me yet then...”

The two lawyers looked at each other before Michelle said quietly, “I think they’re just messing with us.”

Grant grinned as he kept walking. “Well, duh. Come on. I’ll make us some food.”

Both of them breathed a sigh of relief and followed the couple inside.

 

****

 

Kyle parked in front of a large house in the upscale neighborhood of Pittsburgh. He grabbed his notebook and a pen before walking up to the front door as the winter air hit his face. When he pressed the doorbell, Kyle started to mentally prepare himself for all the questions that he had. But more than that, he would have to put on his best face to not give anything away. This was a politician he was dealing with, not to mention a possible suspect. No matter what he may or may not have done, Dylan Goode couldn’t be trusted.

The door opened and a younger man answered the door. In his early thirties, Dylan Goode had the smile and blonde hair of youth coupled with eyes that could discern a person. His smile was maybe a little wider than necessary Kyle thought, but he was doing his best to make a good first impression. “Mr. Howard?”

Kyle nodded. “Yes, sir. You are Dylan Goode?”

“Yes, I am,” the man replied with a touch of pride in his tone. As Kyle stepped inside the house, Dylan took his hand and grasped it in a strong handshake. “I’m so sorry we weren’t able to meet sooner. Things have been a little busy as of late.”

Kyle expected that almost none of what he just said was true but smiled appreciatively. “Well, I’m glad we are able to talk now.”

“Come with me.” Dylan led him through the house to a very comfortable room that seemed to function as an office and library. Books lined a wall full of shelves and a large oak desk sat at the far end of the room with a large picture window that faced out towards the perfectly manicured backyard of the house. “Have a seat,” he offered as he moved to the side. “Would you care for a drink?”

“No thank you,” Kyle replied. “You have a very nice home.”

“Thank you,” he said as he poured himself a drink. “I know this is more than a little out of the way for you, since you don’t live here in town.”

Kyle arched an eyebrow. He said it so matter-of-factly, it made him wonder what Dylan knew about him. “Not that unusual or long of a drive.”

“Still…” Dylan moved around the desk and sat in his high-backed leather chair, setting his glass on the desk. “For a small-time lawyer that lives in a small town with his small law firm, I would have expected someone from a more prestigious firm wanting so much of my valuable time.”

“Sorry to disappoint,” Kyle quipped with a faint sardonic look. “Regardless, I am here, and I have some questions that need answering.”

“And you think I have those answers,” Dylan said with a smirk. “What’s this all about? Not another class-action suit, I hope.”

Kyle smirked slightly as if he was impressed with Dylan’s awareness of his activities. Underneath, his concern was growing. If Dylan knew about his previous cases, then he would have done research on him prior to agreeing to this meeting. “Nothing like that. I wanted to talk to you about Sharon Ellington.”

Dylan looked off to the side with a contemplative eye. “Sharon.” He sighed and took a sip of his drink. “Such a tragedy.” He took a drink from his glass. “Not much I could tell you that you probably don’t already know, I’m afraid. Her boyfriend killed her in his apartment six or seven years ago. But I suppose it wasn’t that much of a shock.”

“Oh? Why is that?”

Dylan smirked with almost an apologetic look. “Well, really. People like him are always bound to get into trouble. Some guy in a wifebeater with no education. Working paycheck to paycheck gets himself a beautiful young woman to play with. After a while they fight and he’s too uncultured and basic to do anything other than ruin what he has, even if he does have something that’s worth more than he’ll ever be. One thing leads to another and then you have some unfortunate ending like that.” He shook his head mournfully. “Such a tragedy.”

Kyle’s face went blank listening to Dylan go on. This was not what he expected to hear. “Perhaps that happens sometimes, though not as frequently as you suggest.”

“If you say so,” Dylan responded with an indifferent shrug. “Anyway, there’s not much else I can tell you about Sharon.”

“I doubt that.” Kyle decided to go for a more subtle approach to his questions. “I understand you and Sharon used to date while you were in college?”

“Yes,” he said with a nod. “We met in a history class there and sparked up a relationship. We were freshmen and she was so smart and savvy. I used to love listening to her talk. Of course, she was taking liberal arts classes while I was more into law and business.” He smirked and added, “I thought about becoming a lawyer myself back then, actually.”

“Really? What changed your mind?”

He made a dismissive sound and waved his hand. “Too much work. Besides, I knew I would end up in politics. My father is a state senator, you know.”

Kyle opened his notebook and got his pen ready. “No, I didn’t. But I don’t pay attention to politics.”

Dylan smirked. “Not surprising. It takes a certain breed to make their way through the political machine.”

Kyle awarded him with a tight smile for the back-handed comment before he changed the subject. “Back to my reason for being here, Mr. Goode. Tell me what you remember about that last party Sharon attended at the Dawson residence.”

Dylan shrugged. “Not much. It was a typical night. I hadn’t started my career yet and was spending time with old college friends. Grant was my roommate my first year and we got along well enough. The others were a little more like acquaintances, if I’m being honest. Although Phil was a pretty decent guy. I still stay in contact with him from time to time.”

“So, nothing unusual or anything remarkable about that night?”

Dylan shrugged. “No. I hung around, Rhonda took a few pictures, we played a few hands of ‘hearts’ and that was it. I left around eleven.”

Kyle made a note of that. “Just to be sure, you are certain it was eleven when you left?”

Dylan nodded. “Reasonably. Why?”

“Just wanting to make sure I got all the facts straight.” Kyle wasn’t sure Dylan was being truthful but until he could prove it was a lie, he would have to go with what he was told. He decided to change the order of his questions and hopefully put Dylan off balance. “I understand that you and Sharon both were in rehab for a drug addiction, is that correct?”

Dylan’s face lost a bit of its cockiness as he stared down Kyle. “Yes,” he reluctantly admitted. “I had a drug problem in college but once I went through a program, I came out of it a better person.”

Kyle didn’t show any emotion as he pressed the subject. “I believe that’s where Sharon met Joshua Carter. Did you meet him there as well?”

“Met in that I saw him there, yes,” Dylan responded with a dry, monotone voice. His eyes narrowed slightly as he went on. “I didn’t make friends with him. Or with anyone else there. But I saw him with Sharon. Hanging on her and following her around. I suspect they were screwing there which would have been against the rules, but they never got caught.”

Kyle nodded and avoided the question he would have wanted to ask. He mentally saved it for another time, knowing that there was likely going to be another time the two of them would meet. “After rehab, did you notice any changes in their relationship? Any fighting or disagreements.”

“None that I recall,” Dylan replied with that same displeased tone. “Is this really necessary, Mr. Howard? Why are we talking about a murder that was already solved?”

“Because it wasn’t solved,” Kyle stated. “Didn’t you hear? Josh Carter is being retried after his last conviction was overturned.”

Dylan’s lips snapped together in a thin line. “Then perhaps we should conclude this discussion until I have a legal representative present.”

“If you wish,” Kyle shut his notebook and stood up. “I’m sorry if the questions were disturbing, but I’m trying to find out the truth.”

Dylan got to his feet and came around the desk. “The only truth is that Mr. Carter murdered an innocent woman. The police found him over her dead body in his own apartment. His guilt is obvious, and he should be locked up the rest of his life.”

Kyle followed him to the door, smirking just slightly at Dylan’s obvious discomfort. “You obviously must have cared about Sharon deeply, Dylan. Maybe more than you let on.”

“Councilman Goode,” Dylan corrected. Just as they were walking down the hall, they were interrupted by a beautiful woman who walked with a lithe step. Dylan paused and sighed, seemingly annoyed. “This is my wife, Alyssa. Alyssa, this is Kyle Howard.”

“Good evening, ma’am,” Kyle said politely as he extended his hand to her. He noticed her eyes seemed strained even as her entire body and face seemed to be going through a well-rehearsed routine that was neither warm nor convincing.

“What brings you here, Mr. Howard,” Alyssa asked as she shook his hand gently.

Kyle shrugged as if unimportant. “Oh, I was just asking your husband some questions about his college days.”

“Yes, dear,” Dylan said with his eyes locked on her. “Nothing for you to worry about. Run along while I see Mr. Howard out.”

Kyle kept a small, polite smile on his lips as they continued on to the door. Once Dylan opened it, he extended his hand and said, “thank you for your time, Mr. Goode. I’ll be in touch if I need anything else.”

Dylan shook his hand, which Kyle noted had a little more force than last time but didn’t react. “Have a safe trip home, Mr. Howard.”

“Thank you.” Kyle turned and walked back to his car, convinced that Dylan was the true suspect in Sharon Ellington’s murder.

 

****

 

Jacob was just finishing his workday when he heard a text message alert on his phone. Everyone else was gone in the store and he finished locking up for the night before he turned his attention to his phone. He opened his messenger app and chuckled when he saw the picture he was sent. The message was from Andy, and it contained a picture of Matt and Aaron, both of them side by side with tape over their mouths and their arms behind their backs. The message attached to the picture read, “if you ever want to see your boys again, you’ll send me five million dollars.” A few lines below that were added, “or just stop by and pick them up.”

He grinned and got in his truck. As he made the short trip over to Andy and Brian’s house, he wondered why Kyle hadn’t picked them up from school. It was already night by the time he left work at six with the short winter days. He longed for spring to hurry up and get here so he could enjoy longer and warmer days after work. He parked in their driveway and took the steps two at a time to get to the front door. When he rang the bell, the only response he got was a muffled yell from Andy. “It’s open!”

Stepping inside, he removed his coat and went looking for everyone. Down the short set of stairs, he found Andy and Brian relaxing on the couch with Tanner and the other boys arrayed on the floor watching the television. When Aaron turned and saw him, he scrambled to his feet to run up to him. “Hi, Daddy!”

Jacob scooped him up and kissed his cheek. “Hey, my favorite six-year-old. How was school today?”

“Good,” was the token response. The other boys turned and waved and gave their own greetings to Jacob as he set Aaron back on his feet and joined the adults on the couch.

“So, what’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing,” Andy said in his casual drawl. “Dinner’s in the oven if you want to stay and have some.”

“I could be talked into it,” he replied. “Where’s Kyle?”

“He had a meeting or something,” Andy said with an indifferent shrug. “Said it was important and needed help, so I picked your boys up along with mine after school.”

“Well, I appreciate that,” Jacob said. He wondered why Kyle didn’t say anything to him about this meeting or not being able to pick the boys up from school. While it was true that he had a full day, he could have left early to pick them up himself. Thinking about it, Kyle hadn’t mentioned much about any meetings in the last few months. It made him wonder what he could be doing.

They sat and chatted for a few minutes before Andy got up and went up to the kitchen to check on dinner. After he declared it was ready, Jacob and the others went upstairs to help set the table and make sure his boys maintained their manners. Aaron liked to talk a lot during dinner and would sometimes forget the reason he had food in front of him. Matt was well behaved and didn’t need much coaxing to get his meal eaten unlike his smaller brother.

“Anything going on in school today,” Jacob asked Matt as they sat down at the table.

Matt shrugged. “Not really. I have tests later this weekend.”

Jacob nodded as Andy started serving plates around the table. “Well, let me know if you need help with anything.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Brian said with a wry smirk. “Jacob isn’t all-knowing as he wants you to think he is.”

“Hey,” Jacob said in a playful tone. “Don’t tell him that. I only have a couple more years I can help him before he’s smarter than me.”

Andy finished putting plates in front of everyone and took his seat. “Alright, boys. Dig in but keep it to a dull roar. Aaron, don’t attack it.”

They ate and talked quietly. Jacob was thankful Andy had decided to not only pick the boys up from school but also make dinner for them. While it was fine having just the four of them at the orchard while David and Colt were away for the winter, David’s absence made the house feel emptier to Jacob. Their talks and moments shared with the boys always made the house feel more alive than when he was absent. He was glad there were only two and a half more months to go before his return.

“Hey, Dad,” Matt said, dragging Jacob out of his inner thoughts. “Who’s Joshua Carter?”

Jacob blinked and thought about the question. “Um… I’m not sure. Friend of yours at school?”

“No,” Matt replied. “It’s a guy Dad is working with.”

“A new lawyer at his firm?” Jacob could have sworn he knew all their names. Even the newer ones.

“No. I mean, he’s Dad’s client.”

Jacob blinked and looked at Matt in confusion. “Never heard of him. How do you know so much?”

Matt took a bite of his dinner before he answered. “Dad taught me how to look up stuff online with the courts. He didn’t pick us up today and it got me curious if he was in court, so I checked the schedules and I searched for any active cases that Dad’s name was on.”

Brian looked over at Matt. “You can do that?”

“Yeah,” Matt said with a nod. “It’s really easy if you know the website for the court system.”

Jacob looked impressed that his son could figure that out. But he chalked it up to kids just inherently knowing how to navigate the internet better than others. “Your Dad hasn’t mentioned him to me, but that’s not something new. He tends to wait until the cases are over before he tells me much.”

Matt smiled helpfully. “Well, I can tell you he’s charged with murder in the first degree…”

Blake and Tanner looked up from their plates, suddenly very interested. Blake spoke up before anyone else. “Murder?!”

Jacob exchanged amused looks with Andy as Matt carried on. “Yeah. I read the court documents. Most of it is confusing and I had to look up a lot of words, but what I figured out is that he’s been charged, said he’s not guilty and is being held at the jail in Pitt.”

Brian frowned curiously. “Kyle’s defending a murderer?”

“You’re innocent until proven guilty,” Andy said with a smirk. “And if I know Kyle, then the guy’s gotta be innocent or else he wouldn’t be his lawyer.”

“That is so cool though,” Tanner said in an excited tone. “When does the trial start?”

“It didn’t say,” Matt answered. He got a special thrill out of Tanner asking him questions. It made him feel more grown up. “I’ll ask Dad later when he gets home.”

Brian looked up as if remembering something. “I should text him and let him know we’re eating. Maybe he can stop by.”

Tanner leaned over the table. “Do it! I wanna hear all about this guy.”

Andy laughed softly. “Settle down there, Cujo. Eat your dinner first.”

Brian frowned when he finished texting Kyle. “He’s driving. I got the auto-text from his phone.”

“You could call him,” Tanner pointed out. “Then we can all hear about it.”

“No,” Jacob said dismissively. “Let him get home. He’ll see the text and come here if he’s nearby. If not, we’ll see him at home. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Uncle Jacob,” Tanner began as if Jacob didn’t understand. “It’s a murder trial. I wanna go watch.”

Brian rolled his eyes. “I don’t think so. Give it a rest for now. You can ask him about it some other time. It’s not like it starts tomorrow.”

Tanner frowned in disappointment but went back to eating and the subject was dropped. Andy asked Tanner about his workouts, and they got into a discussion about his wrestling practice. It was obvious to everyone how excited Tanner seemed to be that his birthday was only weeks away when he would officially be a teenager. Brian quipped that Tanner becoming a teenager would make Andy start turning grey which got a laugh from most of them at the table.

After dinner was over, Jacob got the boys ready to go and thanked Andy and Brian for taking care of them. He texted Kyle that he had the boys and they had already eaten. He got the same auto-reply Brian got earlier which got him a little worried. Once he got the boys home and settled in, he resolved to call Kyle and make sure everything was alright.

 

****

 

Kevin didn’t feel totally comfortable when Grant and Rodger broke out a bottle of wine, but when Michelle seemed to approve of the idea, they settled into their seats around the kitchen island sharing a meal as Grant and Rodger continued to talk. One thing he knew for certain, they had no love for Dylan Goode or Phillip Spencer. For the last hour, he and Michelle sat and listened as the married couple exchanged stories of their times with their friends. Most of it was unimportant other than their mutual dislike for the two other men. He also noted that Grant seemed to reflexively turn their meeting into a little party of their own. He acted as the perfect host while Rodger stayed out of his way and maintained a charming, if sometimes gruff demeanor.

For her part, Michelle was enjoying the day with the two of them and while Kevin might not see the value in a lot of what they said, she was starting to put some clues together along with a possible motive for her death. It had started when Rodger and Grant were cooking chicken breasts on the stove. “Hey, I just remembered something,” Grant said as he looked towards Rodger.

“What’s that,” his husband asked.

Grant turned to make sure he had everyone’s attention before saying, “I remember what she said now when she walked away from Dylan that night.”

Michelle perked up slightly. “You mean that night you saw her up against the wall with Dylan?”

“Yeah! Right before she walked away, she said something like, ‘I’m going to tell your Dad on you.’ Or something like that.”

Kevin frowned. “What did she mean by that?”

Rodger’s eyes glinted. “Oh, man. You don’t think…” He looked at Grant who caught on to his idea and shrugged as if unsure. “Oh, hell.”

“Think what,” Michelle asked.

Rodger turned to her and said, “she might have suspected Dylan was using again. Dylan’s dad is a big shot political guy. He was the one who got Dylan dried out in rehab. But like I told you, he went back to rehab two more times. His dad let him know that if he didn’t shape up, then he was out. No more money, no more nothing.”

“So,” Michelle reasoned. “If Sharon figured out he was still using drugs, then there was a better than average chance it would have screwed up his big plans.”

Rodger nodded. “Exactly.”

Grant leaned against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest as he thought about it. “You don’t think he killed her, do you?”

“I’d bet my left ass-cheek,” Rodger replied.

Grant pouted. “No… that’s my favorite one.”

Michelle laughed while Kevin rolled his eyes and took a drink from his wine glass. “That’s not evidence, though,” Kevin said. “Just because you hear something like that, you can’t infer a meaning to it without some kind of proof to back up the claim. I mean, even if you’re right, just one statement like that isn’t enough to get a conviction.”

“But we don’t need to convict someone else,” Michelle pointed out. “We just need to raise enough reasonable doubt.”

Rodger spoke up as he refilled Michelle and Kevin’s glasses. “Even if something we knew could help your client, that would mean Grant and I would need to testify, wouldn’t it?”

Michelle sighed. “Most likely. It’s one of those things where we would need the jury to hear from you themselves.”

“And while it looks like we live in luxury,” Rodger waved his hands around to indicate the house they were in, “that’s not an expense we can afford.”

Michelle waved her hand dismissively. “If you were willing, our law firm would pay for your travel.”

Grant looked up in mild surprise. “Oh. Well, that takes care of that then. I’ll admit, if I can think of anything else, I’d be happy to share it.”

“Do you remember when everyone left the party when Sharon was killed?”

Grant was finishing up cooking and had Rodger grab plates and utensils as he thought about it. “Well, other than Rodger who stayed the night since my parents were out of town, I’d say everyone was gone by about eleven.”

“They all left as a group,” Kevin asked.

“Oh, no. Sharon left early, if I remember right. Maybe ten thirty?”

“Was she the first to leave?”

“No, Dylan left first.”

“About what time?”

Grant shrugged. “Nine? Nine thirty? It was after our last hand of cards. The rest of us were just sitting around talking until Sharon left and then the others started leaving a few at a time.”

“Would you say that that’s a pretty normal way the parties would wind down?”

Grant moved over to where everyone was sitting with their meals. “Not really. Usually, people didn’t start leaving until around midnight. But, like I said, Dylan left early and then Sharon wanted to get back to her boyfriend. It kind of came up suddenly, now that I think about it. After that, everyone else just sort of made excuses. Which was fine. Meant more time for me and Rodger.”

Kevin was impressed with Grant’s cooking as he looked at his plate. “Did Dylan give a reason for leaving as soon as he did that night?”

“Not that I remember.” Grant turned to Rodger and asked, “did he say anything to you?”

Rodger shook his head. “Only people I saw him talk to other than sitting at the table with the group was Phil and Sharon.”

“Okay.” Grant joined them at the table. “Let’s stop talking about it all for now and just eat. We can talk about other stuff.”

In the end, the four of them had a pleasant conversation as they enjoyed their meal. Michelle found Grant and Rodger very open and kind while they shared a lot of their own personal stories, they also wanted to hear about her and Kevin. They stayed another hour after they finished eating until they begged off, having to return to their hotel room to sleep and catch their flight back to Pennsylvania in the morning. In all, the two of them knew they would be spending the next few days going over every word that was said in the hopes that they could find some plausible reason for Sharon’s death that did not involve Josh.

Having spent most of their day with Grant and Rodger, they completely forgot to text Kyle about their meeting and everything they learned about Dylan Goode.