Page 44 of Off the Hook

“If they’re shutting you out, you can’t protect Coulter,” my father shot back. “Maybe he needs a lawyer.”

“Probably a good idea,” Waylan admitted.

I backed away from the window, quietly, my mind racing. If her partner was still treating me as a suspect, that would explain Faith’s weirdness. But that wasn’t the only thing that worried me. What kind of shit had dad and Waylan been involved in that would have gotten Mom and Kylie killed? Who was Mateo? Or George? And why was he in prison? What fucking money were they talking about?

I needed to talk to Spence. But by the time I reached the end of the dock, he was speeding away in the Contender.

CHAPTER 21

FAITH

Guilt stirred in my stomach as I hung up the phone. The only reason I answered was to keep Oscar from seeing Coulter’s name on my screen when my phone was buzzing on the desk next to us. But now I wished I hadn’t. What was I supposed to tell him? That we’re digging into the past searching for evidence to establish violent tendencies toward the victim? We had to investigate it, but it felt like betrayal. It made me nauseous.

“You’re right,” Oscar said, squinting at his computer screen. “There’s no record of any arrest, anywhere. That explains why it didn’t show up earlier in the investigation. But why isn’t there any record of it?”

At least he’d admitted I was right, but only after checking what I’d already checked. “It’s hearsay from a single witness who openly dislikes Coulter Rodman. Maybe she made it up.”

Oscar lowered his voice, eyes darting around to be sure no one was close by. “Or maybe someone covered it up.”

“Waylan?” I whispered. “You can’t really believe that.” Oscar’s paranoia was next level.

“Anything is possible. He sent us to the funeral yesterday for no good reason, and is insisting that we go investigate the bakery burglary now instead of building our case.”

“The cookie thief?” I asked, incredulous. Perpetrators had stolen $200 cash and fourteen dozen cookies. Making that a priority over finding Kylie’s killer did seem suspicious.

Oscar shrugged. “Tell you what, you stay here and check the call response logs from the timeframe Kylie’s friend indicated, while I go placate the baker.” His chin dipped, his voice lowering. “And the Sheriff.”

“I can go take care of the bakery if you’d rather check the call logs yourself to be sure it’s done right,” I said with a hint of sarcasm.

“I trust you,” Oscar smirked, patting the top of my head, patronizing as fuck.

Yeah right.When I found no calls involving Coulter, he wouldn’t believe me, just like with the arrest records. But he was the boss. “Okay then. Bring me back a cookie.”

“Tomorrow. I’ll probably call it a day after this since I’ll be close to home. See you in the morning.”

I dug into the call logs starting December 15. I clicked on every noise disturbance and domestic dispute call listed to check the address and names. Nothing on the fifteenth. Nothing on the sixteenth. By the time I got to the twentieth I was bored and started clicking on calls that I hoped were more interesting, for comic relief.

December 20, 11:37 pm SHARK IN CANAL. A tourist from Michigan reported a shark in the canal behind his rented condo.“That’s where we keep them, sir,” I giggled.

December 26, 9:42pm, LOST PERSON. A man left Hog Heaven on foot because he was too drunk to drive, and later couldn’t find his house.

And then, there it was: December 29, 10:57pm, DOMESTIC DISPUTE at 1409 Coral Way. Neighbor reports shouting and crashing and breaking sounds. Officers dispatched.

I cross referenced the jail records on the same date. One Coulter Rodman was brought in by an Officer Frank Jenkins, and released at 7:23am the next morning. He was never booked. No charges filed.

“Damn it.” My palms prickled with sweat that formed and my heart raced. It didn’t implicate Coulter in Kylie’s murder, but it strengthened Oscar’s case against him. And I couldn’t help but wonder what really happened. Had he gotten violent with her and used his connections with the Sheriff to get the charges dropped?

The guilt for blowing him off earlier had been gnawing at me all afternoon. But now I needed to know the real story, before I had to turn this over to Oscar. No better source than the horse’s mouth. I slipped my blazer off the back of my chair and folded it over my arm, grabbing my keys off my desk.

“You done for the day, Faith?” Louis called as I breezed past his desk.

“Yeah. See you tomorrow, Louis.”

I texted Coulter from my car.

Where are you?

He responded immediately.Home

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