Page 55 of Deathmarch
“Basic biographical information and claimed whereabouts, but no alibies on the night in question for Frank Carmelo, Brody Cash, Dave Grambus.” He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out the index cards he’d written up earlier, then tacked one under each man. “Not much on Dicky Poole. I haven’t been able to talk to him yet. He went to Florida on a three-day fishing trip the morning after the murder. Due back today.”
Chase scanned the men’s photos. “Anyone who sticks out in your mind?”
“They all know how to use a gun, either because they served or used to hunt or both. All have multiple registered firearms. They all live alone, except for Carmelo, who lives with his granddaughter and her kids, but they were at a sleepover on the night of the murder.”
“Four is a reasonable number,” the captain said over speakerphone. “You should be able to narrow it down to the perpetrator pretty fast. Sooner the better. I don’t like unsolved cases. Who’s your best guess?”
“Dave Grambus,” Harper told him. “Used to be a trucker. Long-distance hauler. Most people wouldn’t go out in a storm like we had Monday night. Someone who used to be a professional driver, on the other hand…”
“What do you need from me?”
“A warrant for any weapons he owns. Want to have them tested for ballistics.”
“Judge isn’t going to sign a warrant on a vague suspicion, not when there are three other suspects as well. He’ll say it’s a fishing expedition. You need to whittle down the list. Then I’ll talk to the judge for you. He’s not unreasonable.”
“Yeah.” Pretty much what Harper had expected, but he had to try. “I’m bringing them in one by one for their second round of questioning. I want them in the interview room, apply a little more pressure. Grambus is first, tomorrow morning.”
Chase gulped some coffee, then said, “Weather’s warming up today. Last of that snow’s finally melting. New evidence might be uncovered.”
“I sent Mike out.” Harper spoke toward the phone so the captain could hear him. “He’s checking Lamm’s driveway and the route between Lamm’s rancher and where I found the gold. He’ll take a second look at the spot where Allie’s car went into the ditch. We know the killer was there at one point that night. He might have dropped something when he was stashing his loot in the trunk.”
“Sounds like you have everything under control,” the captain said. “You let me know if you need help from my end.”
After he hung up and Chase walked out, Harper called Allie.
“Just checking in. Everything okay?”
“Any developments in the— Never mind. You can’t say.”
He could almost hear her rolling her eyes. “Sorry about that.”
“About what?” she asked in a tart tone that Sweet Allie hadn’t had.
“Too many things to list over the phone.”
She was silent for a moment before she demanded, “Are you confusing me on purpose? Are you just pretending that you don’t suspect me and we’re all friends again so I’ll confess to you?”
“No. I amsincerelysorry. I swear.”
A second of silence stretched between them, then two, before she said, “Dinner last night threw me for a loop, and I don’t like it. It was an unexpected kindness.” She paused another beat. “Except I can’t really say it was out of character because you used to be kind. I remember.” She made an undecipherable noise in the back of her throat. “Other than that last phone call on my eighteenth birthday.”
“Number one on my list of things I’m sorry for, I promise.”
“You arrested me for murder. That should be number one.”
“There, I was doing my job. I’m a police detective, Allie. The victim’s gold and blood were found in your car.”
A long, long stretch of silence followed that.
Then Allie finally said, “Fine. You did work to clear my name. I’ll give you a pass on the arrest.”
“Thanks.” He felt his mouth curve, the weight on his shoulders lifting. Might as well go for broke. “How do you feel about dinner again? I could bring food over, same as last night. Or we could go to Finnegan’s.” He rethought that last bit. “Or not Finnegan’s.”
“Or not Finnegan’swould be good,” she said after some hesitation. “But it’d have to be tomorrow. I called the Historical Society earlier, and we rescheduled my show for tonight from six to eight. It’s the only gig I can do right now, since I can’t leave town until I get my car back.”
“Meeting at the library as usual?”
“At the high school auditorium. More seating, and it’s nice to have an actual stage. Better visibility from the back.”
