Catastrophe Cliff Read online

  “You live over on West Street?” Peter asked.

  Kyle gave a nod. “We’re renting a small house there. We moved in about three weeks ago.”

  “Where did you live before that?” Peter questioned.

  “Over the town line in Hadwen. Our lease was up and the landlord wasn’t keeping the place up so we decided to look for something else. We found the ranch house and it was a good price. It’s working out well.”

  “Does Jen work here at the hospital?” Nell asked.

  “She works downstairs in Billing and Receiving. She’s the office manager.”

  “How about you?” Peter asked. “Where do you work?”

  “I’m a middle school math teacher at Hadwen Middle School.”

  “Do you and your fiancée do a lot of hiking?”

  “We do. We like to be outdoors. We hike, bike, run, canoe, kayak. There are a lot of great rivers and marshes to kayak in. We like to swim, too,” Kyle said glancing to the door. “Where’s that doctor? I thought I’d hear something by now.”

  “Have you set a wedding date?” Nell asked as she watched the tiny red and yellow particles dance in the air around the man.

  “A year from now. Next August. It takes a lot of planning.”

  “Did you take any pictures when you were out on the hike today?” Peter asked.

  “Yeah.” Kyle tugged his phone from the small pocket on the side of his hiking shorts. “Do you want to see them?”

  “If you don’t mind.” Peter took the phone and began to flip through the photos. Most were landscape shots. A couple of pictures had Jennifer in them and she could be seen looking bright and happy, smiling at the camera from in front of some trees and a pond.

  “You split up on the hike?” Peter repeated what he’d heard Kyle tell them.

  “That’s right.”

  “You were apart for about forty-five minutes?”

  “That’s what we’d planned on. It was more like an hour and a half.”

  “Where were you when you called Jennifer’s phone?” Peter asked.

  “I was standing beside my car in that small gravel parking lot.”

  “Jennifer was taking pictures during the hike?”

  “Yeah. She loves to take photographs. Flowers, birds, anything in nature, really.”

  “Had your fiancée seemed like herself lately?” Peter asked.

  Nell took a quick look at the detective realizing where he might be going with his questioning.

  “She seemed normal,” Kyle said. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”

  “How was her mood?”

  “Her mood? It was fine. The same as always.” Kyle’s eyes widened. “Wait a second. You’re not implying that Jen jumped off that cliff? Do you suspect she tried to kill herself?”

  “We’re discussing all aspects of the young woman’s life,” Peter said.

  Kyle sat straight. “Jen wouldn’t do that. She would never do that. Not her. She was a happy person, active, busy. She wouldn’t do anything to hurt herself. Never.”

  Peter leaned slightly forward. “What do you think happened on the cliff today?”

  Kyle’s eyes flashed. “What? Do you want me to do your work for you? I wasn’t there. I wasn’t with her when it happened. She must have slipped and fallen. She must have stood too close to the edge.” The young man shook his head slowly. “Why are you asking me? It’s the only answer, isn’t it? It was an accident. What do you think happened?”

  “I wasn’t there either,” Peter said. “I don’t have an answer.”

  Kyle looked at Nell and Violet with blood-shot eyes. “What do you think happened to Jen?”

  Nell shrugged. “I assume she slipped or lost her balance while standing too close to the edge of the cliff. Somehow she lost her footing, and went down.”

  “That’s the only rational explanation.” Kyle gave Peter a sour look.

  Nell watched the colors float around the young man’s face.

  Or is it?

  3

  Kyle asked for a break to go outside for a few minutes so Nell and Violet stood in the hospital lobby while Peter headed down to the cafeteria and bought four coffees, a brownie, and a couple of muffins.

  When they all reconvened back in the small waiting room, the mood was less strained and the coffee and snacks seemed to help Kyle recover slightly from the stress of the morning.

  Peter returned to the questioning. “Does Jennifer have family in the area?”

  Kyle set his coffee cup on the scuffed side table. “Her parents live in Seattle. Jen has a sister who lives in Hadwen. Her name is Mari. Mari Harding.”

  “Are the sisters close?”

  Kyle gave a nod. “Close enough. They see each other every week or two. Less so recently, Jen’s been busy. Sometimes, they run together, grab coffee early in the morning, have dinner. Mari’s a good athlete. An excellent athlete, really. She does a lot of competitive events.”

  “What does she do for work?” Nell questioned.

  “She works for a tech firm. She’s an electrical engineer.” Kyle finished off one of the muffins.

  “Was Mari one of the people you gave a ride to the park this morning?” Peter asked.

  “No. She runs in the park, but she goes early. Two friends of mine from work rode with us. They’re both teachers. Lindsey Horn is a physical education teacher and Joel Bishop teaches chemistry. They’re both really good runners. They’ve done marathons and ultra-marathons.”

  “Do you and Jen socialize with them?”

  “Not really, once in a while. I see them at work every day during the school year.”

  “Can you tell me who Jen’s close friends are?”

  Kyle looked suspicious.

  “It’s a formality when there’s an accident like this,” Peter said. “We interview friends and relatives to get a sense of the victim and what was going on in his or her life.”

  “Jen has two close friends,” Kyle said. “Fiona Locke and Carrie Flint. Carrie’s a nurse here at the hospital and Fiona runs a clothing shop in town called Dots and Prints.” The young man dragged his hand over his face. “Look, what’s the point of all these questions? Jen and I went to the park today. She slipped and fell. It was an accident. There’s no reason to treat me and the people around Jen like criminals or whatever.”

  “We appreciate you talking with us,” Peter told the man. “It’s important to gather information when there’s an incident like this. It’s all simply precautionary.”

  Nell admired Peter’s ability to keep calm, confidant, and reassuring in difficult situations and she knew his quick rise to the position of detective was partially due to his professional manner when interviewing people.

  “Can we be done here?” Kyle asked. “I’m exhausted and upset. It’s been a tough morning. I’m worried about Jen. I really don’t want to talk anymore today.”

  Peter thanked Kyle for his time and wished his fiancée well, and then he, Nell, and Violet left the hospital and rode in the police SUV to return to the Finleys’ house.

  “What did you think?” Peter asked as he turned the car out of the medical center parking lot.

  Violet replied. “I don’t trust him.”

  “Why not?” Nell asked.

  “He says all the right things … he’s upset, he’s tired, the day has been too much, he needs a break, he’s worried about Jen, but there’s something that doesn’t ring true.”

  “I agree,” Nell said. “He’s giving off certain colors, but they could be related to feelings of being concerned for a loved one or they could be from deceit and anger. I can understand not wanting to be questioned while waiting for news from a doctor about someone’s condition, but his emotions seemed flat. They didn’t seem genuine or heart-felt.” Nell shrugged. “His feelings seemed almost put-on.”

  “I can understand where you’re both coming from,” Peter said pulling the car to the curb at the back of the sisters’ house. “I’ve seen similar behavior when interviewing people who
are under duress. Their emotions can seem tight or slightly off. I think it comes from being in a difficult situation and being questioned by a stranger. You want to be left alone with your feelings.”

  “But isn’t that a good time to question people?” Nell asked. “When they’re vulnerable, it might be hard to hide their guilt.”

  “It’s true.” Peter nodded. “It can be helpful to talk to suspects and witnesses when they’re fresh from an incident and haven’t had time to concoct a story. They might slip up … maybe say something they wouldn’t have if they’d had time to think things through.”

  “What did you think of Kyle?” Violet asked Peter.

  “The same things you both picked up on. Kyle could be consumed with worry about his partner, or he could be responsible for Jen’s fall and is doing his best to hide it. Time will tell. I might need you to come to some other interviews, if you don’t mind.” Peter’s phone buzzed with a text, and when he read it, his face fell. “Jennifer Harding has passed away from the injuries she sustained in the fall.”

  “Oh, no.” Nell’s green eyes misted over and she sadly shook her head.

  “The poor woman,” Violet whispered.

  Peter said to Nell, “I hate to ask this, but I’d like you to come to the medical examiner’s office once the body is released from the hospital.”

  Nell felt like her blood had turned to ice. “Why?”

  “I’d like you to have a look at the body. Maybe you’ll see something other people can’t. You don’t have to stay for the autopsy.”

  Nell’s body relaxed just a little. “I guess I can go with you. As long as I don’t have to stay long.”

  Nell’s and Violet’s neighbors came for dinner that night. They offered to postpone due to the morning’s troubles, but the sisters wanted their company and convinced them to come. John and Ida Patrick had lived in the house next door for decades and had been friends with Nell’s and Violet’s parents. Seventy-eight-years-old, short, stocky, and spry, John was a well-known, retired journalist. A sturdy woman, seventy-six-year-old Ida, was a little taller than her husband, and was intelligent and quick-witted.

  A meal of fresh, grilled corn, pasta salad, and baked salmon was served outside at the candle-lit patio table on the deck. Oscar and Iris sat on the deck sniffing the air.

  “It was quite a day,” John said. “Such a shame about the young woman.”

  “Was she pushed?” Ida asked.

  Nell’s eyes widened. “It was probably an accident.”

  “Do you really think so?” Ida narrowed her eyes.

  “The police will look into it.” Violet passed the pasta salad to John. “We met the woman’s fiancé at the hospital. I didn’t like him. He seemed to want to get rid of us. I don’t trust him.”

  “Did you see colors on the man?” John asked Nell.

  “I saw lots of colors, but I can’t determine if they came from sincere emotions or from feelings of deception. Emotional pain and worry can produce the same colors as fear, anger, and ill intentions. It can be hard to sort them out.”

  “The police will confiscate Jennifer’s and Kyle’s phones to look at texts, calls, and photos,” Violet said. “They’ll try to find clues as to what happened to cause Jennifer to fall from the cliff.”

  “Did the young woman have a run-in or an argument or a fight with someone recently?” John questioned as he lifted a forkful of salmon.

  “Peter and the officers haven’t got that far yet,” Nell said. “They’ll be interviewing people in the coming days.”

  “Murders are often committed by someone the victim knows,” John pointed out.

  When she heard the words, Nell felt a shiver run through her body. She knew that murder was a possibility, but hearing John say so caused anxiety to flash through her veins. Her thoughts returned to the hospital interview with Kyle.

  “Why did the couple separate on the hike?” Ida asked.

  Violet said, “Jennifer wanted to go to the cliffs to take photos and Kyle wanted to head down to the duck pond.”

  “Why couldn’t they do those things together?” Ida asked. “Why couldn’t Kyle stay with his fiancée while she shot some pictures from the cliffs and then go together to the pond?”

  “Do you think that’s suspicious?” Nell questioned.

  “Do they usually stay together when they go hiking?” John wondered aloud.

  “We don’t know.” Nell shrugged.

  “I don’t think it’s wise to be out in the forest alone,” John told them. “Whether you’re a man or a woman … people shouldn’t be alone on the trails. You make yourself an easy target being alone in the woods, and as happened today, if a hiker falls or suffers an injury, a partner can administer first aid right away or can call for help. In some cases, time is of the essence. How long was Jennifer at the base of the cliff bleeding? If someone was with her when she fell, would that have played a role in her survival?”

  “You make good points,” Nell said to the older man. “Those are the reasons that Violet and I don’t run or hike alone in remote or lonely locations.”

  Oscar looked over at Nell and whined.

  “The dogs have been acting off since we got back to the house,” Violet pointed out.

  “How so?” John asked.

  “They seem uneasy, a little agitated, like they can’t settle down.”

  Nell said, “They took off after we found Jennifer at the base of the cliff. They were gone for a while and returned just when we were getting ready to leave the state park. I wonder where they went. They don’t usually wander off like that.”

  Oscar whined again and Iris stood and cocked her head to the side.

  Watching the dogs, Nell got an idea. “I wonder if we should go back to the park. Have another look around the cliff.”

  Iris let out a woof.

  Ida shook her head. “I swear those dogs know what we’re saying.”

  Nell pushed her long, auburn hair back from her face. “It does seem like that sometimes.”

  Violet got up to go into the kitchen for another bottle of wine, and when she returned to the table, she said, “Iris and Oscar sure are smart, but I don’t think they’ve mastered the art of conversation.”

  John smiled. “Not yet anyway.”

  4

  Thirty-eight-year-old Mari Harding had short brown hair and brown eyes. She was tanned and slim with muscle definition in her arms and legs. She wore a sleeveless shirt and navy blue shorts. Mari appeared business-like and to the point.

  After offering condolences, Peter and Nell sat down in the living room of the woman’s ranch house in the neighboring town of Hadwen. The place was neat and clean, but a little sterile, lacking the little things like photos, books, artwork, or some personal items scattered around that made a place cozy and comfortable.

  “Have you found out what happened to my sister?” Mari asked the detective. “Is something suspicious going on?”

  “Why do you ask that?” Peter questioned.

  “Because my sister is dead and there’s a police detective and his assistant sitting in my house.” Mari’s face was pinched. “I take that as an indication something suspicious happened.”

  “When someone passes away unexpectedly due to an accident, it’s law enforcement’s duty to investigate the circumstances,” Peter explained.

  Dissatisfied with the comment, Mari’s face clouded, and Nell watched the woman carefully for any colors she might give off.

  “Were you in the state park on the morning Jennifer fell?” Peter asked.

  “I was running. I always go there early. It gets too hot and crowded if I go later in the day.”

  “We understand you’re a competitive runner,” Nell said making note that Mari wasn’t showing any emotion over her sister’s passing.

  “I am. I also bike and swim competitively.”

  “Did you see Jennifer in the park yesterday?” Peter asked.

  “I didn’t. We’re on different schedules. I didn’t even
know she was in the park.” Mari pushed at her bangs and took in a deep breath.

  “Do you run the same trails when you’re training?”

  “I vary it, but there are four basic routes I alternate between.” Mari told them which trails she frequented for her runs.

  “Had you seen your sister recently?” Nell asked in a gentle voice. Despite Mari’s stoic demeanor, Nell saw colors around the woman that indicated grief and loss which were mixed with other hues, and she was unsure of the combination’s meaning.

  “About three days ago. We met for coffee before we headed to our jobs,” Mari said.

  “How was your sister when you met her that morning? Was she herself? Did she seem upset about anything?”

  “She wasn’t upset. She was the same as she always is.”

  “What was your sister like?” Nell asked the question with a sincerity that made Mari hold eye contact with her for a few seconds longer than she’d been doing.

  “Jen was an optimistic person, upbeat, nice to be around. I was the big sister and I think my athletic pursuits sometimes made her feel bad. I have a natural gift for athletics. Sure, I work and train hard, but there’s something about it that’s slightly easier for me. I think Jen felt bad sometimes that she couldn’t do what I can do.”

  Nell nodded. “But she liked being outdoors? She enjoyed being active?”

  “She loved being out in nature. Jen loved to hike. She enjoyed taking photos outdoors.”

  “We heard she was engaged to be married.”

  Mari looked down at her hands. “She was.”

  Nell picked up on a change in Mari’s body language. “Is there something wrong about the engagement?”