A Puzzle in Paxton Park Read online

  “Were you friends of Emma?” Dawn asked.

  “We were colleagues of Emma,” Juliet explained. “We work at the resort.”

  “Did you know Emma?” Shelly asked the woman.

  “Yes. She was a friend of mine. Such a wonderful person.” Dawn shook her head sadly. “Why would someone shoot her? I just can’t wrap my head around it.”

  “How did you know Emma?”

  “I met her through a mutual acquaintance. We took an exercise class together. We weren’t best friends, but we’d get together sometimes for dinner or lunch or to go shopping.”

  “We only knew her casually,” Shelly told the woman. “She seemed like a nice person.”

  “Do you know her family?” Juliet asked.

  “I met her kids a couple of times,” Dawn said brushing at her eyes. “I hope they’re doing okay.”

  Juliet asked, “How about her husband? Do you know him?”

  “I met him once. He must be devastated. Have you heard if there’ll be a service for Emma?” Dawn asked.

  “We haven’t, no. Maybe the family is planning something private.” Shelly asked, “When did you see Emma last?”

  “Oh, let’s see. A group of us went out for dinner together. That must have been about three weeks ago. I ran into Emma at the coffee shop about a week ago. We sat together for a little while to chat.” Dawn put her hand on her chest and let out a sad sigh.

  “Did Emma seem worried about anything when you saw her at the coffee shop?” Shelly questioned.

  “She seemed fine. Her usual self.”

  “Did she complain about anything?”

  “No, she was in a good mood, she was happy.” Dawn noticed one of the customers holding a shoe from the shelf. “I’d better get back to work. Nice talking to you. Let me know if I can get your size if you want to try anything on.”

  When the woman was out of ear shot, Shelly said, “Emma’s daughter didn’t mention her mother had a friend named Dawn.”

  Juliet shrugged. “Kids don’t know all their parents’ friends. Dawn said she and Emma weren’t best friends. Maybe the daughter didn’t think of Dawn.”

  “Maybe,” Shelly said. “I’d like to talk to Emma’s mother again. I’ll ask Jay about it.”

  Jay drove the car to Emma’s mother’s house with Juliet in the front passenger seat and Shelly sitting in the back watching the tall trees flash by as they rode along the country lanes. Whenever she traveled by car, Shelly became tense and anxious recalling the accident she was in on the Boston highway. When she could, she avoided riding in autos and preferred to get around Paxton Park on her bicycle. She hadn’t yet experienced winter in the mountain resort and knew that the bike would not be adequate transportation for her during the snowy months. For now, she didn’t want to think about possibly needing a car.

  Emma’s mother, Nancy, welcomed the women into her home. “Is there some news to tell me?” she asked hopefully.

  “I’m afraid not,” Jay spoke softly. “We’re working hard on the case.”

  When everyone was settled on the chairs and the sofa of the living room, Jay said, “We’d like to talk more with you about Emma. Can you tell us who some of her friends were?”

  Nancy’s hands were clasped together in her lap. “There’s Monica, Monica Jones. She’s a park ranger at the mountain. And there’s Peggy Lane, she works at the law firm on Main Street. Oh, let’s see. Emma mentioned a woman named Leena who she met at the gym. They’d been getting together every once in a while. Emma didn’t have a lot of friends, what with working full time and running the household and taking care of the kids. She didn’t have much free time. Emma met Monica when they were middle school kids. They’ve been friends for a long time.”

  Shelly asked, “Do you know someone named Dawn? Her last name begins with a ‘B.’ She’s in her mid-thirties, blond, petite. We believe she was friendly with Emma.”

  Nancy’s eyebrows pinched together in thought. “Oh, do you mean Dawn Barry?”

  “That must be her. She works in the leather shop in town?”

  “Emma told me Dawn works there.” Nancy gave a nod.

  “Dawn and Emma were friends?” Jay asked.

  “Well, I guess you could say friendly.” Nancy shrugged. “Emma didn’t really like Dawn. It’s okay for me to tell you how Emma felt. You won’t spread it around.”

  “How did Emma feel about Dawn?” Juliet asked.

  “Dawn was draining. She’d talk your ear off, all about herself, of course. That’s what Emma told me. I never met the woman. I think they met at the gym or maybe, through someone they both knew. Anyway, Emma didn’t really want a friendship with Dawn, but if Dawn called to go shopping or something, Emma felt she should go.”

  “Why did she feel obliged to go?” Shelly asked.

  “Emma wasn’t sure if Dawn had many friends. She said she didn’t want to hurt Dawn’s feelings, so she usually went along when she was asked to do something. Why are you asking about Emma’s friends?”

  “We try to talk to as many people as possible,” Jay explained. “To get a good picture of the person’s life, daily habits. We can learn a good deal from friends, family, work associates.”

  Nancy nodded.

  “When we were here earlier, you told us you didn’t trust your son-in-law, that you didn’t like him,” Jay said. “Can you tell us why?”

  Nancy’s eyes moved around the room and she twisted her hands. “It’s just a feeling.”

  “Is it based on anything in particular?” Jay asked.

  Nancy’s expression hardened. “The stupid gambling, for one thing. Getting the family into so much debt. Twice, he did that. Twice. Charlie only thinks about himself, want he wants, what he needs. He never looks beyond the end of his nose. He’s a selfish, self-centered man.”

  “Did Emma say these things to you?” Shelly asked.

  “She didn’t come right out and say them. Emma was too nice, too forgiving.” Nancy had to swallow hard to remove the emotion that was starting to choke her. “She should have divorced Charlie. He was good for nothing. She didn’t need that albatross around her neck.”

  “Did Emma ever talk to you about divorcing him?” Jay asked.

  “A couple of times when she was fed up with his antics. I doubt she would have gone through with it,” Nancy said. “She hated conflict.”

  “How do you and Charlie get along?” Jay questioned. “When you’re together, do you manage to get along with each other?”

  “I’m civil, friendly. Even though I don’t feel like being that way. Charlie acts like everything is fine. We don’t argue or ignore each other. I’m cordial to him for the kids’ sakes.”

  “Did you see any cracks in the marriage? From Charlie’s point of view?”

  “Do you mean did he want to get out of the marriage?” Nancy asked. “I don’t see why he would. Emma brought in a good salary. She ran the house, made a nice home, took care of everything, raised the kids to be good people. She did a lot to pay off Charlie’s gambling debts. Why would he want out of that? Emma did all the work and Charlie reaped all the benefits.”

  “Did you know Emma and Charlie recently took out life insurance policies?” Jay asked.

  “Emma told me. I was glad she’d get some money if something ever happened to Charlie.”

  “Do you think Charlie ever cheated on Emma?”

  Nancy made a face. “Charlie did cheat. Emma figured it out. Charlie liked to go out drinking. A few people told Emma about Charlie’s behavior in the bars, that he left with a woman some times.”

  “Did Emma confront Charlie about it?” Shelly asked.

  “I’m not sure. Emma tried to look the other way, but sometimes she would be plenty angry about it,” Nancy said. “Why couldn’t Charlie just be happy with his family? He caused Emma a lot of heartbreak.”

  “Do you know what Emma’s plans were on the night the crime took place?” Jay asked.

  “I don’t know. She only said she had a lot to do a
nd would like to postpone dinner until the next night.” Nancy squeezed her hands together. “I should have asked what she was doing. I should have asked more questions. I should have made her stay for dinner.” A few tears rolled down the woman’s face.

  “It’s okay.” Jay spoke kindly. “We have all our resources working on the case. We’ll figure it out. I’ll do everything in my power to find the person responsible.”

  Nancy gave a nod and then buried her face in her hands.

  12

  It was a cool, sunny morning when Shelly and Jay arrived at Windsor Manufacturing, the company where Emma Pinkley had worked part-time for several months. Phone records indicated that a man who worked at Windsor, Steve Carlton, had made many calls and sent numerous texts to Emma during the time she worked there. Jay had a specific interest in Carlton and had arranged to speak with him in the company office.

  A conference room had been set aside by the president of Windsor for Jay to do the interview, and Carlton was the first person she and Shelly would meet with.

  Steve Carlton was tall, with a medium build, dark brown hair and brown eyes. He wore slacks, a well-pressed shirt, and a navy blazer. A few beads of perspiration showed on the man’s upper lip and when he shook hands with Shelly, his palm felt damp.

  “Thanks for speaking with us,” Jay told the man. “What do you do here at Windsor?”

  Carlton cleared his throat. “I’m an assistant vice president. I oversee the financial side of things.”

  “Where do you live?”

  “I live here in Rollingwood. About a ten-minute drive away.”

  “Are you married? Do you have a family?” Jay asked.

  “I’m married. We have two kids, two boys. They’re eighteen and sixteen.”

  “Does your wife work?”

  “She’s a teacher at the middle school.”

  “You knew Emma Pinkley?” Jay asked.

  “Yes, Emma worked here for a few months in the accounting department. She was a good employee, smart, hard-working.”

  Shelly watched the man over the top of the laptop screen and noted his slightly twitchy behavior, pulling at his sleeve, adjusting his blazer, shifting around a little in his chair. His forehead glistened with a thin layer of sweat.

  “Did you interact much with Mrs. Pinkley?” Jay asked.

  “Some. She was only part-time, as I said.”

  “When you talked with her, did she appear worried about anything?”

  “No, she didn’t. I only knew her for a short time. The position was temporary. I didn’t know her well so I wouldn’t have picked up on whether or not she was bothered by anything.”

  Shelly narrowed her eyes at the man as she typed the notes.

  “Was Emma friendly with anyone in the office?”

  “I’m not sure. I didn’t notice.”

  “Did you ever socialize with Emma?”

  “Me? No, I didn’t.”

  “Did you ever go to Paxton Park to see her?”

  “Well, no. Why would I do that?”

  “I wondered that myself,” Jay said with a stern tone.

  Carlton looked nervously around the room. “What do you mean?”

  Shelly was pretty sure Carlton knew very well what Jay was talking about.

  “Cell phone records show quite a few calls and texts from your phone to Emma’s phone.” Jay let the words hang in the air.

  Carlton sat straighter, his face expressionless. “I got in touch to ask questions about what she was working on, to clarify information. She wasn’t here every day so I needed to contact her for business reasons.”

  “I see.” Jay opened a folder and shuffled some papers. “Most of the calls went unanswered and Emma only replied to one of your texts.” Jay looked up. “Why wouldn’t Emma answer your calls?”

  Carlton’s jaw twitched. “I don’t know.”

  “Did you ask her why she didn’t answer them?”

  “I don’t recall asking her about that.”

  Jay looked down at one of the papers and then clasped her hands over her folder. “We heard some information about what you had texted Emma. My guess is that Emma did not appreciate your suggestive, lewd, and inappropriate messages and chose not to answer your calls or your texts. What do you say to that?”

  Carlton’s lips were held tightly together.

  “The records also indicate that your phone was in the vicinity of Emma Pinkley’s neighborhood about two weeks prior to her death.” Jay’s eyes were like lasers.

  Carlton raised his voice. “I didn’t have anything to do with her death. Do I need a lawyer?”

  “You are welcome to retain an attorney if you choose to, Mr. Carlton, but we are not charging you with anything,” Jay said. “We are simply gathering information. Now, would you like to explain your behavior with the calls and texts?”

  Carlton’s cheeks colored pink. “I thought Emma was attractive. I thought she was attracted to me. I asked her out a few times, just to have dinner. One afternoon, I had business in Paxton Park and drove over to her house. She wasn’t at home. No one was at the house. It was only a friendly call. I just stopped by to say hello.”

  “I might infer that Emma did not want the attention you were giving her. Would I be correct in that?”

  “I was only being friendly,” Carlton’s tone was defensive.

  “I might call it something else,” Jay stared at the man.

  Carlton squirmed in his seat.

  “You told me at the beginning of the interview that you are married. Did I hear that correctly?”

  “Yes, you did.” Carlton’s voice was softer.

  “And Emma was married as well.”

  “Yes.”

  Jay let out a long breath. “I’m concerned that you don’t seem to understand boundaries. How far would you push boundaries, Mr. Carlton?”

  “I … what do you mean?” Carlton said with forced indignation.

  “Where were you on the evening that Emma Pinkley died?”

  A shiver went down Shelly’s back as she waited for the man’s reply.

  “I was at home.”

  “Was anyone at home with you?”

  “My wife arrived home around 10pm.”

  “And your sons?”

  “They were on an overnight school trip.”

  “So you were alone in the house until 10pm?” Jay asked.

  “That’s right.”

  “Did you leave the house for any reason between six and ten?”

  “I did not. I was at home the entire evening.”

  “Did anyone see you at home? A neighbor? A friend? A relative?”

  “No. I was inside the house working in my office.”

  “Did it bother you that Emma did not return your interest?” Jay questioned.

  “No,” Carlton said a little too forcefully. “I mean, sure, I would have liked to have been friends outside of work, but Emma was a busy woman. That’s understandable. There were no hard feelings.”

  Shelly was amazed at Carlton’s ability to make it seem his only intention was to be friends with Emma. She had to stop herself from making a face and shaking her head at the man’s comments.

  “When was the last time you saw Emma?” Jay asked.

  “Her last day here at Windsor. I don’t remember the exact date.”

  “And when was the last time you talked to her?”

  “The same day. Her last day here at work.”

  “When was the last time you attempted to speak with her?”

  “I don’t know.” Carlton’s muscles tightened along his jaw line as he glanced at Jay’s folder. “You can probably tell me since you have the records. I called to see how she was doing. I don’t recall what day it was. That’s all it was. A friendly call.”

  Jay asked several more questions and then thanked Steve Carlton for speaking with them. The man stood up, nodded, and left the room without saying goodbye or shaking their hands.

  “That was an abrupt ending to the meeting.” Shelly c
losed the laptop. “I don’t think he enjoyed our company,” she said with a sly look at Jay.

  “He got caught. I’m always baffled when smart people do stupid things. Carlton must know that the phone companies have records of calls, their duration, whether or not the call was answered.” Jay sighed and shook her head. “He must know that cell towers and cell phones ping each other and that those pings can be used to narrow down a location and indicate where a phone has been.”

  “I guess people get lazy. Or their desires make them forget that it’s hard to hide from technology.” Shelly slipped her laptop into its case. “What do you think? Is Carlton a person of interest?”

  “The records tell us that Carlton’s phone was in Rollingwood on the night Emma was killed,” Jay said. “But just because Carlton’s phone was in Rollingwood, it doesn’t mean that Carlton was.”

  As Jay packed up her laptop and folders, a knock on the open door caused her to look up.

  A young woman in her late twenties stood in the hallway looking in. “Excuse me. Do you have a minute to talk?”

  “Come in,” Shelly said with a smile. “How can we help?”

  The petite woman had sandy blond hair pulled up in a loose bun. She stepped slowly into the room, but gave the impression she might dart away before saying another word. “Can I shut the door?”

  “Yes, please.” Shelly sat down in order to reassure the young woman and then introduced herself and Jay.

  “I’m Linden Parker. I work in the accounting department.”

  “You knew Emma Pinkley?”

  “I did.” Linden sat down at the table and pushed nervously at her bangs. “I heard you were talking to some of the employees.” She took a quick look at the door and Shelly thought she might bolt.

  “Did you want to tell us something?” Jay asked gently.

  “I liked Emma. She was a really nice person.” Linden wrung her hands together. “Emma was smart. She did a great job. But I think some people were jealous of her. Some people weren’t that nice to her.”

  “How do you mean?” Shelly asked.

  “Unfriendly. Unhelpful. You know when you start a new job, you have questions and it’s nice to have someone you can ask things. One of the other accountants was rude, she wouldn’t answer Emma’s questions. She even gave her wrong information. I helped when I could, whenever it was something I knew.”