Chapter 37
Edward paced the floor in his flat trying to contemplate his next move. Things just got more complicated, but he knew Gracie wouldn’t be stupid enough to get the police involved, not with all of the evidence she had in her office, or at least he hoped she wasn’t that stupid… or psychotic.
He needed to get Eva back and get the hell out of there before anything more happened with Gracie. He grabbed his phone and hit Joseph’s number. He knew if he talked about what happened he’d come up with a solution.
“Hey man, you reached Joseph. Leave a message and I’ll get back to ya when I can. I’m out.”
“Damn voice mail.” He looked at the time and figured he was with someone of the opposite sex. “Hey, Joseph. It’s me. Listen, I may be in a little bit of trouble. Give me a call as soon as you get this. I’d like to talk this one out. Thanks.”
He threw his phone on the couch and was about to plop himself down next to it when a knock on his door stopped him. He hesitated, not wanting to deal with Gracie again, but needing to wrap his arms around Eva.
“Who is it?” He did remember to lock it this time.
“Saint Aldates Police Department. Open up please.”
“Saint Aldates? I guess she is stupid enough,” he murmured.
Edward opened the door to two police officers. “Good evening. Can I help you, officers?”
“Edward Caldwell?”
“That’s me.”
“I am Officer Sheldon. This is Officer Wheeler. Mind if we come in? We have a few questions we would like to ask you.”
“Please, of course. Come in. Can I get you something? Coffee? Water?”
“No, thank you,” they each said.
“What can I do for you?”
“We received a call about a disturbance at a residence on Sidney Street this evening. Do you know anything about that?”
“Sidney Street?”
“Yes, with a Miss Gracie Honor?” The officer read his notes from a small notepad.
Edward nodded. “Yes. I was just there. What can I help you with?”
“What can you tell us, Mr. Caldwell? Were you present during the altercation?”
“I was. I was contemplating on whether I should call you, actually.”
“You were?” The officer seemed surprised.
“Yes, sir. I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, but from what I found there, I knew it had to be dealt with delicately.”
“Mr. Caldwell?”
“What exactly did you find?” asked the other officer.
“Photos, news articles, things about me she shouldn’t have access to. Evidence against some of the department heads at the university. Things that will pin her to past cases that are still unsolved.” He noticed the officers glance at each other. “Were you there? Did you not find the same things? They were in her office….”
“There was nothing like that on the premises that we saw.”
“What did she tell you? Was she still there when you got there? She must have cleaned it all out, but I bet you anything she didn’t destroy it.”
“Mr. Caldwell. I don’t think you understand the severity of our visit to you this evening.”
“Why? What did she tell you?”
“Mr. Caldwell,” said the other officer. “Gracie Honor is dead.”
“As is her brother John Honor.”
“Uh.” Edward staggered backwards at the news.
“Are you okay?” The officer stepped forward to assist while Officer Sheldon put his hand on his gun.
“Yeah.” Edward shook his head. “She’s dead? Are you sure?”
“Quite.”
“How? What happened?”
“We were hoping you could shed some light on that part.”
Edward rubbed his face and walked toward the kitchen. “Do you mind if I grab a scotch?”
“Not at all.”
They watched as he went into the kitchen and poured himself a half a glass of the dark brown liquid. He downed it, letting the warmth flow through him before refilling it and rejoining them in the living room.
“A lot has been happening with Gracie, pertaining to me and my life.”
“Did you have a romantic relationship with Miss Honor?”
“No,” he said shaking his head. He kept his eyes down as he continued. “If it were up to her, we would be heavily involved, but I denied her advances and tried telling her I wasn’t interested. I heard the rumors about her and felt it best to steer clear of her all together.”
“According to our sources, you have been quite heavily involved in Miss Honor’s life.”
“At first, we were friends. She helped me around the university. I had just moved here and didn’t know anyone. She was my first acquaintance. I spent some time with her, as friends and she took it as more than that.”
He wanted to tell them about her brother and getting the shit beat out of himself by the guy, but he didn’t want to give them a motive for killing the bastard.
“I was seeing a woman from the university, until recently and I think Gracie had something to do with sabotaging my relationship with her.”
“And why is that?”
“Her track record, the way she works and the fact that I found the same pictures in her office tonight that were sent to my girlfriend. They were pictures of me with other women from my past.”
“I see. Did you kill Miss Honor and her brother, Mr. Caldwell.”
“No sir. I didn’t.”
“How were they when you left them this evening?”
“Son-of-a-bitch,” he said and sat down on the couch. He knew he looked guilty as hell. “I went over there to confront Gracie about getting involved in my relationship with Eva.”
“Eva, being your girlfriend?”
“Yes.” Edward closed his eyes as he remembered how Gracie walked in to his flat pretending to be Eva. How she had sex with him and then left. He left that part out too. “Eva was so upset. She wouldn’t even talk to me. When I went to Gracie’s I found the same pictures in her desk. When I confronted her about them she came unhinged and went crazy, screaming at me and jumping on my back. I didn’t know her brother was there. He didn’t give me time to explain, not that it would have done any good. Next thing I knew he was fighting me. I mean, I completely understand why he came at me. He thought I was hurting Gracie. He was defending her, but he wouldn’t listen to me. He was a lot bigger than I am so I defended myself the only way I knew how. I palmed his face and he immediately passed out. Blood spewed from his nose almost instantly. I knew I had to get out of there before she did something rash so I yelled for her to call the ambulance and as soon as she did I booked out of there. Came straight home. I didn’t know what to do from there. I didn’t think it was severe enough to get the law involved but I sat here and tried to figure out what to do. I knew she wasn’t stable and I couldn’t just let it go. I just thought I had more time to figure things out.”
“So, Miss Honor and her brother were still alive when you left?”
“Very much so.”
“Mr. Caldwell, we are going to have to ask you to come down to the station with us.”
“For what?”
“We have evidence that shows you at the scene of the crime up until and perhaps after their death.”
“But that’s not correct. That’s impossible. Get the recording when she called in. That has to tell you something.”
“We are working on that, but as of right now, you are our only suspect.”
“And with motive,” said the other officer.
“This is ridiculous.”
“Tell that to Miss Honor and her brother. Turn around, please.”
Edward turned around and put his hands behind his back.
“You do not have to say anything,” said Officer Sheldon “but it may harm your defense if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?"
“All too well,” said Edward.
They cuffed his hands and led him out of his flat, closing the door behind them.