Don’t worry. I’ll let you know when I have options for the real cover of this novel-in-progress.
Meanwhile, back to it …
CHAPTER TWO
With characteristic stoicism, Sully told me the body was discovered when a neighbor was asked to check-in on Heidi after she failed to show up for work. When Heidi failed to answer the door, the neighbor called 911. Sully explained this in the hallway, crime techs and the otherwise authorized ducking in and out of the crime scene.
“There are no obvious signs of foul play. Only a half-empty pill bottle next to her bed.” Sully said. “Of course, we’ll need a call from the ME on cause of death before we make any decisions.” A female officer—her dark blue uniform still perfectly creased and squeaky clean—approached us, gave me a tight smile, and spoke inaudible words into Sully’s ear.
“I see,” Sully said. “Thank you.” With that, the officer went away. Sully turned back to me.
“How did you know the deceased?” she asked.
“We met while I served in Afghanistan. She was with a contractor who provided transport services.”
“How well did you know her?”
“Well enough to say hello to now and then. I know she enjoyed movies.”
Sully seemed to mull that over. She nodded, as if finally solving a puzzle. “When did you last speak with her?”
“It was just yesterday. She seemed anxious to talk to me.”
“She contacted you?” Sully asked.
“Yes. Can I ask something?” Without waiting for her answer, I continued. “Was there a note? Does it look like an accident or suicide?”
Sully shook her head, either in answer to my first question or refusal to answer at all. “Mmm. Too soon to say.” Indeed. Mmm. “What time did you speak to her yesterday?” she asked, notebook and pen poised.
I thought back. I’d been in the midst of shutting my laptop down when the phone rang. I ignored the call—my mind focused on a more important matter—what to eat for dinner.
“Around six,” I said. “She called and left a message. I didn’t recognize the number, so I thought it might be spam at first. I called her back right away. She sounded like she could use a pep talk.”
I had, after all, applied for a private eye’s license, having been declared “sane-ish OR sane enough” by my court ordered therapist. Couple years ago, I’d had a legal dustup when a guy in a bar got handsy with me. The court ordered me into therapy, and I’d managed to get a clean bill … and not punch anyone else in the face.
“And what did you talk about?” Sully asked.
I paused, my attention caught by the opening door and the flash of a white-suited figure, snapping photos within. “Not much really. I hadn’t seen her in ages. But she asked me to meet her for lunch today. Something was bothering her, something that happened while we were over there. When I asked what the problem was, she said she’d prefer to discuss it in person.”
Sully noted this, or at least I assumed she was taking notes. “Anything else you remember? Did she sound depressed? Angry? Anything?”
I thought back to the sound of her voice. “Just intent on meeting me. Anxious, I guess.”
“When was the last time you saw her?”
“Not since my time on active duty.” I put some effort into recalling our occasional conversations over there. Well, I could say she was a huge fan of Tarantino and the Coen brothers. She struck me as smart, the kind who would use her active service as a springboard for starting a business … meanwhile my only goal was to make it out alive. “We used to talk about movies a lot. It didn’t go much deeper than that. She was personable.” Given conditions in the field, that was saying something.
“You were in hospital for a week or so, due to a concussion. That was before your return, correct?”
I murmured agreement, sifting through the memories of nearly getting blown to pieces en route to an LZ. The landing zone of the helo (or chopper or copter, depending on your generation) meant to whisk us back to civilization. A young man driving the vehicle had died as a result. I still had the nightmares.
The awful buzz of memories merely underscored my annoyance at the question about my head injury, as if it made me unreliable.
“Is it possible you’ve forgotten anything significant she might have mentioned?” Sully plugged away at this angle. She was giving me a headache.
“If I can think of anything, I promise to tell you.” It took every ounce of self-control not to snarl the words.
“Can you think of anyone else who knew her then? During your time overseas.”
I thought back over the past decade. Seemed longer. “I’d have to give that some thought.” Heidi hadn’t been with the Marines but served as our support. Our separate assignments gave us fewer chances to mingle. However, “fewer” isn’t “none.” I could check my photos from back then for any instances her people might have hung out with mine. The ones I’d kept.
“What about family?” Sully persisted. “Do you know of anyone we should contact?”
“Nope.”
Sully nodded, as if I’d passed a test. She stopped taking notes and handed me a card. “In case you lost the last one I gave you,” she said.
With that, I was dismissed.
But not for long.