Yarn Over Murder (A Knitting Mystery) (11 page)

“I’ve been told there were several people at Ms. Swinson’s. Did you recognize anyone else there?”

“Yes, a lot of the people who came to help were my friends. There was Jayleen Swinson, of course, and Curt Stackhouse, who owns a ranch near the Buckhorn. My Fort Connor friends Lisa Gerrard and Greg Carruthers brought a truck as well. As did Megan and Marty Harrington. Andrea Holt was there. And several people that I didn’t know who were friends of Jayleen’s. Oh, yes, and Andrea’s husband Dennis Holt was also there helping.”

“How did you know Dennis Holt?”

Kelly carefully chose her words. “I met him when I was going up into Poudre Canyon last year with my friend Jennifer Stroud. She’s a real estate agent here in town, and she had a property up there she wanted to show me. Dennis Holt was a neighbor on the adjoining property.”

“Have you had occasion to meet him since then, before last Saturday, I mean?”

Kelly peered at friendly Officer Warren, wondering at her question. “No, I’ve had no reason to meet him. In fact, it took me a while to recognize him last Saturday when we were at Jayleen’s.”

“Were you aware that he and Andrea Holt had divorced?”

Kelly deliberately took a sip of iced coffee from her mug, curious about all the questions regarding Dennis. “Yes, I believe Mimi told me.”

“Was Connie Carson there when you arrived?”

“No, she drove up a few minutes after Steve and I loaded the alpacas.”

“Did she also bring a truck and trailer so she could help move alpacas?”

“Uhh, no. I don’t believe she has a truck. Connie drove up in her car.”

“Did you see a man helping Andrea Holt that you didn’t recognize?”

“Yes . . . yes, I did. I believe his name is Jim.”

“Were you aware that he was Connie Carson’s husband?”

“My friend, Lisa, told me while I was at Jayleen’s. I asked her who he was.”

“You mentioned that Connie Carson brought a regular car to Jayleen Swinson’s. Did you get the feeling that she came to help move some of Ms. Swinson’s belongings or did she come to speak to her husband and Andrea Holt?”

“Uhh . . . that’s hard to say,” Kelly dodged.

“Did you witness an argument between Connie Carson and her husband and Andrea Holt?”

Kelly released a sigh. “Yes, I did, and it was very unpleasant. Connie was extremely angry and accused Andrea of stealing her husband.”

“Were all three of them engaged in the argument?”

“Well, all three of them spoke up and had something to say, if that’s what you mean.”

Officer Warren nodded. “So, all three of them participated in the argument.”

“Yes. All three of them. They were all visibly upset.”

“Did the argument get physical? By that, I mean did any person put their hands on another person?”

Kelly took another sip of coffee. Friendly Officer Warren was a damned good interrogator. So much for friendly looking older women. Like a pit bull, she didn’t let go.

“Yes. Connie Carson pushed Andrea Holt in the heat of the argument. Andrea stumbled but didn’t fall.”

“Did Jim Carson do or say anything after that?”

“Yes . . . he said something like they hadn’t been together for months and he couldn’t stand being around her.” Kelly glanced away. “Pretty harsh.”

“How did his wife Connie respond to that comment?”

Kelly sighed. “She burst into tears, started crying. Jayleen Swinson came over and put her arms around Connie then. Andrea and Jim drove off. Steve and I drove off after that, too. Police were going to evacuate the canyon.”

“Was Dennis Holt present during all of this? Did he say anything?”

“He was there, but he just watched like the rest of us.”

“Did he load any alpacas into a trailer?”

“Yes, he loaded two alpacas and was going to take them to Andrea’s ranch up the Poudre. That’s where my friends and I were taking our trailer loads as well. Jayleen and Curt and their family took the rest to Curt’s ranch near the Buckhorn.”

Officer Warren paged back through her notes, then looked up at Kelly again. “Did you and your friends drive up to Andrea Holt’s ranch that same day, Saturday?”

“Yes, after we got out of Bellevue Canyon, we took a short break for some fast food, then we all trekked up into Poudre Canyon to her ranch. We transferred all the animals into her corrals.”

“Can you tell me who you saw at Andrea’s ranch?”

Oh, brother. Here we go again.
“Well, Andrea, Jim Carson, Dennis Holt, and all my friends, Steve, Lisa, Greg, Megan, and Marty.”

“Those were the only ones when you arrived?”

“Yes . . . then Connie arrived,” Kelly said reluctantly.

“And what happened when she did? Was there another argument?”

“Ohh, yes. More shouting and accusations. Then my friends and I got Connie away from there and took her with us when we left the ranch. We sat with her for a while, then she left with us when we drove out of the canyon.”

“Did you see her drive out of the canyon? I mean, did you notice her car on the road along with you and your friends?”

Damn. Friendly Officer Warren was relentless
. “I did not actually see her car, but Steve and I were in the middle of our little caravan. Marty and Megan said that Connie was behind them until a rest stop where they saw her turn off and park at the restroom.”

Officer Warren scribbled away for a couple of minutes. Then gave Kelly that deceptively friendly Mom-smile. “Well, I think that’s all of my questions, Ms. Flynn. You’ve been very helpful. Thank you so much.” She rose from the table. “Do you have any suggestions as to when would be a good time for me to contact your friends?”

“Actually, we’ll all be together this evening playing softball at Rolland Moore fields. We’re on a co-ed softball team. So, you could come out to the ballpark.” Now it was her turn to give Officer Warren a winning smile.

Office Warren’s eyes lit up and she laughed lightly.

Later that Saturday, June 16

Kelly
tabbed through Warner Construction’s spreadsheet, entering various expenses and watching the numbers calculate at the bottom of each row. Updating data was a never-ending job. Settled at her favorite small table beside a café window looking out on the garden and golf course beyond, she took a sip from the newly filled mug of iced coffee.

“Hey, Kelly.” Burt’s voice cut through her concentration on the demanding numbers. “Mimi said you were in here working.” Burt pulled out a chair across the table and settled in.

“I was hoping you’d show up before I had to leave.” She looked up with a smile. “I wish Connie was still here, but she took off the moment Officer Warren pulled out of the driveway.”

Burt’s smile disappeared. “Yeah, Mimi told me Connie looked awful after the interview. Her face was white and Mimi thought she was going to actually get sick.”

“I only caught a glimpse of her, but she certainly didn’t look happy. In fact, we haven’t seen the old Connie since last week. And I have to admit, Burt, that bothers me.” She closed her laptop and shoved it to the side of the table.

Burt’s face clouded. “I know what you mean, Kelly. And the same thing bothers me, too. Connie acts, well . . . for want of a better word, guilty. You can’t miss it.” Burt leaned both arms on the table, his big hands clasped together in what Kelly recognized as his talking position. “You know, I’d left a message with Dan at the department the first of the week, asking him to keep me updated about any new information on Andrea Holt’s death. He called me today. Officer Warren questioned Jim Carson first, which I found interesting.”

“Really? Well, that explains why Officer Warren asked me so many questions about who was there at Jayleen’s and who took alpacas to Andrea’s ranch. What happened at Jayleen’s and at the ranch, and all that. It was clear she already knew about the argument between Connie and Andrea and Jim because she asked pointed questions.” Kelly gave Burt a crooked smile. “Boy, for a sweet-looking older lady, she was one heckuva relentless interviewer. A barracuda in disguise.”

Burt laughed softly. “Ohh, yeah. Diane spent twenty years as a detective on the force. She just cut back to part-time this year and has worked mostly as a community service officer these last few months. And considering how short-handed the department has been with the wildfire, Diane was the perfect one to handle the interviews. So you were questioned by one of the best.”

“I believe it. Now I understand why I needed a big mug of Eduardo’s coffee afterward. I was exhausted.” She stared off into the foothills.

Thankfully, no more plumes of smoke were visible from this vantage point. The continuing influx of firefighters from all around the country had made a big difference. The fire commandant had announced last night on the news that the fire was 20 percent contained after this first week. Over 54,000 acres were burned and more than 112 homes lost so far. The Whale Rock area alone, up a steep slope from Bellevue Canyon road, lost forty homes. People loved those remote locations with their beautiful views. Unfortunately, those homes on hard-to-reach roads were only accessible by four-by-four vehicles. That meant fire equipment could not get up those roads. Manpower alone was the only thing between the fires and people’s homes.

“I wonder why she spoke with Jim Carson first,” Kelly said. “You’d think she would have spoken to Jayleen first.”

“Maybe she couldn’t get in touch with Jayleen. Remember, the fire moved into the Buckhorn around that time.”

Kelly nodded. “You’re right. By the way, have you seen Jim Carson helping at the disaster shelter lately?”

“No, but I did remember to ask my friend who works for the Salvation Army about some of the volunteers. He said several of them signed up to help weekly, so he’ll make it a point of checking the list and give me a call if Jim shows up. That way I can drop by and have a chat.” Burt stared down at his hands for a moment then looked up. “There is one other thing Dan told me. Apparently, Connie admitted to Officer Warren that she drove back to Andrea Holt’s ranch after she was with you guys on Saturday.”

Kelly drew back, shocked. “You’re kidding?
Dammit!
Why did she do that?”

Burt wagged his head in that world-weary way of his. “I don’t know, Kelly. It sounds to me, after listening to you and the others describe those confrontations, that Connie was reacting purely on emotion. Fear, most probably. Fear of losing her husband Jim to Andrea. Mimi and I had seen Connie and Jim go through several breakups over the years. Connie has a hot temper and was jealous of her good-looking husband. Somehow, they’d usually find a way to patch over things and get back together. I guess this time it was different. For Jim, at least. He’d met Andrea.”

Kelly stared out the window at the golf course. Only a very few hardy—or crazy—people were actually playing in the heat of this afternoon sun. Mornings were busy on the course. Early mornings particularly. Kelly was glad she didn’t golf. With tennis you could always play on air-conditioned indoor courts in the summer. Softball leagues had already changed their schedules to include only evening games.

“If only Connie had left the canyon when we all did. But Marty said she turned off at the rest stop.” She looked into Burt’s eyes. “I hate saying this, Burt, but do you think Connie pushed Andrea or caused her to fall down the stairs? I saw how angry Connie was at Jayleen’s when she shoved Andrea. She was beyond angry, Burt. Connie was hysterical.”

Burt’s gaze turned sad. “I hate to think that, too, Kelly, but I’ve learned over a lifetime that anything’s possible when someone becomes enraged. Particularly a jealous rage. That’s why there are so many cases of spouses killing each other when they catch them cheating with someone else. That kind of rage is like a temporary insanity. And that’s why the law has the classification of murder in the second degree. That’s unpremeditated murder, not planned. Often a crime of passion.”

Kelly stared off at the mountains without seeing them this time. “Good Lord . . . if that’s what happened, then it would explain why Connie’s acting the way she is.” She closed her eyes. “I don’t want to think about it.”

“Neither do I, Kelly. That’s another reason I’m glad I’m no longer on the force. It would break my heart to have to arrest Connie.”

“Officer Warren said she’d be questioning Steve, Lisa, Greg, Megan, and Marty, so I told her they’d all be at Rolland Moore ballfields tonight if she wanted to find them.” Kelly shrugged. “She just laughed, so she probably thought I was kidding.”

“Well, it’s Saturday afternoon, so she may try to contact them this weekend.”

“Good luck. The guys will be playing in Greeley. And we’ve got another game in Loveland on Sunday.”

Burt glanced at his watch. “Speaking of the weekend, I’d better check the class schedule and make sure everything’s ready. I’m teaching a spinning class later today.”

Kelly’s cell phone sounded from where it lay beside her laptop. She spotted Jayleen’s name flashing as she reached for it. Burt was already out of his chair. Kelly gave him a wave as she clicked on. “Hey, Jayleen, I’m glad you called. How is it going over there? We’ve been paying close attention to news reports and it looks like the fire’s been contained in that area of the Buckhorn Valley.”

“We can thank the firefighters for that,” Jayleen said. “They’ve been working night and day to build fire lines and beat out any hot spots. Not just here but in Bellevue Canyon, too.”

Kelly heard sounds in the background so she guessed Jayleen was outside. She left her chair and hastened outside to escape the café noise. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in a week, Jayleen. On this morning’s fire updates on TV, the reporter said firemen thought they’d turned the corner. Do you guys think so? I mean, do the guys on the ground you talk to think so?”

“We’re all keeping our fingers crossed up here, Kelly. The guys I talk to all say they’re ‘cautiously optimistic.’ Lord, I hope they’re right. Twenty-seven homes lost in Bellevue Canyon so far, and seventeen in Poudre Canyon. I’ve been saying prayers, I swear I have.”

Kelly hadn’t said prayers in years, but decided she just might start now. This was as good a reason as any to start up communication with Higher Powers.

“Well, I might break down and send up a prayer as well. Your welfare and your ranch are as good a reason as any.”

Jayleen’s low laughter sounded over the phone as Kelly leaned against the café balcony. No customers were at the nearby tables. The lunch crush was over and closing time was drawing closer. “I’m honored, Kelly-girl. Oh, I got a message from some community policewoman. She wants to come over and ask us questions about last Saturday. God knows, I’ll try my best to answer, but everything’s just merged together in a blur that day. So much was going on. Talk about chaos. I’m hoping Curt has a better memory of it all.”

“Her name’s Officer Warren and she came over to question Connie today, then she asked me questions. Apparently she talked to Jim Carson first, so she had a good rundown about what happened up at your place Saturday. Connie’s outburst and all that. So she asked lots of questions. Be prepared for a grilling.”

“Well, I’ll do my best. But this wildfire has burned away anything that wasn’t absolutely essential for me to focus on. So I may not be too much help. I bet she’ll be trying to question Dennis, too. I’d better call him and see when he plans to meet with her.”

“Wow, how’s he going to handle that? He’s still hiding up in the canyon taking care of the animals. Is he going to hike down at night, like you mentioned?”

“Yep. He’s gonna have to come into town at night in order to meet her the next day. Then, he’ll hike back that next night. I thought I’d help him out and drive him over to the interview from Ted’s Place at the mouth of the canyon.”

Kelly got a little buzz inside. “Jayleen, do you think Dennis would mind if I met him while he’s in town? I’d be curious to hear what kind of questions Officer Warren asks him.”

“That should probably work. Maybe we can meet for lunch. I’ll tell him you’re helping me with some bank business and all. Account stuff. So bring along your briefcase so you’ll look all professional.”

Kelly could hear the smile in Jayleen’s voice. “Sounds like a plan, Jayleen. Why don’t you give me a call when you hear from Dennis so you can tell me where and when you want to meet.”

“Will do, Kelly-girl. You take care. I’ve gotta get back out there and meet up with Curt. We’re still checking the land, if you know what I mean. Can’t take any chances.”

“Take care, Jayleen. Say hi to Curt for me.” Kelly clicked off at the same time as her friend.

•   •   •

Steve
turned his truck into the entrance to Rolland Moore park. Kelly was about to grab her dad’s USS
Kitty Hawk
baseball hat from beside the seat when her cell phone rang in her shorts pocket. She pulled it out and spotted Jayleen’s name as Steve pulled into a parking space.

“It’s Jayleen. You go on and tell them I’ll be there in a minute, okay?”

Steve nodded and grabbed his water bottle, then climbed out of the truck.

“Hey, Jayleen. Did you hear from Dennis already?” Kelly pushed open the truck door and climbed down from the front seat.

“Yeah, I sure did. Dennis said Officer Warren wants to meet with him on Monday morning at ten o’clock at the Justice Center. You can join us for lunch afterward. Are you going to be in town then, or is that one of your Denver client days?”

“No, Monday’s good. I don’t go to Denver for another week or so. So that will work fine. Is Dennis planning to hike out of the canyon Sunday night, then? Are you going to take him to the interview?”

“I plan to. Dennis said he’ll have his backpack with him, so he’ll go to one of those little motels on the edge of Landport and see if he can find a place to sleep Sunday night. If they’re all full, he’ll use his bedroll and sleep outside the shelter. He just needs a place to clean up so he won’t look too scruffy when he meets that policewoman Monday morning.”

“Well, that’s gonna be hard, considering Dennis looks pretty scruffy to begin with,” Kelly said, slipping on her baseball hat and grabbing her first baseman’s glove.

Jayleen laughed. “I’m afraid you’re right, Kelly. Well, why don’t we meet you afterward at that all-night diner on North College at noon? I figure Dennis should be finished with his interview by then so I can pick him up and drive him over.”

“That works for me. I’ll see you then. Oh, and Jayleen, good luck with Officer Warren this weekend. Burt said she spent twenty years as a detective with the department. And I can vouch that she’s one helluva good interrogator. So don’t try to hide anything,” she teased. “She’ll get it out of you.”

Jayleen laughed out loud. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”