Touch of Red (Tracers #12)(25)

She shot him a look as he held open the door.

The store smelled like fresh paint. They started at the customer-service counter, where they asked for Jared Doppler. He appeared a few minutes later with a scowl on his face, and Callie held up her police ID. After some tense words with a manager, Doppler led Callie and Sean outside. He went around the corner of the building and turned to face them, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You trying to get me shit-canned?”

Callie shook her head. “Not at all, Jared. We just have a few questions for you. If you don’t want to talk here, we can always do it at the station.”

Doppler dug a pack of smokes from his shirt pocket. “What questions?”

“How do you know Samantha Bonner?” Callie asked.

“I don’t.” He lit a cigarette and blew out a stream of smoke.

Sean flipped open his notebook. “Never met her?”

“Nope.”

He jotted that down as Doppler eyed him with suspicion.

“Never talked to her?”

“Sure, I talked to her once or twice.” He gave a shrug. “But I don’t know her or anything. She was friends with my wife, not me.”

“Don’t you mean ex-wife?”

Doppler looked at Callie.

“We have that you two divorced—what was it, Detective Byrne? Five months ago?”

“Six.”

Doppler sucked in a drag and squinted. “Whatever.” He blew out the smoke. “She was Amy’s friend.”

“And you never actually met her face-to-face,” Callie stated.

“That’s right.”

“Okay, what do you know about her?”

“She was an alcoholic, same as Amy. She filled Amy’s head with a bunch of mumbo jumbo about getting in touch with her higher power, or some such shit.”

Callie glanced at Sean, then back to Doppler. “According to Samantha’s phone records, Jared, you called her three separate times just ten days before she died.”

He sucked in a drag, but didn’t respond.

“All on the night of November fifth.” Callie glanced at the notebook. “You called at one sixteen, one eighteen, and one twenty-two in the morning. The last call lasted twelve minutes.”

“So?”

“So, you want to tell us what you talked about?”

He stared at Callie for a moment. Then he looked at Sean. “I told her to butt out. To stop calling my wife and mind her own business.”

“Ex-wife.”

Jared glared at Callie.

“It didn’t take twelve minutes to tell her that,” Sean said. “What else did you talk about?”

“Nothing. I just told her to butt out of our business.”

Callie lifted an eyebrow. “And if she didn’t? What’d you plan to do then?”

“What the hell is this? Did Amy say I threatened that bitch?” Doppler pointed his cigarette at Callie. “Because I didn’t.”

Sean was starting to get pissed off, but Callie smiled calmly.

“I guess we’ll never know, will we, Jared? Because ‘that bitch’ is dead.”

“Where were you at eight forty-five Wednesday night?” Sean asked.

Doppler didn’t look surprised by the question. “I was with someone.”

“Really? Who?” The note of disbelief in Callie’s voice made Sean smile.

“Her name’s Jenny Landry.” Doppler tossed his cigarette butt to the ground and pulled out his cell phone. “I texted her at eight forty. I’ve got it right here.” He showed his phone to Sean. “I headed over to her place at eight forty-five.”

“We need her address,” Sean said.

“Hyde Creek Apartments. She’s in unit twelve.”

“And when did you leave there?”

“Nine thirty.”

Callie whistled. “You’re fast.”

“Back to the phone calls with Samantha,” Sean said. “Had you been drinking when you talked to her?”

Of all the questions, this one seemed to make Doppler the most defensive. “I don’t know. Why?”

“Just wondering.”

“I’d maybe had a few beers.”

“Two? Three? Six?”

“I don’t know. A few.”

“Any chance you have a drinking problem?” Sean asked.

“Did Amy tell you that?”

“Your rap sheet told us,” Callie said. “You’ve got a pair of DWIs.”

“I don’t have a drinking problem. Or any other kind of problem unless I get fired from my job.” He glared at Sean. “Are we done here?”

“I don’t know. Detective McLean, are we done?” Sean looked at Callie.

“We’re done for now, but we’ll be checking your alibi, Jared.”

“Have at it.”

“And I’m going to need you to stay available.”

? ? ?

Sean and Callie stared after him as he stormed off.

“Can’t imagine why he’s divorced,” Callie said.

They started across the parking lot to their cars.

“What’d you think of his alibi?” Sean asked.