Chapter 18

Chapter XVIII

Pete and Ruby were ready to start their day.  They went downstairs to the computer room where the treadmills stood.  They looked to each other, back to the treadmills, and to each other with trepidation.

Ruby finally said, “Let’s go back to eight until the police are through with Lookout Point.  I’m leery of those bullets flying around.”

Pete smiled.  She relieved him of being the one to chicken-out.  He thought, The police said they would check out the point.  We weren’t invited.

They had a pleasant, fast run on trail eight.

Porter arrived at the office early.  He noticed Ralph’s door ajar.  He looked in on Ralph, who was hunched over a file.

“God, Ralph, have you been here all night?” Porter asked.

“A – no it just seems like it.  Christina and I went through some old files last night.  I left when she went to work eleven-thirty or so.”  Ralph said.  “Woke up early this morning with an idea.  Didn’t pan out.”

“I wrapped up the Glover case yesterday; so if you need me holler.  How did your trip go?” Porter asked.   “Looks like you didn’t get lucky.”

“Oh, geeze, I’m sorry.”  Ralph realized he had neglected to called Porter.  “I got so tangled in finding … Tate basically confessed to killing Diether, but he had a buddy, who was really helpful, and I’ve been trying to find a connection.”

“Got a name?”

“Stoker Campbell!”

Porter narrowed his eyes giving his face a pensive frown.  Ralph watched his expression changing with thoughts.

“What?” Ralph finally asked.

“I thought this went way back to before Diether worked here.”

“So?”

“Name’s familiar.  Like in the last three years – four at most.”

“There are no files named Campbell.”

“Let me toss it around.  It’ll come to me,” Porter was interrupted by the ringing phone.

Ralph answered the phone formally then said, “Hi, aren’t you still at work? … Really, thanks; that will give us a time to deal with. … Yeah, I’ll call if we come up with something.”  Ralph hung up the phone and looked at Porter.  “Christina came up with: Stoker Campbell was put in prison June of ’05.  Jar anything?”

Porter’s eyes widened with reality.  “He was living with his step-father here.  Diether went to Kansas on the investigation.  No.  The step-father hired us to check up on Campbell.  Have to come up with a name for the step-father.”  Porter pondered, then said, “You want to read the Glover file for billing while I figure this out.”

Ralph reached for the Glover report and said, “I think you’re on the right track.  I remember Diether making the trip to… He went twice.  Once he checked on the son, then to testify at a hearing or something.”

“Right,” Porter said, “I’ll thumb through those files.”

“Porter, I’m really sorry I didn’t call you when I got back.  I know you cared too.”

“I understand.  You were pulling an endless thread.  We all get like that.” 

Porter left Ralph’s office.  He looked to the bulletproof glass that closed off Diether’s office.  He pressed his lips between his teeth and shook his head, thinking, NO.  He’s not in – ever.

Spacer and Kurtis went to Outlook Point Park around nine in the morning.  The crime lab was combing the area.  A police officer was standing guard at the head of the trail.  Kurtis and Spacer flashed their ID.  The officer nodded; he had met them on other cases.

“You haven’t been here all night … Smithy, isn’t it?” Kurtis asked.

“I took over at seven AM,” he nodded and replied.

A shot rang out.  Kurtis and Spacer automatically touched their weapons before reasoning the rifle range.

“Damn, does that go on all night?” Spacer asked.

“Jones said they quit at ten, but warned me they would start again around eight,” Smithy replied, “Thank God, he warned me or you’d of found me behind a tree.”

“Some of that sounds powerful enough I’d question the safety of a tree,” Kurtis said, then asked, “Anyone been by?”

“A woman, Ms Carter,” Smithy answered, checking notes for the name.  “She was taking another trail but saw the yellow tape and asked what was happening.  Oh!  There she is, over by the entrance.”  Smithy indicated a woman leaving the point on foot. 

Spacer ran toward her.  When he was close enough to speak without a shout, he called, “Ms Carter, could we have a word with you.”  He held his ID forward.

She stopped.  Turning to him she took enough of a look at his ID to see his picture.

“How can I help you?” She asked.

“We’re investigating the murder of Hope Styles,” Spacer said, as Kurtis joined them.

Kurtis showed his badge.  She nodded.

“I couldn’t help wondering why she was walking in Heg Park,” Ms. Carter said.

“No one we spoke to mentioned that was not a usual place for her to be, until last night,” Kurtis said.

“You think she was murdered here?”

“It seems a more reasonable place for a rifle discharging to go unnoticed,” Kurtis said.

Shots were sounding sporadically.

“Did you know her well?” Spacer asked.

“No.  We walked different trails, but occasionally our paths crossed – in the evenings usually.  I walk twice a day.”

Kurtis and Spacer nodded.  Ms Carter, from their assessment was in good shape.  She appeared to be in her late fifties.  She was not over weight or too thin.  A walking schedule fit her appearance.

“Actually, I haven’t seen her lately.” Ms Carter frowned with thoughts.  “She must have changed her schedule.  It’s been about a month since I saw her.”

“What time do you usually walk?” Spacer asked.

“Evenings.  I walk with my dog at seven.  My husband runs the dog in the morning.” She felt she had to qualify that: “I don’t jog, hard on my joints.”

“How late is the park open?” Kurtis asked.

“The trails are lighted and used all night.  We never have any problems here.”

“Would you give us your number in case we need to speak with you again?”  Spacer asked handing her a note pad.

When they had finished with Ms Carter and were walking back to the trail, Kurtis said, “I’m sure we asked if Ms Styles often walked in Heg Park.”

“Yeah, people just shrug.  They don’t think to even say why would she go there when we have trails here?” Spacer was bothered by the shrugging they had met with on the whole Styles case.  Even her Parents were quick to say, “Terrible accident.”

“I wonder if Ralph came up with anything on Campbell,” Kurtis said, showing Spacer some people do care about victims.

“Christina was in my office first thing to find out if I knew when he was sent up.  I didn’t know Diether was her boy friend.”

“Oh?  That’s too bad.  She’s a good cop.  She doesn’t need to be there as late as she is most of the time.  Gives a hundred and ten per cent.”

“I hope Ralph remembers it’s our case and shares,” Spacer said.

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