Page 22 of Engaging the Deputy

Emery looked up, but it had taken Jaden yelling his name several times over the rock music playing in the garage area before he acknowledged him.

The deputy motioned toward the bike shop office and headed in that direction. Emery came in a few minutes later, wiping his greasy hands on a rag before he turned down the music. It was more tolerable in here than in the garage, but still loud.

“More questions?” Emery asked and took a seat behind a cluttered desk. “Have a seat.”

Jaden pulled up a padded army-green chair from another era and sat. Emery had bought the old gas station furnished when he’d started his bike shop, the deputy recalled. “How’s business?”

With a shrug, he said, “So-so. It will pick up. It’s always slow this time of year. Is that what you wanted to talk about, my business?”

“Actually, I wanted to talk about your relationship with Rob Perkins,” Jaden said. “I understand Rob was an investor when you started the shop.”

Emery’s eyes narrowed. “You think I killed him so I wouldn’t have to pay him back? He was the first person I paid back when I got the shop running.”

“Okay, if not financial, did you two have any other kind of disagreement?”

“I know what you’re looking for. An argument over a girl or a bet or jealousy because Rob was following his dream. Sorry, there was none of that. No girl, no bet, and I was happy for Rob. This,” Emery said, indicating the bike shop, “has always been my dream. You’re barking up the wrong tree. I would never have killed him or anyone else.”

“What about Dean Marsh?”

“I don’t have a gripe with him either. Did I approve of what he and Jenny were doing?” He shook his head. “None of my business.”

“What about their spouses?” the deputy asked. “You involved with either of them?”

Emery laughed. “Involved? Me and Tom? Or me and Angie?”

“Either.”

“Now you are just being silly.”

“What about Rob and Dean or Rob and Cody? How’d they get along?”

The bike shop owner hesitated a little too long. “Fine, as far as I know.”

Jaden studied him, picking up on something. Putting his notebook and pen away, he asked, “Why Starling? I heard it was your idea to go out there Halloween night.”

“Really? I might have brought it up, but Rob’s the one who suggested it to me. We’d gone out there before on Halloween growing up, so why not for old times’ sake?”

Yes, why not? “Did anyone from your old group who was at the bar decidenotto go?”

Emery thought for a moment before shaking his head.

“What about other people at the bar the night you all decided to do this?” the deputy asked. “Anyone in the crowd have a reason to be listening to your conversation? Anyone with a grudge against you or Rob or Cody or Dean?”

This time there was no mistaking it. Jaden knew he’d hit upon something. Emery looked away for a moment. “Krystal Lee. She and Rob used to date. They broke up when he started talking about a job on the West Coast. I remember seeing her at the bar that night. It was strange.”

“Strange how?”

“She was with Jenny Lee. Neither of them drink alcohol. Jenny’s in AA and Krystal’s pregnant. I got the feeling that they were trolling, you know.”

“So, they could have overheard your plans for Halloween?” Jaden asked.

Emery nodded. “They both left right after that, so maybe they heard what we were talking about.”

“You said Krystal’s pregnant? Is Rob the father of her baby?”

“He swears he’s not.” He seemed to realize what he’d said. “I guess it doesn’t matter now.”

Straightening his Stetson, Jaden rose. “Thanks. If you think of anything else…” He knew there was more; he could feel it.

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