Page 4 of Witness To Murder
The statement took Leah aback. “Why would he ask me to wait here for him if he was going on vacation right after his meeting?” It made no sense. This had to be a mistake.
“That’s a very good question,” Lambert agreed. “My first inclination is to not believe he asked you to wait.”
“You think I’m lying?” A glimmer of outrage flashed through her. “Why in the world would I do that?” This was insane!
She was a full-time student who worked every minute she wasn’t glued to a book or a laptop. There was no time in her schedule for games like this. There was, frankly, no time for anything. The idea of how many hours she had just wasted made her all the more furious.
So much for putting herself out there, as her roommate had insisted.
Lambert studied her for a long, uncomfortable moment. “I’m not sure why you would do this,” he admitted, “but I will certainly find out. So if you’re not being completely honest with me, you need to do so right now.”
He actually thought she was making up the story. “I am telling you that Raymond Douglas was here and someone killed him…or at least hurt him. I saw him—his body—being dragged across that kitchen floor, and I saw blood.”
This was unbelievable. Frustration joined the mix of anger and outrage.
“I’ve interviewed by phone three of the five employees who closed up the restaurant tonight,” Lambert said. “They all confirmed that Mr. Douglas was fine and intended to leave shortly after they left. In fact, one saw him at the rear exit just before she left the kitchen.”
“Wait…what?” How could that be? Those people had let her inside. Why would they leave her in an empty restaurant? Wouldn’t they have been suspicious? “That makes no sense at all. Why wouldn’t at least one among them have demanded to know why I came into the restaurant? Why would they have allowed me to come inside if no one else was around?”
“That’s a question for the manager to pose to his employees.” Lambert closed his notepad with a distinct snap. “Since you are not an employee of this establishment, and none of the peopleto whom I spoke whoareemployees had any idea why you came inside as they were leaving, I can only say that your story feels off somehow. Why would you not ask after Mr. Douglas as the others filed out and you entered? Why would you sit in the dark—basically—for forty-five minutes? You’re a bright woman. It seems illogical to me that you would do this.”
The idea that he was making far too much sense rattled her.
“I… I don’t know what else to say. He asked me out on a date, and I followed his instructions on where and when to meet him. The delay was annoying, but I wanted to be patient.” She shrugged. “To tell you the truth, it’s been a while since I’ve been on a date, period, much less basically a blind date. I guess I thought I was giving him the benefit of any doubt.”
Again, Lambert considered her for several seconds. “I also called Mr. Douglas’s assistant, who confirmed he was scheduled on the red-eye to Los Angeles. We’re still attempting to verify that he boarded the plane, but the vacation appears to be legitimate. It’s your date we can’t seem to verify.”
This couldn’t be. Why would Raymond ask her out and then do this?
It made no sense. They had talked an hour before she came to the restaurant. Maybe he was scheduled for a vacation starting tomorrow. Who knew? Today, actually, since it was well after midnight. Whatever his plans for today, Raymond Douglas had scheduled a date with her for last night. Her friend Isla could verify this.
“I can’t tell you about the plans he’d had for today or any other upcoming days,” Leah said, her patience thinning, “but I know his plans for last night. As I’ve told you twice already, you can verify this with my friend, Isla. Raymond and I were going to an exhibit—”
“So you say,” he interrupted. “Your friend has not returned my call. In any event, we will locate Mr. Douglas, and I hopethat he is alive and well. Either way, I will be speaking with you again, Ms. Gerard. You are free to go for now. I’ll be in contact as soon as I confirm our missingvictim’swhereabouts. Then we’ll go from there.”
This was so wrong. Leah pushed back her chair and stood. She swayed just a bit. She was tired and totally at the end of her emotional rope. All that aside, she was not some prankster or criminal or whatever this detective thought she was.
“I know what I saw, Detective,” she repeated. “Apparently, I can’t make you believe me—but when he doesn’t show up you’ll know I was right.”
“If,”he said, waylaying her plan of turning her back to him and marching angrily away, “he doesn’t show up, I’m afraid your problems will be just beginning, Ms. Gerard.”
“Why is that?” What the heck was he insinuating?
“If Mr. Douglas is truly missing and you were the last person in the vicinity of where he was last seen, then that would make you our prime suspect—wouldn’t you agree?”
Oh. My. God.This could not be happening. “If I had something to do with his disappearance—injury and probably murder, because I know what I saw—why would I call the police? More importantly,” she added, “why would I stay here and wait for them to arrive?”
“Stranger things have happened, Ms. Gerard, believe me. For now, don’t leave the city. We will be talking again.” He rose from his chair. “Since you walked here, Officer Clayton will take you home.” He nodded to the female officer standing by.
Leah almost said she would prefer to walk back home as well, but given the circumstances, she would gladly accept a ride.
No matter what this detective believed, Raymond Douglas was likely dead. Leah firmly believed that someone had murdered him right here in this restaurant.
Surely the police would figure that out when they didn’t find him. Knots tied in her belly. But then, Lambert was right: she was the only person left in this restaurant when he vanished.
“This way, Ms. Gerard,” Officer Clayton said, breaking into her new nightmare.
Leah followed the other woman, unsure of what else to do. There was one other thing she suddenly understood with utter clarity.
