Page 19 of Red Snow
“In the meantime,” I chime in. “Make sure you don’t leave Anchorage. We’ll definitely need to talk to you again.”
Patrick looks up at me, but he doesn’t say anything as Marcus and I stand up. He also doesn’t say bye as we turn to leave. We make our way through the house, towards the front door, while Patrick Cox sits on his recliner, staring at the same spot on the floor.
Once we’re back in the car, Marcus looks at me and lets out a loud sigh. “So Anita’s a liar, and this fucking guy was cheating on his wife.”
“Yeah, didn’t see that one coming,” I admit.
“No shit. So where to next?”
“Let’s hit up Chilkoot Charlie’s and see what we can dig up there.”
“Okay, and after Koot’s, it might be a good idea to talk to Anita again,” Marcus says as he starts the cruiser and puts it in drive. “The fact that they were having an affair behind Brenda’s back makes me suspicious of both of them. Their cheating last night doesn’t put him in the clear, even though he obviously thinks it does.”
“Fucking right. He’s still a suspect, and he’ll be treated as such. Let’s see what Koot’s gives us.”
Marcus drives off and we head to Chilkoot Charlie’s, more popularly known as Koot’s. As we drive down the road, I think about how things don’t always end up the way you think they will. The whole time I was sitting there listening to Patrick build up that story, I thought for sure he was going to confess to killing Brenda., but it ended up being a confession about his infidelity. You just never know, and that’s why as a detective, I have to always keep an open mind and follow the evidence. I wish we had some in this case. If we did, we wouldn’t be scrambling to find leads.
While I look out the window at the dark night sky of Anchorage, I feel a vibration on my leg. It’s my phone receiving a text message. I’m not expecting anything from anyone right now, so I pull the phone out of my pocket, anxious to see who it is. When I see the name, I’m completely shocked.
Stacey Alexander:Why did you have to text me?
I don’t even know what to say, because that’s actually a really good question. WhydidI have to text her? I don’t want to tell her it was because I was drunk and envious of my best friend’s blossoming relationship with Yolanda. That sounds ridiculous, so I avoid the truth.
Me:Don’t know what to say. I was thinking about you.
“What has your attention over there, partner?” Marcus asks.
“Dude, it’s Stacey.”
“Oh shit.”
Stacey Alexander:Why? We weren’t supposed to do stuff like that. We knew what it might do.
Me:I’m sorry, Stacey.
“Everything all good, man?” Marcus says, trying to fish for info but doing nothing more than stressing me out at a time when I’m already on pins and needles.
“No, bro, she’s pissed because I texted her last night.”
“Youtextedher last night?”
“Ugh.”
Stacey Alexander:I want to see you. Tonight?
Holy goddamn shit! She wants to see me. Today is full of surprises. I’m not sure how to respond. All of a sudden, I’m not even thinking about the case. This isStacey. I’ve never regarded anybody as “The One,” but if I did, it’d be Stacey. At least, I think it would be.
Seeing her is a bad idea. I should tell her I can’t see her tonight because I’m busy working on this case. That’d be exactly what she doesn’t want to hear. I have to tell her no, because neither of us wants to go through all the emotional crap we went through last time. I have to tell her no.
Me:Tonight is good.
