Page 16 of Haunted By Sin

“Five, if you count her fiancé.”

“Getting back to my initial inquiry, did you notice anyone paying special attention to Miss Reynolds?”

“No.”

“Did anyone else interact with the individuals at the table?"

"Mostly just the glances from other folks when the two of them were arguing, but nothing out of the ordinary." Dan paused, as if recalling specific details of that night were difficult. Brook shot a warning glance in Cav’s direction when he almost certainly would have filled the void. “One of the other women at the table joined the guy at the bar, though. She had light brown hair that came to her chin.”

Brook wouldn’t be able to confirm the identity of the woman until a conversation was had with Mary Four, but Dan had described Cindy Reynolds. She had brown hair with blonde highlights, causing the strands to appear light brown in nature. She was most likely trying to mend the argument between her sister and Adam.

“I appreciate your time this morning, Mr. Callaghan.” Brook stood as she pulled a business card from the pocket in her blazer. She held it out for him to take. “If you think of anything else from that night, I would appreciate a phone call.”

Daniel had followed her lead, pushing himself out of the chair. He perused the information on the card before tucking it into the back pocket of his jeans. The differences between the two men were substantial, and Brook was curious as to the other occupants of the house.

“Just to confirm, you were alone at the Crestlake Bar & Grill last weekend, correct?”

“Yeah,” Dan replied with a nod, gesturing toward his friend. “Cav couldn’t join us until Monday. Steve’s flight was delayed a day by those fires out West, and he didn’t arrive until Sunday afternoon. Steve and I have flights out tonight, while Cav doesn’t drive home until tomorrow.”

“Steve lives on the West Coast?” Brook asked casually as she began to make her way toward the front door. She had caught sight of the kitchen behind Cav, noting the stack of poker chips and two decks of cards on the table. “I heard some areas had to evacuate.”

“Steve lives north of the fire, but the heavy smoke closed most of the airports.” Cav had chosen to answer her questions and follow behind her, basically inserting himself between her and Dan. “Listen, since I’m going to be in town until tomorrow, would you care to have a drink with me?”

“I’m going to have to decline, Mr. Buckley.” By the time that Brook had finished her sentence, she was mere inches from the screen door. She turned to find Cav’s dark eyes fixed on the lower part of her body. She purposefully cleared her throat until his gaze met hers. “Enjoy the rest of your stay.”

Brook gave a respectful nod toward Dan, who stood maybe ten feet away from his friend. The screen door closed with a soft click behind her. There were no shadows on the ground since the sun was currently tucked behind the overhead clouds. It seemed as if the storm front had moved in faster than the meteorologists had predicted, but she figured she still had about half an hour before the rain arrived.

She had already reached into her purse and pulled out the key fob. Once she had unlocked the van, she opened the driver’s side door, discreetly taking in her surroundings. Dan had mentioned that Cav was driving home tomorrow, and one of the two vehicles in the driveway happened to be a rental car, leaving the other one with Michigan plates to belong to Cav Buckley.

Brook had set her purse on the passenger seat. Her phone was in the side pocket, and she was able to retrieve it with little fuss. She accessed her speed dial list and gently pressed down on Bit’s name. It wasn’t a surprise when he answered on the first ring.

“I need you to run a background check for me,” Brook said as she started the engine. Cav Buckley was still observing her from behind the screen door. The way he had interjected himself into the conversation had left her uncomfortable with his interest. She rattled off the man’s license plate number. “It’s probably nothing, but I want everything you can find on Cav Buckley. Oh, and a male subject named Steve joined Callaghan and Buckley for the week. I’d like a background check run on him, too.”

“Anything else, Boss?”

“Yes,” Brook replied slowly as she thought over the details that Daniel had given her from last weekend. “Adam Bouras. I read over his background check last night, but would you mind conducting a deeper dive on social media? I’d like to know exactly how dedicated he is to his fiancé.”

Chapter Nine

Sylvie Deering

May 2024

Saturday — 1:03 pm

The distant rumble of thunder could be heard traveling across the grey clouds overhead. The vibrations became so deep that they eventually rattled the windows of the kitchen. Severe weather was rolling across the state of Michigan, and the storm was slowly approaching the city of Lansing. Such a dark ambiance wasn’t the most ideal setting in which Sylvie would have preferred to speak with Duncan Reynolds.

“Would you like some coffee?” Duncan asked as he gestured toward the island in the kitchen. There were three stools tucked in underneath the lip of a light grey granite countertop. “I just brewed a fresh pot.”

Duncan Reynolds had been married to the second victim for a little over nine years. The house that they had chosen to purchase two years after their wedding was a two-story residence located at the end of a cul-de-sac surrounded by tall oak trees. The main level had an open layout, and Sylvie was able to take in not only the kitchen but also the living room and dining room. Their chosen décor radiated warmth and comfort by merging several earth tones together.

"Yes," Sylvie replied, pulling out a stool so that it was diagonal to the counter. She wanted a chance to survey the living room, which was where Mary Jane’s body had been found on the floor with several stab wounds to her chest. “Thank you.”

Sylvie didn’t prefer coffee, but allowing Duncan to undertake a task would afford him some semblance of control. She wouldn’t even take one sip of the hot beverage during her visit. She had learned long ago from Theo to never drink anything given to her by a witness or suspect. Considering that Duncan Reynolds had a solid alibi for the night his wife was killed, he fell into the first category.

“I hope it’s alright that my daughter isn’t here.” Duncan turned around with two cups of coffee. He slid one over to her, but he remained standing on the other side of the island. The way his knuckles tightened around the mug displayed his desire to be anywhere else but here with her. “Ava slept through…well, she didn’t see anything that night. It took close to two months before my daughter felt comfortable enough to go to a friend’s house without me. I didn’t want anything that we might say to one another setting her back any.”

Considering that Mary Two had been murdered in January, Sylvie wouldn’t have wanted Ava to relive such a tragic moment, either. Sylvie’s visit wasn’t intended to disrupt their grieving process. On the other hand, speaking with the victim’s husband four months after her death could shed some light on any details that he might have remembered since then. While usually it was best to take statements right after a crime, there were times that minute details weren’t recalled until something triggered them during the witness’ daily routines.