Page 31 of See You Again
“Hopefully, that’s a good thing.”
Mark nodded but waited until after the hostess seated them and they ordered their drinks to reply. “Yes and no.”
“I’m not surprised.” Cami took a sip of the sweet tea the server placed in front of her. “I warned the Hawthornes when I first met with them that this was going to drag up a lot of old feelings and memories. And not just for them.”
“The local police department has already been called out to the Dixon place.”
“Did something happen?” Cami frowned.
Janelle Dixon had been a close friend of Amy’s, but they had a very public fight over Amy’s ex-boyfriend less than an hour before Amy disappeared. Threats were made, and once Amy disappeared, suspicion had immediately fallen on the girl. Cami thought a single fight over a guy a weak motive, but with a lack of any other suspects, the small town pounced on it.
“Harassment mostly. Vandalism.” He met her eyes. “Someone spray-painted ‘killer’ on the street in front of their house. Her husband isn’t too happy.”
Cami frowned. “That’s terrible. I haven’t seen anything clear cut to link her to the crime. Why do you think people are so sure it’s her?”
Mark’s posture eased. “I’ve listened to your first few episodes. I’m glad you aren’t planning to scapegoat Janelle. I haven’t had a chance to speak with her. She hired a lawyer after Amy’s body was discovered earlier this year and has refused any further interviews. It might be the smart thing to do from a defense perspective, but from the town’s… They think she has something to hide.”
Cami set her glass down and placed her hands flat on the table. “I told you before, Detective, our end goal is not just ratings. We want to help solve crimes that have gone cold and hopefully bring some justice to the victims.”
“That’s my job as well.”
“I know, and everything I’ve seen so far…” She sent him an arch look. “Seems to back that up.”
Mark chuckled and leaned back as the server placed salads in front of them. “We have your paperwork. I’m just waiting for a couple more signatures. It’s not like on television. Departments don’t love to share their notes and interview tapes, particularly in an open investigation.”
“I completely understand. Madison and I aren’t looking to sandbag you or the Sheriff’s Office.”
Mark chewed his bite before answering. “I did my research. I wouldn’t be meeting with you at all if I thought otherwise. You have an impressive track record.” He gave her a slow wink, and Cami’s lips twitched. “And to be fair… We need help. I’ve reviewed the original investigation, and it was thorough. I’m hoping that you featuring Amy’s case will shake something loose.”
“Me, too.” Cami thought about how to phrase her next question. “You mentioned that Janelle is the target of someone’s anger, but you didn’t answer my question. Why do you think the town was so quick to accept that she was responsible for Amy’s murder? By all accounts, the girls were very similar… friends.” Cami ticked the facts off on her fingers. “Both were from Wheaton, a small town. Both attended the local university in Stoverton. They played on the same soccer team in high school and shared many mutual friends. She’s an unlikely suspect.”
The detective considered her for a minute. “There is no such thing as an unlikely suspect. I’ve been doing this long enough that I’ve realized, given the right circumstances or motivation, just about anyone is capable of doing bad things.”
“But why did the investigation focus on Janelle and the guy they were fighting over? Amy’s ex-boyfriend… Todd? Why not someone else? A stranger?”
“I’ve read the case notes, and once your paperwork is approved, you will, too. But I’ve been cleared to share certain things with you.” He waited while Cami turned on the recording app on her phone.
“This wasn’t a rush to judgment by the Sheriff’s Office. They would have been negligent not to look hard at both Janelle and Todd. There was a physical altercation between the girls at the party immediately before Amy went missing. Jealousy… embarrassment… revenge… All are common motives.”
“Did Janelle admit she’d been in a fight with Amy at the bonfire?”
The detective set down his fork and wiped his mouth. “According to the notes the original detective on the case took, Janelle was forthcoming. She admitted they exchanged nasty words. She claimed Amy shoved her first—which was corroborated by other witnesses at the party. It progressed to hair pulling, and Janelle landed a punch or two before it was broken up.”
“What about Todd’s car being keyed?”
“Neither she nor Todd admitted right away they knew what Amy had done to the ex-boyfriend’s car. Subsequent interviews with other students at the party made it clear that the couple was told who had done the damage, and that Todd was furious. When confronted with that information, they both admitted they had lied in their previous statements.”
“They were worried it made them look bad?”
“Probably. But it was stupid. Amy was missing, and they lied to the police. It certainly didn’t help their case, and once the public found out they’d lied…” He shrugged.
“How did the town find out?” And, she wondered, how did the town find out that Janelle was no longer cooperating with the investigation, per her attorney’s advice.
“Wheaton is only twenty miles from Stoverton. News travels fast in small towns.”
In other words, the department had a leak. Cami kept her thoughts to herself. She couldn’t afford to alienate the detective.
A new thought struck Cami. “If witnesses saw Amy key her ex’s car, that means they saw her leave the party. I thought no one knew how she left.”