95: Crime and Punishment - Pt. 2

Madison County Jail & Detention Center – Present

The metallic clang of doors echoed in the tiny interview room as Ryan Turner was escorted inside. Dressed in prison orange and handcuffed in the front, Victoria and Mike watched as he was transferred from one guard to another and his restraints were removed.

“Hello, Ryan. My name is Victoria and this is my partner, Mike,” Victoria smiled, making introductions.

“Nice to meet you. Elena said you’d be reaching out,” he sighed as he made himself as comfortable as possible in the seat across from them.

“Yes, we spoke to her about your situation and wanted to hear your side so we’ll know where to begin our investigation,” Mike explained.

“What’s the point? No one believes I didn’t do this. The prosecution is doing a great job of railroading me and making that jury believe I belong here. There’s no way I’m getting out of here,” he said hopelessly, dropping his head into his hands.

“Ryan, it’s not our job to give you faith and we’re absolutely not going to fill you with false hope. What we will do is investigate the hell out of this case. If there is anything to find, we’ll find it. If you’re innocent, we’ll do our damndest to prove it,” Victoria spoke with conviction. The tone of her voice was enough to pull Ryan’s eyes up to hers and he nodded at the sincerity in her gaze. “Now, if you could please, tell us what you remember from that night.”

“Me, my sister and five of our friends got together for our murder mystery party.”

“Stop,” Mike said, taking a pen out of his front pocket as he began jotting notes. “Tell us the players.”

“Right, there was me, I played Lou Kane, an overly impulsive accountant recently hired at the law firm. As the last hire, I was forced to share an office with Tony Amache, a recent university graduate who was rumored to have connections with the local mafia which may or may not be why he was hired at Craft and Campone. He was played by Daniel Booth.”

“Are all of the characters so in-depth?” Mike asked with a raised brow, looking up from his notepad.

“I like to add in as much realism as possible; I guess it can’t get any realer than an actual dead body,” Ryan added humorlessly. “Anyway, Tim Campone, played by my sister’s boyfriend Patrick Evans, is a named partner at Craft and Campone. He was a whiz kid in school but wasn’t making much of his life after graduation until he got the call from Craft about starting their own practice.”

“Wow, I’m not sure how helpful all of this information will be but please, continue,” Victoria said, listening to the colorful plan of Ryan’s intended game.

“Vivian Campone, Tim’s wife played by my sister Elena, is a super emotional woman who never hid the fact that she had issues with her husband. Mark Reader, played by Shawn Lawson, is a seasoned homicide detective and Joy McAllister’s boyfriend, however their relationship was in question thanks to rumors of an affair between her and her ex-boyfriend Jackson. Joy McAllister is the coroner and close personal friend to Vivian Campone. She was played by Shelly—Michelle Curtis. Darlene Thompson, played by Addy Greene, was the unknown factor; a stranger at the party and possible red-herring. She came by to speak with Jackson about matters as of yet unrevealed. Her character is a no-nonsense kind of person and was added as a drama factor.”

“And lastly, Jackson Craft, the main character. He was supposed to be played by Will Mason but he canceled last minute so I was intending for this to be an empty role; as in we would know someone died but never actually see the body. Someone else had other plans though.”

“We will need to question everyone so we can get a better understanding of what everyone may have seen that evening. Do you know of anyone who may have had a grudge against your friend Will? Or you for that matter.”

“No, no one. I mean Will wasn’t the best guy but he wasn’t the devil either.”

“What do you mean by that?” Victoria pushed for more information.

“He was a player. Or at least he thought he was. At one point he was sleeping around with four different girls, two of which were freaking roommates. Eventually, they caught on and he got burned, big time! But he didn’t let that stop him. He just kept hopping from one bed to the next.”

“How did he get burned?” Mike prodded.

“Those two roommates posted on a social media site that basically outed him around the town. It became harder for him to get dates. But, like I said, he didn’t let that deter him. He just started using apps to find his lady friends. The guy was a total cad. But I don’t see that as being a reason to want to bash his brains out.”

“You’d be surprised,” Victoria responded, “I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase ‘hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.’ We’ve worked plenty of homicides and assault cases with burned exes. Do you have any names of the women your friend had been seeing leading up to his death?”

“Just one: Jessica. And I only remember her because he described her like the cartoon character; red hair, well-endowed chest, tiny waist. He was gaga over her. As far as I knew she wasn’t a one-night stand.”

“This is good. Very helpful. Did you tell any of this to the police or your lawyer,” Mike asked.

“Of course I did. But do you think they actually listened to me? Will was found murdered in my bathroom in the same way as the main character of my story. They just assumed art was imitating life and didn’t bother to do their damn jobs.”

“Do you remember when your guests began arriving?” Victoria asked, hoping to be able to verify similar approximate arrival times with their subsequent interviews.

“Sorry, I can’t be sure about that. I wasn’t home when the first people got there. I usually have help with setup so I can focus on the minute details but I was alone this time. I ended up making a snack run to the store on the corner. When I got home, Shawn, Addy and Shelly were already there. I headed up with Elena who drove up as I was entering the building.”

“Alright, I think we have a lot to work off of right now. But if you can think of anyone else or have anything else to add, you can reach out any time. For now, let’s run through the events of the night as you remember them,” Mike said, flipping the page of his notepad.

“Well, we skipped over the body discovery because Will hadn’t shown up and just got into the game.”

Ryan Turner’s Apartment – Three Weeks Ago…

“Where’s Will?” Patrick asked, drinking his glass to half.

“He’s not coming so we’ll play around him,” Ryan said nodding toward Shelly.

Picking up her notebook, she began to read, motioning at her slab as though there were a body on it. “The victim took a very hard blow to the back of the head, cracking the skull causing it to bleed significantly. He also had a gash on the forehead, which seemed to correspond to a smear of blood on the edge of the sink, beside the toilet. On his person was a wallet with $180 in cash, credit cards, IDs and an old picture of me, Joy McAllister—well that’s not awkward at all. He also had a keychain with house, mailbox and office keys. A gold fountain pen and a checkbook with some written for utilities as well as several large checks written to Tony Amache, amounting to $4700 over the past three months.”

Taking his cue, Shawn began his monologue. “Investigating detectives located a marble paperweight in the bathtub which had a significant amount of blood and hair; apparent murder weapon. It’s been taken back to the lab for processing. We also uncovered a crumpled note just outside of the bathroom with a threat of ‘I know what you’re hiding!’ written in black marker. The search of the remaining rooms in the home was inconclusive, however, upon speaking with a staff member, we learned that the back door was unlocked and slightly ajar.”

“So, someone could potentially have used that to gain access to Jackson,” Elena surmised.

“Exactly.”

Madison County Jail & Detention Center – Present

“The order of events was planned precisely; as was everything else that night. I’ll have Elena send it over if she hasn’t already. Everyone had cues as to when they shared certain information in order to progress the storyline. If anyone got stuck, Dan’s job as a mafioso was to needle them to keep the story going. And I honestly expected a lot of drama and fireworks at the conclusion of the game,” he said with a dark look on his face that wasn’t lost on the detectives. “Have you spoken with Shawn yet? I heard he was looking for Will that night.”

“We’re heading to see him once we leave here, actually,” Victoria said. “Is there something in particular you want to share about him and why he was looking for Will?”

“It’s just what I’d heard,” Ryan shrugged.

“None of your neighbors heard or saw anything around the time of the murder. No odd visitors hanging around or loud arguments coming from your apartment,” Mike explained.

“The walls aren’t paper thin like some places. And we have an emergency fire escape out the back,” Ryan shrugged. “It could explain both of those.”

“Well, rest assured, Ryan, we intend to fully investigate this case. We will keep you and Elena apprised with anything pertinent.”

“Thank you, Victoria, Mike. I can’t tell you how much it means that someone is taking this seriously. I don’t belong in here and I have no doubt you two will find the evidence that’ll get me released.”

After saying their goodbyes, they started toward their next destination. Just as they’d told Ryan, Shawn Lawson, the friend who’d played Mark Reader, homicide detective that evening, was next on their list of interviews.

“Come on in, detectives,” Shawn opened his door with a smile as he invited Mike and Victoria in. The inside of the small apartment was nicely decorated with florals and a light beachy theme. Victoria assumed it to be the work of the missing in action Shelly who, as of yet, had failed to answer their request for an interview. Her refusal to reply only heightened suspicions that she was possibly hiding something.

“Thank you,” Victoria said, stepping into the open living space and Shawn offered them seats before sitting across from them on the couch. “We appreciate you speaking with us. As you know, we’re investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of Will Mason.”

“Yes. I spoke with Elena, she said that you’d be stopping by. How can I help you?”

“We would just like to hear your version of events as far as your recollection,” Mike said, removing a small recorder from his front pocket. “Do you mind if I record this conversation?”

“Not at all; anything to help Ryan.”

“What can you tell us about that evening?”

“Well, I had received my invitation about three weeks in advance so I could learn my part. I was playing a homicide detective named Mark Reader. Ryan had written in my current girlfriend Shelly also but added some drama so I could connect with the main character Will was playing.”

“Jackson Craft,” Victoria said, to which Shawn nodded in confirmation.

“Shelly played the coroner Joy McAllister who was allegedly having an affair with him. I was supposed to confront him about it but Will called and canceled shortly before the party.”

“Did you hear him cancel?”

“No,” Shawn said, shaking his head. “That’s just what Ryan told everyone when Will failed to show up. Anyway, we were told to still play the roles as if all of our conflicts were active. I started my night at the bar with a friend. I had a few beers as I waited for nine to head to Ryan’s place. But I ended up going earlier than planned.”

“Why is that?” Victoria questioned.

“Uh, my friend said something that got me thinking,” he said, avoiding eye contact with either detective.

“Could you elaborate, please?” Mike prodded.

Shawn sighed and rubbed his temples before continuing. “My friend, Josh, said that the rumors I’d been hearing about Shelly and Will sleeping together were true. I called her and she hung up on me. She seemed agitated. So, I went to Ryan’s place before the party started so I could talk to her.” Mike and Victoria exchanged a look and Shawn instantly jumped to his feet and paced a little in front of the couch, speaking excitedly and defensively as he spoke. “But I-I didn’t find her! In fact, no one was at Ryan’s place. I think he’d stepped out to get more beer or something because when I got upstairs, his apartment door was open but no one was around. Like he’d left in a hurry.”

“So, you were the first to arrive at Ryan’s for the party that night?” Victoria asked. Shawn nodded. “About what time would you say that was?”

“8:30. I heard the buzzer go off which turned out to be Shelly so I let her up. Addy came right behind her. She’d been downstairs looking for a place to park when I got inside. I saw her as I slipped in behind one of the other residents.”

“That’s Addy Greene,” Mike confirmed, looking down at his notes.

“I guess. I hadn’t met her before that night.”

“Take us through the moment when Will was discovered in the bathroom,” Victoria said, nodding to the couch for Shawn to take his seat.

“Man…” With a relieved sigh, he plopped back onto the sofa, burying his head in his hands before scrubbing them over his face. “It was bad. We had just finished a round of questioning with the coroner and Patrick called for a break; he had to use the bathroom. Next thing I know, he’s screaming about finding the body.”

“Do you remember what everyone’s reactions were to this discovery?” she continued.

“Not really. Everyone thought it was part of the game. I know someone said to look for evidence and clues. Being the detective, I warned them against touching anything so they didn’t leave any DNA.”

“Did they listen? To your advice,” Mike asked, making notes.

“As far as I know. Well, everyone except Ryan. He told us it wasn’t part of the game and checked for a pulse. That’s when he said you know…Will was really dead.”

“Ok. Let’s back up a moment. After you spoke with Josh at the bar, are you sure you didn’t go to the party with the intention to confront Will over the rumors and not Shelly?” Mike asked.

“Maybe,” he muttered under his breath. “It would serve him right! That guy never gave a damn about the women he slept with. He just wanted to get off. I—I couldn’t let Shelly go back to that asshole. He used her and she still tried to make it work. I’m the one who mended her broken heart; gave her a shoulder to cry on when she learned he was cheating on her. How could she want to go back to that? I didn’t know what I would have done had he actually been there but I know I wanted to make life difficult for him. But then again, who knows if it’s really true? Josh also said Elena had been sleeping with Will. And I know that can’t be true. I’ve never seen someone as devoted to anyone as she is to Patrick.”

“Thank you, Shawn, for this information. If we have any follow-up questions, we’ll be in touch,” Victoria said, standing. “Well, that was certainly enlightening.” She said once they’d re-entered the elevator.

“Yeah. Jealous boyfriends are always high on the list of suspects. I’m just curious if the police just never explored that angle or the possibility of other disgruntled lovers considering Will Mason seemed to sleep around quite a bit.”

“Who knows. One thing’s for certain; our list of suspects would definitely increase once we finish filtering through the names from his many dating apps,” Victoria said with an eye roll.

“Which is the first thing I wanted to get to when we get back to the office.”

“Better you than me,” Victoria smiled sincerely. “How much time do we have before the next interview?”

Mike checked the time before replying, “Uh, we’re meeting Patrick Evans in half an hour.”

“Good. Wanna grab a quick lunch? NOT sushi,” she added before he could reply.

“Sure, Partner, lady’s choice.”

“Aww, what a perfect gentleman.”

“What time did you arrive at the party?” Mike asked, as they sat in the living room of Patrick Evans for an interview.

“Uh, it was close to 9:30, I was running late; thought I was the last to arrive but Dan came sometime after I did.”

“And how did you know the victim, Will Mason?”

“Will and I have been friends since we were 8. We lived in the same neighborhood. We met Ryan a year later at little league when he and Elena moved to town.” He paused and closed his eyes tightly for a moment, shaking his head as he reopened them to look at the detectives. “I’m sorry. I just—I can’t believe this is really happening. I don’t know if you knew this or not but I’m the one who found him.”

Neither Victoria nor Mike spoke as they waited on Patrick to continue. “It didn’t look real. I thought it was a prop. But God…there was so much blood.”

“Did you touch Will at any point?” Victoria asked.

“Uh, what do you mean?” Patrick asked, a puzzled look on his face.

“You said you thought it was a prop. I was just asking if you interacted with the body in search of clues for what you believed to be a murder mystery party prop.”

“Oh, no. No, I’m a little embarrassed to admit this but I get a bit squeamish around that type of thing. When I saw him on the floor, I called out to everyone I’d found him and they came to check it out too. That’s when Ryan saw and told us Will was really dead because he hadn’t planned that.”

“Do you know of anyone who wanted to see Will harmed?” Victoria asked.

“Jealous boyfriends? Husbands. I’m sure you’ve heard by now the guy didn’t care where he stuck his dick.”

“Would you count yourself among that group?” Victoria continued.

“No, why? What are you implying Detective?” Patrick asked with a raised brow.

“We’ve heard there is a possibility Elena was having an affair with Will also,” Mike answered for his partner. “We are wondering if you had reason to be jealous.”

“No,” Patrick laughed, shaking his head in humorous disbelief. “Elena’s not cheating on me. She’s not that kind of girl.”

“And you’re certain about that?”

“Of course, I am. We’re completely honest with each other, she would tell me if she were. There’s nothing I don’t know about her and her of me. It’s the only way a relationship can work.”

They asked a few more questions to ascertain the order of events after police arrived and thanked Patrick for his time. Arriving back at the office twenty minutes later, Victoria made a detour to the kitchen while Mike headed to his desk to sort through Will Mason’s call logs.

“Hey! You’re back!” Derrick said, poking his head around the corner.

“Derrick? I didn’t know you were waiting. Why didn’t you call?”

“I figured you were busy and I’d see you when you got in. Plus, I was trying to keep your guest entertained. She seems rather flighty.”

“Who?” Victoria asked, following Derrick into the lounge. “Oh! Hello,” she smiled, greeting the pretty brunette in medical scrubs sitting quietly beside a stack of magazines.

“Victoria meet Shelly Curtis, Shelly, this is Detective Carson,” Derrick said, making the introductions.

“Shelly as in Shawn’s girlfriend?”

“Guilty as charged,” Shelly said, standing up to greet Victoria. “I hear you want to speak to me.”

“Yeah, we’ve been trying to pin you down.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. I don’t really do well with law enforcement.”

“We’re not police.”

“I get that. Still…I just find it uncomfortable. Anyway, I’m here now. How can I help?”