Chapter 7

The door opened at her third knock, interrupting her thoughts and Eileen Cline, the housekeeper invited her in. "Come in please Detective. Since you're here after all this time I'm guessing old Barney was right, you've found a body. Is it murder then?"

"Thank you Ms. Cline, and yes, there is a body, but the case is still in its early stages yet so we won't know more until we've done a thorough investigation." And if I tell you any more than that I'm sure the whole town will know have heard every word of it before I've driven away from this place.

She was till getting used to the way things worked here in Briar Reef. The grapevine in a small town was almost as effective as the Internet and moved at just about the same speed. And with news of this magnitude she had no doubt that it would be making the rounds long before she got a handle on what was going on herself.

She saw Mr. Doss sitting on a chair at the old woodblock table in the kitchen and made her way over to him. Poor old guy, to think that he'd seen what she had; he must've been horrified to come across a thing like that out there on his own as he was.

"Mr. Doss, I'm going to have an officer take you down to the station to answer some questions, will that be okay?" She wasn't comfortable questioning her only witness here. Unprofessional it may be but she didn't want to be here if Riley O'Rourke or his wife came home.

"But I have to get home, I've been here all morning and" He sounded a bit flustered and it was obvious that the morning had taken its toll. He was getting up there in age and the sight had been a dreadful one even for someone as seasoned as her.

"I understand that but you're the only witness to a crime.

"But I didn't see anything" She held up her hand and turned her attention to Ms. Cline who was busy puttering around the kitchen. Not that she wasn't certain the older woman had already dragged every detail out of him in the time he'd been sitting here waiting.

But there was no help for it, the force was bare skin and bones and she'd needed every hand on the scene, so there was no one to run him down to the station before she could get to him. At least she'd made him stay put until she arrived.

"I'm sorry to impose on you any further Ms. Cline but is it possible we can have somewhere private and out of the way to talk, if you don't mind? I won't be long." The older woman dried her hands on a kitchen towel and smiled at her warmly.

"Why yes of course, come on through here." They followed her into the parlor where Detective Sparks stayed standing while Mr. Doss took a seat in one of the overstuffed chairs.

"Now, Mr. Doss," she pulled the notes the desk sergeant had taken earlier from her pocket. "It says here that you heard the victim scream."

"I did yes, but by the time I got there she was already face down in the little puddle of water."

"What time was this do you remember?" According to the coroner she hadn't been dead for more than an hour by the time we got the first call. But it helped that the old guy was actually there on sight when it happened. Makes things a lot easier.

"I'm not sure," he looked at his watch now as if that would help.

"What time did you leave your house to go on your walk Mr. Doss?"

"Why the same time I leave every morning, a little before eight o'clock. I find that the day isn't as hot at that time."

She looked at the cane he had resting on the chair arm. "You have problems with your legs Mr. Doss?" He rubbed his knee and nodded.

"Been giving me hell for near ten years now give or take. The doctor said a nice walk every so often helps, keeps it from seizing up on me."

"And do you walk there every morning?"

"Just about."

"Do you always take the same path?" He nodded his head as she took down notes. Adding up the time in her head. With his bum knee she figured it would've taken him some time to get over the incline and then into the woods.

"Which side did you come in on?" He gave her the location and she figured she might not be able to get the time exact, but at least she was close enough and his answers jived with what the coroner had said.

"And did you touch the body?"

"Well, I was trying to get her face out of the water there because it looked like she'd knocked herself plumb out, so I poked her with my cane when she didn't answer." He swallowed hard and his hands started to tremble as he remembered what he'd seen.

"And then I sawwhat happened to that poor woman? It is a woman isn't it?" Just then Ms. Cline entered the parlor with a tray laden with a pitcher of lemonade, three glasses and a plate of freshly baked cookies.

"How about some nice ice cold lemonade?"

"None for me thanks." Detective Sparks refused. Officer Bailey who had stood quietly by looked at the condensation on the glass jug and swallowed deeply. "I wouldn't mind a glass of that."

She poured him a glass and one for Barney as well and passed out little saucers of cookies. Detective Sparks waited until the room was clear again to continue her questioning, but it didn't take long to figure out she'd gotten all she was going to out of the old man.

"Thank you very much Mr. Doss, if you remember anything else please give me a call. Do you need a lift back to your home?"

"I'd be much obliged young lady." He placed his half empty glass on the side table and wrapped the cookies in a napkin, stuffing them in his pocket.

Officer Bailey wolfed his last one down and emptied his glass while Detective Sparks shook her head. He has the eating habits of a five year old.

"What? I haven't eaten since that egg and cheese sandwich at the station this morning and that was hours ago."

Detective Sparks walked towards the door hurriedly, now in a rush to get away since her job here was done. She'd forgotten about the O'Rourkes while questioning the old man but now she wanted to be gone from her as soon as possible.

She dropped old Mr. Doss off at his door and waited until the old guy made it inside. She'd already put in a full day's work but it was still far from over. Now comes the hard part she thought. Telling the husband that his wife wouldn't be coming home again ever.