PART III Chapter Seven
Kate was ready for her interview with William. She was a little nervous about it but it was something she had done hundreds of times before. She hoped that William would reveal something about Gary that she could use later when she interviewed him.
William arrived right on time and Kate was ready for him. She suspected that he had been in an interview room before, after she attributed his after hour’s occupation. She met him at the entrance and escorted him to the interview rooms. She was pretty sure he already knew the way. He took a seat in a chair on one side of a table and Kate took a seat on the other. Kate shook William’s hand and opened the folder in front of her.
Kate said, “I invited you here today to ask some questions about the guys you work with. I won’t ask anything that might incriminate you. I won’t ask anything about the bank robbery charges your boss is now facing. I will be asking a lot of questions about Gary Cleaver.”
William replied, “I understand and am ready to help, ask away.”
Kate asked, “If it was required by your boss to harm someone, who in your group of colleagues would be able to carry out that order?”
William answered, “I am not sure anyone could execute that order but if anyone could I would have to say Gary is our get it done guy. He is the guy we all look to for instructions.”
Kate asked, “Do you think Gary is capable of violence?”
William replied, “Not at all, I can say I don’t think any of us would be capable of that. I was just saying that Gary is the guy we know will succeed.”
Kate asked, “What about Robert, would he be able to be violent to get things done?”
William replied, “Robert is a teddy bear and wouldn’t harm a fly. He would be the last person I would think would harm someone.”
Kate asked, “What do you know about Mrs. Winters?”
William answered, “I don’t know much about her. We never spent much time around her. Most of the time it was just the three guys and Dan. We also had several construction crews but not much time around the spouse.”
Kate thanked William and gave him her card and the line about calling if he thought of anything else. William left the station and Kate went back to her desk.
Cindy asked, “Did you learn anything new?”
Kate replied, “Nothing more than expected. Everybody is pointing their finger at Gary Cleaver but also says he wouldn’t do the job himself.”
Cindy said, “None of the people on your list own an SUV. That wouldn’t preclude them from hiring someone but I am just saying they don’t own a vehicle used in the murder.”
Kate called Gary Cleaver and Robert Wilson to arrange an interview but they both referred her to their attorney for questions. Kate suspected she would hit that wall soon enough.
Since Gary Cleaver was now the prime possible suspect she decided to focus on him. She would talk to some of the construction workers that worked under him and she would find people who knew him, and talk to them. Kate had Gary Cleaver followed by one of their undercover officers and watched for twenty-four seven. They began going through his trash for evidence. Kate was unable to get a phone tap warrant but hoped something turned up to allow that.
One of the main things Kate kept track of was the people Gary was involved with. Kate made a list of the guys that had contact with Gary with intentions of doing a background check on them. With Gary as the most likely suspect Kate didn’t bother doing any checks on Robert Wilson. Kate hoped to find someone Gary had contact with who owned an SUV and wore eleven and a half Skechers work boots.
Watching Gary gave Kate some information about the bank robbery but so far not any information about the murder of Susan. It appeared to Kate from the things she heard and saw Gary Cleaver do and say, she was pretty sure he was one of the guys that helped his boss, Dan Winters rob a bank. She watched Gary for several weeks and never found anything that tied him to the murder.
Kate turned everything she discovered about the robbery to the robbery division and finally decided she wasn’t going to find anything about the murder. She figured since it was already done there was no reason to talk about it anymore or Gary only met the hired gun in some secluded place. Kate couldn’t spend any more time watching Gary unless something else showed up.
Kate knew their next step was to interview the people on the contact list in Susan’s phone. Cindy had been extracting the names and numbers and had a complete copy. Kate and Cindy would split up on the interviews to save time. Cindy suggested they could just divide the list in half and compare notes after the interviews.
Kate decided to go back and interview the couple friends that Susan’s boyfriend Todd told them about. The first couple to be interviewed lived separately. Darlene Cox and Chad Wilson were first on their list and Kate would interview them while Cindy interviewed the other couple Andrea Moore and Justin Marsh who lived in an apartment together.
Kate decided to interview Darlene Cox first and made an appointment to come to her apartment. That usually made people more comfortable than coming to the station. Kate wasn’t going to interrogate Darlene, she just wanted to ask a few questions. Darlene quickly answered the door as soon as Kate knocked. Darlene led Kate into a living area and offered her a seat.
Kate begins to speak, “I am sure you are aware of the death of Susan Warren and that death being ruled a homicide due to obvious physical evidence.”
Darlene responded, “I am indeed aware of Susan’s death. My boyfriend and I used to go out to eat with her and Todd at least once a week.”
Kate asked, “Your boyfriend would be Chad Wilson?”
Darlene replied, “Yes, that is correct. We have been going together for about two years.”
Kate asked, “As far as you could tell, Todd seemed to be a good guy?”
Darlene replied, “Yes. Susan and I talked a lot about our boyfriends. We had a girl’s night out regularly but sometimes that turned into a girl’s night in. I would occasionally go to her house and she would sometimes come to mine.”
Kate asked, “Did she talk about the bank robbery?”
Darlene replied, “Oh yes, a lot. It scared the crap out of her. It would have me too. She was set to testify against the guy, she said his image had been burned into her mind.”
Kate inquired, “Did she ever receive any threats against her life from anyone, in the event she testified?”
Darlene responded, “Not that I know of and I think she would have told me if she had received any threats.”
Kate asked, “Is there anyone you know of who would want her dead?”
Darlene answered, “I have racked my brain many times trying to think of who I thought would want her dead. I really never thought of a soul. She was a sweetheart and everyone liked her the moment they met her. I know you guys always focus on the boyfriend first but I can tell you that Todd was devastated by Susan’s death. It crushed him.”
Kate gave Darlene her card and told her to call if she could think of anything else. She shook Darlene’s hand and walked to her car to drive to the next interview.
Kate was next on her way to interview Chad. She arrived in good time through light traffic to see Chad. Kate walked to the front door and knocked a few times but Chad was slow to answer. Kate had almost given up when Chad showed up answering the door and inviting Kate into his living area.
Kate introduced herself but the introduction wasn’t necessary. Chad saw the badge and since Kate had called to set up the appointment, Chad knew exactly who she was.
Chad said, “I am glad you called. I thought a lot of Susan. Darlene and I hung out with Todd and Susan all the time. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to harm her.”
Kate asked, “Have you talked to Todd since the murder?”
Chad responded, “Several times. He couldn’t believe it. They were planning on getting married and it really hit him hard.”
Kate responded, “Was your talk on the phone or in person?”
Chad answered, “We went for drinks a couple of times, but I have talked to him on the phone many times. He decided he didn’t like going out in public right now because he is so messed up.”
Kate asked, “Did he ever talk about the bank robbery?”
Chad said, “He did talk a lot about the robbery. He worked that day and felt guilty he couldn’t stop the robbers. He said he saw that guy’s face too and could identify him with no problem. He seemed to think the murder was related to the robbery.”
Kate said, “We are investigating that possibility. It does give us a very good motive but we haven’t found any physical evidence that would tie the robbers to the murder.”
Chad responded, “It made sense to all of us. It just seemed logical that would be the reason. Susan was just too nice for any other reason.”
Kate said, “I know and that was the thought process we had going as well. Every victim I have known in any investigations I have conducted, have all been nice guy types with no enemies. I know what you are saying however and we made a note saying how much everyone liked her.”
Kate thanked Chad and handed him her card before standing up and leaving.