Chapter Forty-Nine: This Is for You, Goldie

 

I awake to my phone buzzing on the nightstand. It startles me as I reach out my hand and grab it and look at the text.

I know you just got home but we need to talk

It’s from Gray.

I look at the time – nearly 10:00 A.M. I text back that I’ll meet him at the station. I glance over at Brock and he’s still asleep, so I gingerly creep out of bed so as not to wake him, slip into the bathroom and take a cold shower to wake myself up. I never get up this late and hate that I went to bed so late last night. But we found the ring and that’s all that matters.

After I apply some makeup and brush my hair, I throw on some jeans and sweater and then open the drawer and retrieve the Preparation H container with the ring in it. I drop it into my purse and walk out to a still sleeping Brock. I kiss my finger and place it on his lips, then leave the room.

Herc follows me downstairs and for a split second, I think about looking out the foyer window to ensure no one is parked outside except for a squad car but think better of it. I don’t want to draw attention to myself. As it is, I need to contact Officer Lopez to let her know I’m headed to the police station. Gray instructed her to escort me or take me there herself while another squad car takes her place to watch the house.

After calling her, I quickly grab some coffee in the kitchen to wake myself up and a muffin I found on the counter. It probably has a ton of preservatives in it so it’s likely safe to eat after a week. I take a bite and a long sip of coffee and head out to the garage. I flip on the light, still leery after someone was here just a week ago and push the button to open the garage.

When I back up, the sun hits my eyes and I reach for my sunglasses in the cubby above the rearview mirror. I clean them with my shirt then put them on and drive down my road, Officer Lopez following after.

I wonder what Gray wants to talk about when I pull up to the police station and park. Does he have information on Grant, Jeff, the ones who dumped Troy, or … and then it dawns on me; he knows we found the ring! Why else would he say we need to talk as if he was a boyfriend breaking up with me?

Officer Lopez holds the door open for me, and I walk into the police station. I hear Gray in a heated conversation with someone, and Officer Lopez tells me to hold back. She goes into this office alone and I can’t hear what they’re saying because he looks at me, shakes his head, and then shuts the door behind her.

I’m in trouble.

I wait on the bench, my knees shaking, as I stare off into space, willing myself to calm down. What will he do, arrest me? I mean, we did enter someone’s property and take something. Even though it didn’t belong to the residents, we still dug up their yard in the middle of the night.

It seems forever when Gray opens the door and wiggles his finger, demanding me to come into his office. I take a big gulp and go inside and shut the door. Officer Lopez won’t look at me, and it takes me back to when I was a child and did something wrong, and my father wouldn’t look at me but would shake his head in disappointment. I would look at him and say, “Sorry, Dad.” He would usually just say the four dreaded words I hated to hear. “I’m disappointed in you.” He didn’t spank me but would lecture me for the next hour. I never wanted to disappoint him again but I always did.

Before Gray can say anything, I hold my hand up. “Before you light into me, Gray, we had to take the risk. I know it was not the best timing, but – “

“Trice, what you and Brock did was break the law!” The anger is apparent on his face with deep grooves etched into his forehead.

“I know, but – “

“There is no but,” he says, emphasizing the word. “If your neighbor or anyone else for that matter saw you, they would have called us and we would have had no choice but to arrest you for entering someone’s property and digging up their yard. What you guys did was stupid.”

“How did you know? I thought we were so careful.”

Gray looks at me with a sideways glance. “Trice, Officer Lopez saw you. She was watching your house, remember?”

“I didn't see a car, so I thought she left. And I’m sorry.” I try not to say “but” again. “We needed to find that ring and since it’s been months, if we didn’t do it, who would? Plus, whoever dropped it would have come looking until they found it, and our evidence would be gone with them.”

Gray sighs deeply. He knows I’m right. I look at Officer Lopez who is looking down. “I know you did what you thought was right, but Trice, someone already broke into Leah and Trevor’s and tore apart their place. If these people know you have the ring, you’re not safe, not that you were or have been this last year.”

“I know, which is why I’m giving it to you.” I reach into my purse and take out the long rectangular box. “It’s the best place I could think of to hide it.” I put it on his desk, and I see a slight smile form on his lips.

“Well, that was kind of clever.” He opens the box and takes out the gold ring. “Wow, it’s even inscribed,” he says. “Love Always, Colton.” He runs his finger around the band.

I grab my chair and pull it up to his desk. “This is his wife’s ring. Goldie said Colton was getting it resized the day after they dumped the body and he had it in his pocket. Somehow when he was reaching inside and getting the rope, it fell out and got buried the same time Troy was. If we can get him to talk and implicate the rest, including Jeff, this nightmare can finally be over.”

“Well, since Jeff basically tried to kill you, we will need to get a warrant to extradite him here to answer questions. You may have to testify against him. Can you do that?”

I have no hesitation when I say, “Hell yeah. This man was responsible for killing Troy, Goldie, and almost Brock and I, not to mention destroying my best friend’s home. He has to pay.” I feel my jaw tighten and heat rise to my face.

‘Okay then. We already questioned him once but now we have proof and can arrest him. He will throw Jeff and anyone else under the bus for a deal.”

“Chief, do you want me to send out an arrest warrant for Jeff and get Colton back in here for questioning?” Officer Lopez speaks up for the first time. Her face has softened towards me.

“Yeah, let’s contact Judge Carlton to get a warrant and then the Long Island Police Department and clue them into what’s going on. They can arrest and question him about what he did to Trice and Brock. After, go visit Colton and get him in here. Let’s wrap up this case before anything else happens. We know three others are involved, so the sooner we get the names, the sooner we get them talking. Right now, it’s Jeff that is controlling this. Let’s turn the tables on him. He has to know Trice and Brock came to us, and he may try and run.”

“Thank you, Gray,” I say, finally able to breathe freely again. “I’m sorry we broke the law. If there was any other way, we would have taken it.”

“Yeah … but Trice, don’t ever do anything like this again, capiche?”

“Yeah.”

He ushers me out and tells me to go home and unpack and settle back in but that a squad car will be parked out on the curb. All we can do now is wait and hope we can nab Jeff.

Back home, I walk inside from the garage and see Brock sitting at the table, a cup in his hand. “I woke up and you were gone, Trice.” He says and then stands up and throws his arms around me. “I thought something had happened.”

“Well, it kind of did,” I say, biting my nail. I then tell him everything that happened, and I see the anguish in his eyes. He sits back down at the table and closes his eyes.

“Well, shit. This isn’t looking too good for a lawyer to have broken the law. He could have arrested us, Trice.”

“I know, but he didn’t. Now, he can arrest Jef and question Colton and get a confession, hopefully. We’re really close to solving this. I mean we know Jeff killed, well, had Grant kill Troy, but we don’t know who killed Goldie, ransacked Leah and Trevor’s home, or who tried to break into our home. There are still 2 suspects, not including Colton, Grant, and Jeff. Any one of them could have been Goldie’s killer.”

“Which means at least three of them could still be staking our house, waiting to get us out of the way. If they knew Goldie told you, we are sitting ducks. I’m going to speak with the Board and see if I can get a sabbatical or something so I can stay here until the threat is gone.” It makes my heart ache that he looks almost defeated.

I place my hand on his shoulder. “Oh, Brock, I couldn’t ask that of you. I’ll be OK with the police here.”

“Trice, the police can’t continuously babysit our home; they have a job to protect the city, not just us.” I understand what he’s saying and he’s right. We have to take care of ourselves. I know we have a gun. Brock calls it the “home defense rifle.” I have thought about getting a small gun I can carry in my purse for protection. Thank Heavens Utah is an open carry state, meaning you don’t need a permit to own a gun.

“I just hate that you can’t work,” I say, grabbing some oatmeal out of the pantry.

“I can still do cases, just not be in court. It will work out.” He gets up and refills his coffee cup. I go to him and hug him tightly.

“Thank you, Brock, and I’m sorry I got us into this mess to begin with.”

“You didn’t, Goldie did. But I understand why she did it, and she paid with her life. We have to vindicate her, so her death isn’t in vain.” Tears well up and I let them fall – for Troy and Goldie. I owe it to them to solve her murder and implicate his murderer.

I hope we’re not too late.