“Still waters run deep, I guess,” Deputy Sam murmured.
“I’m going to read through this in my office. Angela Raiden should be showing up for her interview in a couple of hours.”
He smirked. “I’ll be sure and show her into our finest interview room. Shall I serve her Perrier instead of regular bottled water?”
“Nope. Stick to the plain stuff.” I smiled and headed toward my office. I sat at my desk and combed through all the copies of police reports.
The insurance fraud charge had been related to a slip and fall in a grocery store. It had later been revealed through CCTV that the supposed accident was staged. Archie had pretended to fall and faked an injury. Thanks to the security footage, instead of getting money, he’d been charged with fraud. Apparently, because of overcrowding in the LA County jails, he hadn’t done any time but had been slapped with a five-thousand-dollar fine. Which he’d never paid.
He’d assumed two other identities besides Archie Brady: Lawrence Brown and Peter Scott. There was a photo included in the file, and sure enough, it was the same man I’d known as Archie Brady. He’d been born John Campbell, but after fleecing two women of their retirement, he’d changed his name several times to avoid authorities.
There was a record of marriage to a Kimora Suzuki. They’d been married for six years before she’d drowned in a tragic accident. Her body had never been recovered.
“At least that part was true,” I muttered, frowning at the papers.
The detective in charge of the case had been suspicious about Kimora’s death, but there had been insufficient evidence. After his wife’s death, Archie had seemed to disappear. He’d received a large lump of money as the sole beneficiary of his late wife, and apparently, he’d used it to vanish. Then, he’d suddenly turned up in Rainy Dale under the name Archie Brady.
I had to wonder why he’d picked this town and how he’d become acquainted with Janelle. It was hard to imagine a guy trying to get his limousine business off the ground would have run in the same social circles as the Raidens. Maybe I could get information about how Archie had met Janelle when Angela came in later today.
Leaning back in my chair, I mulled over all I’d read about Archie. Who in Rainy Dale could have wanted him dead? Had someone discovered his past? Had Archie secretly been up to his old tricks? Maybe he’d tried to scam the wrong person this time, and it had cost him his life.
I spent a little more time reading witness accounts from the women Archie, aka John Campbell, had scammed. Both women had described him as quiet and gentlemanly. When red flags would arise, he’d always explain them away easily. He’d had such a trustworthy demeanor, both women hadn’t believed they’d been scammed until their bank accounts were cleaned out.
When it was time to talk to Angela, I gathered my trusty notepad, pen, and my fortitude. Hopefully, she’d be less of a pill than her husband had been yesterday. Although knowing how entitled she was, I had a knot in the pit of my stomach.
As I neared the interview room, I found Angela strolling down the hallway with Deputy Juan. She had her arm linked through his, and she was smiling up at him flirtatiously. She wore a bright yellow sundress with a matching hat and big black sunglasses. She seemed to be channeling Audrey Hepburn’s fashion sense, but something told me she was lacking on the humanitarian side.
“Why, Sheriff Callum,” she slurred. “It’s so enchanting to see you again.”
She’s drunk?
I’d expected Angela to be a difficult interview, but it hadn’t occurred to me she’d show up soused. “Mrs. Raiden, thank you for coming in today.”
“Of course.” She waved her hand at me. “My pleasure.”
Oh, boy.
I opened the interview room door for her, and she made an unsteady line toward a chair on the other side of the table. Deputy Juan raised his brows and slowly closed the door. I took my seat across from her, shuffling papers to give her time to compose herself. Once I felt she was ready, I glanced up and found her watching me.
“How are you holding up, Sheriff?” she purred, pulling off her sunglasses to reveal bloodshot eyes. “I feel like no one ever really thinks about how hard this job is on you.”
Grimacing, I said, “I’m doing just fine, Mrs. Raiden. I took this job knowing exactly what it would be like.”
She pouted. “Still, having to grill your friends and neighbors, it must be awkward for you.”
I smiled. “Some more than others. But it’s the nature of the beast.” I didn’t really believe for one second Angela gave a hoot about how hard this job was on me. She just wanted to butter me up for whatever reason. “Did you bring in the dress like I asked?”
She blinked at me. “The dress?”
Irritation nipped me at her response. “Yes, the dress you wore at the wedding. Remember you were supposed to bring it with you yesterday, but you forgot?”
She snapped two red-lacquered fingers. “Oops. I forgot again.”
“No problem. I’ll just send my deputy over to pick it up. Could you tell me where it is in your house? I don’t want him to have to go searching.”
Red spears of color appeared on her cheeks, and her fake charm evaporated. “Just what is so important about that dress?”
“I just need to take a quick look to make sure there’s nothing on it.”
