Road to Justice (A Mountain Mystery) by Shoultz D.R

Author:Shoultz, D.R.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-03-02T00:00:00+00:00

- DAY 8 -

Friday

THE DA, RON OLSEN, was inside Chief Pierce’s office when Fowler arrived early Friday. From the slight opening in the door, he could see Olsen leaning, both hands on the chief’s desk, yelling at Pierce, who was seated with his beefy arms crossed. With thinning, unruly hair and a beak-like nose, Olsen resembled a chicken hawk preying on an unyielding bear.

“I have no reason to doubt my sister-in-law!” Olsen yelled. “What the hell was Fowler doing at the Vista View Inn in Asheville? And right after our discussion with the mayor about staying within your jurisdiction.”

Fowler paused, looking down the hall toward the detectives’ bullpen, and then back inside Pierce’s office. He briefly considered avoiding the confrontation taking place.

“Oh, what the hell,” he said under his breath before stepping through the opening. “Can I be of some assistance, Chief?”

Olsen pulled back from the desk and wheeled around toward Fowler.

“It seems Mr. Olsen’s sister-in-law over in Asheville is friends with Sharon Miller, the lady you met with yesterday at the Vista View Inn,” Pierce calmly explained.

Fowler stepped further into the office and closed the door behind him as Pierce continued.

“She called Ron last night to see what he knew about the Elliott murder investigation. And while she was on the phone, she told our DA everything you apparently learned from her and her staff about Sarah Elliott. I assume you were going to update us this morning on what you uncovered.”

“Are you suggesting I’ve done something wrong by discovering Sarah Elliott was seeing other men in the days before she was killed?”

“So, what my sister-in-law told me is true?” Olsen asked, throwing his hands skyward.

“If she told you that Vista View Inn employees have seen Sarah Elliott in the company of two different men at dinner, and apparently staying the night with one of them, then yes. She’s told you what I uncovered. Some of what I learned was as late as eight o’clock last evening.”

“I can’t believe you’d be so careless that even my sister-in-law knew about this before I did,” Olsen wailed.

“And how does this harm your case against Rand Elliott?” Fowler argued. “If anything, his wife’s infidelity provides a motive for murder that you didn’t have before.”

Fowler’s comeback caused Olsen to calm slightly.

“I hope you haven’t run to Elliott’s attorney with this information,” Olsen warned.

“He’s gonna learn about Sarah’s trysts sooner or later,” Fowler said. “But no, I don’t intend to meet with Eldon Watkins anytime soon.”

“Can I assume I’ve heard everything?” Olsen asked.

“I’m going to see what I can find out about Sarah’s dinner at the Olde Town Inn,” Fowler replied. “And I’ve also asked for surveillance video from the Vista View Inn during her checkout.”

“Let me know immediately if you learn anything else,” Olsen demanded.

“You’ll know immediately after I inform Chief Pierce,” Fowler replied.

Olsen glanced at Pierce, then back to Fowler.

“No more surprises,” he said, stomping from the office.

“I would have called you last night,” Fowler said. “But it was getting late, and I knew you had a lot on your plate with Jenkins being in the hospital.

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