Treacherous Secrets novel Chapter 21

"He's been dead since about three this morning," the coroner told Detective Carter. She made a note on her pad. "I'll be right back for more of your observations, Doctor." She took Kim's elbow and they walked to the side of the patio where other police officers were taking pictures along the patio and into the grass.

"So what do you know?"

"Ashley and I were at a mixed club downtown winding down after the event here with Kenton. Damon Butler came into the bar. Ashley was in the restroom, but I recognized him because we had had dinner with him over business before." She looked past the detective to see Damon standing at the patio door. "Oh my God, he's here." Detective Carter started to turn to look at him. "Don't look yet," Kim said. "Let me finish the story. He was having an argument with someone on the phone. Apparently, it was Kenton. They were arguing about Carol, Damon's wife, who had told him she was having affair with Kenton and Damon had apparently told her about him and Kenton. Kenton came to the bar and he and Damon had words, and then Mario showed up and punched Kenton in the face. The bouncers dragged Mario out of the bar. Kenton and Damon got into a shoving match and the bouncers made them leave, too."

"Wow," the detective said, shaking her head. "This is going to be a weird one."

"Yeah, I don't envy you."

"Sir, you cannot come out here," one of the officers was saying to Damon.

"That's my best friend," Damon said. "I want to know what happened."

"I gotta go," Detective Carter said to Kim. "But I want to ask you some more questions later." She handed Kim a business card. "Call me if you can think of anything else that might help."

Kim nodded. "I'll get with Ashley, and we'll set up an appointment." She followed the detective back toward the patio. The detective began questioning Damon and Kim went into the house to find Emily. Mario was sitting next to Emily, holding her hand. Carol was standing at the door of the kitchen twisting her hands and watching Damon. Kim looked at all of them. She didn't really think that Emily killed Kenton, but she wouldn't have blamed her if she had. She was certain that Kenton had done much worse things than what Emily had told about the night before last.

"How are you holding up?" Kim asked Emily.

Emily shook her head. "I can't believe this is happening."

Kim sat down on the other side of her and took her hand. "I can't imagine, but you know that Ashley and I are here for you, right?"

Emily nodded woodenly, her eyes glazing over as shock settled over her more deeply. Kim's phone buzzed. It was Ashley. "Hey," Kim said quietly into the phone.

"What's going on?" Ashley asked.

"Damon just got here. The police are questioning everyone. You remember me talking about Janice Carter from my photo journalism class that went on to become a cop?"

"I think so," Ashley said.

"She's one of the investigating detectives from homicide working on this case."

"I just talked to Walter," Ashley said. "He is totally in shock. Of course, he only knows the Kenton who puts on that act of being the perfect husband and employee."

Kim said, "Yeah, he'd be real surprised if he knew what we know, huh?"

Detective Carter approached Kim. "Her family?"

"No, the Rodriquez's."

"Really?" the detective asked. "Is she not close to her family?"

"I'm not sure what happened with all of that. But, from what I gathered from the dinner we had the other night, Kenton had kept her from spending time with her parents and so the Rodriquez's, who were already working for him, became like a surrogate family for her."Detective Jones approached them shaking his head. "Can I talk to you?" He asked Detective Carter, who nodded and followed him out to the patio. "What do you think?

"I think this is going to be a fucked up case," she answered.

"Yeah, me too," he agreed. "Mr. Rodriquez said that he followed Mr. Jenkins to a gay bar last night, where he punched him in the face for abusing Mrs. Jenkins who is 'just his friend,'" he said using air quotes. "He said that Mr. Butler was there and the two of them appeared to be having a lover's quarrel."

"That's what my friend Kim McInery said," Detective Carter said, motioning her head in Kim's direction.

Detective Jones shrugged. "So you want to try the angle that Mr. Butler wanted Mr. Jenkins to leave his wife and when he refused he killed him?"

"It's a starting place," Detective Carter said. "Let's get some of these people down to the station and the rest out of here before any more of the scene is contaminated. I'm going to go talk to the coroner and see what her take is on how Mr. Jenkins was killed."