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Taking out a little pad, he began to scribble down information. “When did you last see him?”
“Last night. He came to my house wanting to get back together. I told him no and we argued. If you look, you’ll find a domestic disturbance file on my home.”
“Was he intoxicated?”
“Not that I noticed. He didn’t smell of alcohol or slur his words.”
The officer frowned. “That’s strange. His car was trashed, and there was alcohol everywhere.”
No, that couldn’t be right. “My ex-husband was very fastidious. He hated disorder. I find it difficult to believe his car was a mess.”
The officer finished jotting down notes and stood straight. “I guess the blood alcohol level will tell the story.”
Ace leaned over the center console. “He crashed into a car once before when he was a teen. He was drunk then. Just thought you might want to know.”
“Who are you?” the officer said with a suspicious scowl.
“Jeremy Strond.”
“Nice cut,” the officer said, giving him a once-over. “You’re with the Blind Jacks?”
“Yes, sir.”
He held his pen at the ready again. “Where were you last night?”
Ace reached for his breast pocket and pulled out a business card. “I didn’t have anything to do with this. The dude was a train wreck waiting to happen. If you want me to answer any more questions, you call my attorney. I’ll cooperate in any way I can, but I ain’t gettin’ involved in shit that’s got fuck all to do with me.”
Barbara couldn’t understand why Ace was being so defensive. Turning to the officer, she explained, “Mr. Strond was with me all night. We entered my home after sending David on his way in perfect health. We spent the entire night indoors. I got a call this morning from one of my students at the college—that’s where we’re headed now—when we came upon this.” She gestured to the grim scene before them.
“To be honest, David’s behavior was becoming increasingly concerning as of late. I believe he probably went to get alcohol and hung around waiting for my friend to leave so he could have another go at me. He probably drank too much and wrecked his car going home.”
Barbara rubbed her eyes, guilt assailing her. “This is all my fault. I should have just taken out a restraining order, but I was reluctant to do that because he’s a prominent person in this community.”
“I’ll review my notes later and, once everything checks out, I’ll give you a call. I don’t foresee any problems, but I need to ask you two not to leave the area until we get this case sorted.” Bending down to look past her to Ace, he stated flatly, “That goes double for you, Mr. Strond.”
“Whatever you say officer. We had no intention of leaving the county anyway.”
After taking contact information and asking a few more questions, the officer reluctantly turned them lose.
Once they were on their way, Ace said, “You have my condolences on your ex.”
“I feel terrible about this. David was a bit of an asshat, but he didn’t deserve to die that way.”
“I believe he was always going to die that way. Meeting you just put it off for a few years.”
Maybe he was right. David wasn’t without issues. “Sometimes, I don’t think I knew him at all. I should call his father and break the news lightly.”
“Please stay out of it, angel. The cops probably did that first thing. Like you say, he was prominent.”
Moments later, they pulled into the college, parking outside the student union.
Ace spoke softly. “That’s Peb’s softail. He’s here for Jennifer.”
“That would make the second bike Jack’s?”
“Probably, but I’ve never seen it before.”
The students filed out as if they’d been watching for them and met them near Barbara’s SUV.
