“I promise you,” I said.“I’m going to talk to Craig and get his side of things.The facts are the facts, Lena.So long as you’re telling the truth, you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I guess.”She gave a weak smile.
“One more thing,” I said.“I’d ask that you keep this conversation between us for now.Don’t tell anyone that you spoke to me, not Tess, not Craig, not anyone around town.Can you do that?”
“Of course.”She looked almost relieved.“I don’t want anyone knowing I said anything.Especially Craig.”
“There’s no reason for anyone to know anything at this point.”I stood.“Thanks for reaching out, Lena.The information you gave me will be very useful.If you think of anything else, anything at all, call me directly.”I handed her my card.
She took it and tucked it into her apron pocket.“I hope it was just talk, Chief.I really do.”
“So do I,” I said, and I left the coffeehouse.As I climbed into my SUV, I called Bree.
“What’s up, Chief?”she asked brightly.
“I want Craig Barlow in an interview room today.He can pick the time, just get him there,” I said.“Call him.Be polite but firm.If he gives you trouble, tell him I can come to him, but he won’t like that as much.”
“You got it, Chief.”
* * *
At 4:30 p.m., Craig Barlow arrived at the station.Craig filled the interview room the way fog fills a harbor.He was massive, easily six-three, with thick arms sleeved in nautical tattoos and a trimmed dark beard that did nothing to soften the hostility in his face.He sat with his legs spread wide and his arms crossed, taking up as much space as physically possible.Everything about his body language said he didn’t want to be here and was prepared to make that everyone’s problem.
“Thanks for coming in, Craig,” I said, taking my seat across from him.
“Didn’t feel like I had much of a choice.”
“You always have a choice.I appreciate you making the right one.”I opened my notebook.“I’m talking to a lot of people about the night Eddie Salcedo died.Trying to piece together who was where, what they saw.Standard stuff.”
“Even though it was an accident?”
I met his gaze.“Eddie’s death hasn’t officially been ruled anything yet.”
He shook his head.“Cops are always looking for shit that ain’t there.”
I ignored his surly comment.“As I said, I’m putting together a timeline of where everyone was the night Eddie died.Trying to find out if anyone saw anything that seemed off.”
“I didn’t see a damn thing,” he said flatly.“I don’t know why I’m here.”
“Were you near the harbor the night Eddie died, by any chance?”I asked, noticing how his jaw tensed.
“Nope.”
“You sure about that?”
He sneered.“Yeah.Of course I’m sure.”
“Well, here’s the thing, Craig.”I kept my tone conversational.“We’ve been reviewing security footage from the harbor, and you showed up on camera that night.Around 9:00 p.m.You took a skiff out and didn’t come back until after 1:00 a.m.”
The color drained from his face, but he clamped his jaw tight.He uncrossed his arms and put his hands on the table.“I go out at night sometimes,” he said.“That’s not a crime.”
“No, it’s not.But you said you weren’t near the harbor the night Eddie died, when you clearly were.”
“So I got the night mixed up.”He shook his head, looking resentful.“What’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is a man died on the water that same night, and you were out there on the water for four hours.I need to understand what you were doing.”
Craig’s jaw worked.He looked at the table, then at the wall, then back at me.“I was just enjoying a night out on the sea.”
