I smiled.
Cliff didn't smile back.
"I was with Dale and Everett. I’ll give you their numbers. They can vouch for me. Better yet, let me call Dale.”
He did and put it on speaker.
Dale answered after a few rings. “Yo, what’s up, bitch?”
“Hey, tell these fucking cops where I was last night.”
“Uh, you were hanging out with me.”
“What time was that?” I asked.
“Shit, I don’t know. I think we got to Mango about 9:30 PM.”
“How long were you there?” I asked.
“We had a couple beers there, then we hit Turtles til about 1:00 AM, I think.”
“Thanks, bro,” Cliff said. “We’ll talk later.” He ended the call and smiled. "Satisfied?”
I remained stoic. No doubt Dale would cover for his friend. "You own a gun?”
"Nope.”
"Oh, that's right, you're a convicted felon."
Cliff frowned at me. "That was a long time ago, man. It was total bullshit."
"Possession with intent to distribute."
"I didn't intend to distribute shit. It was just weed, for crissakes.”
"You were going to smoke a pound of weed?”
Cliff shrugged. "What can I say? I had a big habit back in the day.”
I didn’t buy it for a second. “You mind if we take a look around your apartment?”
"You get a warrant, you can search all you want."
"We might be back," I replied.
"I’ll count the minutes," he snarked before closing the door and latching the deadbolt.
JD and I shared a look, then returned to the van. I cranked up the engine, and we drove to Ken’s house. He was an independent insurance agent working with multiple carriers, providing home, auto, and boating insurance. He worked out of his home on Driftwood Trail. It was a nice teal two-story with a wraparound veranda, white wooden trim, and a pitched roof. The yard was well tended, and a few palms swayed overhead.
I parked at the curb. We hopped out, pushed through the gate, and strolled to the front porch. I rang the video doorbell, and an energetic voice crackled through the speaker a moment later. "Can I help you?"
I flashed my badge to the lens. "Coconut County. We’re hoping you can help us with an investigation.”
"That sounds serious. I'll be right there."
I shared a look with Jack as we waited.
A figure approached a few moments later and pulled open the door. "Ken Boyd, good to meet you," he said, extending a hand.
