Read Shadow in the Mirror Chapter One…
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Jack
Detective Jack Isaac straightened his tie as he walked into the Calder County courthouse, located in the heart of Everly. Jack was supposed to meet with the county officials over the details and direction of the recent murder he���d been investigating. He still wasn���t clear on what they wanted from him, but he was confident they would let it be known.
When he stepped into the main hallway, he spotted Sheriff Quinn standing with Penelope Calder, who, despite being fixed up, looked ten years older than the last time he saw her.
���Ah, Detective Isaac,��� said Quinn. ���Right on time.��� He held out his hand, and Jack took it, giving it a firm shake.
Jack turned his attention to Penelope and offered his hand to her. ���Ms. Calder,��� he said, trying to be polite.
The woman seemed reluctant to shake his hand, but finally, she took it. ���Hello, detective. The others are waiting.���
She turned and walked away, and Quinn waved Jack on. ���Let���s get down there. I know they have a few questions for you.���
Jack wasn���t sure who ���they��� were. Even though he had made introductions, he still hadn���t the pleasure of formal introductions.
He entered the room just in time to see one of the other men offer Ms. Calder a seat and pull out her chair. Jack had met a few of the men before, including Mayor Calder.
Another was Mr. Thompson, the medical examiner, as well as the mortician at Thompson���s Family Mortuary. While Jack was surprised, he was also glad to see him, considering he could back Jack up on the condition of Cierra Folk���s injuries and any medical questions they may have.
But part of him couldn���t help but wonder what had been discussed before his arrival.
As the sheriff pulled out a chair and offered him a place at the table, he began introductions. ���Good morning, gentlemen, Ms. Calder. For those of you who haven���t had the pleasure, this is Everly���s newly appointed detective, Jack Isaac.���
Jack nodded and gave a smile as Sheriff Quinn continued. ���Detective Isaac, you know Mr. Thompson, Ms. Calder, and Sonny Calder, our county mayor.���
Jack agreed. ���Good to see you all again.���
���This is District Attorney Ryan Mora, Commissioner Ed Madison, and Commissioner Alex White.���
���Good to know you,��� said Commissioner White, who was sitting closest to Jack. He extended a hand.
���If no one has any other introductions,��� said DA Ryan Mora, who seemed to have better places to be with his gold watch and black-on-black suit, ���I���m sure the rest of us would like to get started.���
Jack nodded, not missing the man���s tone. ���I agree.���
Sheriff Quinn cleared his throat. ���I think what you���d all like to know is where Detective Isaac intends on starting his investigation.��� He gave Jack a reassuring look.
���As well as what findings have been made so far upon your examination with Dr. Thompson,��� added Commissioner White.
Jack had been under the impression that with Thompson there already and Ms. Calder out of the room, they may have already discussed what shape Cierra Folk���s body was in. Speaking about Cierra���s condition in front of her mother wasn���t appropriate.��
He tried to keep things vague. ���Due to the condition of her body, along with the examination with Dr. Thompson, I have determined, and we agreed, that she was murdered by blunt force trauma. And as standard, I will start with a full inquiry of all family members, as well as her close and personal friends, particularly any romantic interests she may have had.���
Commissioner Madison, whose thick low brows made him look a bit angry, spoke up. ���I���m sure everyone will agree that her mother and uncle have nothing to do with what happened to her, so couldn���t you bypass formality for common courtesy?���
Jack couldn���t disagree more. ���No, logic tells me that by questioning the people close to her, especially her family, I will get information that leads to others who may very well be involved. As painful as that may be, families usually understand and want no stone unturned, even if that stone is in their front yard, so to speak.���
���I have no objection to answering your questions,��� said Ms. Calder, who had gone a bit glassy-eyed. ���I appreciate everyone wanting to shelter me, but I will not rest until I get answers for my daughter.���
���I was hoping you���d feel that way because it���s come to my attention that your daughter was in a long-term engagement that suddenly ended? I think him, along with some of her other friends from school, might be an appropriate start.���
���You are talking about Dax Walton,��� said Sheriff Quinn, who shifted in his seat uncomfortably. ���His father is very well respected here in town. He comes from a fine family and has always been an upstanding young man.��� He glanced at Penelope as if they had a problem.
But Jack didn���t care what side business they had with the man if any. ���I���m not here to determine anyone���s popularity,��� said Jack. ���I���m sure you���re all a close-knit community but I have to look at facts.���
���Some might see going after certain people as a waste of time,��� Quinn said.
Jack shook his head. ���I think that Ms. Calder would agree with me that nothing in the name of finding her daughter���s killer would be a waste of time.���
���My only concern is that you will upset the balance of things with unnecessary interrogations,��� said Commissioner Madison. ���I wasn���t pleased to hear your meddling caused the Grey family a great deal of trouble.���
���Trouble?��� Jack repeated the word with an incredulous tone. ���I beg your pardon, Commissioner Madison. But would you rather I support the truth or do you feel comfortable with a fire chief who lies to insurance companies because he���s either too lazy to do his job or perhaps because he doesn���t want to step on any toes?���
The men glanced at one another as if they didn���t know what he was talking about. ���Are you saying that Chief Pellerin didn���t do his duties?���
���I���m saying he didn���t investigate the Grey���s fire. When I got involved, it came to my attention that he had taken the family���s word about how the fire must have started. He never even bothered to double-check. In fact, it seems we may have an arsonist here in Everly.���
Sheriff Quinn nearly stood up in his seat as he found the others��� eyes upon him. ���I think we discussed that, Jack.���
���Yes, we did. But in my investigation, I���m finding that things aren���t exactly adding up. Not only that, but he���s hesitant to hire anyone full-time, even though funding has come through.���
���It���s no crime for him to take his time,��� said DA Mora. ���And I don���t see how it���s any of your business, detective.���
���I think you should ask why, especially when he has the perfect candidate right under his nose. I suggested he hire Andy Allen. He seems to want the job.��� Jack felt like it was a no-brainer and didn���t understand the hesitation, other than Pellerin wanting his family to have the job, which he decided to keep to himself.
���I agree Andy would be a good fit,��� said Sheriff Quinn, giving the other men a nod. ���Maybe someone should talk to Pellerin?���
���I���ll go out and talk to him,��� said Mayor Calder.
���In light of what���s happened with Ms. Folk, I think it���s only right that we shift your focus to the crime at hand,��� Commissioner White said. ���There���s no need to have your time divided.���
���I agree that a murder case should take priority, but there is no reason I can���t handle both cases as long as I have Sheriff Quinn and the rest of the department���s cooperation and assistance, of course. As well as Pellerin���s.���
���I don���t think there is a case where Pellerin is concerned,��� said DA Mora. ���It sounds like you���re reaching for straws, and it sounds like we should leave the rest to Pellerin. If there are any problems, I���m sure he can handle them. These were specific incidents, to my knowledge, and completely unconnected to any crime.���
Jack knew better than that, but he knew it would take more than gut feelings to convince them. ���Someone burned down the Grey���s house. I found evidence that it was a criminal act. It���s my job to look into that.���
���It���s your job to find out who committed murder in our town,��� said Commissioner Madison. ���Cierra was a beloved figure in Everly. I think I speak for all of us that you should put your focus there. This other will pass.���
���With all due respect,��� said Jack, who was ready to argue his side of things.
But he was quickly interrupted. ���I think we���ve made ourselves clear,��� said DA Mora. ���Focus on the murder, and let the fires rest. I���m willing to discuss what you���ve told us with Pellerin myself, but until there is actual proof that any of these cases are related, you should let them be. Let���s not start up an investigation where there is none when we have such a high-profile case in front of us.���
Jack wanted to ask how he was supposed to prove anything if he wasn���t allowed to investigate it anymore. But he was feeling so outnumbered he decided to let it go for the time being. It wouldn���t change his opinion. Those fires were important too. But it would take another one to convince them they mattered.
As it stood, they weren���t as important as finding the killer.
Penelope Calder leaned forward and steepled her hands in front of her on the table. ���If you gentlemen are done arguing over a few fires, I���d like to know what, if anything, Detective Isaac has done to find my daughter���s car. It���s still missing.��� She wiped the corner of her glassy eyes with a tissue.
Jack was surprised that the woman���s concern was misguided. She was more worried about the car? What of her daughter���s killer? ���I���ve got an APB out on it,��� said Jack. ���But it���s only been forty-eight hours. It���s bound to turn up.���
���Could it be in the lake?��� asked Commissioner White.
���We could have it dragged just to make sure,��� said Jack. ���But there was no indication that a car was rolled into the lake. No ground was disturbed around the area. No tracks led into the water. We���re not even sure where Cierra met up with the killer.���
���But you could check the lake just to be sure?��� asked Penelope.
���Of course,��� said Sheriff Quinn. ���I���ll call Coldwell and get their team of divers. I���m sure there won���t be a problem having that done by the end of the day.���
Jack noticed how quickly Quinn was willing to jump through hoops for the woman. He also noted the tone of his voice and how it changed whenever he spoke to Penelope.
���Thank you, Sheriff,��� she said to him as if it were all his idea. ���It���s a comfort knowing you are around.���
Jack couldn���t figure them out, other than wondering if they had a past, and tried not to take their remarks personally. He had to prove himself with this bunch, and that was just the way of it. ���I���d really like to speak with Dax Walton today.���
���I think you should let that rest,��� said Mayor Calder. ���Surely you have other places you can start?���
Jack felt like he was talking to a wall. One he was solidly up against. ���I suppose I could give it a day and start with Cierra���s friends at school. I���d like to speak with Ms. Calder and get a few names if possible. I plan on heading out to the campus this afternoon. I���d like to speak with you if you have time.���
���My daughter is dead, detective. I have nothing else to do but mourn.��� Penelope wiped her tears, taking care not to poke her eye out with her sculpted nails.
Jack understood her to be a bit aggravated on top of her mourning. ���I���m very sorry,��� he said sincerely.
Sheriff Quinn spoke up, directing his attention to DA Mora. ���I think there was something else you wanted to touch on today, Ryan?���
���Yeah, I just want to make sure that Mr. Isaac here understands that discretion is going to be very important, considering this case. I want it handled with kid gloves. And I would like for us to be notified of every big decision regarding the media and what is released.���
���Surely you can understand that I have no control over that.���
���I���m confident that our local papers will solidly comply with what I want to be published. But any statements let out past that should not make my daughter look bad in any way. I will not have her name dragged through the mud. I will not have her set out there in a bad light.��� Penelope���s chin quivered and her chest heaved.
���I understand,��� said Jack. But he was just saying that to keep her calm. And it made him wonder what the woman might hold back to keep her daughter from looking bad. ���I will use discretion, and I have no problem keeping any of you abreast of what is happening in the case as necessary. But I feel I must say I will not compromise my case for anyone���s reputation. The facts will be what they will be, and finding out who murdered Cierra Folk is my main concern.���
���As long as we understand each other,��� said DA Mora. ���Now, gentlemen, unless there is anything else we need to discuss, I���m sure we all have a busy day ahead of us. And I���m sure Detective Isaac has a lot of work to do.���
Penelope got up from her seat before the mayor could offer assistance and stormed out the door. But Jack wasn���t going to let her leave until he had the information he needed.
���Ms. Calder,��� he called out. ���I wanted to speak with you.���
���I���m sorry,��� she said, releasing a deep breath. ���I feel a bit like a trapped cat. I just want to go back in time. But I can���t.���
���I know what it���s like to lose someone you care about,��� he said. ���But I can���t imagine what you���re going through.���
���No, you can���t. Cierra was special. She was a light to everyone who knew her.���
���I���m sure she was. And I intend on speaking with Breanna March. I believe that was the name of her friend?���
���Yes,��� said Penelope with a sneer. ���She should be able to tell you about that young man she was seeing.���
���Okay, I���ll make sure to ask her. Do you happen to know the last time your daughter spoke to her ex-fianc��, Dax Walton?���
���Detective Isaac, I think we���ve made it quite clear that Dax had nothing to do with this.���
���No, you suggested that I look in another direction, and I���m willing to start elsewhere, but I���m eventually going to have to speak with him.��� There was no way to avoid it, and he didn���t really understand why she would take the ex���s side.
���I���m sure once you speak with Breanna, your opinion will change. She���s trash. Cierra should never have been friends with her. Find the guy she was seeing the night of her birthday. He was driving her car, according to witnesses. Find the car. You���ll find her killer. I���m certain of it.���
Jack didn���t like the way they were all so protective of Dax Walton but decided he would let it go���for the time being.
