Please read Leads Part 1 First:
Tamela had momentarily considered taking a cruiser to follow
up the lead that had just been called into the station but chose to walk
instead. A cruiser pulling up anywhere caused heads to turn and gossip to
start. What Tamela wanted was to get this hairdresser talking. You could get
more from someone who didn’t feel like you were shining a spotlight on the fact
that the cops were paying them a visit. At this point in the investigation she
really hoped this Brandy Miller’s information panned out, especially since it
was pointing towards her father’s bar.
Tamela took a deep breath and stepped into the Luxe salon.
Even without a cruiser there were suddenly many pairs of nervous eyes on her
every movement. She approached the desk.
“Is Brandy Miller available?”
A tall thin pale man with dyed black hair shifted nervously “She
just left. I know she called you but I think she changed her mind…”
Tamela cringed. Dammit.
“Do you have her home address? You can tell me no but I
can find it anyway. This is just faster.” She preyed upon the man’s anxiety and it worked.
His long fingers dugs shakily for a pen and a business card. He had subtle
guyliner on and painted black sparkly short nails. He flipped over the business
card and called up a computer screen with a digital address log. Tamela took
the card after he thrust it at her. It listed an address in east Vancouver.
“Here. Please don’t tell her you got it from me.”
“No problem. Thanks man.”
She began her walk back to the station to get a car,
mentally kicking herself for not signing one out in the first place. Tamela
popped into the Dandelion Café en route to grab a coffee and a muffin for the
road. She remembered Angie’s words from first thing in the morning about Nault
bringing in Mitch Newmore because he thought it was Martin.
“Jesus, Nault, we don't detain the guy who helps make the
doughnuts!"
Tamela started chuckling to herself and it seemed to spread
relief through a room of townspeople already watching her. Cedar Point was just
continually on edge right now. They had to catch this bastard.
She smiled at the clerk and thanked her after she paid and
then tried to offer a reassuring smile to the people still watching her in the
room before she left.
After securing a vehicle she was finally sailing down the 99
towards the Massey Tunnel that would take her into Vancouver proper. For once
the tunnel was clear. Tamela sipped on her coffee and made her way east to
Commercial Drive. Brandy Miller lived in a rundown yellow brick apartment
building beside a small dilapidated city park. She pulled around the back of
the building and parked in the lane. If her witness was this easily scared off
she didn’t want to get in her field of view right away. The building was a 3
storey walk up. Tamela hung back and watched the doorway until a worn out
looking mother with 2 small children approached it with a key in hand, her
little ones clinging to her while in the midst of a loud shrieking argument.
Perfect option. Tamela swiftly walked up and grasped the door handle as the
woman turned the key “Let me help you Ma’am.” The woman looked surprised and
the children fell silent. The smallest
one who appeared to be a little blonde boy absently stuck a finger in his nose
and stared. The older one, a girl with the same shade of blonde in her pigtails
smacked at her brother “Luke that’s GROSS!” The mother, also blonde and
painfully thin said a quiet “Thank you.” As she let Tamela hold the door open
so she could go through. Then she turned to the kids “Come on…” with a look of
someone who didn’t want to get mixed up in any business a police officer might
have in the building.
Tamela made her way to the third floor and then counted her
way down the hallway to the door at the end. She knocked firmly. There was a
shuffle of feet and then a nervous female voice.
“Who is it?”
Tamela sighed. This was the part she hated.
“Cedar Point Police. Open up please.”
She could hear a gasp and then the door slowly opened
revealing a lightly tanned woman with deep brown eyes and golden blonde hair.
Tamela noticed Brandy was very attractive too but shoved that thought to the
back of her mind.
Tamela cleared her throat “Brandy Miller?”
Brandy nodded “Yes.” A door down the hall opened a crack and
a nosy neighbour poked his head out slightly. Brandy tensed up and then said
quickly “Come in then.” She walked away from the door leaving it to swing open.
Tamela took out a small notebook and a pen and pushed the
door closed behind her. She followed Brandy into a room with a ratty old couch
and chair, a small flat screen TV and
some particle board shelving units with assorted paperback novels and potted
plants. The apartment had the slight ammonia stench of a litter box in
proximity as well. Brandy sat down on the couch and gestured to the chair.
Tamela eased down into it and then teeter tottered the pen in her fingers over
the pad of paper.
“So you called us and then you ran. Want to tell me about
that?”
Brandy looked at the window instead of making eye contact “No
not really. I just got nervous is all.” She turned her head and gaze on Tamela
full on now “Do you want my info or not?”
Tamela raised a brow momentarily and then said “Yeah.
Hopefully it checks out though. Right now we just need to catch this guy and
instead I’m chasing after you. This better be good Ms. Miller.”
Brandy twirled her hair “That all depends on your point of
view I guess. Tracy told me she’s your sister. You do kinda look like her.”
Tamela tilted her head in confusion “Sorry what?”
Brandy smiled now “The girl who was dancing with him…that guy
from your news story. It looked pretty hot. Someone said they took off together
for awhile. I’m pretty sure it was your
sister. The slutty bartender right? No offence.”
Tamela’s eyes closed briefly as she processed this statement
and her pen slipped from her hand tumbling to the floor. It could then be heard
flitting around behind the chair as the Brandy’s sleek white cat pounced on it
and kicked it around.
Tamela grunted quietly and stood up, leaving her pen to the
cat “thank you for your time Ms. Miller. We may follow up with you at a later
date.” Brandy Miller visibly relaxed and followed her to close the door after
her “You’re welcome.”
Once she was back in the cop car she pulled out her cell
phone and touched base with the station.
“Hey Angie. I need to pass this one off to someone else. Not
Nault though. Also, see what you can find on Brandy Miller. She bolted on me and
I had to track her down at home.”
Angie sounded nonchalant at the other end, having no clue
what the problem was “I’ll take a look in the database for Miller. You know
this is a big one for getting back on the beat. Just take a breath Tamela.”
“Angie I’m fine with the work. I’ve got a conflict of
interest. Our next witness to question is Megan.”
Angie let out a slow whistle and then said “Ok I’ll try to
track down Yamada.”
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