from your hands when you saw Betsy. They were spewed all over the floor next to her.”
“Isn’t there some law against tampering with evidence at a crime scene?”
“Don’t talk to me about laws, missy, or I’ll start ticking off the ones you broke in your last two adventures.”
I shrugged and we went left our room. There were still quite a few police vehicles in the parking lot. Detectives Ramirez and Hansen were standing in front of the lobby door talking with Brenda and Ramon. Was she telling them about Adam? And what was Ramon telling them?
We got into Tom’s SUV, but before we could back out of the parking slot, I heard a tap on my window. It startled me and I screamed.
“Easy, Liza,” Tom patted my leg.
Oh great, it was the bad cop. Detective Ramirez scowled at me.
Tom pushed the button to roll down my window, then leaned forward, “What can we do for you, Detective?”
Ramirez held up a picture of my parents, Betty, and her husband, Adam.
I took it from his hand. “Thanks, detective. This is mine.”
He snatched it right back. “This was found way under the lounge Betsy lay on.”
“I took it with me to show her. I must have dropped it when I saw her. It’s a picture of my parents and her and her husband.”
“The dead one?” he raised one eyebrow.
That must be a cop thing. And lying at this point probably wasn’t a good idea. He’d already talked to Brenda and Ramon. “Yes, he died on their last cruise. It was their honeymoon.”
“I think we need to talk to you some more, Ms. Wilcox.”
“Is she being charged with anything?” Tom asked.
“No, but, damn it, she’s a material witness to a homicide. I can take her down to the station and hold her.”
“I know,” Tom said. “And I appreciate that you haven’t done it so far. Look, I know everything Liza does. If I thought there was anything that might help you, I’d tell you. But there just isn’t.” He pointed to me and continued, “She’s reliving her parents’ last vacation before they died. She knew there was a possibility that some of their old cruising group would stay at this hotel. She was right. Betsy Ruiz was here. Liza wanted to talk to her about her parents. That’s it. It has nothing to do with whoever killed Betsy Ruiz.”
Detective Ramirez frowned, then said, “You mean executed.”
I gasped.
“Yes. I may be from a small town, but I know an execution when I see it. I tried to spare Liza that little piece of information!” he growled.
The two men glared at each other for what seemed like an eternity and then Ramirez said, “I want her in my office ten minutes after you get off that damn boat next Sunday.”
“We’ll be there. And if Liza thinks of anything we think might help, I’ll call you from that damn boat.”
“Fine,” Detective Ramirez snarled. He continued, “By the way, Ramon said you had your gun drawn when he came to see what all the screaming was about.” He held out his hand. “I need it to test ballistics.”
“You think I shot Betsy?”
“No, but I need it to eliminate it.”
Tom wasn’t going to be happy. He left the other gun at my house and now he had to relinquish his little ankle gun. For Tom, it was like being naked!
“How soon can I get it back?” he asked.
“Ballistics takes a few days.” Ramirez smiled. “You can pick it up when you come into the station next Sunday.”
Tom took another long deep breath. He did this a lot with me. It was nice to see him do it with someone else, for a change. He reached down, unhooked his ankle holster and handed it to Ramirez.
“You want a receipt?” Ramirez sneered.
Tom shook his head and Ramirez stormed away.
I pushed up the button for the window, then turned to Tom, “I’m sorry he took away your gun.”
Tom shrugged, “I probably couldn’t have brought it on the cruise, anyway. At least I know it’s in a safe place until I return.”
“Good attitude.” I smiled, then continued, “now, Betsy was
“Isn’t there some law against tampering with evidence at a crime scene?”
“Don’t talk to me about laws, missy, or I’ll start ticking off the ones you broke in your last two adventures.”
I shrugged and we went left our room. There were still quite a few police vehicles in the parking lot. Detectives Ramirez and Hansen were standing in front of the lobby door talking with Brenda and Ramon. Was she telling them about Adam? And what was Ramon telling them?
We got into Tom’s SUV, but before we could back out of the parking slot, I heard a tap on my window. It startled me and I screamed.
“Easy, Liza,” Tom patted my leg.
Oh great, it was the bad cop. Detective Ramirez scowled at me.
Tom pushed the button to roll down my window, then leaned forward, “What can we do for you, Detective?”
Ramirez held up a picture of my parents, Betty, and her husband, Adam.
I took it from his hand. “Thanks, detective. This is mine.”
He snatched it right back. “This was found way under the lounge Betsy lay on.”
“I took it with me to show her. I must have dropped it when I saw her. It’s a picture of my parents and her and her husband.”
“The dead one?” he raised one eyebrow.
That must be a cop thing. And lying at this point probably wasn’t a good idea. He’d already talked to Brenda and Ramon. “Yes, he died on their last cruise. It was their honeymoon.”
“I think we need to talk to you some more, Ms. Wilcox.”
“Is she being charged with anything?” Tom asked.
“No, but, damn it, she’s a material witness to a homicide. I can take her down to the station and hold her.”
“I know,” Tom said. “And I appreciate that you haven’t done it so far. Look, I know everything Liza does. If I thought there was anything that might help you, I’d tell you. But there just isn’t.” He pointed to me and continued, “She’s reliving her parents’ last vacation before they died. She knew there was a possibility that some of their old cruising group would stay at this hotel. She was right. Betsy Ruiz was here. Liza wanted to talk to her about her parents. That’s it. It has nothing to do with whoever killed Betsy Ruiz.”
Detective Ramirez frowned, then said, “You mean executed.”
I gasped.
“Yes. I may be from a small town, but I know an execution when I see it. I tried to spare Liza that little piece of information!” he growled.
The two men glared at each other for what seemed like an eternity and then Ramirez said, “I want her in my office ten minutes after you get off that damn boat next Sunday.”
“We’ll be there. And if Liza thinks of anything we think might help, I’ll call you from that damn boat.”
“Fine,” Detective Ramirez snarled. He continued, “By the way, Ramon said you had your gun drawn when he came to see what all the screaming was about.” He held out his hand. “I need it to test ballistics.”
“You think I shot Betsy?”
“No, but I need it to eliminate it.”
Tom wasn’t going to be happy. He left the other gun at my house and now he had to relinquish his little ankle gun. For Tom, it was like being naked!
“How soon can I get it back?” he asked.
“Ballistics takes a few days.” Ramirez smiled. “You can pick it up when you come into the station next Sunday.”
Tom took another long deep breath. He did this a lot with me. It was nice to see him do it with someone else, for a change. He reached down, unhooked his ankle holster and handed it to Ramirez.
“You want a receipt?” Ramirez sneered.
Tom shook his head and Ramirez stormed away.
I pushed up the button for the window, then turned to Tom, “I’m sorry he took away your gun.”
Tom shrugged, “I probably couldn’t have brought it on the cruise, anyway. At least I know it’s in a safe place until I return.”
“Good attitude.” I smiled, then continued, “now, Betsy was
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