Jarod moved silently across the hot pavement, the sun beating down on him
with July heat. He adjusted his sunglasses and stared at the big brick
building in front of him. He walked up the walkway of Villa Camarillo, an
apartment building in Camarillo, California, not far from Monte Vista
Middle School. A bell rang above his head as he entered. A woman in a gray
suit looked up at him from her work.
"Excuse me," Jarod said in his deep, sexy voice. "I'm looking for the apartment of Lydia Crosswing."
The woman typed on her computer, then answered after a moment of silence. "Apartment building 160 number 3, sir."
"Thank you," Jarod nodded and left. He got the apartment a moment later and knocked on the door.
The door opened and there stood a woman. She had fiery red hair that was short and very curly. She was kind of short and very thin. She had a white complexion and looked very tired. Jarod could hear the laugh of a child behind her.
"May I help you?" the woman asked.
"Yes, my name is Jarod Hollow. I'm a detective," Jarod held up a badge. "I want to talk about..."
"My sister's murder?" she interrupted him.
"If you don't mind Miss Crosswing," Jarod said.
"Come on in," she stepped aside. "And, please, call me Lydia."
Jarod sat down on an old, yellow couch. He could feel the springs in the couch and had to wiggle around a few times before he could sit still. Lydia told a little girl playing with toys on the ground to go play in her room.
"Your daughter?" Jarod asked, smiling.
Lydia sat down and shook her head. "Lyla's. Her name is Christine."
"You took in her daughter after she died?"
Lydia nodded. "She had nowhere else to go. The rest of the family is in other states and I couldn't let a three-year-old go on a plane alone."
"Tell me, Lydia, what happened on the day of your sister's death?" Jarod asked, looking down at his notes.
She hesitated a moment, then took a long, deep breath. "Lyla had her whole day planned out. She was planning on going to a spa for most of the day, then out with her boyfriend until eight o'clock. I was to take care of Christine for the day."
"What's the name of the spa and who's the boyfriend?" Jarod asked, getting his pen ready.
Lydia took a moment to think about it then answered. "The spa is Crystal Spa and her boyfriend's name is Jose Raymond."
Jarod wrote down the names the information and looked at her again. "Continue."
"Well," she took another deep breath. "It got to nine o'clock, and I began to worry since she said she'd be back at eight. I put Christine in my car and drove over to her apartment building. Christine followed me up, but I made her stay in the living room. I went into her bedroom calling her name. I heard the shower running so I went in there to see if she had forgotten about her child. I pulled back the curtain and..." Lydia took another deep breath. "There was blood all over. She was lying in the bathtub, water up to the rim, her head underwater. She was covered with cuts and blood was everywhere."
"I ran out and called the police. Then left once they were done with me," Lydia wiped tears from her eyes.
"Thank you, Ma'am," Jarod stood up.
"You will tell me if you find the killer, right?" Lydia asked hopefully.
Jarod nodded. "Of course. Good day."
It was time to go see the next suspect.
"Excuse me," Jarod said in his deep, sexy voice. "I'm looking for the apartment of Lydia Crosswing."
The woman typed on her computer, then answered after a moment of silence. "Apartment building 160 number 3, sir."
"Thank you," Jarod nodded and left. He got the apartment a moment later and knocked on the door.
The door opened and there stood a woman. She had fiery red hair that was short and very curly. She was kind of short and very thin. She had a white complexion and looked very tired. Jarod could hear the laugh of a child behind her.
"May I help you?" the woman asked.
"Yes, my name is Jarod Hollow. I'm a detective," Jarod held up a badge. "I want to talk about..."
"My sister's murder?" she interrupted him.
"If you don't mind Miss Crosswing," Jarod said.
"Come on in," she stepped aside. "And, please, call me Lydia."
Jarod sat down on an old, yellow couch. He could feel the springs in the couch and had to wiggle around a few times before he could sit still. Lydia told a little girl playing with toys on the ground to go play in her room.
"Your daughter?" Jarod asked, smiling.
Lydia sat down and shook her head. "Lyla's. Her name is Christine."
"You took in her daughter after she died?"
Lydia nodded. "She had nowhere else to go. The rest of the family is in other states and I couldn't let a three-year-old go on a plane alone."
"Tell me, Lydia, what happened on the day of your sister's death?" Jarod asked, looking down at his notes.
She hesitated a moment, then took a long, deep breath. "Lyla had her whole day planned out. She was planning on going to a spa for most of the day, then out with her boyfriend until eight o'clock. I was to take care of Christine for the day."
"What's the name of the spa and who's the boyfriend?" Jarod asked, getting his pen ready.
Lydia took a moment to think about it then answered. "The spa is Crystal Spa and her boyfriend's name is Jose Raymond."
Jarod wrote down the names the information and looked at her again. "Continue."
"Well," she took another deep breath. "It got to nine o'clock, and I began to worry since she said she'd be back at eight. I put Christine in my car and drove over to her apartment building. Christine followed me up, but I made her stay in the living room. I went into her bedroom calling her name. I heard the shower running so I went in there to see if she had forgotten about her child. I pulled back the curtain and..." Lydia took another deep breath. "There was blood all over. She was lying in the bathtub, water up to the rim, her head underwater. She was covered with cuts and blood was everywhere."
"I ran out and called the police. Then left once they were done with me," Lydia wiped tears from her eyes.
"Thank you, Ma'am," Jarod stood up.
"You will tell me if you find the killer, right?" Lydia asked hopefully.
Jarod nodded. "Of course. Good day."
It was time to go see the next suspect.