Chapter Seven: Investigation Begins

Poppy Anne Spencer had seen a bit of everything her five years working at the Silver Crown in East Aurora, New York. Occasional fist fights, arrests, drug use…She was sure she'd seen it all…until after her shift ended at three in the morning when she heard the screams of a woman who had found a dead body on her car in the bar's parking lot.

Several minutes later, a coroner's van had arrived along with the police. Poppy Anne found herself being interviewed by New York's State Investigator and occasional Silver Crown patron, Mr. Ted Rollins, outside the bar.

Police cars were parked all around the nearly deserted parking lot and Poppy Anne watched as Lee Kincaid's body was zipped into a body bag and put into the coroner's van.

Poppy Anne shook her head in disbelief. I knew Lee was gonna get it one of these days, she thought. Just didn't think it would be this day. She pulled out a cigarette and lit it, puffing.

"So tell me, P.A," Ted Rollins said to Poppy Anne, as they watched the van drive away. "Could you identify them if you saw them again?" He asked, a pen and pad in his hand, ready to take notes.

Poppy Anne sighed exasperatedly and ran her nails through her limp ginger hair. It was 4 am and she was exhausted. She rolled her eyes, annoyed.

She sighed. "Ted, I've told you about twenty damn times. Yes. I could identify them but neither one of them was the type to do something like this."

"Well, I wouldn't consider you to be an expert witness but what makes you so sure?" Rollins asked, pursing his lips.

Poppy Anne took a quick puff of her cigarette before she started talking.

"If waiting tables in a bar doesn't make you an expert on human nature, then I'm sorry, nothing will. I could've told you that Lee Kincaid would've ended up giving up the ghost in a parking lot. I'm just surprised as hell it didn't happen before now."

Rollins put the tip of his pen to his mouth thoughtfully. "Who do you think did it?" He asked.

"Did anybody ask his wife?" Poppy Anne asked, half-jokingly. "I hope she's the one who did it."

Rollins gave Poppy Anne an annoyed look. "P.A, cut the shit, will you? Do you have any ideas or not? I've been standing around in this damn parking lot all night and I still have to go file a report in time so I can continue this case!"

"Fine. If I had to guess, I guess it would be some chick or her husband. But it wasn't either of those girls I met. The brunette girl left me a huge tip."

"Did you happen to see what kind of car they were in?" Ted asked.

Poppy Anne finished her cigarette and tossed the butt away. She rolled her eyes at Rollins. "It's a nightclub, not a drive-in, Ted. It's not like I follow the customers to the parking lot."

Rollins sighed tiredly. He figured he had gotten as much information from Poppy Anne as he could. Plus, he was tired.

"Alright, P.A, you go on home. We might have to call you if we need to question you but that's it for now."

Poppy Anne sighed, turning to walk away from Rollins. She then stopped and turned her head to face Ted. "Those girls just aren't the murderous type," she assured him before continuing to walk away towards her car.

Should I call Casey and tell him what's happened to me? Blair contemplated as she stood outside the bathroom.

It sure beats being here stuck with a powder keg victim blamer, she thought bitterly, thinking of Jo.

She waited until she could hear the operator. "Collect from Blair, please," Blair said into a payphone outside the restaurant's bathroom.

Blair absentmindedly began twirling the phone's cord with her finger as she waited for Casey to pick up the phone.

Twelve rings later, she thanked the operator and hung up the phone dejectedly.

It's four am. Where the hell could Casey be at this time? Why wouldn't he answer the damn phone?

She sighed. Unless he really is out with some other girl.

Blair groaned and stomped into the bathroom to refresh herself.

As she walked towards the mirror, she noticed her bruised lips and bruised cheeks. I feel like crap and I look like crap, she thought sadly. Could I possibly feel any worst than I already do right now?

She made a mental note to buy some makeup to cover up her bruises somewhere later.

She quickly splashed warm water on her face and washed her hands.

There was a loud knock at the door followed by a female voice. "Blair! Blair, c'mon!" It was Jo.

Blair opened the door of the bathroom, charging out. She walked past Jo, ignoring her.

Here we go…the silent treatment, Jo thought. She ran out, after her.

Blair waited for Jo in the car. Without a single word to each other, Jo started the ignition and drove away.