“Oh, that’s it up there on the left.” Ten pointed across the windshield.
Ronan turned on his left blinker and pulled into the parking lot of the shopping plaza. At the far end was a supermarket with its parking lot overflowing. Next was a CVS, followed by a sub shop, and a UPS store. At the far end was Skye’s the Limit.
“When I first moved to Salem, the store front was a Blockbuster.” Ten unbuckled his seat belt and took a deep breath. “Carson and I used to grab sandwiches at the Olympic Sub shop and grab a couple of movies.”
This was a part of Ten’s Salem backstory Ronan had never heard before.
Skye’s the Limit featured a black sign above the doors, as well as a logo with sunbeams shooting down through fluffy, white clouds.
“I like the feel of this place,” Ten said as he got out of the car.
Ronan felt better hearing Ten’s opinion, but it was no substitute for meeting Kyle Danner face to face.
“Why do you look like you’re holding in a fart?” Ten asked.
“You know I trust your gift, Ten, but people do good things for all sorts of reasons. The biggest one being guilt. I want to get in there and meet this guy for myself before I make any assumptions.” Ronan hated raining on Ten’s parade, but he needed to keep his eye on the prize.
Pulling the door open, Ronan was hit with the aroma of fresh-baked bread. Tables and chairs dominated the front of the store, while there was a kitchen in the back on the left, and shelves of non-perishable foods off to the right.
“Good morning, friends. Are you here to shop or for a hot meal?” An older man wearing a stained apron approached from behind the counter.
“Neither, actually. We’re looking to speak with Kyle Danner,” Ten said with a knowing smile.
It didn’t take a genius to know they were speaking with Kyle. “I’m Ronan O’Mara and this is my husband, Tennyson Grimm.”
Kyle stiffened at the introduction. “Am I in trouble, Detective?” Kyle took a step back.
Ten reached out to the man, setting a reassuring hand on Kyle’s shoulder. “We brought a donation for your guests, and we need to talk to you about Skye Washington.”
Nodding, Kyle ushered them to the empty table at the far end of the building. The man was shorter than Ronan by several inches. He was dressed in black jeans and a T-shirt with the logo printed on it. His dark hair was shot through with silver threads and his eyes looked worn to the bone. “After what happened to Jennifer, I had a feeling there would be cops on my doorstep someday. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
Ronan shook his head no. “Thank you, but we’re all set.” What Ronan didn’t want to say was that he wasn’t going to take food or drink away from those who were less fortunate. He reached into the pocket of his suit jacket and pushed a folded check across the scarred table to Kyle. “This is for our neighbors, not for the information we’ve come to ask you about.”
“Understood.” Kyle took a peek at the number written on the check. His eyes widened for a moment before he schooled his emotions again. “It’s been thirty-five years since Skye was murdered. I’m so glad you’re both on the case. She deserves justice, and if anyone can give it to Skye, it’s the two of you.”
Ronan offered the man a brief smile. So far, so good. Kyle wasn’t antsy or irritable. Ronan had to admit he was getting a good vibe, similar to the one Ten got outside the store. “What can you tell us about your relationship with Skye?”
The serious look on Kyle’s face turned wistful. “You know, it was funny. Skye and I had known each other since kindergarten. I was in the same class with her and her girl squad. It wasn’t until the start of sophomore year that I saw her as anything more than just another girl in my school. You’re going to think it sounds ridiculous, but it was just like the movies. I was struck by the thunderbolt. I knew my life would never be the same. To this day, I still don’t know what she saw in me.”
As hard as Ronan tried to look for signs of guilt, he found none. “What do you remember from the night she was murdered?” He hated going big this early in the interview, but the question needed to be answered.
“I was grounded. My grades had slipped since I’d started dating Skye. With final exams starting the next week, my father insisted I stay home and study. If my grades slipped any lower, they’d make me ineligible to play baseball in the spring and football the next fall.” He shook his head. “If only I’d studied more during the semester, I would have been able to go out with Skye that night and she’d still be here with us today.”
Ten reached out a hand to Kyle. “We heard things went downhill for you after Skye’s death.”
It wasn’t the road he would have taken, but Ronan trusted Ten.
“That’s a kind way of saying my life went to shit.” Kyle sighed. “No one I’d ever known had died before. Not even my grandparents. I just lost the will to live. I stopped studying altogether. Started drinking and doing drugs. I tried to kill myself twice. Almost succeeded once.” He rolled up his sleeve to reveal a wicked looking scar down the center of his forearm. “My parents finally kicked me out, and I did some jail time.”
Kyle wasn’t telling them anything a quick Google search hadn’t already revealed. Ronan needed more. “Where were you the night of Skye’s murder?”
“I was home with my parents, who are both dead now. God rest their souls.” Kyle’s dark eyes slipped closed. “Up until I lost Skye, I’d never lost anyone. Ever since that night, it seems like all I do is lose people I love.”
“Do you have any idea who could have killed Skye?” Ronan asked. He wasn’t sure he bought this guy’s sob story. A lot of people turned to drugs and alcohol after something traumatic happened in their lives. Kyle’s trigger might have been the fact that he killed Skye, rather than just being affected by her brutal murder.
“The cops asked me the same question in ’85. I’ll tell you now, what I told them then, I have no idea. It wasn’t me. It could have been anyone. Her parents, one of the girls, her brother or sister, or worse still, a total stranger. My money is on it being a stranger.”
“Why a stranger?” Ronan was interested to hear Kyle’s take.
“Guilt is a hard thing to live with. I should know. I lived with Skye’s death on my conscience for years. I should have been there for her that night. I should have been there to keep her safe, but instead I was stuck with weeks of Geometry homework I’d blown off to spend time with Skye. It wasn’t until I went to rehab and started working my program that I was able to let go of the guilt and grief.” Kyle paused, turning his complete attention to Ronan. “Only a stranger could have killed such a bright light and have been able to go on with their life. No one who knew Skye could have done this to her and remained whole.”
“Do you know the main reasons why people commit murder?” Ronan asked casually.
Kyle shot Ronan a confused look. “I can’t say I’ve ever thought about it before.”
“One of the big reasons is jealousy. Were there people in Skye’s life who were jealous of her? Or of her relationship with you?”
Kyle frowned. “I didn’t want to mention it, but I suppose I have to, especially in light of what happened to Jennifer Baldwin.”