LIVING ON THE EDGE

CHAPTER: 8

The day after Christmas, Sharon woke up feeling restless, but one glance outside revealed slick, sidewalks, glistening with snow. Damn ice... Sharon had hoped to get out of the house early and get the adrenaline going, but running on ice was impossible. Instead, she decided to work on the phones. The goal was to set up appointments with Melanie Jackson- the friend, Nicholas Davies- the brother, Allen Gray- the grocery store owner where Adriana's body was found.

Sharon tried Melanie Jackson first. A soft, calm voice informed her that she had reached Melanie before the message provided several options. Press one for information on yoga classes, two for Meditation classes and mental health services, and three for Aerobic classes, four for personal inquiries. Sharon pressed four and left her name, the reason for her call, and her number on the voice service. Next, she called Nicholas Davies and got his voicemail. His voice sounded angry and rushed, but he had managed to contain himself and record a relatively professional-sounding message. 

The only person Sharon managed to get a hold of was the grocery store owner, Allen Gray. The phone rang twice before someone picked up and said, "hello."

"May I speak to Mr. Allen Gray?"

"This is Allen speaking."

"Hello. My name is Sharon Stone. I am a private detective investigating the murder of Adriana Reed, and I would like to come in to talk with you about the murder."

There was a silence on the other side.

"Mr. Gray?" Sharon called out his name.

"Yes."

"I am..." Sharon began but was interrupted mid-sentence.

"I don't want to do anything with that. This happened a long time ago, and I have already spoken to the police about it," Allen Gray shouted, his accent thick and a little heavy.

"Mr. Gray, I understand. I just need a little bit of..." Sharon began but was interrupted.

"No!" Allen Gray's answer was a categorical no.

Sharon still tried, "Mr. Grey."

"No, no, no!" He was adamant.

"Sir, what would happen if the Police Departmental inquiry came in and checked your employee roster?" Sharon changed her tactics.

There was silence on the other end.

"What if undercover cops were in your store, waiting to catch hold of your minor employee?" Sharon asked him.

Sharon hated to be one of those police inspectors, but sometimes one needed to pull the police card.

"Fine. What you want to know?" Allen Gray asked her.

"I would like to come by and talk to you," Sharon said.

"That's it?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Not a bunch of cops?" Allen wanted to make sure.

"No. Just me," she assured him.

"Oh. Okay, then." Allen's voice was calm now. "That is okay. I thought you wanted to bring in a lot of cops."

"Nope. It should be just you and I," Sharon said.

"When, would you like to come?"

"Today around noon," she replied.

"Fine," he said before hanging up. 

Sharon showered, dressed in a blue pinstripe suit and dark blue pumps, and headed out. Pushing the Red Toyota Avalon just a few miles per hour over the speed limit. Drive from Nashville-Tenessee to Maury County was one hour and fifteen minutes. During the drive, Sharon gave the scene of the crime a mental combover. Strangers in a strange part of the town had found the body. Even though a multitude of murders had occurred in that area, and gunfire was a daily part of life, Adriana's murder was unique. She did not look like the typical Maury County fare. That corner of the city had little diversity, but the inhabitants had a 'look'-- faded faces, deep bags under their eyes, slow shuffling walks, and gazes that told a story of hopelessness. If Adriana Reed had been slumming it for a piece on the side, someone would have noticed her shiny red Range Rover navigating around.

Traffic was relatively light at this time of day and she was able to cruise to Maury County with relative ease. Passing through the township, she was reminded of the home that she and her husband Daniel had shared north of Spring Hill There was a time when the Maury County cops were required to live within the city's boundaries, but later on, by the time she was promoted to the Detective in the Police Department, that restriction had been dropped. 

But later on, Sharon and Daniel had decided to move into a section of the city where a bunch of retired cops and old-timers who were still serving the police force lived. Their little neighborhood on the outskirts of the city had been full of cops and other civil servants who needed a Nashville address but wanted to be as close to the border as possible. Quiet, well-kept lawns lined streets of modest, two-story brick bungalows, children played in carefully laid out streets. Spring Hills was a 22 minutes drive from Maury County. 

A few moms and pop businesses had survived the explosion of shopping malls and corporate fast-food chains making the neighborhood a hidden jewel of community and safety. They were all well armed in Spring Hills, and all the thugs on the other side of Maury County knew it.

There was little reason to venture across Maury County, except for work. But Sharon had driven past the area where Adriana's body was found; countless times during her time in the force. Even though the murder had taken place about eighteen months ago, and all the physical evidence had long gone, talking to the store owner who had found the body still might be fruitful. Sharon pulled up in front of the store by about ten-thirty am that morning. The sign on the forefront read simply: "Allen's Grocery Shop."  

The store at the corner served as the one-stop grocery store, convenience store, and anything else you might need in a store. It was larger than average, but it carried with it the tell-tale signs of most neighborhood joints. Once inside the door, Sharon spotted expired food lining the shelves, rotting fruit hanging off the front counter, and greasy processed pizza, chicken, and hamburgers filling the stands close to the checkout window. A thick bulletproof glass separated the clerk from the patrons, and the butt of a shotgun could be seen just underneath the counter... It was just a typical Maury County Store.

Allen Gray wore a blue cap on his balding head, and a cream-colored shirt with brown trousers below. His smile was thin, forced, and clear, even though he was behind the thick sheet of plexiglass. They had made eye contact the moment she pushed open the heavy glass door. He gave a small wave, completed a transaction, and dropped a handful of change into the shallow silver well. He called for a young woman who was stocking shelves in the food aisle. She looked up, nodded, smiled at Sharon, and headed behind the counter.