The ballroom of the Pine Grove Motel on the outskirts of Madison was hardly a luxurious wedding venue.
The chipped paint on the walls, the dim glow of cheap chandeliers, and the worn parquet flooring suggested that the owners had long since given up on renovation.
But for the Dixon family, it was the peak of their possibilities.
They couldn’t afford more, even though Brenda had insisted on a more decent place.
Ashley, baby, don’t frown.
Brenda Dixon, the bride’s mother, adjusted her daughter’s veil, which she’d bought on sale.
It’s your day.
Try to look happy, if only for the pictures.
Ashley Dixon, a 24year-old bride, 3 months pregnant, looked longingly at her reflection in the cracked dressing room mirror.
The white dress poorly concealed her rounded tummy, and the cheap makeup her friend Jesse had done for her was already starting to spread with worry.
“It’s going to be okay, Mom.
” She took a deep breath, trying to smile.
Tyler really loves me.
He says he’s ready to be a father.
Brenda raised an eyebrow skeptically, but remained silent.
She knew her future son-in-law better than a mother of the bride should.
Much better.
“Of course, darling,” she smiled, strained, and adjusted the lace collar on her own scarlet dress one last time, which was too revealing for her still slender figure of 53.
“He will be the perfect husband and father.
” In the main hall, the guests were already seated at the sparsely set tables.
The smell of cheap ordeervers mingled with the scent of cloying air freshener.
Billy Ray Dixon, the bride’s father, a tall man with a weathered face and a bushy mustache, was downing his third shot of whiskey.
“Damn punk,” he muttered, glancing at Tyler, who stood at the makeshift altar, clearly nervous.
“Thinks he’s got a gold mine.
” “No [ __ ] We don’t have a gold mine.
Billy’s old friend, Chuck, clapped him on the shoulder.
Relax, old man.
It’s your daughter’s wedding day, and you’re already drunk.
What am I supposed to do? Billy snapped at him.
Look at him.
A mechanic from Donniey’s garage, and he’s a total [ __ ] and my ex-girlfriend.
He glanced at Brenda, who had entered the room with her daughter.
She was dressed like a date, not her daughter’s wedding.
The ceremony went quickly and without much sentimentality.
The elderly judge, a family friend, mumbled the standard phrases, and the newlyweds exchanged cheap rings.
Ashley tried to look pleased, but her eyes betrayed worry.
When Tyler awkwardly kissed her, Brenda defiantly wiped away a tear, though her gaze was as cold as a winter morning.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the judge concluded.
“You may kiss the bride.
” The guests applauded languidly.
The relatives on Tyler’s side, most of them, looked over with smirks.
His cousin Derek even whistled, for which he received a poke in the side from his girlfriend.
By 8:00 p.
m.
, the party was in full swing.
The DJ, Billy Ray’s nephew, played one country song after another, sometimes mixing in popular hits from the 80s.
Alcohol was flowing.
It was the only part of the wedding for which no money had been spared.
The guests were getting louder and more lentious.
Brenda, in her provocative red dress with deep cleavage, circled the room like a shark in search of prey.
“Hey, handsome,” she murmured, sitting down next to Tyler’s friend, a tall guy with tattoos on his arms.
“Would you like to dance with the mother of the bride?” The guy gave her a confused look, but nodded.
“Your mama’s got no shame,” Billy Ray whispered, sitting down next to his daughter, who was picking at her wedding salad with a fork.
Look at the way she’s hanging all over everybody.
First Johnny’s brother, now that tattooed guy.
Ashley followed his gaze.
Brenda was clinging to the young man on the dance floor.
Her head tilted back and laughing loudly.
Her hands wandered down his back, and he clearly didn’t know where to put his own.
Let him have fun, Dad.
It’s a holiday.
Ashley tried to defend her mother, though her insides clenched with shame.
She knew what Brenda was like at parties, but she hoped she’d be able to keep it together at the wedding.
A party, right? Billy Ray grumbled.
If I’d known what our life was going to be like when I met your mother.
He paused, noticing the pain in his daughter’s eyes.
I’m sorry, baby.
I wanted the best for you.
Meanwhile, Tyler, flushed with whiskey, was accepting congratulations from his mechanic friends.
His blonde hair was disheveled, and his tie was loose and dangling around his neck.
You got me, brother?” Derek laughed, putting his arm around his shoulders.
“You’re trapped now.
” “Come on.
” Tyler smiled, strained.
Ashley’s a good girl.
“And she’s got a good mom,” Derek winked.
“She’s hot.
” Tyler tensed, and it didn’t escape his friend.
“Hey, what are you doing? I was just kidding.
” Tyler’s gaze slid back and forth to Brenda, and that didn’t escape Billy Ray, who was watching his son-in-law, from the corner of the room.
Look at your hubby staring at your mother,” he said through gritted teeth.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve already.
” “Dad,” Ashley cut him off.
“Don’t start.
Not today, please.
” Billy Ray chuckled and walked to the bar where he ordered another drink.
“Double whiskey,” he mumbled to the bartender.
“No ice.
” “Rough day?” the bartender asked, pouring a generous portion.
“What do you think?” Billy Ray nodded toward the dance floor where Brenda was now dancing with some young guy.
That’s my ex, mother of the bride, by the way.
I understand.
The bartender nodded sympathetically.
It’s on the house.
Around 10:00, the DJ announced a slow dance for all the couples.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, a special dance for newlyweds and all lovers.
A sweet ballad about eternal love played.
Tyler reluctantly led Ashley to the center of the room.
His hands rested on her waist like a stranger’s and his gaze wandered around the room.
“Are you happy?” Ashley asked quietly, looking into his eyes.
Tyler smiled faintly.
“Of course I am, baby.
We’re a family now, a real family.
” Ashley pressed herself against him, trying to believe the sincerity of his words.
She’d wanted this wedding so badly, dreamed of a normal family so badly that she’d been willing to turn a blind eye to a lot of things.
His flirting with other girls, his late returns, the smell of other people’s perfume.
After a few minutes, Tyler pulled away.
“Sorry, babe.
I got to go to the bathroom.
” He smiled embarrassedly.
“Too much beer.
” Ashley nodded and went to her table.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that her mother had disappeared from the room as well.
She tried to ignore it, met her friend Jesse, talked to Aunt Marge about the baby dowy, but there was a growing uneasiness inside.
15 minutes passed and Tyler hadn’t returned.
Ashley began to look around the room.
Maybe he was talking to his friends, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Neither was Brenda.
Worry turned to anxiety.
It can’t be, she thought.
Not today.
Not on our wedding day.
She decided to look for her husband.
First, she checked the men’s room, knocking and peering inside empty, except for some drunken guest who was barely on his feet.
Then walked around the bar.
Tyler was nowhere to be found.
Went out to the parking lot and his car was still there.
Back inside, she walked down the poorly lit hallway that led to the back rooms and then she heard it.
Muffled laughter.
A woman’s laugh, a laugh that sounded painfully familiar.
It was followed by a lowmale voice, and Ashley froze.
Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might jump out of her chest.
Her hand reached for the doororknob of the small pantry.
The door was unlocked.
Inside the small pantry, among the mops and cleaning supplies, Brenda Dixon stood, pinned against the wall by Tyler.
Her red dress was pulled up to her hips, exposing her lacy lingerie, and Tyler’s hands roamed beneath the fabric, caressing her breasts.
They kissed with a passion that left no doubt about the nature of their relationship.
Brenda wrapped her leg around Tyler’s thigh, pulling him closer, and his hand slid between her legs.
“Oh my god,” Ashley blurted out.
The couple turned around abruptly.
Brenda’s face flashed, not with shame, but with annoyance at the interrupted pleasure.
Tyler, on the other hand, turned pale, backing away from his mother-in-law.
Ashley, baby, this isn’t what you, he began.
It’s not.
Ashley screamed.
I catch you with my mother at our wedding, and this is not that.
Honey, calm down.
Brenda tugged at her dress.
You’ve got it all wrong.
What exactly did I get wrong? Ashley’s voice shrieked.
that you’re [ __ ] my husband on our wedding day.
Her screams caught the attention of the guests.
Footsteps were heard in the hallway and soon Billy Ray appeared in the doorway.
His eyes widened at the sight.
I knew it, he growled, lunging at Tyler with his fists.
“You bastard.
I’ll slit your throat.
” A fight ensued.
Billy Ray, 55 years old and drunk, had the strength of a trucker.
The first blow hit Tyler right in the nose, spurting blood.
The young man recoiled but didn’t fall.
“You old geyser!” he snarled, swinging back.
By then, several people had piled into the storeroom.
Tyler’s friends rushed to break up the fight, but instead they got involved.
“You knew it!” Derek shouted, pointing a finger in Billy’s face.
“You knew everything and you let the wedding happen anyway.
” “Shut up, you puppy!” Billy Ray shouted, pushing him away.
A general brawl ensued.
Someone pushed a shelf of cleaning supplies and it toppled over with a clatter.
Bottles of chemicals shattered, filling the room with a pungent odor.
“Stop it! Stop it now!” Ashley shouted, but no one listened.
Brenda stood to the side, fixing her hair and watching the chaos with a kind of detached interest.
A slight smile played on her lips.
“What have you done?” Ashley turned to her mother.
“How could you? He got me pregnant.
” “Oh, honey.
” Brenda shook her head.
You need to learn to keep your men in line.
I was just testing his fidelity.
Testing? Ashley couldn’t believe her ears.
You attacked him.
Don’t be naive, dear.
Brenda said coldly.
It wasn’t the first time.
And if you must know, he invited me here.
Ashley felt the ground slipping out from under her feet.
Everything swam in front of her eyes.
Finally, a few sober guests managed to break up the fight.
Tyler, with a busted lip and a torn shirt, was breathing heavily, huddled against the wall.
Blood from his broken nose dripped onto his white collar.
“Get out of my family!” shouted Billy Ray, who was being held down by two men.
“I’ll kill you.
I swear you ruined my little girl’s life.
” Ashley looked at what was happening as if from the outside.
Her dream wedding had turned into a nightmare.
Something inside her broke as she shifted her gaze from her battered husband to her smug mother.
Both of you, she said quietly.
You both betrayed me.
After saying that, she turned and walked out of the room.
The wedding was completely ruined.
The guests looked at each other awkwardly, not knowing what to do next.
Some whispered, others openly discussed what had happened.
Many began to go home.
Others returned to the bar to drown their embarrassment in alcohol.
“What a circus,” said an elderly Aunt Marge to her sister.
“I knew it wouldn’t end well, that Brenda never could keep her legs together.
” “And the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” nodded her sister.
“Getting pregnant before the wedding, in this day and age,” Tyler, having cleaned himself up in the restroom, returned to the main hall.
He was met with judgmental looks.
He walked over to Ashley, who was sitting alone at the table, staring at nothing.
I’m sorry, he said quietly.
I screwed up.
But I love you.
I really do.
How long? Was all she asked.
Tyler faltered.
It was before you.
Then I met you and and kept sleeping with my mother.
Her voice was ice cold.
No, I mean it happened, but rarely.
He ran a hand through his hair.
Damn it, Ashley.
I don’t know what to say.
She’s the one.
You know what she’s like.
I do.
Ashley nodded.
But you’re my husband.
You’ve been him for less than 12 hours and already you’ve cheated.
Please give me another chance.
He tried to take her hand.
For the baby’s sake.
Ashley yanked his hand away.
Go to hell, she said, and turned away.
Brenda returned to the lounge as if nothing had happened.
She poured herself a full glass of wine and sat down at the far table.
No one approached her, not even the men she’d been flirting with all evening.
Billy Ray, with an abrasion on his cheekbone and a torn jacket, smoked gloomily by the exit.
“I warned you,” he said as Ashley walked by.
“Told you he was a scumbag.
” “You’re no better, Dad,” she said tiredly.
“You hit him first in front of all the guests.
” “He deserved it,” Billy Ray was outraged.
“He [ __ ] your mother.
” “Don’t remind me,” Ashley grumbled.
I’m going to my room.
Don’t bother me.
By 11:00, there were no more than 20 people left in the room.
Ashley locked herself in the room that had been reserved for the newlyweds.
Billy Ray sat at the bar, staring sullenly into his glass.
Tyler went from one group of guests to another, trying to pretend that the evening wasn’t completely ruined.
“Man, it’s time to call it a night.
” Derek told him, “The train’s gone.
Let’s get out of here.
” “No.
” Tyler shook his head stubbornly.
I have to fix this.
I have to talk to her.
What are you going to fix? Rolled his eyes.
You [ __ ] her mother, you dumbass.
You can’t fix that.
At 11:30, Tyler went out for a smoke.
He stood in the back of the motel looking up at the starry sky and puffing on a cheap cigarette.
“Shit, [ __ ] shit,” he mumbled.
“What have I done?” Putting out his cigarette, he went back inside.
As he passed the back room where the scandalous scene had taken place, he stopped.
The door was a jar and a light was on inside.
“Anybody there?” he asked, peering inside.
“No one answered.
” Tyler stepped inside, looking around.
The broken bottles had already been cleaned up, but the smell of chemicals was still in the air.
He didn’t notice a dark figure appear behind him.
Didn’t hear the quiet footsteps.
All he felt was the sharp pain as the knife entered between his ribs and the hot blood rushing onto his shirt.
What was all he had time to breathe out before the second blow struck him in the stomach.
Tyler collapsed to his knees, trying to clamp down on the wound, but the blood kept flowing.
His eyes were blurry.
“Why?” he whispered, looking up at his killer.
The answer was a few more stabbing blows.
At exactly 12 hours and 15 minutes, a motel cleaner who had gone into the back room to get detergent found Tyler Johnson’s body.
The young man was lying in a pool of blood.
His white shirt soaked red.
Multiple stab wounds to his chest and abdomen left no chance of survival.
Her piercing scream echoed through the corridors of the motel, heralding the end of the wedding and the beginning of the murder investigation.
Detective Sam Callow hated weddings, and he hated weddings that ended in murder twice as much.
Police flashers lit up the parking lot of the Pine Grove Motel with an unnatural red and blue glow as he pulled up in his beat up Ford at 12:00 and 50 minutes past midnight.
“What do we have here?” he asked the young patrolman, pulling on latex gloves.
“Murder at a wedding, sir.
” Groom Tyler Johnson, 25 years old, found dead in the back room.
multiple stab wounds.
Body was discovered by the janitor around 12:15.
Callow grimaced, the 40-year-old detective with the dark circles under his eyes and the wrinkles on his forehead, had seen enough family dramas to know that there were rarely any real winners.
Witnesses about 20 guests are still here.
The rest left before the body was found.
Everyone’s being interviewed now.
Call nodded and headed inside the motel.
The hallway leading to the back room was crowded with forensics and police officers.
The specific smell of death mingled with the aroma of cheap alcohol and wedding cake.
Callow finally.
James Higgins, the medical examiner, greeted him.
You’re the one to send for death.
What else would I do? The detective chuckled as he looked into the back room.
Tyler Johnson’s body lay in a pool of caked blood.
His white shirt was a blood red rag pierced in several places.
The groom’s young face was frozen in an expression of surprise and pain.
“Time of death?” Call asked, bending over the body tentatively between 11:30 and 12 at night, Higgins replied.
I’ll be more specific after the autopsy.
But the guy’s been stabbed at least 10 times.
Somebody really wanted to kill him.
murder weapon.
Knife, presumably a kitchen knife, not found at the scene.
Killer probably took it with him.
Call took a look around the room.
A small pantry stocked with mops, buckets, and cleaning supplies.
A place no one would want to die, especially on their own wedding day.
“Was there any conflict before the murder?” the detective asked, examining the blood spatter on the walls.
“Oh, a lot of it,” one of the officers grinned.
According to witnesses, the groom was caught with his mother-in-law in a very racy situation right here in this very back room.
Father of the bride put up a fight, threatened to kill.
Classic story.
Excellent.
Callowside.
Just perfect.
Where’s the family? In the main hall.
The bride’s father, Billy Ray Dixon, her mother, Brenda Dixon, and the bride herself, Ashley Dixon Johnson, and about 15 other guests.
The detective headed for the ballroom.
On the way, he mentally prepared himself for what was to come.
Tears, tantrums, mutual accusations, and of course, lies.
Everyone lies in these cases.
The hall was a sad sight.
Overturned chairs, unfinished glasses, trampled wedding cake.
In the corner, with her arms wrapped around herself, sat a young woman in a torn and stained wedding dress.
Her makeup had spread, and her eyes were red from crying.
Next to her sat an older woman in a bright red dress, obviously her mother.
She smoked nervously, flicking ash into an empty glass.
At the bar, surrounded by two officers, stood a man with a weathered face and an abrasion on his cheekbone.
The father of the bride.
“Detective Sam Callow.
” He introduced himself as he approached the family.
“I’m very sorry about what happened.
” “Sorry for him,” Billy Ray snorted.
“You better find out who killed that bastard.
” Daddy,” Ashley exclaimed, shuddering.
“Don’t say that.
How am I supposed to say it? Your hubby [ __ ] your mother in the closet at your wedding.
It’s a good thing he was finished.
” “Mr.
Dixon,” Callo said calmly.
“You’ve just provided me with a motive for murder.
And don’t forget that we have witnesses who heard your threats,” Billy Ray went black.
“I didn’t kill him.
I wanted to.
I’ll grant you that, but I didn’t.
We’ll find out.
” The detective nodded and turned to Ashley.
Mrs.
Johnson, I need to ask you a few questions.
Mrs.
Dixon, she corrected.
I don’t want to go by his last name.
I understand.
Tell me what happened tonight.
Ashley took a deep breath, trying to control the tremor in her voice.
This was supposed to be a happy day.
Tyler and I, we were having a baby.
We got married.
Everything was fine until, she glanced at her mother.
Until I found them together.
Clarify, please,” Callow asked, pulling out a notepad.
They were in this back room kissing.
“Mom.
” Her dress was pulled up and Tyler.
Ashley’s voice trailed off.
“Detective, my daughter is exaggerating,” Brenda interjected, releasing a cloud of smoke.
“Yes, Tyler and I were talking alone.
Yes, it may have seemed ambiguous.
” “Ambiguous?” Ashley turned to her mother.
His hand was between your legs.
“Did the fight start after that?” Callow asked, taking notes.
Yes, Ashley nodded.
Dad stormed into the back room and attacked Tyler.
Then Tyler’s friends joined in.
Everyone was yelling, fighting, and then what happened? Then they broke it up.
I went to my room.
I didn’t want to see anyone.
I stayed there until I heard the screaming.
By then, Tyler was already She sobbed again.
Call turned to Brenda Dixon.
And you, Mrs.
Dixon, what did you do after the incident? Brenda shrugged her shoulders, went back to the lounge, had a drink, talked to the guests, trying to salvage what was left of the party.
Did you have a relationship with Tyler Johnson before today? Brenda paused, then forced a smile.
Detective, I’m 53 years old.
Tyler was 25.
What kind of relationship are you talking about? A sexual one, Mrs.
Dixon, don’t play games with me.
Brenda was visibly tense.
We may have had a little uh flirtation before he started dating Ashley.
Mom, Ashley exclaimed.
“What? I didn’t do anything.
” Brenda snapped at her.
“Your father and I have been divorced for 5 years.
I’m a free woman.
” Call turned his attention to Billy Ray.
“Mr.
Dixon, where were you between 11:30 and 12:00?” “Behind the bar,” he mumbled.
Asked the bartender.
I didn’t leave the bar.
You threatened to kill Tyler Johnson.
I was angry.
Who wouldn’t be? He [ __ ] my ex-wife at my daughter’s wedding.
Billy Ray slammed his fist on the table.
But I’m not a murderer.
Call took a few more notes and headed to the other witnesses.
He spent the next 2 hours interviewing the guests, piecing together the fragments of the evening.
Derek, Tyler’s cousin, said he saw the groom go out for a smoke around 11:30.
He was upset.
Said he’d ruined everything.
He wanted to talk to Ashley, but she locked herself in her room.
Did you see him go back inside? No.
I went out, too, but I went the other way.
I never saw him again.
Jesse, Ashley’s friend, gave us an interesting detail.
Ashley knew about them, Tyler and Brenda.
She cried into my vest a month ago when she caught them in the supermarket parking lot.
They were kissing in Tyler’s car.
And she still married him? Call wondered.
She’s pregnant and she really loves him no matter what.
Thought the wedding would change everything.
The bartender confirmed Billy Ray’s alibi.
He hasn’t left the bar since 10:00 last night, drinking whiskey one after another and cursing the entire Johnson family.
Maybe he wanted to kill someone, but he couldn’t physically do it.
By 3:00 in the morning, Call had gathered the basic information.
He returned to the back room where the forensics team was finishing up their work.
Did you find anything interesting? He asked the chief technician.
Maybe.
The traces of blood on the floor indicate that the killer was standing right here.
The technician pointed to a spot near the door.
Judging by the spatter and the nature of the wounds, the killer was shorter than the victim.
“Billy Ray is taller than Tyler,” Callo said thoughtfully.
“One more thing,” the technician held out a clear evidence bag.
found in the victim’s pocket, an empty envelope from an insurance check for $25,000 dated the day before yesterday.
Callow studied the envelope.
Interesting.
And the check itself, it’s missing.
There’s a receipt in the envelope, but no check.
So, someone took it before or after the murder, Callo said thoughtfully.
That’s another motive and another detail, the technician added.
The knife used in the murder was most likely from the kitchen set of the same motel.
The chef reported finding one knife missing this evening, so the murder wasn’t planned.
Someone grabbed the knife in a fit of rage or wanted it to look that way.
The technician shrugged.
Calla returned to the main hall.
By now, most of the guests had dispersed, leaving their contact information behind.
Ashley sat in the same corner, her gaze blank.
Brenda paced the hall nervously, talking on the phone.
Billy Ray had been taken to the station for further questioning, though there was no direct evidence against him.
Mrs.
Dixon.
Call turned to Ashley.
Did you know that your husband had gotten insurance after the accident? Ashley looked up at him in surprise.
What insurance? What accident? $25,000.
The check was in his pocket.
Ashley shook his head slowly.
I don’t know anything about that.
Tyler never mentioned any accident or insurance.
Callow noticed Brenda tense up and look away when she heard their conversation.
Mrs.
Dixon, he turned to his mother.
Do you know anything about this insurance? Brenda cut off the phone call and walked over to them.
I have no idea what you’re talking about, detective.
But her eyes were running, giving away the lie.
That’s odd.
Call stretched out.
Because according to Derek, Tyler was going to use the money for a down payment on a house for his new family.
Ashley sobbed.
He didn’t tell me anything or for another family,” Callo added in a low voice, watching Brenda’s reaction carefully.
The woman swallowed nervously.
“Are you implying something, detective?” “Just thinking out loud, Mrs.
Dixon.
$25,000 is a good motive for murder, don’t you think?” “I have my own money,” Brenda snapped back.
“What do I need his measly $25,000 for?” “Mom, you don’t have any money,” Ashley said quietly.
“You owe 3 months rent.
” Brenda turned sharply toward her daughter.
Shut up.
It’s none of his business.
Call made a mental note.
Another motive in the piggy bank.
Mrs.
Dixon, you’re going to have to come with us to the station.
I have more questions.
I’m not going anywhere.
Brenda was outraged.
You don’t have any proof.
Not yet.
Call agreed.
But there will be.
The blood on your dress, for instance.
Brenda lowered her gaze to her red dress.
It’s a red dress, you idiot.
It doesn’t show blood on it, but the luminol will show it if there is.
The detective smiled.
And then there are the security cameras in the parking lot.
I wonder what they recorded.
Brenda turned visibly pale.
I’m going to need a lawyer.
Of course, Call nodded.
That’s your right.
He turned to Ashley.
Mrs.
Dixon, I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to come with us, too.
You had no less motive than your mother or father.
Ashley looked up at him with tearful eyes.
“I loved him no matter what.
Love and hate are two sides of the same coin,” Callo said philosophically, especially when it comes to betrayal.
As the detective escorted both women to the police car, one of the technicians approached him.
“Sir, we found something interesting on the security cameras.
” At approximately 11:45, someone in dark clothing walked down the hallway toward the back room.
It’s not great quality, but it’s definitely not Billy Ray Dixon.
Can you determine who it is? Uh, not yet, but based on the gate and build, it could be a woman.
Call looked thoughtfully at Brenda and Ashley getting into the police car.
Well, he muttered, “Family squables were always the bloodiest.
” On the way to the station, Call pondered the case.
broken family, adultery, money, a classic recipe for murder, and three prime suspects.
A father defending his daughter’s honor, a mother possibly seeking her lover’s money, and a wife betrayed on her own wedding day.
He didn’t yet know which of them was guilty, but he was sure of one thing.
By morning, the killer would be behind bars, and another family would be utterly destroyed.
The Madison Police Station at 4:00 in the morning was like a disturbed beehive.
Officers scured back and forth.
Phones rang incessantly, and the smell of cheap coffee mingled with the smell of paper and despair.
Detective Sam Callow sat at his file strewn desk, reviewing witness statements from a wedding reception that had turned tragic.
“Damn it,” he muttered, rubbing his sleep-deprived eyes.
None of them were telling the whole truth.
His partner, Detective Ramirez, set another cup of coffee in front of him.
What do you expect? It’s the Dixon family.
Madison knows them like the back of their hand.
Call hummed, taking a sip of the scalding liquid.
Tell me about it.
Brenda Dixon changed lovers more often than she changed underwear.
Billy Ray was just one of many, just lingering longer than the rest.
5 years ago, he caught her with some trucker and filed for divorce.
And the daughter, Ashley, she’s kind of quiet.
She’s a cashier at the spar supermarket, not like her mom, which is surprising, at least until Tyler.
Call tapped his pen on the table thoughtfully.
Let’s go in order.
We have three prime suspects.
Billy Ray, who threatened to kill Tyler, Brenda, possibly aiming for his money, and Ashley, betrayed on her own wedding day.
And each has an ironclad motive.
Ramirez nodded.
But Billy Ray has an alibi.
The bartender confirms he didn’t leave the bar from 10 p.
m.
until after the body was found.
Could have hired someone at the Pinerove Motel the night of the wedding.
I doubt it.
Callos spread the crime scene photos out on the table.
Tyler’s body lying in a pool of blood.
Splatter on the walls.
Bootprints on the floor.
What does forensic say? Knife was found in a dumpster behind the motel.
It’s a kitchen knife, actually from the motel set.
Several sets of fingerprints on the handle, including the cook, two waiters, and Ramirez paused.
Brenda Dixon.
Call raised his eyebrows.
Brenda, interesting.
Not so fast.
She was helping in the kitchen before the ceremony, setting out the ordurves.
The explanation made sense.
And the check? This is where it gets interesting.
Ramirez slid the folder toward him.
In Tyler’s jacket pocket, there was only an empty envelope from an insurance check for $25,000.
The technician told us, “We speculated that the check might have been stolen from the crime scene.
” “So, what’s the news?” Call straightened up.
“We checked the insurance company’s records.
The check was indeed made out to Tyler 2 days ago, but from the looks of it, it never made it into his hands.
” “So, someone intercepted it,” Callo said thoughtfully.
“It’s a personal check, and you can’t just cash it anyway.
Unless you’re his wife, Ramirez said meaningfully.
The marriage was official.
Technically, Ashley was now a widow.
And Callo thought for a moment.
This was adding another motive for Ashley.
What about the security cameras? Ramirez turned on the computer and opened a video file.
Here’s the footage from the parking lot camera.
11:30.
Tyler comes out for a smoke.
In the grainy black and white image, you could make out a male figure standing against the wall, puffing on a cigarette.
And here at 11:42, Ramirez rewound the tape.
Someone approaches him.
A dark figure, clearly female, approaches Tyler.
They talk.
Tyler looks agitated, gesturing vigorously.
Then they enter the building together.
That’s not Ashley, Callos says immediately.
Too tall.
And not Brenda, Ramirez added.
Too slender.
Then who is it? Ramirez rewound the tape further and hears an interesting movement between rooms.
At 11:55, someone comes out of the corridor leading to the back rooms and heads quickly for the exit.
Something clutched in his hand.
A knife? Call suggested.
Maybe the quality was too low to see, but this man was clearly in a hurry.
Was it the same silhouette that had spoken to Tyler? It doesn’t look like it.
This one’s smaller.
Call rubbed his chin.
So, we have a new figure of interest.
Who else was at the wedding? At that moment, there was a knock on the office door.
A young officer entered.
Detective Call, you have a visitor.
Says he works at a motel and has information about a murder.
Bring him in.
Call nodded.
A minute later, a stubby man in his 30s entered the office with frightened eyes and nervous movements.
Have a seat, Mr.
Parker.
Ted Parker.
I’m the night manager at the Pine Grove.
And what is it you want to tell me, Mr.
Parker? The man licked his parched lips.
I heard the conversation.
Last night, just before before the body was found.
Go on, call hurried him on.
I was sitting at the front desk.
Around 11:30, a woman walked by.
She was at a wedding.
I’d seen her before.
She went out into the parking lot.
A few minutes later, she came back with the groom.
They were arguing loudly.
About what? About money.
Parker swallowed.
She was demanding her share.
Said she was the reason he had the money and that he’d promised to share.
He replied that things had changed, that he was having a baby and needed to take care of his family.
Are you sure it wasn’t Brenda Dixon or Ashley Dixon? Call clarified.
Absolutely.
It was a young blonde girl.
I saw her at the wedding table sitting with the groom’s friends.
Call and Ramirez looked at each other.
Do you have a name? No, I’m sorry, but I’ll recognize her if I see her again.
Call pulled out a folder with photos of the guests that had made it to the wedding.
Here.
Parker scrutinized the pictures and pointed to one of the girls.
That one.
She was wearing a blue dress.
Lisa Johnson.
Ramirez read the signature on the back.
Tyler’s cousin.
And what happened after their argument? Call asked.
They went that way.
Parker pointed with his hand.
Toward the rooms.
I never saw them again.
Thank you, Mr.
Parker.
You’ve been very helpful to the investigation.
With the receptionist gone, Callo turned to his partner.
“Find this Lisa Johnson.
Now I’m on it.
” Ramirez grabbed the phone.
Call stood up and stretched.
The case was getting more and more complicated.
The victim’s cousin was now added to the three main suspects.
“Some kind of financial scheme? Insurance fraud? Call?” Ramirez called out, covering the phone with his hand.
Ashley Dixon wants to talk to you.
Says she remembered something important.
Bring her to the interview room.
10 minutes later, Call was sitting across from Ashley.
The girl looked exhausted.
Her wedding dress had been replaced by a tracksuit provided by the police.
Her makeup washed off, revealing black eyes and pale skin.
I remembered, she began quietly.
Tyler had told me about the insurance, but not the 25,000.
What was the amount? A 100,000.
He was in a car accident 3 months ago.
A truck driver lost control and slammed into his car.
Tyler suffered a concussion and a broken arm.
He was supposed to get a h 100red grand in compensation.
He only got 25,000.
Call said thoughtfully.
Where did the rest of the money go? I don’t know.
Ashley shook her head.
But he was angry.
He said he’d been cheated and that he knew who had done it.
Who? He wouldn’t say, but after that, he started dating my mother.
Call leaned forward.
You think it was your mother? Did she have anything to do with the disappearance of the 75,000? Not directly.
Ashley clenched her fingers together nervously.
But her new boyfriend, he works for the insurance company.
The same one that was supposed to pay Tyler’s settlement.
Name: Marcus Sheldon.
Mom’s been seeing him for about 6 months.
Call made a note.
New line of inquiry.
And you think Tyler started the relationship with your mother to get to Sheldon or to get to his money? Ashley said quietly.
I don’t know that for sure, but it would explain why he was with her and why he married me anyway.
He was looking for a way to apply pressure.
But you agreed to marry him anyway, knowing he was sleeping with your mother.
Ashley lowered her gaze.
I love him and I’m expecting his baby.
I thought, uh, I hoped things would work out.
Call sighed.
Naive Taye could be touching if it wasn’t so devastating.
Thank you for the information, Mrs.
Dixon.
An officer will escort you back to the waiting room.
As Ashley was led away, Calla was deep in thought.
If Tyler was really using Brenda to pressure Sheldon, it gave her another motive for murder.
Revenge for manipulation.
But something still didn’t add up.
“Bingo!” exclaimed Ramirez as he entered.
found Lisa Johnson.
And guess what? She works for the same insurance company as Sheldon.
That’s a twist.
Call whistled.
Where is she now? On her way.
Should be here in a half hour.
And Sheldon? He’s on his way.
Although he was stalling, saying he had nothing to tell us.
Call’s up.
Let’s set up a confrontation.
I want Brenda and Ashley in the same room as Sheldon and Lisa.
Do you think that’s a good idea? No, Callow answered honestly.
But I need to see their reactions.
Some of them are lying.
Probably all of them.
An hour later, all five of them were sitting in a large interrogation room.
Brenda, in a wrinkled red dress with traces of smeared mascara under her eyes.
Ashley, quiet and pale.
Marcus Sheldon, a frumpy middle-aged man in an expensive suit.
Lisa Johnson, a nervous blonde in a blue dress that now looked inappropriately dressy, and Billy Ray, who had also been brought in.
“Thank you all for agreeing to this meeting,” Callo began, though no one had asked for consent.
“We have a murder and several suspects, but there’s also a story of missing money and insurance fraud.
” “I don’t know anything about any fraud,” Sheldon said immediately.
“Really?” Call gave him a hard look.
Tyler Johnson was supposed to get $100,000 in compensation, but he only got 25.
The other $75,000 disappeared, and by an amazing coincidence, you work for the insurance company that was supposed to pay that compensation.
This is slander.
I’m going to sue you.
” Sheldon was outraged.
“And you’re also dating Brenda Dixon, the mother of the bride and also the mistress of the deceased,” Callo continued, ignoring the threat.
And Lisa Johnson, Tyler’s cousin, works for the same company.
I didn’t do anything, Lisa shrieked.
I was just trying to help him.
Help him with what? Call asked.
With the papers, she mumbled.
He said he needed money for a new house for Ashley and the baby.
I just sped up the process a little.
Speeded up the process or helped him defraud the company? Call clarified.
Lisa lowered her gaze.
There was an insurance scam going on, wasn’t there? The detective continued.
Tyler staged the accident to get the money.
You helped with the paperwork, but instead of a h 100red grand, he only got a quarter of it.
Where did the rest go? I took my share.
Lisa blurted it out.
That was our plan.
Split the money in half.
But then he wanted it all for himself.
Where’s my $50,000? Brenda suddenly shrieked, turning to Sheldon.
You said you were going to give me 50,000.
Sheldon turned pale.
Shut up, Brenda.
Oh my god, Ashley whispered.
You were all in cahoots.
All of you.
Interesting.
Call stretched out.
So Sheldon and Brenda were in on the scam, too.
Sheldon approved the insurance claims.
Lisa did the paperwork.
Tyler staged the accidents.
And Brenda, what did you do, Mrs.
Dixon? I found clients.
Brenda snapped.
That bastard.
She nodded at Tyler.
Was supposed to be another front man, but he was too greedy.
“And that’s why you killed him?” Call asked.
“I didn’t kill him,” Brenda screamed.
“I love that [ __ ] Yes, I needed the money, but I would never.
” “What about you, Mr.
Sheldon?” Call interrupted her.
Tyler knew too much.
Could have turned you into the police.
“I wasn’t even at the damn wedding,” Sheldon said indignantly.
“I have an alibi.
I have something to say,” Lisa interjected suddenly.
“I was there.
I talked to Tyler in the parking lot.
He said it was over.
That he wasn’t going to be a part of it anymore.
That he was going to start a new life with Ashley.
And you killed him? Call asked quietly.
No, Lisa exclaimed.
I swear I just walked away.
I was angry.
Yes, but I’m not a murderer.
Then who is? There was a heavy silence in the room.
Tyler wanted to tell Ashley everything.
Lisa whispered about the insurance, about the scam, about Brenda and Sheldon.
He said he was tired of the lies.
All eyes turned to Ashley.
She sat with her head down.
“He talked to me that night.
” He said he wanted to come clean, start over.
“And what did you say?” Call asked.
“That it was too late.
” Her voice was barely audible.
That he’d already ruined everything.
“And then you took the knife?” Call said quietly.
Ashley raised a blank stare at him.
No, I didn’t kill him.
I just went to the room.
Locked myself in there.
You’re lying.
Suddenly, shouted Billy Ray, who had been silent until then.
You left the room.
I saw you, Dad.
Ashley turned to him.
I didn’t come out.
Yes, you did.
I saw you in the hallway.
Billy insisted.
When? Call asked.
Around 12.
I was walking from the bar to the restroom and saw her coming out of her room.
That’s impossible.
Ashley shook her head.
I was in the room until the end, until I heard the screams.
Then who was it? Billy Ray frowned.
Call remembered what the CSI had said about the killer being shorter than the victim, judging by the blood trail.
Ashley was the shortest person present, but if she hadn’t left the room at that moment, the door to the interrogation room swung open.
An officer entered with an envelope in hand.
Detective Callow, the results of the blood test on the clothes.
Callow took the envelope and quickly looked over the contents.
His eyebrows crept upward.
That’s it.
He stretched out.
That’s where our last piece of the puzzle was.
He turned to those seated at the table.
There was indeed no blood visible on Brenda Dixon’s red dress.
But you can’t fool the lumininal.
Tyler Johnson’s blood spatter is on your dress, Mrs.
Dixon, and on your shoes.
Brenda went pale.
Yeah.
I went over to the body after he was found.
No.
Call shook his head.
The pattern of the spatter indicates that you were near the victim at the time of the blows.
You killed Tyler Johnson and then stole an insurance check from his pocket.
That’s ridiculous, shouted Brenda.
You have no proof.
There are surveillance cameras, witness statements, blood tests, and Callow nodded to the officer who had come in next and placed a clear bag on the table.
The missing check found in your purse.
Brenda froze, staring at the evidence with wide eyes.
It’s not.
I didn’t.
You killed him because he was going to ruin your scheme.
Call continued.
He wanted to get out of the game, start a new life without the deception, without you.
No.
Brenda’s voice broke.
He loved me.
He promised me we’d leave together.
With the money from the insurance scam and the sham marriage to your daughter, Call summarized.
But then something changed.
Maybe the baby, maybe a conscience.
He decided to stay with Ashley.
He couldn’t do that.
Brenda screamed.
Not after everything I’ve done for him.
What did you do? Ashley asked quietly, looking at her mother with pain and disgust.
Brenda faltered, realizing she had said too much.
Nothing, honey.
He just Stop lying, Ashley slammed her fist on the table.
All my life you’ve done nothing but lie.
You dragged Tyler into your dirty business and you used me.
My wedding, my baby.
It was all part of your plan.
No, baby, you don’t understand.
I understand everything.
Tears were streaming down Ashley’s cheeks.
You killed the father of my baby for money.
It wasn’t just the money, Call said quietly.
It was jealousy.
He chose his daughter over his mother.
You couldn’t take that, could you, Mrs.
Dixon? Brenda lowered her head.
Her shoulders shook, but not with sobs.
With laughter.
A horrible, unnatural laugh.
You know what? She looked up, madness in her eyes.
Yes, I did it.
He deserved every stabbing, every stab.
He promised me everything.
Money, love, a new life.
And then he decided to stay with her.
She nodded at her daughter.
That pale moth who can’t even hold a man.
Mom, Ashley whispered.
Don’t call me that.
Brenda snapped at her.
For 24 years, I’ve sacrificed everything for you.
And what have I gotten in return? Nothing.
Tyler was my chance.
Mine.
Callow nodded to the officer.
Brenda Dixon, you’re under arrest for the murder of Tyler Johnson.
You have the right to remain silent.
But Brenda wasn’t listening.
She continued to scream as she was lifted from the chair as she was handcuffed as she was led out of the room.
Her screams echoed through the corridors of the police station.
Ashley sat as still as a stone statue.
Tears dried on her cheeks.
“It’s my fault,” she whispered.
“I should have known.
I should have suspected something.
Callow shook his head.
It’s not your fault for what your mother did.
But I saw the signs and I married him anyway.
I thought I could fix it.
Some things you can’t fix, Callo said quietly.
You can only accept it and move on.
He closed the case file.
Another family conflict that ended in tragedy.
Another family destroyed by lies, greed, and obsession.
Little Madison would long remember this story of a mother who killed her daughter’s fianceé at her wedding.
Blood ties proved weaker than the lust for money and power.
And this truth Ashley Dixon will carry with her for the rest of her life along with the child who will never recognize her father and grandmother.
Exiting the interrogation room, Callos stopped in the empty hallway and took a deep breath.
Sometimes he hated his job.
Sometimes, like today, he hated it especially.
