Chapter 20- Josephine

                                    

                                          
I picked at my teeth as I read the report on the latest victim. His name was Cole Groyer. He lived alone after a pretty bad break up the year before. Not long ago, he was found dead by one of his neighbors. They reported that his bedroom window was open, and they could smell the body as it began to rot.
	He stayed there for almost three days until the poor man noticed. It was my job to question him today. I groaned as I left my desk. It hasn't even been that long since I became a detective. By that, I mean this is my first case. The last guy doing this case committed suicide a week ago. Poor guy. Everyone knew him. He was really happy too, but I guess not everyone is who you think they are.
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	I knocked on the door, waiting for an answer. I knew the guy was home, I mean, all three of his cars were in the driveway. It was insane, really. The fact that he is single and lives alone yet has three cars. Shit, I don't even want the one that I have.
	I was about to turn away from the door when it cracked open. I took my badge out and showed it to the man poking his head out cautiously. "My name is Detective Lee. Are you Scott Mayson?"
	The man scanned my face and then my badge for a good minute before he responded. "I am. What're you doin' here?"
	I put my badge away and smiling at him politely. "I'm here to talk to you about your late neighbor, Cole Groyer. Do you have a minute?"
	Scott opened his door a little wider and wagged his finger at me. "You ain't one of those fake cops, are ya? I been hearin' about them fakes goin' 'round, gettin' into people's houses and killin' them when their backs' turned."
	I shook my head. "I'm not a fake, I can promise you that. If it makes you feel better, I can talk to you outside."
	Scott looked at me for a few more seconds before sighing and opening his door wider. "Nah, Yur fine. Come on in." He turned and walked farther into his house. "Take yur shoes off at the door."
	I followed, closing the door and slipping off my shoes. I followed Scott to his living room. It reeked of booze and cigarette smoke. He had a few pictures hanging up of a happy couple. The man looked a bit like Scott, but younger, skinnier, and happier. Next to him was a beautiful woman with long, brown hair. I passed the picture and sat on the green, obviously broken couch, per Scott's demand.
	 Scott sat on the arm chair just across from me. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey that sat on the coffee table in between us. He sipped from it as he stared at me. Scott didn't seem to be much younger than 45, no older than 60. It was hard to tell his exact age by looks, though, because he's been drinking far too much. He has a beer belly, and the cigarettes don't help either. Although, from his record, I already knew that he was 54, about to be 55 in a few months.
	"What'chu wanna talk about?" Scott leaned back and spread his legs, obviously not caring about manners when you have a guest. When I was younger, I would have been smacked for doing that.
	I cleared my throat as I recalled the questions I was instructed to ask. "I was informed that you reported the body. Am I correct?" Scott only nodded, as if he didn't care much. "How did you find the body?"
	Scott scoffed. "I already told 'em how I found 'im. I was walkin' 'round my yard, mowin' the grass, and I could smell 'im. He smelled like a rottin' pig."
	I nodded and wrote down his answer in a notepad and looked back up at him. "What would you say that your relationship with Mr. Groyer was?"
	Scott sat up straighter. "You ain't implyin' that I killed 'im, are ya?" He seemed to be getting frustrated with me.
	I shook my head, keeping my voice level. "I'm not implying anything, Sir. I just need to know every detail."
	Scott sighed and leaned back again. "I barely knew 'im. He left to go to the bar most nights. Other than that, he hated people. He even got in a fight with his girl 'bout a month ago. It got pretty heated. I tried to stay away from him as much as possible."
	I lifted my eyebrows just slightly as I wrote some more information. "How did you know that he went to the bar? Did you speak to him?"
	Scott shook his head. "Nah, he would come back drunk as a dog. I don't even know how he managed to drive back without gettin' a tree branch stuck in his skull."
	I nodded and jotted that down when something occured to me. I looked up at him. "What was his ex's name?"
	Scott smiled at me. "That gal? Man, she was pretty fine if I do say so myself. I'm not sure if I'm rememberin' right, but I think 'er name was Camila Lopez. I met 'er when he kicked 'er out once."
	I nodded and wrote her name down on my notepad. "Do you have any other information about her that would be useful?"
	Scott shook his head. "I can't think of anything."
	I nodded again. "That's okay. Thank you anyway." I looked back down at my notepad and took a second before asking another question. "Do you know if Cole had any enemies?"
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	I may not have gotten much from that, but what I did get is a possible suspect. And other than that, I can try to figure out what bar he went to. Maybe it was someone there.
	I got back in my car and called my supervisor.