Ghost Peppers Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It was late afternoon as Tony and Penny emerged from the condo. They had barely stepped outside when a wave of reporters descended upon them, microphones and cameras raised like a wall. The questions came at them fast, voices blending into a chaotic symphony of urgency and curiosity. Ogunquit wasn’t accustomed to such grisly scenes, let alone two murders in about a week.

“Detective Peppers! Detective Clifford! Are the two cases connected?” one reporter called out, her microphone thrust forward, her voice laced with concern.

“Is there a threat to the public?” another asked, his tone tense as the microphone bobbed in front of Tony’s face.

Penny felt the press of bodies and the weight of their collective gaze. She exchanged a brief glance with Tony, who using his hands, signaled they should keep their responses guarded.

“We understand the community is concerned,” Tony began, his voice calm yet commanding. “Our team is working around the clock on this investigation, and we’re following all leads diligently.”

A different reporter pushed forward, his voice straining above the others. “Is it true that both victims were restrained and left in staged positions?”

Penny’s pulse quickened, but she remained composed. “At this stage, we can’t provide specific details,” she replied evenly. “However, we want to assure the public that every available resource is being deployed to bring those responsible to justice.”

The crowd murmured in frustration, clearly hungry for more, yet Penny held her ground. “We’ll hold a press conference tomorrow once we have preliminary forensic findings and a clearer understanding of the situation,” she added. “We appreciate your patience and respect as we continue to investigate.”

A microphone nearly grazed her shoulder as another reporter, a tall man in a blue jacket, leaned in. “Detective Peppers, this is the second murder in a week—Ogunquit has never seen this kind of violence. Do you have any theories?”

Penny took a deep breath, aware of the growing intensity of the crowd. “Our focus remains on gathering facts and evidence. Speculating would be premature and, frankly, irresponsible,” she said, her voice steady but unyielding.

Tony added, “Our team is fully committed to solving these cases, and we’re asking the public to be cautious but not alarmed. We’ll keep the community informed as much as possible.”

The questions continued, the clamor of voices nearly drowning each other out, but Tony and Penny managed to sidestep further interrogation, moving through the crowd with careful restraint. As they reached their car, Penny cast one last look back at the reporters, their faces a blend of curiosity, worry, and impatience. She knew their questions wouldn’t subside anytime soon.

Sliding into the passenger seat, Penny let out a slow breath, glancing at Tony as he started the engine. “Well, that was intense,” she murmured, her tone laced with the exhaustion of the day.

Tony chuckled, glancing over at her with a small, knowing smile. “It’s only going to get more intense from here, partner. You ready for tomorrow’s press conference?”

Penny nodded, determination settling over her features. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

They drove away from the scene, and farther into the condo complex.

* * *

As they worked their way deeper into the complex, they began the process of canvassing the surrounding units. The air was cool, carrying a faint saltiness from the nearby coast, and the late afternoon light shined lightly over the modern facades of the condos. Residents appeared cautiously curious, lingering by windows or doorways, peeking out to glimpse the detectives as they approached.

Their first conversation was brief, a young woman with headphones draped around her neck, glancing back toward the crime scene with wide eyes. “I was at work all morning,” she admitted, pulling her arms around herself. “Didn’t hear or see anything out of the ordinary.” She seemed genuinely shocked to learn about the incident, nodding earnestly as they thanked her and moved on.

As they continued, they noticed a middle-aged man with graying hair and a sturdy build, walking his shaggy dog along the main walkway. He paused, eyeing them with a hint of suspicion as they approached.

“Hello, sir,” Penny greeted, her voice friendly. “Detectives Peppers and Clifford. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?”

The man nodded, adjusting his grip on the leash. “Of course,” he replied, glancing back in the direction of the condo. “Pretty tragic, what happened. I’ve been out here most of the day. I would’ve never expected something like this around here.”

Tony asked. “Did you happen to notice anything unusual this morning?”

The man paused, scratching his dog behind the ears as he thought. “Well, there was an Amazon truck parked in the lot over there,” he said, gesturing toward the far end of the parking area. “Seemed strange, actually—most times delivery trucks just pull up, drop off the packages, and go.”

Penny exchanged a glance with Tony. “About what time did it arrive?”

“Around eight or so, I think,” he replied. “I remember seeing it while I was having my coffee. It stayed there for about an hour, left around nine, if I remember right. Thought that was strange, too. As far as I know, no one around here works for Amazon.”

“Did you see anyone near the truck? Or anyone unfamiliar coming or going?”

The man shook his head slowly, frowning. “No, didn’t see anyone, but then again, I didn’t really pay close attention. Just thought it was a bit out of the ordinary.”

They thanked him, and as they continued along the walkway, Penny’s mind mulled over the detail. The parked Amazon truck was an eerie parallel to the previous crime scene. It was unsettling, and she could feel the knot in her stomach tightening.

They were wrapping up their last conversation when a voice from behind them called out. “Excuse me—are you the detectives?”

Turning, Penny and Tony found a young girl approaching them, clutching a backpack against her side. She was about fifteen, her face framed by shoulder-length brown hair. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her expression guarded as she looked from Penny to Tony.

“Yes,” Tony said, giving her a small, encouraging nod. “You must be Sonya?”

She nodded slowly, her gaze hesitant. “Yeah. They told me to talk to you … about my parents.” Her voice wavered slightly, but she straightened her posture, steeling herself.

Penny stepping forward. “Sonya, we’re very sorry for your loss. I know this is difficult, but we need to ask you a few questions. Are you up to it?”

Sonya bit her lip, nodding, her hands tightening around the straps of her backpack. “Okay. I’ll try.”

They led her to a nearby bench, giving her a moment to settle before beginning. “Can you tell us a little bit about your family?” Penny asked, her voice calm and encouraging.

Sonya looked down, taking a deep breath, “my mom is”, she paused, “she was kind, like, really kind,” she began, her voice faltering as she spoke of her mother. “She was always trying to make things nice at home, even if,” pausing again, “even if Dad was in one of his moods.”

Tony leaned forward, his tone soft but probing. “And your dad?”

Sonya hesitated, her gaze looked up to meet Penny’s before she looked away. “Dad was … strict, I guess. He liked things a certain way, and he got really angry if they weren’t. Especially with me. He wanted everything to be perfect, you know?” She paused, swallowing hard. “Mom would try to calm him down, but it usually just made him angrier.”

Penny felt a tinge of sympathy as she watched Sonya’s expression harden slightly, a complicated mix of sadness and resentment in her eyes. “That sounds difficult, Sonya,” she said gently. “Were you close with your mother?”

Sonya nodded, her face softening. “Yeah. She was always there for me, even when Dad got … loud. She just,” tears beginning to form around her eyes, “tried to keep things normal. Like, if he yelled at me, she’d come talk to me later and make me feel better. But he didn’t like it when she did that. Said she was coddling me.”

Her voice grew quieter as she added, “I think sometimes she was afraid of him too.”

Tony and Penny exchanged a look, both registering the tension Sonya was describing. They didn’t press her further, sensing that she was on the edge of her comfort zone. “Sonya, we’ll let you know if there’s anything else we need,” Penny said, her voice warm. “And if you ever need to talk to someone, you’re not alone. We’re here to help however we can.”

Sonya nodded, managing a faint, grateful smile before she looked away. With a quiet thank you, she rose, and turned back toward the condo, following the police officer, unsure of what would happen now.

Penny slumped back on the bench, "do you think it has anything to do with the fathers? This is the second time we've heard about strict dads."

Tony agreed and stated, "maybe look into the records at the school and see if we find any leads there."