Maeve Meets Murder

Chapter 4: An Arrest

The next morning, Maeve gathered her notes and a cup of coffee as she headed up to Dexter's apartment. She wanted to see if there was any more information she could pry out of him. She was expecting the door to be open again, so she wasn't too ruffled to find it was slightly ajar. No, the only real surprise she found was his absence. Dexter wasn't anywhere to be found. Maeve called Rosie on the hall phone.

"Hello, this is Rosie speaking! What can I do for you?"

"Rosie, this is Maeve. I was wondering-"

"Maeve! Hiya, honey! What's going on?"

"I need to know if you saw Dexter Ross leave."

"What?"

Maeve rolled her eyes in exasperation. Rosie was a dear, but she could be so infuriatingly stupid.

"Rosie. Did you see Dexter Ross leave the building? Was he here last night?"

"I don't know. I mean, the police came in earlier and carried him off, if that's what you mean."

"They what?"

Maeve was shocked. She knew the local police force was somewhat inept, but how they had resorted to this level of idiocy was beyond her.

"I said, the police came in here after you left and locked him up. I heard somewhere that he'd been in jail before. I wonder what it was for!"

"They don't even have any evidence against him, I bet," muttered Maeve. Aloud, she said, "No one said that, Rosie, you did."

Maeve left a very confused, pouting Rosie and headed to the station. Upon arriving, she found Chief Benedict, a rather flimsy and drowsy sort of man, whose conspiracies were almost as pronounced as his nose.

"Ben, on what grounds did you arrest Mr. Ross?"

She cut straight to the point, not wishing any of the foolery or wishy-washy chit-chat that inevitably clung to all of his relations.

"Why, if it isn't Maeve Lewis! What brings you here?

Maeve had had enough of seemingly endless conversation.

"I'm going to ask you this one time, and one time only. On what grounds did you arrest Dexter Ross?"

"He's a murderer, Maeve! Surely you know that, you know practically everything else in this town."

"And what evidence do you have suggesting such a thing?"

"Evidence? Evidence! He was the only one known to have close contact with Montgomery. Tell me that doesn't sound suspicious to you! If you'd like to interview him, I can give you his cell number. Not his phone number, mind you, although we have that on file. Besides, what do you care? As long as we have someone locked up, it ties up all the loose ends and the townspeople can sleep in safety."

"Innocent until proven guilty, Ben! You disgust me."

Ben, bewildered and slightly put off (that Maeve Lewis should be disgusted with him! The very idea was nonsense), watched Maeve stalk past him and into the cell block.

"Dexter!"

She walked past a few cells, then came upon her informant.

"Maeve? What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Ross, I need to speak with you."

"Why? It wasn't me!"

"What? Of course it wasn't, Ben just needs a scapegoat. Now, did Lucy carry her violin case with her often?"

"I don't think so. Only to her lessons, and when she played for the senior home. Why?"

"That doesn't matter, not right now at least. Do you know why they put you in here?"

"They think I killed her! I didn't though, I swear!"

"I believe you, Mr. Ross, and I also believe that I am very close to finding out what really happened to her. Do you have a trial date yet? A lawyer?"
"Jeez, Maeve, I only just got arrested. I don't have a date in court yet, not that I know of. I'll probably find out tomorrow."

"Alright, I'll drop by then. Hang tight, I'll get you out of this."

"Not much else I can do, is there?"

He spoke this last bit to his cell, for Maeve had already left.