Madison Spires interview

Sunday, February 4, 2024 – 9:42 p.m.

Madison Spires was Blake Jenson's girlfriend.

Detectives Armstrong and Armstrong interviewed her at the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department.

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Detective S. Murphy
• Madison Spires

Detective Murphy: I'm sorry about Blake.

Madison Spires: Thanks. I still can't believe it.

Detective Murphy: We need you to state your name and address for the record.

Madison Spires: Sure. I'm Madison Spires, and I live at 594 Hathorn Road, Oxford.

Detective Armstrong: Are you employed, Madison?

Madison Spires: I'm a manicurist at Spa Nails.

Detective Armstrong: How long have you worked there?

Madison Spires: Forever. I started there when I was a junior in high school, and then I went back after I got my certificate at Creations College.

Detective Murphy: Your boss doesn't ask you to have your nails done, sort of an advertisement for the business?

Madison Spires. Neat and clean, that's the rule. Don't want to have better nails than the customer. Besides, fingernails mess up my keyboard fingering.

Detective Armstrong: Have you played long?

Madison Spires: Longer than forever. My mother made me study piano as soon as I turned seven. Of course, she pictured me up on stage in some concert hall, not playing keyboards for free beer.

Detective Armstrong: Did you work yesterday?

Madison Spires: Yesterday? I worked from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Detective Armstrong: Women get their nails done at 8:00 a.m.?

Madison Spires: We're always busy. I'd like to open my own shop someday, maybe call it Aspires, sort of a pun on my name. Blake and I…

Detective Murphy: What did you do last night after work?

Madison Spires: Band practice, for like three hours. We're trying to come up with some new sets, so places will bring us back more often.

Detective Murphy: Is Spa Nails open on Sundays?

Madison Spires: Just a half day, 12:00 to 3:00 p.m. I'm in at 11:30 a.m. and out by 4:00 p.m. at the latest.

Detective Murphy: What did you do after work this afternoon?

Madison Spires: I went home, showered, and changed. Then I went over to Blake's.

Detective Armstrong: What time did you get there?

Madison Spires: Probably about a quarter past 6:00 p.m.

Detective Armstrong: So that was maybe two hours after you left work?

Madison Spires: Yeah, about that.

Detective Armstrong: Long shower.

Madison Spires: I puttered around for a while.

Detective Armstrong: Weren't you in a rush to see your boyfriend?

Madison Spires: I knew Kent was going to be there. I don't mind him in a group, but just the three of us? Too tight.

Detective Murphy: Why?

Madison Spires: Kent sometimes—when Blake isn't looking—Kent gives me the eye. His best friend. Anyway, it just sort of creeps me out.

Detective Murphy: Did you mention this to Blake?

Madison Spires: He said Kent was just funning me. That I was being a poor sport because I was on the wrong end of it for once.

Detective Murphy: What do you think?

Madison Spires: Kent never did anything. Don't get me wrong. I just don't like being too close to him, is all.

Detective Armstrong: Tell us about Guitar Hero.

Madison Spires. I don't actually play, which is kind of ironic since it's more like playing a keyboard than it is a guitar, but I'm used to having 88 keys at my command.

Detective Armstrong: Blake enjoyed the game.

Madison Spires: He's the best. Blake could've gotten into the Guinness Book of World Records if he wanted to. He's that good. He just disappeared into the zone.

Detective Armstrong: Jealous?

Madison Spires: Of a silly game? Please.

Detective Murphy: When did you start dating Blake?

Madison Spires: Five months ago. I knew him back in high school, but we never connected. It seems like lost time now.

Detective Murphy: Who was at Blake's when you arrived?

Madison Spires: Kent, some of the other guys. You know, the usual crowd.

Detective Armstrong: Was there any tension? Any disagreements?

Madison Spires: No, everybody was cool.

Detective Murphy: How was Blake?

Madison Spires: He was good. Focused. He had Stix coming over to challenge him at Guitar Hero.

Detective Armstrong: Stix? Sounds like a drummer.

Madison Spires: Just some guy who thought he was worthy of wearing the crown.

Detective Armstrong: What do you think?

Madison Spires: Blake. No doubt.

Detective Murphy: Whose idea was it to order pizza?

Madison Spires: We're always ordering pizza. It's like default behavior when we're at Blake's. Somebody's stomach growls, and it's like, "Okay, what are we ordering?"

Detective Armstrong: The pizza arrives. What then?

Madison Spires: Then we all scurry for money. I'd left my purse out in the car. Blake always could have paid. He had the money, but most of us didn't want to take advantage of him.

Detective Armstrong: Most of you?

Madison Spires: We'd all chip in, and we usually came up short, Blake making up the difference. I don't know who shorted the kitty, but some people are like that.

Detective Murphy: Did anybody owe Blake money?

Madison Spires: Not that he ever told me, but he'd probably want to keep that between them. Wouldn't want to embarrass his friend.

Detective Armstrong: Everybody's got their food. Then the lights go out. Please describe the scene for us.

Madison Spires: Like you said, people were walking around with their food, looking for places to sit. Blake was clowning around with a breadstick. Then he picked up the guitar, probably to warm up a bit, and boom.

Detective Armstrong: The lights went out. How long did they stay out?

Madison Spires: I don't know. A second? Two? Then the lights came on, and there he was on the floor. I thought—

Detective Murphy: It's okay. Here.

Madison Spires: Thanks. Blake, he wasn't fooling around. He didn't move. He didn't respond when we called his name. I was on the other side of the room when the lights went out, and then I was crouched over him. I don't even know how I got there.

Detective Armstrong: Who called 911?

Madison Spires: I think it was Kent, but I don't really know. It's all like a blur or a hole or something. This is a nightmare.

Detective Murphy: Okay, Madison. Thanks for talking to us. I know this is a difficult time for you.

Madison Spires: Yeah.

Detective Murphy: We may need to talk to you again later. Would that be okay with you?

Madison Spires: Sure.

Detective Murphy: All right. You can go home now.

Madison Spires: Thank you.

Interview ended – 9:59 p.m.