Ursula Raines interview #2

Monday, March 7, 2022 – 10:10 a.m.

Ursula Raines is the girlfriend of the victim's best friend, Gretchen Doyle.

While Detective Murphy was busy with another aspect of the investigation, Detective Armstrong went by Ursula Raines's office and asked her to accompany him to the Yoknapatawpha County Sheriff's Department for another interview.

Participants:

• Detective T. Armstrong
• Lieutenant G. Montoya
• Ursula Raines

Detective Armstrong: Sorry to keep you waiting. Thanks for your patience.

Ursula Raines: I don't understand why you had to take me out of my office like that in front of all my co-workers.

Detective Armstrong: I needed to talk to you, and I didn't want to risk missing you if you went out to lunch.

Ursula Raines: You could have called. I would've come over here during my lunch break.

Detective Armstrong: Good to know. I'll keep that in mind for next time. For now, would you go ahead and give your name and address for the record?

Ursula Raines: I'm Ursula Raines. 1458 Molly Barr Road. Where's that other detective?

Detective Armstrong: She's tied up with something else right now. She'll join us a little later if she gets free. The reason we wanted to talk to you again is that we have some questions about Gretchen that we're hoping you can help us with.

Ursula Raines: Gretchen? What about her?

Detective Armstrong: We haven't been able to verify her whereabouts at the time Andrea Stover died. She claims she and Andrea parted ways at The Roadhouse, and she went home, but we haven't been able to find anyone who can confirm that. You had already left her place to go back to your house by then, hadn't you?

Ursula Raines: You can't seriously believe that Gretchen had anything to do with Andrea's death.

Detective Armstrong: Were you still at her house when she got home?

Ursula Raines: No, but that doesn't mean she didn't go home.

Detective Armstrong: Are you sure? We were told the two of them were pretty chummy while they were together at The Roadhouse.

Ursula Raines: What is that supposed to mean?

Detective Armstrong: Maybe they didn't part ways at The Roadhouse after all.

Ursula Raines: You don't know what you're talking about.

Detective Armstrong: Maybe they were going back to Gretchen's together, and they stopped by Oxford Centre on the way. One of them got upset, things went bad, and Andrea ended up dead.

Ursula Raines: You're crazy! That never happened.

Detective Armstrong: You may be right, but until we can corroborate her alibi, we can't rule Gretchen out as a suspect. She was the last one to see Andrea alive, after all.

Ursula Raines: No, she wasn't.

Detective Armstrong: That's true. If she didn't kill Andrea, then someone else saw Andrea after Gretchen did.

Ursula Raines: She didn't kill Andrea. She would never.

Detective Armstrong: Just between us, I agree with you. Gretchen doesn't strike me as the killer type.

Ursula Raines: Then what am I doing here?

Detective Armstrong: Well, we can't conduct an investigation based on feelings. We have to go by what the evidence tells us, and the evidence tells us that Gretchen can't account for her whereabouts at the time Andrea was killed.

Ursula Raines: What makes you think Andrea was killed? Maybe she fell. Or jumped.

Detective Armstrong: I can see why you'd think that, but again, the evidence tells us that's not what happened. Someone pushed her off that skywalk. We know that.

Ursula Raines: Well, it wasn't Gretchen.

Detective Armstrong: Did she call you after she got home that night? Or stop by your place on her way home?

Ursula Raines: No.

Detective Armstrong: Okay, then. Let's talk about the Oxtales people a little bit then.

Ursula Raines: That's it? You don't have any more questions about Gretchen?

Detective Armstrong: Well, it sounds like you don't have any other information about that, but maybe you can help with what you know about some of the other people associated with this investigation.

Ursula Raines: I don't know any of those Oxtales people.

Detective Armstrong: Did you ever hear Gretchen or Andrea talking about them?

Ursula Raines: I don't know. Possibly.

Detective Armstrong: How about we run through a few names, and you tell me what you know about them, if anything?

Ursula Raines: I'm telling you, I don't know anything about them, but go ahead.

Detective Armstrong: Let's start with Dale King. Did you ever hear Andrea or Gretchen talk about him?

Ursula Raines: I didn't really pay attention when they were talking about that theater business, but his name does sound familiar. My impression is that Andrea was frustrated with him because he wouldn't cooperate with her.

Detective Armstrong: Your impression?

Ursula Raines: I don't recall any exact words, but that was the gist of it as far as I remember.

Detective Armstrong: Is your impression that Andrea was afraid of him at all?

Ursula Raines: My impression is that Andrea didn't have the sense to be afraid of anyone, even when she should have been. But I don't know if Dale King was one of the people she should've been concerned about.

Detective Armstrong: Who should she have been concerned about?

Ursula Raines: Those nuts at COP. They're unpredictable, and the current climate just emboldens them. Who knows what they might do? She probably should have thought about that before she started aggravating them again.

Detective Armstrong: She wasn't worried about them?

Ursula Raines: From what I saw, she loved pushing their buttons. The more they yelled, the more she pushed. I guess she should've been more careful.

Detective Armstrong: Did you ever hear Andrea and Gretchen talk about a Frank Tuttle?

Ursula Raines: Is that one of Andrea's exes? She had a lot of them. I couldn't keep up.

Detective Armstrong: But your impression is that Frank is one of the exes?

Ursula Raines: Yes, I think so.

Detective Armstrong: Did Andrea seem afraid of him at all?

Ursula Raines: Hardly. It was more like she felt sorry for him because he was so in love with her, and he was in denial about the fact that their relationship was over.

Detective Armstrong: Did that bother you?

Ursula Raines: Bother me? No. I just thought it was disrespectful for her to talk that way about someone who loved her. Even if you don't feel the same, it doesn't give you the right to treat that love like it's nothing.

Detective Armstrong: It's hard to love someone who doesn't love you back. I think we've all been there at one time or another. Do you think Frank might have lashed out at Andrea?

Ursula Raines: If he found out how she talked about him when he wasn't around, I wouldn't be a bit surprised.

Lieutenant Montoya: Excuse the interruption, detective. I need to speak with you outside for a moment.

Detective Armstrong: Be right with you, LT. I'm sorry, Ursula. I need to step out for a moment to talk to the boss.

Ursula Raines: So I can go?

Detective Armstrong: If you don't mind staying a little longer, I think I might have a way you can help us clear Gretchen of any involvement in all of this.

Ursula Raines: Of course, I'll stay for that. Gretchen didn't do anything, and I'll do anything to help you … what was it you said before? Rule her out as a suspect.

Detective Armstrong: I really appreciate that. Just sit tight, and I'll be back shortly.

Interview ended – 10:36 a.m.