Missing: The Body of Evidence Page 4
‘Hunch? I’ll tell you what, you tell Logan and if he wants me to check it out, he can speak to my boss, how’s that?’
Tracy took the gum wrapper in the evidence bag and walked away shaking her head.
She watched as Tracy re-entered the warehouse. Bah, ‘create empathy,’ Logan said. More like apathy. Nancy wrenched her car door open, hopped onto the seat and set off to the screech of tyres. On the open road, she thought ahead to her meeting to debrief Logan. A glance between the car seats and she noticed an evidence bag. Damn, the receipt, and I forgot to mention the lasagne packaging.
Chapter 8
On arriving at work, Nancy waited for Logan to call her into the office. She was surprised when Logan’s door opened and Kyle’s face appeared.
‘Chief will see you now.’
She joined Kyle and Logan in the office and took a seat.
‘Okay, tell me about the experiment. Then you can tell me about your hunch,’ said Logan.
‘Hunch.’ The bitch. It wasn’t exactly déjà vu, but from his expression, she could tell she had been in this zone before. Damn, I’m gonna look stupid in front of Kyle. She glanced at Kyle, who looked to be doing his best to seem invisible as he stared at the floor and fidgeted his feet. Nancy took out her notebook.
‘The experiment showed there were similarities to what we found at the apartment to a point.’
‘And what would the point be?’
‘Well, points really. The fire was localized to the body. The residue from the burning pig created the same smoke damage and residue, so we can assume there was a full body at the apartment. But, other than that, it proved nothing. The pig’s bones hadn’t turned to ash and the damage to the steel ceiling indicated to me we should have seen the fire break through the ceiling at the apartment.’
‘And the hunch?’
Nancy relayed her findings from her investigation at the apartment and from the witness statements.
‘Conclusion?’
‘We need a search warrant for the janitor’s apartment.’
‘For lasagne packaging?’
‘Yes, Chief.’
‘So when the judge asks what the janitor is suspected of, you’re gonna say ‘I think he stole a lasagne during the confusion in the aftermath of the incident at the professor’s apartment.’ Is that it?’
‘Yes, Chief... I mean... No, Chief. I’m gonna say, I think he could have murdered the professor, disarmed the smoke detector, set him on fire and then he stole the lasagne.’
Logan rose to his full height from his chair. His face reddened, the knuckles of his clenched fists supporting his weight on the desk turned white and the tendons in his neck stood out. She heard a faint snicker from Kyle’s direction.
Oh, shit. Nancy reared backward on her chair.
‘Motive?’ His voice had raised an octave and gained a rasp.
‘Drugs, remember the young man? The professor could have been dealing drugs. Then there’s the CIA connection?’
‘So let’s see. We have a professor dealing drugs under the protection of the CIA, and a janitor who murders the professor for a... a lasagne! Get out of my sight. Bring him in for questioning, and then we can see if we need a damn search warrant. CSI need his prints and DNA anyway to eliminate his from the scene.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Kyle, stay here, I need a word,’ said Logan and sat back in his chair.
Nancy rose from her chair and headed through the door, without even a sideways glance at Kyle. Damn traitor, he could’ve backed me up, somehow. Nancy walked out of the office, her shoulders sagged, cheeks flushed and fingers trembled as she made her way outside to head to the janitor’s apartment. What is it with Logan? Why is he pushing me so hard?
Chapter 9
Nancy pressed STOP on her CD player, as she parked outside the janitor’s apartment. Flying Without Wings, on this occasion had failed to lift her spirits. She saw the curtains twitch at number one, which was becoming something of a habit. At least I know he’s in. She arrived at his door and knocked. There was movement inside, but he didn’t respond and she rapped the door hard.
Nancy called out. ‘Detective Roberts.’
He failed to answer. She unfastened the button on her jacket, slipped the safety strap of her shoulder holster and stood to one side. Nancy knocked on the door again, with one hand rested on the butt of her 9 mil Glock automatic.
‘Mr. Kelly, police. Open up.’
She could still hear him rummaging about. Nancy experienced a hot flush as the time ticked by. She knocked again; at the same time, she wished she had backup with her.
‘I know you’re in there.’
Finally, he called out.
‘Yeah, yeah, keep your skirt on,’ she heard him shout.
She took out her gun and held it with both hands. The door opened and she aimed it at Kelly. He thrust his hands in the air and his eyes bulged with a look of terror.
‘Why didn’t you answer?’
‘Hell, can’t a guy have a crap. What do you want?’
Nancy held her stance. ‘We need you down at the station to register your fingerprints and DNA so we can eliminate yours from the scene.’
‘Ya don’t need to stick a gun in my face for that. I ain’t got no problem with that.’
Nancy didn’t reply, but made him assume the stance and patted him down.
‘Precaution, that’s all. If you’d answered straight away, there’d have been no need. Sorry about that, safety first, I want to get to be thirty-seven. We need to go now.’
Kelly locked his door. Nancy holstered her gun and they set off to her car.
‘So, you’re not going to cuff me, or read me my rights?’
‘Not unless you want me to.’
Nancy cast him a smile. It was not that Nancy hadn’t thought about it, but she reckoned he would clam up if she made it appear he was under arrest.
‘Nah, like I said, you’re not a suspect, just me being cautious. It comes with working fifteen years over at South Central. I feel a bit embarrassed now.’
‘Ah, South Central! Forget it, I understand.’
On the way back to the station, he seemed like a different character and they chatted away amiably about anything but the fire. Empathy, I can create it by the bucket load when it counts. Nancy knew from experience not to be taken in by his new persona. Even the hardened criminals she’d arrested over the years acted that way before she charged them. Nancy parked the car and opened the door for him and she smiled.
‘This way, Jason.’
‘Sure, Nancy.’
Walking beside Kelly to the entrance, she allowed herself a self-satisfied smile. All the questions she needed answers to, she had formed on the drive to headquarters. If her interview went to plan, she reckoned Logan and Kyle would have to feed her more than doughnuts.
Chapter 10
Kyle greeted Kelly and Nancy at reception, as if he had been waiting for her to arrive.
‘I need a word, could you direct Mr. Kelly to the waiting room?’
His tone of voice and his demeanour did not suggest a prelude for him apologizing for snickering at her earlier predicament in the meeting. She wondered if his officious manner was for Kelly’s benefit.
‘Sure.’
She escorted Kelly to the waiting room and returned to Kyle at reception.
‘What do you want?’ Nancy asked, Kyle, and gave him a blank stare.
‘Whoa, steady on there, tiger. Why the look?’
His treacherous snicker and lack of any support during her meeting earlier with Logan still festered, but she was not about to point him in the right direction, preferring him to squirm.
‘I’ll tell you later. What is it you want?’
The curtness of her delivery had the desired effect. Kyle inspected his shoes and mumbled.
‘Strategy, Logan wants you to take his prints and DNA, and after, you’re to join him in the viewing room. I’m to take the interview. I need your notes.’
‘Is that right?’
‘Look, it’s not my idea, climb down.’
Kyle took a step back. He looked puzzled.
‘I don’t suppose you argued against interviewing Kelly?’ She took out her notebook from her purse and slapped it against his chest. ‘I suppose he’ll want me to make the coffees?’
‘Nance, it’s not like that. He...’
Turning on her heels, Nancy ignored his protest, and marched off to the waiting room. At the door of the waiting room, she went through her ritual of smoothing down her jacket and waving her head from side to side. Nancy took a deep breath and opened the door. With a beaming smile and a friendly pat on Kelly’s shoulder, she beckoned him to follow her to the fingerprinting room. Nancy switched on the computer, explained the procedure to Kelly, and donned gossamer gloves. She took each finger and his thumb in turn and placed them on the digitization pad, gently rolling each one. The process infuriated Nancy. His hands shook so much it was hard to get the computer software to accept the prints.
‘Look, I drink a little and my hands shake. I need something to settle them. Do you mind?’ He took a hip flask from his pocket and held it up.
‘Go ahead.’ Drink a little, that’s an understatement.
The process seemed to go a little more smoothly after he had taken a swig. She finished off taking final palm prints and took a swab from inside his cheek to collect DNA. Saving the prints to disc, she opened the distribution file, typed in Tracy’s name and looked at the “Any Comments” section. The devil in her wanted to type “Stuff you, suck it up bitch,” but she simply typed Kelly’s details and the case name before she pressed SEND.
‘That’s it, we’re all done.’
‘Are you taking me back home?’
‘Sure, we won’t leave you stranded, you’ve been a big help. But first my colleague, Kyle, wants to ask you a few questions about the professor, so we can put the case to bed and get on with some real crime detecting.’
He looked relaxed. Her words appeared to have done the trick and the procedure did not seem to have caused him any concern. She led him to an interview room and he sat on a chair next to the interview desk. Nancy headed for Logan’s office. Logan and Kyle were waiting for her.
‘He’s all yours,’ she said, and could barely look at either of them.
Kyle led the way and stopped outside the interview room. Logan and Nancy entered the viewing room. Logan started the CCTV monitor. He pressed the record function button. Through the one-way mirror, she could see that Kelly sat at the desk, his fingers clasped and twiddling his thumbs.
Nancy thought she could smell gasoline.
‘Can you smell something?’
‘Yeah, it’s me. Filled the tank up on my car and gas splashed on my sleeve.’
The door in the interview room opened. Kyle walked into the room and introduced himself to the Kelly.
‘Now watch...’
Nancy interrupted Logan.
‘Watch, listen and learn, I know.’
If this was meant to be a lesson for wasting their time, it was working. Nancy felt totally dejected.
Kyle seemed to be putting the janitor at ease with banter and softening him up, before he came to the crunch.
‘Before we start, I have to tell you that our interview is being recorded and that anything said can be used in a coroner’s court, or a court of law in front of a judge. You are not under arrest, but simply assisting us with our enquiries. Do you understand that?’
‘Sure, anything to help.’
‘Would you like a coffee before we begin?’
‘Nah, can’t stand the stuff. Never touch it.’
‘Okay let’s get on with it.’
‘You said you heard the professor moving about, what time was that?’
‘Around midnight.’
‘When did you hear the fire alarm?’
‘Around five-thirty the morning. I dialled 9.1.1.’
‘Did the alarm continue to sound, before the fire department arrived?’
He started to fidget around, placed his hand on his legs and started tapping his fingers on his knees.
‘Guess it stopped just before they arrived.’
‘What time did you go to bed?’
‘Maybe one... one-thirty.’
‘And you didn’t hear anything else from the professor’s apartment?’
‘No.’
‘What were you doing when you heard the alarm?’
‘Sleeping lightly I guess.’
‘What did you do in the fifteen minutes before the fire department arrived?’
‘Erm... I erm...’ His demeanour changed and his voice rose. ‘I did what anyone would do; I got the hell out and waited outside.’
‘So you didn’t think to smash the glass on the main fire alarm at the exit to alert the other occupants?’
‘Hey, what is this, what are you driving at?’
‘Just asking.’
‘Hell, if I could hear the smoke alarm, I just as soon reckoned everyone else could.’
‘Listen, I’m just asking what my boss wants to know to pass onto the Coroner’s office.’
‘Well ya can tell the bastard I ain’t sayin’ no more. I want to make a phone call.’
Logan picked up the handset and dialled a number.
‘Okay, you can go in and try for a warrant, I’ve heard enough. Add to it the Janitor says he can’t stand coffee, contrary to what he told my detective and uniform. Before you go in to see the judge, I’ll send you a transcript of the interview in an email attachment. CSI are on standby to check the prints on the carton and to investigate the batch numbers to see if it was supplied to the Wal-Mart on the receipt we found.’
Nancy looked in Kelly’s direction. Kelly stood up behind the desk and stared at the one-way, his face contorted in rage.
‘Is that where your boss is hiding, behind the mirror? Tell him to come and ask me to my face.’
Logan looked uncomfortable and ran his finger on the inside of his shirt collar. The image on the CCTV monitor started to flicker and Logan gave it a tap.
‘Damn, is it me, or is warm in here,’ Logan said, and he reached to change the setting on the air conditioner.
‘Chief!’ Nancy shrieked.
She whipped her jacket off and rushed over to him. Logan jumped around, wafting his arm about and trying unsuccessfully to take off his jacket. Flames danced on the sleeve of his jacket.
‘Be still.’
She wrapped her jacket around his arms to kill the flames and helped him take off his jacket. His shirtsleeve ignited. Nancy grabbed a fire extinguisher from the wall and sprayed the contents over him to douse the flames. He ripped his shirt off, knocking over the CCTV monitor in the process. Logan stood there, his potbelly hanging over his pants and dripping wet from head to toe. She wanted to laugh at his predicament, of having his dignity stripped bare, but she managed to hold it back.
‘Quick thinking, damn regulator must’ve sparked.’ Logan tipped the monitor upright. ‘Damn, it’s ruined. Get a technician to see to it, will ya.’
The monitor screen had lost its colour, save for a purple patch in one corner. Nancy turned to the one-way mirror. Kelly stood facing the mirror, with his hands on his hips, an evil grin on his face. Kyle took Kelly by the shoulder and sat him down on his chair.
‘Wait here,’ she heard Kyle say over the monitor speakers, and she watched him as he rushed out of the room.
Her attention turned to Kelly. He took out his hip flask and took a swig. Kelly set the flask down, ran his coat sleeve across his mouth, rested back on his chair, and a self-satisfying expression developed on his face.
Chapter 11
Nancy had finished the call to the technician, when Kyle entered the viewing room. Logan’s jacket and shirt were strewn on the floor in a puddle of water. Kyle glanced around the room slack jawed.
‘Well
, you’ve done it now. I’ve just seen Logan squishing in his shoes down the corridor.’
‘Done what?’ Nancy snickered.
Kyle pointed to the fire extinguisher she was holding.
‘I mean... I know you have a chip on your shoulder, but you’re sure to get fired for drenching Logan.’
‘Chip, really. What else is wrong with me?’
‘I heard you scream, what were you fighting about?’
‘You first, what else is wrong with me?’
‘You seem to think everyone is trying to put you down, when in fact they’re trying to help you, if you weren’t so pig headed.’
‘Pig headed? Nice to know where you’re coming from... asshole. If you want to know what happened, ask your friend, Logan.’
She put the fire extinguisher down, held her head high and brushed him aside. Nancy returned to her station and put a call out for the cleaner to clear up the mess in the viewing room. She was annoyed that Kyle had jumped to conclusions.
Everyone in the office crowded around her desk asking what happened.
‘Time someone drenched Logan,’ said Bill.
‘Did he come onto you? Because if he did, I’ll stuff this T-shirt he asked for down his miserable throat,’ said Claire.
‘Whoa, hold on there, it was an accident, nothing else. His jacket caught fire from an electrical fault.’
The crowd shuffled away back to their desks, leaving Kyle staring at her.
‘I heard that. Sorry, but you have to admit you’re a bit touchy lately.’
‘Touchy, chip on my shoulder and pig headed. So maybe you’ll admit, I’m not really your type and you should stop chasing me.’
‘Awe, Nance, it’s not like that. Six-months on probation is likely to stress anyone out, you need a break, that’s all I’m saying.’
‘Out of sight, out of mind, is it? So you can take over all my cases.’
‘Out of sight? I was going to ask you to come away with me this weekend to that place you like to go hiking. How about I bring a bottle of wine around tonight and we can make plans?’