“I’m sure she really knew how to bounce a bed.”
“Sandy, age wasn’t a part of it. Do I wish that she were actually interested in me, of course? But, seventy’s not so bad. You’ll find out about this age thing for yourself one day.”
“Maybe, in which case I’d insist on very few candles and lots of booze. How many women at that party turned you down before you hit on Granny?”
“It wasn’t like that. I’m not like that. I never thought about leaving with her. Never dreamed she wanted to spend the night with me, and then she unexpectedly phoned me and—oh well, one damn thing led to another.”
“I’m dying to get a look at that woman. How about this Tammy, are you certain she’s being straight with you? Not that you’d have the faintest idea one way or the other.”
“She called the cops on me but that was a normal reaction. She was close to the victim so was upset about his death.”
“Why were you running around like Dudley Do-Right anyway?”
“What’s wrong with helping people? After all, I didn’t help you.”
“So, you went for the granny-sex to ease your conscience about me?”
“I’ve had some bad luck with women, now drop it.”
She stood and reached for her brief case. “Job one is to get you out of here. That means we’ll start our own investigation. Give me your attorney’s name. I can do legwork for him and for you. Start getting your ideas together. I’m not a lawyer and I’m not qualified to handle your defense. I am, however, absolutely incredible at running around and pissing people off. Did you sign a statement?”
“Yes, was that wrong?”
“Not if you told the truth. I need a copy of it. Your attorney will have it. I’ll go see him and then crash.”
“Lawyer is Jeremiah Kagan. He’s probably still alive. You can stay at my place.”
“Cops most likely got a warrant and tore up your place. Know a good motel, someplace with an Internet connection?”
“Try the InnTowner,” he said half joking. “And Sandy, it’s great to see you.”
“Well, take a fast look at me, because I don’t intend to hang around here letting you screw up my life for very long.”
Chapter 11
During those first few days after the shooting of Senator Towson, the citizens knew only that the nearest thing to a celebrity the town had ever known was murdered. Their astonishment soon changed into outrage. The anger would worsen if they became aware of certain undisclosed details. Neither the citizens nor the media were yet aware of the alleged rape, the suggestion of a Sonny Barner murder, or the names of the townspeople disclosed in the suspect’s statement.
State Attorney Moran and Chief Oehlert had good reason to be worried. It was just a matter of time before details would leak out.
Early on Wednesday morning, Moran summoned Goddard to his office. The chief was already there pacing around nervously, and explaining they couldn’t locate Sonny Barner. “He runs his exterminating business out of his house. No sign of him there and his answering machine is full. If he’s alive, he stopped functioning.”
Moran studied the folder on his desk. “According to Reid’s statement Loraine Dellin shot him. You should be out looking for his body, Goddard. Do me a favor and find it before some reporter trips over it.”
The detective took the chair opposite Moran’s desk. “I don’t believe he’s dead. He was Towson’s exterminator and serviced his apartment the afternoon of the homicide. CSI found a service receipt from Barner Exterminating at the crime scene. It was marked 2:15 p.m., Saturday. So, he might be a second victim, but he looks more like a suspect to me.”
The chief didn’t get it. “Are you talking about the timing?”
Moran referred to his notes. “Reid’s statement has Loraine shooting Barner on Friday. Now we learn that the next day he’s working in Towson’s apartment. Obviously, she didn’t shoot him, at least not on Friday, and Reid is lying.”
“Or Loraine lied to him about shooting Barner,” Goddard added. “Apparently, Barner and Towson were both alive Saturday at 2:15 p.m. Question is, was Towson still alive when Barner left?”
“Barner could have shot him then or gone back later and shot him.” Moran started thumbing through the folder. “Okay, so need to rule out a second murder. But if Barner’s not dead then where is he? Now, what about the rape of Tammy Jerrold?”
“Tammy says it never happened and is intensely afraid the allegation might become public,” the chief said.
“We don’t want it public either. People would go crazy if a rape was tossed into this homicide.” Moran held up the folder. “Plus, look at the names we’ve got: Barner, Loraine, Tammy, and Norma Martin. They may or may not have anything material to do with Towson’s murder, but what if these names get out?”
“Fortunately, we have a good suspect in jail,” the chief said.
“That reporter, Linda Call, is asking me for an interview.” Moran frowned. “I can handle her but we need a response ready in case the details of Reid’s statement become public. Goddard, give me another briefing, I may want to point you in a different direction.”
Goddard opened his notebook. “You have the M.E. prelim: Towson died from a single shot to the chest from a .38, most likely a revolver, close range, died quickly. CSI found a second slug in the wall behind.”
The chief said, 'So, two shots were fired and one missed.'
'Let me go back over some crime scene details,' Goddard continued. 'Shooting was in the master bedroom. They found him in his underwear—t-shirt and boxers. A stylish robe was on the bed nearby. He may have been dressing or undressing. His blood was limited to the antique rug under his body except for minuscule traces leading out of the bedroom. Someone has his blood on the bottom of his or her shoes.”
“Caught in his shorts suggests someone he knew. No defensive or scrimmage wounds. So, no struggle,” the chief added.
“…the bedspread, blanket, and sheets were all pushed down onto the floor. On each nightstand was an empty wine glass. The victim’s prints and one set of unidentified prints were on the glasses. A trace of lipstick was found on one glass.”
Moran interrupted, “So, a female is involved— presumably.”
Goddard continued, “Yes, sexual activity is the obvious inference except there is no trace evidence of recent sex on that bed. There was a hairbrush and a toothbrush with Towson’s prints in the master bath. A second hairbrush and toothbrush with unidentified prints were in a small leather travel kit suitable for a woman keeping a few toiletries at his apartment. We’re going after DNA, of course. Here’s the kicker, the unidentified prints in the bathroom don’t match those on the wine glasses.”
“Wait a minute,” Moran said. “There are two sets of unidentified prints? Tell me again, Goddard, because that doesn’t fit. You said the bed was messed up and a wine glass was on each nightstand. I get that picture so far, but the prints on the wine glasses don’t match the prints found on the female items in the bathroom.”
“Indicating a second woman,” Goddard suggested. “I say woman because of the lipstick trace on the rim of the glass. As expected, there are the usual other unidentified prints around in other places. In the kitchen, CSI found a large shard of a cup under a cabinet recessed toe-kick apparently undetected, out of sight. We figure whoever picked up the other pieces overlooked it. That one piece had an oily film on it, smelled like insecticide. Reid’s prints are on that shard, remember he admitted he dropped a cup.”
“The apartment wasn’t disturbed otherwise, no apparent robbery,” the chief said. “On the face of it, Towson was murdered between two, the time on the service receipt, and six when Tony Hackett went to the apartment to pick him up.”
