‘Is this really all about vandalism? You seem to be very involved to simply stop a teenager from disfiguring a few signs. I wouldn’t expect a detective of your stature to be looking into this sort of crime.’
‘You’re a smart cookie, Lae. No it’s much more than petty vandalism, but if I tell you, you must keep it to yourself.’
Darnell looked to the student who had opened his eyes to this whole new world of Lincoln; a world he didn’t necessarily want to see, but needed to if he was ever to bring the President home. Lae was a quiet, understated girl who appeared to have few friends. He was sure he could count on her.
‘I’d love to help you more. I can help if I know what this is all about. I won’t say anything, I promise.’
‘The reason Oak Ridge Cemetery is closed is because someone stole Abraham Lincoln’s body.’
Lae’s mouth dropped open. ‘Oh my God, this is terrible. They managed to do it this time? I read there had been attempts before.’
‘Yeah, and boy are these people smart. And it isn’t ransom that they’re seeking this time. They’re trying to send us some sort of message which I think is trying to expose Lincoln to be far from the heroic being whom we place on a pedestal. And by all accounts they might be right.’
‘So in order to find the body, you have to uncover the message.’
‘And follow Lincoln’s life to the end. This has to be the most personal and emotional case I’ve ever followed.’
‘I have to go now, Detective Jackson.’ Lae sighed. She tried to offer him money for the coffee, but he shook his hand, shooing her pennies away. ‘But if you need any more information on Lincoln, you know where to find me. You’re a good detective. I know you’ll find Lincoln and bring him home.’
‘I sure hope so, thank you, Lae. You’ve been so helpful. It might not be the answer I wanted to hear today, but you’ve opened my eyes into what I potentially need to see if I’m ever going to bring President Lincoln back to Springfield.’
Darnell left the church and walked back to his car. He lifted out his cell phone and spotted a string of voicemails and missed calls, all from Vanessa. He dialled her back.
‘Darnell, where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you all morning.’
‘Sorry, I slept in,’ Darnell lied. ‘I’m up now, what’s up?’
‘I need you here, I think we’re close on making our first arrest.’
Chapter 15
‘So tell me again how you got to this point?’ Darnell asked Vanessa as they departed the station in his vehicle. They were en-route to question Rick Spabrunt, a surprise to Detective Jackson, who on their last review of the case had marked him as a victim rather than a suspect after he was discovered vomiting when the police arrived.
‘I was reviewing the tapes and I came across this grizzly character in two different locations within a week of the body being snatched,’ Vanessa said. She carefully side-stepped her investigation into her colleague’s son and instead focused on the evidence they had at hand.
After showing the initial tape from Indiana to her boss, she requested and reviewed tapes from other locations and spotted the same person in the Lincoln birthplace in Kentucky. What she’d failed to tell Darnell was that she’d had suspicions prior to reviewing the second tape after seeing the suspect with her colleague’s son in Springfield at the cabin with the Confederate flag. It was too soon and she wanted to build up more evidence before she brought this very personal element of the case forward to her colleague.
‘And it’s then that Commander Hill reviewed the tape and linked it to Rick Spabrunt?’
‘Yes, well we think they’re the same person. They have similar faces. It’s hard to tell really from the tapes; one has hair and wears a suit and glasses, while the other has a shaved head with piercings and tattoos. Nothing that a wig and a few alterations when it comes to his choice in clothing won’t cover. But they have similar facial features. I’d recognise that distinctive nose anywhere. It possibly isn’t the same person but we can’t just overlook it.’
‘And what about his sidekick? Carl Bradshaw? I still think he’s fishy.’
‘We’ve got nothing on him.’ Vanessa shrugged.
‘Yet… We’ve got nothing on him yet,’ Darnell replied, eager to get something on the man who had not only avoided testing to clear him of any involvement but also had a strong connection to Chuck Cunningham.
‘From what I’ve witnessed in my short time on the force, people don’t like their fluids being tested. If he does have an association to Chuck Cunningham in any way, he probably doesn’t want us keeping his DNA on file. It is his right after all until we formally have him as a suspect and I’m sure his lawyer reminded him of that.’
‘So have the office confirmed anything on the backgrounds on the students we sent over yesterday?’ Darnell changed the subject.
‘Yeah, Krasinksi is a good Jewish boy. Never said boo to a goose. I’ve also taken some time to look at areas he could’ve been going with his essay but I’ve struggled to find any literature online that says anything to the contrary than Lincoln offered his full support for his Jewish citizens, so God knows where he’s going to go with that theory.’
‘And Lae?’ Darnell nervously asked, keeping his own secrets from his colleague following his morning coffee with the student.
‘Again, same as Krasinski. No previous convictions since she came to America in 2010. We’re waiting for confirmation from Interpol on her background in Hong Kong, but otherwise she’s clean.’
‘And Poppy Shipman?’
‘Your favourite.’
