Homewrecker Ch. 03

"The only thing I can think of," said Steve Ruger, "is that she knew something about him that was about to come out, so he had to silence her to keep it buried."

"In a similar vein," said Nell Bell, "maybe she knew something and tried to blackmail him. And that didn't work out very well for her."

"Which could apply to almost any of our suspects," said Jerome, "or to suspects we haven't developed yet. But you're right, and it's possible motive for Darryl."

"The only problem I have with those ideas," said Julia, "is that it's not really congruous with what happened in our County."

"How do you mean?" asked Nell.

"Let me see if I can put this in a good flow of words." Julia said, trying to marshal her thoughts. "Well, for example, we don't know why Beryl was in our Town & County, especially since we're not strong on the idea of her being a hooker. So it's a bit fantastic that Dawson would be here in Midtown, hear about Beryl in our Town, get transportation and the tools to kill her, like the knife, then be able to go up there and do it, all on the fly."

"And the room key was used only once that night." said Jerome. "So while it's not physically impossible for him to be the one to have the key and get in, it's kind of sketchy right now."

"Yes sir, those are good points." Nell conceded. She handed Jerome a jump drive and said: "Here's what we got on Dawson while you were driving down here. Mostly financial stuff, but our I.A. has bumped up against Dawson while they investigated dirty cops schmoozing with dirty politicians."

"Thanks." said Jerome. "Any little bit of information helps..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Think she'll ask for a plea deal?" Paulina asked. "You've just about got him tied up with a big red bow."

"No." said Tanya. "If he was guilty and they knew it, I don't think she would have come in at all. They would've left him flappin' in the breeze. And unless he confesses to her now, I don't see why she'd offer a plea deal at this time. She at least wants to see what we have, first."

Ten minutes later, Coleman and Newman came back into I-1, having been called back in by Gwen Munson.

"Against my advice, my client will answer your questions, but reserves the right to invoke at any time." Gwen said.

"Of course." said Roark Coleman. "Bart, were you in bed with Deborah Wilkins Thursday night?"

"Yes." said Bart. "Listen, let me just tell you the whole story. I met Deborah months ago, right after Kara Zorn hired me to work with the Asian employees to speak American English more clearly and naturally. Deborah and I began dating, and it's now to the point we're pretty much a couple. So yeah, I was with Deborah."

"All Thursday night? Before you went to her room with her?" asked George Newman.

"Yes." said Bart. "I went with Deborah to the Inner Circle reception with Elliot Sanders and his wife. I've helped her some with her English diction, as well---"

"Wait." said Roark Coleman. "You say that Elliot Sanders knows you? Personally?"

"Yes." said Bell. "Not that we're friends or anything. I'm just one of his many minions."

"Okay." said Roark. "Keep going."

Bart Bell kept going: "We were at the reception, at least for the beginning, then Deborah checked with her Event Staff people to make sure everything was ready for people coming in Friday. She gave me my room key then, but of course I went up to her room instead. That was about 10:00pm. I went back to my room, 404, the next morning, to shower and shave and get ready for my presentation."

"And you did not leave the room all night?" Newman asked.

"No, not until the next morning." said Bell.


"Sounds simple enough." said Gwen Munson. "So my client is free to go?"

*Whirrrrrrrrrrr*

The anteroom door opened, and in drove Captain Tanya Perlman. "No, Ms. Munson," she said, "your client is not free to go. We've just obtained an arrest warrant for Bart Bell, for suspicion of murder in the first degree. We're holding him at least through the weekend until his arraignment Monday."

Bart Bell's face fell into his hands in helpless frustration. "I'm telling you the truth! I didn't kill anyone!"

"Bart," said Tanya, "we need corroboration of your story, and Deborah and the rest of the MegaTech people got out of this County just as fast as they could... and they left you behind."

"No they didn't!" hissed Gwen Munson. "They sent me here to represent you, Bart. They have not abandoned you. These cops are lying to you, because they don't have anything on you. Anything at all! Just keep your mouth shut from now on, and don't talk to them without me here..."

Part 14 - The Blue Dress

We all got back right around 1:00pm. I went to my office and typed up all my notes of my interviews with DeAngelo, Taggart, Adams, and Mrs. Dawson, as well as the examination of Beverly DeAngelo's quarters. Then I read Davis and Julia's reports, Nell Bell's data, and watched Coleman and Newman's interviews with various suspects.

*Whirrrrrrrrrrr*

Cpt. Tanya Perlman drove into my office through the door that was opened for her by Lt. Mary Milton, and parked herself in front of my desk.

"You might as well sit down, too, Lieutenant Milton." I said. "Getting some practice executing no-knock warrants, Ms. Perlman?"

Tanya grinned and said "Just thought I'd shake you up a little bit after you got to have fun flying that helicopter all over the place."

"I'll have Commander Croyle teach you how to fly the Whirlybat." I replied. "Whaddya got?"

Tanya deferred to Mary, who said "I checked on where Deborah Wilkins was at the time of her parents' dying in that house fire. No joy on two-year-old credit card records, but I did look to see what was going on with MegaTech Industries. They had a a major conference that same weekend, in Chicago. It might be a dangerous assumption, but she likely was there, at the conference."

"Very likely." I said. "And that was excellent thinking to look for that. Good work. So, what else?"

Tanya said "The Crime Lab came back with a lot of analysis of the forensic evidence, and there was something that really stood out." She extended a file folder to me. I took it, and perused the contents.

"Oh wow." I said. "I forgive you for barging in like that. So they found blood traces in the shower, and the blood was Beverly DeAngelo's?"

"Yes sir." said Tanya. "It typed to her blood factors, and the early DNA markers match her DNA. They're still running more advanced tests. They're also looking for the killer's DNA so that if we name a suspect, we can do a comparison. Bart Bell is our first and prime candidate for that... er, Don?"

I was in a reverie, a deep one. When I came out of it, Mary and Tanya were staring at me. "You realize what this means, don't you?" I asked.

"It means we found Beverly's blood in the shower." said Tanya. "What that infers to you is once again beyond me."

"Me, too." said Mary.

"Uh, is Joan Laurer here today?" I asked.

"She's in Vice now." said Tanya...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Vice Squad's Sr. Patrolman Joan Laurer came with me and Lt. Cmdr. Teresa Croyle into the Evidence Room downstairs. Laurer was wearing a uniform, with dark blue shirt, while Teresa was in uniform with a light blue shirt. Both were wearing dark blue pants.

"Thanks for coming down, Ms. Laurer." I said to the tall, large-breasted, statuesque brunette. "You are about 5'10" tall, broad shoulders, what one might call 'statuesque'. About the same height and body type as Beverly DeAngelo, the victim at the Hyatt Hotel. Would you agree, Commander Croyle?"

"Yes sir." said Teresa. "Officer Laurer is a wee bit taller, but I agree on the body type."

"Officer Laurer," I said, picking up an evidence bag. "Put on these latex gloves, and let's examine this evidence, shall we?" Joan put on the latex gloves that were on the Evidence Room counter. I already had gloves on, and I opened the bag as the Evidence Supervisor videotaped us. Joan reached in and took out the clothes... Beverly DeAngelo's clothes from the crime scene.

"What is your professional evaluation of these clothes?" I asked Joan. "Would they fit you?"

"No sir." said Joan, holding up the dress. If the top were on her shoulders properly, the hemline would be above Joan's uniform belt. "This would be way too short, and too snug, too. I doubt I could squeeze into it."

"It's more my length," said the shorter Teresa Croyle, "but I don't know if I could fit into it either. It'd be too tight."

"And let's note that there is no blood on it," I said, "so it is more than unlikely that Beverly DeAngelo was wearing it when she was murdered. What about this bra, Ms. Laurer?"

"Too small for me, even if the cup size was right... which it's not." said Joan. "And the bra size does not match the dress size, sir.

"That's interesting." I said.

"Sir..." Joan said, 'there's one more thing, though it may not be anything..."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Sir," Joan said, "this is a standard white bra that female Police Officers would wear as part of the full complement of underwear we are expected to wear. But it's not what I'd expect a working girl to be wearing on a date. They'd wear a lace underwire bra or nothing, but this basic, boring bra? I don't see it, sir."

"Outstanding observation, Ms. Laurer." I said. "I agree with your analysis. Thanks for the demo on camera. Let's put that video into evidence, and let's go back upstairs." Teresa fist-bumped Joan as I put the evidence back into the bag and turned it back in...

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"So what this means is this." I said to the assembled Detectives in MCD, including Vice Sr. Patrolman Laurer. "The blood in the shower was spattered onto the killer when he slit Beverly's throat. He showered hastily, and left the blood remnant. But it's likely that he changed clothes, and that means he had a change of clothes with him."

"Makes sense." said Teresa Croyle, and rather acerbically.

"That caused me to re-think Beverly's clothes, and I realized something I saw yesterday but did not properly observe." I said. "And I should have. The clothes in the pile were too small to fit Beverly. Ergo, they were brought into the hotel by the killer beforehand. He, and I'm dangerously assuming it's a 'he', left the clothes we found in a puddle on the floor, along with the 'boring' bra that was too small for Beverly. He took her clothes, which likely had been bloodied, out of the room with him."

"But why?" asked Tanya Perlman. "So we don't get his DNA?"

"Maybe, but I'm thinking it's more." I said. "I think he did it to create a scene for us to see. The killer wanted us to think Beverly had been stripteasing for him, and this is one reason I think it's a man that did the murder. And he did that so that we would think she was a prostitute stripping for him in preparation for sex with him."

"Why do that?" asked Tanya again.

I said "First, to give the impression that the killer was sitting on the sofa, with her in front of him, which was likely not the actual case. But it was also to advance the idea that Beverly was an escort, and was at the Hotel as an escort, paid to give someone sex. And when criminals start getting big ideas like this, and make things complex... is when they make mistakes and make it easy for us."

"So you're saying this gets us to the killer?" Cindy asked, her voice a mixture of skepticism and amazement.

"No," I replied, "but it eliminates some things, which helps me a lot. It also does show one thing... premeditation. And that will help us make the first degree murder charge stick---"

"Crowbar!" growled Sheriff Griswold as he came into MCD via the back hallway entrance. "We need you in the Chief's Conference Room, pronto!"

"Yes sir." I said. As I walked to the door, I said "Let's meet in Classroom 'E' at 3:00pm.."

Part 15 - It Ain't Paranoia...

I went into the Chief's Conference Room. Mayor Daniel Allgood was sitting at the table, his back to the door. Sheriff Allgood said he'd go visit the Intelligence Center while I talked to Daniel.

I went in and poured us both cups of coffee, then sat down opposite Daniel, facing the door, my back to the window that looked out at the bleachers where we conducted the Promotions and Medals ceremonies.

"I came by to update you on this DOJ thing?" he said.

"Sure." I said. "What's the status on it?"

"They filed the papers yesterday afternoon with Federal Judge K.M. Landis." Daniel said. "They tried to go to Ruth B. Taney, but Landis overrode her and took the case himself. He also issued an order that he personally would be taking any and all civil rights issues in our district's Federal Courts."

"That's good." I said. "At least we'll get a fair shake. So they're announcing it Monday?"

"Probably." said Daniel. "They worked through initial hearings and motions today. My lawyer is Andrew Cardigan, who is FBI Special Agent in Charge Ashton Cardigan's brother. Cy Hart is working with him."

"Cardigan was John Cummings's lawyer when Katherine Woodburn stole the election from him, wasn't he?" I asked.

"Yes." said Daniel. "And it wasn't his fault the Republican Establishment joined with the Democrats to ensure Cummings's defeat." (Author's note: 'Hot Wives Investment Club', Ch. 04.) "Cardigan is experienced in the Federal Courts, and he absolutely hates the DOJ Civil Rights Division."

I nodded. "Sounds good, and I'm glad you have the additional help of Cy Hart." Cy Hart was Dr. P. Harvey Eckhart's legal eagle, also.

Allgood nodded, then said "So why are they coming after me so hard? Just because I put Reginald B.F. Lewis in his place? And he was the one who was charged and had to take the plea deal."

"That's true." I said. "But they don't care about the truth in implementing their agenda. My question for you is: Why were hackers trying to get into the I.A.'s files during the specific times you were the head of I.A.?"

Daniel looked around the room and said "Is this room bugged? Can we be overheard?"

"No." I said as I got up and went around the table, having already turned on the bug-killer. "But let's speak softly." I sat down in the chair next to him.

"And carry big crowbars." Daniel quipped. "I don't know why they targeted those files."

"I think I do." I said softly. "Look, we both know that Melina hates blacks, and why. What is not so well-known is that you are not, and never have been, a friend of the black community. I believe the Feds are hoping to get I.A. papers that will show you discriminated against blacks, or at the least did nothing to stop Harold Malone's aggressive anti-black policies and actions when he was here."

Daniel nodded. "Yeah. There was a lot of stuff... a lahhhhht of stuff... that I knew about, and could've hit him with, or gone to the Press about it and let them take Malone down. But I didn't. I didn't actively help him in any way, I never covered anything up or intervened to stop investigations that did occur, especially once Griswold became Chief. But I let a lot of stuff slide."

"And it's very hard to prove a negative, to prove something that isn't there." I said. "I do think the Feds are fishing, hoping to find something, anything, so they can really put the screws to you and force you out as Mayor. But it's also more. You're just gravy if they can get you. It's the Town & County Police they're really after."

"Why? For what reason?" Daniel asked.

"I believe they want to force us into a Consent Decree, whereby they will absolutely own us." I replied. "The Swamp Frogs are hating my guts after taking down both the older and younger Blassingames, Superior Bloodlines, Les Craig, and all their others, and they especially hate me for perp-walking that filthy turd Mitt Willis to his death. That one embitters them to this day."

I continued: "Anyway, they really want to get something on the Police, so they can tie us in knots, and prevent us from enforcing the law when enforcing the law is most needed. I believe there is going to be an effort to gin up racial hatred based on Police brutality. All they need is for an incident of a white Police Officer to harm or kill a black citizen... whether for real or made up... and the Press and the Antifa thugs and the 'Black Voices Raised' Marxists will take it from there and gin up violence and chaos."

"I heard they were doing that nationwide." Daniel said. "So why are they focusing on here, on our Town & County?"

"Oh, they're doing it all over." I said. "But Sheriff Griswold has done a lot, one hell of a lot more than he'll ever get credit for, to foster good relations between the black community and law enforcement. And I've been able to help in a few places along the way, like the Charter as well as the Nathaniel Jones trial." (Author's note: 'Case of the Black Badge', Ch. 01.)

I continued: "Things between blacks and the Police nationwide are getting worse, aided and abetted by a rabidly dishonest, corrupt American Mainstream Media. And it will take only one incident for all that goodwill, for years of good effort and hard work, to be flushed down the toilet. They know they have to destroy the good will the Sheriff has built up, and my reputation with the black community, and that's one of their goals."

"What can we do?" asked Allgood. "What can I do to help with this?"

"Fight. Fight like hell." I said. "I think they're hoping they can gin something up on you to try to force you to capitulate, and their demand will be for you to sign the Consent Decree against the Police when they bring their case against us. No matter what, tell them 'Not only no, but HELL no'. Don't let them blackmail you nor shake you down like they shake down corporations for billions of dollars..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As I walked back into my office, my Police iPhone rang. I answered it.

"Hi there. Cop." said a woman's voice, which I recognized as Rita's. "Busy?"

"Always, but I'll make time for you." I replied. "How can I help you?"

"It's how I can help you. Cop." said Rita. "I checked around. Beverly DeAngelo, who goes by 'Beryl' with different last names, wasn't escorting, and wasn't running an agency. She's been almost completely out of sight the last six months, and when she was seen, it was in Southport. My sources in the 'glitz and glamour' scene said she hasn't been seen in months, and she just seemed to have disappeared."

"Someone threatening her?" I asked.

"I don't know. Cop." said Rita. "But here's where it got fun: I had other sources telling me that she had been at that MegaTech Industries event in Palmyra County where Kara Zorn showed up, then Kara suddenly had to leave town and won't come back to this State? You wouldn't know anything about that, would you? Cop?"

"Nothing I can talk about." I replied laconically. "So Beryl was at that MegaTech event, and came over all dead at a MegaTech event here? You know what I think of coincidences, don't you Rita?"

"No. Cop." said Rita playfully. "You'll have to tell me all about it when you and your lovely wife come to visit me... soon."

"Okay, we will." I said. "Any idea which MegaTech executive Beverly was trying to get her hooks into?"

"Mmmmmmm, I like the way you think. Cop." said Rita. "But I have no idea. Okay, I gotta go. See you soon. Cop." The line went dead. I sat down and typed up the notes of the conversation, not naming Rita but saying she was a C.I...

Part 16 - Theorizing With Data

At 3:00pm, Saturday, November 16th, the Detectives and Police Leadership assembled in Classroom 'E' for a meeting. Vice Officer Joan Laurer was there at my invitation, as well. I wanted her to see what was in her future if she kept doing the great job she was doing.