Return of the Black Widow Ch. 03

"Is the threat of a green crowbar beatdown involved in his agreement?" I asked, my eyes glancing sideways at my Captain of Detectives.

"Not much gets by you, Don." said Della. Cindy just assumed an innocent look on her face that fooled no one present.

"Sir," said Mary, "the Campus Police and our Officers have done interviews and I've collated their expedited reports. Everyone on Campus that knew Jason Solomon was shocked by his death. No one knew of any enemies he had, anyone who had threatened to harm him or had argued, meaning really argued, with him in the past."

"Any idea on a timeline for him last night?" I asked.

"The Black Student Union had a meeting last night." said David Krueger. "He was there from 7:30 until at least 10:30 when the meeting ended. There were two speakers at the meeting, one talking about the history of integrating colleges in the South back in the 1960s and 1970s, and the other discussing the role of the Black Student Union on campus and working with the State Legislature to pass bills the Black Community wants passed. According to Detective Washington, who interviewed the BSU members along with Sergeant Carswell, nothing in the meeting was inflammatory nor overly political.

"After the meeting," said Krueger, "Solomon left to go back to his dorm room. He was enrolled in the Summer semester. However, his roommate said he never came home last night, and his roommate didn't worry about it, thinking he'd probably gone home with a girl."

"Is the roommate black or white... or 'other'?" I asked.

"Black." said Mary. "He is also in the Black Student Union, but had stayed home to study for exams."

Just then my Police cellphone chimed, indicating an email deemed 'urgent'. I looked at it. "Ah," I said, "T-Square has sent an email. Hmmm... a personal services contract offer for Captain Ross..."

Cindy glared at me. I continued, unperturbed: "Ah, he says this kid Solomon is a University student, has a job tutoring football players and other athletes, and was an intern for Councilman Reginald B.F. Lewis last summer. T-Square says Solomon had no dealings with anyone T-Square is connected with."

"Nothing we didn't know already." Mary said. "We knew about the connection to Councilman Lewis, and Theo has made an appointment to talk with the Councilman this evening."

"Good." I said. After a moment I realized I'd gone into a reverie.

"Any ideas, Commander?" asked the Chief.

"Let me ask everyone... anyone see any connections between our two 'New Black Widow' victims?" I asked in reply.

"Both were Management majors." said Cindy. "Then there's the mirror-image relationship of one being in a Good Ole Boy fraternity and the other in the Black Student Union."

"Stating the obvious, sir," said Krueger, "they were both college students, and Patrick was visiting the University, while Solomon was an enrolled student."

"Good point, and we should not make the mistake of overlooking the seemingly obvious." I said. "And adding to it: both were either on or very near the Campus when they disappeared. That could be important."

"I've already talked to Campus Police Commissioner Robinson." said Chief Moynahan. "They're stepping up patrols, and we're going to send a few patrols through to help them out, as will the Sheriff's Department. President Wellman called Sheriff Allgood asking for that assistance, to make it formal and keep things tidy."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. The Duty Desk Sergeant looked in. "Commander, Dr. Bonnie Karpathian is in the front lobby. She says the Sheriff asked her to come down so you can brief her on this latest Black Widow killing."

Everyone was in shock, and I groaned out loud. "Thanks, Sergeant. Ask her to wait in the waiting room and someone will come to get her." The Sergeant left.

"I feel like going and hiding somewhere." I said. "I don't want to be mean to Bonnie, but I am not briefing her on this."

"I'll handle her." said the Chief.

"I'll hide in Captain Ross's office until she passes by." I said. "Then I'll sneak downstairs where she's not allowed to go. Maybe I'll get in some range time, even though Captain Ross needs it more than I do."

"That sounds like a challenge with a bet behind it." said Cindy. "And it is accepted."

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

Cindy won the shooting contest. Consider me not surprised. For her reward, I offered her an evening with my family at the Mountain Nest, complete with being fed supper, having Carole 'read' to her, and petting Bowser and Buddy. She said she'd take a raincheck, as she and Callie were going out to dinner tonight.

My mother did join us for supper. Afterwards, she and Laura put the children to bed while I took the dogs out to do their business. As I sat outside waiting for them, I considered the two crimes of the new Black Widow. But my thoughts kept drifting to other things.

"Yes, you should be wondering what is going on with the Sheriff." I heard my mother's voice say from behind me. She then came around and sat down beside me.

"Taking up psychic lessons, Mom?" I asked. "I thought you didn't like P. Harvey Eckhart."

"You're right about that, son." my mother said. "As to what you're thinking... a mother knows."

"And what's your answer?" I asked.

"Daniel Allgood is a good man, and he means well." my mother said. "But he lacks one quality that you possess: he cannot handle pressure very well, certainly not as well as you do."

"And he's under pressure?" I asked.

"Oh, yes." my mother said. "You're able to handle the fact that your wife is a CIA Agent obligated to withhold secrets from you. Daniel has not understood that of his wife. Daniel still does not understand why his wife was beaten up so badly on the day you destroyed that despicable Consultant of Crime. I don't understand that either, perhaps you do, son?"

"Nope." I said. "I have not figured that one out, at least not yet."

"And being Sheriff is a very political position." my mother said. "He has this Robert Brownlee situation to deal with. It's easy for you to deal with; it's very difficult for him, especially with Public Health Officer Loran Michaels going to the Media about him, the Sheriff. And then he has this rebellious young Police Commander to deal with."

"I wouldn't be 'rebellious' if he'd let me do my frickin' job." I mumbled. "And that part of it, I don't understand. I think I've demonstrated that I do a pretty good job. Help me to understand his problem with that, Mom. And with me."

"Oh, I have no idea." said my mother. "What I do know is that there is a conflict somewhere, and it is creating a conflict within Daniel. And it is that conflict, and the root of it, that is our key to understanding everything else. Now let me ask you this before I go back to my apartment and you talk to Laura: do you have any idea what these Black Widow killings are about?"

"I have some ideas, Mom." I said. "But I can't prove a damn thing right now, nor do I even see where to start finding the evidence to prove it."

Part 12 - Into the Parlor

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" Bettina yelled at 7:00am, Thursday, August 11th, from in front of City Hall. "Channel Two News has learned that Public Health Officer Loran T. Michaels will run for the Town & County Council seat vacated by the death of Pastor Raymond K. Westboro! Mr. Michaels says he is running to, and I quote, 'rein in the actions of the most arrogant Sheriff in the State'. Mr. Michaels has expressed strong opposition to Sheriff Daniel Allgood's plan to put former Police Deputy Chief Robert Brownlee into an equivalent position in the Public Health Department."

"In other news," continued Bettina, "Police still have no clues in a second murder believed to have been committed by a copycat killer imitating the methods of serial killer Angela Harlan, a.k.a. The Black Widow. SBI Director Jack Lewis, who is running for Governor, said that the Town & County Police should call in the SBI to help solve these cases, and avail themselves of the superior resources of the State-level organization. Sheriff Daniel Allgood has stated that he expects the TCPD to solve these murders quickly and he expects them to prevent future killings, as well."

Bettina continued: "Police Chief Sean Moynahan stated that he wants no help from the same SBI whose Agent Leonard Sharples tried to assassinate his Police Commander, and that he trusts Commander Troy and his team to solve the copycat killings."

"That is ridiculous." said Teresa Croyle as we watched the Bettina broadcast.

"Which part?" I asked.

"All of it." said Teresa. Have I mentioned that others share my deep hatred of the Press?

"Hey, Theo!" called out Cindy Ross. "What's this I hear about your cousin being on the Enemy football team?"

"He's not with State Tech." I said. "He signed with the Wildcats."

"That's even worse." said Cindy, taking a direct shot at me. "Now Theo and Franklin are going to be going around in red jerseys..." She sighed.

"I went to Eastern State, in the State east of us here, ma'am." said Theo. "But yeah, I hope Jamaal does well." Jamaal Washington was a tall, strong wide receiver who had committed to the Wildcats. He was a true Freshman, but expected to play for Coach Richmond's offense this year.

"I hope he does well, too." I said, then added for Cindy's benefit: "Especially this October across the street." A green crowbar was waved in my general direction.

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

"Okay," I said at the 'Crowbar-level' meeting, "Nothing new nor exciting from the Crime Lab reports. The Mouseketeers report no connection between Solomon and Reece Patrick, nor any connection between any of their families. Simply nothing to connect these two young men... except they're young men and college students."

"That in itself might be a clue, sir." said Lt. Teresa Croyle. "The absence of a connection is in itself something of importance."

"You are most very correct, Lieutenant." I said. "It is important. Okay, any new agenda items?"

"Just some new State regulations on crime scenes." said Cindy. "Nothing we don't already do: securing the scene, setting up blinds or tents to keep people from seeing too much, collection and identification of evidence, videotaping of the crime scene."

"Email that to all of us." I said. "Let's make sure our ducks are in a row at the crime scenes."

"Sir," said Teresa, "I've got something. It may be small, and we're just developing it, but since Pastor Westboro died, there may be someone coming in trying to set up a gambling operation. They may be doing it alternatively on and off Campus."

"Who's behind it?" I asked.

"Early reports are a guy named Harry Silver." Teresa said. "Small-time bookie, was in Southport but Jimmy 'Coffin' Cerone's Mobsters ran him out of there and revoked his 'Southport privileges'. He's currently believed to be operating tables somewhere in the City, and with Westboro gone, he thinks he can get puppy points and become a Made Man if he can successfully set up here."

"For all his many, many faults," I said, "Westboro was no fan of the basic vices: Gambling, Drugs, Prostitution. Unless he was running those operations himself, of course. Lieutenant, we will have to show Mr. Silver the error of his ways if he tries to come into our County."

"Yes sir, we will." Teresa said, the look on her face being one criminals did not want to see...

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

"Sir, ma'am," said the Duty Desk Sergeant to me and Cindy, coming into my office at 9:15am, "we've got another one."

"Shit." I muttered. "Where?"

"Safe-Mart, on Meridian Avenue." said the Sergeant. The Safe-Mart was a small grocery store, just west of the bars and apartments on the west side of University Avenue, named after its founder. Students and 'Millennials' often went there, allowing the store to compete with the Krogers and other big-store chains.

"Thanks, Sergeant. All right, Captain, let's go." I said, grabbing my red crowbar.

We got into my Police SUV and drove over. My vehicle was allowed through the cordon that blocked off the alleyway to the back of the store. After parking, we went towards a back door entrance, giving our vital stats to Patrolman Culver.

"Why is Patrolman Culver always the one taking our numbers?" I asked Cindy as we walked towards Sergeant Irwin.

"Because he does it well, and because he has no interest in the Detective track." Cindy replied. I couldn't complain about that.

"Okay, Sergeant Irwin, what's going on?" I asked.

"Sir," said Sergeant Irwin, his voice connoting warning, "the Sheriff is already here, and he brought Dr. Karpathian."

"What?!" Cindy almost screamed.

"Easy, Crowbar 2." I admonished. I led the way inside, where Officer Phil Goodwright led us to a back warehouse room. Among the boxes of canned food was the crime scene. The Crime Lab people and Martha the M.E. were examining the body of a man in his late thirties or early forties, tied to a metal chair with a black seat cushion, pants pulled down to his knees.

Sheriff Allgood was talking to Bonnie Karpathian at the edge of the crime scene. She smiled brightly at us as we came up and was about to speak, then realized that my face matched Cindy's in stone-cold anger at her presence as well as the Sheriff's. Cindy outright glared at them. I nodded to them but did not speak as I went up to within 3 feet of the body, and crouched down to peer at it.

The 'Black Widow' markings were on his lower abdomen, just above his groin. Either his penis was not engorged, or it was very small. "I guess there have to be some short-dicked men to make that five inch average work, eh, Captain?" I said to Cindy.

"Sounds about right, Commander." Cindy replied as I noted that the hourglass in the black circle were much smaller than those on past victims, barely the size of a Kennedy half dollar.

"Commander," said Martha the M.E., "I am not convinced that this man achieved an erection at all. I'll know more after the autopsy, but I don't think he got it up, even with drugs being injected into him."

"No condom, either." said J.R. Barnes. "And I'm not finding any residual semen, so far. So I think Martha may be right, and this guy didn't get it up."

"Interesting." I said, which caused the Sheriff to peer hard at me. Bonnie was just watching, seemingly fascinated by the process.

"Sir," said J.R. Barnes, "this guy was not hit in the back of the head at all."

"Air bubble in the bloodstream, Martha?" I asked the M.E. as she examined the body.

"Could be." Martha said. "Definitely a syringe injection. And before you ask, time of death was between midnight and 1:00am."

"Thanks." I said. Then I called out: "Sergeant Irwin! Who called this in?"

"If I may begin at the beginning, sir..." Irwin said.

"By all means." I replied.

"His name is Bert Cooper." Irwin said. "He's thirty-nine years old and he was the evening shift manager. He was usually the last to leave, and he locked up after they close at 12:00 midnight. He was found here this morning by the morning shift employees coming in. They called 9-1-1. We're getting the names of evening shift people so we can send Officers to interview them as quickly as possible."

I nodded. "Excellent. Captain Ross, where is Lt. Masters?"

"At Headquarters, working with Myron and Mary to get any evidence from any cameras in the area." Cindy replied. "I asked him to do that, so if that's wrong, blame me, not him."

"No, that's fine." I said, inwardly elated that Cindy was stepping up and taking responsibility for her people, even though Lt. Masters probably should be here. "So, J.R., anything in the room or building that could be of interest to us?"

"Very little, sir." said Barnes. "They do a good job of cleaning and waxing the floors, so there's no dust to give us any impressions. There are camera in the grocery store areas, and we have those tapes. There is only one camera in these back office areas, which is trained upon the safe in the manager's office. The safe is undisturbed, and it appears that no money nor any merchandise has been stolen. Cooper's car is in the front parking lot, and a team is dusting it down for prints."

"Ms. Universe," I said to Cindy, lowering my voice, "would you please ask the Sheriff how he came to hear about this crime and arrive so quickly? I'll be looking at the body."

I examined the body more closely as Cindy went over and talked to the Sheriff and Bonnie. I noticed that the man's fingernails were clipped, not chewed on nor bitten, and that his face had no razor cuts nor razor burns. I also noticed that his hands were zip-tied behind the chair.

Cindy came back over to me. I said "I'm finished here, Captain. Anything you want to look at before we go?"

"No sir." said Cindy, her eyes showing suppressed anger.

As we were leaving, Sheriff Allgood called out "Leaving, Commander?" there seemed to be just a hint of mocking and acerbity in his voice, which irritated me. Other Officers noticed it, too, which irritated me even more that the Sheriff had called me out in front of my subordinates. I turned to face him.

"Yes, Sheriff." I said. "I've seen all I need to see here, and learned what I wanted to learn. I'm sure everything is equally obvious to you." With that, I turned and strode off, Cindy struggling to keep up without running.

Once we were in my Police SUV, Cindy said "Seriously? You know who is behind these killings?"

"Maybe." I said. "So, what did the Sheriff tell you?"

"He said he heard it on the Police Band radio and then called Dr. Karpathian." Cindy said. "Which is pure cow dung because we've had radio silence on these killings to keep the Press from finding out about them, and we're only communicating through cell phones. So I don't know..."

"He was tipped off." I said. "And he doesn't want us trying to figure out who his source is."

"With you it's never 'trying', it's succeeding." Cindy replied. "Scott Peterson, maybe?"

"Maybe." I said as we passed by the First Baptist Church property. "Wow, they cleared the church rubble pretty fast, and now they're marking off the new foundations for pouring."

"Yes, they're not wasting time rebuilding." said Cindy. "So, are you going to tell me what's going on here?"

"Let's get back to the office first." I replied.

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

"Cooper was divorced about four years ago." said David Krueger. "Wife moved out of State. No children from the marriage. He had an Associates Degree from Town Technical Institute. Worked at this Safe-Mart Grocery for two years now. Worked at the Kroger near the Northwest Mall before that. No social nor service clubs, no involvement in anything. Totally unexceptional guy."

We were in my office at 10:30am. With us was Myron, Mary, and Cindy. The Mouseketeers had quickly amassed what little data there was on Bert Cooper.

"He had a bankruptcy about four years ago." said Myron. "Coincident with his divorce. Didn't have much before that, but his wife really took him to the cleaners. Got some scoop on him having an affair, and the judge gave her everything."

"Probably didn't help him that his wife later married the lawyer that was representing her in the divorce." said Mary.

"Hoo boy." I said. "Don't get me started on the double standard of divorces."

"What are you complaining about?" inquired Cindy Ross, knowing my divorce from Melina had been amicable and without problems.

"I was the exception that proves the rule, mon ami." I replied. "Okay, any correlation at all to the other two copycat Black Widow victims?"

"Absolutely nothing." said Kreuger. "If either Reece Patrick or Jason Solomon went to that grocery store, they paid cash... because there are no records of them using credit or debit cards there. The FBI has absolutely nothing on Cooper being involved with any racial issues, nor being politically active. Cooper has no ties to the University that we know of, either."