The Hot Wife Photos Ch. 04

"Maybe, Mom, but there are a couple of possibilities, which I'll get to in a second." I said. "But you're right that it confirms the two cases are separate. Anyway, Chris had seen that his wife was beaten up. I don't know what she told him, but he knew something was very badly wrong. And when Emma didn't return home Sunday night, he was fearful for her safety, or perhaps she told him that she was going to hide or stay with other friends. So he stayed quiet, and he drank heavily, knowing that both she and he were in a world of shit and he had no idea how to get out of it."

I continued: "So what is all that about? Emma was holding those pics of the other man, possibly as a hedge against him. That means she knew he was a bad, bad man. Unfortunately... I think he got the pictures that might show who he is. He beat her up, or had her beat up, until she told him where the pictures were."

"Now, I know what you're thinking." I said. "The burglary did not happen for two more nights... why wait? My thinking is that Emma told this man something false, to try to keep him from knowing where the pictures of him really were. She may have thought she could hide her stuff among all the many photos Cassie had stored in her home."

"However... Emma turned up dead on Monday morning. Mr. Hairy Legs knew this, and so held off for a short period of time. However, whatever Emma had told him originally had not panned out, and he couldn't go back and beat another confession out of her. But... he knew enough to figure it out.

"He knew Emma and Cassie were friends, and he knew Cassie was a photographer. So he took the precaution to burgle Cassie's home, likely with a couple of subordinates helping him, and he took every photo, video, negative, camera, computer, and video storage device he could lay his filthy dirty hands upon. One of the subordinates took Sean's guitars for his own personal use, and someone got a nice new TV out of it, as well. And those served as distractions from the real object of the break-in: all photos and videos that might expose him."

"The way you're talking about this guy," Cindy said, her ice-blue eyes suddenly glowing with ice cold fire, "I think I know who you think he is."

"That is Iron Crowbar thinking, there... Crowbar 2." I said, our locked pairs of blue eyes needing no further words to understand that we were both thinking of our Shadow Man, the Consultant of Crime... our 'Moriarty'.

"So," I continued, before others could ask questions, "he burgled the Sanderson home. It is to Cassie and Sean's great fortune that they were not at home that night, or they might have ended up on slabs next to Emma in our morgue. He simply cleans out the place of any photos and videos that he finds, not knowing that Cassie has planted cellphones on Chris at Emma's house. Cassie may not have known about what Emma hid in her house, or Emma may have asked Cassie to hide the stuff. Either way, he found what he wanted. All of that potential evidence and information is now gone."

"So why would you not think this other man was Emma's killer?" asked Jenna Stiles.

"Ah, because I already knew who the killer was." I replied. "This other lover did not have to kill Emma... because by sheer coincidence, for him anyway, Cassie had already done so herself.

"Cassie took a few photos of Emma on Sunday, and what I think happened is that she suggested to apply more pancake makeup to Emma, but when she came up behind Emma it was to strangle her from behind! She did just that, then got the body into the trunk of her car and dumped it behind the Ladies Auxiliary Clubhouse, which she admitted she knew had no street camera coverage. She then went to the church service and to Marlena's.

"It was pre-meditated, too, as she had the clock ready to go, the stuff she needed in the car to take to Marlena's. The body was lying all night behind the Clubhouse, and was found the next morning."

"The poor woman." said Joanne Cummings, looking sad. "But why? Why did Cassie kill her?"

"I pretty much knew that Cassie was my primary suspect by the time I'd finished examining the burglary crime scene." I said. "The only thing I did not have was a good motive, which I would need to establish with a Jury in order to get a conviction. And I got no answer through interrogating any of them... until I heard about the child support payments."

"The alimony had just been cut in half when Sean turned 18." I said. "Cassie had very little money coming in, and she was tired of that. She had hoped to go into a catering business with Emma, but that turned bad when she found out that Emma was planning to leave her husband and fly with another man.

"Cassie naturally thought that man would be Sean, as Cassie knew Sean was in love with Emma. Indeed, Emma had Sean wrapped around her finger, and I suspect she had other lovers wrapped around her fingers, as well. But for Cassie, the thought of Sean moving out, thus completely ending the child support payments as well as not having the catering business with Emma, was too much. And Cassie pretty much admitted this in her confession. She said that Sean had told her that Emma was pregnant, Cassie assumed the baby was Sean's, and she didn't know that Emma had gotten an abortion.

"Now I am not at all sure that Sean is the man whom Emma wanted to leave her husband for and run away with, but I believe Emma may have planned to not be in Town by the time her husband got home on leave from his deployment. It is even possible she was just planning to move away by herself. This part is hazy because only Emma knew the truth, and she went to her grave with the secret."

"But Cassie killed Emma, then tried to set up Chris Washburn as the patsy. And no, Cassie and Chris did not like each other; in fact, they deeply hated each other, though they put on pretenses of friendliness for Emma's sake. Cassie planted the extra cell phones on Chris, and it may have been her that sent Chris some of the explicit photos of Emma having sex with Sean."

"So at this point, I thought that I had enough for a case, but I wanted something a bit more solid. And that is where my little trap with the reversed picture and the phone came in. I put all the phones out there, including Cassie's and the burners, then showed everyone the picture with the backwards clock. Seeing that her alibi was going to hell in a handbasket as I talked about a different time frame, she unthinkingly rushed to shore up her alibi by grabbing not her phone but the burner phone showing the real photograph that was uploaded. Of course, she exposed herself in doing so, and as Chief Griswold would say... that fish was landed."

I do have to admit it... I felt satisfaction at seeing the looks of total amazement on the faces of my colleagues, friends and family.

"Any questions?" I asked. That got laughter, which started slowly and then built up until everyone was beside themselves.

"My God! where do we start?" sputtered Molly.

"You didn't see everything." Cindy said. "I did, and I'm still just dumbstruck by all this."

"Four hundred years ago, Don..." said Jack Muscone, breaking the silence. "Four hundred years ago..." He was referring to previous jokes that I would've been burned at the stake... after a fair witch trial, of course.

"I have a question, Commander." said Theo Washington. "We never found a computer for Emma. Did she not have one? Or is it missing?"

I said "Cassie admitted that Emma sent most of the stuff to Chris from her, Cassie's, computer. But Cassie also said that Emma had a tablet of her own, which as all of you know are pretty much computers in and of themselves these days. And we have not found that tablet."

"Why did Chris go over to Cassie's and start trying to beat down the door?" asked Molly. "I mean, I know he was drunk, but why make that kind of confrontation when he knows he has to be a suspect?"

"That's exactly right... he was drunk." I replied. "I think he suspected Cassie had something to do with Emma's death, maybe thought both Cassie and Sean had something to do with it. So he goes over to confront them. Of course, that gets him put in jail--" I suddenly had a thought, and almost slipped into a reverie...

"Oh! I do have a question." Joanne Cummings said. "Where was Sean getting money from? What was he doing that had everyone clamming up and shutting down?"

"That's a good question." I said. "And I think it might be best if I maintain 'plausible deniability' on any knowledge of what Sean's income source might be. Cassie didn't know, and I have no reason to bring any problems down upon Sean."

"Ahhhh... of course" said Laura, sitting next to me, her voice barely a whisper. My eyes met my wife's; we just nodded at each other as I realized she had figured it out.. .and that very likely she was the only one in the room besides me that had the knowledge to do so.

"For me," my mother Phyllis said, "I'm wondering who is the father of Emma's baby, the one she aborted."

"I figured it was the guy who burgled the house." I said. "But we'll never know. Cassie said she didn't know, either."

I saw my mother looking right through me as she said "Son, perhaps that is something you should contemplate further." I peered at her, realizing that Mycroft was trying to give Sherlock a cluuuuuuue...

Part 16 - The Sean Sanderson Solution

Sure enough, a lot of beer in a lot of police officers meant people crashing at The Cabin. Molly and Ross were staying in the guest bedroom anyway, and Laura and I (and our children) were in the main bedroom. Joanne was sober, so she took Seth and Theo home. Jack gave Melina and Daniel a ride before taking Tanya and baby Pete home. Cindy and Teresa were crashing on the sofas in the greatroom and my mother on the sofa-bed in the front living room, at her own insistence despite Molly's attempts to give Phyllis the guest room bed. Of course, wherever Carole was, Bowser was nearby.

"So you figured it out about Sean? I asked Laura as we snuggled on the bed.

"Rita?" Laura asked.

"Yep." I said. "He's secretly one of her Satyrs at 'Lashes & Lace'. Not a bad gig, but technically it's male prostitution, so I didn't want to mention it."

Laura said "I realized that Marlena was a member there, and a frequent visitor. That might be where she met Sean, too. And that would be a reason everyone would not want to talk about his income from there."

"That's Iron Crowbar thinking, there." I said, nuzzling my wife's neck. "Want a job on the Force?"

"Hell no." Laura said, smiling her lovely smile. "Police Psychiatrist is enough for me. Besides," she said, reaching back and caressing my thigh, "I prefer being married to the hottest cop in Town than being one..."

As we drifted off to sleep, I was remembering...

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

I'd dressed in civilian clothes for the Study Group lunch because I knew where I was going afterwards. Chief Bennett was given a ride back to Headquarters by Sheriff Allgood, and I drove towards the area south of the University, to the office spaces that enclosed the 'Lashes & Lace' establishment. I didn't want to go in wearing a uniform, for obvious reasons.

Going inside, I saw a number of people in the front area having lunch. I headed to the right, to the "back bar" area. The two large men at the door knew me, and did not impede my entry to the room.

"Why hello! Cop." I heard the familiar voice say. Rita was in the back of the room, dressed in a shimmering electric blue dress, white stockings and white high-heel pumps. With her were two Goth women, dressed in black leather.

"Mmm," Rita said as I approached, "mock turtlenecks are soooooo out of fashion that they're almost the new thing. Only you can pull off that look, you delicious man." She got up and gave me a warm hug, followed by a warm kiss to my lips.

"You really have no idea what you are doing," Rita said, keeping her arms wrapped around me, "walking in here looking like this when I have not had sex in four... fucking...days. Cop."

"Maybe I can help you remedy that." I said, sliding my hands around the statuesque blonde's hourglass waist.

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

Gasping for breath after an hour of intense, exhausting sex, I lay on my back on the bed in Rita's downstairs office. Rita was snuggling into my side, finally satiated. It had taken a 'gray viagra' for me to keep up.

"Mmmm, that was very good. Cop." Rita said. "Soooo, why did you really come to see me?"

"Just a little informal fact-finding session." I said. "I just want you to confirm that Sean Sanderson is in your employ, as one of your Satyrs satisfying the County's hottest women on a nightly basis."

"Mmmm, you're not just good in bed. Cop." said Rita. "I cannot confirm that, of course, but you don't hear me denying it."

"I don't expect you to." I said. "He's just over eighteen. Yet his friend's mother, Marlena, has been a client here for a while, and she has known Sean for... a while. Can't speak further of those deductions."

"A wise precaution. Cop." murmured Rita...

Part 17 - The Missing Tablet Found

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the lovely redheaded reporterette at precisely 7:00am, Monday, September 28th. "Channel Two News has learned that all charges against Christopher Washburn have been dropped. Washburn's wife, Emma Washburn, was found dead last week, and one of her neighbors, Cassie Sanderson, has confessed to the murder. The Police have declined to comment on the murder or Sanderson's reasons for killing Mrs. Washburn, citing a coincidental burglary of the Sanderson home two days later as an ongoing investigation."

"It's not going to help him." said Tanya Perlman as we watched in MCD and drank coffee... along with consuming three boxes of doughnuts. "His company fired him, saying his security clearance was revoked. I don't know what he's going to do now."

"At least he's not facing the death penalty for his wife's murder." said Martin Nash. "Which I feel very sure would be the case right now if it weren't for the Iron Crowbar."

"Don't tell the Commander I said this," said Tanya, who knew I was standing right behind her, "but if it had been most of us, that would've been the case. He was certainly my primary." There was general agreement.

"Yes, that's true." I said. "And let this be a lesson to all of you to not assume anything, and to base theories on facts, not facts upon theories." I did not mention what everyone knew: Captain Ross was not here enjoying the doughnuts because she was at the Police Academy, receiving refresher instruction for having made, and expressed, such assumptions.

"Sir," said Joanne Cummings, "any idea on the burglary?"

"I have ideas." I said. "But unless someone is caught with the stolen goods, we'll never get a case for a conviction. What I'd really like to know is what Emma did with her iPad tablet. That would help me far more than finding Sean's guitars."

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

I had considered my mother's words about Emma's various affairs, and that any one of these men could've impregnated her. So at 10:00am I was in my office, going through days of duty logs, looking for any small thing that might show where the Shadow Man had gone in search of those pictures, perhaps on red herrings given by Emma despite the beating she received.

My work was interrupted when my lovely assistant Helena French buzzed me.

"Sir, the Duty Desk says there is a man who wishes to talk to you, and only you. He says it's urgent." She gave a name.

"Oh wow," I said, "have them escort him to the Main Conference Room, and I'll join him there."

A moment later I went into the Main Conference Room with the man's card in my hand. He was Dr. Robin Grayson, Vice President and Assistant Research Director for BigPharmaCorp.

"Hello, Dr. Grayson." I said, shaking his hand as I came in. "I believe I met you at the reception University President Wellman gave for the Pharmacy School."

"Yes, that's right, that's right." said Dr. Grayson. He had a full head of black hair that had a touch of gray on the edges... which was hair coloring because I could see he was youngish, in his upper 30s at most, and he wanted to look older instead of the prodigy that he was. He was a brilliant chemist with two patents in his name, chemical and drug processes he'd licensed to BigPharmaCorp.

I noted that he was clutching a brown manila envelope tightly to him as I indicated a chair for him to sit in. As we sat down, I said "I read your University paper on addictive drugs, and how those derivatives of some of our street drugs were refined to the point the lab mice stayed high on the drugs forever. It was interesting, though I don't want our Citizens to be trying that stuff."

"How... oh, your wife must've let you access that one." Dr. Grayson said. "The report is practically classified. For a second, there, Commander, I thought you'd done something extraordinary. And you did solve the Emma Washburn crime, which in itself in an extraordinary thing."

"Yes." I said. "And I perceive that the Washburn murder is why you want to speak to me now. So please, go ahead."

Dr. Grayson had given a visible start when I'd said that. He peered at me, then said, "I need to ask your discretion in this matter. I know you're a police officer and you have to do what you have to do. But I have a wife and two children, and I don't want to lose them to a mistake."

"I'll be as discreet as I possibly can." I said. "So tell me about your affair with Emma and share the contents of that envelope which you are holding so tightly."

"Oh... yes, that." said Dr. Grayson. "Wow, you are good. Okay, here it goes." He extended the envelope to me. I opened it, and pulled out... an iPad tablet. It was my turn to look stunned.

"As you've surmised," said Dr. Grayson, "I was having an affair with Emma Washburn. We met when she was giving a cooking class at BigPharmaCorp. I was... absolutely smitten with her. We began meeting, mostly at hotels and an apartment BigPharmaCorp keeps on retainer. I love my family, but I just couldn't give up the affair..." His face looked tortured still.

"I can understand that." I said. "And you're not the only man... or woman... upon whom she had such an effect. So how did you come to have this tablet in your possession?"

Dr. Grayson said "Several weeks ago, Emma and I were together at her home. She said her husband was coming home on leave from his deployment, and she then asked if I would do something for her. She said that if anything happened to her, she wanted me to give this envelope and its contents to the Police Commander personally. She said just that: 'the Police Commander, personally'. That is you, of course."

"I see." I said, my mind already figuring out why Emma knew to have this brought to me.

"I have no idea what's on that tablet." Dr. Grayson said. "I didn't even take it out of the envelope. I asked her what was bothering her, what she was afraid of, and she said that it was just a precaution from something from her past, something she hoped was well behind her. She then stopped me from further questions by..."

"I understand." I said. Emma was a hot, seductive little tart, I already knew.

I told Dr. Grayson that I would have to take an affidavit from him, but that no one else would see it unless it was needed as evidence in a future Court case. After getting the affidavit, I escorted Dr. Grayson to the front lobby, then returned to the office with my package.

The tablet was protected by a four-number password. I plugged in a small device that could go through all 10,000 possible combinations without causing the device to shut down. No, that did not come from my wife, but from the Deputy Director of the FBI...