The Pact Ch. 03

"Wow." I whispered.

"I got the overnight report from J.R. at the State Crime Lab." said Tanya. "No fingerprints other than the family's, no semen other than Sven's, no saliva or other skin samples giving us any DNA at all. And in the first case last week, no DNA was found at all, other than the family's."

"Laura," I asked my wife, "how is the Radcliffe family coping with this? And do you have any follow-up on the Clarkstons?"

"Tad Radcliffe was injured pretty badly." said Laura. "Three broken ribs, one laceration of the lung, severe bruising around the lungs, liver, and pancreas. He's under observation for internal bleeding, but we haven't had to operate on him yet. As part of that, they're keeping him sedated, so no psychological evaluations, yet."

"Helga Radcliffe is putting up a wall, right now." said Laura. "She's focusing on how Sven is doing. I have a feeling she's going to break down and need to let some things out in the next few days, and I hope to be there or get there when that happens, to help her through it. She did notice a lot of things about her attackers, such as the moles on one of them, skin tones, things like that."

"Sven..." Laura said. "Well, he's angry about it more than anything else. Thinks he should've done something to protect his parents, angry that they forced him to have sex with his mother. But he's taking most of it in stride."

"Is Helga not worried about her husband in the hospital?" I asked.

"You know, now that you mention it..." Laura said, growing introspective. "I'm not going to say she doesn't care, but at times she has not even remembered him. She was going to leave the hospital with Sven, then a nurse asked if she wanted to see her husband first, and she said something like 'Oh yeah, we should.'. Kind of strange, now that I think of it..."

"Captain Perlman," I said, "did they take a DNA sample for Tad Radcliffe?"

"Yes sir." said Tanya. "Since his DNA would be expected to be all over the place, they have to account for it."

"Good." I said. "The next time you talk to our State Crime Lab friends, ask them to do an analysis on Tad and Sven's DNA. Make sure that Tad is Sven's biological father... or not."

"I will do that." said Tanya, making notes. And I knew she'd make a point to create a 'next time' to talk to our State Crime Lab friends.

"Okayyyy." I said. "Anyone have any theories based upon current data?"

"We were about to ask you that, sir." said Joanne brightly. Everyone laughed, and I chuckled.

"Nice try." I said. "I want to hear all of y'all's views first. Like always. Okay, anyone?"

"I have no answers nor theories, sir." said Jerome Davis. "But I've got a lot of questions."

"Excellent." I said. "What are they?"

"First, sir," said Jerome, "what's up with security at the Heritage Cloisters? They're supposed to be the best, most secure gated community in this part of the State. But these thugs are coming and going at will, not being seen by anyone outside the houses, no strange cars at or near the times of the attacks. I'm glad I'm not paying all that money for that so-called 'security'."

"Great observation." I said. "I happen to know that security there is very easy to bypass, and my nephew Todd Burke says he's glad he's married to a Police Officer, because he thinks the security there is crap, as well. But having said that, you're making a great observation... how are these perps moving about so freely and without detection? And I think you have something on that, Myron?"

"Yes sir." said Myron. "After the first home invasion, I've had a couple of I.R. drones ready to fly in case of another attack. When the Clarkston domestic disturbance was called in, I launched it and we monitored it downstairs in the I.T. area. Good training, if nothing else."

"True." I said. "Go on."

"We scoured the area, including the golf course." said Myron. "Nothing, except at the Clarkstons and at the guardhouse. When the call came in about the Radcliffe attack, I realized it might be too late, but I launched the second drone. Nothing there, either, until Police arrived at the home. No unidentified perps at all."

"We need to canvass the area some more." said Tanya. "These guys can't be picking the homes at random. They're two-for-two finding attractive women with sons old enough to force into sex. They're not going anywhere near Teresa's; I pity the fool that tries to break into her home. They're not breaking into the homes of elderly people, they're not committing any robberies; they took nothing from either home they invaded, that we know of. So they have to be casing these joints, and selecting these targets ahead of time."

"That's... interesting." I said, going towards a reverie. Not yet in one, but towards one.

"So like Jerome just said." continued Tanya. "Where is the vaunted security there? Where are the patrols that go around every day? Why hasn't anyone seen anything at all?"

"Okay, Jerome," I said, "tell me more about this domestic dispute at the Clarkston's."

"Sir," said Jerome, "I watched some of the interrogation tapes from last night. Richard Clarkston is still in a holding cell. He refused to agree to not go back to the home, so he's sitting there. We told him he could call a lawyer at any time to discuss his situation, but so far he has not done that."

"Curious." I said. "So what happened?" Jerome went through the details, which I'd read from notes and watching the interview tapes myself.

"Sir," said Jerome, "this would be cut and dried, except that Mrs. Clarkston has defended her husband pretty strongly, and said he didn't abuse Tiffany and never has. She wouldn't press further charges, either. I'm not sure who to believe on this one."

"Sir," asked Tanya, "does this incident have anything to do with either of the home invasions?"

"Indirectly." I said. "Tensions in the aftermath of what happened are getting to the Clarkstons... both father and daughter. And if I don't miss my guess..."

"And you never do!" came a chorus. I love my team, I love my team, I love my team...

"I hope not in this case." I replied. "But I have the idea that a lot of that was exacerbated by the Police presence at the home the other night. Tiffany saw me intervene between her and her father on the night of the home invasion. She and her father don't get along all that great, typical of rebellious teenagers and over-strict fathers or parents. So she sees the light... exacerbates the altercation, says she was physically attacked..." I went on into Reverie Lake...

When I came out, I said "Okay, I'm going to need to speak to Richard Clarkston, and then to Tiffany. Anything else, Captain Perlman?"

"We need to step it up to find these perps." said Tanya. "Detectives... put together some ideas in your minds, and let's talk about them on Monday. In the meantime I'll ask Captain Croyle to step up patrols in the Heritage Cloisters and nearby areas on the northside...

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

The room was now empty, except for me, Tanya, and Laura. I was going through pictures of the crime scenes on my laptop.

"I'm missing something." I said, my voice almost a whisper. "There's something here, and I'm missing it."

"It'll come to you, Darling." said Laura. "Relax your mind and let it come to you, instead of searching so hard."

"What is it you think you're looking for?" asked Tanya helpfully.

"There's a clue here, slapping me in the face." I said. "Something so obvious that it's laughing at me, and I'm just not seeing it..." Laura continued to stare at me in fascination as I continued to stare at the crime scene photographs...

Part 14 - Fathers and Daughters

I had Richard Clarkston brought into Interrogation-A. Patrolman Barker was the Uniformed presence. I read Clarkston his rights from the card, saying I knew he was already Mirandized, but was doing it again for his protection, and mine.

"Sir," I said, "I understand your daughter tried to leave the house, and you grabbed her arm. Is that not so?"

"I was just trying to stop her from leaving." said Richard, who was obviously frustrated. "I didn't grab her arm hard. I didn't even grasp it and squeeze, more like just pushing against it as she tried to leave."

"Why was she trying to leave?" I asked.

"Like I told your Officers," said Richard, "she wanted to go out to some party, but I'd grounded her for disobeying me and not coming home on time the weekend before. She's become really rebellious. She just began yelling that she was going to go, and I stopped her when she tried to leave. What else was I supposed to do?"

"I dunno." I said. "Call the Police, have us arrest her, put the fear of God in her."

"The problem with that," said Richard, "is that my wife would say I was overreacting, and I'm not sure what the Police could really do. They might even say she was a runaway and call DFACS. I'd rather join the Army and go to war than have to deal with those corrupt bastards."

"I hear ya." I said, having been through my own wars with Town & County DFACS. "About your wife, you were arguing with her that night?"

"Yeah, she was defending Tiffany." said Richard. "We never had an argument for years, until Tiffany became a teenager and started getting rebellious and not listening to me. Marcia always takes Tiffany's side, and Tiffany would take advantage of that."

"Did your arguments with your wife ever escalate?" I asked. "Did you ever get physical with her, or her with you?"

"No, and ask her, she'll tell you. We argued, we didn't fight. Typical husband and wife arguments."

"Mr. Clarkston," I said, letting my voice get authoritative, "I think I should let you know that I don't like hearing about so-called 'typical' husband-wife arguments. I don't consider them 'typical'. My wife and I have avoided arguments, most of the married people I know don't have arguments, and those that do don't stay married very long. So no, sir, this is not typical, and it never is. I think you have some real problems in your family, and now it's escalated into a domestic dispute and has become my problem."

"I don't know what to tell you, Commander." said Richard.

"Tell me," I said, "how are your relations with your son Dave?"

"Dave's a good kid." said Richard. "He's always minded me. He came home on time when I told him to be home on time. He followed the rules, so he got to go out more. He's also a boy, a young man now; he's not a young naive girl that thinks she knows everything and could be preyed upon by young men with no scruples."

"Yes, but are you and Dave close?" I asked. "Did you do things together? Go to ball games, go hunting together, anything like that?"

"Marcia and I went to all his football games, from Pee-Wee League on up to High School." said Richard. "But he did a lot more things with his mother, growing up. Not that he's a sissy in any way; I know he's had sex with women, and plenty of it."

"Okay, then." I said. "So... why haven't you called a lawyer yet, Mr. Clarkston?"

"Uh..." Clarkston said, his eyes suddenly widening, "I told Marcia to call our lawyer. I've been waiting for him to show up. I don't know why he's not here yet."

"That tall tale about only getting one phone call is not really true, Mr. Clarkston." I said. "Why don't you call your lawyer on that phone on the wall now..."

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

Cindy and I watched from the anteroom. We knew Tanya was in the Monitor Room, listening in on the conversation. Richard had not called his lawyer, but called his wife, so he had no privacy protection. Tanya reported what was said:

Richard: "Marcia, it's me, Richard. Did you call our lawyer? He hasn't shown up yet."

Marcia: "Yes, I did call a lawyer, Richard. For me. I'm filing for divorce."

Richard was obviously stunned. "What?!" he exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Richard." said Marcia. "But I can't go on like this with you. I have to protect my daughter. I've already gotten a restraining order to keep you away from her. You're on your own getting a lawyer."

Richard hung up the phone with perhaps a bit more violence than was necessary. At that point, I went back into the anteroom.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Clarkson?"

"Yes, there is." Richard said. "Can I make another phone call, this time to my lawyer directly?

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

Mr. Coleman from Lowe, Ball & Lynch, the Town & County's biggest and best business law firm, was talking to Richard Clarkston in I-A. Mr. Coleman had actually asked me to stay in the room with them.

"Your wife filed divorce papers this morning." said Coleman. "I'm not a divorce attorney, so I recommend Ferguson Stegall of Effim, Goode & Hart, the Men's Divorce Firm. I'll call him for you after we finish here, if you like." Clarkston nodded in agreement.

"The problem," continued Coleman, "and the reason I asked Commander Troy to remain, is because your wife's attorney filed for a restraining order, which Judge Nance immediately granted. You cannot go back to your home. If you have a Concealed Carry Permit, the restraining order revokes it, unless you fight it."

"No, I have no guns. Only Police should have guns." said Richard, who then added: "My God, I don't have any clothes, anything at all."

"My question for Commander Troy is if my client can be released on his own recognizance until his hearing Monday morning." said the lawyer.

"I'm not unwilling to do that." I said. "But Mr. Clarkston, do be advised that if you try to go anywhere near your wife or daughter or son, or your home while they are there, that you will not only be in jail again, you will be in what I call a 'world of shit'. This isn't a request, it's not asking you to promise. Stay away from them. Am I making myself clear?"

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

Cindy had agreed to go get Marcia and Tiffany. She all but forced them into her Police SUV, and then began riding around with them. Meanwhile, Detective Jerome Davis and I escorted Richard to his home to pack a couple of suitcases full of clothes. He was allowed to take his company-owned car with him, as well.

As he packed, I watched him carefully. He was irritated and frustrated, which was to be expected. But just before he left, getting some papers out of his desk in the library room, he looked around, then said "All of it... all for nothing."

Once he drove away, I called Cindy on my Police iPhone, telling her she could bring the women back. A half hour later, she came into my office at the Station.

"Tiffany is kind of numb about it." Cindy said. "I think she's realized that she may have pushed things too far, and now her family is breaking up. Marcia seemed stoic about it all, but resolute. She was a little bit pissed that Richard was being allowed to get clothes from their home, but other than that there were no real problems with them."

"Good." I said. "What about Dave? Was he there?"

"No." said Cindy. "Tiffany said when I went to get them that he was out with friends."

I nodded. Cindy noticed that I was introspective.

"Canadian Penny for your thoughts." she said.

I was looking at the photographs on the side of my desk. "One day," I said, "my daughters are going to grow up to be teenagers. And my firstborn child is already strong-willed and hardheaded at times. There were moments talking with Richard where I could sense his frustration, that he really didn't know what to do about his daughter. And I wonder what is going to happen when Carole reaches Tiffany's age. And between you, me, and the crowbars... it scares me, it really does."

"From what I know and have seen," Cindy said, "you'll do a hell of a lot better job than Richard Clarkston has. And from what little I've seen of the Clarkstons, you have a lot better help in your wife and your family than he's had."

Something in her words struck a chord with me, and I peered at her for a moment. And then it came back to me that something was there, something that would solve these crimes... but I was simply unable to grasp whatever it was at the moment...

At that moment, there was a knock on my office door. Captain Damien Thompson stuck his head in and said "Sir, ma'am, I just wanted to let both of you know... the Press is beginning to get the stories of these home invasions. They're calling the Public Relations Office asking for details..."

Part 15 - Mothers And Sons

4:00pm, Saturday, June 2d. Marcia Clarkston knocked on the door to her son Dave's room.

"Come in." said Dave. When the door opened, he was shocked to see his mother come in. She was wearing a clingy flower print dress and strappy black high heel sandals. She looked extremely hot, Dave thought. As for himself, he was wearing only a pair of short pants and underwear. The bulge of his 'package' was considerable, and obvious.

"Honey," Marcia said as she approached her son's bed, "are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom." Dave said, putting his magazine aside. "How are you?"

"I'm... okay." said Marcia, sitting down on the edge of the bed, her luscious ass near her son's hips. "I'm feeling kind of lonely, though. And I was wondering if you and I could do something... together."

"What did you have in mind, Mom?" asked Dave. "Want to go out, to dinner? Or watch a movie or something."

"We can do that later." said Marcia. "Right now... I just want to be here, with you." With that, the lovely mother lay back, then rolled onto the bed, her body now pressed against her son's. He put his arm around her as she lay her head on his muscular chest.

Then he felt her hand exploring his hard, six-pack abs, sliding lower and lower, towards his loins. He felt his cock stirring, getting harder, thicker, and longer. He knew he should stop this; after all, his mother was in a vulnerable emotional state. Then he felt and saw her hand reach his pants, sliding over his bulging crotch, feeling his hardening cock.

"Mmm, you're not a little boy any more, Dave." Marcia said. She turned her face up, looking into her son's eyes. "Dave... if I weren't your mother, would you date me? Would you make love to me."

"Yes, Mom." Dave said, his voice a whisper. His cock was now throbbing as he looked into Marcia's eyes, his nose filling with the smell of her perfume.

"Then don't let anything get between us, Dave." Marcia whispered as she felt the outline of her son's large cock through his pants. Dave reached down and opened his pants then began sliding them off along with his underwear. Now he was buck naked for the hot woman on the bed with him.

He leaned his head down and kissed Marcia's upturned mouth, sliding his tongue over hers. Marcia met the kiss, moaning into his mouth, sucking on her son's tongue as it explored hers. Her hand gripped Dave's cock, and she began gently jacking it as Dave's hands cupped and fondled her breasts through her dress.

Their kiss broke, and they looked into each other's eyes for a moment. And then Marcia slid her body over Dave's until her face was in her son's crotch. She gripped his huge, throbbing meat at the base, then opened her mouth and slid her lips over his cockhead.

They moaned together as her lips slid tightly down his thick shaft until it was buried almost to the hilt down her throat. Sliding her lips back up, she engulfed her son's cockmeat again, then began fellating him in a steady rhythm.

Marcia was moaning as she sucked her son. Never had anything felt so good to her! She loved the feeling of his manhood throbbing in her mouth and throat, and she loved even more knowing that she was giving her own son pleasure with her body.

Dave was caressing his mother's hot body as she steadily sucked him, his hands sliding over her luscious ass and along her abs to her loins, all through her dress. This went on for several minutes, until Dave felt his nut beginning to rise. His mother's mouth was too good, and his youthful body would soon be rushing to a powerful climax if he didn't stop their lewd act.