Tip of the Spear Pt. 01

"Keep those jackals outta here, okay?"

"Will do, Sheriff," one of the deputies said. Ryan rolled the window back up and drove to the house, where he saw several patrol cars, an unmarked police sedan, and the Medical Examiner's van. There was another unmarked van, and Ryan knew the forensics unit was here.

He stopped and walked to the front door, where another deputy waited for him. He spotted Trudy Higgins by Deputy Sanders' patrol car, smoking a cigarette as the deputy watched her. She didn't exactly strike him as a grieving widow, but she did look upset.

"Sergeant Bledsoe said you were on your way, Sheriff," the deputy said. He reached into a box and handed Ryan a pair of Tyvek booties and latex gloves. "Pretty messy in there. Might want these for your boots."

"Thanks," Ryan said, putting the booties on. He pulled the gloves on and went inside. He noted the deputies scrambling around the house, collecting what evidence they could, and went into the room where Higgins' body sat in a chair, slumped over. Ryan saw one end of a spear sticking out of his back. He noticed the spear had a cord that ended at a strange-looking gun lying on the floor.

"Reckon we don't have to guess what killed him," he told Ron, one of the forensic techs.

"If it's all the same to you, Sheriff, I'd like to wait and do a full analysis before we make that determination," Dr. Childress, the medical examiner, said as Ron stepped aside.

"Of course," Ryan said. He knelt down and looked at Bertram's face with his one good eye.

"What's this?" he asked, pointing at something right under Bertram's right eye.

"Good catch, Sheriff," Ron said. "Offhand, I'd say it was a tear."

"A tear," Ryan said quietly. He stood up and looked at Ray Hale, the department's newest weapon in its ongoing war against crime. The large black man moved to Hard Rock with his family about seven months ago from New York City, where he had served for years as a detective.

Fed up with the politics and the rising crime, he took early retirement from the NYPD and came here, where he applied for the new detective slot that had just opened up. Ryan was so impressed with Ray that he hired him on the spot.

"Tell me, Ray, what would cause a man to cry like that? Even as he was dying?" Ryan asked. Ray consulted his notes before turning to Ryan.

"I'd say betrayal," Ray said. "Of the worst kind."

"I tend to agree," Ryan said. "Talk to the wife yet?"

"Yeah," Ray said. "Claims she was out shopping, came home to change for the country club and found him like this."

"I get the impression you don't believe her?" Ryan asked. Ray shook his head.

"No, Sheriff, I don't," he said. "For starters, most of the places she claimed to have gone to don't even open up until 10:00 am. And have you ever known a woman to go shipping for just an hour or two? Hell, when my wife goes shopping, it's an all-day event." Ryan laughed at that. "One place she said she visited was Ginger's. That place doesn't even open up until 1:00 pm."

"Ginger's?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, it's that new erotic boutique on the west side, by the freeway," Ron said.

"I'm familiar with it," Ryan said. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Ryan, shocked.

"You've been to Ginger's?" Ron asked. The place was run by Ginger Rodgers, a woman who moved here from southern California. Rumor had it that she worked in the porn industry there and came here after a contentious divorce.

"Well, yeah," Ryan said. "If it's anyone's concern, Beverly is celebrating a birthday this weekend. She's been feeling a little down in the dumps lately, thinking she's getting old and unattractive, so I decided I'd get her something to, you know, help her feel better about herself. Before you ask, no, I didn't buy anything there. I found something else online."

"Beverly, old and unattractive?" Ron asked. "No offense, Sheriff, but she's about the prettiest gal in the county if you ask me. Even if she is older than me."

"Well, thank you, Ron," Ryan said. "I'll be sure to pass that on." He turned his attention back to the case. "What else have you got, Ray? What about this weapon?"

"I'll spare you the biographical detail since I'm sure you already know the commissioner," Ray said. "As for the weapon, it's a speargun. Used for underwater fishing. This particular one is pneumatic -- uses air -- and it's one of the most powerful on the market. I'd say the perpetrator was probably no more than six feet from Mr. Higgins when he -- or she -- fired."

"Any prints?" Ryan asked. Ray shook his head.

"None," Ray said. "Whoever used it either wore gloves or wiped the prints off. Personally, I'd say gloves were worn."

"You ever hear of anyone using a speargun to kill someone before?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, I've heard of a couple of cases," Ray said. "There was a guy in California who was arrested last month for killing his two kids with one."

"What about the time of death? He looks to have been here for a while," Ryan said. Dr. Childress spoke up.

"You're right, Sheriff," he said. "Rigor has already set in. Based on his temperature, I'd say he's been here for about 15 hours."

"Fifteen hours? That would make his time of death... About 9:30 or 10:00 last night," Ryan said.

"But Mrs. Higgins said as far as she knew, he was just fine this morning," Ray said.

"Her statement doesn't seem to fit the evidence, does it, Ray?" Ryan asked.

"No, it doesn't," Ray said. "Which is why I'd like to hold her as a person of interest, see if we can't get her to clarify a few things. With your permission, of course."

"Of course, Ray," Ryan said. "You don't have to ask permission. This is your case. Do as you see fit."

"Thank you, Sheriff. I appreciate that," he said.

"One other thing, Sheriff," Ron said, getting Ryan's attention.

"What's that, Ron?" Ryan asked.

"Check this out," Ron said. He pulled a metal instrument from his pocket and tapped on the crotch of Bertram's trousers. Ryan heard a metallic noise as Ron tapped on Bertram's crotch.

"What the hell is that?" Ryan asked.

"I haven't confirmed it yet, but I'll bet it's a cock cage," Ron said.

"A... what?" Ryan asked.

"A chastity device. For men," Ron said. Ryan looked at Ron, a bit shocked. "Some of them use metal tubing to enclose the man's penis, and some of them use a lock."

"You know, I find it a bit disturbing that you know about these things," Ryan said.

"I had a roommate in college whose fiance was into that stuff," Ron said. "Personally, I'd never put my dick into one of those things, but some guys are into that stuff. Some women, too." Ryan shook his head.

"Alright, get him back to your lab. Let me know what you find. Report to Ray and me only and say nothing to anyone else. Got it?" They all nodded their heads. "What about the evidence? Has that already been bagged and tagged?"

"It has," Ray said. "There was a computer on this desk. We've already got it loaded up. Some of the deputies also bagged up some bedding from the master bedroom. Looks like there was a little party up there last night. We'll get everything analyzed and report back."

"What about next of kin? Higgins has a son in the Air Force. I believe he's stationed at Lackland Air Force Base," Ryan said.

"Already handled," Ray said. "We contacted his command right away. They're taking care of it."

"Thanks, Ray," Ryan said. "I'll have Deputy Sanders take Mrs. Higgins in. I'll need to call the commission and tell them what's going on. I'll also talk to the media."

"Thanks, Sheriff," Ray said. "I'll report back to you as soon as I know anything." Ryan thanked everyone and headed out. He spoke to Deputy Sanders before turning his attention to Trudy.

"What's going on, Sheriff?" Trudy asked. She seemed madder than anything else.

"Mrs. Higgins, I want you to go with Deputy Sanders here back to the station," Ryan said. "Detective Hale would like to talk with you about your statement."

"Am I under arrest?" she asked, her face turning red with anger.

"Not yet, Mrs. Higgins," Ryan said. "But you are a person of interest since you appear to be the last person to see your husband alive."

"I want my lawyer," she said.

"That is your right, Mrs. Higgins," Ryan said. "You can make the call from the station." He nodded at Deputy Sanders, who helped Trudy into the back of the patrol car. As Sanders drove off, Ryan pulled out his cell phone and called the private number of Andrew Hawkins, the current chairman of the board of supervisors.

"Oh my God, that's horrible," Andrew said after Ryan explained the situation. "Have you spoken to the media yet?"

"Not yet, Commissioner," Ryan said. "I wanted to inform you first."

"I'm glad you did. I'll need to call an emergency board meeting. Any suspects yet?"

"We have a person of interest, and we're still collecting and analyzing all the evidence. I'm not releasing any information until we have something firm, though," Ryan said.

"Good thinking, Sheriff. By the way, how did Mrs. Higgins take the news?" Andrew asked.

"Honestly, Commissioner, not quite what I would expect from someone whose husband just got killed," Ryan told him.

"That doesn't surprise me," Andrew said. "Listen, Sheriff, do you think we can get together sometime this afternoon?"

"Of course," Ryan said. "Your office or mine?"

"I'll come to you after I get with the other board members," he said. "Give me an hour or two."

"My door is always open, Commissioner," Ryan said.

"Great, Sheriff, I'll see you then," Andrew said before ending the call. Ryan ended the call then got back into his truck. He drove to the end of the driveway, where the media types were waiting like a pack of wolves. The reporters came running when he stepped out.

"Sheriff Caldwell, can you give us a statement?" one reporter asked. The others echoed the same question. Ryan could never figure out why they all had to ask the same thing.

"I can confirm that Commissioner Bertram Higgins was found dead this morning," Ryan said. "We are still collecting evidence and will have more to report once we have sifted through everything. The Board of Commissioners has been informed. That's all I have for you at this time."

"We spotted Mrs. Higgins being transported in a patrol car, Sheriff," one reporter said. "Is she a suspect in this case? Have you arrested her?"

"We have not arrested anyone," Ryan said. "As I said, we are still gathering evidence, and that includes statements from the Commissioner's widow. The house and property is currently a crime scene, so we decided to put some distance between Mrs. Higgins and the scene of the Commissioner's death."

"Are you calling this a homicide?" one reporter asked.

"We are not ruling that out," Ryan said. "Like I said, we'll have more information once we've gone through the evidence. That's all for now. Thank you." Ryan turned and walked back to his truck as reporters kept shouting questions. He waved, then drove back to the office, stopping long enough to grab a burger.

The department was abuzz with activity when he got back. Elaine was busy taking calls from reporters, and everyone was running around doing what they could to help the investigation. Ryan got to his office and poured himself a cup of coffee from the Keurig machine he kept in his office. He just sat down when Elaine knocked on his door.

"Enter," Ryan said. Elaine popped her head in the door.

"Sheriff, Commissioner Hawkins is here. He said you're expecting him," she said.

"Yes, please show him in, Sergeant," he said. She stepped back, and a tall, muscular man wearing a western-style suit and Stetson walked in. Ryan stood and shook Andrew's hand.

"Thank you for coming, Commissioner," Ryan said. "Would you care for a cup of coffee?"

"I'd prefer something a bit stronger, but coffee will do, thanks," Andrew said, removing his hat. "And please, call me Andrew." He set his hat down and took the seat Ryan offered. Ryan handed him a cup of coffee.

"So, what can I do for you, Andrew?" Ryan asked. Andrew took a sip of coffee and set the mug down on a coaster.

"I wanted to bend your ear for just a bit, pass on some information I hope will be of some use in your investigation," Andrew said. "You said you have a person of interest. Would that be Mrs. Higgins? Trudy?"

"As a matter of fact, it is," Ryan said. "Although we have not made that common knowledge yet. Detective Hale will be going over her statement with her. There's a few holes he needs filled in. If you have some information that might help us understand what happened, that would be terrific." Andrew nodded his head.

"It was no secret among the members of the board that things weren't too good between Bert and Trudy," Andrew said. "That's normally not the kind of thing that stays hidden for long in a town like this, but they somehow managed to keep their differences out of the public eye."

"So, what happened? Was he cheating on her?" Ryan asked.

"Bert? Cheat? Oh hell no," Andrew said. "He was the most faithful man anyone could ever meet. But Trudy somehow got it into her head that he was messing around with one of our administrative assistants, Sheila Robertson. She worked with him on that deal to get the new mall in here, and they sometimes worked late into the evening.

"They were never alone, though. Someone was always there, even if it was just a security man or a janitor. When it all came together, they celebrated with a steak dinner. A few of us went along to celebrate with them. I guess someone told Trudy, and she thought they were having an affair. I reckon that was about three and a half years ago."

"So Mrs. Higgins thought they were having an affair even though there were witnesses to corroborate they weren't?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah. Then Trudy went to some spa retreat for a weekend. She was a totally different woman after that. And not in a good way."

"And that was three years ago?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah," Andrew said. "Give or take a month or so."

"And you say Mrs. Higgins changed. How?"

"Well, she was more assertive, for one thing. I'd say downright bossy. Sometimes, she was just plain rude to Bert. Especially in his own home. Barely civil to him in public -- just enough to keep people from talking. Most of the time, she treated him like dog crap on her shoes," he said.

"Did you notice anything else about her?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, I did. Her clothes became a bit more revealing, and she became something of a flirt. More than once, I had to tell her to back off," he said.

"She was coming on to you?" Ryan asked.

"Oh hell yeah," Andrew said. "Downright embarrassing sometimes."

"You think she was having an affair?"

"Wouldn't surprise me one bit," Andrew said. "She darn sure acted like she was stepping out on Bert. I know he was never comfortable around her after she came back from that retreat."

"Was he afraid of her?" Ryan asked.

"It sure seemed that way to me," Andrew said. "I've seen combat, just like you, and I know what fear looks like. He was definitely afraid of her." Ryan nodded his head. "I also know Bert was in a lot of pain these last couple of months. Never complained about it much, but we all could tell he wasn't doing too well. Never went to the doctor about it, far as I know."

"Interesting. By the way, do you know if Commissioner Higgins ever did any spearfishing?" Ryan asked. Andrew thought for a bit, then shook his head.

"No, not to my knowledge. He did like to go fishing from time to time, but he only used a standard rod and reel, so far as I know," he asked.

"So, he didn't own a spear gun?" Ryan asked.

"I've never seen one. Believe me, if he had one, he would've shown it off, and I've been in his place a hundred times or more. Why?" he asked.

"Just curious," Ryan said. "So, what is the board planning to do?"

"We've put together a statement for the press. We're gonna wait until after he's laid to rest, then hold a special election to fill his seat," Andrew said. "Maybe you could run for the spot. You've done a mighty fine job as sheriff. People really like you."

"Thanks for the offer and the compliment, but I like where I'm at," Ryan said. Andrew laughed as he nodded his head. "These folks here are like family to me."

"I hear ya, sheriff," he said. "Just thought I'd ask." He stood and grabbed his hat to signal the meeting was over, and Ryan stood with him. "If there's anything I can do, just ask, okay?"

"Thank you, Andrew. I appreciate that," Ryan said as the two men shook hands. After Andrew left, Ryan checked his email and saw that Ray was getting ready to interview Trudy. He left the office and ran into Marvin Olmstead, the District Attorney.

"Marvin, what brings you here?" Ryan asked.

"I hear your Detective Hale is getting ready to interview Trudy Higgins," he said. "I'd like to observe if you don't mind."

"Not at all. I was heading that way myself," Ryan said. They made their way into the station's bowels. They went into the observation room next to the small room where Ray would interrogate Trudy. She was already there with her attorney, Jake Callender. She didn't look too happy, especially since she'd been waiting there for well over an hour.

Ray entered the room, set his papers on the desk in front of him, and introduced himself to Jake. He consulted his notes before he said anything. When he finished, he looked at Trudy and read her Miranda rights.

"Do you understand these rights as I have explained them?" he finally asked.

"Yes, get on with it," she snapped. Ray nodded his head and looked at his notes.

"You told me earlier today that your husband worked late last night in his office. Is that correct?"

"Yes, it is," she said.

"And this morning when you left, you saw him sleeping on the couch in his home office. Is that right?"

"If that's what I said, then that's right," she said.

"Uh-huh. And you left to go shopping about what? 9:00 or so? Is that right?"

"Yes, I've already told you all this," she snapped.

"And one of the places you went to was Ginger's Erotic Boutique, is that correct?"

"Yes, dammit. I already told you this!"

"Detective Hale, my client has already answered your questions," Jake said. "Why are you badgering her?"

"I'm just trying to understand her entire statement, counselor." He turned back to Trudy. "Was Ginger's open when you got there?" he asked.

"No, it wasn't," she said.

"That's right. It doesn't open until 1:00 pm, does it?" he asked.

"No, it doesn't," she said.

"Are you always in the habit of visiting stores when they're closed?" he asked.

"Detective!" Jake exclaimed. Ray held up his hand to quiet the lawyer.

"Answer my question, please, Mrs. Higgins," he said calmly.

"No, I'm not," Trudy said.

"That's right," Ray said. "Because you weren't there to window shop, were you?"

"What do you mean?" she asked nervously. Ray pulled a picture out of his folder. Ryan and Marvin saw what was on it, as did Ginger and Jake.

"That particular strip mall has security cameras set up. They were nice enough to provide me with some footage, which is where this little photo came from," Ray said. "You can clearly read the license plate. That IS your vehicle, isn't it?"

"Yes, it looks like my vehicle," she said.

"And can you identify the woman getting out of the passenger side?" Ray asked. Trudy looked at the photo, then at Jake, who simply raised one eyebrow as he regarded his client. "Answer my question, Mrs. Higgins," Ray asked again. "Can you identify that woman?"

"Yes," Trudy said quietly.

"Who is she?" Ray asked.

"Ginger Rodgers," she told him.

"The owner of Ginger's Erotic Boutique, is that right?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"Do you see the time stamped on the lower right-hand corner?" Ray asked.

"Yes."

"What time is showing?"