Detective Smith was waiting in the parking lot for Detective Jones to arrive. This being their first day back together since the hallway incident, he figured to seek a fresh start, and get on with their murder investigation.
Melody and Angel pulled into the rear lot. They kissed as Angel got out of the driver’s side. Melody slid over and drove off.
“Detective Jones, may I have a word with you?”
She hesitantly approached, not sure what to expect. “Yes.”
“This is a bit awkward, but I truly wish to say I’m sorry for what happened the other day between the two of us. And, I’m sorry for using the ‘C’ word. I hope we can make a fresh start, and become good partners,” he said looking humbled.
She took a deep breath, and let out a sigh of relief. “I too want to apologize for my behavior, and you’re right, I’d like a fresh start as well,” she said softly.
He looked into her sincere face. “Hi, I’m Detective Smith; it’s my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Detective Jones.”
“Please call me Angel,” she said with a smile of approval.
“Okay, Angel, and please call me Donny,” he said returning her smile.
“Well, I think the captain wants us to get back to work,” Angel began.
“You mean, the chief, don’t you?” Donny said as he winked at her.
“Yes, of course, the chief.” She laughed.
They headed inside together and made their way to the homicide department. As they made themselves comfortable at their desks, they began to peer over the reports again looking for anything out of the ordinary.
“Let’s see, ballistics says the gun used was a .38-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver registered to Doctor Linda Lerner. That tells me we should pay another visit to the nice doctor,” Donny said, handing the report to his partner.
“Sounds good to me,” she replied.
The two were heading out when they passed Chief Temme’s office. “Detectives, I need to see you both in my office, right now!” she cried out.
Donny flushed red and Angel froze momentarily as the chief’s words echoed into the hallway. Regaining their composure, they cautiously entered her office.
“I see you two are working together, good, so where are you off to?” Rachel inquired.
“We got the results of the ballistic report and were heading out to speak with the owner of the gun, a Doctor Lerner,” Donny explained quickly.
“Not Linda Lerner?” Chief Temme asked.
“Yeah, that’s the one. Why?” Angel chimed in.
“I just got the call; they just found her body at her home. She was shot once in the head, that’s all the information I have right now.”
“You’re kidding?” Donny said in disbelief.
“Well, there goes our number one suspect,” Angel said, glancing over at Donny.
“It’s time to hustle, boys and girls, let’s get on this before the press start terrifying the public with talk of a serial killer on the prowl,” she said pointing for them to leave her office.
Pulling into her driveway, Doctor Lerner directed her remote and pressed the tiny green button to activate her garage door opener. After entering, she pushed it again to secure it behind her. Gathering up her briefcase, she fumbled with the keys to the kitchen door.
The kitchen was fashioned in many shades of soft blues. She made her way down the hall past the first bedroom, which she had converted into her private office, and entered the second bedroom.
That was where she spared no expense for her comfort. She had a king-sized bed with a mattress of goose feathers, and pillows to match. Sheets, covers and pillow cases were all done up in pink. Walls, ceiling, and even the carpet were done up in slightly darker shades of pink. Long, flowing pink curtains completed the elegance. It was the very opulence of form and grace.
Kicking off her shoes, she removed her clothes and entered the bathroom. It was decorated in a kaleidoscopic array of greens, yellows and orange. It was a breathtaking vision of wonder. Due to her bulky size, she enjoyed a roomy shower, rather than a bathtub.
Refreshed after a hot, steamy shower, she dressed in her favorite violet bathrobe, and headed for the kitchen, where she made herself a diet cola and grabbed a large bag of chips. Plopping down on her extra large sofa, she located the remote and turned on the evening news.
Consuming the chips and soda, she drifted off to sleep, mentally exhausted from all that had occurred in the last few days.
She suddenly woke, turning her head slightly to one side. Picking up the remote, she pressed the mute button. Now the sound was clear, someone rapping on the front doors. Heaving herself off the sofa, she looked through the peephole and recognized the person standing on the other side of the door. It was late, past midnight. Her instinct told her not to open the door, yet, she knew the individual, so she felt compelled to see what was wrong.
Unlocking the deadbolt she eased the door open. “What are you doing here at this time of night?”
She saw the brilliant flash of light, yet never heard the explosion as the bullet tore through her skull. The impact snapped her head back violently, as her body followed. Her flabby bulk bounced off the floor several inches before coming to rest. As her legs twitched momentarily, her left arm jerked off the floor, then dropped with a thud.
Blood trickled in a single line down the left side of her half-turned face. Only a small stain appeared on the floor, as her assailant had vanished into the cool darkness.
Once again, evil had triumphed over good, as the demons and angels kept score.
Officers Dearborn and Johnson were the first to arrive on the scene. They spotted the young boy standing by his bicycle in the driveway.
“You the one who found the body?” Officer Dearborn asked.
“Yes, I was delivering the morning paper, when I saw the door standing open. Is she dead?” he asked.
“You just remain right here; the detectives will want to question you later, understand?” she responded.
“Yes, I won’t leave.”
Two more police cruisers pulled up as the officers entered the home, verifying she was dead, and no one else was in the residence. They started putting up yellow ‘POLICE DO NOT CROSS’ tape, while waiting for the others to arrive.
Sergeant O’Leary from the sheriff’s department pulled up.
As he approached, Officer Johnson spotted him. “I don’t believe it.”
“What?” Officer Dearborn questioned.
He pointed toward O’Leary. “Guess who’s coming to dinner,” he said half jokingly.
“You start your shit here and I’ll whip your old mangy ass!” she barked as O’Leary came up to them.
“Now hold on there missy, don’t get all riled up. I heard the call and just came by to see what happened. It’s all yours, I swear,” he said with a chuckle.
“Stay back out of the way and I mean I better not have to tell you twice, you hear me?” she commanded.
“Why, yes ma’am.” O’Leary said grinning.
Donny allowed Angel to drive for the very first time, to prove his newfound trust in her.
Angel drove slowly to the murder scene, not wanting any mishaps along the way. She felt his eyes watching her as she noticed he was drumming his fingers on his right thigh.
They finally arrived, having to park on the street due to all the police and forensics vehicles already there.
“I didn’t think Hot Springs had this many cars,” Angel quipped.
“Everybody had beaten them to the crime scene, even the meat-wagon with the coroner’s tech crew were standing around.
“After that little scene you and Doctor Lerner had the last time we were here, I’m thinking maybe you whacked her last night,” Donny said smirking.
“Ha, ha, funny man, you’re really cute,” Angel remarked in a snide manner.
“Just kidding, I thought we needed to lighten things up a bit,” he said making a point.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right, I need to learn to take a joke better.”
They glanced around the outside and noticed nothing strange, except Sergeant O’Leary standing behind the yellow tape.
“What’s he doing here?” Donny asked Officer Dearborn as he approached the front doors.
“Being a total jerk and a witless buffoon would be my guess, sir,” she said nudging her rookie partner’s elbow. Both smiled in agreement.
“See that he keeps his fat ass outside,” Angel blurted out as they entered the premises.
“Yes ma’am,” Officer Dearborn replied, staring at O’Leary.
“You believe this place?” Donny said observing the roomy homestead.
“Yep, the doc sure lived high on the hog,” Angel agreed.
They pushed their way through a throng of officers and technicians.
“Listen up; I want all uniformed officers outside! Now! Let’s go, this isn’t a rummage sale!” Detective Jones ordered.
The detectives stood fast as the uniforms filed out the doors. Angel knelt by the body as the last one exited. Now only the technicians remained. They were almost finished gathering evidence, what little there was. Donny was making notes as he wandered through the house. Angel was putting on her rubber gloves as forensics finished taking photographs of the body and surroundings.
Coming full circle, Donny ended up back at the corpse. “Looks a lot like the Butler murder, doesn’t it?” he said leaning over Angel’s shoulder.
“Yeah, the bullet hole is about the size of a .38-caliber, think it might be the same gun used on Butler?” she asked.
“Once Sean Meyers has a chance to run it through his ballistics lab, I think we may just have a match.”
“Well, no sign of a struggle, no torn clothing, no skin under the long nails. No sign of forced entry, all this rules out robbery.” Angel surmised.
“Yes and her purse in the kitchen still has cash and credit cards in it. Her jewelry is still in the bedroom,” Donny added.
Detective Smith gave the okay to remove the body. They watched as the two techs struggled to roll the heavy victim into the black, zip-up body bag. Then they watched as the techs almost had to drag the bulky corpse to their van.
“They couldn’t pay me enough to do their job,” Angel said shaking her head.
“I don’t know, they seem to like it,” Donny replied.
“Yeah, right,” she mumbled back.
“No forced entry; she willingly opened the door to whomever,” he continued.
“Just like the Butler case, no forced entry,” she agreed.
“Officer Dearborn said little Jason Newman, the paper boy, found her body and rode up the street and told his older brother Wayne, who called 911,” Donny read off his note pad.
“So, we’re back to square one?” Angel asked.
“I guess so. Let’s stop in and get a location on her parents so we can deliver the bad news. Maybe they new of someone who wanted her dead,” he said heading for the cruiser.
“Sounds like a plan,” she said following him out.