Chief Temme thanked the desk sergeant for escorting the elderly gentleman to her office. “Please, sit down,” she said.
The proud man removed his fedora as a gesture of compliment toward the lady who was addressing him. Respect and manners were something he learned in his early youth, a time when such things were held in high esteem. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“The sergeant said you had information on the murder of James Butler?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am, I do.”
“May I have your name?” Chief Temme asked, pulling out a small sheet of paper to write on.
“My name is…”
Jumping up from her desk, she spoke as she rushed to her office door, “Excuse me for one moment.” Entering the hallway she shouted at the two detectives who just passed by, “Stop right there!”
Angel and Donny wheeled around, a bit caught off guard by her shout.
“Where you two think you’re going?” she demanded an answer.
“Just trying to tie up some loose ends,” Donny rambled out.
“Step in my office,” she said returning to her chair.
As Donny started to follow her, Angel took his arm, “What the hell did we do now?” she whispered.
“Beats me, let’s go face the music,” he said continuing on.
“Sir, my apologies for the interruption, but these are the two detectives who are working the Butler case. You really need to speak with them,” she explained quickly.
The elderly gentleman stood to greet the detectives. Shaking hands with both, he announced, “My name is Leroy Washington, and I work at the hospital. I have news about that James Butler shooting.”
Donny and Angel were relieved now that they knew they weren’t in trouble with the chief.
“I’m Detective Smith, and this is my partner, Detective Jones. If it’s all right with the chief, we’ll go down the hall to one of the interrogation rooms and take your statement. Would that be okay?”
“Yes sir, that’d be right fine with me,” Leroy said.
Leading him down, they entered and settled in. Donny began the questioning, “Now then, Mr. Washington, you have some information concerning…”
The door opened. It was Officer Dearborn. “Really sorry to bust in on your meeting, but there’s a problem down at the holding cells.”
“Can’t you see we’re busy, honey!” Angel snapped at her.
Officer Dearborn flashed a nasty look at Angel, then leaned close to Donny and whispered in his ear, “The chief said you’re to come right now.”
“Excuse us Mr. Washington. We’ll be right back,” he said motioning Angel to follow him.
Just past the large community cell were four single holding cells. The single cells contained only one, medium-sized hard plastic chair.
Father Crawford had been placed earlier in the last cell on the right. Dearborn stopped short as she pointed toward the end cell. Donny and Angel continued to advance, at which time they saw Chief Temme standing outside the cell door.
“What happened?” Donny asked as he came up beside her.
Now the three male officers came into their view. Two were holding up the limp body of Father Andy, as the third was standing on the plastic chair, desperately trying to unbuckle the belt that had been tightened around his neck.
“Does he have a pulse?” Chief Temme asked as the officer’s finally got him down.
They placed him on the cell floor and checked for signs of life. “No pulse and he’s not breathing,” one officer advised.
“Start CPR, the ambulance is on its way,” Chief Temme ordered.
“I thought it was a sin to commit suicide, especially for a priest,” Angel noted.
“When you’ve done what he’s done, what’s one more sin?” Donny said.
Chief Temme wheeled around. “Hey! Take that kind of talk elsewhere, detectives.”
“Sorry,” Donny whispered.
“There’s nothing you can do here. I’ll keep you posted on the outcome.” She said.
Donny looked around the other cells, and then took Officer Dearborn aside. “Where’s Nora Teel? She was supposed to be put in a holding cell.”
“Sorry, we were on our way to get her when this happened,” she explained.
“Well, put her on a suicide watch. When she finds out about her lover trying to kill himself, who knows what she’ll do.
“Yes sir, I’ll get right on it.” Dearborn said.
“You believe this shit?” Angel asked as the two headed for the interrogation room.
Donny took hold of the door knob, and then glanced at Angel, “You’re right, this is really strange.” He pulled the door open and found Leroy standing over by the two-way glass, looking at his reflection.
“Sorry for the interruption, sir, please take a seat,” Donny said sitting himself.
Angel remained standing, leaning against the wall.
“Is everything okay?” Leroy asked.
“Yes, nothing to worry about. So, you have some information for us concerning the Butler murder?” Donny once again asked.
“Yes, I shot James Butler,” Leroy stated straight out.
“How did you know James Butler?” he continued, a little caught off guard by his forthright statement.
“Detective Smith, this would be a good time to advise Mr. Washington of his rights, and to turn on the recorder, don’t you think?” Angel said sarcastically.
“Ah, yes indeed, you’re correct Detective Jones.” Donny blushed a little at his oversight. Advising Leroy of his rights, he activated the video-camera.
After making all the required statements, Leroy waived his right to an attorney, so they proceeded with the interview.
“How did you know James Butler?” Donny asked.
“I’m a mental health tech at the hospital. I work the night shift. James was the RN in charge. That made him my boss,” Leroy answered.
“Please tell us how you came to shoot James.”
“I didn’t mean to shoot him. You see, I went to his apartment just to scare him, so he’d stop hurtin’ the boy.”
“What ‘boy’ would that be?” Donny asked.
“Why, Simon Teel. He was an angel sent from heaven, yes he was, sent from heaven in answer to a father’s prayers.” Leroy said.
Angel came over, sat down, and leaning forward, “What makes you think he was heaven-sent?”
“My son, Shane, he’s crippled. Has no feelin’ from the neck down to his toes. Can’t feel nothin’ but the wind on his face. But he’s a good son. I love him dearly, I truly do, yes sir. He got real sick, so bad they took him to the medical center. Doctors said some kind of deadly infection was killin’ my boy, and weren’t nothin’ could be done to save him. Told me to start makin’ funeral arrangements.” Tears started forming in his tired eyes.
Donny placed the tissue box in front of him, “You need a moment sir?”
“I’m fine.”
Angel chimed in with her usual unsympathetic nature, “Go on.”
“My son, dyin’ right there before my own eyes. My beautiful wife gave her life bringin’ him into this world. He came too early. Such a tiny thing, but still a gift from God. Shane wasn’t right from birth, but he meant the world to me. So there I sat, watchin’ my only seed, dyin’ more each day. I got down on my knees right there in the hospital, and prayed for the Lord to send one of his angels down from heaven to fix my son. I prayed mighty hard, yes sir, I truly did. I never once lost faith in God. I knew he’d see me through this awful time, yes sir. I prayed day and night, and on the third day, God sent me an angel. He came in like a shadow, laid his holy hands on my boy, and I swear before Almighty God, I could see golden light comin’ from his hands, and it was goin’ into my son. Lasted…I don’t know, but as sudden as he came, he left. I will never forget the look that young angel gave me. Looked in my sad eyes, and smiled, yes sir, he smiled. I knew then my boy, Shane, was gonna live, yes sir, God had answered my prayers,” Leroy said bypassing the tissues and retrieving a handkerchief from his back pocket.
“Do you need a moment Mr. Washington?” Donny inquired.
“No sir, I’m fine.”
“Let’s move this along,” Angel groaned as she rolled her eyes at Donny.
“It weren’t no time, and my Shane came out of his coma. A short time later he was off the breathin’ machine and was fine. Doctors ran many tests, and couldn’t believe the infection was gone. One said it was a miracle. I know in my heart, it was God workin’ a miracle through that angel of his. That angel was Simon Teel. I knew him right off, first day I laid eyes on him at the locked unit. He didn’t remember me, but I remembered him. His face burned into my memory from that night he came and laid hands on my boy.”
“So why did you shoot James Butler?” Angel asked growing impatient.
“James was pure evil, torturing one of God’s angels here on Earth. I knew he hated poor Simon, I don’t know why, but he was dead set on hurtin’ him somethin’ terrible. I couldn’t allow that…God wouldn’t allow that, no ma’am.” Leroy explained slowly.
“How did you get the gun?” Angel blurted out.
“James had a key to Father Andy’s office. So one night I took his keys from the nurses’ station. I used his key to open Father Andy’s office, and I got his key to open Doctor Lerner’s office to get her gun. I swear I only wanted to scare James so he’d leave Simon alone, but the evil was just too strong in him. Well sir, even after he called me a dirty nigger, I didn’t pull the trigger, but he tried to take the gun from me and that’s when it went off. I swear I didn’t want James dead, just to scare him, so he’d stop hurtin’ the boy.” Leroy sighed.
“Why confess now?” Angel asked.
“The guilt sent me to my pastor, and he said I should face up to what I done. Said God would see me through this ordeal. Well, ma’am, here I am.”
“You wouldn’t have any idea how Simon Teel escaped from the locked unit, would you?” Donny asked.
“Yes sir, I let him out down the elevator,” Leroy admitted.
“Why did you free Simon after you killed James? Didn’t that take care of the problem?” Angel asked.
“No ma’am, it didn’t, because Father Andy was still usin’ shock treatments and them strong drugs on the boy. Each day the boy got worse, so I had to do somethin’ before God’s little angel would be lost forever. So I set him free.”
“Mr. Washington, please remain here, and in a few minutes an officer will come to escort you to another area,” Donny said.
“Yes sir, I understand.” Leroy said.
The detectives headed down the hall and came face to face with Chief Temme. She addressed the two in a soft tone. “The priest, Andrew Crawford didn’t make it. They pronounced him dead in the ambulance, sorry. You did get his confession on tape?” she asked.
“We sure did,” Donny replied.
“All right then, let’s wrap this mess up so I can release a statement to the press. By the way Detectives, excellent work.” Chief Temme continued on her way.
“Hell’s bells, they all came and confessed, we didn’t do shit,” Angel whispered to Donny.
“Hey, it’s over, let’s type up our reports and go home,” he said placing his hand up on her shoulder.
“Yeah, you’re right, if that stupid cunt wants to give us credit, so be it,” Angel quipped.
Donny turned, his face blazed with anger. “Don’t you ever call Rachel a cunt! Don’t make me whip your ass like before!” he shouted.
Angel stepped back and doubled up her fists. “Say what? Whip my ass…why you puny little runt, I’ll…”
Chief Temme yelled down the hallway, “Is there a problem, Detectives?!” Her voice echoed down the corridor. Both Angel and Donny turned toward the Chief.
Simultaneously they answered, “No.”
Angel turned to Donny, “Well, look at it this way, in twenty years, we can retire…partner.” She smiled a big, toothy grin.
Donny placed his hands on his hips as he stared down at the floor. For he knew deep in his soul that one day they would indeed be good partners and even friends, but for now, with a slight moan he simply said, “Shit.”