CHAPTER 5 The Baker Interrogation
There were a couple of things Mac just couldn’t get off his mind, so he asked Jarrett and Pitt if they would escort Miss Ella home, which they were happy to do so.
Mac shook Adam’s hand, telling him he would see him the next day, but Adam said he wasn’t sleepy and would Mac mind if he tagged along with him. Mac was glad to have the company, and an extra head to do some thinking would not hurt at all.
Mac and Adam walked down the street discussing the case and proposing questions.
If Myrt was wearing Inez’ dress where did the yellow one come from? The doll’s arm was at the murder scene, but the doll was at the scene at the old mill. Is there any significance to yellow? Yellow seemed to be a dominant color. The glasses and earrings, did they belong to Inez? If the hobos actually committed the murders, what would be their motive? Why has no one reported the victims missing?
“Adam, if we can answer these six questions our case will be solved. We have to answer them one by one.” O’Hara mused.
“Let’s take a trip over to see Doc Baker. He can probably start to clear up some of our questions.”
When they knocked on the door at Doc Baker’s house, the door was answered by the Baker’s maid, Kara. She had worked for the Baker’s for close to fifteen years.
Before asking for Doc, O’Hara asked if she would mind talking to them for a few minutes. Kara was a cajun woman, in her early 50’s who had moved to St. Louis from New Orleans. She had no family in St. Louis, so she lived in a small servant’s residence in the rear of the Baker’s residence.
O’Hara and Adam sat down with Kara in the library. Kara would hear of nothing but that she had to provide them drinks before they could begin to talk. She left to prepare drinks for Adam and O’Hara.
O’Hara leaned back in a comfortable reading chair to wait for Kara. Adam began to wander around the library, looking at the books on the shelves, the decorations, and knick-knacks Inez had collected on her travels, and she was well traveled.
Soon she returned with drinks for the gentlemen and even a ‘hot totty’ for herself. “Is it okay with you gentlemen, if I have a drink myself? That’s not usually acceptable, but these past days have been so stressful?” Kara explained.
“By all means, Ms. Kara. I am sure this has put a terrible strain on you here at the Baker home.” O’Hara answered.
Adam spoke up, “Ms. Kara, I am sure we cannot understand what you are going through, but we need to ask you a few questions. If you would answer our questions and if there is anything else you think may be important, please tell us.”
“Ask what you wish and I will try to answer.” Kara replied.
“Thank you.” O’Hara said. “First, Ms. Kara, the last time you saw Ms. Inez, Do you remember what she was wearing?”
“Yes I do, because I had to heat the iron to press the wrinkles out of the dress for her. It was a purple flowered dress, with a white collar and white lapels on the front.”
“Do you remember what time she left?”
“Yes,” Kara replied. “It was around three in the afternoon. She was going to visit Dr. Durham’s wife, because she has been sick lately.
Calvin, our stable man had readied the surrey for her. She left but did not return. We had searched everywhere before notifying the Sheriff.”
“Was the surrey or horse found, Ms. Kara?” Adam asked.
“Why. Yes they were. The horse was back here the next morning, still pulling the surrey. Feeding time, you know, and these animals always know when and where feeding takes place.”
Kara paused, “How could something like this happen?”
“That’s what we’re trying to find out, Ms. Kara.” O’Hara said.” Now, Ms. Kara, did Ms. Inez wear glasses?”
“Only for reading, Mr. O’Hara.”
“Did she have them with her?” O’Hara again asked.
Kara got up and walked over to a small table beside where Adam was sitting. She opened the drawer in the table, looked at O’Hara, “I guess she did, they are not here.”
O’Hara reached in his pocket and pulled out the glasses he had retrieved from the ashes of the campfire. Holding the glasses out to Kara, he asked, “Are these hers?”
“I am not sure, I mean, they are so damaged. They look like hers, but I can’t be positive.”
“Okay, Ms. Kara, the last time you saw Ms. Inez, was she wearing jewelry? You know earrings, necklace, rings and such.”
“Yes she was. She always liked to wear her jewelry.”
Again, reaching in his pocket, he produced a pair of earrings, and holding them out to Kara, he asked, “Are these hers?”
Kara looked very carefully. “May I hold one of them?” Kara asked. O’Hara handed one of the earrings to Kara. She examined it carefully in her hand and replied, “No they are not, Mr. O’Hara.”
Mac and Adam looked at each other with disbelief. “Are you sure, Ms. Kara?” Adam asked.
” Mr. Owens, Mrs. Baker was very style conscious, very color co-ordinated. She would never wear emerald earrings with a purple dress.”
Mac just shook his head, “Does she have a gold colored broach with a yellow stone of some type in the center?”
“No sir, she did not have one.”
“Ms. Kara, how can you be so sure?” O’Hara asked.
“Mrs. Baker had an allergy to gold and would develop a rash. All of her jewelry was sterling silver.”
“Thank you for answering our questions. Is there anything you feel we should know Ms. Kara?” O’Hara wanted to know.
“When she returned from that last trip to New Orleans, she did act a little strange.” Kara volunteered.
“What do you mean by strange, Ms. Kara?” Adam asked.
“She would go almost every day to the Bokor over in the Latino community and pray to the Loa.”
“Ms. Kara what is a Bokor and Loa?” Adam looked puzzled.
Kara laughed. “You don’t leave St Louis very much do you, Mr. Owens. The Loa are the gods and the Bokor is the black magic priest or priestess.”
“Black magic?” Adam repeated.
O’Hara was quiet for a moment. “Could you ask Dr. Baker if he could speak to us for a moment?”
“I surely will, Mr. O’Hara. Will you please wait here, Gentlemen?” Kara left the room.
Adam looked at Mac, “she was involved in black magic? The doll, the doll, Mac. That was a voodoo doll! And Mac, the blood, during a black magic ceremony they don’t want to spill the blood on the ground, or the sacrifice is no good. Voodoo and black magic are opposites. The color yellow in voodoo represents success, understanding, attractiveness, but in black magic yellow represents failure, confusion and the ugliness of the world. The dresses, the doll, the broach, were all yellow and symbols of black magic.”
Kara returned telling Mac and Adam that Dr. Baker would be along momentarily.” May I get you another drink Gentlemen?”
“No. I think we are fine. Thank you Ms. Kara.” Mac replied. “We will just sit here comfortably while we wait. It has been a long day, what with removing those other bodies from the old mill.” Mac commented.
“Other bodies?” Kara’s eyes widened. “What other bodies. There was only one. I mean, Ms. Inez, was the only one murdered, wasn’t she?”
At that moment, Dr. Robert Baker entered the room and greeted O’Hara and Owens.
Kara immediately addressed Dr. Baker, “Oh my gracious, Dr. Baker, these gentlemen were just telling me that three more bodies were found in the old mill.”
Dr. Baker responded, “oh no. Were these murders related to Inez’ murder?”
O’Hara intently looked at Kara and the Doc, almost to the point of glaring at them. “We don’t know yet. We are not even sure they were murdered.”
Adam had a strange look on his face, but he knew that Mac knew what he was doing, so he remained quiet.
“Thank you Ms. Kara, you have been very helpful.” O’Hara said. “We will speak with the Doctor now, and again thank you for being so gracious.”
“Oh, yes, Mr. O’Hara. I will attend to my business now.” Kara replied and walked past the doctor, placing her hand on his shoulder, and giving him a strange look.
“Doc, thanks for talking with us, we will try not to be very long. We know this has been a stressful day for you.” Mac said.
Adam then spoke up, taking the lead in the interrogation. “Doc, were you not worried when Ms. Inez did not return before dark? And, Doc, did you have someone to go to Dr. Durham’s home to try and find her?”
“Yes, Detective, I became concerned just before dark, but I had patients waiting and Calvin was not here, so Kara asked Otis, our butler, to go to the Durham’s house. He returned about an hour later.”
“When did you notify the Sheriff?” Adam inquired.
“As soon as Otis returned, Kara sent for the Sheriff.”
“Doc, you didn’t have any suspicions or any ideas where she may have gone?” Adam questioned.
“No, I didn’t,” Doc began. “But I knew Inez well enough to know if someone needed her help, she would be there.”
“Doc were you aware that Ms. Inez had been visiting the Latino neighborhood, and in particular a Bokor there?”
“Well no, I wasn’t aware. A Bokor? What business would she have visiting a Voodoo priest?”
Adam became a little more inquisitive, “so you know what a Bokor is? But this Bokor is not a voodoo preist, he delves in Black Magic. And you had no idea what Inez was up to?”
“I have already told you, Detective; I did not know Inez was doing any such thing.” Doc was now becoming rather testy. “I think our interview is over now, Detectives. I will have Kara show you out.”
“That’s okay, Doc. We will let ourselves out, and Doc, we’ll see you again, in a few days.” O’Hara informed Doc.
Then, he and Adam started for the door. “Oh, Doc. One more thing. What is your relationship with Kara?”
Doc hesitated. “Come along gentlemen, and I will show you the door.” Doc said with an agitated tone to his voice.
When they reached the door, O’Hara prodded Doc once more, “you didn’t answer my question, Doctor Baker.”
Doc opened the door, “That, Sir is none of your business. Good evening, gentlemen.” He closed the door.
O’Hara and Adam walked out to the street, neither speaking. Adam stopped and looked at O’Hara.
“What?” O’Hara questioned and looked at Adam. He grinned and said, “they are both lying, worse than a politician a week before Election Day. We seriously need to find those hobos.”
It was now getting late. Both headed home to get some much needed rest and get started fresh in the morning.
As Adam walked toward his home he saw the beat cop for that area on the other side of the street, shaking doors. Shaking doors was a police jargon for checking to make sure the doors were locked. Adam saw that the beat cop was a rookie named Mike Kline. Adam threw up his hand as he neared Mike. Mike recognized Adam.
“Owens, Corporal Owens.”
“Hey Mike. How are you? Third month on the beat now, huh?” Adam greeted him.
“I’m doing well. I love being a cop. By the way, Adam, Chief Atkins was looking for you and O’Hara earlier.”
“He was? What does he want, somebody to scratch his butt?” Both officers chuckled.
“Nah, he had a message for you guys. He said he had issued a wide area bolo on those three hobos, and Kansas City PD has 2 of them for you. They have Myrt and Ragman. Luthie is dead.”
“Dead?” Adam asked.
“Yeah, he got runned over by a choo-choo. Kinda ironic, huh. He was riding dangle, you know on the suspension bars under a boxcar and they suspect he had too much alki. The locomotive was ’ballin the jack’ or moving real fast, and Luthie fell asleep, the boxcar hit a bump, and Luthie crashed. Never knew what got him. The other two should be back here late tomorrow.”
“Mike, you are a fine feller. I will sleep well tonight. Thanks Mike. You have a good night.”
“Anytime Adam, whatever I can do for you. See you, Pal.”