The chronological order of my stories is now listed in WifeWatchman's biography.
Feedback and
constructive
criticism is very much appreciated, and I encourage feedback for ideas.
This story contains graphic scenes, language and actions that might be extremely offensive to some people. These scenes, words and actions are used only for the literary purposes of this story. The author does not condone murder, racial language, violence, rape or violence against women, and any depictions of any of these in this story should not be construed as acceptance of the above.
Part 5 - Connecting The Dots
"Captain," I said to Cindy, "would you take Mrs. Sanderson into the living room while Detective Washington and I examine this room more closely? And send in some Crime Lab peeps. I want this room expedited."
"Without a doubt, sir." Cindy said. She asked Cassie to go with her. Cassie had an inquisitive look on her face, but went along.
Cindy knew not to mention that Emma had been found dead two days before. Police everywhere try to not divulge things like that without first asking the family, friends, etc., some questions to see what the answers will be. This was a crucially important time.
"Recognize her, Theo?" I asked, once we were alone. Theo looked at the picture, and understood, his own eyes widening as Cindy's had.
"Don't say anything to Cassie nor to Sean that Emma is dead." I said. "We'll spring that on them later."
"Uh, yes sir." Theo said as I began looking around the room. On the desk I found an 8" x 11" photograph that had been printed on photographic paper from a now-missing computer printer. The quality was excellent, and one would think it'd been developed from a negative, but I knew the secret tell-tale signs that gave away it being digital.
The photo showed Emma on her knees on the floor of Cassie's greatroom. She was wearing the filmy green dress that she'd been found dead in. The dress barely covered her breasts in the photo, and her nipples were hard and pretty much visible beneath the thin fabric. Emma's hands were on her thighs, and her legs were bare. She also was not wearing any shoes. It was an erotic but not hardcore photograph. I wondered if it were part of a set.
I also noticed something else: Emma was wearing heavy makeup, and it was to cover up the bruising on her face. The skin of her upper shoulders and neck also looked strangely and unevenly colored, and I realize that was makeup to cover bruising, also.
As I looked harder at the photo, I noticed the clock behind Emma on the thin table; the time on the clock was 8:00, almost straight up-and-down on the hour. The plasma TV was just above the clock; it was not turned on.
"Theo," I said as I photographed the photograph (Department of Redundancy Department, there) with my Police iPhone, "see if you can find any other photos that this one might be part of a set with. I'll be back in a few minutes."
I stepped into the hallway then out the door at the end to the garage for privacy. I made a phone call, which took a few minutes to complete. Then I went back inside and down the hall to the greatroom, seeing Cindy and Cassie sitting on the sofa. Cindy was having Cassie recount her movements of the entire time from Sunday to the present, saying it might give the Police a clue to her being observed by the burglars. Cassie was being cooperative.
I did not join them, but went instead to the backyard and saw Sean with my officers. Sean was tall, slender, fit and athletic, and his hair was blonde, not yellow or honey blonde but an ash, almost grayish-white blonde. He definitely looked the stud that Ryan had described a few nights before, and I could just tell: Sean was getting a lot of pussy.
"Hello Commander," said Rudistan in his jovial voice. "I was just talking with young Sean, here, about the burglary."
"Hi Sean." I said.
"Wow, the Iron Crowbar himself!" said Sean. "My friend Ryan told me he knows you."
"Yes, yes he does." I said. "He told me about you, too. So, what can you tell me about this mess?"
"Like I told the officers," Sean said, "my mom and I got home this morning and found the house broken into. The back door was open, and you can see where it was kicked in." Indeed, I had seen the damage to the door around the lock, and the barely-noticeable imprint of a heavy boot that had kicked it in. I'd also seen traces of that boot and others... and where others had walked over them.
I sat down on a lawn chair next to Sean and had him recount visiting Marlena and Ryan the night before. Then I asked what he'd been doing the night before last, that being Monday night.
"Uh, I was hanging out with Ryan and a couple of girls from the School." Sean said.
"University students?" I asked.
"Yeah." Sean said. "Ryan and I took them out to dinner, then we went dancing and hung out, then back to one of the girls' dorm room."
"And had sex with them?" I asked.
"Oh yeah." said Sean. "I gotta admit, Ryan has hooked me up with some extremely hot women."
"I'll be discreet," I said, "but I will need their names and that dorm room number." Sean readily gave me the information.
"What about Sunday night?" I asked.
"Uh, Mom and I were at Marlena's Sunday night, too." said Sean. "We had dinner with Marlena and Ryan."
"Did you spend the night?" I asked.
"No." said Sean. "We got home about midnight."
"What time did you get to Marlena's on Sunday."
"About eight o'clock." said Sean. "We all went to the Sunday evening church service at First Baptist at 7:00, then went straight to Marlena's house when it was over."
"So that woman whose photo is on the wall in your mom's office..." I said, "who is that?"
"Oh, that's Emma." Sean said. "She lives across the street. She's Mom's friend."
"Tell me more about her." I said. "Friendly? Outgoing? Shy?"
"Oh, she's a great lady." Sean said, his eyes brightening considerably. "She models for photographs for my mom. Her husband is in Alaska, so Mom takes photos of Emma so that she can send them to her husband."
I asked Sean to tell me more, and this was his story, which I condense here: Emma would take photos that were increasingly sexy and provocative, sometimes becoming partially or fully nude. These photos were sent as sets to Emma's husband. Emma also wanted pictures of herself on 'dates' with Sean, going to restaurants that were favorites of Emma and her husband, a few photos of them on a picnic, all taken by Sean's mom Cassie. Sean said that Emma would then pose alone more sexually while Cassie took the shots.
"Okay, thanks Sean." I said. "I'm going to have to ask you to come to the Police Station and make a more complete statement. Sergeant Rudistan, will you drive Sean down to Headquarters? And don't walk through the house. Just go around the outside..."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Re-entering the house, Crime Lab Technician Christina Cho came up to me.