Did She 1

The interview room was a gray walled cube with an old metal table and three metal chairs. There were two video cameras on the wall Bob was facing, their red lights showing he was being recorded. The faint smell of disinfectants permeated the air. The hard chair Bob was sitting in took on the cool temperature of the room. In spite of the temperature, Bob was sweating.

The door opened and two men joined him in the room. The first to enter was tall and slender, Bob guessed he was 3 inches taller than his own 6 foot 1 and his expression was serious bordering on sour. The second man was rotund and half a foot shorter.

The taller man spoke first. "Good evening Mr. Taggart. My name is Francis Muldoon. I'm a detective with the police department." He offered his hand to Bob, and they exchanged a firm handshake. "This is detective Leo Gunther. We would like to extend our condolences for your loss."

Bob nodded his appreciation.

"No doubt you know we're here to investigate the death of your wife, Jill Taggart. Have you been advised of your rights?"

"Yes, I have." Bob managed to croak through his dry throat.

"Are you willing to talk with us about the incident that led to Jill's death?"

"Yes."

"And you are aware we are taping this interview?"

"Yes. I am."

"Good. For the tape would you state your name and today's date."

"My name is Bob er Robert Taggart and today is June 21, 2024."

"Again, for the recording, do you agree to talk with us without a lawyer present?"

"Yes, I don't have anything to hide."

"OK. Now, please tell us what happened today. Please include as much detail as possible. We'll only interrupt if we need some clarification."

==========

"We have a 30-foot Catalina sailboat named 'Jill's Escape' we keep at the local marina. We had been planning a day of sailing all week. We got to the marina about 9:30 this morning. It took about an hour to get everything stowed, the boat aired out, and everything ready to go."

"There wasn't much wind, so we ended up motoring up-river to a small cove we like. It is secluded and usually very private. We dropped anchor in about 25 feet of water. There wasn't much traffic on the lake and the thick trees lining the cove assured privacy from that direction, so we decided to go skinny dipping."

Detective Gunther asked "Whose idea was it to go swimming nude?"

"I'm not sure but probably Jill's. We enjoy the freedom when we're out on the boat. We swam for about an hour. As we were getting back on the boat, a motorboat pulled into the cove. Jill ducked into the cabin to put on her bikini; I sat in the cockpit pulling on my trunks. The couple in the boat waved, made a circle of the cove, and left. I guess they were looking for a private area too."

"We ate lunch. Jill took the leftovers to the galley and returned with refilled wine glasses. How much detail do you want?"

"As much as possible. We have to figure out what emotions were in play."

"OK, Jill leaned against me and suggested we have some fun. She stood up and removed her top, tossing it into the cabin. I was out of my trunks before she kicked her thong down the stairs. She squatted over my lap, driving her nipples into my chest and her tongue down my throat."

"Is this usual behavior?" asked detective Muldoon.

"We frequently have sex on the boat, usually we do it in the cabin during the day time."

"Was it usual for her to take the lead? And be the aggressor?"

"Sometimes she does, maybe more often recently."

Bob continued the story. "As she was kissing me she pushed my hands up over my head and I felt a handcuff close on my left wrist. She jumped off my lap and sat on the opposite side of the cockpit completely out of reach."

"Where was the handcuff that you didn't see it before Jill managed to cuff you?"

"I don't know for sure, but the other end was fastened around the cockpit railing. It must have been hanging there on the outside of the boat. I never noticed it."

"Weren't you alarmed?"

"Not too much. Sometimes we play bondage scenarios. I just assumed this was going to be a game. But instead of continuing to play, she settled into the seat across from me."

"She told me to settle down and not hurt myself but that 'we had to talk'."

"I asked her what we needed to talk about, and she announced she had cheated on me."

"I told her that wasn't a good joke. Her response was it wasn't a joke at all. That she'd been cheating for a couple of months."

"I demanded she tell me who she was having an affair with. She told me I didn't know him. He is a salesman with some company in Charlotte and has business that brings him to town every other week. She said his name is Scott Harris."

"She met him at the hospital back in May. He had cut his hand and needed several stitches. They talked while she worked. He invited her to have coffee with him to continue their conversation. She accepted and they had coffee in the cafeteria, and they talked. A week later, he was back to have the stitches removed. This time he asked her to dinner. I was away at a convention, and she didn't like the prospect of dinner alone in an empty house, so she accepted. They shared a bottle of wine over dinner. They moved to the lounge for a couple of drinks. She ended up spending the night in his bed where he took her twice."

"She said they have had sex at least once every time he has been in town since then."

"I asked if she was in love with him. She assured me she wasn't. She said the guilt was killing her and she would never see him again. The way she said she'd never see him again sounded a little strange, so I asked where that left us. She didn't answer, just looking sad."

She went into the cabin. When she returned she was wearing her bikini and carrying the mushroom anchor. I noticed her wrist was handcuffed to the anchor chain."

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING? I yelled, jerking at the unyielding cuff on my wrist. I tried to get to her, but she avoided my clutching hand. I begged her not to jump."

"She stepped off the boat holding the anchor. I'll never be able to get the sight of her eyes as she vanished into the water. I've never seen such sadness."

"I don't know how long I cried before realizing I needed to do something, to get help. I managed to reach the marine radio in the wheel pedestal and call for help but knew it was already too late to save Jill."

"I don't know how long it took the Coast Guard to get there or how much longer it took to get the Sheriff's deputies and divers there. The divers recovered Jill's body fairly quickly, a deputy released me from my handcuff, bandaged my wrist and let me get dressed."

"They brought me here. I guess that's about all."

==========

Bob's narrative had been interrupted at times as his emotions got the better of his self-control.

Pausing to consult his notes, detective Muldoon started "The presence of the handcuffs is a little difficult to understand. Had you seen either pair of handcuffs before?"

"They all look alike so I can't say for sure. We kept a pair on the boat - you know - in case the mood struck us. Like I said, we liked a little light bondage from time to time. I can't explain the second pair unless she brought them from home that day."

"You let her restrain you without objection?"

"She caught me by surprise. I never saw the cuff before she fastened it on my wrist. At the time, I wasn't really in the mood to object to anything she wanted to do."

"I understand. You knew nothing of the affair before she told you?"

"Correct, I knew nothing. I thought we were good. In fact, our sex life had been improving lately."

"What do you mean by 'improving'?"

"We were having sex more frequently and Jill was initiating it more often and being more verbal about what she wanted."

The two detectives exchanged glances.

Bob blushed but continued "You know, telling me to suck her nipples, pound into her harder, make her cum. You know, like you'd expect in a porn video. She'd never acted that way before."

Detective Muldoon nodded.

"Have you had any reason to suspect Jill might have been having relationship with someone else?"

"No, like I said, I thought we were good."

Detective Gunther asked "Are you now, or have you been involved with someone else?"

"Certainly not!" Bob answered hotly.

Detective Muldoon glanced at his partner before saying "Sorry, you understand we have to ask these questions."

Bob visibly calmed. "I understand."

"Do you know this Scott Harris?"

"No, I've never even heard his name as far as I know."

"Do you know Jill's friends from the hospital?"

"I have met several of her co-workers. Would you like a list?"

"Yes, that would be helpful."

Bob scribbled five names on the offered pad.

"Was the day sail spur of the moment?"

"No, we have been planning a day out on the lake all week."

Turning to his partner, Francis asked. "Leo, do you have any other questions?"

When detective Gunther shook his head, detective Muldoon continued "We appreciate your statement. We will arrange for you to be taken back to the marina to pick up your car. I hope you understand the boat itself is off limits until we complete our investigation. If there anything on board you need, please call me. I'll get it for you. And if you think of anything else that might shed more light on our investigation, please give me a call."

Bob nodded, taking the card being offered.

"I know you've seen enough cop shows on TV to know 'don't leave town', at least not without letting us know where you're going."

Surprised, Bob asked "Am I suspected of killing my wife?"

"At this point, we're still trying to figure out what happened, not assigning blame. Thank you for your time."

An officer appeared to escort Bob out.

==========

Captain Paul Block joined the two detectives in the interview room shortly after Bob had been escorted out.

"Hey boss. Were you watching Mr. Taggart's whole statement?"

"Yep. What do you two think? Did she commit suicide, or did he kill her?"

Francis and Leo exchanged looks.

Francis voiced their shared feeling "I didn't like his story. Too many convenient coincidences. According to his story, no witnesses."

"Sounds like you have your work cut out for you. Francis, you take the lead. Where do you plan to start?

"We've got a list of co-workers at the hospital to start with. Leo, would you contact them to see if Jill mentioned marital problems or Scott Harris to any of them."

"Right. I'll also see if there was anything going on at the hospital that might have caused her to commit suicide."

Paul added "You might check with other co-workers just to make sure Mr. Taggart didn't give us a select list."

Francis volunteered "I'm going to get a list of registered guests going back 2 months from local hotels. It's going to be a big list to plow through. I could use some clerical help."

"You can ask Cindy to help you with the lists. And you'll need to get subpoenas to get those lists. Work with Fred to get the ball rolling on the subpoenas." Paul said. "Let's get this wrapped up quickly. It shouldn't be too hard to determine if this is a suicide or a murder. Francis, please let me have an update by Thursday."

==========

Thursday found Francis and Leo in Paul's office to report on their progress.

Francis started "Leo talked with twelve of Jill's friends and co-workers. Jill had told none of them about having an affair. In fact, none of them had even heard the name Scott Harris. Jill's best friend checked the hospital records and did not come up with a patient named Scott Harris."

"None of the people interviewed had heard Jill mention any problem between her and Bob. They seemed to be a happy couple. Although Bob could be jealous."

"Pam did tell us Jill had received some bad news from her doctor two or three months ago. Jill had not shared what the news was with Pam, but Jill had seemed a little quieter and introspective since then."

"Leo got a subpoena for her medical record and talked with the doctor. Jill was diagnosed with an inoperable, stage 3 glioblastoma. Her doctor said he had told her she probably had six months to live, at most. He also confirmed the tumor was in a location where mood and behavior changes could be developing symptoms."

Paul's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "So, suicide is looking more like a possibility."

"Yep, especially since I've not been able to find any evidence to suggest Scott Harris even exists. Not only did he not have his hand treated at the hospital, he doesn't appear once on the registration lists provided by any of the hotels in the area."

"It appears Jill did not have an affair. She was understandably depressed with her diagnosis, which she did not share with her husband. The tumor may have caused a behavior change where suicide was an acceptable alternative. Her husband had noticed her changed participation in sex. Her method of committing suicide is a bit bizarre but I think it all holds together."

"Why would she make up the story of the affair?" Paul asked.

"That we'll probably never know. Could she have wanted her husband to hate her, so he'd move on? Or could it have been a delusion brought on by the tumor?"

"Leo, do you agree?" Paul asked.

"Yes, I can see how it could happen that way."

"I agree. Call it a suicide, notify the husband, and finish up the paperwork. Francis, you finish the paperwork. Leo, Al has asked for your help with the Morgan case.

==========

Francis picked up Leo's notes for inclusion in the final package and dropped them on his desk. This is the part of the job he liked least. Somehow, even if the case had been successful it was always a let-down.

Francis was about to call Bob Taggart to let him know the cause of death was being officially listed as suicide and that he could take possession of his boat again. His eye fell on the list of currently registered guests received just this morning from the Sheraton Hotel. There, in the middle of the page was the name Alan S. Harris. It stood out like a sore thumb.

Francis berated himself "How could I have been so stupid as to miss this before?"

He dialed Leo's cell phone.

"Hey Leo, what if Harris' name is actually Alan Scott Harris? I just spotted an Alan S. Harris registered today at the Sheraton not far from the hospital where Jill Taggart worked. I'm going to go through the registrations again looking for any Harris. Do you have time to check with Jill's girlfriend to see if there was a patient named Alan Harris? OK, thanks."

Then he dialed Paul's number.

"Paul, we may have it wrong. I just found an ALAN Harris registered at the Sheraton."

"Yep, he's registered there now."

"Right. I'm headed there now to talk with him.

"OK, I'll let you know tomorrow if this is all a red herring or if we need to pursue it further."

"No, I haven't contacted the husband yet. I'll hold off notification while we run this down."

==========

On his way to the Sheraton, Francis received a call from Leo confirming the Alan Harris had received medical care in the form of stitches to his palm and had later returned to have the stitches removed. The treating physician was indeed Dr. Jill Taggart.

Francis asked Leo to join him at the hotel then called Paul to share the information and let him know Leo would be joining him at the hotel.

Francis talked with the hotel day manager, a Mr. John Addams, who confirmed he knew about the subpoena and when asked, Mr. Addams readily agreed to retrieve a list of dates Alan Harris had been a guest for the past 3 months.

Leo arrived as Mr. Addams handed Francis the list. Sure enough, Harris had been a guest about every two weeks.

"I know it is a long shot, but do you recognize this woman?" Francis asked showing Mr. Addams a picture of Jill Taggart.

"No, I can't say I do. But I'm often in the office or elsewhere rather than out here at the front desk."

"Without causing a stir, can you get the staff to discretely stop by and look at the picture. We want to keep it quiet for now."

"I'll do what I can." Turning to the pretty young woman at the other end of the counter "Julie, can I speak with you a moment."

The young woman's face took on a worried look as she approached the three men.

"Yes sir? Is there a problem?"

"No Julie, these men are detectives and just want to ask you a couple of questions."

Julie's expression cleared at once. "Yes, gentlemen what can I do for you?"

"Have you seen this woman here in the hotel?" Asked Francis again displaying Jill's picture. "It may have been several weeks ago."

"No, not that I remember."

"Thanks. We would appreciate it if you wouldn't mention we're looking for her to anyone."

"Of course."

"Thank you, Julie." Said Mr. Addams. "Do you have any suggestion on who else we should ask?"

"Well, she is an attractive woman. You might want to ask Gary, he always has an eye out for a pretty face, if you know what I mean."

Francis and Leo exchanged smiles, but Mr. Addams didn't look pleased with Julie's response. "Thank you Julie. We'll talk later about Gary."

Julie hustled back to the other end of the counter.

"Give me a minute and I'll find Gary." And Mr. Addams strode off.

==========

"Leo, this may all be nothing, but I feel in my bones we almost made a BAD mistake. What do you think?"

"Me too. Mr. Taggart's story never sat well with me and now it is beginning to fall apart."

At that moment Mr. Addams returned with a young man he introduced as Gary.

"Gary, have you seen this woman?"

"Yeah, I think so. It's been a couple of weeks since I've seen her. She and some dude were in and out. You know, like they were getting it on at a lunch break. We never saw her at night."

"How often were they here?"

"They'd be here a couple of days then they'd be gone for a bit."

"How long ago did you start seeing them?"

"I don't know, maybe two months. Me and Terry got the idea they were having an affair and even talked about sneaking a camera in their room." Realizing his boss was listening he continued "But we'd never really do anything like that."

A very worried Mr. Addams did not look so sure of that at all.

"Could you describe the man?"

"I could but you can see for yourself. That's him coming in the front door right now in the black suit and red tie."

Francis nodded to Leo who headed to intercept the man Gary identified.

"Thank you Mr. Addams, Gary. I believe we will take it from here."

As Francis left to join Leo. He heard Mr. Addams telling Gary to join him in the office. Francis felt sure that meeting wasn't going to end well for Gary and probably Terry, whoever he was.

==========

When Francis joined Leo and the man in the red tie, Leo introduced him as Alan Scott Harris.

Francis took the lead. "Mr. Harris, I am glad to meet you. Do you know a Jill Taggart?"

"Can we do this in a more private environment?"

Would you mind going with us to the station for a brief chat?"

"I don't really have time right now. I've got to get ready for a dinner meeting with a client."

"I'm sorry but I really have to insist. We'll be glad to bring you back here when we're done."

"Alright, let me make a couple of calls."

"You can do that from the station or on the way if you don't mind the noise."

==========

Mr. Alan Scott Harris found himself in the same cold gray interview room Bob Taggart had been in just over a week ago.

He had received the Miranda warning, had agreed to being taped, and officially agreed to be interviewed.

Francis started the interview.

"Just to confirm. You do know Jill Taggart?"

"Yes, she sewed up my hand after I cut it and later removed the stitches."

"Have you seen her any other time?"

"We had coffee at the hospital cafeteria after she stitched up my hand."