Murder in eagle cove, p.4
Murder in Eagle Cove, page 4
Larry followed Branch back to the main security office, where he picked up copies of the recordings from the Lot B cameras. The security office had neatly labeled the DVDs with each camera's day, time, and location. With them safely in hand, Larry began the long drive through heavy afternoon traffic back to Eagle Cove. The GPS said it would be six o’clock before he arrived back at the station. He would have to rush to make it to the homecoming game.
Sandra rubbed her neck while waiting in the reception area at Jewell, Jones, & Reed law offices for her four o’clock appointment. Her stomach was tight, and she only wanted answers to her questions. She rolled her neck to relieve the tension while glancing around at the reception area. Soft blues and earth tones with a nautical theme were used to decorate. A leather sofa with four accent chairs are artfully arranged in the small space. An ocean painting hanging on one wall calmed her. The sailboat floating at the center of the picture seemed to drift across the scene effortlessly. A brass sculpture of a seagull and a wood sailboat model were among other original art pieces in a display case at one end of the room. She felt fortunate that her friend, Genifer, a law clerk in the office, could arrange a consult with Attorney David Jones to discuss her suspension. She had expressed to Genifer how deeply saddened she was that Elk River Pharmaceuticals forbade her from attending funeral services for her friend and colleague, Marilyn.
"Mrs. Saunders, Mr. Jones will see you now," came a voice breaking the silence.
Sandra looked toward the voice, forgetting where she was. She'd been so deep in thought that she didn't hear the door open at the end of the reception area. She stood, nervously straightened her blouse, and looked at the attractive young woman who had come to take her to Mr. Jones' office.
Sandra followed her down a hall to a large corner office with panoramic ocean views. It, too, was tastefully decorated with a nautical theme and smelled of wood and leather. It looked much the same as the reception area, likely the work of the same decorator. Sandra sensed that this attorney was successful and deeply rooted in the community. His choice of décor spoke loudly for his love of the ocean and Eagle Cove. This legal matter may cost me a fortune, she thought. However, hiring an attorney is a wise decision. If Elk River Pharmaceuticals decides to play dirty with me, I'll be ahead of the eight ball.
Attorney David Jones stood and came around his desk, extending a hand to Sandra. "I'm Attorney David Jones. You can call me Dave."
Dave Jones' handshake was firm and polite. He stood about five foot nine inches tall, weighing about one hundred eighty pounds. It was apparent that he always attended his daily workouts. Dave appeared to spare no expense on his clothes and shoes. His manners and calm demeanor gave the impression of success. Everything about him exuded confidence.
"I'm Sandra Saunders. Thank you for seeing me on such short notice," she stammered, shaking his hand.
"Please, take a seat," Dave said, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk while returning to his seat. "What is it I can do for you today?"
Sandra took a file folder from her large bag. She leafed through the folder and produced the document, suspending her from her position. She began pushing it across the desk for him to examine while explaining what had happened at the lab leading to her suspension. He took the document, scanning it while listening intently to Sandra. "They're saying I cannot attend my colleague's funeral," she said. "They're also not allowing me to send a sympathy card or flowers. Can they do that?" She paused and relaxed a bit with her hands folded on her lap.
"May I have a minute to review the document carefully?" he asked.
"Absolutely. Take your time," Sandra said, taking a breath and easing back in her seat.
When he reached the bottom of the last page, he looked up over the top of it at Sandra. "I'd like to make a copy of this if you don't mind."
"No problem."
"It seems improper for them to forbid you from attending your colleague's funeral. The contractual non-compete clause seems reasonable, and I understand why they don't want any of this on social media. I know one of the attorneys in the legal department at Elk River. Let me make a call. I don't know if I can still reach him today, but I'd like to discuss your concerns. I'll let him know you've retained us, and we won't put up with any shenanigans."
Dave picked up his phone and called his secretary. "Can you step in here for a moment?"
A moment later, the woman who had escorted Sandra to the office came in. "Yes, sir?"
"Can you make a copy of this document and prepare a retainer agreement for Mrs. Saunders, please?"
"Sure," she replied as she took the document and left the office.
Dave looked over at Sandra, and she felt a wave of relief. "I cannot thank you enough for this," she said.
"Don't thank me yet. I want you to know we have your back. We'll make sure we protect your best interests."
The secretary came back into the office after a few short minutes. She brought the copy of the document and two copies of a retainer agreement in a file folder, which she had already labeled with Sandra's name and contact information. Either she had already prepared the paperwork, or this was the most efficient secretary on the face of the earth. Dave took the retainer agreement from the folder and reviewed it before signing and pushing it across the desk to Sandra.
"Today's consult is no charge. As explained here, I'll collect a retainer for future work."
He reviewed the retainer agreement in detail with Sandra while she read along on her copy. "I'll need you to sign both copies of the agreement. You can pay the retainer by check, or my secretary can run it on your bank card."
Sandra took her copy of the retainer agreement and carefully followed along as Dave reviewed the details. She noted his hourly rate of six hundred dollars, and he asked for an advance of ten thousand dollars. We will hold your retainer in an escrow account to cover the legal expenses. We will refund any part of the retainer not used. The agreement was straightforward, and she felt comfortable with everything. She signed both copies before taking her checkbook from her purse and writing a check for the retainer. "Thanks again," she said, drawing a deep breath through her nose and slowly exhaling as she left his office. Sandra let out a massive sigh of relief as she walked back to her car. It was comforting to know she had an excellent attorney who had her back. She tried to call Larry on the drive home, but the call went straight to his voicemail.
As Larry drove south toward Eagle Cove, he made effective use of his time by placing a call to the Chief.
"Chief, it's Larry. The crime lab picked up the victim's car from Logan. I secured all the surveillance video from every camera on Lot B. I'm on my way back. We need to put every available person to work reviewing these recordings. If you have no objection, I'd like to have my son, Noah, help while he's home from school this weekend."
"It sounds like you've had a productive afternoon, Larry. As a criminology intern on our discretionary payroll, we can use Noah's help anytime. Tell him we'd be pleased to have his help on this case."
"Thanks, Chief."
"Do we know when the car came into the lot?"
"Not yet. I'm waiting for a call from the crime scene guys to find out if there was a parking ticket inside the car."
"A time would give us a place to start."
"You're right. Let me call the lab and tell them the ticket is a priority. I'll call you back."
He called the crime lab but got no answer. He left a message stating that the parking ticket was a priority. He asked that it be photographed and sent to his phone. Just as Larry hung up and redialed his boss, the phone began buzzing with an incoming call. Chief Armstrong answered before he could hang up and accept the other call.
"Larry, what'd ya find out?"
"Had to leave a message. I'll let you know when the lab gets back to me. How long are you planning to be there? My ETA is right at six. I have to be at the football game. Katherine is being crowned junior homecoming queen tonight."
"I'll be here when you get back, no matter the time," he said, hanging up.
Larry looked at his phone, discovering the other caller was his wife. He didn't check for a message before returning her call.
"Hi," Sandra said in the form of an answer.
"Hi, are you doing okay?"
"I feel a whole lot better. I retained the attorney for the suspension matter. On my way home now. Where're you?"
"On my way back from Boston. I'm going straight to the station. I should be there by six."
"Will you make the game?"
"I'll be there, but I must return to work afterward. I have a bunch of things to wrap up. No idea how long it'll take. I should meet you at the game."
"I'm going home to change. I’ll meet you in our usual seats."
Larry looked at his gas gauge and knew it was time to fill up, take a bathroom break, and grab a sweet tea. He pulled off at the next exit to fill the tank and find a bathroom. On the way to the cashier, he went to the beverage center, got a forty-four-ounce sweet tea, and then spotted a candy display where he snagged a candy bar before paying. Back in his car, Larry moved to a parking space away from the pumps. He wanted to take a moment to regroup and make sure there was nothing he was missing.
He looked back at his phone and remembered the next-of-kin notification. The Chief had sent it earlier, but Larry hadn't looked at it. The victim's nearest relative was a sister living in Rockland. It was fortunate he checked when he did. If he rerouted himself, he could make the notification in person without making an extra trip. He put her address in the GPS and noted it would add an hour to his journey, plus the time he'd spend at her home. Death notifications were an aspect of his job that Larry did not look forward to. The victim's sister may be able to shed light on his investigation. He thought how insensitive it was to expect her to answer any questions after he told her her brother was dead.
Before leaving his parking space, he phoned the Chief and told him he was making the notification on the way so as not to expect him to be back. He would be in after the game to wrap some things up. His phone chimed with an incoming message while he talked to the Chief. He quickly looked to discover that the crime scene tech had sent a picture of the parking ticket. "Chief, I just got a picture of the parking ticket. Let me forward it to you." He hung up and checked the email, finding the car had entered the gate into Lot B just before one p.m. last Thursday. He forwarded the picture to the Chief, backed out, and drove toward Harold Blunt's sister's house in Rockland.
Larry easily located Cassandra Delarosa's home with his GPS's help. He stopped at the curb in front of a small, brick, ranch-style home with flowers planted in front and along the sidewalk. The flowers were beginning to wither with the end of summer. Behind the row of flowers in front of the home was a perfectly trimmed hedge. The neat, clean landscape gave the tiny house a polished look. The sidewalk led from the street to the dark blue front door, partially hidden behind a white vinyl storm door. He put on his suit jacket and buttoned it as he walked to the door. He knocked loudly on the storm door, and the dogs inside went crazy. A lady in her late thirties answered while holding the dogs back. She appeared slightly disheveled compared to how neat the outside of her little house looked. She was without make-up, and her hair hung loosely around her face. She wore a smock-type housecoat and a big pair of fuzzy blue slippers. "Forgive my appearance. I wasn't expecting company," she said while fighting the dogs. She didn't open the storm door, addressing Larry through the screen at the top.
"My name is Detective Larry Saunders with the Eagle Cove Police. Are you Cassandra Delarosa?"
"Yes," she said.
"Is Harold Blunt your brother?" Larry asked while showing her his credentials.
"Yes."
"Ms. Delarosa, may I come in for a moment? I need to speak with you about your brother."
"Yes, of course. Where's my manners? Forgive the mess. It's my day off, and I've been baking all day."
She opened the storm door, permitting Larry inside, where he noticed the delightful smell of cookies baking. She was careful not to let the dogs out as Larry slipped inside. Cassandra pointed Larry to a seat in the living room while rushing toward the kitchen. "I must take those cookies out, or they'll burn."
Larry took the seat where she'd directed him, and the two neatly groomed schnauzers jumped in his lap. He scratched their ears, making new friends while he waited for Ms. Delarosa to return. He peered around the room, noticing the furniture and décor were dated but clean. The home seemed like everything could be original from the 1960s when the house was new. It was only a few minutes before she returned to the living room. "What's this all about?"
"I'm sorry to inform you your brother has died."
Her expression went entirely still, and her mouth fell open. She appeared to be going into shock. "Harold can't be dead," she said, having an emotional meltdown. "I just talked to him last week. Everything was going great, and he was going to Panama to close a big deal." She trembled as her eyes and nose began dripping. "What happened?" she asked.
Larry paused momentarily and looked at her before saying, "That's what I’m trying to find out. He was discovered dead in his home yesterday. It looks to me like it may be suspicious. You said you talked to him last week. Do you remember what day?"
"Yes. It was Tuesday." She continued trembling as tears rolled down her face. "He came by to pick up his passport, beaming over his deal wrapping up. He said he would be back this weekend."
"Do you mind if I ask why his passport was here?"
"Not at all. It's been here since before my brother moved into his place in Eagle Cove. The house belonged to our parents, and he stayed here with them until they went into assisted living. After they all moved, I moved in. We grew up here, and it was difficult to part with the place." She wiped her nose and eyes with her sleeve.
"Did you hear from him after he left here?" Larry asked, thinking to himself that she may be inconsolable.
"No. Harold picked up his passport and said he was going home to pack."
"Do you know anyone who would want to hurt your brother?"
"No. Everyone loved him. He was fun to be with and always willing to help anyone."
"I'm deeply sorry for your loss," Larry said, standing to leave. "Can I call anyone for you?"
"No. I'll be fine," Cassandra said, wiping tears from her face with the back of her hand.
"If you think of anything that may help me figure out what happened to him, will you call me?"
Larry handed her his card, leaving her distraught in her living room. He slipped out without allowing the dogs to follow him. Knowing he'd need to talk to her again, but confident she would call him because he hadn't told her where her brother's body was.
He hurried to his car to resume his drive back to Eagle Cove. His ETA at the station was seven-fifteen. Dammit. I'm going to miss the kickoff.
When Larry pulled away, he picked up his phone and called Katherine.
"Hi, Daddy."
"Hi, Sweetie. I will miss the kickoff, but I'll be there soon. I'm so sorry. I'm not going to miss your crowning. I'll be there before halftime. Love you."
"It's okay. I'll see you soon. I love you, too."
Noah Saunders walked to his car. He thought it was a terrible idea to take a Friday afternoon class. The class was one of his last requirements for a law enforcement and criminology degree. He had another choice of times for the course, but it was full when he registered. As a senior at the University of Massachusetts, he should've learned by now that it was a bad idea to wait until the last minute to register for classes. Time was getting away from him, and completing his requirements was his highest priority. It was even more important than returning to Eagle Cove for football with his family on Fridays. It will be a difficult commute home for the weekend. It will be halftime before I get to the game.
Since playing football for the Eagle Cove Badgers in high school, these games have become a weekly tradition for his family. He hated missing a minute of the time with them. His sister, Katherine, and his family were committed to attending together every week. I hope I make it to the game by halftime to see Katy get crowned, he thought. I was wise to bag and load the empty food containers and dirty laundry in the trunk before class. I can drive straight to the game without stopping at home. Walking to his car, he felt a shiver run up his spine, tingling the back of his neck. Somehow, he sensed this would be different from a typical weekend at home. He unlocked the door of his black Toyota Tercel and climbed behind the wheel. By the time he reached the highway, his phone rang. It was his sister Katherine.
"Hi, Katy."
"Hi, Noah. Are you going to make it back for the game?"
"I'm leaving U-Mass now. I should be there in about ninety minutes. Just in time to see you get crowned."
"Noah, please hurry. Dad called to tell me he was running late, and I haven’t seen Mom. They're both dealing with crises at work, and things are weird here. I'm at the game with Stacy. Call me when you get here so I can explain!"
"Will do. If I don't make it before halftime, good luck. I know you'll be the most beautiful junior homecoming queen ever. Love you!"
"Love you, too."
Katherine was feeling out of place. She wasn't sitting where she usually sat with her family. Katherine and Stacy were fortunate to get great seats with enough room for Katherine's family in the crowded bleachers. With neither of her parents here, this could be the first time in recent memory that the whole family wouldn't be together for the game. Katherine plunked down on the bleacher seat, her face and mouth drooping with disappointment. At least Noah will be here to see me crowned queen of the homecoming court at halftime.
Sandra arrived home and found a note from Katherine. It was just a reminder that she went to the game with Stacy. The message left Sandra feeling sorry. Katherine thought they would miss the game. She quickly changed into jeans and her Eagle Cove Badger football jersey. She turned on the light over the kitchen sink, hurrying to make it in time for kickoff. Rather than taking the short walk alone in the dark, she drove to the game, thinking about Noah. There was no sign of his early arrival at home. With any luck, he would make it home soon. When she got to the game, she would try to call him for his ETA. How she wished the whole family would be together for homecoming. She went to their usual seats to find them occupied, the stands packed for the season's biggest game. When she didn't see Katherine, she called her.
