Murder of crows, p.4
Murder of Crows, page 4
Kerry could understand that. Sometimes it was easier to forgive when you didn’t have to be face to face with the reminder of what hurt you in the first place. Kerry learned to not judge how others chose to deal with their pain. Not everyone needed to be in an episode of Dr. Phil for their wounds to be healed. She learned that herself, choosing to not revisit her painful past.
Katrina agreed to come to Lake Pines. She wanted to make sure her father had a respectful burial and she wasn’t convinced her mother would do that. Wayne gave his number to Katrina and once he hung up, he returned his focus on the conversation with Kerry.
“I just checked with Sally and there’s still no trace of Kyle,” Kerry said. “He just seems to have dropped off the map.”
“It’s not uncommon for kids from small towns Kerry,” Wayne explained. “I wouldn’t even be surprised if he moved away and changed his name in order to start a new life. It happens more than you realize.”
Wayne’s phone rang and he reached out and picked up on the first ring, “Hello, Constable Burgess.”
He nodded and thanked the caller and then lowered the phone.
“Tom Pruitt is here for questioning,” Wayne informed Kerry as he walked around his desk. “This should be interesting.”
Kerry followed him out of the room, “Why is that?”
“When my officer went to speak with him, he tried to run away,” Wayne explained.
“That’s odd if he doesn’t have anything to hide,” Kerry said. “Don’t you think?”
“And there’s something else,” Wayne held the hall door open that led to the interrogation room and Kerry walked through. “He had a fresh gash across his forearm.”
“Let me guess, from a large knife?” Kerry asked.
Tom Pruitt was what most people would describe as a wily individual and his appearance aptly resonated with that description. He had a thin face, a pointed nose, and his small dark eyes (that were just a little too close together) darted around the room as he tried to make some sense of his situation.
Tufts of black hair poked through the trucker’s cap he wore high on his head and piercings of a three-day-old beard covered his neck and face. He nervously shook his leg and drummed his right hand on the top of the table. His left arm had been cuffed to the table’s leg and his face was streaked with dirt.
“You can’t keep me here, I didn’t do nothing wrong!” Tom snapped at Wayne as he and Kerry walked into the room.
“Well, my officer has a bruise on his cheek that says otherwise,” Wayne pulled out a chair and sat directly across from Tom.
“He pushed me to the ground. What was I going to do?” Tom asked, his voice shaking and his cheeks growing red.
“How about coming in quietly to answer a few questions?” Wayne suggested. “Unless you have something to hide Mr. Pruitt.”
Tom shot his attention to Kerry who sat down in the chair next to Wayne, “What’s she doing here?”
“Doctor Dearborne is helping me with the investigation,” Wayne explained. “And you’re to give her the same cooperation as I expect you to give me.”
Tom huffed and mumbled something indistinguishable under his breath.
“Why don’t you start by explaining why you ran from Officer Grady today?” Wayne asked.
Tom shrugged his shoulders, “Do I need a lawyer?”
“Depends Tom, on what you did,” Wayne leaned forward with his forearms on the table and folded his fingers together.
“I told you, I didn’t do nothing!” Tom snapped and then pulled his left arm. “Do you need to cuff me like this?”
“As long as I think you want to slug one of us, yeah, we do,” Wayne said.
“Am I being arrested?” Tom asked.
“I can arrest you for hitting Officer Grady as well as resisting arrest, but I really just wanted to ask you a couple of questions,” Wayne explained.
Tom let out a frustrated huff, “About what?” he snapped.
“Your disagreement with Sebastian Crow.”
“That crazy old man! He and his stupid crows. They keep me up all night, crap all over my house and they have ruined my gardens,” Tom explained.
Kerry found it hard to believe that Tom Pruitt had a garden worth saving.
“And that’s why you were suing him, right?” Kerry asked.
“Yeah. It’s going to take a lot of money to repaint my place. And, those crazy birds go after my dog too!” Tom shook his head. “Sebastian is a crazy old man.”
“So, it’s safe to say there was bad blood between you two,” Wayne said.
“Yeah, there was,” Tom groaned. “Is that why I’m here?”
Wayne ignored Tom’s question, “A court guard overheard you threaten Sebastian Crow when you were leaving court last week.”
“I didn’t threaten him,” Tom snapped.
Wayne lifted a sheet from the table and read from his notes, “You said, and I quote, ‘those birds won’t be a problem once you’re gone’. You did say that, didn’t you Tom?” Wayne asked.
“That’s not a threat. ‘I’ll kill you’ is a threat,” Tom said with a laugh.
“Did you want to?” Wayne asked.
“Want to what?”
“Kill Sebastian.”
“It was just something I said, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just want him to get rid of those crows. It’s not normal to have those creepy birds hanging around anyway,” Tom said.
“Like when you threatened Sam Southport five years ago?” Wayne pulled out the printout of a charge that was laid against Tom Pruitt when he lashed out at his supervisor at his job at the mill. Wayne slid it across the table to where Tom could read it.
“That was blown out of proportion,” Tom explained. “That assho..”
“Hey!” Wayne interrupted Tom. “Language.”
“That jerk refused to put me up for a promotion that was rightfully mine,” Tom tried to explain. “Instead he gave it to that kid from Thunder Bay who always kissed up to him.”
“You smashed his headlights on the way out of work, Tom. I don’t think that was blowing it out of proportion,” Wayne said.
Tom bit his lower lip as he read the printout of the charges in front of him.
“Well, it doesn’t look good for you Tom. You have a record and a temper, as well as a history of lashing out at those that you disagree with. What would make me think you wouldn’t have lashed out at Sebastian Crow?”
“What’s this about?” Tom asked.
Instead of answering Tom’s question, Wayne asked in a more serious tone, “Where were you last night Tom?”
“I had to drive into the city to pick up a package,” Tom explained, hesitatingly.
“Can anyone vouch for you?” Wayne asked making a note in his file of Tom’s response.
“No, I was alone. Why?” Tom’s voice shook and he forced his voice to sound calm for the first time since they entered the room.
“Sebastian was killed at some point last night,” Wayne finally revealed.
“And you think I did it?!” Tom panicked. “Oh, man. I never did nothing to ever hurt anyone. Ever. No matter what I thought about that crazy old man I would never have killed him.”
Kerry turned her focus to the cut on Tom’s arm, “How did you cut your arm?”
“I was cutting a fishing line loose and the knife slipped,” Tom explained.
Wayne glanced at Kerry.
“We are going to need that knife, Tom,” Wayne said. “And you’re going to need a lawyer.”
Tom’s alibi was difficult to corroborate, and his lawyer seemed less than interested in offering more information than necessary on his whereabouts. Tom Pruitt drove a ’97 GMC Sierra and had no tracking device on it because of its age. Tom, also, was apparently one of the few people left who didn’t use a cell phone, making it impossible to track his positioning through GPS on a cell service.
“He won’t tell you who he met with in the city?” Kerry asked confused. “Does he not know he is up against a murder charge?”
“My guess is that he was doing something illegal and doesn’t want to be in trouble for that,” Wayne surmised.
“Can’t be worse than a murder charge,” Kerry said.
“Did you get the knife?” Wayne asked.
Kerry nodded her head, “Sophia is making the cast now and I will compare it to the ones I took of the wounds later today. But at first glance, it looks like it could be the same knife that was used to stab Sebastian Crow.”
“I’m not going to lie, I would love to wrap this case up quickly,” Wayne admitted. “That island gives me the creeps and the less time I need to spend out there, the better.”
“We still want to search the area for physical evidence that Tom was there. You know what a zoo these murder charges can end up being. We want to have solid physical evidence,” Kerry said.
“More than a knife?” Wayne said.
“Yes, if possible.”
Sally excused herself as she approached Wayne’s desk, “Sorry to interrupt you, but I thought you’d want to know. One of the officers who was canvassing the stores along the main strip recalled Mr. Crow having a heated argument with another man.”
“Any idea who he was arguing with? Or what about?” Wayne asked, hoping for a solid lead.
“The only description the officer could get was that he was an older man, and about the same age as Sebastian Crow,” Sally read directly from the notes she took just a short while earlier from her call with the officer. “And, that Mr. Cromwell thought it was the boat mechanic who used to work out at Craven’s Boat Yard.”
“The small shop just outside of town?” Wayne asked.
Kerry had never heard of Craven’s Boat Yard and when she asked Wayne, even he thought it had closed years ago.
“I didn’t know anyone used that place anymore,” Wayne said.
“Well, Mr. Cromwell recognized him as the same mechanic who used to work on his father’s boat. He overheard Sebastian and him arguing the day he was killed,” Sally said.
“Any idea what they were arguing about?” Kerry asked.
Sally shook her head, “Mr. Cromwell said it seemed personal. Mr. Crow told him to stay out of his business and that it was a private family matter.”
“Those were his exact words? A private family matter.” Kerry asked.
“Yes. And then Mr. Crow stormed off toward his boat,” Sally finished.
“Thanks, Sally. Great job,” Wayne said.
When Sally had returned to her desk Kerry turned to Wayne, “If you’re so happy about Sally’s job why do you look so distraught?”
“Because now we have two suspects, and I have a feeling this case is not going to end anytime soon.”
✽✽✽
Early the next morning Kerry agreed to meet Wayne at the station, and they’d go together to see the mechanic at Craven Boat Yard and to see what he and Sebastian were arguing about on the day he was killed. Kerry ended up driving since Wayne’s car had suffered a flat at some point after he arrived at work and neither of them wanted to wait for the tire to be changed before they went to speak with the mystery mechanic.
The gravel road from the highway would have easily been missed if Wayne hadn’t been familiar with the area. Trees had long overtaken the width of the path and it was evident with each branch that scratched the sides of Kerry’s Jeep that not many cars traveled down this road. The Jeep bounced through the potholes that formed from the rain and snow that washed away portions of the limestone. Grass and weeds shot up through the rocks and at points in the road the gravel had completely been overgrown by moss.
Rusted out boat hulls and abandoned trailers were discarded in the now overgrown bushes that lined the road that led to the clearing where the boat yard’s main building was situated.
A faded cement building that doubled as both the workshop and office was smaller than Kerry’s entire lab. The door was closed and by the appearance of the shuttered windows, the building hadn’t been operational for several years.
“Are you sure this is the place?” Kerry asked as she brought her Jeep to a stop near the building and parked.
“This is the address on file.”
Wayne opened the door and stepped out of the Jeep and walked toward the building and Kerry followed close behind.
What appeared to be once a fully functioning, and somewhat busy, boatyard looked more like a forgotten junk heap. Old rusty boat hulls and covers lay in various states of decomposition and were strewn in random locations around the property. Trees and weeds had grown over and through many of the boats and trailers. The only thing missing, Kerry thought, was a vicious attack guard dog.
Wayne turned the rusty wrought iron handle on the main door of the building and was surprised to find it unlocked. An overwhelming smell of dust and mold escaped when the door was pulled open. Thick dampness from years of uncontrolled humidity and water damage emanated from inside the room. Kerry covered her face with her hand and stepped inside, following behind Wayne’s steps.
He toggled the light switch back and forth to no avail.
“The power must have been cut from this place a long time ago,” Kerry guessed. “I doubt anyone has even been here for a long time.”
Wayne pointed his flashlight at what looked to be the main desk in what was most likely the office and walked toward it. Dusty frames nailed to the wall bragged of a successful business that was alive many years ago. Newly purchased boats along with classic wooden yachts were among the collection of the boat yard’s frequent clientele. Now, expensive equipment and boats were getting lost in the overgrowth of the brush and weeds and there were no new customers to service.
“I would have thought this place would have been able to keep up a decent business servicing boats,” Kerry said as she surveyed the large stack of yellowed pages of invoices that lay strewn across the desk.
“Ever since the small lock system closed down on the west side of Lake Pines it wasn’t easy to get boats to this part of the lake. I bet his business closed down over the course of one summer,” Wayne said.
“Any idea what this guy’s name is?” Kerry asked.
“The business was registered so long ago that Sally couldn’t find the paperwork or any electronic trail. Maybe we’ll find something here.”
They flipped through old files and papers for the next hour and outside of some signed invoices, there was no trace of the owner’s name.
“Here’s one that is a little clearer. Maybe we can make out his name with this signature,” Kerry handed the faded sheet to Wayne.
He pointed his flashlight at the bottom of the page. “Looks like the name starts with a ‘C’. . .”
“Colin. It looks like Colin,” Kerry said as she looked down at the page.
“I think you’re right. Now we just need to track down Colin and find out what he and Sebastian were arguing about the day Sebastian was killed,” Wayne said.
Kerry walked along the wall with the faded photos and noticed the same man in many of the pictures, “This must be him. Colin. And look at this picture.” Kerry took the picture off the wall and handed it to Wayne.
“Looks like he’s standing in front of a cottage. There are many pictures of the same spot, so there’s a good chance that it’s his place.”
Wayne tucked the photo under his arm, “I think that’s all we are going to find here. Doesn’t look like he’s going to be back anytime soon. Why don’t we track down what we can with this photo and invoice?”
Kerry eagerly followed Wayne out of the dusty building.
“I need to get back and see if I can get a match on the knife. If so, then maybe finding this Colin guy is a moot point,” Kerry said.
“I hope so.”
“What is the likelihood that Tom Pruitt is the killer?” Kerry asked.
“Well, he’s a loose cannon, so anything is possible. But, you never know,” Wayne pulled open the door to her Jeep as his phone buzzed in his pocket and he reached in and pulled it out. “Hello…you serious?...yeah, I’ll be back soon.”
“Who was that?” Kerry asked.
“Sally. The grieving Mrs. Crow has arrived at my office and she wants the forensic team off the island by the end of tomorrow,” Wayne said. “I had a feeling this case was going to be a pain.”
Kerry agreed and in a rare instance, felt mildly sorry for what Wayne had waiting for him back in his office.
She climbed into the Jeep and started the engine. Overhead she could hear the faint cry of three crows that were resting on the bow of a large jack pine as she left the boatyard and drove back into Lake Pines.
Once Kerry dropped Wayne at the police station she headed directly to her lab and was surprised to see Simon waiting out front. But he wasn’t alone. Nestled in his arms was the small mound of fur that had been added into their lives.
“This is a surprise,” Kerry said as she closed the door to her Jeep and walked toward Simon. The puppy began to whimper once he saw Kerry.
“I need to leave the puppy with you today,” Simon said, trying to soften the unwelcome news with a smile.
“Why?” Kerry huffed. “Simon, I have a busy day and my lab isn’t exactly the perfect place for a dog.”
“He chewed through his kennel cage as I was getting ready for work and then he got hold of the pillow on the couch and, well, there’s a mess in our living room,” Simon confessed.
“This is why I didn’t want a dog Simon,” Kerry reached out and took the leash. “We’re too busy to take care of a puppy. They’re obviously a lot of work and it’s not fair to him.”
The puppy whimpered as it tried to climb up Kerry’s leg.
“I know, but you did say you would give it a bit of time,” Simon reminded Kerry of the promise she made after she initially protested his gift. “After a little time with this guy, if you still don’t think we should keep him then my sister said she would take him. The boys want a dog anyway.”
