by K. C. Turner
“Of course. And Sam, keep this under wraps. I don’t want any leaks of any kind. When the time is right, we’ll break the story properly and in our favor.”
She shook her head as if she understood and left the two men to attend to their business.
When Jim and Brandon arrived at the coroner’s office, Martinez was waiting for them on a bench just outside an examination room with a large glass window. Standing up to greet them, he said, “Thanks for coming down so quickly. Dr. Wexler is just prepping for the autopsy, so I’m afraid we won’t be able to go in. Take you’re time. Just let me know when you’re ready.”
Brandon stared at the cold steel table horizontally in line with the window, which held a figure covered by a light blue cloth. He watched Dr. Wexler and his assistant prepare their tools that would soon slice into the skin of someone who could be his wife. The thought alone made him turn away from the scene. Jim turned to his side. “I know this has to be excruciating, Brandon, but you have to do this. I’m so sorry.”
Wiping his eyes and taking a deep breath, he turned back around to face the possible agony that awaited him. He nodded his head and took a deep breath again. Turning to Martinez he said, “Can we get this over with, please?”
Martinez tapped on the window and gave Dr. Wexler a head nod signaling they were ready. The doctor moved to the opposite side of the table, grabbed the edge of the cloth, and pulled it down to the waistline of the waterlogged corpse. Letting out a breath of despair, Brandon bit his bottom lip to keep from whimpering. Jim rested his hand on Brandon’s shoulder with no words to follow.
“Is that your wife, Mr. DeFranco?” asked Martinez.
Unable to answer, Brandon fell to the bench and placed his face into shaking hands. “This can’t be happening,” he cried. His breathing became heavy. He stood up, his face soaked with tears, and stormed down the hall forcefully pushing the swinging doors open to find an exit, desperate for fresh air.
Jim stood there with one arm across his chest while covering his mouth with his other hand, his eyes wide in disbelief. After a moment of silence, he spoke. “This is absolutely crazy. What the hell happened?”
Taking Brandon’s actions and Jim’s words as a positive ID, Martinez nodded again to the doctor who then ordered his assistant to pull down the shades. “Well, Mr. West, that’s what I’m hoping to find out. We should have a few more answers after the autopsy is finished. You do know I’m going to need to speak with Mr. DeFranco again very soon. Preferably sometime this afternoon.”
“Come on, Detective, the man just lost his wife. He has arrangements to make, people to notify, time to grieve, maybe? This can’t be new to you.”
“Well, no it’s not but I’m sure you’re aware the first 48 hours of a murder investigation are the most important.”
His eyes lit up. “So, you’re admitting this is a murder investigation?”
“I’m not confirming or denying that until we hear what Dr. Wexler has to say in his report but his wife was just found floating in Lake Erie. It’s not as if she died of natural causes. It’s suspicious and the initial findings currently support foul play. He’s going to have to answer some questions here.”
Jim nervously looked at the fancy watch on his wrist. “Look, it’s almost 10 o’clock. I’m going to take him wherever he wants to go. I have no doubt you will have his full cooperation. Whatever you need, but can we give this until later this afternoon? I’m sure Brandon wants to figure out what happened as much as you do. How about we let this all sink in first and let him take care of a few things?”
Nodding in agreement, Martinez said, “Of course. I have some things to take care of myself.” He handed Jim one of his cards. “Please have him call me this afternoon.”
Flicking the card between his fingers he grinned. “Absolutely, Detective.” He stuffed it in his shirt pocket and headed out the same door Brandon exited.
Reaching his two-door, silver Mercedes, Jim took a seat in the driver’s side. “I’m so sorry, Brandon.”
He shook his head and stared out the windshield. “I have to call her sister. Her parents are going to be devastated.”
Handing Martinez’s card to him, Jim said, “He’s expecting a call this afternoon. I think it’s best if you cooperate and get ahead of this. I had Sam contact the legal department to try and find a good attorney if needed.”
He quickly jolted his face towards him. “I don’t need an attorney, Jim. I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“That wasn’t what I was insinuating. But I highly suggest you take an attorney with you before speaking with Detective Martinez. You’d be a fool not to.”
“I beg to differ. If I show up there to answer questions with an attorney, in their eyes, I’m as good as guilty!”
“If you don’t you’re setting yourself up. This is a murder investigation, Brandon.”
“Well no shit. Pam was supposed to be at her sister’s house and she turned up sleeping with the freaking fish.” He rolled his eyes and took a deep breath before grabbing his hair with both hands and screaming out loud.
Jim sat patiently while his friend and colleague broke down. After taking a few deep breaths, Brandon straightened out his hair and attempted to put a game face on. “What do you want to do, Brandon? I’ll take you wherever you wanna go.”
“Go back to the office. I need to talk to Sam.”
Nodding his head, Jim buckled his seat belt and started the engine. They drove several blocks downtown back to the Tribune. Jim barely had the vehicle stopped before Brandon jumped out and sprinted into the building.
He ran up the stairs, down the hall, and into Samantha Brown’s office, slamming the door behind him. The noise of the old wood and glass shook through to downstairs startling everyone in earshot. Sam jumped in her seat and immediately stood to receive the news from him. “Brandon, are you okay? Please say it wasn’t Pam?”
He paced back and forth in front of her desk. “Why? Why on earth did you tell Detective Martinez I was with you?”
Her eyes looked up at him from under her full black bang, the remaining of her long hair flowing over her shoulders. “Oh my God. It was her, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, Sam! It was Pam. For the love of God it was Pam and you told the man investigating her death that I was with you!”
She cupped her mouth with her right hand in shock. “Oh my God. Brandon, I’m so sorry!” She started around the desk to comfort him.
He raised his hands as a warning. “Please stop.”
Her face became sullen. “I’m sorry, Brandon. It just came out! I thought I was helping you!”
“How the hell are you helping me by lying to a police detective? Please, do tell.”
“Really Brandon? What the hell were you going to tell the man? ‘Well, I worked late at the office and then I went home to cry again in my beer, alone.’ I gave you an alibi. One that we both know you didn’t have.”
He stopped pacing and looked at her knowing she was right. “We’re reporters, Sam. We seek the truth on a daily basis. We value the truth! I can’t go talk to this detective and lie to his face!”
She grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to look into her eyes. “You are the number one suspect here. The husband is always numero uno. If you don’t have an alibi you know damn well they will build a case against you no matter what. For Christ sake, Brandon, you were just in court for domestic violence!”
He began pacing again mulling over the truth in her words.
“Look, I left before you did yesterday. I didn’t speak or talk to anyone. You left here and went straight home, right?”
He nodded affirmatively.
“It’s perfect! As long as we stick to the same story, everything will be fine. Everyone here knows you’ve been staying with me and everyone knows you guys are on the rocks. This isn’t far fetched and I know you can sell it without a problem.”
The look on his face showed he still needed to be convinced.
“Look at it thi
s way; cops lie all the time to get what they need from someone. Well the shoe is on the other foot in this investigation. You just need to tell a little white lie to get them sniffing somewhere else and find the actual person who did this. It’s that simple.”
“I’ll tell you what, Sam, if you think it’s such an easy sell, you go talk to Detective Martinez for me and then you can bury my wife.”
Chapter 8
Elizabeth sat at her desk organizing her files for the upcoming week. There was a stack for letters that needed to be drafted and mailed in order to advise of pretrials and a stack for phone calls that needed to be made before the end of the day. Deciding to get the phone calls out of the way she picked up the receiver to dial a number. Getting a busy signal, she hung up the phone, closed the file and set it to the side for later.
As she opened her next file, her cell phone vibrated against the desk. She picked it up to see a text from Martinez. Call me when you get a chance, she read. She heard footsteps coming down the hall. God, please let that be China!
Peeking around the doorway, China said, “Hey! It’s Friday!”
Looking up and smiling back, Elizabeth’s eyes showed signs of exhaustion. “If it’s not the Friday of my retirement, I’m totally not interested.”
“Awe, come on, Liz,” said China as she plopped her files and her purse on the seat in the chair next to her.
Elizabeth’s phone vibrated again from another text. Liz, it’s really important. She took a deep breath and released it, making a motorboat noise between her lips.
“Who was that?”
“Martinez,” she replied as if it hurt her to say his name.
“Okay, what’s up?” She became defensive for a moment. “Did he do something wrong?”
“No, no. Nothing like that…”
“Okay, so, is it because you feel guilty about eating pork?” China laughed so hard her eyes welled with tears.
Elizabeth couldn’t help but join in, shaking her head the entire time.
Her hand on her chest, China tried to calm herself. “Oh, oh-my-God. I’m sorry, Liz, it’s just too easy!”
Trying not to laugh, Elizabeth couldn’t keep a straight face. “This is serious!”
China took a tissue from Elizabeth’s desktop and proceeded to pat the tears from under her eyes, careful not to smear her mascara. “Alright, alright. What’s going on?”
Her phone vibrated again. “Shit. Hold on a second. I should really call him and see what’s so important.” She rolled her eyes placing the phone to her ear as China sat patiently checking her own phone.
His voice was melancholic. “Hey, I know you’re busy and probably trying to get some things out of the way before the weekend but I have some bad news.”
“Well, I guess that’s par for the course,” she said shaking her head with a grim look on her face while she looked at China.
“I’m sorry, I just wanted you to hear it from me, I guess.”
Her eyebrows scrunched together. “What’s going on?”
“We found Pam DeFranco’s body this morning, Liz.”
“What?” she asked in disbelief.
“It’s been confirmed. I’m so sorry, Liz. I know this was the last thing you wanted to hear. I’m afraid I’m going to be tied up this weekend with the investigation.”
She placed her elbows on her desk to rub her forehead, her left hand still holding the phone to her ear.
“Liz?”
“I’m here.” She sat back in her chair and let out a sigh of sadness mixed with disgust. “I wasn’t expecting that at all. You do what you gotta do and I’ll talk to you when I can?”
“Alright. Again, I’m sorry, Liz.”
“You’ve been saying that too much lately.”
“I’ll talk to you soon,” he said before hanging up.
China put her phone down. “So? What the hell was that all about?”
Before Elizabeth could answer they heard Marilyn scream from the front of the office. “E-liz-a-beth!”
China jumped. “Well crap on a stick. I don’t think I’ll ever get use to that damn cackle.”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “I have received my summons.”
Picking up her large purse and her files, she began to leave Elizabeth’s office. Lifting up her free arm and waving it like a bird’s wing she said, “Ca-caw!”
After letting out a giggle, Elizabeth sighed and stretched out her neck before meeting Marilyn in her office. Knocking her knuckle on the door a few times, she peeked her head in. Thankfully, Peggy wasn’t around. She wanted to speak with Marilyn privately.
Looking up from the mess on her desk, Marilyn gave Elizabeth a slight smile. “Come on in, Elizabeth.” Her face was fresh but looked tired from being in court all morning.
Grabbing the door to close it, she asked, “Do you mind?” Marilyn peeked over her wire-rim glasses and nodded her okay. She shut the door and took a seat in one of the leather chairs opposite her boss. Normally, being called into her office would call for a Valium, but Elizabeth kept telling herself she didn’t do anything wrong. This time.
Marilyn set down her pen and removed her glasses from her face, placing them on the file she was currently working on. “Peggy told me about the blog post in the Tribune.”
Taking a quiet deep breath she replied, “Well, I assumed that’s what you wanted to talk to me about.”
“One of the things I wanted to talk to you about. Honestly, Elizabeth, I read the post and I can understand why Peggy was concerned.”
It was typically unlike her to question authority, especially Marilyn’s, but this time Elizabeth stood up for herself. “Marilyn, I really don’t know why Peggy is up in arms about this. This isn’t the first article the Tribune has written about this office. I explained to her my conversation with Pam DeFranco and she blew me off. Not only that, she sent me home for the day not even realizing the day I had, with every intention of leaving early anyway. I’m a little upset at her lack of empathy and how she handled the situation, frankly.”
Marilyn sat quietly for a moment gathering her thoughts.
Before she could respond, Elizabeth continued. “What surprises me the most about this is that you, of all people, know how media can twist words to make something out of nothing to sell a few more papers or get a couple more subscriptions. I don’t feel guilty or bad about what I told Pam. It was the truth. Her husband committed a crime and he had to answer for it. Hence, the whole ‘bull by the horns’ metaphor.” She paused and looked into Marilyn’s concerning eyes. “I can only be responsible for what I say. I am not responsible for how it’s interpreted or misinterpreted for that matter.”
Sitting back in her chair and crossing her legs she said, “I see where you are coming from. I do. But in our line of work, we really do need to be careful how we say things and to whom. Now, Peggy may not have handled it exactly how you would like but at this point in time she is your superior. She is in charge of your unit now, Elizabeth. I know you and China are not liking this change but it’s one you’re going to have to learn to live with.”
Shifting uncomfortably in her seat, Elizabeth knew what she was saying was true. Well, part of it anyway. Superior, pfft. Superior bitch, maybe. “I’m not sure it matters now anyway. Martinez just called me and said they found Pam DeFranco’s body this morning.”
“Oh, dear. I’m sorry to hear that.” She leaned forward and picked up her pen again, placing the end between her teeth as if it helped her think. “Any suspects yet?”
“I have no idea. He just said he would be tied up all weekend due to the investigation.”
“Of course.”
There was a strange silence between them before Marilyn chimed up again.
“I heard about what happened with the hearing, Elizabeth. I am so sorry.”
“I guess I just wasn’t meant to be there.”
“I’m afraid that’s the other issue I wanted to speak with you about.”
Elizabeth stared curiously into M
arilyn’s aging eyes. “It was just a miscommunication. I didn’t want to go. Martinez somehow talked me into it.”
Her words were as slick as her dark hair pulled into the bun behind her head. “Martinez meant well and had you spoke at that hearing, it would have been good for you and probably… I’m sure it would have swayed the boards decision.” Sitting forward in a caring manner, she folded her hands on top of her desk. “There’s no easy way to say this, Elizabeth, but I wanted to tell you as soon as I got word.”
The hair on her neck stood up and her pupils dilated in fear. Her heart began palpitating at the words she anticipated would leave Marilyn’s lips next. Grabbing onto the arms of the chair she asked, “They’re letting him out, aren’t they?”
She nodded her head. “He’s due to be released next Friday. I’m so sorry, Elizabeth. I wish I could have done more.”
Her heart beat faster and stronger and she struggled between breaths. This – this can’t be happening. Though it was difficult, she mustered a deep enough breath to ask, “I thought – they - had 30 days - to decide?”
“Up to 30 days. Are you okay? You’re not looking so good, Elizabeth.”
Her brain was on information overload. She felt a tingling sensation through her body as she tried to stand. Still trying to breath, her tan skin became a pale white before everything went dark.
When she came to, she felt a pillow under her head and saw Mildred’s face. She was kneeling in front of her patting her face with cold, wet paper towels from the bathroom. Marilyn, China, and Constance stood hovering above them, speaking quietly.
Mildred smiled showing her white teeth behind red lipstick. “Hey, sweetie. Welcome back.” She helped Elizabeth sit up and handed her a coffee cup filled with water and ordered her to take a sip. Constance whispered something to Marilyn and walked back to the main office area.
“Mildred? What happened?” she asked as she tried to stand.
“Whoa, hold on a sec.” Helping her into the chair she explained, “You just had a teeny fainting spell.” She handed the cup to Elizabeth. “Here, honey. Drink this and sit right there until you feel the dizziness wear off. If you need anything I’ll be up front.”
