by De Freitas
Sheriff Amos thought it would be better if he sat down too. He was a large, intimidating man and he wanted Simon to feel as at ease as possible. He pulled up the last empty chair.
“Simon, my name is Sheriff Amos, this is Deputy Blaine. I appreciate this is very difficult for you, but can we ask you a few questions?”
Simon nodded. Deputy Blaine stood against the kitchen door and quietly took the small notebook out of his pocket.
“I understand you work at the Horizon Bank. Can you tell us as much as you can remember from the time you got to work yesterday? Please, I know it’s hard to remember exact times, but if you could try and be as accurate as possible…”
Simon related his day to the officers. He told them everything he could remember, except regarding the dream he had.
“Thank you for that Simon. You have given us a lot of information. I’ve just got a few things I’d like to clarify. You said you got back early from lunch. Did you run all the way from Subway?”
“Shortly after I left, it had just started to rain, so I ran the rest of the way to the bank.”
“What is Charles’s last name?”
“Rankin.”
“You said you tripped and hit your head. Was there any blood or just a bump?”
“No blood.”
“Can you show me where?”
Simon turned the back of his head and pointed to the spot. The sheriff could feel a small bump. Instantly, Simon’s mind flashed back to all those years ago, when Sheriff Joe was inspecting his head.
“That’s not too bad now Simon, but I’m sure it was sore at the time.”
While Simon was speaking, the sheriff observed him carefully. He knew how Linda was killed. He suspected she may, for a second, have had a chance to fight back but he could see no signs of scratch marks on his hands or face.
“Simon, I have one last request and then we will leave. It’s entirely up to you, if you want to or not. I’d like you to lower just the top half of your bathrobe.”
“Sheriff!” said Martha.
“It’s okay, Mom.”
Simon stood and removed his bathrobe. The two officers looked closely at his arms and neck. There were no marks or scratches on him.
“Simon, Martha, I’d like to thank you for your time today. I’m terribly sorry for your loss. I appreciate it must be especially difficult to have to answer my questions. I will be in touch over the coming weeks. In the meantime, can I please ask you to keep your doors locked, especially at night, and leave the outside lights on.”
Sheriff Amos was going to put the police siren on to get back to town quickly, but decided otherwise. He wanted time to process what he was told.
“So, what do you think, Blaine?”
“You know how I feel. I’ve not changed my mind, but he is very believable. Is it because he has been through this before? I don’t know.”
“What are your thoughts?”
The sheriff passed his hands through his hair.
“Oh man! I hope this does not turn out to be like Julia.”
“What do you mean… unsolved?”
“Unsolved is one thing. There are a lot of unsolved crimes, but that case had some really weird things connected with it.”
“What do you mean, weird?”
“Just that. Weird, strange, unusual. . . Things we looked into just constantly left us with more questions than answers.”
“So, where to now? Are we heading back to the station?”
“No, I sent Dominic late yesterday afternoon to Horizon Bank he got the CCTV backed up. We have Holman’s times when he said he went for lunch, so we will be able to verify that at least. Actually, we were supposed to have met Dominic at Horizon ten minutes ago.”
“Is that the young kid that just got promoted again? I’ve heard a lot about him.”
“Yeah, a future star in the making, that boy.”
“I tell you, Sheriff, if we find Linda’s murderer, we find Julia’s.”
“That statement I agree with… definitely!”
*
Sheriff Amos and Deputy Blaine arrived at Horizon Bank and were escorted to the security room, where they met Dominic.
“Hi, Sheriff. My name is Adam. I am in charge of the CCTV system. Please have a seat in front of the monitor.”
“Okay, Sheriff,” said Dominic. “There are a total of eight different cameras positioned in the lobby of the bank. I’ve backed them all up. However, in my opinion, camera three provides the best view to see the faces of those entering the bank and camera seven for leaving. Also, I have made a note here, sir, of the times Holman arrives and leaves.”
Sheriff Amos looked at the piece of paper Dominic handed him.
Arrived for work 7:25am.
Left for lunch 11:42am.
Returned from lunch 12:21pm.
Left bank for the day 1:16pm.
“I’ve reviewed every camera angle, Sheriff. There are no other times Holman arrives or leaves the bank.”
“That’s good work, son. Now, Adam, please play for me five minutes either side of each of the times on this paper.”
The sheriff watched intently. The CCTV was in black and white but the image was clear. Officer Dominic’s times were spot on but there was nothing to be seen five minutes either side of Holman’s arrival or departure.
“Well, Blaine, the times are pretty close to Holman’s account, are they not?”
“Yes, Sheriff. In fact extremely close, if you take into consideration that he works upstairs. It would take him a minute or two to come down.”
“What’s the story with Subway?” asked the sheriff.
“The cashier on duty described him perfectly, sir. He said he was the only one sitting and eating in a suit,” said Dominic.
Sheriff Amos turned and looked the young officer up and down. “You look in good shape. How old are you, son?”
“Twenty-eight, sir.”
“Tomorrow, I want you to dress in a suit with the same shoes as Holman. Leave the bank, walk down to Subway, eat a sandwich, then run as fast as you can back to this bank and time each part of it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m not finished, son. I then want you to catch your breath, walk back to Subway and then run from Subway to Bernstein’s home and run back here.”
“Understood, sir.”
“Come on guys, let’s review this again. This time, give me ten minutes on either side of when he arrives and leaves.”
Sheriff Amos started reviewing the tapes again. There was nothing of note then suddenly…
“Stop! Rewind!” he shouted.
The group of men looked at him.
“That guy with the low brim hat and the long coat standing next to the fire extinguisher. He’s the same guy we saw when Holman returned from lunch. Remember, he was seated over here next to this plant? Show me that other tape when Holman returns.”
“Look, it’s not just the same guy but you can see his head is turning. He’s watching Holman. Can you zoom in on him? Damn, he is not lifting his head! What business is he doing in the bank for that length of time? Show me that guy from the time he comes in, to the time he leaves. I want every camera angle of him.”
“Stop, there! Who is that girl that goes up and talks to him?”
“That’s Margret, she works for us downstairs.”
“Get her in here, now!”
“Rewind. He lifts his head when she approaches him, right stop and zoom in.”
Sheriff Amos blinked his eyes a few times, not believing who he was looking at, but there was no mistaking the face. He had watched it for three hundred miles from Louisiana to Sidon.
“You recognise him, Sheriff?” asked Blaine.
“Yes, his name is Dr Brockman. I mean Brookm
an… Dr Brookman. But, if his past is anything to go by, we are going to have a hell of a time tracking him down.”
“What cameras do you have outside the bank?”
“There are two pointing in opposite directions, up and down the high street,” said Adam.
“Get them on, let’s see which direction he goes.”
“Here, Sheriff. That’s him on the pavement, coming into view. He looks to be on his own. He now enters the bank,” said Blaine.
“What we got of him leaving?” asked the sheriff.
“Here he is, just leaving the bank, walking. Then look: you can just see him at the top of the screen. He gets into the passenger side of that car over on the far side of the road. Damn, they drive off around the corner.”
“Zoom in, Adam. Can anyone make out what type of car it is?”
“This other car is in the way. At best, we can just see the top of it and part of the back windscreen, Sheriff. It could be anything.”
“It’s a dark-coloured car. Does anyone see anything else?” asked the sheriff.
“Anyone? Any guesses? I’ll take anything.”
“I’m not sure but, if I had to guess, Sheriff, I’d say it was a Ford Mark IV Cortina,” said Adam.
The sheriff looked at Adam. “You joking right? How the heck can you tell that?”
“I used to own one. I’ve cleaned it often enough. To me, the slope of the roof down to the back windscreen looks the same.”
The sheriff looked around the room. “Anyone got any other ideas?”
Blank faces steered back at him.
“Okay, we’ve nothing else, lets run with it. I want a list of everyone in Sidon and the surrounding area who owns a dark-coloured Ford Mark IV Cortina. Dominic, I want you to send that tape off to Ford Headquarters to see if they can confirm it is a Mark IV Cortina.
“Adam, who else has CCTV on the High Street and Orchard Street, where the car turned up?”
“I can’t think of anyone else, let me get back to you on that, Sheriff.”
The door opened.
“Excuse me, I’m Margret. I got a message to come here immediately. I work as a teller.”
“Hi, Margret, I’m Sheriff Amos. We were just reviewing the lobby tapes from yesterday. In them you approach a customer wearing a long coat and a low hat. Do you remember? Or do you need me to show you?”
“No. Of course, I remember him.”
“Tell me, word for word, that conversation.”
“It lasted less than a minute, maybe thirty seconds or less. I noticed him when I was working. He was just standing there and later, when I was going for lunch, he was still there. I just went up and asked him if he needed any help. He said no, he was waiting for someone. I told him he could have a seat, but he just stared at me. It was a bit unsettling. He gave me the creeps. So I left, and when I came back from lunch he was gone.”
“Thanks, Margret. That’s all.”
*
“I’m sorry, Father, but no one is allowed through the gate,” said the officer.
“Please, I am a friend of the Bernstein family. They are expecting me.”
“Hey, Jim, it’s okay,” said the senior officer. “I’ll escort him to the house.”
“Make your way up the path, Father. I’ll catch up with you in a minute.”
Fr. Mark walked up the drive between the trees. He could see the top floor of the house come into view. He remembered the happiness of the graduation party and later the engagement dinner. Now, it has all come to this. Why, Lord, why? he asked. As he walked further, he looked up at the magnificent trees. The blue sky broke through the thick foliage only briefly. Suddenly, a feeling of déjà vu came over him. He slowed his pace and looked around, why is this so familiar? He was overwhelmed by a feeling that everything was happening as it was meant to.
Linda was the only daughter of Martin and Brenda Bernstein. They had an older son who had made a successful career for himself in the Navy. Brenda was utterly traumatised. She had come home and found Linda covered in blood. Her body, slumped in the chair, was halfway under the desk. Martin was trying hard to be strong for his wife. She needed him, but losing his only daughter was devastating. The police, upon seeing Brenda’s condition, advised him to have a doctor come over. Martin agreed and, after a brief look, the doctor put her on medication.
Fr. Mark entered the house. To the left, he could see blue and white police tape blocking access to the upstairs. He walked in and met Martin in the living room. He expressed his sympathy, but there was little else he could do. Brenda was seated on the couch with her head down, sobbing. Fr. Mark went over to her, crouched down, and held her hand. She opened her eyes and looked at him. She pulled him towards her. She hugged him and cried. No words were spoken. Brenda sat back in her chair, tears were streaming down her face. Fr. Mark stood up and started to walk towards the door. Martin put his hand out and stopped him.
“How is Simon?” he asked quietly.
Fr. Mark was caught off guard by both the question and the tone of Martin’s voice. It carried more of a caring quality than one of anger. He knew there was no way a man like Martin Bernstein, with all his contacts, would not have looked into Simon’s background.
“I just came from there. He is not good.”
“And Martha?”
“She asked me to pass on her condolences. She tried to call but was unable to get through.”
“Yes, I know. There were a number of prank calls, so the police have blocked the line. Father, I know Simon’s past and I have got to know him well over the last five years. I do not believe he did this.”
CHAPTER 18
As the years went by, Robert and Beth’s investigation into Julia’s murder began to wane. They had slowly started to believe that Simon could possibly be innocent. However, when the news of Linda’s murder broke, they followed the case closely. Suddenly, this latest murder shattered any thoughts they had regarding Simon’s innocence. There was no way two young girls, from the same town, who were killed in the same way, were not related. The common denominator was only one person: Simon Holman.
The day after Linda’s murder, Sheriff Amos made a brief call to Robert and Beth. He gave them only a little more information than the statement he had made to the press and promised to come back to them as things developed.
*
Fr. Mark related the conversation he had with Martin Bernstein to Martha and Simon. This was a massive relief to both of them. Shortly after, Martin called Martha and expressed the same feelings to her. He also told her to pass on to Simon, that he wanted him to take at least a month off of work, or as much time as he needed.
*
As tragic as Linda’s death was, Sheriff Amos knew it presented an opportunity to finally get justice for Julia. As deputy Blaine said, “catch Linda’s killer and we will catch Julia’s.” He knew killers always made mistakes, especially in subsequent murders. They begin to believe they can’t be caught, overconfidence sets in and they become careless.
Four days had passed since Linda’s murder, Sheriff Amos arrived at the station and he knew he had another long day ahead of him. Finally, the coroner’s report was on his desk. He opened the brown envelope and reviewed the report. One word screamed off the page.
“She was pregnant?” asked deputy Blaine.
“That’s what it said – approximately eight weeks.”
“Did she know? Did anyone know?”
“That’s what we need to find out.”
“Was there anything else in his report?”
“Cause of death was as we all knew. Whether he will call me to discuss it off the record, I doubt it. Actually, you know, I really miss Bob…”
“You mean the previous coroner?”
“Yeah. I don’t know about this new guy. He is three days late wi
th his report. He gave me some BS the other day. I had to tell him to get his ass over to Bernstein’s house. Well, we’ll see how long it takes him to have the toxicology results on my desk. They won’t release her body for burial until everything is completed. I really feel for the family.
“We have a long day ahead of us, Sheriff, and it’s only 7:50am. You need to take it easy big fella.”
“You’re right, Blaine. Let me get a coffee, you want one?”
“I’m okay. The guys should be here soon for the eight o’clock morning meeting.”
Sheriff Amos took his place at the head of the conference table. There were seven other officers in the room.
“Dominic, let’s start with you.”
“Sir, I rented a suit yesterday and these are my times to Subway, the Bernstein’s house and back to Horizon Bank.” Dominic handed the sheriff the paper and passed copies around the room.
“What is this time at the bottom with a question mark next to it, son?”
Dominic distributed a drawing of the house and surrounding area to the officers. “As you know, sir, there are two possibilities: he either approached the house up the main driveway, or he went around the side and in though the small gate on Bermuda Avenue. Unfortunately, the drive is tarred and the side entrance is pebble stone. Without footprints, we are not sure which approach he took. It’s further complicated by the fact that both the back door and front doors were unlocked. Therefore, the time at the bottom is estimated, based on the quickest approach. This is through the side entrance and in the back door.”
“Okay, so adding everything up and using the fastest approach, there was just enough time for Holman to leave Subway, commit the crime and make it back to Horizon Bank. Is that what you’re saying?”
“Correct, sir, just about.”
“What have we got for fingerprints?”
“Holman’s prints are throughout the room and house in general, as you would expect. I just had it confirmed, on my way in here, that the back and front doors are clean of prints as well as the knife. This is their report here, Sheriff.”
