VANISHING ACT - Angie Bartoni Case File # 11: Angie Bartoni Case File # 11 (Angie Bartoni Case Files)

by Marshall Huffman

  ***

  “Wow,” Dan said as we walked into the bedroom.

  It looked like a bomb had gone off. Broken lamps, clothing, pictures, and drawers littered the floor. The bathroom was just as bad. The shower door glass was smashed and the medicine cabinet door was hanging by one hinge.

  “Hell of a struggle,” Dan said surveying the scene.

  “Yeaaah.”

  “Oooh, I know what that means. Something doesn’t sit right.”

  “Here’s the thing. You saw the picture of Melissa Milliken. She is what? Maybe five-three? Probably around one-twenty. Do you think it would take all that much effort to subdue her if you wanted to?”

  “Maybe she was a good fighter or the guy was too slow.”

  “Come on Dan. Anyone that goes to this much trouble to rob a home while someone is here knows there could be a struggle and is prepared for it. I’m not buying it,” I told him.

  “The husband did it,” he said giving me one of those looks.

  “I didn’t say that but something is off.”

  “Let’s turn it over to the crime scene boys and girls and go talk to Mr. Milliken,” Dan said.

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” I replied.

  “Stick with me kid.”

  “I’m gonna’ stick something to you if you keep it up,” I shot back.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “Mr. Milliken we need to ask you a few more questions if that’s okay with you.”

  “Anything to get my wife back,” he said.

  “I need to tell you right up front that some of these questions may be painful to answer. They have to be asked. It is routine so don’t take them personally.”

  “I’ll try not to.”

  “Good. How is your relationship with Melissa?”

  “Relationship? Great. Wonderful. No problems. She was the cornerstone of our marriage. ”

  “So you didn’t fight or have any marital problems?”

  “No more than any other couple. I mean, we had a few ups and downs, rough patches, but nothing serious.”

  “Were you or your wife having an affair?”

  “What? No. Nothing like that. We were both totally against anything like that. We had a pact that we would never do such a thing. We would never hurt the other person in such a disgusting way.”

  “Any financial problems? Are you wealthy Mr. Milliken? This is a pretty nice place and I noticed the Mercedes in the drive. Could this be about money?”

  “I doubt it. Yes, we have a bit but we are not rich by any stretch of the imagination. The Mercedes is two years old and we bought this place when the bottom fell out of the housing market. We have a few thousand in stocks and such but we certainly don’t have millions like some people do.”

  “What about enemies or people that you have irritated. Either you or your wife?”

  “No, nothing like that,” he answered.

  “You get along with all your neighbors?” I asked.

  “We nod. That’s about all.”

  “Mr. Milliken, here is the thing. I’ve been doing this for a long time. Something doesn’t strike me as on the up and up and that is bugging me.”

  “Oh? What is that?”

  “Your wife is five-three or there about. She probably weighs one twenty and doesn’t look particularly athletic from her photographs.”

  “That’s about right.”

  “Well then, I don’t understand why such a terrible struggle appears to have taken place. Really, how hard could it have been to restrain her? And if a struggle that violent did occur, we should find blood. So far I haven’t seen a single drop,” I said look directly into his eyes.

  He finally looked down. I knew it, something wasn’t right. This had all the earmarks of a staged break-in.

  “I would like to call my attorney now,” he said.

  “Mr. Milliken, I can’t advise you against doing that but once you do, I can’t do much for you. Obviously it is your right but you want to really think this through,” I said.

  “Yes detective. I know the standard line. I want my attorney now,” he said.

  “No problem. You can have him meet us at the station.”

  “What? I’m not going to the station with you. I’m not going anywhere until my attorney gets here.”

  “What do you think Dan? Is Mr. Milliken wrong or is Mr. Milliken wrong?” I asked.

  “I’m going to go with the first one.”

  “Me too. Now, Mr. Milliken, we do it the easy way or the hard way. Easy is where you stand up and come with us. Hard is where Dan kind of manhandles you as necessary. Any preference?”

  “I’m going to sue you. My wife is missing and you are hassling me,” he said.

  “Mr. Milliken, if I had a quarter for every time I’ve heard someone said they were going to sue me, I would be rich. Just stand up and let’s get this over with,” I told him.

  He slowly got to his feet and Dan herded him to the car. While he was doing that, I stopped by and had a quick word with Link Wilson from the Crime Lab.

  “What brings you here?” I asked since he generally was in the lab, not at the scene.

  “Lots of people on vacation. Besides it does me good to get out and spend time with the troops in the field.”

  “What do you think?”

  “Staged.”

  “Yeah. Way too much damage to abduct a one hundred and twenty-five pound woman,” I said.

  “Husband?”

  “Not sure yet. I’m trying to keep an open mind. He seems a tad too calm and he asked for his lawyer.”

  “Husband,” Link said.

  “Probably,” I replied and headed to the car.

  ***

  The captain was busy when we got back to the station so we put Milliken in interview room A and I went to get a Diet Coke and a pack of my favorite coconut donuts.

  “What do you think?” Dan asked.

  Was he talking about Milliken or the damn hotdogs again? You never know with Dan.

  “Two.”

  “Two? Two what?”

  “Darn. I had a fifty-fifty chance. I thought you were taking about hot dogs again.”

  “Oh for heaven sakes. You think all I ever do is think about food?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “In that case, three. I’m pretty hungry.”

  “I knew it,” I said and slugged him on the arm.

  “Shall we?” he said.

  “After you, tall hungry one,” I answered.

  We went into the interview room and sat down across from Mr. Milliken.

  “Your attorney will be here in about an hour. I’m going to read you your rights.”

  “Why? Am I being charged?”

  “No. It is just a precaution in case you should accidentally say something.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Still. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand that right?”

  “Sure.”

  “Is that a ‘yes’?” I said,

  “Yes,” he said.

  “You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. Do you understand that right?”

  “I’m not stupid,” he insisted.

  “Is that a ‘yes’ Mr. Milliken?” I asked.

  “Yes damn it. Yes, I get it.”

  “This is being recorded both video and audio. Do you understand that?”

  “If you say so.”

  “Is that a ‘yes’ Mr. Milliken?” I persisted.

  “What’s with you? Yes I understand that. I understand English. I understand the whole damn thing is a farce.”

  “Excellent. Your full name is Edward Lynn Milliken. Is that correct?”

  “Ed. No one calls me Edward.”

  “Date of birth is June 3, 1966 correct?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You have been married twice before. Beverly Mason-Milliken for four years. Janet Lewis-Milliken for three years. You have been married t
o Melissa for three years, correct?”

  “Pretty much. A few months here or there.”

  “Why is that?” I asked.

  “Why is what?”

  He was being a wiseass but that was okay because he was talking. Guys like him think they are so much smarter than the cops.

  “Why did they last for such a short time? Come on, three wives in ten years is a pretty high turnover rate.”

  “They just didn’t work out. No big deal.”

  “Really? Seems like kind of a big deal.”

  “I get a car every three years, why not a wife?” he said, smirking.

  “Humm. Maybe that’s all the longer they can stand being around you,” I said.

  He glared at me. I could see the hatred in his eyes. I was pretty doggone sure he was a woman hater. I decided to pull the medical records of all three of his wives. Of course at this point we didn’t have anything to charge him with. No Melissa meant no crime at this point other than a missing person. I was pretty sure he knew that.

  Just then there was a tap on the door and his attorney was shown in. He looked at me and then at Dan.

  “What is going on?” he asked sitting his briefcase on the table.

  “Just keeping an eye on your boy here,” I said.

  “You are Detective Bartoni I take it?”

  “Correct. This is Detective Roberts. Would you like a few minutes with your client?”

  “I want him released unless he is being charged.”

  “I want a new car but I doubt I’ll get one. He is not going to be released until I say so. Now I want a list of his activities for the last twenty-four hours, who he saw, names, places, and everything else. You know very well that I can hold him for seventy-two hours, so I suggest you advise your client to start writing and if it isn’t good enough I’ll keep him locked up until his memory is jogged,” I said. Dan and I left him standing there with his mouth open.

  Dan didn’t say anything as we walked to the captain’s office.

  Just before we got to the door he said, “You alright?”

  “Just irritated at the jerk. Why does every attorney want to make it adversarial?”

  “They have to show their client they are tough. They need to puff out their chest and beat it like a gorilla,” he said and started pounding his chest.

  I have to admit it cracked me up. You probably had to be there to see it, but it was funny.

  When we stepped into the captain’s office he had an amused look on his face, “Tarzan and Jane I presume?” he said.

  I lost it. I laughed so hard it got the other two started. It took several minutes to regain what little dignity we had.

  “We brought Edward Milliken in for questioning. The scene was obviously staged. I don’t know what’s up yet but something is all wrong,” I told him.

  “But you can’t charge him. No Mrs. Milliken I assume.”

  “Correct.”

  “Alright. Don’t step over the line. If he gives what you want, cut him loose. If he did it, he will screw up and we will get him,” the captain said.

  “Got it captain.”

  As we headed out of the office he let out an ‘Ahhaa..aaahhh…ahhh’ yell like Tarzan. Obviously we cracked up again. In truth, we weren’t worth a darn the rest of the day.

  After cutting Milliken loose, I drove my little Austin Healey home and soaked in the tub while enjoying half a bottle of Pinot Grigio.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The next day I started pulling everything I could find on Edward Milliken. It became interesting almost immediately. When Dan dragged in, I was on my second Diet Coke. He did his usual grunt on his way to get a cup of coffee. I wondered why he never stopped and just got one so he could function. Instead he came in like a bear until he had gotten half way through his first cup.

  He looked over and saw the stack of folders strewn across my desk.

  “Someone has been busy,” he said.

  “One of us doesn’t have a social life,” I replied.

  “Hey, that’s not my fault. I know plenty of guys that are desperate enough to date you.”

  Now you are probably thinking that was a terrible thing to say. I guess it kind of is, but I deserve it. He has fixed me up with a couple of really nice guys but something always went wrong. Not because of them, but because I simply cannot commit to a relationship. That’s how I lost Doctor Warman. I am such a twit at times.

  “So what have you found,” he finally asked when I didn’t bite.

  “For one thing, all three came from families that had a considerable amount of money. Not the really filthy rich but significant money. His first wife, Beverly Mason, inherited six-hundred and thirty thousand dollars.”

  “Not exactly chump change.”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Anyway, wife two, Beverly Lewis, was left a measly four-hundred and sixty thousand.”

  “Piker.”

  “Now along comes Melissa Stewart and she is left eight-hundred thousand and a cozy cabin in Colorado.”

  “Our boy has done his homework.”

  “That’s what I think. No big insurance policies to raise a red flag and not millions and millions of dollars but combined he has amassed 1.8 million dollars and the place in Colorado.”

  “So you think he is marrying them and killing them off after a few years.”

  “I don’t know for a fact, but it sure looks like that to me,” I told him.

  “What else?”

  “Give me a break. That’s pretty impressive for nine o’clock.

  “What else?”

  “I have the three women’s medical records.”

  “What? How in the world did you get them? I thought I saw you with those yesterday.”

  “Do you really want to know?”

  “Angie, Angie, Angie. You went to Eric didn’t you?”

  “Maybe.”

  “It will never hold up in court,” Dan cautioned.

  “Didn’t want it for that. We can get the information with a court order if we get enough other evidence.”

  “What have you found out?”

  “Nothing yet. I was just getting ready to start when a bear walked by,” I replied.

  “A bea…wait. You don’t mean me?”

  “Good heavens no.”

  “I’m not grumpy. I just need my coffee to get going. Besides, that’s sure the pot calling the kettle black. I’ve seen you without your Diet Coke and it isn’t pretty,” he replied.

  “Touché.”

  I handed him the file for Beverly Mason and I started with Melissa’s. It didn’t take long to realize that she was either the biggest klutz in the city or she was being abused. She had five Emergency Room visits in the past year alone. She suffered a dislocated shoulder, a cut above her eye that took three stitches, and a broken wrist all within the last four months. She also had a deep bruise to her thigh and a broken nose. Each time, the ‘accident’ was her fault. I fell, I tripped, I ran into a door. You didn’t have to be a very bright to see that something else was going on.

  I was really irritated when I finished. I was mad at the doctors for just letting this get by. I was mad at Melissa for allowing it to happen and most of all I was really mad at that abusive slimeball, Edward Milliken.

  “What have you got?” I asked Dan as he was shaking his head.

  “One clumsy woman. Fourteen doctor visits in four years. Everything from a broken thumb to broken ribs. The woman was no doubt abused.”

  “I figured as much. Same for Melissa. Way too many Emergency Room trips.”

  “You checking out Janet Lewis or am I?”

  “You do it. I’m going to see the DA on this. I want to know his opinion.”

  “Hell Angie, you know he will say two things. First, how do you know this and second, do you have any witnesses?”

  “You let me handle the DA,” I told him.

  I told the captain where I was going to be and headed over to see the DA. Our District Attorney is Carl Peters an
d he is fairly new. He is still learning the ropes and is super-duper cautious at this point. After he has been here a while he will get with the program. Half way there, I decided to see the ADA instead. Linda Anderson and I had crossed swords a while ago but we’ve both learned to respect what the other person does. Since then, we have even enjoyed a social drink together a few times. We are not really close but I felt I could be up front with her.

  “Hey Ms. Anderson,” I said sticking my head in her door.

  She was up to her eyeballs in files.

  “Oh crap, did I miss a meeting?”

  “No. No. I just needed to see you for a minute but this doesn’t look like a very good time.”

  “A little disruption isn’t going to hurt any. Come in and let’s talk.”

  I took a seat across from her desk.

  “What can I do for you?” she asked.

  “I have a hypothetical for you,” I told her.

  “Of course. Those are the best kind. Go ahead.”

  “Say there was a guy who called 911 and said that his house had been broken into. On top of that, his wife was missing. The scene looked staged. During the routine check we found that he had been married three times and each time his wife had inherited a pretty big chunk of money. Not millions each time, but after three wives, it amounted to close to two million.”

  “So there is a chance that something is happening to these women and the suspect is pretty smart. No bodies of any of the victims?”

  “That’s right. All three have pulled a vanishing act.”

  “And this person was never actually charged.”

  “Right.”

  “Not good.”

  “Absolutely. But there is more. Say that somehow it was discovered that each of the wives had had multiple visits to the Emergency Room. They suffered broken ribs and arms, needed stitches, and that sort of thing.”

  She looked at me for several seconds.

  “I suppose that information was not obtained with a court order.”

  “Possibly.”

  “Then I would say someone is up a creek without a paddle. No body, no witnesses, no actual medical reports. The money? Well, it is something, not much, but something. Maybe that could be explored but that is about all. I would say hypothetically that there is squat to go on.”

  “What if the lab turned up nothing? No fingerprints or foreign substances at the scene?”