DEAD ON ARRIVAL: Angie Bartoni Case File # 14 (Angie Bartoni Case Files)

by Marshall Huffman

  “Angie?” the captain said snapping me out of my thoughts.

  “Well, I agree with Dan to a point. We don’t know for sure. One was poisoned and the other stabbed. That’s pretty far apart in method. But, on the other hand, you know me. I don’t like coincidences. I think they are probably linked but reserve the right to change my mind as we investigate Meyer’s murder further.”

  “Reserve the right? My, my, reserve the right. Suddenly you are miss congeniality.”

  “No. I just don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket at this time. We haven’t even talked to CSI to see what they came up with,” I told him.

  “Whatever. So how about you go check?”

  “I take it we are dismissed?” I said.

  “I knew you earned that detective shield for something,” McGregor replied.

  “Have you been hanging around Sorenson?” I asked as we made our way out the door.

  “So, are we going over to CSI or just calling?”

  “Let’s take a ride over. This way I can push them for faster results,” I told Dan.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Our crime lab is not like you see on television. There are no blue lights and clear tables. We don’t have all that fancy high tech equipment that can tell you the type of dirt that came off someone’s shoe in Nowheresville, North Dakota.

  What we do have is a well-run department, headed by Lance Marker. In my opinion, Lance can detect circles around all those guys in the CSI shows, well except for Gary Sinise. He’s pretty good, if you know what I mean.

  “Angie, I assume you came to harass us?”

  “Lance, Lance, Lance, how could you think such a thing about me?”

  “Okay, so why are you here?”

  “To harass you of course.”

  “Of course. How silly of me.”

  “So what do we know so far?”

  “Geez Angie, give a guy a break.”

  “You have already had that. Give,” I pried.

  “The knife was a military K-bar. It matches the wounds.”

  “You found it?”

  “Angie, this is Lance you’re talking to. Of course we found it.”

  “I can’t believe it. How on earth did you manage that?”

  “It was lying on the counter top in the kitchen,” he said smiling.

  “Well that is some detective work. Are you messing with me or was it really in the kitchen?” I asked.

  “I swear. It was sitting right there out in the open.”

  “So that means…”

  “Nothing, other than we have the weapon that was used to commit the murder. Obviously the perp had on gloves plus the fact that the handle was wrapped with leather so there is no way we could pull prints.”

  “What about fibers?” Dan asked.

  “We found some in the carpet and a few on the bed. We are running them right now for analysis. She didn’t have a pet that we found so it seems likely they will all turn out to be human. Of course the maid was up there so we will have to run our samples against her as well as Meyers. Whatever is left over belongs to someone else,” Lance said.

  “What kind of time frame are we looking at?”

  “Probably three or four days. Everything is backed up at the lab. That small airplane crash with seven people onboard is consuming a lot of lab time,” he told us.

  “Alright. I know you will get to it as fast as you can. Did you find out how they got in?” Dan asked.

  “Yeah. Believe it or not, the alarm system wasn’t even turned on. I guess she forgot. The front door lock was picked. There are scratch marks all around the key slot.”

  “So they just waltzed in, went up, and killed her,” I said.

  “Pretty much,” Lance replied.

  “Okay, thanks for the update. Let me know if you find anything else.”

  “Don’t I always?”

  “Indeed you do,” I replied as we were leaving.

  “What now?” Dan asked.

  I love my partner but he knows I hate it when he asks ‘what now’. It’s just a thing with me. I want to say something like ‘oh hell, let’s just go to a movie and eat popcorn all afternoon.’

  Instead I replied, “To see Sorenson again. I want to see if the tox report is back.”

  “Can’t he just fax it over or send it as an attachment?”

  “It’s much more fun to deal with him in person. I might even get one up on him.”

  “Ha. That will be the day,” Dan muttered.

  He was probably right.

  ***

  Our morgue is only slightly uglier than the station house. They both looked like they were designed by an architect who was suffering from a mixture of vertigo, depression, and anger at the world. I can’t believe that someone actually signed off on the design for the two buildings.

  Inside it was only slightly better with gray walls and gray and white speckled tile that looked like it had been there since before the Romans were in power. Pictures of men long dead hung at weird angles. Each had a brass tag that had rusted to the point that you could no longer read who the people were. That is if you really cared. I did not.

  We found Sorenson in cutting room C, which was his favorite place to work. He liked it most because his office was in the back of the room and he didn’t have to walk very far.

  “Hey geezer,” I yelled at him.

  He never looked up but looked at the cadaver on the table and said, “Are you talking to me? Are you talking to me? You must be talking to me because I am the only one here.”

  Did I mention that Sorenson is just a tad off in the head?

  “If she answers you, let me know and I’m out of here,” I said as I moved up next to him.

  “If she answers we are both out of here. Just don’t get in my way. So, here you are again Bartoni. Want me to get the chloroform and soak a rag. You can go ahead and climb up on the table so I won’t have to mess with that.”

  “Oh hell. I should do it. You would faint and the cleaning crew would find you on the floor.”

  “Okay pest, what do you want?”

  “Tell me about the tox report on Meyers.”

  “Now do you really think they have time to drop everything else and get to your stuff first? There is a queue that they go in. Yours doesn’t magically go to the top because you think you are some big shot detective,” he admonished.

  “I know that but you are such an important person, I figured you might have some clout.”

  “Well I am important and it’s about time you realized that,” he said shuffling back toward his office.

  I wasn’t sure if I should follow him or he was finished talking to me. He can be hard to read sometimes. A minute later he came back and handed me the report.

  “I had them put a rush on it. I knew if I didn’t you would be bugging me every hour.”

  “Geez I love you, you old fart.”

  “Yeah, I know. Who wouldn’t?”

  I looked at the report. No drugs but her blood alcohol content or BAC was listed at .15. That’s legally drunk. Of course she was at home but still that means she probably was pretty stewed and didn’t hear someone trying to pick her lock. That helped clear up one of the mysteries I had about how he got up to the bedroom without her hearing him.

  “Consumed quite a bit of wine. Boudreaux I believe,” Sorenson told me.

  “Looks like you hit the time of death right on the nail.”

  “Surely you didn’t expect anything less?” he said.

  “No, of course not. How crass of me to even mention such a thing,” I replied.

  When I was done I went out and gathered Dan. He simply cannot handle the morgue. Just walking down the hall he gets all queasy and light headed. I have found that it is just easier to leave him in the car.

  “So?”

  “She was snockered. Her BAC was .15 from drinking wine,” I told him.

  “So she didn’t even hear someone breaking in.”

  “More than likely or at least no
t until it was too late. We need to talk to the remaining three potential CEO’s and get their story.”

  “I’m all for it,” Dan replied.

  ***

  We headed out to visit Nemein Pharmaceutical again. Hopefully without the security hassle this time.

  “We need to talk to Pike, King and Stewart pronto. Either one of them is the killer or they are the next target,” I said as Dan maneuvered through the afternoon traffic.

  It had just started raining and everyone was driving like an idiot. The first fifteen minutes of rain are the most dangerous. The oil rises to the surface and makes the roads slicker than normal. Instead of slowing down, most continue on in their oblivious way until they hit someone or someone hits them.

  We pulled up to the building without incident and dashed inside. We went straight to the reception desk.

  “Would you page or whatever you do, King, Stewart and Pike?” I asked the woman behind the counter, showing her my badge.

  “I believe they are in an important meeting. Would you like to make an appointment for tomorrow?” she asked.

  She was nice, I’ll give her that. She was attractive as well. She was also an idiot. We do not make appointments to see suspects or potential targets. I tried my best to be as nice as she had been.

  “No. We don’t make appointments. Perhaps you don’t understand that the police can talk to anyone they damn…I mean, darn well please. What I really want you to do is get on the phone and tell them we need to speak with them immediately. What we have to say is a lot more important than the meeting they are in,” I said trying to smile.

  “I see,” she said frowning slightly.

  I really didn’t care if it upset her. What I wanted was to talk to those three people. She spoke on the phone for a few minutes before hanging up.

  “They will be right down.”

  “Thank you so much,” I replied.

  She didn’t bother to answer. Well, excuse me.

  A few minutes later two of them came out of the elevator together. Ted King was around five foot ten, and had dark wavy hair with just a touch of grey at the temples. Obviously he had it dyed. His mustache was dark with not a speck of grey, also dyed, no doubt. He had brown eyes, and a pronounced jaw with yellowish teeth. He was probably a smoker. Pike was not with them.

  “Where is Pike?” I asked.

  “He’s in Dallas, Texas. He will be there until Monday,” King informed us.

  “Why did he go to Dallas?” I inquired.

  “I honestly don’t know but it was on the company plane so it had to do with business. We have a plant in Dallas,” he replied.

  Megan Stewart was an inch taller than King. She had long, straight blond hair, blue eyes, and high cheekbones. She was pretty without being beautiful. Her legs said that she was either a runner or did some sort of physical exercise. They were muscular and taut. Dan wasn’t panting but he did take notice. Men. They are like dogs. They want to chase every car but when they get near it they don’t know quite what to do with it.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  The four of us went into one of the lavishly appointed conference rooms and sat down. Dan and I were on one side and Ted and Megan sat on the other.

  “I’m Detective Bartoni and this is my partner, Detective Roberts. We want to ask you a few questions about what has been going on around here,” I said to get the discussion started.

  I waited in case they wanted to say anything. Apparently they didn’t so I continued.

  “You already know that Doctor Wittman was murdered using radiation poisoning. Last night Tanya Meyers was stabbed to death in her home,” I told them.

  They both looked shocked. It wouldn’t be in the papers until later today. So far we had managed to keep it out of the news but it was just a matter of time.

  “Tanya is dead?” Megan stammered.

  “Who?” Ted asked.

  “Tanya is definitely dead. She was stabbed seven times in her bedroom. There is no known motive at this time. It doesn’t appear to be a robbery and she was not molested,” I told them.

  “I can’t believe this. What is going on?” Ted asked.

  “That is the exact thing we want to know,” Dan replied.

  “Surely you don’t think one of us did it?” Megan asked with a look of concern on her face.

  “We don’t have anyone as a suspect yet which means that everyone is a suspect until they are eliminated.”

  “But I don’t even know where she lives,” Ted said.

  “Can you tell me where you were last night?”

  “Where I was?”

  “Yeah. Once you left work, where did you go?”

  “Home.”

  “You went straight home and didn’t make any stops?”

  “Well I stopped and got gas at the Shell Station on 16th and High School Road. Oh, yeah, I stopped at Kroger’s and picked up some coffee and milk. Then I went home.”

  “Are you married?” I asked.

  “Divorced.”

  “Anyone live with you?”

  “No.”

  “So no one can vouch for you being home all night.”

  “I stayed home and watched television. I watched Falling Skies and The Dome. They aren’t over until 11:00p.m.”

  “Did you watch the news?”

  “No. I never watch it. They just want to spread sensationalism. They don’t really report the news.”

  “But you are telling us you never left the house,” Dan said.

  “It’s the truth,” Ted replied.

  “What about you Megan?”

  “I went home, changed clothes, and worked in the yard until around 8:00 p.m. I took a shower, dressed, and went to Chelsie’s for dinner. After that I went to the Taylor Street Bar and had a couple of drinks with friends before heading back home. I got home around 12:00 a.m., went upstairs and put on my PJ’s and went to bed.”

  “You live alone as well?” I asked.

  “I do.”

  “So you are really in the same boat as Ted with no alibi that is verifiable at this time.”

  “I guess not,” she said.

  “Then I need to tell you both, we are obtaining warrants to search both of your houses. They will be delivered here in an hour or so.”

  “Search my house? Why?” Megan asked.

  “This is ridicules. I haven’t done a damn thing,” Ted said becoming upset.”

  “It is nothing personal. It is just routine. It will all be over in a couple of hours,” I assured them.

  “Well I, for one, damn sure don’t like it,” Ted said.

  “Me either,” Megan replied.

  ***

  “When did you ask for a warrant?” Dan asked when we got back in the car.

  “I didn’t yet. I will but for now I just wanted to see if one of them would bolt for the house and try to hide something.”

  We waited across the street watching for one of them to head out. My plan was to tail them to the house and basically try to bluff my way in or at least find out what they were up to.

  “We can’t make them let us in,” Dan said.

  “I know that and you know that but do they know that?” I replied.

  “Okay then. And if they tell you to take a flying leap, then what?”

  “We get a warrant.”

  “Good luck with that.”

  “Oh ye of little faith,” I said.

  “Hey,” Dan said, pointing out the window.

  “Megan.”

  “I was sure it would be Ted King,” Dan replied.

  “I kind of though so too. Let’s see what she is up to. We know where she lives so you don’t have to follow too closely,” I told Dan.

  “Man, I was just sure we would be following Ted. He seems so sleazy.”

  “I hear you. It just goes to show you can never be sure about people.”

  Dan started the car and we waited until she had pulled out of her parking space before he started following her.

  “She appears to
be headed home,” Dan said after a few minutes.

  “So it would seem. You think she is hiding something?”

  “Something made her bolt out of there,” Dan answered.

  “I guess we will know soon enough.”

  We followed her across town to the outskirts of Noblesville. She turned into a gated community. We already had the address so it wasn’t going to be a problem. We let her go and clear the guardhouse before we pulled in.

  “Can I help you?” the guard asked.

  Dan flashed his shield and said, “You can lift the gate for one thing.”

  “Is there a problem?”

  “There will be if you don’t lift the gate immediately.”

  He shrugged and lifted the gate and we drove through. Her house was at 112 Dove Lane. How cute. We pulled up and saw her car parked in the driveway. Dan and I got out and walked up to the door. I rang the doorbell and waited. No answer.

  Dan knocked hard on the door and finally it was opened part way and an eyeball peaked out at us.

  “Megan, Detectives Bartoni and Roberts. We need to talk to you right now,” I said.

  “About what?”

  “Open the door Megan. This isn’t the place to talk.”

  “Look, this isn’t a good time. Really. I don’t feel well. The news of Tanya’s murder has really shaken me.”

  “Megan, you need to let us in and we need to talk to you. We don’t want this to get ugly but it can if you don’t cooperate.

  I could see she was weighing out what I had just said. Her eyes darted to the room behind her and then she opened the door and we stepped inside.

  A dark headed woman sat on the couch in a tee-shirt and very short shorts. She looked very physically fit. I could actually see that she had some pretty good upper body strength. Dan noticed it too. She had short cut hair and a small tattoo on her ankle. It looked like a butterfly from where I stood.

  Megan was red in the face and it took me a second to figure out the dynamics that were playing out.

  “Who is your friend?” I asked.

  “This is Lisa.”

  “Does Lisa have a second name?” Dan asked.