Max once again tried to sway Sandy’s decision. “Mrs. Flanders, it is a proven fact once a man assaults a woman, he will do it again. Even if he should leave you alone, he has already gotten away with abusing you, so it will be much easier for him to abuse the next woman he tries to make a part of his life. Do you want to be responsible for someone else getting hurt?”
“Detective Davis, you are assuming the worst. Can you guarantee me if I press charges and he spends time in prison, he will never abuse another woman?”
“You know I can’t make that guarantee. I’m just telling you what I have seen in my 25 years in law enforcement. Unless he gets counseling or psychiatric help and learns to control his anger, he will not be able to control himself the next time a woman doesn’t do what he wants her to do.”
“I will inform my lawyer as part of the divorce agreement, Dave must agree to professional help for his anger. Will that allay your fears?”
Max sighed and shook his head. “We can’t force you to press charges. All we can do is advise you of the consequences of your decision.”
“I appreciate it. He has agreed to have all our communications go through our lawyers. My father has already hired the best divorce lawyer in Lancaster. I don’t want anything from Dave other than to leave me alone. I’m sure he’ll agree to the anger management counseling if it means he will stay out of jail.”
Mike had watched the interaction between Sandy and Max and was surprised by the emotional reaction Max had to Sandy’s decision. It didn’t appear he was being impartial and it concerned Mike. He didn’t agree with Sandy’s decision, but he had more of a history with Dave and Sandy. Mike knew he wanted to see more of Sandy after she left the hospital, so he made a promise to himself he would make sure Dave stayed away from her. He tried to defuse the situation by asking, “What are your plans after you’re released tomorrow?”
“Mom and Dad are going to be here to take me to their house. If they can work it out, they will take me to Dave’s house on Thursday to get my clothes.”
Mike took this opportunity to set up a time to see Sandy again. “I can take you Thursday. Since Dave has to stay away from you, I will arrange for him to be out of the house when we go to collect your things. Will that work?”
Sandy was glad Mike volunteered. “Yes, Mike, I’d appreciate it. Dad is still extremely angry with Dave and I don’t want them anywhere near each other.”
“Okay. I’ll be in touch to set up a time.”
Sandy smiled at both Max and Mike and told them how much she appreciated their concern. “I know neither of you agree with my decision, but I have to move forward with my life on my terms. Dave was genuinely shaken by what happened and he’ll do what he needs to do to change his life.”
The detectives said their goodbyes and headed for the parking garage. As they walked, Mike asked Max why he got so upset about Sandy’s decision.
Max turned to Mike and asked, “How many cases of spousal abuse have you worked?”
Mike thought about it and said, “Wow, that’s a good question. I’ve never thought about it. Let’s just say it’s in the hundreds.”
“And how many of those were repeat calls?”
“I don’t know. More than I would have liked. The disturbances were usually just shouting matches, but some of them eventually turned violent.”
“When I became a detective in Philadelphia, a significant number of our investigations involved domestic abuse. Most of the time, the wife or girlfriend wouldn’t press charges and continued to stay with her abuser. Sometimes that decision cost her her life. I’ve been a cop for a long time Mike, and I will never understand why some women allow themselves to be treated as punching bags and think for some reason they are the ones responsible for their own abuse.”
“Max, if I knew the answer, I would be world-famous for solving one of the biggest social problems of our time. It took me a long time to come to grips with the fact I will never be able to help all the women who are abused. I talked to them and gave them information on safe houses and lawyers who would help them either pro bono or at a reduced fee. Several had the courage to leave – mainly because they had children. I did what I could do and had to let go of the frustration I felt when a woman wouldn’t help herself.
“This is the first time I’ve known the victim. It hasn’t been easy to maintain my professionalism and not let my anger show. I know Sandy and she will never be a victim again. In high school she was the person you always went to if you wanted to make sure something got done. She means what she says. If Dave tries to renege on their arrangements, she will press charges.”
“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” Max said. “Let’s get back to headquarters and put this case to bed.”
CHAPTER 14
Thirty minutes earlier…
On Thursday, Mike pulled up in front of the Powers’ house in his father’s Durango. It had been no problem to talk his father into letting him borrow the SUV because he had swapped it for his Mustang. In the last couple of days, swapping cars was his easiest accomplishment.
Sandy had been discharged from the hospital on Tuesday morning. Richard and Stephanie got her settled and then Stephanie gave Mike a call. She explained she was concerned because Sandy wanted to pick up her clothes as soon as possible. Mike assured her he would make sure Dave abided by the bail requirements. “I also told her yesterday I would take her there on Thursday to pick up her belongings. I’ll need Dave’s cell number if you have it.”
After hanging up Mike called Dave. When he answered Mike started with “Hi Dave, it’s Mike Campbell.”
“How did you get this number Campbell?”
“Mrs. Powers gave it to me. Listen Dave, Sandy has been discharged from the hospital and is at her parents’ house. She needs to get her clothes and would like to do it on Thursday. I will be bringing her there around 1:00 in the afternoon, so you will need to be out of the house for a couple of hours.”
“Who says I do?”
Mike realized this was not going to go well. “According to your bail terms, you cannot be within 100 feet of Sandy.”
“In case you don’t know it, it’s MY house and nobody kicks me off my property.”
“It’s still the marital residence, so Sandy has a right to be there too. She only wants to get her things and it won’t take more than a couple of hours.”
“I want to be there when she’s getting her stuff to make sure she doesn’t take anything that’s mine.”
“Dave, you are legally restricted from being there when she is there. If we show up on Thursday and you’re anywhere near the house, I will arrest you.”
Dave’s anger boiled over. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you Campbell? It didn’t take you long to move in on her, did it?”
Mike ignored the questions and told Dave, “I will be bringing Sandy to the house on Thursday afternoon around one. Find something to do for a couple of hours. She will be picking up her clothes and personal items. She doesn’t want to have to return to the house again. Don’t turn this into a major event. Sandy said you had agreed to a divorce. Look at this as the first step in the process.”
“You know Campbell, I didn’t like you in high school and I really don’t like you now that you think you have the upper hand. I’m going to call my lawyer. This isn’t over by a long shot” Dave stated as he hung up the phone.
Mike looked over at Max who had been listening to Mike’s side of the conversation. In his usual droll manner, Max said, “Well, that sounded like it went well.”
“What was your first clue – my threatening to arrest him?” Sighing Mike said, “He doesn’t think he has to leave the house when I bring Sandy over there. He has conveniently forgotten there’s a PFA order against him.”
“You know him. Do you think he’ll be there when you arrive with Sandy?”
“He’s arrogant enough to stay. I’m just hoping his lawyer will talk him out of it.”
So here he was to pick up Sandy. It
was the first time he had ever been to the Powers’ house and he really liked the homey look of the Cape Cod. It was certainly a stark contrast to the Flanders’ residence. When he rang the bell, Sandy was the one to answer.
“How’s the patient?” he asked after getting her settled in the front seat.
“I’m a little sore, but I can do pretty much anything I want as long as I’m careful. No heavy lifting or bending over are the biggest restrictions. I do have a problem trying to get Mom and Dad to stop fussing over me.”
“I picked up some boxes at Lowe’s. I’m hoping we can get all your stuff out of the house today.”
“Don’t worry Mike. I’ve never been a clothes horse, so my wardrobe consists of the clothes for school which can do double duty as my casual wardrobe. I hate shopping.”
Mike smiled at Sandy’s response as they arrived at her house and found a parking space right in front. Sandy checked all the cars parked on the street as they drove up and was concerned when she saw Dave’s parked across the street. “There’s his car, Mike.”
“Let’s not jump to any conclusions. He might be out with a friend.”
“He’d have to have a friend first.”
They got out of the car, Sandy unlocked the front door and they entered the living room. She took a quick look around and immediately became upset. “Mike, something’s wrong.”
Mike didn’t understand her concern. “Why do you say that? I don’t know what normal is in your house, but nothing seems to indicate problems.”
Sandy pointed to the glass sitting on the coffee table. “See the glass? It’s the kind Dave uses for his nightly cocktail.”
“Yeah, so? He didn’t put it in the sink.”
“You saw this house the night I was attacked. Use your famous memory. What did this room looked like the last time you saw it?”
“Everything was so perfect it looked like you had taken a sample room in a furniture store and placed it in your living room.”
“Exactly. Dave is a perfectionist who can’t stand to have anything out of order. If he had a drink in this room last night, he would have taken the glass to the kitchen, washed, dried and put it away before he went to bed. It is totally out of character for him to have left that glass there.”
“Let me check upstairs before you go up and make sure he’s not there.” Mike headed up the stairs and was back down in less than a minute. “Nobody’s up there. Let me get the boxes out of the car and you can start to fill them.”
“Okay. After you bring them in, would you go down to the basement and get the maroon set of luggage in the back?”
“No problem.” It didn’t take Mike long to get Sandy settled in the bedroom where she began to fill the boxes. He headed to the basement to get her luggage. He turned on the light and headed down the steps. Halfway down he got a whiff of something he couldn’t quite place. He got to the bottom and took a left to head to the back of the basement where Sandy said the suitcases were stored. He came to an abrupt halt when he saw what was on the floor near the washer. He got his cell phone out and called Max.
CHAPTER 15
The Present…
Mike saw the coroner’s van turn the corner as he knocked on Mary Parker’s door. She answered and looked at Mike with a question in her eyes.
“Where’s Sandy?”
“She’s in the kitchen.”
“I need to talk to her, Mrs. Parker. She’s going to need a friendly shoulder in a couple of minutes.”
Mary followed him into the kitchen. They both sat at the table with Mike sitting next to Sandy and taking her hand in his. “Sandy, there’s no easy way to say this, so here goes. When I went down to the basement, I found Dave.”
Sandy looked confused as she asked, “What was he doing down there. Didn’t he hear us come in?”
“He’s past hearing anything. Dave is dead.”
Sandy looked stunned. Mike heard a small gasp from Mary. He wondered if Sandy really understood what he just said. His feeling was confirmed when she said, “What are you talking about? Dave never goes to the basement.”
“When I went down for the luggage, I found him. He’s been murdered Sandy.”
Her shock was so evident Mike wanted to put his arm around her. He knew it wouldn’t be a good idea and looked at Mary for help. Sandy was having a very difficult time understanding what Mike had said. “Murdered? What are you talking about? ”
Mary appeared as shocked as Sandy by what he said. She got up and went around the table to put her arm around her friend, needing the contact as much as Sandy did. “Can you tell us what happened, Mike?”
“We are just starting the investigation. The coroner arrived a couple of minutes ago and Max and I will be going over the house with a fine tooth comb to look for evidence.”
“I told you there was something wrong when I saw the glass on the table” Sandy muttered. “What happened?”
“I don’t know. I found him when I went for the luggage. You won’t be able to take anything out of the house today Sandy. I’ll make arrangements for one of the uniformed officers to take you to your parents’.”
Mary told Mike she would take Sandy back to her parent’s house. Mike took her aside before they left. “Listen Mrs. Parker, I’ll need to ask you some questions after you take Sandy home.”
“Okay Detective. Come on, Sandy. Let’s get you home.”
“My home is next door.” Sandy jumped up and headed for the front door. Mike caught her before she was able to open it.
“Hold on Sandy”, Mike said as he grabbed her elbow. “You can’t go over there. It’s an active crime scene. You need to go back to your parents’ house with Mrs. Parker. I’ll stop by after Max and I finish next door.”
Mary grabbed her keys and purse and guided Sandy out the front door. They walked the short distance to the corner and got into Mary’s car. Mike found Richard’s number in his address book. When he answered Mike told him Dave was dead and Sandy was on her way back to his house. “She needs her parents. Mary Parker is taking her to your house. Whatever you do, do not let her leave by herself. I’m afraid she’ll take a car and come back here. Believe me, Mr. Powers, she should not see Dave. Max or I can make the identification, so no one will need to go to the morgue to ID him. We will also notify Mr. and Mrs. Flanders. After the autopsy, the coroner will release the body.”
“When will that be Mike?” Richard asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll stop by when we finish here, probably several hours.”
“Okay. I’ll let Stephanie know. Can you give me any other details right now?”
“No. The only thing I can tell you is he was murdered. I’ll give you as much information as I can when I come to the house.”
After the conversation with Richard Powers, Mike went next door.
Max looked up from the work bench as Mike made his way past the body. The coroner was making his initial examination of the corpse. This was Dr. Dougherty’s first term as Lancaster County Coroner. He was in his early fifties but looked more like mid-forties. He stood just under six feet tall and you could see he worked out because there wasn’t an ounce of fat on his body. He looked up when Mike went past. “Detective, can you tell me who found the body?”
Mike stopped and looked at the doctor. “I found him there about a half hour ago.”
“Judging by how the blood has pooled and dried, I would estimate he died sometime last night. I’ll be able to give you a more accurate TOD after I do the autopsy, but I’d say he died sometime between 10:00 last night and 4:00 this morning. Preliminarily I would say he died of blood loss from the left carotid being severed.”
“What about the cuts and bruises, Doc?”
“They were all peri-mortem. None were life-threatening. Someone took their time inflicting pain on him before they cut his throat.”
Max looked over and asked, “What about the hands? Can you tell if they were removed before or after he died?”
“It appears they were removed
post-mortem. Whoever did it was not neat and had no special knowledge about how to do this. It’s almost as if it was an afterthought.”
Mike and Max went back to the work bench. Since Dave had been such a perfectionist with the storage of his tools, he had outlined each tool shape that hung on the pegboard. It was easy to identify the tool that removed Dave’s hands. The small hand ax was not hanging in its assigned spot. Mike and Max looked on, under and around the bench but could not locate the ax. Max turned to one of the technicians who came down the steps and told them they needed to do a search of the basement to see if the tool could be located. Meantime, he and Mike went upstairs to begin their search.
The first floor offered no clues as to who might have been here the previous night. Mike said to Max, “I went upstairs when Sandy and I first got here, and I noticed the middle bedroom is set up as an office. There’s a printer and laptop in there. I’m wondering if the note left with Dave’s hands was printed up there?”
Max cocked his head to the side and said, “Let’s go see how bold our killer was.”
In the smallest bedroom they found a small desk with a laptop centered in the middle. A printer sat on a small table next to the desk. As with every other room in the house, there was nothing out of place and everything in the room had a specific purpose. After putting on his rubber gloves, Mike lifted the top of the laptop and activated the screen. What he saw confirmed their suspicions. Microsoft Word was still open. The message on the screen was the same message that had been held by Dave’s severed hands. Mike opened the file menu and saw the file had been opened at 12:45 a.m. and printed a minute later.
“This will give the coroner a more accurate estimate of time of death”, Mike said.
“We’re dealing with one sick person, Mike. I wonder if he printed off more than one copy?”
Mike was startled by the question. “Why would he do that?”
Splintered (Mike Campbell Series Book 1) Page 7
