The Death of Alan Chandler (The Red Lake Series Book 1)

by Rich Foster

  Catching food could be a full time job he realized. To get ahead he needed to increase his opportunities. This reminded him that he hadn’t picked up his acorn paste. He removed the rock that held his sock in the stream and kneaded the sock forcing the water out of the wet paste inside. With the tip of his finger he tried tasting a bit. It was bitter but palatable. One sock he returned to the water to soak and the other he carried to the fire. One of the stones he had used for a fire ring was fairly flat. He tipped it over on top of the coals. The acorn paste sizzled as it hit the hot rock. It was probably too hot, but Alan let the flour cook until it looked firm and then scrapped it off with a stick. Betty Crocker pastry it was not, but the acorn bread was food and it was hot. He slid the fish off the sticks and onto a rock where the steaming fish were easily gutted and the filets pulled off. He savored bits of the hot fish in his mouth, if only I had a little butter, he thought with a smile.

  Food, warmth and knowing he faced the night with fire made the afternoon as pleasant as the previous night had been bad. It was late enough in the afternoon that he decided to spend the night where he had a good bed of coals and a hot rock. He could find a better camp tomorrow. The rest of the day he collected a stockpile of firewood, gathered more acorns, and pine cones that he could sort by the fire. In the evening before dusk he found three more fish in the trap. These he speared and cooked, mixing their meat with bits of acorn dough. He tossed the fish guts and bones aside when he thought better of it. Instead he buried the remains under a small pile of rocks to save for bait. Tomorrow he would try to build a dead fall trap.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Lilly was held over at the police station. It was late enough that the City Police didn’t want to run her out to the County jail for booking, thus she was spared the ruder aspects of the penal system. Her cot was hard and she slept little during the night. Breakfast she later described to her lawyer as “a glop of vulcanized eggs and sausage of questionable origin. She had thrown it out.

  At nine o’clock an officer arrived with manacles. She kept her face down as she was escorted across the street to the courthouse. She joined a group of prisoners who had been brought in by bus and together they were taken to the holding area for court arraignment. Most were men arrested on a public drunkenness charge. Two were certainly prostitutes she thought. Both wore clothes made for the nighttime bar scene, by day the sequins and leather looked pathetic. The one with heavily bleached hair and scarlet lips looked Lilly over.

  “Where’d you get busted?”

  Lilly tried to ignore her. But the blond woman came close, blew smoke in her face and asked, “Are you too good to talk to me girl?”

  Lilly tried to retreat but found her back was already next to the wall.

  “At my house.” she almost whispered.

  “What ya wanna bring a john home to your house for? Or you just chipping for spending money while your old man’s outta town.”

  “Something like that,” Lilly answered.

  “Amateurs!” the blond said with disdain. With a large breath she left Lilly standing in a cloud of smoke.

  A short time later her name was called. In the hall the female officer took mercy on her and lent her a hairbrush. She was brought before the judge in one of the old courtrooms. It was warm and stuffy from too many bodies, too little ventilation and too little hope. Her attorney joined her. He spoke quickly and softly.

  “Just keep quiet until the Judge asks you a direct question. I’ll try to get it kicked out as frivolous and groundless. If we get so far as needing to make a plea just say, “Not guilty, your Honor.”

  “But I did it,” said Lilly.

  “What?”

  “I lied to the police.”

  Parks was exasperated. “Don’t tell me, at least not now. I don’t want you confusing me with facts.”

  The bailiff called, “The People vs. Lilly Chandler”

  “Oh, and I need a $1,000 retainer,” was the last thing her lawyer said to her.

  The arraignment went quickly. The Judge was a tired old man with a reedy voice. His gaunt face was barely visible above the edge of the bench. Her attorney tried to argue the case was without merit. The Assistant District Attorney told the Judge he had two police officers to which Lilly Chandler had made false and misleading reports. The Judge ordered her held over for trial.

  “Bail is set at $500,000. Next case!” With a thump of the gavel the hearing ended.

  Lilly posted bond with the Court Clerk by using her credit card. The first one she tried was declined but the second one was accepted. Ten minutes later the paper work was complete and she was free to leave. As Travis and she scurried for the door, Parks stressed the importance that he receives a retainer check so he was legally her counsel. In fact, having seen the problem with the credit card, he was only concerned with getting paid. At the door to the courthouse they were stopped by a voice calling them.

  “Mrs. Chandler!”

  Lilly turned to see Sergeant Maddox ambling toward her.

  “Oh god, it’s him,” said Lilly under her breath.

  “What do you want officer?” asked Parks a bit curtly.

  Maddox pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket.

  “I just wanted you to have this inventory affidavit of items that were taken in the search last night.”

  Parks took the list from Maddox’s hand. He scanned the list quickly as Maddox passed them and strolled out the door. As he finished reading Parks hurried after him.

  Maddox was at the bottom of the Court House steps when Travis yelled.

  “Hey what do you want my client’s nightgown for? And what financial documents? And why a whole can full of garbage?”

  Maddox stopped, grinned and shrugged. “You’re all questions and no talk Counselor.”

  Meanwhile Lilly had taken the list and read it.

  “You cut out a piece of the floor?”

  “Sorry Ma’am, but your husbands missing. You don’t seem inclined to help us. In fact you lied. And there is blood smeared all over your kitchen floor, which I suspect the lab will match to your husband. I think maybe you killed him!”

  Lilly’s face paled.

  “You can’t prove that,” snapped Parks.

  “What, the lie, the blood or the killing?”

  “None of it!”

  “Oh we’ll prove your client lied, and I’m sure we’ll prove the blood. As for the killing I am willing to listen.”

  Maddox let the implied question hang in the air.

  “Just a minute, Sergeant, I want to speak to my client.”

  Travis guided Lilly off to the side.

  “I think we should talk to him.”

  Maddox could see Lilly shaking her head no.”

  “I’m sick of the police,” she whispered.

  “You’re going to be a lot more “sick” if this case keeps heading the direction that cop is pushing it! Is there something I should know?”

  Lilly’s hands formed a little prayer chapel in front of her face, her chin barely resting on her fingertips. “I lied, but I didn’t kill anybody. I don’t think so anyway.”

  She said it so calmly that Travis was caught off guard.

  “What do you mean by you don’t think so?” he hissed.

  She shrugged. “I don’t remember. We had a fight; I don’t now how it ended. I woke up in bed.”

  “What about the blood?” he hissed between his lips, while glancing over to make sure Maddox was far enough away.

  “It was there when I got up. That’s all I know.”

  Travis rubbed his forehead as he thought. “All right, we better talk to the cop. Maybe we can see what they’ve got. You go home and shower. I’ll set up a meeting for later.” He began to turn away, when he added, “You better make the retainer $5,000.”

  Once they were willing to meet, Maddox was busy. Parks pushed for a meeting that afternoon. But he put them off to the next day claiming he couldn’t possibly break free before then. Actually he wanted them
to sweat. He had gotten what he wanted. Parks certainly became nervous after he took a look at the list. Obviously, he wasn’t privy to all his client had been up to. The chase was on, he thought. When they met, both would be fishing. It would be a poker game, try to see what the other sides holds without tipping your hand.

  Maddox ambled over to the police station. It was quiet inside. The Chief’s door was open. He ducked his head inside and rapped on the jamb.

  “Got a minute? I thought I would update you on what we’ve got.”

  Chief Holland pointed to a chair. Take a seat and lay it out, Ray.”

  Maddox gave him a quick run down on events. The Chief had seen the request for a search warrant. He had let it stand or fall before the Judge without his help. Maddox must have been persuasive he thought. If Maddox hadn’t seen the inside of the trash can it never would have flown with Judge Ames. Of course a lot of police work was luck or timing. More than one killer had been caught by such minor mistakes as allowing a search.

  Maddox ran down the list of things they had seized. Most were self-explanatory.

  “What about the gun?”

  “It was dirty but clean as far as being the weapon. The lab said they were old deposits. Chandler has a permit for it and also for a 38 police special which we haven’t found.”

  “Did you ask her?”

  “No, I think her side will forget about gun registrations. They won’t know that we know another one exists. I want to broadside them with it. The lady can lie, but I’ve seen her about to crack too!”

  Holland returned to the list.

  “What about the flooring? Did you really have to cut it out?”

  “I wanted more than a scraping.” If we ever go to trial I want plenty of sample material for the DNA lab. For now we can settle for a blood type match. Plus I want to keep the pressure on. This lady doesn’t seem to easily rattle. I’ve thrown her some pretty good punches and she took them well. But, the search warrant got under her skin. I want her to have a reminder she will have to step around each morning.”

  “Let me make this clear,” said Holland. “I don’t want to be re-doing her house if this doesn’t come to trial.”

  “I’d swear it will never be a problem. I don’t know what she’s hiding but if she does walk I think she will want to quietly go away.”

  “I hope so! One more thing Sergeant, when this is over I’d like to see you put your name on the exam list for Detective.”

  “We’ll see, Chief, we’ll see,” was all Maddox said.

  Sergeant Maddox spent the better part of the afternoon writing up reports. He had fallen dangerously far behind on paperwork and the possibility loomed it might become physically impossible to catch up. It seemed reports were required at a pace faster than he could type.

  Late in the day Delaney came in. He had spent the morning filing a writ to have Alan Chandlers blood type released. The doctor’s office manager was apologetic but she insisted federal privacy rules required a release from the patient or a court order. Delaney had gone in to face Judge Ashe alone. However his anxiety about the trip was needless. The Judge had made a difficult birdie on the back nine that morning and he was in a magnanimous mood. This was enhanced by the fact that there had been no back flack from yesterdays search. The order was duly signed and Delaney had run it over to the doctor’s office. He had to wait thirty minutes because the same office manager would not release the information without Dr.Ames’ personal okay. By three o’clock he had secured the knowledge that Alan Chandler was AB negative. By four he was at the lab where the technicians confirmed that the blood on the floor was also AB negative. Without a DNA run they couldn’t call it a “match” but there was certainly high probability that the floor sample was Chandler’s in that AB was least common.

  Maddox was working on a list of what he knew about the Chandlers. During an investigation he found it useful to line item all the facts he had on a sheet. Then he would check his notes and list all inconsistencies or conflicts. A third sheet listed possible scenarios. Delaney looked over Maddox’s shoulder.

  He has chosen to stay away.

  He has amnesia

  Something happened to him after he willingly left

  He can’t come back for reasons unknown.

  He is dead.

  He left against his will

  He left alive, possible kidnapping

  Wife knows.

  Wife does not know. (Asleep or knocked out)

  He left dead, a victim of homicide

  Wife killed him and disposed of body.

  Someone helped wife with body.

  Somebody dumped body for wife.

  Someone killed him and removed body without wife’s knowledge.

  “That about covers it,” said Delaney.

  “Sure, but which one do you like?”

  “I think it is easier to pick the ones I don’t like.”

  “Such as?”

  “Well if he left by choice why is there blood? Which, according to the lab boys, is AB negative the same as Chandler’s.”

  “It’s what I expected; the wife doesn’t have a mark on her.”

  “He could have been setting her up. As for kidnapping I don’t see it. There’s been no demand.”

  “That we know of,” said Maddox. “So far the lady hasn’t been talking. But, I agree a snatch doesn’t feel right, they’re not high profile and they sure don’t have any money.”

  “The blood makes murder the odds on favorite. Especially seeing someone cleaned the blood up. If he was murdered the wife has got to be the perpetrator. And she dumped the body.” said Delaney.

  “But what about his car? It’s gone without a trace! She’d probably need help. Plus what did Chandler weigh? It wouldn’t be easy for her to drag a stiff around by herself.”

  “But who’s going to help her? It’s not like you call up a friend and say, do you want to help me take a quick trip out to the desert and dump a body?”

  Maddox leaned back in his desk chair and looked at Delaney. He tapped his forefinger against his temple, “You’re a bright boy, Mick! I want you to ask around, see if she has anyone who seems special.”

  “She doesn’t strike me as a killer,” Delaney protested.

  “What does a killer act like Mick? Given the right circumstances I’d bet most people could work themselves up for murder.”

  “But what’s the motive?”

  “Well we got a half million in insurance. It might seem worth it, if you are broke.”

  “Maybe she’s got a boyfriend and wants out?”

  “Maybe she switch hits. It could be a girl friend,” said Maddox with a laugh.

  “Okay, somebody who aided and abetted.”

  “Of course, maybe she just lost it. The neighbors heard a screaming match. By the way, what was the lab repot on the gun?"

  “It was fired but it is old dirt. Only smudged prints on the gun, but clearly his prints on the shells in the chamber. I suppose he could have shot himself and she dumped the body.”

  “Sure, but why? Do you think she has an overwhelming sense of shame about suicide? Besides, without the body she couldn’t collect on the insurance could she? Make a note to check with the underwriter first thing tomorrow. Anyway, he wasn’t shot unless it was with a silencer. The old lady next door risked pneumonia on her back porch to catch the blow by blow. She never mentioned a shot.”

  Silence followed as they mentally reviewed the possibilities. Finally Maddox stood up. “Let’s go home!”

  With that they called it a day. Delaney glanced at his watch and breathed a sigh of relief, for a change he would be home on time for dinner with his family.

  The following day was Sunday. Maddox had nothing that was so pressing that he could not take the day off. If this was a murder case where they actually had a body he and Delaney would be working long hours seven days a week. However, all they had for sure here was a missing person and a lot of damn odd circumstances. Before he left the office he put a call
through to Travis Parks and arranged to interview Lilly on Monday morning. Then he went home and mentally shelved the case for the next thirty-two hours. He found that ideas needed an opportunity to age and that with time the quality and clarity of his thoughts improved.

  Monday morning, Travis Parks arrived promptly at ten with his client. Lilly Chandler seemed completely serene, clad in a creamy linen dress. They went to the same interrogation room however this time Lilly wasn’t as nervous as the first time they had brought her in. Maddox looked for hidden signs of stress, but she was remarkably under control.

  Seated around the table Maddox asked if they had an objection to the interview being taped. They nodded their assent but Maddox said wait. He pushed a button and in the next room the recorders clicked on. He identified himself, who was in the room, the date and time, and then he repeated his question, “Do I have your permission to tape this interview Mrs. Chandler?”

  “Yes!” Travis said. “For the record I would like to state that my client is here of her own volition. We reserve the right to decline to answer and to terminate this interview at anytime.”

  “Certainly counselor and I will state for the record that your client Lilly Chandler, has been read her Miranda rights, and is aware of her rights under the law.”

  A pregnant pause filled the room. Maddox could wait out the best of lawyers. Finally Travis Parks caved in to the silence and volunteered a statement.

  “I believe you have drawn some rather erroneous conclusions due to some unfortunate but completely innocent acts on my client’s part. She has no knowledge as to what has happened to her husband. Nor does she have knowledge where he is at this time. She certainly didn’t kill him!”