Secrets in the Shallows (Book 1: The Monastery Murders)

by Karen Vance Hammond

  “Maybe you just thought you did?” John interrogated her.

  Barb tapped her finger several times on Timothy’s name as she replied, “No. I specifically remember. I also recorded this locker number in the personal effects information for the victim in our system. This locker number matches the number I recorded on the clipboard and the computer.” She showed the clipboard to Sheriff Johnson.

  Sheriff Johnson pointed to the edge of the locker door. “Look!” He showed where the door was bent on the inside, as well as a large scratch on the outside. “It appears someone broke in to this locker using a crowbar.” Pointing his finger at the damage, he continued, “It’s pretty distinct. See how these particular dents look like a crow’s foot?”

  Peter and John leaned over, peering at the bent metal.

  “It sure does,” Peter agreed.

  Dr. Grant commented, “It does look like the lock was pried open.”

  John lowered his head and cleared his throat. “Any idea of who you think would’ve taken them?”

  “Well, that’s the million dollar question, isn’t it?” the sheriff replied.

  Sheriff and Peter paused for a moment, then each took a pair of latex gloves and put them on.

  Peter raised his eyebrows and said, “We’ll study the surveillance tapes for the morgue and see who had them last. That should give us a place to start. For all we know, they were put in another locker by mistake. Although, the crowbar indentions make me think otherwise.”

  John smiled slightly and said, “If those items have any evidence on them, then it is easy to understand why they’d take them before they were tested for DNA.”

  “Of course, that’s why they were taken,” Peter crossed his arms.

  Once again, Sheriff Johnson looked at Jane and Barb, and then back at Dr. Grant. “We need to search this place high and low. I don’t care if it takes all day and night.”

  Barb and Jane nodded in agreement.

  Dr. Grant replied, “We will do what we can.”

  “How quickly can you get that footage to me? I’d like to have it STAT, as you doctors say,” the sheriff said in an attempt at humor.

  “I can have it ready by the end of the day. It will take a little time to save a copy of the video footage for you.”

  Sheriff Johnson took a deep breath and replied, “I really need to take them with me now if possible. That way I know they couldn’t have been tampered with or exchanged.”

  Dr. Grant replied, “We can go talk to our security officer on duty right now, if you wish. He would be the one that can help you.”

  “Thank you, Doctor. That’s perfect. Please allow me just a moment.”

  The doctor nodded as the sheriff turned towards John and Peter. “Well, you heard what I’ll be doing. Peter, do you want to go with me?”

  “With all due respect, the body is the reason I’m here. Do you mind if I make arrangements to transport the victim to my lab while you take care of that?” Peter replied.

  Sheriff Johnson said, “Not at all.” Turning to John and Katy, he said, “Do you want to see the body now? Or, I could just keep you informed.”

  John replied, “I have plenty to do in the office. If you can update me later, that would be great.”

  “All right, I’ll call you when I have more information,” Sheriff Johnson replied.

  “Sounds good.” Looking at Katy, John asked her, “Ready to go?”

  “Of course,” Katy smiled. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that Dr. Balkan had taken a special interest in her. She grabbed John’s hand and held it tightly.

  John saw how Peter was watching his fiancé, and did his best to control his growing jealousy. “Dr. Balkan, I hope you can solve this case quickly. Have a nice night, everyone.” John thought, I really do hope you leave soon, Romeo. You’re flirting with the wrong woman. She’s mine.

  With that, everyone said their good-byes as John escorted Katy down the hallway towards the entrance.

  The sheriff looked at Dr. Grant and asked, “Can you show the body to Dr. Balkan first? Then you can take me to talk to the security officer.”

  “Of course,” the doctor said as he continued, “Right this way.”

  Sheriff Johnson and Peter followed Dr. Grant to the hospital morgue’s examination room. When they entered, the body of Timothy Fields was already arranged on the coroner’s table covered with a sheet.

  Peter lifted his forensics kit and placed it on a side table nearby. “I guess I can get started.” Turning to Dr. Grant, he asked him, “Can you have a copy of the entire autopsy report made for me while I’m here, please?”

  “I’ll take care of it for you.” Pushing the speaker button, he called his assistant’s extension. “Barb, can you make three copies of all the Timothy Fields’ forensic reports for these gentlemen, and then assist Dr. Balkan for a few minutes while I help the sheriff?”

  Barb’s voice sounded over the speaker, “Right away, Doctor.”

  “Thank you, Barb,” he said and then hung up. Turning to Peter, he said, “All taken care of, Dr. Balkan.”

  Peter replied, “Thank you, Dr. Grant. I can start looking over the body on my own, if you need to assist the sheriff with those security videos.”

  “All right, it won’t take very long. Please don’t make any incisions though. Just ask Barb if you need anything.”

  “That’ll be fine.”

  Dr. Grant looked at the sheriff and asked, “Ready to go talk to the security officer?”

  “Absolutely. Lead the way,” the sheriff replied.

  CHAPTER 22

  Left alone in the hospital morgue, Dr. Peter Balkan walked over and pulled back the light blue sheet covering the body of Timothy Fields. Nearby, a few bodies draped in sheets and lying on gurneys waited to be autopsied. Others were in black body bags with tags awaiting to be taken elsewhere.

  Only a moment later, Barb entered the lab dressed in green scrubs and carrying a folder. “Dr. Grant asked me to assist you until he returns.”

  Noticing the wedding ring on Barb’s left hand, Peter decided not to attempt any small talk. “I appreciate the help. I’m not doing a thorough examination here, but I will need to have the body transported to my lab.” Putting on a pair of latex gloves, Peter added, “Dr. Grant mentioned that I was going to get a copy of the Timothy Fields’ autopsy report?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ve got it right here,” Barb smiled as she handed him the manila folder.

  Peter began to review the autopsy report. “Did you work with Dr. Grant on this autopsy?”

  “Yes, we examined it and his conclusion was that the victim was strangled with a rope or some similar object. We did find a large gash on his forehead, some other defensive wounds, and rope filaments on his skin.” Pointing to some large bruises on the neck, she added, “This is where we found them, so we obviously determined that he was strangled with a rope. Apparently, they haven’t found the actual rope used in the murder yet.”

  “That’s what I heard. So, he was in the water for at least ten to twelve hours?”

  Barb replied, “Yes, Doctor. We had to take the extremely cold temperatures into consideration, so there is a couple of hours’ error margin. Most of the damage to the body after it was disposed of was due to animals ravaging it.”

  “I don’t see anything in the report about anything under the fingernails. Do you remember if he found anything from the victim scratching the unknown subject?” Peter asked, scanning several pages as he as he looked through the report.

  “Unfortunately, we didn’t find any conclusive evidence under the fingernails. There was mostly dirt there.”

  “Thank you. I’m now working on this case in cooperation with the sheriff’s department; so after I transport his body to my lab, I will run more tests and do our own examination.”

  “We’ll get all of our paperwork and transfer orders taken care of by the end of the day. We should be able to have the body delivered to your lab shortly after. I’ll need the address to sen
d it to, along with your information and identification, so I can fill out my paperwork.”

  Peter reached in his pocket and pulled out a business card. Handing it to her, he said, “The lab address is listed here with my contact information. If you need anything else, just let me know.”

  Taking the card, Barb replied, “Thank you, Dr. Balkan. I will also need to make a copy of your driver’s license. If you are all set until Dr. Grant gets back, I’ll go ahead and get this started for you.”

  “That would be wonderful. Thank you very much for your help,” he said, pulling out his driver’s license and handing it to her. “I’ll have plenty to do while I wait. Don’t worry about me.”

  Barb smiled at him and said, “Thank you. I’ll make a copy of this and get it right back to you. If you need anything, just push extension 152. I’ll be at my desk.”

  “All right, ma’am. I’ll call if I need anything.”

  As Barb left through the door, Peter picked up his cell phone and dialed his lab. “Coke? It’s Peter. I’ve got an update for you.”

  On the other end of the line, Coke Bottle Ray greeted him. “Hey, Doc! So what’s the news?”

  “I’m at the Wattsville Hospital morgue right now getting the transfer order through. Just waiting on paperwork at this point. They said they can deliver the body late today. I wanted to give you a heads up so you’ll be ready.”

  “That’s great! I was hoping that’s what you were calling about.”

  Peter chuckled and said, “Starting tomorrow, we’re going to be really busy.”

  “Okay, Boss. I’ll be ready for everything and let you know when it gets here.”

  “Sounds good, Coke. I need to get some more stuff done here. I’ll talk to you in a bit.”

  Coke replied, “Okay. Talk to you then.”

  Peter hung up his phone and put it in his pocket. Opening a small case, he picked up the camera and took off the lens cap. Lifting it up to his eyes, he began taking pictures of the body while waiting for Dr. Grant to return.

  * * * *

  Sheriff Johnson followed Dr. Grant down the hallway to the hospital security officer’s surveillance room. Dr. Grant knocked on the door. Immediately, it opened and an older man with peppered hair stood in front of them. The man’s security uniform had a small nameplate on it that said Jim Thompson.

  “Hello, Dr. Grant and Sheriff Johnson. You rarely need to speak with me, so there must be something up. How can I help you, gentlemen?”

  Dr. Grant returned the greeting. “Hello, Jim. Well, it seems some personal effects that were with a body are missing. These are important evidence for a murder case, so we need to give the surveillance videos for the past twenty-four hours to Sheriff Johnson. If you want to save the files to a flash drive or something, that’s fine, but he needs to have the original timestamp on them so we know there wasn’t any tampering.”

  Jim furrowed his brow. “Do you have a warrant?”

  “Listen, we just found out the items are missing, and the longer we wait, the more chance there might be that the evidence could be altered or disappear for good. I’m trying to solve a young man’s death. He wasn’t even out of high school yet. Can’t you please help me?”

  Taking a deep breath, Jim studied both of their faces for a moment. Half-joking, he said, “I’ll need you both to sign the appropriate paperwork. I don’t want my boss to get on my case for not doing my job.”

  Sheriff Johnson said, “We’ll do whatever we need to. I must have copies of those videos as soon as possible, though. I can wait while you get the paperwork filled out. Just tell me where to sign.”

  “Very well. It may take a few minutes. You can wait in those chairs if you wish or I can call you when they’re ready if you have other things to do.”

  Dr. Grant said, “I need to get back to the morgue and talk to Dr. Balkan. Why don’t you just call my extension when they’re ready, Jim?”

  “That’ll be fine. I’ll call you as soon as I’m done,” Jim promised.

  The doctor turned to Sheriff Johnson and asked, “Does that suit you? We can discuss the autopsy more while we wait.”

  The sheriff replied, “That will work.”

  “Thank you, Jim,” Dr. Grant said.

  Jim smiled at him and said, “My pleasure, Doc.”

  Dr. Grant and Sheriff Johnson headed back to the hospital morgue, anxious to find out what had happened to the missing items.

  * * * *

  When Dr. Grant and Sheriff Johnson returned to the morgue, Barb greeted them warmly. “I have the transfer paperwork filled out and ready for your signatures. I’ve already had Dr. Balkan sign it.” She held up a clipboard with all of the necessary paperwork attached.

  “Seems that is becoming a habit around here,” the sheriff chuckled.

  Barb handed the clipboard over to Dr. Grant for his signature. The doctor scribbled his name on the line and then passed it over to the sheriff. Sheriff Johnson signed his name and then passed it back to Barb.

  “I think that will do it,” the sheriff said.

  Barb smiled and said, “I’ll get some copies made for everyone and bring them in when I’m done.” She walked to the copy area as the men headed in the examination room.

  Upon seeing Peter in the lab, Dr. Grant asked him, “Find everything you need so far?”

  “Doing great, Doctor. Your assistant got the autopsy report for me and said that the transport order just needed your signature.”

  “Already signed it. She’s making the copies now,” Dr. Grant replied. Picking up the folder, Peter said, “I read your report, Dr. Grant. Seems pretty cut and dry, but I still always like to run my own tests and examination.”

  “I understand. Will someone be at your lab later today?”

  “Yes, I need to get back to my lab when I’m done here. I also have one of the best forensic specialists in the state at my office ... Ray Hugh. He’ll be there, even if I’m not.”

  “Oh yes, Coke Bottle Ray,” Sheriff Johnson interjected. “I’ve heard of him.”

  “Yes, that’s the one!” Peter chuckled as he started putting away his camera and other items.

  Dr. Grant pulled the sheet back over the body. “I’ll have him transported immediately.”

  “Thank you, Dr. Grant. I appreciate all of your cooperation. It was a pleasure meeting you.”

  Dr. Grant said, “I am so disturbed by this murder. I can’t imagine who could’ve done this.”

  “A monster,” replied Sheriff Johnson. “By the way, Dr. Grant, I will need to put you on our witness list when we get to the trial phase. We need to figure out who did this first, of course.”

  “Of course, Sheriff. I’ll help any way I can,” Dr. Grant said.

  “Thank you, Doctor. We’ll be in touch,” Peter said as he finished putting up his things. He removed his gloves and disposed of them in the biohazard container. Then, picking up his case, he added, “Sheriff, I think I’m done here when you are.”

  “I’ll check and see when those videos will be ready. Once I have those, we can head out. I’m going to get Williams reviewing the footage as soon as I get back. Hopefully, we’ll see who took the evidence,” the sheriff replied.

  Just then, Barb entered the lab, holding the transport order copies. Handing them to Dr. Grant, Dr. Balkan and Sheriff Johnson, she said, “The security officer, Jim Thompson, just called and said the surveillance videos are copied, and the flashdrive is ready for you to pick up.”

  “Perfect timing!” the sheriff exclaimed. “It’s nice that something is going right today.”

  Dr. Grant asked the sheriff, “Do you need me to lead you back, or do you remember the way?”

  “I think we can manage. I won’t take any more of your time, Doctor.” Sheriff Johnson smiled.

  “Okay. Let me know if either of you need anything else. Good luck,” Dr. Grant said.

  Peter shook Dr. Grant’s hand and said, “Thank you, Doctor.” Glancing at the sheriff, Peter continued, “I’ll follow you ou
t, Sheriff. We can form our battleplan.”

  “Have a good day,” Sheriff Johnson said as he shook Dr. Grant’s hand. He waved as he headed out the door. Peter followed him down the hallway to pick up the evidence.

  CHAPTER 23

  Herbert and Margie Fields sat in Interrogation Room 1, which contained a table and four chairs. On the table, a stack of paper cups were set beside a small pitcher filled with water. The grieving couple remained quiet, as the older man held his wife’s hand and squeezed it gently.

  Without a warning, Sheriff Johnson walked in with a manila folder, a pen and a legal pad. He tossed the items on the table and sat down. Deputy Shamberg strutted into the room after the sheriff, and then stood near the door.

  Sheriff Johnson greeted the couple without any obvious emotion. “Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Fields. I appreciate you coming in to answer some questions. Can I get you some coffee?”

  The couple replied, “No, thank you.”

  “What is this about, Sheriff?” Herbert asked.

  Sheriff Johnson took a deep sigh, “I need you ask you some questions, Herbert. Margie, I think it is best for you to go wait in the other interrogation room.” Turning to Deputy Shamberg, he continued, “Will you take Mrs. Fields in Interrogation Room 2 and question her?”

  Margie picked up her purse by the handles and quietly stood up before following Deputy Shamberg out of the room. The door closed slowly behind them as their footsteps faded down the hallway, followed by a door closing in the distance.

  Herbert looked directly at the sheriff. “Okay. What is it?”

  The sheriff stared Herbert in the eyes and said, “Herbert, I am trying to solve your son’s murder, so anyone involved is a suspect until we determine otherwise. I need you to answers some questions before I can rule you out.”

  Herbert’s face grew taut as he replied, “I get it. But, you know me, Sheriff. We’ve been friends for years.”

  “I know, Herbert. I don’t want to believe it was you, but if so, I will have to arrest you. If not, then please answer any questions I ask. To start with, tell me about your finances.”