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

by Karen Vance Hammond

  The unlit room suddenly brightened when the door opened. As the sheriff and Williams had seen previously, a person stood in the doorway, apparently wearing a habit. The person’s identity was obscured by their own shadow and the darkness of the room. Only the nun’s silhouette was visible as she walked over to the lockers.

  Taking out a crowbar from the billowy sleeve, the nun pried the locker door open. Taking out a large bag from under her robes, she shoved everything into it and hid the bag under her robes again. Immediately, she stood up and headed out the door and down the hallway.

  Judge Taylor sat dumbfounded and staring at the screen. “Wow! I would have never imagined seeing that! Of course, we can’t tell whom she might be. Do you have anything else to help narrow it down?”

  John replied, “Your Honor, Mother Superior Mary Ellen admitted that she was probably one of the last people to see Timothy Fields alive, and they were at the monastery. In addition, the victim’s missing shoe was found behind the monastery building on the backside that faces the pond. Some snow-covered tracks leading from the building towards the pond were found the day that the body was discovered. Unfortunately, the storm covered up any shoe imprints that may have been left.”

  The judge sat back in his chair and paused for a moment. “I take it that you need to look in the monastery to try to find the missing evidence?”

  “Exactly, sir. We want to try to get to it before it may be destroyed. We hope to find the evidence so we can determine which nun may be responsible. The only way we know of is to search the monastery, since all of the nuns live there.”

  “All right, Mr. District Attorney. I will sign the search warrant. However, if you want to link it to one specific person, you will need to have evidence that directly links to such. I hope that this doesn’t come back to bite us in the rear. It’s not often you have to search a monastery for a murder investigation. Please relate the importance of discretion to the sheriff and the team. We don’t want a public fiasco all over the news.”

  John nodded and said, “I know, Your Honor. I hate having to do this, but it is necessary to hopefully find Timothy Fields’ killer.”

  Judge Taylor nodded, as he signed the search warrant. “Here you go, Counselor. That’s all you needed for now, right?” He asked while handing the paperwork and flash drive back to John. “Let Audrey make a copy of that search warrant before you leave, please.”

  John put everything in his briefcase, except for the warrant. He smiled and replied, “Yes, sir, for now. I hope this leads to an arrest soon. It would be nice to put this case behind us all as soon as possible.”

  The judge looked up and held out his hand. Immediately, John stood up and shook the judge’s hand, making direct eye contact.

  “Thank you, Your Honor.”

  As Deputy Shamberg rose from his seat, the judge looked at him and smiled. “Keep up the good work, Deputy.”

  Shamberg replied, “Thank you, Your Honor. Have a good day.”

  “You do the same.”

  John and Deputy Shamberg headed directly out the door, and down the hallway. As they reached the receptionist’s desk, they both nodded politely.

  “Thank you, Miss Audrey. The judge wanted to make a copy of this warrant for your files,” John said, handing the warrant to Audey.

  Audrey took the document and made a copy before handing it back to John. “Have a wonderful day.”

  “Thank you, and you have a great one too.” John smiled warmly as he opened the office suite door to leave and get the monastery search underway.

  John glanced at Shamberg and smiled. “Another big ‘to do’ item checked off the list, Deputy. Hopefully, it will pan out.”

  Shamberg smiled back and replied, “I hope so too, sir. Do you want to ride in the cruiser? Or, are you going to drive?”

  Pausing to think for a moment, John replied, “I think I’m going to pick up Katy and bring her out there with me. It would be a good opportunity for her. We don’t serve many search warrants around here.” He chuckled and waved. “I’ll meet you there.”

  “Good-bye, Counselor,” Deputy Shamberg replied and waved. “I’ve got a couple of things to do before I head out. I won’t be long.”

  John smiled and waved back as he headed out the door and then directly to his car. Picking up his cell phone, he dialed a familiar number. “Hello, sweetheart. Would you like to come with me as the sheriff serves a search warrant at the monastery? It would be a great experience for you.”

  On the other end of the line, Katy gasped. “Really? At the monastery?”

  “Yes, I can talk to you more about it on the way. It’s incredible. When can you meet me at the office?”

  “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. You know that I wouldn’t miss this.”

  John chuckled and replied, “Great! I’ll see you at the office then. Love you. Be careful.”

  “I will, John,” Katy said as she hung up the phone.

  CHAPTER 26

  Deputy Shamberg parked his cruiser at the edge of the monastery driveway. He started toward the pond carrying the search warrant in his pocket. As he got closer, he noticed Dr. Peter Balkan talking to his radio, giving instructions to other team members as they searched the area outside the back of the monastery for more evidence. Deputy Williams reached the sheriff as they stood and watched the divers don their thick nylon dive suits.

  “Here you go, Sheriff. I have the search warrant. John and Katy should be here shortly.” Shamberg handed the legal paper to Sheriff Johnson.

  The sheriff smiled and replied, “Awesome! I’ve been anxiously waiting for this.” He said, holding up the document. “Thank you for taking care of that, Deputy. Now, we may find some more clues inside the building, in addition to the pond.”

  “You’re welcome, sir. Besides, Mr. Fields was my junior hockey coach. His son was only a baby when Mrs. Fields would come to watch the games. I hate that this has happened to their family.”

  On a small bench nearby, one of the divers zipped his suit to his neck. “Man, I’ve been waiting for a while to get in this suit; not too many calls for pond dives during the winter.” He laughed. “I hope we find something more than just a bunch of fish swimming around.”

  The other diver covered each of his feet with flippers. “I’ve been chomping at the bit too. I’m curious as to what’s down there.”

  Nearby, a rescue diver support truck idled quietly near the pond, waiting patiently for the underwater search to begin. As the divers finished putting on their gear, they hooked up the hot water hoses to their suits. The support truck was equipped with a large pump and water heater to prevent hypothermia, since the divers might need to be submerged in the extremely cold water for extended durations.

  The sun had been hidden behind some fluffy, gray clouds. Snow began to fall in light flurries. Looking up towards the sky, Sheriff Johnson noticed the window. Without warning, a face appeared.

  A woman with long blonde hair stared directly at him as he watched. Although she was too far away for him to see her expression clearly, her sadly haunting eyes reflected myriad thoughts and feelings without speaking a word. As she backed away from the window, she vanished into the shadows.

  Sheriff Johnson studied the window for a few minutes, but the woman did not reappear. Searching his memories, he thought, Who is she? Wait a minute; I think I know. As he tried to recall a name, her ghostly image floated across his mind.

  * * * *

  A light jazz song faded away on the radio speaker as a silky female voice announced, “More snow is falling as another front is coming through. Light snow flurries should continue to fall throughout the day. Accumulations of 1-2 inches are expected by evening. Now, here’s Blake Davis with the news.”

  Blake Davis’ voice blared out of the speakers. “In Wattsville, Maine, the body of Timothy Fields has undergone an autopsy. The coroner reported that the cause of death was strangulation; however further examinations are being conducted by one of the state’s chief medical
examiners, Dr. Peter Balkan. While Dr. Balkan has been unavailable for comment; however other sources say that a full murder investigation is underway at St. Francis Monastery and Catholic School. The body was discovered on the monastery campus three days ago in the pond.’’

  He continued, “The sheriff has yet to issue an official statement concerning the cause of death. Representatives from the school have refused to comment at this time. Timothy Fields’ parents have also been unavailable for comment. Stay tuned for up-to-the-minute news flashes as this story unfolds.”

  “I thought it was supposed to be sunny today,” John commented.

  Katy chuckled, “You know how our weather is. You can’t count on any forecast around here.”

  The windshield wipers screeched across the glass as John turned into the monastery drive. Katy smiled as they parked near the monastery’s entrance. She fastened her coat and grabbed her purse.

  “Can I go to the lady’s room before we get started, sweetheart? I’m sorry. I forgot to go before we left.”

  John chuckled. “Unless you want to write your name in the snow?”

  Katy leaned over and gently slapped him on the shoulder and exclaimed, “That’s gross!”

  John laughed and held up his arm to shield his face. “Careful now.”

  Sitting back in her seat, she put her gloves on and buttoned her coat. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  “Let’s get you taken care of, Puddles.” John laughed as he opened the door and got out. Leaning down, he picked up a duffel bag from the backseat of the car. Walking around the car, he opened Katy’s door and helped her stand up.

  Glancing at the duffel bag, Katy asked, “What’s the bag for?”

  John smiled and said, “I like to bring a change of clothes when there’s a lot of snow on the ground during a search. There’s nothing worse than being frozen and wet when you have to work. I brought you some sweat pants just in case you need to change too.”

  He laughed and continued, “I found out the hard way when I slipped and fell in a huge pile of snow during a search for that missing girl several years ago. It took me two hours to warm back up after I got home, and I was sick as a dog for a week. I vowed that I’d always be prepared from then on.”

  The wind blew Katy’s hair over her face as her teeth chattered. Tightening her scarf around her neck, stared directly at John and danced a few steps in place. “The ladies’ room?”

  John laughed loudly. “Okay, baby. Let’s get you taken care of.” He grasped the large iron doorknocker and rapped it three times as they waited for someone to answer.

  As John stood at the front entrance, he glanced up at the monastery walls. Raising his attention toward the steeple, a face appeared in the window on the second floor. John couldn’t make out the features, but the eyes pierced through him like a sharp knife. That looks like... No way! She’s been dead for years. He shivered as the wind blew forcefully around him. Rubbing his coat sleeves, he tried to shake off the cold.

  Katy turned and saw John staring upward. “What is it, John?” As she glanced at the window, she asked, “Who is that woman? She looks familiar.”

  In an instant, the figure vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

  Unable to move, the couple remained in a trance as they studied the window in silence for several seconds.

  Grasping John’s hand firmly, Katy leaned in and whispered, “Did you see that?”

  Still in denial of what he had seen, John furrowed his brow as he continued to stare upward. “I don’t know what we saw. Maybe it was a reflection of some kind?”

  Katy shrugged her shoulders and rapped the door knocker herself. “I need to go to the restroom ... and now!”

  At that moment, the creaking startled the couple back into reality as the heavy wooden door opened. In the doorway, a petite nun in a dark blue habit smiled and asked, “How may I help you?”

  * * * *

  John and Katy walked down from the monastery after her quick break. Looking down towards the pond, they saw one of the divers surface the water. Nearby, Sheriff Johnson cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled, “Find anything yet?”

  The diver removed his regulator. “Right now, nothing; but give us some time. Okay?”

  A second diver surfaced on the water and yelled, “Sheriff, I found something!”

  The sheriff felt his heart pound in his chest as everyone watched in anticipation.

  John walked over towards him, followed by Katy. “Morning, Sheriff. Did he say he may have found something?”

  Sheriff Johnson nodded and replied, “Good morning, Counselor. Yes, he did.”

  “Guess we made perfect timing.”

  Katy rolled her eyes as John chuckled, “You’re just glad you may not need your spare clothes.”

  “No kidding!” he replied.

  The diver yelled, “Sheriff, there is a spade in the trunk of my car. It’s unlocked. Can someone get it for me, please?”

  “Sure!” Sheriff Johnson exclaimed. Turning towards Deputy Shamberg, he asked, “Can you go and get that spade for him, Deputy?”

  “Right away, sir,” the deputy ran in the snow to the car and popped opened up the trunk. Inside, a large box of diving accessories was filled to the top. Beside it were a couple of shovels and a spade. Shamberg grabbed it, closed the lid, and ran back toward the pond, where the diver had waded to the edge of the water.

  Deputy Shamberg leaned over and handed the spade to the diver. “Here you go. What do you think it is?”

  “I don’t know yet, sir. I’ll let you know as soon as I do,” the diver said and then waded back out in the pond inserted a regulator in his mouth. Disappearing beneath the surface of the dark, chilly water, both divers swam back down to the bottom.

  The sheriff stared at his reflection as it rippled across the water surface. As he waited, his heart pounded faster with each passing second.

  “So, any news to share?” John asked Peter.

  Peter approached him and replied, “Well, I have a little news. Coke is working on re-examining Timothy Fields’ body right now. He did confirm that the victim’s cause of death was strangulation. Coke also verified that the sample taken from the statue was deer blood; and that some small bits of evidence on the severed deer head were inconclusive.”

  Peter removed his sunglasses and waited anxiously for the diver to crest the water. “C’mon ... C’mon and find something,” he mumbled under his breath.

  Near the center of the pond, large bubbles erupted from below. Under the water, one diver swam over to his partner. Poking him in the shoulder, he pointed to the muddy bottom and they swam down together.

  The first diver pulled out an entangled rope from several large branches on the pond floor. Holding it away from his hot water hose, he swam to the top. A moment later, the other diver surfaced, holding the rock with the end of the rope wrapped around it. He waved the rope back and forth a little so that everyone on the shore could see his discovery.

  “Look at that, guys!” Sheriff Johnson exclaimed. He cupped his hands to his mouth and yelled, “What did you find?”

  Images of Timmy’s lifeless body flashed through Peter’s thoughts. From the recesses of his mind, the vacant face stared upward from the steel table. The purple and yellow bruises around Timmy’s neck indicated where the rope had choked the life out of him.

  Peter shuddered as he imagined how Timmy’s last moments would have agonizingly ticked away. The rope constricting Timmy’s airway as he tried to gasp for another breath. Timmy thrashing wildly with his arms and legs, fighting unsuccessfully for survival. Struggling in vain to free himself; then finally losing consciousness as his soul drifted away into oblivion.

  The diver waded to the water’s edge and crawled onto the snow-covered ground. As he lifted the rock, the rope dangled from it. Handing it to Peter, he said, “I found this rope tied around a heavy rock. The killer used it to weigh the body down after he tied it around the victim’s neck.”

  Peter almost lost hi
s footing. “It’s heavy!” Pointing to his evidence kit on a bench, he asked, “Deputy Shamberg, can you please open my kit and get a large evidence bag out?”

  Shamberg complied, holding the bag open under the rock. Peter carefully placed the rock and rope inside, then sealed and tagged it.

  Before they were done, the divers disappeared again beneath the murky water. It seemed like an eternity to the investigation team as they waited for them to reappear again. The divers returned to a small pile of debris they had noticed on the pond floor.

  The first diver began pulling on a strap protruding from the ground below. The other diver swam by him and shoved the spade in the muddy bottom to loosen the mud. The murky water made it impossible to see what they were pulling on. The first diver gave a thumbs-up sign to his partner, and they pulled the object out of the muck together.

  * * * *

  Completely intrigued with the dive search, John and Katy stood off to the side in order to stay out of the way. As Katy studied the scene intently, Peter couldn’t help but steal glances at her.

  Damn, she’s sooo hot. If she weren’t taken, I would ask her out in a heartbeat. I wonder how strong their relationship REALLY is, Peter thought to himself.

  The cold wind blew Katy’s hair around her head. Looking up, she brushed away a few strands and noticed Peter’s intense stare. Why is he looking at me like that? He knows I’m with John, she wondered.

  Peter raised his eyebrows and took in a deep breath. He looked away and scanned the surroundings as he said, “Eerie place; don’t you think?”

  Wide-eyed, Katy looked at the ominous gray stone building, “I wouldn’t want to live here … but, I can’t speak for those who do. I mean, these nuns are so dedicated, but this kind of life is not for me. I like to play too much.”

  “Me too,” Peter replied, smiling as he thought, I bet you do.

  In the center of the pond, large air bubbles erupted on the surface. One of the divers held up a muddy red backpack. Water drained from the backpack as he swam towards the edge. Removing his regulator, he shouted, “Sir, we found a backpack! There is nothing else down there worth bringing up from what we can tell!” As the diver handed the backpack over to Peter, a laminated name tag swung from the strap.