by C. M. Sutter
Frank shrugged. “I think I’d like to take a stab at him myself.”
“Go pick him up. He’s officially on my radar, and I want answers now. I don’t need anyone messing up this investigation, especially the main person of interest.”
Frank and I left in our second cruiser of the day and headed to Amelie Fashions’ headquarters. Their offices were on the nineteenth floor of a high-rise building, south of the river, on Michigan Avenue. Frank parked in the nearest structure, and we hoofed it a few blocks to the address. At the bank of elevators, Frank pressed number nineteen, and we rode the lift up until the bell dinged and the doors parted. The entire nineteenth floor belonged to Amelie Fashions, and behind its reception desk sat two beautiful and meticulously dressed women. A large copper sign with the company name filled the wall behind the counter.
A blonde with an expensive-looking smile greeted us. “Hello, gentlemen, may I help you?”
Frank flashed his badge. “We’re Detectives Mills and McCord from the Second District. We need to speak with Hal Morton.”
“I’d be happy to page him, but Mr. Morton left for lunch several minutes ago.” She looked at the clock over her right shoulder, and I followed with my own eyes—11:13. “He’s usually back by noon. Is there something I can help you with?”
I shook my head. “No, thanks. We’ll wait.”
Frank and I sat at a grouping of mid-century modern chairs. The table in front of us was loaded with fashion magazines—nothing I cared to read, and I was sure Frank was even less interested. I checked my emails while Frank played solitaire on his phone.
Time ticked by, and as noon arrived, all my emails had been read, and Frank said he’d won only two games of solitaire out of fifteen. I heard the ding to my left, and the elevator doors parted. Hal Morton, escorted by a young lady who fit the description of the woman in New York, stepped out, both of them clearly oblivious to our presence since they were focused entirely on each other. The blonde behind the counter cleared her throat and nodded in our direction. Hal turned his head just as Frank and I stood up.
We approached him and his lady friend. “Mr. Morton, we’re going to need a word with you at our district station.”
“This is harassment. I’ve already given statements to the police in New York and at your precinct last night!”
I ignored his outburst and looked at the woman, who couldn’t have been more than twenty-one. “Your name is?”
“Maria Vasquez, and I work here. Hal and I had lunch together. That’s all.”
I smiled. “Are you feeling guilty about something? All I asked for was your name.”
Hal nudged her. “Don’t say another word.”
Frank took over. “Since we’re the detectives in charge of the investigation, we’d like to speak to you ourselves. You can come with us voluntarily, or we can cuff you and escort you out in front of your coworker here. It’s your choice.”
Hal huffed, said he would be back in a few hours, and walked out with us, but when, and if, he’d be back wasn’t his decision. His alibi of being in New York had panned out, but he still had the ability to hire professionals to kill Tina and send a warning for us to back off.
I nodded at Frank. “I’ll be right behind you. I have to make a call.”
Mills led Hal out of the elevator, through the lobby, and down the street to our cruiser, while I followed twenty feet back. I dialed Lutz, and when he answered, I asked how the warrants for Hal’s bank records were coming along. “We need ammunition for the interview, Bob.”
“We should have all the warrants by the time Hal is sitting in the interrogation box. Head back, and if Mr. Morton has to sit and wait, then so be it.”
Chapter 12
John and Curt had reached Houston by one o’clock. Staying on the back roads guaranteed they went unnoticed, and with the Pacifica left behind in Nacogdoches, Texas, and driving a silver Toyota Camry now, they would be good for the foreseeable future.
Curt’s phone rang, and John picked up. Cruz was reporting in again.
“Afternoon, Mr. Vance.”
“Cruz. What’s the latest?”
“Our boys slashed McCord’s tires this morning while he was interviewing a neighbor at the crime scene he’s working.”
“That’s a bold move in broad daylight, but it definitely sends a message. I’m sure he’s wondering if it’s me that’s coming after him or if it’s related to the crime he’s working on. Keep him off balance for a while. He’ll soon lose his edge from worry, and that’s when we’ll swoop in.”
“Yes, sir, and Conway has the perfect plan for the detective’s dog. The helpers will be in charge of that one.”
John laughed. “Good. I’ll look over our new travel documents when we get to Brownsville tonight. If they pass my scrutiny, I’m sure they’ll get us through the border without a problem. If they do, then Curt and I will be able to move from country to country unnoticed, and when the time is right, McCord won’t see me coming.” John hung up and reclined the seat. “Turn off at the next wayside. I’ll take over the driving duties since we still have five hours to go.”
“You got it. We’re coming in on the final stretch, and no matter how intense the manhunt for us is, the cops will lose this round.”
Chapter 13
The hands of the wall clock had passed the one o’clock mark by the time Mills and I checked Hal Morton in, stowed his phone, keys, and wallet, and escorted him into interrogation box one. After placing a bottle of water on the table in front of him, we walked out.
Hal yelled as we left the room. “Hey, what’s going on? How long do I have to sit here?”
I looked back and shrugged before closing the door behind us. “We’ll be back soon.”
Mills and I entered the bull pen, where Henry was reading documents on his computer.
“Are those Hal’s bank records?”
“Yep.”
“So all the warrants came in?”
“They did, and it looks like Hal already closed out Tina’s bank account and transferred what she had to his own, although—”
“Although what?” Frank leaned over Henry’s shoulder and stared at the bank statement. “I don’t see any large withdrawals.”
“That’s correct, but Hal thinks he’s pulling one over on us.”
“How so?” I asked.
Henry opened the tab that showed Tina’s bank statement from yesterday prior to Hal withdrawing everything and closing the account. “See here.” He pointed at the month’s ending balance. “Now, see how much Hal deposited into his own account? That’s fifteen grand less than the final balance in Tina’s account.”
Frank fist-pumped the air. “He held some back in cash so it wouldn’t show as a withdrawal coming from his account.”
“Bingo. Hal did something with fifteen grand that needs to be addressed.”
“Great work, Henry. How about life insurance policies and her will?” I asked.
“Right here.” Henry clicked on another tab at the top of the screen. “Tina had a policy worth two hundred thousand bucks, which was overkill, excuse the pun. It wasn’t like she was the primary breadwinner. The beneficiary was Hal, of course, and he’s the named beneficiary on her will too.”
“And he had her killed before she had the chance to divorce him, remove his name from those documents, and leave all her assets to the kids.”
“That’s how it looks.” Henry stood and went to the printer. “I made copies of everything for you guys.”
I slipped the paperwork into a folder. “Thanks, Henry. Come on, Frank. Let’s go have a chat with Hal Morton.”
We left the homicide department and returned to the jail area, where six cells and three interrogation boxes were located. We watched from the observation room as Hal pounded his fist on the table and cursed. It didn’t look as though he appreciated being in that room for the second time in less than twenty-four hours.
“What do you think?” I grinned at Frank. “Let him stew or just
rip off the Band-Aid?”
“Let’s rip it off. Those kids need a permanent guardian, and there’s a good chance it isn’t going to be their father. Tina’s family will likely raise those boys when it’s all said and done.”
We entered the box again and took seats in the chairs facing Hal.
“It’s about time. What the hell do you need to ask me now? I have to get on with my life, bury Tina, and raise my kids.”
“Seems you emptied Tina’s bank account rather quickly. What was the hurry, Hal?”
He stammered before answering, and his face went red. “Why is that any of your business?”
I made a face at Frank then shook my head. “Because we’re the cops, and your wife was murdered. From the moment she took her last breath, everything is our business, so answer the question.”
“Why leave the money in there? I was a co-signer and can pull it if I want to. There’s a funeral I have to pay for and a nanny to hire whenever I’m out of town.”
“Doubt if that’s going to happen anytime soon,” Frank said.
I rubbed my chin as I thought. “So in essence, Tina is paying for her own funeral. That’s messed up, man. Oh yeah, where did the fifteen grand go?”
“Fifteen grand?” Beads of sweat popped up on Hal’s forehead.
“Did I stutter?” I loosened my tie. “Is it hot in here, Frank?”
“Nope, I’m good, but Hal looks like he’s heating up.”
“Humph. That’s odd.” I locked eyes with Hal and waited. He finally looked away.
“I told you, I need to pay for Tina’s funeral,” he said.
“In cash? Nobody does that, and we both know it. Was there somebody that needed to be paid off? Maybe the person that murdered Tina and was trying to send us a message by slashing our tires?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Sure thing. Here’s how we see it, pal. Tina was going to divorce you because you have a wandering eye and probably other body parts too. By the way, we intend to have a talk with Miss Vasquez later. Anyway, back to my theory. Tina was going to divorce you, and that means your spendable income is going to dwindle significantly. Those hefty maintenance and child support payments, the house being sold or given to her, and having to divvy up all the assets would really put a damper on your lifestyle. It would probably be tough to afford that nanny when you want to go out of town on those”—I coughed into my hand—“business trips to other cities if it was your weekend with the kids.”
“My employer pays for travel expenses.”
“But not child care. Did you intend to leave your kids alone, or were you going to give up joint custody?”
Hal sat silently.
Frank piped in. “But with Tina dead, you’d have her two-hundred-thousand-dollar life insurance policy, all her assets, and everything that was in her bank account. You would be much better off. More money and no payout for child support and maintenance. Sounds like a win for you.”
“I want a lawyer. I’m not saying another word.”
I pushed back my chair and stood. “Good enough. Hope you enjoy your new quarters.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“You’re our main suspect, and you’ll sit here while the investigation continues. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we need to have a word with Miss Vasquez.”
“But I didn’t do it. I was in New York!”
“And fifteen grand easily covers the going rate of murder for hire.” I leaned over the table before leaving. “And we’ll prove that you’re responsible for Tina’s death. We’re cops, and that’s our job.”
Chapter 14
We made a pit stop at Lutz’s office before heading back to Amelie Fashions. Our boss needed to be updated.
“What’s the word?” Bob asked when we walked in.
I set the folder on his desk. “Hal’s as guilty as hell. He closed out Tina’s bank account and put all her money in his own except for fifteen grand that was held back in cash.”
“What was his reason for keeping that money out?”
Frank huffed. “That bastard said he needed it to pay for Tina’s funeral.”
“How much was in his own bank account?”
“Between savings and checking, he had just over thirty grand,” I said.
“That’s plenty of money, and nobody pays for a funeral in cash.”
I nodded. “Which we brought up.”
“Okay, what’s next on your agenda?” Bob glanced at the clock. “You boys take a lunch break yet?”
“Nah, we’ll grab something from a drive-through,” Frank said. “We’re heading back to Amelie Fashions to have a word with Hal’s coworker, Maria Vasquez. They seemed chummy earlier, and we’re pretty sure she’s the dark-haired woman on the hotel video in New York. We’ll press her and see what comes of it.”
Lutz agreed. “Tina’s mom, dad, and sister should be here soon. Right now, they’re downstairs making the ID and discussing the autopsy with Don. There’s no reason her body can’t be released to them after that. I’ll interview the family myself and get their take on Tina and Hal’s relationship.”
I patted the doorframe before walking out. “Sounds good, and we’ll keep you updated.”
We made a quick stop at a burger joint and ate as we headed north. Amelie Fashions was only twenty minutes from our district’s station.
“Think we’ll crack her?” Frank bit off a mouthful of cheeseburger and stuffed it in his cheek.
I looked out my window. “Is the sky blue?”
Frank glanced up. “It is today. Must be a sign.”
“She’ll crack. She’s too young to know any better. Hmm…”
“What?”
“Maybe she orchestrated the hit. A young woman infatuated with a married man that won’t get divorced. He’s happy to fool around but won’t commit to her because of the financial loss he’d have. Hal may have put the idea in her head but literally wanted to keep his hands clean. She does have a Spanish name, you know.”
Frank laughed. “So, that automatically means she’s related to the Mexican mob?”
“Possibly. At least we can start with that.”
Frank parked our cruiser in the same structure as before, and we returned to the nineteenth floor unannounced. The receptionists looked surprised to see us exit the elevator again.
“Gentlemen, did you leave something behind?”
I responded as we walked to the counter. “You could say that. We need a word with Maria Vasquez.”
“She’s in a meeting at the moment.”
Frank took over. “Sure, which way is that conference room?”
“Sir?”
“Either you can go get her, or we will. Makes no difference to us.”
That million-dollar smile the receptionist had given us earlier was replaced with a disapproving scowl. “Just a minute.”
She stood up and pulled the knob of a door behind her. Frank and I sat again and waited. With nothing else to do, I paged through some fashion magazines. Seconds later, the distinct click of high heels sounded on the tiled floor. I looked up and watched the hallway, and Maria Vasquez was walking toward us.
“What is this about? I was in a meeting with—”
Frank interrupted. “I’m sure they’ll manage just fine without you. I doubt if your presence is going to make or break a staff meeting. Is there a private place we can talk, or would you rather take a ride to our precinct?”
Her expression changed from smug to scared. “What did I do?”
“We don’t know if you did anything, Maria. We just want to ask you some questions. Now is there a place we can go or not?”
“Follow me.” She led us down a short corridor then turned right. That hallway ended at a set of patio doors, where a table and four chairs sat, and the balcony ahead was lined with benches and potted plants. “We can talk here or go out on the balcony.”
“Let’s go outside,” I said as I gave Frank a subtle wink. “The sky is blue,
after all, so why not take advantage of that.”
Frank gestured for Maria to have a seat. She did and wrung her hands in her lap.
“Is there a reason you’re nervous?” I asked.
“I’ve never dealt with the police before.”
“Sure, then we’ll get right to the point,” Frank said. “Were you and Hal Morton having a romantic affair?”
I held back my smile. Frank was very direct and sometimes surprised even me.
Her eyes instantly welled up, and she spilled her guts. “Hal and I are in love. He promised me he’d divorce his wife. I’ve been waiting nearly a year for that to happen, but he always has an excuse to postpone it. Taxes are due, the house needs a new water heater, the kids won’t understand. He has a different reason every time the subject comes up.”
“You do know his wife was brutally murdered, don’t you?”
Maria held her tongue.
I gave Frank a side-eyed glance. “Did you have anything to do with that?”
“I probably need a lawyer.”
I pulled back in surprise. “Really? That fast, huh? Do you care in the least that Hal’s wife is dead?”
“Not particularly. It isn’t like I knew her.”
I shook my head in astonishment. “Wow, that’s cold. You have this one and only chance to come clean with us, Maria. You, or you and Hal, orchestrated the murder of his wife. We know both of you were conveniently in New York and Hal knew his kids would be at that birthday party. Text messages between him and Tina confirmed that. You have family in the area?”
Maria made eye contact with me for a second. “Of course, a lot of family.”
“How about brothers?”
“Two older brothers.”
“Names?”
“Antonio and Mauricio. Why?”
“Hmm. That makes me wonder if they’re responsible for slashing our tires earlier.”
She stared at her manicure. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Now, where’s that lawyer?”
I closed my notepad and stood. “Come on. You’re going back to the precinct with us. You can call your lawyer from the station.”
