“I’m assuming that if she needs money, Elsie would want Bertram alive,” McAdams said.
“Then you are assuming she more or less kidnapped him for ransom.”
“Let’s go down that avenue,” McAdams said. “They make a phone call to Bertram’s parents—a plea for money. Maybe that’s why the parents are not talking to Dr. Lewis. And that would also explain why her disappearance predated his.”
Decker said, “It’s a theory that explains all the moving parts except for the identity of the victim and where the body is.”
McAdams said, “Did you find any other evidence of the crime?”
“Like blood or biological matter elsewhere in the house? Not so far. We’re still checking the backyard and the garage.” Decker thought a moment. “I’ve got some snapshots from Elsie’s place. I think one of them is Bertram and Kathrine. The other is an unidentified woman who appears to be in her mid-thirties. She may be our missing link. I’ll show you the pictures when I get back.”
“Okay.”
“What’s going on with our remains in the hillside … which—unlike this one—is in our jurisdiction.”
“What time is it?”
“Around five.”
“It might be too late, but let me call the coroner and see if he’s made an identification,” McAdams said. “Want to hold?”
“Sure.” Decker checked his email while the line was silent. Harvard’s voice punched through five minutes later. “We’ve got a prelim match with Zeke Anderson. But it’s not solid yet. The tech wouldn’t go to court with it.”
“Meaning?”
“The extracted sample was degraded and contaminated: everything from soil to bugs. But there were a few strands that seemed to match Zeke’s DNA in the sample. The lab tech wants further purification before making a positive ID. That could be ready as soon as tomorrow. We’ve already started searching for the other two students.”
“Good,” Decker said. “I’ve pulled the original files. All of the folders have lists of names, including a couple of lists of names common to all three boys. I’d start with the fourth roommate, Jackson Carlson, and then branch out to the other names. I’ll try to reach him by phone. Maybe I can set up a face-to-face interview when we’re in New York on Sunday. It’s getting late. You can go home.”
“I don’t mind taking a peek at the files,” McAdams said. “I’m not doing much anyway. Between you and me, I’ve got the easier job. At least I know who the victims are.”
“Thanks, Harvard. I’ll see you tonight for dinner.”
“Thank you for the invitation. It certainly sounds better than what I planned: sugary cereal with sour milk and a bag of chips.”
“Don’t you ever shop?”
“Why should I? I’m a spoiled brat, and you and Rina are enablers by always inviting me over.”
The kid was making a good point.
McAdams said, “When we get to New York, I’ll take you out for a great meal.”
“It’ll be kosher and it’ll be expensive.”
“No problem. I’m flush.”
SINCE THE CASE was in Baniff Police Department’s jurisdiction, there wasn’t any real detective work for Decker. Jake Quay told him that he’d keep him in the loop, but his own captain wanted his department to investigate without help—meaning without interference from him. Decker was fine with that. He started up his car, heading for the residential facility, hoping to show the photographs to Lewis.
He called Rina while he was on the road. Recounting the details, he tried to keep emotion out of his voice.
“You’ve found a murder scene, then,” Rina said.
“Maybe. I’m going to be a little late for dinner.”
“A little late? Sounds like an all-nighter.”
“I’m not the lead, and Baniff wants to give this a crack without my expertise.”
“That’s stupid. Why wouldn’t they want your help? You’ve probably worked more homicides in a month than he has in a lifetime.”
“Some people just don’t know a good thing when it looks them in the eye. Right now, I’m going back to Loving Care. At Schulung’s house, we found a photograph of Bertram Lanz with a woman. I think she might be Kathrine. I also have a photograph of an unidentified, mid-thirties woman.”
“Any idea who that is?”
“Not a clue. I want to show them to Dr. Lewis and see if he knows who they are. If all goes well, I’m hoping to be home by nine.”
“Promises, promises.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m not good at keeping them. Sorry.”
“Nature of the beast. I’ll get the takeout and wait until nine. If you’re not going to make it, give me a call and I’ll eat by my lonesome.”
“I invited Tyler over for dinner.”
“Then I’ll call him and see if he wants to join in the feast. On another note altogether, Gabe called me. I told him we’ll be in Manhattan on Sunday. Are you still planning on coming with me?”
“Yes, definitely. The lab has tentatively found Zeke Anderson’s DNA in the remains. We’ll be reopening the case, and once the ID is confirmed, I’ll make the death notice.”
“Poor you. Where do the parents live?”
“Brooklyn. The other two boys were from Queens. They went to the same high school, but the boys appear to have little in common. From the interviews I’ve scanned, Velasquez seemed to be bookish and into math and biology. McCrae was a social activist of sorts and a jock. But I’m figuring that maybe they knew each other before they went to Duxbury.”
“Drugs make strange bedfellows.”
Decker paused. “Why do you think it was drugs?”
“Three college students in the woods in mid-October? Sounds like a front for something illegal.”
“I’d agree with you, but we found Zeke’s body in the woods.”
“Maybe they went to buy drugs and stepped on someone’s toes.” Rina waited a beat. “The woods are a good place for a hidden meth lab.”
“Meth labs …” Decker paused. “I was thinking marijuana farms, but meth labs could work. They were really abundant ten years ago.”
“Meth is easier to produce.”
“If you don’t blow yourself up,” Decker said.
“Maybe that’s what happened. How far are you from the Loving Care Home?”
“About twenty minutes. Maybe a little longer because the roads are dark.”
“I don’t want to distract you. Call me when you’ve landed.”
“Roger.” Decker chuckled. “I love you.”
“Ditto, handsome. It’s a crazy world out there. Keep yourself safe.”
CHAPTER 9
LEWIS WAS AT a staff conference when Decker arrived. He spoke to his receptionist, Linda. They were becoming fast friends. “Do you know when Dr. Lewis will be free?”
“No one tells me anything, Detective. I suspect the meeting can’t be too much longer. Most of us leave at six, and it’s already ten after. I was just waiting around.”
“Can you buzz him for me?”
“I shouldn’t even be here.” Linda opened a drawer and placed a pile of papers inside. She closed the drawer and then stood up. “If you want to call him, it’s this button on the intercom. It’ll go directly to his phone. But he might not answer.” She put on her sweater, even though it was still warm outside, and slung her purse over her shoulder. “If the desk phone rings, don’t worry about it. The answering service kicks in at six-fifteen.”
“Have a good evening,” Decker said.
“Thank you, Detective. FYI, I could use a good one. What happened to Bertram has thrown everyone into a tizzy. It would be good to have some answers.”
“I know. We’re working on it.”
“I didn’t mean to imply …” Decker was still standing. Linda said, “You’re welcome to sit down, you know.”
“Thank you.” Decker smiled and sat in a chair across from her desk. But as soon as she left, he stood up and began to rifle through her things. Opening the dr
awer, he took out the mess that Linda had stowed away. It included a phone message book. The original messages were probably on top of Lewis’s desk, but the book made copies of each message that Linda had written down, albeit they were hard to read. Decker took out his phone and started snapping pictures of the ones that had today’s date. What he didn’t see was any sort of a message from Kurt or Mila Lanz.
He moved on to a stack of mail and quickly took in the return addresses. None were familiar names, but he took pictures of the envelopes as well.
The desk phone rang. Decker picked it up before the service could get to it. “Loving Care Residential Home.”
“Is this Dr. Lionel Lewis?”
It was a female voice. Decker said, “This is his assistant. Who am I speaking to?”
“Dr. Forrester. Dr. Lewis left a message yesterday about Kathrine Taylor.”
“Right,” Decker said. “Dr. Lewis wanted to make sure Kathrine was all right. Where are you located? In Connecticut, right?”
“Yes. Why do you think Kathrine isn’t all right?”
“She had a boyfriend who used to live at your facility. Bertram Lanz.”
“Of course. I know Bertram. What about him? Is he all right?”
“He’s missing. We’re thinking that he went to visit Kathrine.”
Another long pause. “I don’t want to be rude, but could you please put Dr. Lewis on the line?”
“Dr. Lewis is in a meeting. We’re all frantic about Bertram. Whatever you tell me, I’ll pass along to him.”
“Bertram’s not here.”
“Okay. Thank you very much. And what about Kathrine? Is she all right?”
“Why shouldn’t she be all right?”
Decker paused. “It’s a simple yes or no answer.”
There was a long pause over the line. “Who is this?”
It was time to come clean. “Actually, Dr. Forrester, I’m Detective Peter Decker from Greenbury Police in Upstate New York. I’m in charge of the Bertram Lanz Missing Persons case. I’m waiting for Dr. Lewis to come out of his meeting, and that’s why I answered the phone. I knew that Dr. Lewis called you, and I was hoping you had some information for me. Is Kathrine all right?”
“She left here two days ago, and she was fine when she left.”
A beat. He said, “Was the departure unexpected?”
“We got a call from her mother, saying she was needed home—family emergency.”
“Did you phone up her parents to make sure it was actually Kathrine’s mother who called?”
There was a long pause. “Detective—if you are one—please ask Dr. Lewis to call me.”
“Doctor, I need your help.”
“I shouldn’t be talking to you.”
“On the contrary, I’m the one person you should be talking to.”
“So you say.” She hung up.
Decker looked at the desk phone and was about to press redial when Lewis came through the door. His face was not happy. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“I was about to press redial because Dr. Forrester hung up on me. She’s the head administrator from Bertram’s former home in Connecticut.”
“I know who Dr. Forrester is. I called her.” A pause. “Did you answer Linda’s phone? That’s totally inappropriate!”
“Your righteous indignation is going to have to wait because we have more important things to worry about.” Briefly Decker told him about the blood at Elsie Schulung’s house. “We found some photographs there, Doctor. I’d like to show them to you. Perhaps you can identify the people in the snapshots.”
“Fine, fine.” Lewis snatched the pictures from Decker’s hands. “This is Bertram. I’m sure you knew that already.” A pause. “I don’t know the woman he’s with.”
“What about the other one?” Decker asked.
Lewis spent a little more time with the woman in her mid-thirties. “No … No, I don’t know her.”
“You’re sure.”
“I’m not holding back on you.” He sat down at Linda’s desk chair. “I do hope you’re not planning on showing them around to the residents.”
“Residents, staff. Why not?”
“Because it’ll upset them.”
“These aren’t morgue pictures. They’re just plain photographs.”
“Even so.”
“Dr. Lewis, something happened at Elsie Schulung’s house. Her car is missing. I find pictures of Bertram with a woman that’s probably Kathrine. And she’s most probably missing—”
“How do you know that?”
Decker waited a few seconds. “Dr. Forrester told me that Kathrine Taylor was called home by her mother for a family emergency a few days ago—around the time Bertram went missing. Did you know that?”
“No, I didn’t know. How could I know? I hadn’t spoken to the woman yet.”
“I’m pretty sure that no one from Kathrine’s residential home called her parents to verify that it was actually her mother who phoned. I just left a crime scene and now have Kathrine Taylor’s safety to worry about.” Decker pressed redial and handed Lewis the phone. “Find out the details and ask for Kathrine’s phone number, okay?”
Lewis took the receiver. When the line clicked in, he said, “This is Dr. Lionel Lewis from Loving Care Adult Residential Home in New York. Is this Dr. Renee Forrester?” Decker couldn’t hear her answer. “Yes, this really is Dr. Lewis. The man you spoke to—Detective Decker—is legitimate as well. One of our residents—Bertram Lanz—went missing in Upstate New York, and Detective Decker was assigned to the case.”
Decker put the phone on speaker. “Hello.”
Lewis sighed. “Detective Decker would like to speak to Kathrine’s parents just to make sure that she’s okay.”
A voice squawked over the speaker. “How do I know you’re both legitimate?”
“Dr. Forrester,” Decker said, “I can find out where Kathrine Taylor’s parents live. That won’t be hard for me. And when I do find the phone number and address, I’ll call up the local police department and ask for a welfare check. I don’t mean to frighten you …” A lie. “But what started out as a Missing Persons case has potentially turned into something more serious. We found blood.”
She gasped. “Bertram’s?”
“We don’t know yet, but we’re investigating all possibilities. If Kathrine’s parents don’t know that their daughter left your home, they’re in for a rude awakening. Her disappearance might be better coming from you. And if Kathrine’s all right, then there’s no harm done. All I want to do is make a phone call.”
“Who are you again?”
“Detective Peter Decker—Greenbury Police Department. Here’s the number.” He recited the digits to the front desk. “Call them up. You can verify that it matches Greenbury PD. Ask for anyone. They’ll let you know that I’m on official business.”
“I’ll call you back.” She hung up.
Lewis said, “I know you are dealing with Bertram’s disappearance, so I’ll excuse the intrusion into someone else’s property—this time. But you know that you just can’t simply barge in here and run your own show.”
“Apologies.”
“I’d like to call up Baniff Police and find out the situation at Elsie Schulung’s place,” Lewis said. “Who do I ask for?”
“Detective Jake Quay. He’s handling the investigation.”
“Are you involved in it?”
“Right now, only peripherally. That may change as the cases progress.” Decker looked at his watch. “What’s taking so long?”
“Perhaps you don’t realize this, but a situation like this has to be approached delicately.”
Decker didn’t comment. Instead, he said, “No matter what Dr. Forrester tells us, the police will need to talk to the parents. Even if Kathrine is home and safe, she might know something about Bertram. And there’s always the possibility that they received a ransom note that says don’t involve the police.”
The phone rang. Lewis picked it up. “Y
es?” Slowly, his complexion lost color. “Yes, I see … hold on. I’ll put you on speaker again.” To Decker: “Kathrine is not at home. Her parents are now in a panic.” Lewis pressed the phone button. “Go ahead, Dr. Forrester.” The speaker announced, “Are you there, Detective Decker?”
“I’m here.”
“This is a horrendous situation. What do I do next?”
“The Mangrove police need to be notified. That is where she was last seen. Where do Kathrine’s parents live?”
“In Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Do you know where that is?”
“I know it’s in the Berkshires. I’ll call them up as soon as I’m off the phone with you. I need a number and an address.”
Forrester recited the information. “It’s all my fault. I should have verified.”
Yes, you should have. “Did you see Kathrine leave?”
“Yes. And when the car pulled up, Kathrine hopped right in. She definitely knew the driver.”
“Dr. Forrester, do you have any kind of CCTV at the front entrance?”
“We have a camera at the doorway. I don’t know about the driveway. I’ll find out right away.”
“Leave the CCTV to the police, but tell them about it. In the meantime, what can you tell me about the car?”
“I’m sorry.” She sounded deflated. “It was white or maybe light silver. That’s about all I can tell you. I’m not a car person.”
Lewis said, “Elsie Schulung’s car?”
Decker shushed him. “Was the car a sedan? A coupe? An SUV?”
“Not an SUV.”
“Compact? Subcompact?”
“I don’t know. The car wasn’t tiny.”
“Two or four doors?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you watch Kathrine get in the car?”
“Yes, I was standing right outside. I waved to her and she waved back. Nothing untoward at all. She got in and the car drove off.”
“Did she get in the front or back seat.”
“Uh … back.”
“Did she open the car door herself?”
“Yes, she did.” A beat. “It must have been a four-door.”
“Could you see how many people were in the car?”
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