Within Plain Sight

by Bruce Robert Coffin

  Byron pointed at Stavros’s wrist. “One of my detectives encountered some poison ivy during the body recovery. Got a nasty rash on his ankles. Looks like you got into something similar. Mind if I ask where that happened?”

  “Outside,” Stavros said, pulling his sleeves down to cover the marks. “I was working in the yard.”

  “Where, exactly? Because we could send some detectives out to check.”

  Stavros said nothing.

  Byron waited a beat before continuing. He could see that the pace of his questioning was having the desired effect. Stavros was slowly coming apart as Byron pushed him further into a corner.

  “I think the thing about all of this that I have the hardest time wrapping my head around is what kind of a monster could do such a thing to a decent young woman like Danica? Murdering her in cold blood, then trying to cover up the crime by—”

  “I didn’t kill her,” Stavros said at last. “I didn’t. That isn’t what happened.”

  Byron let that statement hang there a moment. “Tell me what did happen, Dennis.”

  Byron could see the wheels turning inside LeRoyer’s head as the lieutenant processed what he had been told.

  “So, Uncle Dennis has admitted to cutting off Danica’s head, then moving and dumping the body, but that’s it?” LeRoyer said.

  “That’s all he’ll admit to,” Byron said.

  “Then who killed her?”

  “Says he doesn’t know,” Byron said. “He told me that Lina had sent him to the Bowdoin Street house on Monday to retrieve a few small items of furniture. Dennis told me he found a woman’s body in the kitchen.”

  “Does Dennis think Lina killed her?”

  “He assumed she’d sent him there knowing he’d find the body, and that he’d deal with it. Kind of like don’t ask don’t tell. I get the distinct impression this wouldn’t be the first time that Uncle Dennis has been called upon to clean up a family mess.”

  “Did he know who Danica Faherty was?”

  “Says he didn’t, but he did know that Alex had been taking young women to the house and figured that she was one of them.”

  “How did he know?”

  “On several different occasions he had found evidence that someone had been having sex in one of the bedrooms.”

  “What made him think it was Alex and not Petri?”

  Byron gave the lieutenant a “seriously?” look. “Alex’s reputation was well-known within the family. Besides, Petri isn’t married. Why would he need to sneak around?”

  “Why in hell did he cut her head off?” LeRoyer asked.

  “Dennis told me that he’d been reading the news stories about the Horseman and figured copying the killer’s signature and relocating the crime scene away from the house would be the perfect way to cast suspicion away from the family.”

  “Then Alex may still have killed her?”

  “The uncle can’t say who the killer is, only that he thought it might have been Lina. Or, it’s possible that Lina found the body in the kitchen and, knowing who it was, sent the uncle there to deal with it.”

  “It’s also possible that Lina killed her.” LeRoyer made a nervous swipe through his hair with the fingers of his right hand. “Jesus, is there anything about this case that’s clear?”

  “I think that’s the whole point with this family,” Byron said. “Deniability.”

  “Now what?”

  “I think it’s time to take a different approach with the Stavros matriarch.”

  Byron brought the Taurus to a stop directly in front of the mansion, then stepped out. Stevens pulled her unmarked in behind his. Lina stood in the open doorway to the home watching them. She was dressed in a dark wool pullover and cream-colored slacks. Clothing better suited to January than a humid July night.

  “Good evening, Sergeant Byron,” she said. “I’ve been expecting you.” She turned her attention toward the procession of vehicles parking adjacent to the duck pond. “I assume, given the entourage, that you have in your possession a warrant to search my property?”

  “I do,” Byron said as he climbed the steps toward her.

  On the lookout for a weapon, he focused on her hands, but the only thing the elegant woman held was a ceramic mug. Not much of a threat, unless she planned on throwing it at him.

  “May I come in?” Byron asked.

  “I suppose,” she said. “I wouldn’t want you to accuse me of being uncivil.”

  “I’ll wait out here,” Stevens said.

  Lina turned and stepped inside. Byron followed her through the foyer down the hall and into a massive living room.

  At the far end of the room she perched on an expensive-looking antique wingback facing the ocean beyond. “Sit, please,” she said.

  Following her lead, he sat in a matching chair. The room was cold and dry. Byron enjoyed air-conditioning as much as the next person, but this bordered on uncomfortable.

  For a moment they sat in silence. Byron waited while she sipped her beverage and stared off into the distance. It was not lost on him that she hadn’t offered him anything to drink.

  “Dennis has gone missing,” Lina said at last as if that was the topic of discussion and the reason for Byron’s unannounced visit. “He’s not returning my calls. I assume you know where he is.” It wasn’t a question.

  “I do,” Byron said. “And I assume you know what it is we’re looking for.”

  She turned to face him. “You assume incorrectly. I have no idea why you are here.”

  “Your brother-in-law has confessed to removing Dani Faherty’s body from your house on Bowdoin Street and dumping it at the lumberyard.”

  “I’m afraid I don’t know anything about that,” she said, completely devoid of emotion. “Does this mean you’ll be releasing my Alex?”

  “Sorry to disappoint you, Lina, but insofar as Alex is concerned nothing has changed. He’s still our best suspect for Danica Faherty’s murder. That is, unless you have something to tell me?”

  “I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean. Are you now implying that I had something to do with Danica’s death?”

  “Did you?”

  “Why would I want Danica dead?”

  “You told me when we first met that you would do anything for your grandbabies. They bring you so much joy. Perhaps you were worried that Deborah would make good on her threat to leave Alex if he were caught cheating again. Maybe you figured that if Ms. Faherty were gone, Deborah wouldn’t find out that he was still being unfaithful.”

  “And yet, Deborah is moving back to New York permanently and taking my grandbabies away from me anyway.” Lina choked a bit on her last words. She paused to sip some more tea. “You must not think me very intelligent if you really believe that I was responsible for all of this. One of my sons is now facing a murder charge, I’m about to lose my only grandchildren forever, and I assume you’ll be charging Dennis with something now.”

  “As we speak, there are divers searching your duck pond for evidence.”

  “What evidence?”

  “The saw Dennis used to remove Danica’s head after you sent him to the Bowdoin Street mansion to retrieve some things.”

  Byron thought he caught a flash of anger in Lina’s eyes, but then it was gone, masked by the skill of one of Hollywood’s finest actresses. Could she have successfully contained that same ire she felt toward the young woman who was messing about in her son’s life? In Lina’s life? Was her rage enough to cause her to lash out and kill Danica Faherty in cold blood? Byron didn’t know, but he knew what he had seen.

  “Dennis thinks you sent him to Bowdoin Street on purpose, knowing what he would find. Did you?”

  Lina said nothing.

  Byron’s cell vibrated with an incoming call from Stevens.

  “Hey, Mel.”

  “Sarge, sorry to interrupt,” Stevens said.

  “What is it?” Byron said.

  “They’ve located something in the duck pond.”

  Byron and Steven
s walked up to the edge of the pond and stood beside Lieutenant Jenkins, Scarborough PD’s on-duty shift commander. The glow of Jenkins’s cigarette stood in contrast to the growing gloom as daylight faded behind the trees. Gabriel Pelligrosso and Dive Master Phil Goodall were floating on the pond in the Zodiac, a small inflatable boat, as they waited on the divers below.

  Jenkins turned to greet Byron. “How’d it go? She give up her son?”

  “No,” Byron said. “She didn’t.”

  They looked on in silence as one of two Portland divers surfaced on the opposite shore, handing a dark bundle to Pelligrosso.

  “What are you guys hoping to find?” Jenkins asked. “I mean besides the murder weapon?”

  “Something that was used to misdirect us,” Stevens said.

  Byron observed the camera flash as Pelligrosso photographed the bundle in situ. Several moments later, after removing the contents, the E.T. held it up and illuminated it with a flashlight for them to see.

  “What’s that?” Jenkins asked.

  “Reciprocating saw,” Byron said.

  “Damn. Is that what they used to—”

  “Yeah,” Byron said. “It is.”

  “Well, I guess congratulations are in order. Looks like your case is really starting to come together.”

  Except Byron wasn’t feeling celebratory. The discovery of the tool used to dismember a young woman wasn’t a moment to revel in. Besides, the recovery only meant that Dennis Stavros had told them the truth about where he’d hidden the saw. It didn’t mean he was telling the truth about everything. Byron realized that they were still a long way from having all the answers.

  Jenkins slid another cigarette between his lips and lit it, then exhaled a large plume of smoke. “This is one fucked-up world we live in, Sarge. One fucked-up world.”

  Byron couldn’t disagree.

  Chapter 34

  Tuesday, 6:35 a.m.,

  July 25, 2017

  Tuesday morning came shrouded in the gloom of coastal fog, a perfect reflection of Byron’s confidence in the case against Alex Stavros. He knew there was something that they were all missing, but he didn’t know what it was.

  Despite Dennis Stavros’s ill-conceived attempt at deflecting suspicion away from Lina and the rest of his late brother’s family, it was obvious that the handyman wasn’t a criminal mastermind. Certainly not the kind of man who would slaughter a young woman simply because she’d committed a mortal sin. Hell, Byron thought, it wasn’t even Danica Faherty’s marriage bed, it was Alex and Deborah’s.

  Byron thought back to his interview with Dennis. The man said he’d thought Lina had sent him to the West End house under false pretenses, knowing that he’d find the murdered girl’s body and would know how to deal with it. Byron supposed it was possible, but it was just as likely that Lina hadn’t known anything about the murder. Pure coincidence. Byron wasn’t a big believer in coincidence, but even he had to admit that it did occasionally stick its nose into murder investigations. Often enough, in fact, to make any good investigator wary. But if Lina hadn’t known about the dead woman in her former residence, and Alex had killed her, why leave the body in the kitchen? Surely Alex would’ve been anxious to hide the evidence of his crime.

  As he scanned his mental checklist for suspects, Byron realized that whatever else was driving this case there was an underlying Stavros family matter. Alex was still at the top of the list, obviously, but Lina couldn’t be ruled out. Nor could Byron discount Deborah, as much as he might want to. Uncle Dennis had been helpful but, much like Alex himself, only when pressed. And Dennis, by his own admission, had displayed the lengths to which he would go to protect the family. Was killing Danica that much different? Byron didn’t know. There was one member of the Stavros family who might still be able to shed some light on the subject, though. Lina’s other son, Petri.

  It was just after ten o’clock as Byron pulled into the paved drive and parked. The sun had burned through the clouds, promising another hot and humid summer day.

  Petri Stavros lived modestly, despite his family’s wealth and stature. With its weathered gray shingles and light blue shutters, his New Englander style Cape Cod was expensive only because of the Cape Elizabeth location and proximity to the coastline. A row of freshly planted cedars lined the drive on one side; Byron caught their pleasing aroma as he exited the car. The yard was well-manicured and near enough to the water that Petri was likely afforded an ocean view after the leaves had fallen.

  Byron followed the cobblestone walkway around to the front door and mounted the steps. He was reaching for the buzzer when the door opened.

  “Sergeant Byron, isn’t it?” Petri joked.

  Dressed in running sneakers, maroon shorts, and a wicking white tee, Petri was drinking from a plastic bottle of Poland Spring water and sweating profusely.

  “Am I interrupting something?” Byron said.

  “Not at all. Just went to war with my elliptical. To what do I owe the pleasure? I don’t suppose you’ve come by to drop these bogus charges against Alex?”

  “No, I’m afraid not.”

  “Can’t blame a guy for trying.” Petri stepped outside, closing the door behind him. “So, what can I do for you?”

  “I was hoping we might talk a bit.”

  Petri gave Byron an appraising look as if he didn’t believe him. “You know I have no interest in helping you build a case against my brother, Sergeant.”

  “That’s not why I’m here.”

  “Okay, now I’m curious. Let’s take a walk. I need to cool down anyway.”

  “Beautiful property.”

  “Thanks. It’s a lot of work.”

  “You don’t have a man for that, like Lina?”

  Petri laughed. “Uncle Dennis? No, I don’t have that luxury. One of us must live in the real world. Truthfully, I don’t know why he stays around her.” He paused to check out Byron. “You must do your own yard work, am I right?”

  “Condo.”

  Petri nodded his understanding. “So, what did you want to ask me?”

  “When Alex and I spoke at the jail, he seemed to think that someone was setting him up. That he was being framed. I wonder if you might know of someone who would have a grudge against your brother?”

  Petri silently considered the question. “What, you think you charged the wrong man now?”

  “Not at all. The evidence still points directly to Alex as the person responsible for murdering Danica Faherty.”

  “But?”

  “Alex brought up the idea of being framed by an enemy.”

  “And you believe he was?” Petri asked.

  “I believe in being thorough.”

  “An admirable trait for a police officer.”

  Byron bristled, but fought back the urge to respond to Petri’s backhanded compliment. “So, does he have any?”

  “Enemies?”

  “Yes.”

  “My brother Alex has been very successful. Our mom’s a famous movie star, he’s had his own television cooking show, and he’s the chef at two of the hottest restaurants on the East Coast. I’m sure he has made some enemies, mainly due to jealousy. But I don’t know of anyone personally who has a problem with Alex.”

  “What about you?” Byron asked.

  Petri stopped walking. “Me? Sergeant Byron, Alex and I are brothers. Why would I have a problem with him?”

  “Maybe for the very reasons you’ve mentioned. Alex has been very successful, while you’ve had to take the back seat. From where I stand, it seems like you do all the work at the restaurants while Alex gets all the credit. That might make me resent him if he were my brother. Might piss me off royally.”

  “Well, I guess that’s where you and I differ, Sergeant. I am quite satisfied with the role I play. And I am very happy for Alex and Deborah. Now, if you have nothing further, I have to get ready for work.”

  Byron returned to 109. He was sitting in his office listening to voicemails trying to decide his next step when St
evens popped in.

  “How’d you make out with Petri?”

  “I’m not sure. He said all the right things, but I still wonder if he’s as accepting of his role as he says he is.”

  “You think Alex is still in a cooperative mood?”

  “Dunno, why?”

  “I was thinking maybe he’ll have a different take on Petri.”

  Byron considered it. “You up for a ride to County?”

  Byron and Stevens were seated in one of the county interview rooms when Alex was led in by a deputy.

  “Alex,” Byron said. “You remember Detective Stevens?”

  “Did you check out what I told you?” Alex said, ignoring Byron’s attempt at civility.

  “Alex, it’s Stuart Forsyth,” a male voice said, emanating from Byron’s cellphone which was lying on the table and set to speaker mode.

  “Hey, Stu. Why aren’t you here?”

  “I’m in Boston at a deposition, but I wanted to make sure you’re represented properly. I suggested to Sergeant Byron that we do it this way in the interest of expediency. If that’s okay with you?”

  “If it gets me out of here sooner, I’m okay with anything,” Stavros said.

  “Have a seat,” Byron said.

  Alex sat as the deputy departed.

  “Well?” Stavros said.

  “You do realize that you are still in custody and facing a charge of murder, correct?” Byron asked.

  “Of course. And I’m still waiving my rights, I get it. You cool with that, Stu?”

  “Do I have a choice?” Forsyth said.

  “Stu’s good with it,” Stavros said. “Go ahead.”

  “We did check out what you told us, and we found the evidence you mentioned,” Stevens said.

  “Then you believe me? That I was set up?”

  “We’re a long way from that,” Byron said. “The fact that Dani had a box of condoms doesn’t mean she was using them with you.”