by K. C. Turner
Whispering to Martinez, Shawn said, “Da-yum!”
Reaching out his right hand, Martinez greeted her. “Miss Brown, thank you so much for coming down. This is Detective Johnson. He’ll be joining us today, if that’s okay with you?”
She smiled, her semi-crooked teeth peering through her dark mauve lipstick. “It’s no problem. Anything to help Brandon out. Please, just call me Sam.”
After being shown to the interview room, Martinez took a seat across from Sam setting his notebook on the table. Shawn remained standing off to the side in order to gauge her facial expressions and step in when he felt the need.
Martinez placed the recorder on the table and pressed play. “Obviously, this conversation will be recorded as per our policy.”
She nodded her head, placed her iPhone on the table next to his recorder and began to record as well. She winked at him. “I have my own policy.”
Shaking his head in response he turned to Shawn, “You good with that?”
Before Shawn could answer, Sam stated matter-of-factly, “It’s my Constitutional right, detectives.” Her blue eyes glared at them through her black eyeliner.
“Okay then.” Martinez looked at his notes for a moment. “So, I guess we can start with this past Thursday. You were working this day?”
“I work everyday, Detective,” she said with a slight smile of defiance.
Shawn was irked by her current demeanor and couldn’t wait to step in but he let Martinez continue. “Let me reword that; you were working at the Tribune on Thursday? And if so, did you happen to see when Brandon arrived that day?”
“I was at the office and I think Brandon got there sometime before lunch.”
“Would you be able to tell me if he was at the tribune for the entire day?”
“Actually, yeah. We’ve been working on an assignment together and it took up the majority of the day Thursday. We had some catching up to do since he had to be in court the entire morning.” Her lips curled with annoyance.
Not changing his pleasant, good-cop tone he asked, “Do you know what time he left for the day?”
Looking him square in the eyes she said, “I do.”
Not being able to take her attitude anymore, Shawn spoke up. “Enough with the brazen bullshit already and just answer the questions.”
“I did answer the question, Detective.”
Moving forward he placed his hands down hard on the table startling her. “What time did Mr. DeFranco leave the Tribune Tuesday and can you vouch for his whereabouts after the fact?”
Her temper began to flare a bit but she didn’t look away from his gaze. “I’m not sure I need to put up with this type of questioning.”
Still centered and calm, the interview was going just as he planned. “Sam, you’ll have to forgive my partner here, he didn’t get his coffee this morning.” Shawn backed off and retreated to his space against the wall. “Can you please tell us what time Brandon left for the day and if you know where he went afterward?”
Her eyes remained on Shawn as she moved her head slowly towards Martinez. “Brandon and I left the office around 8:30 and we went back to my place to order in some food and finish some things with regards to our assignment.”
“And what time did he leave your place that evening?”
“He didn’t.” Glancing at Shawn she continued, “He fell asleep on the couch and we left for work together the next morning.”
“Sam, can you tell me how long you have known Brandon DeFranco?”
Rolling her eyes to think for a moment, she said, “I don’t know, about three years I guess.”
“The two of you close?”
Shrugging her shoulders she replied, “Pretty close. I’m basically his work wife.”
Although his facial expression didn’t change, a red flag went off for Martinez and he knew Shawn would be chiming in again soon.
“Did you know his wife well? The two of you get along?”
She sighed. “Pam and I didn’t talk much. She did her own thing and I don’t think she liked Brandon working so much. They were having problems, you know. Hence, he was staying at my place.”
Martinez continued taking notes. He looked up at her from his pad, tapped his pen, and casually asked, “So, he had been staying with you for how long?”
“Since last Saturday when she called the police and kicked him out of his house,” she said bitterly.
“Sounds like you might have a jealous beef with the little wifey,” said Shawn antagonizing her.
Squinting her eyes at him defensively, Sam growled back, “Pam was a snotty bitch and hated the fact that he and I had the relationship we did. She was the jealous one.” She quickly realized she allowed him to get the best of her. She had said too much.
Taking a breath she looked at Martinez. His face was sympathetic but his eyebrows curled with curiosity. “Look, I’m sorry for what happened to her but she was no angel in all of this.” She grabbed her phone and stopped the recording, shoving it into her bag. She stood up and wrapped her purse around her shoulder. “I have work to do. Have a good day, Detective.” Shooting Shawn a nasty look she walked out the door.
The two men sat in silence until she had exited the police station. Shawn walked around the table and took a seat across from Martinez. He placed his hands behind his head and sprawled his legs out like the alpha male who had just claimed his territory. “Well she’s a pistol, aye!”
Sitting back in his chair Martinez smirked. “You ain’t kidding. I told you this whole alibi of DeFranco’s isn’t making any sense. Why would he continue to stay at a ‘friend’s’ house when the wife left? And ‘work wife’? What the hell is that? Either she’s screwing him, or she desperately wants to.”
Shawn’s face lit up. “Ah man, can you imagine? I bet she’s a bear in bed!”
Lifting his masculine chin he asked, “Seriously, Johnson, what do you make of it?”
Scratching the stubbly grays on the side of his head, he said, “I’m with you, man. It doesn’t make sense. Something’s rotten in Denmark.”
Feeling guilty for previously being so angry with him, Martinez was grateful. “That was nice work, Johnson. I appreciate your help.”
“Awe, don’t go getting all sentimental on me now. It was fun. We should do this more often.” He glanced at his watch. “You hungry? Wanna grab a burger at Jimmy’s?”
He thought about it for a minute. “You know, that’s sounds awesome about now. Just let me make a phone call.”
Rising from his position, Shawn scooted the chair under the table. “I’ll meet ya there with a cold beer waiting for you.”
Once Shawn left the room, Martinez hit Elizabeth’s contact number in his phone. It went straight to voicemail. “Uh, hey, Liz, sorry I’ve been so tied up. Um, nothing new here, well kind of. Weird, weird, people. Investigation is moving along though. Me and Johnson are about to grab some grub. I just thought I’d try you real quick. I hope we can get together soon. Uh, okay. I’ll talk to you later. Bye.”
Chapter 10
Arriving at her desk just before eight o’clock, Elizabeth was ready to get her Monday started. She assumed no arrest had been made in the DeFranco case since there were no further updates from Martinez. She still felt guilty about not returning his call. Immediately brushing off her thoughts, she pushed her hair back behind her ears, logged into her computer, and began preparing for court when her phone rang.
“Victim Assistance, this is Elizabeth.”
“Good morning! It’s Andrea.”
“Hey Andrea, what’s up?”
“I have a lady up here, Janet Burrows, would like to speak with you. Says she’s Pamela DeFranco’s sister.”
Her heart sinking into her chest she whispered, “Shit.”
Andrea still heard her. “What should I tell her?”
After pausing for a moment, Elizabeth sighed. “Just give me a minute. I’ll be right there.” Hanging up the receiver, she rubbed her forehead wondering how this convers
ation was going to go. Speaking quietly to herself, she said, “It’s way too early for this.” Pulling herself out of her chair, she managed to muster up the energy to walk to the front of the office. Taking a deep breath, she opened the heavy door leading into the lobby.
A tall, thin woman with long brown hair streaked with highlights turned to greet her. “Elizabeth Strong?”
She doesn’t look anything like Pam, was her initial thought. Pam reminded her of a schoolteacher. This lady was more attractive and professional in a classy way. “Hello, Miss Burrows, is it?” She was hesitant. Typically, she was the one contacting family members, not the other way around.
Closing her eyes for a moment, she shook her head to stop her eyes from welling up. “I was away on business when my parents called me to inform me my sister, Pam DeFranco, had been killed.” Breathing deeply, she flung her hair off her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m not quite sure what I’m supposed to do here or what happens now, but...” She reached into the front pocket of her Coach bag and pulled out a business card, handing it to Elizabeth. “I found your card while going through her things this weekend. I’m afraid I felt more comfortable coming here than going to the police station.”
Elizabeth looked down at her card and back up to Janet, nodding sympathetically. “Of course. Let’s go back to my office where we can talk.” She waved at Andrea on the other side of the bulletproof glass window as a sign to buzz them in. She led Janet down the hall and into her office, shutting the door behind them for privacy.
“Please have a seat,” said Elizabeth as she sat down in her chair. She wasn’t sure at this point who should start the conversation but it seemed only natural to begin. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Trying to remain strong, a tear fell from Janet’s eyelash. Elizabeth reached over and placed a box of tissue in front of her. “Thank you,” Janet said with a sniffle before continuing. “Pam had contacted me last week after she and Brandon had their little blow out. I knew they had been having problems and I told her she could stay at my place while I was gone. I left Sunday afternoon for Boston and she could have had the place to herself to sort some things out. Then she sent me a text and told me everything was okay; they were working things out. I never expected this. Can you help me fill in any of the blanks over the past week?”
Normally, Elizabeth would refrain from discussing her interactions with a victim due to issues of confidentiality. Normally also meant that the victim she interacted with was still alive. “Well, I met with Pam last Saturday after she called the police. After speaking with her, she decided it was best to obtain a temporary protection order to keep Brandon out of the house for the time being.
“She seemed scared, frustrated, and confused. After I explained everything to her, she decided she needed some space. Of course, it didn’t last long because on their court date, she was sitting next to him in his defense ready to drop the charges and basically told me to leave her alone. The very next day, they found her body. I’m afraid that is all the information I have. I was hoping maybe you could be of more help to us. Did you speak with Pam on a regular basis?”
Wiping her nose with the tissue and crumbling it up in her fist, she tossed her hair out of her face and took a breath. “Pam and I were always pretty close. She and Brandon have always had a strange relationship. I always wondered what she saw in him. He was a journalist trying to make a career for himself and she wanted nothing more than to be a mother.
“They had toyed with the idea for a while, but he wouldn’t budge. Over the past few years we grew more distant. I mean we both have lives we’re trying to live. I talked to her a while back and she was tired of waiting for him to really settle down and start a family. She told me she had met someone else.” She rolled her eyes. “I tried to talk some sense into her but she was on another plain. Last week, the last time I talked with her, she and Brandon had reached their boiling point, she told him about her affair. That’s what set him off. And rightfully so! I told her she was playing with fire but she wouldn’t listen to me. And now she’s dead,” she said bluntly as she patted under her eyes with the tissue.
The only word Elizabeth heard was ‘affair’. “So, Pam was having an affair? Do you know how long it had been going on for?”
Breathing in deeply and then releasing she said, “Gosh I don’t know. Six months or so? The icing on the cake was she had just found out she was pregnant. When she called me, she informed me I was going to be an aunt.” Janet stopped herself from choking up. “I was excited for her. She told me everything was going to work out and she was going to finally live the life she really wanted. Funny thing is, I don’t think she even knew who the father was. At least she didn’t divulge that information to me.”
Trying to hide the surprised look on her face, she pried further. “Janet, do you think Brandon could have done this? I hate to say it, but to me it sounds like he had a pretty decent motive.”
“Honestly, I don’t know what to think anymore. I never thought my brother-in-law would put his work before my sister let alone do anything like this. I never thought my sister would cheat on her husband. I certainly never thought I would get a phone call telling me my sister turned up dead in Lake Erie. I haven’t had a real heart to heart with Pam in years. All I know is she was in a weird place for a while and all I could do was be there for her whenever she called me.”
Shaking her head, Elizabeth said, “I cannot tell you how sorry I am, Janet.” She paused a moment. “You understand I am going to share all this with the investigating officer?”
Janet swallowed the reality hard, her throat making a noise before she answered. “I understand. Like I said, I wanted to speak with you rather than the police on this matter. I appreciate you taking the time to talk with me.”
“Of course. I will be here throughout this entire process, Janet. However, I’m afraid once I share this with Detective Martinez, he will want to speak with you personally.”
She closed her eyes for a moment and nodded. “I’m aware of that as well. Do they have any idea what happened? I have only talked with my parents since returning home. I mean I saw Brandon long enough for him to let me in the house and to offer my assistance. He was extremely quiet. I can only imagine what he is going through right now. I tried to be receptive to him but he was so – distant.” She shook her head as if trying to shake off a bad feeling. “I don’t want to make any assumptions, but I don’t know. It’s such a crazy, tragic situation and I’m entirely too close to it to make any judgments.”
Surprised by her logical reasoning and willingness to give her brother-in-law the benefit of the doubt, Elizabeth advised, “I’m afraid I haven’t heard anything yet. They are still investigating at this point. The one thing I can tell you is I will keep you as informed as I can. Can I ask you one more thing, Janet?”
“Of course, anything.”
Elizabeth readied her pen on her notebook and asked, “Do you have any idea who Pam was having an affair with?”
Walking into the bureau, Shawn grabbed a stack of papers from the fax machine, flipped through them, and lightly tossed them on Martinez’s desk. “All yours, my man. Looks like you’re gonna have a busy day.” He winked.
He smirked. “Yeah, no kidding. Thanks, Johnson.”
Sitting down in his chair as if it was a recliner in his living room, he asked, “Any break in your homicide yet?”
Shaking his head and taking a break from his paperwork, he sighed. “Nope. I talked with her parents and coworkers on Friday. Everyone had the same thing to say about her; nice girl with no enemies and didn’t really have much of a life. The husband is the only suspect right now.”
Shawn quickly corrected him. “Unless he’s banging that sexy reporter. Then wouldn’t you consider her a suspect as well?”
“Good point. But good luck getting either one of them to give up that information, if it’s true.” Flashing the papers Shawn gave him, he said, “I’m hoping the phone records will give me a little so
mething. Otherwise, I got nothing. How ‘bout you? What do you have going on this week?”
He rolled his eyes. “Same old smack heads, different day.”
They both turned their chairs in the direction of the door upon hearing Chief Holden clear his throat as he entered the room. He held a large cup of coffee in one hand, his other stuffed in his left front pants pocket. “Good morning. Hope you all had a nice weekend. Although I know you spent half of it here.” Shawn gave Martinez another roll of his eyes. “You’re work is appreciated, Johnson.”
“Well thanks for letting us know, Chief.”
He raised his mug and took a sip of his coffee. “So, word on the wire is one of our favorite felons is due to be released by the end of the week.”
Shawn scrunched his forehead in frustration showing his wrinkles and asked, “Oh yeah, who’s that?”
Martinez chimed in, “This should be interesting.”
“I’m afraid just a little more interesting for you, Martinez,” he said looking at him over the top of his black frames. “Steve Robinson was granted parole. He’s due to be released Friday.”
The look on his face was pure shock. “Friday? They just had the damn hearing!”
Shawn hung his head slightly as if waiting for the room to explode.
Shaking his head and holding his hands out waiting for an explanation, Martinez said, “Chief? Has Elizabeth heard about this?”
He breathed deeply and hung his head as well for a moment. He scratched the top of his head and pushed his long fingers through his white locks. Looking up at Martinez he informed him, “I can only tell you what I know and at this point it ain’t much. I’ve seen parole approvals go quickly but this has to be a record. As far as Elizabeth, I assume Marilyn informed her. I guess I figured you would have talked to her this weekend.”
Guilt washed over him. “I – I’ve been so busy with this investigation, I haven’t even touched base with her. I mean I did but… Shit!”