Cats, Cannolis and a Curious Kidnapping

by Cheryl Denise Bannerman

  Talon was beginning to break… sweating and wringing his hands. “I can’t tell you. They will murder everyone I care about.”

  I moved in closer, close enough to count the beads of sweat on his forehead “They who? And what did the author, Anna Romano, have to do with anything?” I grunted angrily, trying to stay calm.

  The suspect responded. “She knew too much. It was like killin’ two birds with one stone. It became the perfect plan.” His eyes lowered to his lap, almost in shame. It was unlikely Talon even had a conscience, but he sure knew how to play the role. He was shaking his head still looking down at his lap when my cell vibrated. A message from the lab. DNA was not a match to Talon. Those bodies were not his kids, which confirms Anna’s story. I looked up from my cell and spoke again.

  “We know the bodies on the boat were not your kids’ Talon. If you don’t tell us where the two cadavers came from and what you did to your family, you are facing life in prison. You are being charged with improper disposal of a corpse, two counts, and the kidnapping and assault of Anna Romano.”

  Talon lifted his head slowly. “I think I would like a lawyer now,” he responded.

  I stood up to leave the room. Turning to him one last time I answered, “That’s your right Talon, but after this point there is absolutely nothing I can do for you. No deals, no leniency.”

  The suspect remained stone-faced and didn’t utter another word.

  I left the room and was headed for my desk when Billings approached.

  He dove right in with the latest on Talon’s financials, while waving the spreadsheet printouts in the air. “Looks like our boy has quite the gambling debt! And his bookie is affiliated with none other than the Bigly Brothers. After he drained his wife’s accounts, he turned to them to fund his habit. Talon racked up a $750,000 debt and you know they don’t just let their ‘clients’ walk away scott-free. They’re going to hit every person you love until they get their money. Talon may have just hidden his family somewhere because they were threatened,” Billings reported. He seemed to have a renewed enthusiasm for the case.

  He then went on to explain that the author was likely in the wrong place at the wrong time and simply wrote a book with the wrong storyline — just like I had suspected. As far as the explosion on the boat, her body would represent the wife’s body and the two small cadavers would represent the kids’. It was the perfect ‘fake your death’ scheme, except it was more like a ‘fake your whole family’s death’ scheme!

  Billings continued, “It could have been a fluke he survived, or maybe he planned to collect the insurance money and pay the Bigly Brothers back the money he owed. Who knows?”

  I interjected sternly, “Even if all of that is true, we STILL don’t know if Talon disposed of his family or not. Keep searching! And while you’re at it, let’s verify alibis for the Bigly Brothers.”

  “On it! Did Talon tell you anything sir?” Billings asked.

  “Nothing new, no. Everything he said was in line with what you just told me. Let’s get an officer to stand guard outside the room. Also, bring a phone to our delightful prisoner so he can call his lawyer. It looks like the questioning is over for the night,” I said disappointed.

  I was just about to sit down at my desk when my phone rang. It was Anna asking about the interrogation. I filled her in as much as I could without breaking protocol and told her I would touch base in the morning.

  I doubted Talon would be talking even after his lawyer got here. He would probably be advised to cut a deal with the DA’s office. We might as well get him to booking with the charges we knew would stick. I hoped Anna would be okay to testify in court. The kidnapping and assault would yield the longest amount of jail time, so we really needed her testimony.

  I grabbed the paperwork from the printer and headed back to the interrogation room. As his lawyer hadn’t yet arrived, dragging Talon downstairs to booking was supposed to be an uneventful task. It wasn’t.

  A gush of wind from behind let me know someone was fast approaching. I had only turned halfway around before I heard a bellowing voice.

  “I’ll kill you Frederick! You hear me! Where’s my daughter, you scumbag piece of trash! Where are my daughter and grandkids?” His voice barreled down the hallway with a large frame to match. For being so large though, this man wasted no time on his feet.

  “Well, well, well, Mr. Money Bags father-in-law. Big Man, Jonathan Sturgis.” The large man was fuming and probably about to do something he would regret, so I blocked Talon with my body and yelled for assistance.

  Talon was smirking from ear-to-ear while mouthing off to his father-in-law. “Who’s the big man now, huh Daddy Dearest? I AM! I’M THE MAN ON TOP AND THERE’S NOTHING YOU OR YOUR MONEY CAN DO ABOUT IT!”

  Another officer ran over to help. He ordered Talon to shut up and escorted him to booking. Meanwhile, I subdued Mr. Burgis and firmly escorted him outside. I informed him this behavior was not tolerated and could get him arrested.

  “Listen, Mr. Sturgis. I know how upset you must be, but this is NOT the way to handle the situation. We are doing everything in our power to find your daughter and grandchildren. There’s a chance they’re hidden away safely somewhere. I assure you, we’ve been giving this case our full attention, okay?” I said calmly, yet firmly. “I would really hate to have to arrest a victim’s parent.”

  “Why do you think they are being stowed away somewhere? The news said there were two small bodies on the boat, assumed to be children,” he asked.

  It was apparent he was confused and upset and would not leave without some type of explanation, so I added, “It seems your son-in-law had a gambling problem that got out of hand and he may have been trying to ‘fake’ their deaths to escape it.”

  “That son of a bitch! I told my daughter from the start he was no good! That’s why I had her give him that pre-nup! Thank God I did! I could kill that bastard!” he shouted. Everyone in the parking lot turned to inquire about the ruckus, making sure their fellow officer was okay and didn’t need assistance.

  I put my hand up to let everyone know I was fine. “Mr. Sturgis, I need you to calm down. You cannot continue to make verbal threats like that. You should go home and let us do our job. Here’s my card. If your daughter contacts you, call me right away, okay?” I looked him right in the eyes, with my left arm on his shoulder. “Can you do that for me, Mr. Sturgis?”

  Mr. Money Bags nodded, apologized for losing his temper, thanked the police for doing a good job, and moped to his car like a scolded child who was unsure how to get into his parent’s ‘good graces’ again.

  I wiped my brow and headed to the coffee shop on the corner for a pick-me-up. The station’s coffee was thick black sludge that gave me chronic heartburn. I pulled out my cell to call the DA and fill him in on my way.

  | CHAPTER 22

  Deceased and On the Run

  I was getting stares from everyone in the precinct, as they salivated over my fancy latte and coffee roll. I tried to ignore them as I strutted back to my desk… again.

  I had a new pep in my step with the infusion of a double shot of espresso in my bloodstream. Also, after speaking to the DA’s office, it looks like they will be going for the maximum charges. Arraignment was set for tomorrow morning.

  Billings was on his way back from verifying the alibis of the Bigly Brothers. He had texted me they were out of town for the past week in Chicago, with plane tickets and hotel receipts to prove it. Damn! Another dead end.

  I was on my laptop typing up my notes in the Anna Romano case and chewing on my coffee roll when my phone rang.

  “Solace. Can I help you?” I said with my mouth full.

  For a moment, the line was silent.

  “Hello, is anyone there?” I asked, figuring this was probably just a prank from some bored kid.

  “I… I need to speak to the detective on the Frederick Talon case. My name is Dominique… Dominique Talon.”

  I sat in shock not believing what I had just heard
.

  Dominique Talon and I only exchanged a few sentences, but as I hung up the phone, everything made sense. She and the children were safe, and our next priority needed to be exhuming the body of Talon’s first wife, looking for an undetectable poison in the bloodstream, and following the money trail.

  Dominique left me with the final words: “Oh, and tell Anna I will miss her, and thank her for believing in me.”

  Now I understood everything. The source of Anna’s book was no longer a mystery. I would definitely be paying Ms. Romano a visit later this morning.

  The sun was just coming up and I had been up for 36 hours straight. I only knew of one other department that worked the same crazy hours. I picked up the phone to make a call to the coroner’s office. We had to exhume the body of Talon’s first wife and run the TOX screen again.

  “My, my… you’re up early detective!” Dr. Bernstein exclaimed quite boisterously from the other end of the phone line. I pulled the phone away from my face in case the energy was contagious. Boy did I hate morning people.

  “Actually, I never went to sleep. And you’re quite chipper at the crack of dawn! What gives?” I asked, slightly annoyed.

  “Well, unlike you, I DID sleep last night. And, had a long, hot shower this morning before coming in. Which is more than I can say about you! I can smell you all the way over here!” he laughed again boisterously — like a mall Santa Claus in December.

  It was a joke he used quite often, so I laughed along, as if it was the first time I had heard it.

  After all the niceties, I explained what I needed, and to my surprise, he said a request had come in from a long-lost sister a few weeks ago. The strangest thing was that the initial report never mentioned the deceased having any siblings.

  Dr. Bernstein continued, “I just got the body in the other day and ran another TOX screen, and found what you detectives like to call the ‘smoking gun’. Quite brilliant actually, from a criminal’s point of view! A drug called digitoxin, completely undetectable, that mimics the effect of cardiac arrest.”

  “Is this something that could be ingested accidentally?” I asked. Now on the edge of my seat with suspense, coffee roll tossed aside beginning to harden into a state of staleness.

  “Absolutely not! Not at these levels anyway. You know, some forensic scientists refer to this plant toxin as the ‘perfect’ murder weapon? I went ahead and changed the cause of death from ‘natural causes’ to ‘homicide by poison’ in the autopsy report and on the death certificate,” said Dr. Bernstein.

  “That’s excellent news Dr. Bernstein! I could kiss you right now! Thanks so much!” I shouted into the phone.

  “No need for that, detective. At least not until you’ve returned home and showered,” he chuckled heartily.

  I thanked him again and called the DA with the great news. They were able to add the murder of Talon’s first wife to the list of charges before arraignment in a few hours.

  I grabbed my keys to the squad car and headed home to freshen up before heading to Anna’s. I was excited to see her, but also a little hesitant after having learned the full story of how she knew Talon’s wife.

  On the way home, I notified Billings of the call from Talon’s wife, and instructed him to call off the search. I also filled him in on the new murder charges Talon was facing in the death of his first wife. We would have enough to get the death penalty, or at least life without parole.

  Looking in the rearview mirror, I noticed I needed a shave. It would be worth the extra half hour to look my best. As I drove, I was thinking about Anna’s relationship status, whether she was single or dating. My mind only snapped away from this thought as I drove up to my building.

  Home sweet home.

  | CHAPTER 23

  The Truth Shall Set You Free

  My cell phone was vibrating somewhere in between the couch cushions. When I finally dried my hands and ran from the kitchen to grab it, the noise had stopped and the icon for missed call shown on the Home screen. It was Detective Solace. I called him right back to see what he wanted.

  “Hi, it’s Anna. Anna Romano… sorry I missed your call!” I nervously rambled into the mouthpiece.

  “Yes, I know,” he chuckled. “I called you, remember?” Another chuckle.

  “I was wondering if I could stop by and fill you in on the case?” he asked.

  “Sure!” I responded. He said he would be here in 15 minutes. I hoped that was enough time to put on some makeup, fix my hair, and change my clothes! I must definitely like this man, I thought to myself. I don’t do that for Shirlene or even my own mother!

  I settled on my ‘hippest’ pair of jeans and my favorite flower print blouse just as the doorbell rang. Checking the mirror once more, I practiced a soft smile in the mirror and headed for the front door. I wanted to look happy to see him, not ecstatic (even though I kinda was).

  “Detective Solace, so nice to see you again,” I began, interrupted by his favorite feline friend rushing him at the door. “Oh! It looks like Tiny is happy to see you as well!” I exclaimed.

  He bent down to scoop up his new best friend and give him a knuckle rub on the top of his head. “Hey buddy! How are ya?” he said happily.

  He had such a warm spirit and loving smile.

  I led him into the kitchen, offering coffee and a slice of coffeecake. He happily accepted.

  “Have a seat, please,” I said.

  He proceeded to tell me from start to finish, what had happened with the case, starting with the interrogation and the loud incident with the father-in-law during his booking.

  I was managing a lot of oohs and ahs during the story all while dreaming about how I could get lost in those green eyes of his. I tuned back into his story, just as his eyes became even more animated with excitement.

  “So then, after I thought nothing else could surprise me about this case, I head back to my desk and get a strange call. You’ll never guess who it was!” he gestured rhetorically, with his hands open.

  I inquired with a spinning one-hand gesture insinuating “go on” and “tell me who” while nodding my head, and he continued.

  “Dominique Talon,” he said, while looking at my face trying to read my expression. It’s what he was trained to do, and no doubt, quite good at, so I thought carefully about my next move. It was like Scrabble with only a few moves left. Do I play my high point letter now or wait? Showing my hand could be dangerous. However, it was definitely time to show my hand to the detective. He deserved as much.

  “That’s wonderful! She’s alive! So, what did she have to say?” I asked, while feigning shock.

  “Yes, it is wonderful news,” he continued. “I learned about Talon’s first wife and how she really died. It seems she was poisoned with a drug that mimics a heart attack, and the coroner at that time completely missed it.”

  “We’ve since edited the cause of death to homicide and added that to the list of charges against him. If he cuts a deal with the DA, you won’t even have to testify. We have all the forensics we need to put him away for life.”

  I just looked at him in amazement, hardly able to believe everything had worked out for the best.

  “Oh, and one more thing,” he added.

  ‘What’s that?” I asked.

  “Dominique said to give you a message. That she will miss you, and to thank you for believing in her,” he said with his eyebrows raised and head tilted.

  The jig was up.

  I just sat at the kitchen table with my mouth slightly open.

  “I know everything Anna. Why didn’t you just tell me?” he prodded.

  It was time to come clean. “I couldn’t,” I murmured. “I couldn’t betray my source and put her life and the lives of her two children in jeopardy. I promised her that I would let the plan run its course, so that she and her kids could get away safely. However, I was never supposed to be a part of their story.”

  I explained to Detective Solace that Frederick Talon was more dangerous than anyone could im
agine by starting from the beginning…

  “Early on in their marriage, Dominique stumbled across a journal in the attic in some old boxes that belonged to her husband’s first wife. He probably had no idea it existed. In it, she detailed the abuse by the hands of her husband and her declining health. She believed he had been poisoning her for months, but not sure why or how to prove it. Was it in the tea he brought her every morning? Or perhaps the wine he poured her in the evening? While researching credit card receipts, she found a receipt for Foxglove (also known as Digitalis purpurea) from an internet supplier in Canada, but it was too late. She died the next day. Dominique checked her last diary entry and the date of death on the funeral program and confirmed it.

  She knew she had to find a way to expose the truth and get away safely with her children. Frederick would never let her go without a fight. He was an evil and sadistic man who had spent his life in a vengeful state of anger. You see, Dominique had learned that there were two sides to her husband: good and evil. On the outside, everyone saw him as a calm and gentle family man who doted on his family. But on the inside, he was an angry and spiteful man.

  So, when he came to Dominique with this plan to escape his gambling debts, she went along with it. She had discovered the empty accounts the day before and was petrified of her husband trying to dip into the children’s trust funds.

  He was all tears and remorse as he told his story of a weak, pathetic man who found consolation in gambling, but was not very good at it. He said that the only way to escape the men he owed money to, was to fake the deaths of her and the children. He would take the insurance money after filing the death certificates, pay them off, and then disappear. It was the perfect plan… until one day…

  One day, while setting the GPS for his favorite casino, her husband noticed an unfamiliar entry in the previous destinations list. Being the paranoid man that he was, he noted the address in his phone to check later.