by Teri Ames
“I have some really good weed, if you like that better.”
Shannon smiled. “Thanks, but I’m good.”
The group danced until three o’clock in the morning. The club was still raging when Amy and Shannon took a cab back to Amy’s apartment. Shannon probably would have called it quits sooner, but Amy was having a good time with her high school friends, and Shannon hadn’t wanted to ruin it for her.
“I can’t believe you didn’t drink anything,” Amy said in the back of the cab. “We’re not at school, so they can’t kick you out for drinking.”
“I know. I didn’t need it. It was just fun being there. Seeing it.”
Chapter 24
Thursday, January 16, 2014
“KEENAN BRODY, you are under arrest for domestic assault. Please turn around so I can cuff you.” Dustin had been waiting for Keenan to walk out of the locker room after practice for five minutes. It had been five minutes of pleasant anticipation.
“What? Who did I assault?” Keenan turned around so the Shores could handcuff him.
“Shannon Dawson. You have the right to remain silent...”
Dave Patterson grabbed his arm and led him from the building while Dustin continued the Miranda warning. There was a police car idling in the No Parking zone in front of the athletics complex, white exhaust billowing from the tailpipe into the frigid late-afternoon air. Dustin opened the back door and pushed Keenan into the back seat.
“There has to be a mistake,” Keenan said once the car was moving.
“There’s no mistake,” Dustin said.
“Is Shannon back? Did she accuse me of this?”
“Nice try kid. You know she’s not coming back.”
“Then, how could I have assaulted her?”
“We have witnesses to the fight you two had before she disappeared.”
“What fight?”
“At the party.”
“We didn’t fight.”
“Save it for your lawyer, kid,” Patterson said. He was driving and didn’t see the exasperated look that Dustin gave him. Patterson was a sergeant, for Christ sake. He should know better than to discourage a subject from talking post-Miranda.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the MFPD building. They took Keenan to the booking room, the same room where he had provided fingerprints, and removed his cuffs. Dustin was relieved that Patterson left, locking the door on the way out.
“When can I talk to my father?” Keenan said.
Dustin was shuffling papers and took his time answering. “You can call someone as soon as we’re done with the paperwork. What do you weigh?”
“Two-ten. What’s going to happen to me?”
“When we’re done here, you’ll have a chance to tell your side of the story.”
“When do I get a lawyer?”
“Do you want one? Because if you do, you can call one as soon as we’re done with the booking. Or, if you can’t afford one, we’ll call the public defender for you. Benny doesn’t like to make cell calls, but he’ll talk to you on the phone. But, if you go that route, you may not have a chance to tell us your side of the story.”
“What story? I have no idea what I’m accused of.”
“Do you want to talk to me? If you do, I can give you the details, but first you need to sign a written Miranda waiver.” Dustin pulled a half-sheet of paper out of the desk drawer. “It just says that you understand your rights, but you’re willing to waive them. It’s pretty straight forward.” Dustin put a pen on the table next to the form.
“I want to talk to a lawyer.”
Shit, Dustin thought. The law was clear. If a suspect in custody clearly requested a lawyer, the police were prohibited from asking any more questions. “Doesn’t surprise me at all,” he said.
“I need to call my father. He’s got the name of a good lawyer.”
“Of course he does.”
Dustin painstakingly filled in the printed form. He wanted to drag this out as long as possible. He may not be allowed to ask questions, but there were other ways to get people to talk. Sometimes impatience caused people to make admissions. Finally, Dustin got up and stretched.
“I’ll get you the phone now.”
“Can it be a private conversation?”
“Got something to hide?”
“I just want to know.”
“Yeah, we don’t record attorney phone calls.”
“I’m calling my dad so he can call an attorney.”
“I’ll shut off the sound, but the video will be rolling. It’s a security issue.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Dustin watched the kid on the closed circuit. As promised, he had turned the sound off. He didn’t want the case thrown out on a technicality. The kid looked scared while he was talking on the phone. That was good. He was more likely to let his guard down and give them something they could use. Dustin waited and watched him for five minutes after Keenan had hung up. Then, he went back into the interrogation room and sat across from Keenan.
“What will it be?” Dustin said.
“My dad’s calling a lawyer.”
“That’s okay, I’m in no hurry. I’ll sit here with you until someone shows up.”
“I’d rather be alone right now, if that’s okay.”
Damn. This kid was tough. Of course, he’d have to be to kill his girlfriend in cold blood and then go about his business like nothing happened. It was clear he wasn’t going to get anything more from the kid tonight. He’d better get on the phone with a judge and see if he could get the kid held without bail until morning. The judges didn’t usually do that for misdemeanor domestics, but maybe they would make an exception.
While Dustin was faxing his affidavit of probable cause to Judge Whippet, Barry Densmore came to the window and asked for Keenan. That was not good. Barry was arguably the best defense attorney in the county. He exuded confidence in a tailored suit. His shoulder-length silver ponytail was evidence of his contempt for convention. The kid had to be guilty if he was hiring Barry.
As expected, the judge set temporary bail. The lawyer made some calls and a half hour later the kid strolled out of the station like his arrest was nothing more than a minor setback. Of course, the kid probably wasn’t worried because he was only looking at a misdemeanor. Dustin knew that he needed to find the body. It was probably only a matter of time. Unless he buried her. Or hid the body somewhere so he could bury it later. God, it would piss him off if the kid actually got away with this.
Dustin planned on being in court in the morning. He didn’t usually go to arraignments. But, then again, he didn’t usually handle homicide cases either. He wanted to be there every step of the way.
Chapter 25
Friday, January 25, 2014
OLIVIA HAD sat behind the prosecutor at the arraignment and studied the boy who had in all likelihood killed her daughter. She should have felt relieved that they were finally doing something, but Olivia knew in her heart it was not enough. When his lawyer had said, “not guilty,” she’d wanted to scream. There had to be something more she could do.
A few days later, the Adams Gazette had run the story front and center.
MC Hockey Player Arrested in Disappearance of Coed
By MANNY RODRIGUEZ
Masterson College Sophomore Keenan Brody was arraigned in Adams County District Court last Friday on charges related to the disappearance of freshman Shannon Dawson. Dawson has been missing since December 21 of last year and is presumed dead. According to an affidavit filed by MFPD Officer Dustin Shores, the investigation into Dawson’s disappearance revealed that she had been dating Brody for several months, and that on the night of her disappearance the two had quarreled at an off-campus party. According to witnesses, during the quarrel, Brody struck and shook Dawson with significant force. Dawson left the party and Brody followed her. Dawson was never heard from again.
Brody is a left wing for the MC varsity hockey team. His teammate, Rob McPherson, described him as a solid defender who knows how
to play rough. When asked whether he thought his teammate was capable of killing his girlfriend, McPherson replied, “Everybody’s capable of murder.” Brody could not be reached for comment. His mother said, “Our hearts go out to Shannon’s parents, but I know my son. He would never have done anything to harm her. I’m sure of it.”
Brody was charged with misdemeanor domestic assault. If convicted, he could be imprisoned for up to 18 months. He is represented by Attorney Barry Densmore. Densmore did not return a call to his office.
When asked why he had not charged Brody with the murder, State’s Attorney Fred Dutton said, “It’s hard to prove murder without a body. There was clear evidence of an assault, so we decided to charge that. If more evidence comes to light, we will reevaluate the charges.”
A day later the story went statewide. A week later it went national and viral. Shannon’s picture was too pretty to resist. The Times and the Post both carried stories insinuating that Keenan was getting away with murder. There were numerous quotes from Manny’s first story on Shannon’s disappearance, when her parents had talked about her bright future and her dream of following in her father’s footsteps and becoming a doctor.
The local CBS affiliate offered to sponsor a candlelight vigil for Shannon.
“I’m not sure,” Olivia said when they called her.
“It will help keep your daughter’s story in the news. Make it more likely she’s found.”
“What will you do?”
“We’ll put up posters, get some candles and some flowers.”
“What do I have to do?”
“You just get up and talk about your daughter. And, of course, give us the exclusive interview afterward.”
The vigil was scheduled for Friday. That night, a blown-up picture of Shannon was placed on an easel at the top of the chapel steps, which were adorned with lusterless dried flower arrangements.
Olivia stood on the steps and watched as students came forward to speak about Shannon. It was surreal. She didn’t know these people, had never even heard of them. Yet, they were crying for her lost daughter. Did they really know Shannon? Their grief somehow felt as fake as the flowers.
After half an hour, Olivia was invited to speak. She had prepared something earlier in the day. Her hands shook as she took off her gloves and unfolded the piece of paper. She had to breathe deeply for a few breaths before she was ready to begin.
“Thank you all for coming here tonight. It means a lot to my husband and me that Shannon is so respected and missed by her college community. I would give anything to have my daughter back. But today marks the five-week anniversary of her disappearance. I know that means that she is probably not coming back, no matter how hard I wish it.” Olivia bowed her head and tried to compose herself. When she looked up, tears were streaming down her face.
“My daughter was a special person. Bright, loving, giving. I will love her forever. Her father and I both will.” Olivia swallowed, her hand moving to her throat. “She never did anything to harm anyone. She doesn’t deserve whatever happened to her. And I will see that the person responsible for taking my daughter from us pays for what they have done. I will not rest until my daughter gets justice.”
After a brief statement from the dean, assuring everyone that the Masterson campus was still as safe as ever, the attendees raised their candles to a verse of “Kumbaya.”
All the local television stations ran footage of the vigil. The thousand lights on the lawn of the chapel were a powerful image as was Olivia Dawson’s tearstained face when she delivered her vow to avenge her daughter’s presumed death.
The next day, the Burlington paper ran a story about the vigil with the headline “Mother of Missing Masterson Coed Vows To Seek Justice Against Hockey Player.” There were three pictures: Olivia, Shannon, and Keenan. Keenan’s picture was cropped from the hockey team photo taken at the beginning of the season.
Olivia was exhausted. She didn’t relish the media attention she was getting, but she knew that if there was any hope at all of finding Shannon, the media was her best bet. The police sure as hell hadn’t been effective. Even the private investigator had not come up with anything useful and had returned to New York after submitting a hefty bill.
She knew she looked like crap on the television, but for the first time in her life she was beyond caring. After an entire month in this winter wasteland, she would give anything to get back to California, but there was no way she was leaving until they found Shannon. She was still pissed at Jack for leaving her here alone to cope, but she knew that if she joined him, her daughter’s case would go on the back burner. She was determined to do whatever she had to do to keep her daughter’s memory alive and people looking for her.
Chapter 26
Friday, November 29, 2013
SHANNON AND Amy spent the day after Thanksgiving shopping and going to museums. They returned to Amy’s apartment just before dinner laden with handled, logo-labeled shopping bags.
“Do you want to go out tonight?” Amy said.
“Would you be disappointed if we stayed in and watched a movie?” Shannon said.
“Not at all. I live here, so I can do New York any time. I just wanted to give you a chance to see it.”
“I feel like I saw all of it today. I’m exhausted.”
“Are you ready for your talk with Jake tomorrow?”
“I’m dreading it, if that’s what you mean, but I have to tell him.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. If you guys agreed to see other people, then you don’t have to tell Jake anything.”
“I’m in love with Keenan. And he’s in love with me. I think this is it. You know what I mean?
“That’s pretty intense.”
“That’s why I owe it to Keenan to end things with Jake.”
“Have you heard from Keenan this weekend?”
Shannon smiled. “He’s sent me about a hundred text messages.”
“Do you want me to go with you to Jake’s?”
“No, he’s going to come here to get me tomorrow morning. I’d never find his dorm on my own.”
“Great. I can’t wait to meet him.”
KEENAN READ Shannon’s text message. It sounded like she and Amy were having an action-packed weekend in New York City. He missed her so much he ached, but he was glad she was having a good time. He only had one more day to hang out with his family before he had to go back to campus for hockey practice. At least he’d be busy and the time would go quickly.
“CWTSY Sunday!” he texted before he went to sleep. He really couldn’t wait to see her.
SHANNON LAY in bed and rehearsed what she would say to Jake. She loved him. She would probably love him forever. But she was in love with someone else. She hoped they could stay friends. She tried it out a zillion different ways, but none of them felt right. Because no matter how she said it, Jake was going to hurt. And she knew from experience how that felt.
Chapter 27
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
USUALLY, MARCH came in like a lion and went out like a lamb. That year, the entire month of March was colder and snowier than normal. Then, almost as if a switch were flipped, the temperatures soared at the beginning of April. After three days in a row in the seventies, on April 7, the sun warmed things up to a record-breaking eighty-two degrees. Everything started melting, and melting fast. The rivers rose to flood stage, causing flood watches for the entire northeast including Northeastern New York, Vermont, Northern New Hampshire and Northern Maine.
Then, as if to add insult to injury, the heavy rain came.
The chief was eating lunch when the dispatcher buzzed his intercom.
“I think we found her.”
The chief did not have to ask who, and the next question was obvious. “Dead?”
“Unless she’s got gills.”
“Where is she?”
“Bunch of whitewater kayakers found her a quarter-mile below the falls. They’re waiting for you on the west bank.”
&n
bsp; It only took the chief a minute to find Dustin and three more minutes to get down to the river. Four brightly colored kayaks marked the spot along the creek.
“Thank you for calling us. Can you show us where the body is?”
“It looks like it’s hung up under a strainer about twenty feet off shore.” A kayaker pointed.
The chief squinted at them. “What’s a strainer?”
“An underwater log.”
The chief surveyed the landscape and saw no realistic way to retrieve the body. He excused himself and called Colchester Technical Rescue. They were an hour away, but they were also the only ones in the area equipped for an underwater retrieval.
The chief and Dustin took statements from each of the four kayakers. When they were done he said, “I don’t think you guys should hang around here for the next part. It’s not going to be pretty.”
“We could go out there and get a rope around her for you,” the kayaker said.
The chief was only half listening. “I appreciate the offer, I really do. But this is a law enforcement matter. I’d better let the rescue experts handle it.”
“You mind if we put back in here? We have a car parked a mile downstream.”
The chief figured it wouldn’t make much difference. “Yeah, just go downstream a bit.”
A few minutes later, the first of the curious bystanders appeared. The kayakers had probably called their friends while they were waiting for the police. The chief had Dustin string up yellow tape to keep the area clear for the rescue people to work.
While they were waiting for CTR, the chief called the state’s attorney. Five minutes later Fred Dutton showed up at the waterfront.
“What do you want me to do about a medical examiner?” the chief asked. “Normally, I would call one of the assistant MEs, but...” The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was in Burlington. Two physicians covered the entire state, but each county had its own assistant medical examiners who handled the routine cases. They were usually nurses or paramedics who had received special training in forensics.