Secretly, Paul was hoping if anyone was going to back out, it would be Pat. He resented that she’d telephoned her Daddy in Harrisburg and gotten someone to pull strings for her. And he didn’t like anything about her. A policeman’s instinct told him she’d never be anything but trouble.
I really hate the politics of this job. Paul reached into his pocket, fumbling for something to relieve the gnawing in his gut.
Sheski took a deep breath and said, “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m looking forward to getting started.”
Cold cases were always of interest to Sheski.
“Mike and I’ve always been able to work with anyone and through anything. It’ll be no different this time.”
Mike nodded in agreement. His plate was full with problems of his own right now and he didn’t want to add to them. If someone in Harrisburg wanted Pat on the case then that’s how it’s going to be. He vowed to document today’s conversation as he usually did with matters such as this just in case anything went wrong.
Paul was pleased, believing he’d won this round. He was glad he always won. That’s how it should be. He was already planning their operational strategy. Pat or no Pat, this case would be solved. He’d accept nothing short of that.
Pat smiled and looked at her new collaborators. “You said you were ready so let’s get started. We’re wasting time.” She decided to be polite for now - especially when Paul was watching.
Sheski nodded. She’s already telling us what to do. This is gonna be a long case.
Paul reminded them they’d be traveling together to Harrisburg on Friday. “I expect your plans for Teen Lovers as soon as we leave town in the morning.” He closed the door behind him on the way out. He leaned against the wall for a minute listening for complaining. Hearing nothing, he went to his office.
With the door closed and Paul’s words ringing in their heads, the three officers eyed each other warily.
Mike was sitting in his chair, white-knuckled hands gripping the armrests.
Sheski stood against the window frame, hands jammed deep in his pockets.
Pat had her arms folded across her chest and stood with one leg cocked out. Look at them. They’re still standing around, like dead weight. Old men doing a young woman’s job.
For a second or two, no one moved.
Sheski said, “Since we have to work together on this, let’s make some ground rules. We all pull our load. Period. It’s no secret Mike and I are used to working as a team of two. Well, we can do this as a trio if we agree to respect each other and work hard.” He emphasized the if. “That’s all I’ve got to say for now.”
Unwilling to let him have the last word, Pat replied, “As I said before, let’s stop sitting around and get started. I’m a worker not a watcher.”
Chapter Five
Lillian hated her doctor’s appointments. Despite having given birth twice, with all the exams involved in two pregnancies, she never seemed to get used to it. She had an appointment today and was disappointed not to have her husband with her to hold her hand. With Mike working long hours again, there was no way he could escort her. So, she had asked Lana to take her.
During dinner at The Bridge Stop, their favorite Danville diner, they chattered about their work, their men and the expected baby. Takeouts were ordered for Lillian to deliver to Mike at his office after her appointment. Once or twice, the new case their men were absorbed with came up. They speculated about what it was.
After their meal, Lillian drove them to the clinic where she was scheduled for an exam. Following that, the expectant mother drove Lana home before proceeding to the barracks to deliver Mike’s take-out dinner. She carefully maneuvered her stomach out from behind the steering wheel, grabbed the bag with the food and went to the barracks doorway.
Trooper Doug Zimmerman, one of the younger policemen, was near the entrance. He saw who was on their doorstep and hurriedly opened the door for the Lillian. He took the parcels from her and led her to where Mike, Sheski and Pat were poring over the many Teen Lovers documents.
Mike left his work and went to the doorway of the meeting room to answer the knocking. “Lillian,” he said lovingly. He nodded to Doug, who was carrying her bundles, then reached toward his wife and gave her an embrace. “Come on in. I’m so glad to see you. You’re a welcome change from these two,” he said beaming.
“Hi, Lillian,” Sheski said. “Don’t pay any attention to Mike. He really loves spending extra shifts at the job with his co-workers.”
Pat half-smiled at Mike’s wife, but offered no greeting. She ignored Doug because he was low on the totem pole and didn’t think he’d ever be able to help her move up within the department. Neither he nor Mike’s wife were of use to her.
Lillian smiled and, holding out her hand to the young woman said, “Hello, you must be Pat. Nice meeting you.”
Pat didn’t extend her hand. Instead, she nodded her head in Lillian’s direction and turned back to work.
Lillian raised her eyebrows at Pat’s back and pulled her hand back.
“I brought you three some dinner. You can share it with Doug if you’d like.” She looked over at the young policeman and said apologetically, “Sorry, Doug I didn’t realize you’d be here, too.”
“It’s okay.” He beamed at Lillian, smitten with her good looks.
“Back off,” Mike said kiddingly. “Can’t you see she’s taken.”
Lillian laughed. “I can’t stay,” she said to her husband. “I just missed you and thought I could brighten your evening with some good food. Hope you enjoy it.” She noticed Pat staring her up and down so reached for her husband’s hand. “Can you walk me to the car?”
“Sure. Let me get my coat. I’ll be right back,” he said to Sheski.
“Take your time, we’re not going anywhere,” Sheski said.
“Remember, we have a lot to do here and we don’t have all night,” Pat said. She turned her back on the couple and pulled more papers out of a box.
Lillian’s eyebrows went up again and she shot a quizzical look at Sheski who gave her a smile and shrugged his shoulders.
“I won’t keep him long,” she said. “Come on, Baby, walk me out.”
The two of them left, holding hands and smiling at one another.
“Is that the best you could do?” Sheski said to Pat. “Mike’s wife is one great woman. What’s your problem?” He turned to look at her.
She shot him a sour look. “Nothing. I just don’t like anyone interrupting us when we’re supposed to be working, that’s all. You guys find all kinds of excuses to take breaks. I’ll end up having to carry your dead weight.”
“Lighten up. That’s not true what you said about Mike and I and Lillian’s not just anyone. She’s Mike’s very pregnant wife, whom he happens to love. Don’t you enjoy anything or anyone?”
Using his remark as an opportunistic moment, Pat reached up, took the hairpins out from her hair and shook it loose. She took off her jacket, exposing a blouse sheer enough for the outline of her lingerie to be seen. “I know how to have a lot of fun,” she said, leaning against the table and stretching beautiful legs out in front of her. She cocked her head to the side and waited for his response.
Before Sheski could answer, he was rescued by Mike opening the door.
Spying the situation, Mike said, “You were right, Pat. Let’s get back to work. We can eat our food while we work.”
Pat picked up a folder. “Sure, whatever you say. We’re wasting time.”
Turning his back on Pat, he leaned toward Sheski and pointed to some official material he wanted him to comment on. He gave his partner a ‘What’s up?’ look and reached for the file he’d been working on before Lillian stopped by.
They spent the next few hours working with few words amongst them, passing documents back and forth.
Pat kept her jacket off, enjoying their obvious discomfort with her revealing top.
They finished reading most of the official documents and newspape
r accounts of the murders.
“Let’s call it a day,” Sheski said. “We can pick this up tomorrow. I want to call Lana and say goodnight to her before she goes to bed.”
Pat snapped to attention when Sheski mentioned Lana’s name.
Sheski caught her interest in the topic and said to Mike. “We have a dinner date tomorrow evening and I’m going to give her the engagement ring then.” He spied Pat’s frown and was pleased at her reaction. He didn’t want her getting any ideas about him. He wasn’t interested in her and he wanted to be sure she knew where she stood.
“Let me know how it turns out. I couldn’t be happier for you.” Mike said. “You’re lucky to have her. She’s one terrific woman. She could’ve done a lot better, though,” he said, laughing.
“Hey, I’ve got places to be, too. I’ll see you both tomorrow, bright and early so don’t be late,” Pat said. “Can I drop either of you off anywhere? How about you Mike?”
Neither man took her up on her offer.
Pat made a hasty exit.
Her co-workers could hear the tires on her car squeal as she left the parking lot.
“Was I seeing what I thought I was seeing?” Mike asked when he was sure Pat was off the premises.
“I don’t know, what did you think you were seeing?”
“From where I was standing it looked like Pat was coming on to you.”
Sheski looked uncomfortable. “Maybe. You came back just in the nick of time. If she tries anything with me, she’s gonna get an earful. I won’t stand for it,” Sheski said. “I think she’s trying to wear us down. Get us to ask Paul to take us off this case so she can handle it herself.”
“That’ll never happen,” Mike said. “This is too good to give up. And, I’m not gonna’ let her bully us into quitting.”
Sheski wondered if Pat hadn’t done her pitch to him for Mike’s benefit. He’d noticed how Pat watched Mike a lot and had been fine today until Lillian showed up. He wondered what she could want with Mike.
“It looks like we’ll have to keep an eye on her for more than one reason,” Mike said.
Chapter Six
The investigators began the day early at the state police barracks. Most of their time was spent reading and sharing documents. It was tedious work with each of them making copious notes.
Doug had recently given the team more archived pictures of the F. Q. Hartman Athletic Field at the time of the murders, the home Shirley Adams had lived in, and some other places relevant to the case.
The photos were carefully examined. Every once in awhile something would strike one of them as being particularly interesting and they’d read it aloud and discuss it.
The F. Q. Hartman Athletic Field rested solidly between the Susquehanna River and wooded land along the Northumberland Highway. The property invited an expansive view of the tree-sated Montour Ridge. It contained acreage donated for the town’s youth and their families to celebrate athletic talent. Football, baseball, track and field athletes, cheerleaders and band members, ran and jumped, year after year there. It was a setting too tranquil for what had happened to Shirley and Joey.
With their sports backgrounds, Mike and Sheski understood the symbolism of murders committed at such a community locale.
“Whoever murdered those kids chose the football field to make a point,” Mike said. “Maybe even to be ‘in the faces’ of the rest of the town.”
“I think you’re right. I don’t believe our killer was someone who enjoyed playing sports or other activities there,” Sheski said, pointing to a photo. “There are so many happy memories attached to a high school football stadium. It had to be someone who wasn’t involved in that. Someone who didn’t care if they did something horrible at such a well-liked and well-used field.”
“I agree,” Mike said. “The person we’re looking for harbored no good feelings for this place. No way.”
“I think you jocks are reading way too much into this,” Pat said. “Just about anyone could’ve done this. Maybe they wanted investigators to think it was someone unattached to sports. Maybe it was someone who’s smarter than you two. That’s not too hard to imagine.”
“Maybe. Maybe not,” Mike said. “But my money is on the guy or gal who never played or supported sports. Never joined any teams for that matter. This one may have some accomplices, but he or she’s a loner at heart. And, hey. I’ll match our record against yours any day.”
Pat shrugged her shoulders in response and said, “Whatever.”
Sheski was relieved when Pat had come to work dressed sensibly and hadn’t acted out sexually today. As far as he was concerned he’d just as soon forget her completely and get on with the work as if she wasn’t there.
Near lunchtime, Mike looked up from the report he’d been reading. Documents fanned out on the table in front of him,
Pat’s head was lowered as she studied her own materials.
Mike shifted his gaze to his partner. “Sheski,” he said.
Recognizing something different in Mike’s voice, Pat raised her eyes from her material and stared at him.
“Sheski,” Mike said again, before his friend had a chance to answer. He carried the file to where his partner was engrossed in newspaper accounts of the murders. Mike turned his back to Pat who was watching them and carefully opened the folder for Sheski to take a look.
“What?” Sheski murmured. “What do you have?”
Holding the local Police report in his hand, Mike whispered to his friend, “Did you read this?”
“No,” he whispered. “Why? What’ve you got?”
Mike motioned for Sheski to join him outside the room. The men moved to the door.
“We’ll be right back,” Mike said to Pat.
“What are you looking at?” Pat asked.
“I said, we’ll be right back.”
The detectives went down the hall to Sheski’s office where Mike closed the door. “Before I give this to you, I want to ask you something.”
“Sure. Anything.”
“Does Lana know what case you’re working on?”
“No. Why should she? I haven’t had a chance to discuss it with her. We just got the assignment and I’ve only talked to her a couple of times since then. Why do you ask? What’s up?”
“Stay seated, friend, because you’re in for a shock.” He placed papers on the desk in front of Sheski. It was the interview the Danville Police did with the Adams’s family following the discovery of their daughter Shirley’s body. It was dated Saturday, November 27, 1954, signed by Deputy Harris Davis.
Mike observed his friend as he read. The report began with the typical questions police might ask of the family. ‘When did you last see your daughter?’ ‘What was her frame of mind?’ ‘Did she seem alright to you?’ ‘Was she planning on meeting anyone?’ And so on, the questions continued. He got to the part that caught Mike’s attention.
The officer had asked who’d been in the house with Shirley prior to her going out on her date that evening. Mike watched Sheski’s face as he read where the family members were mentioned, including her seven-year-old sister Linda and her friends who were there for a pajama party: Barbara Clark, Cindy Fox, and Lana Stahl.
Sheski turned to Mike, not knowing what to say.
“Its almost noon, let’s take a break,” Mike said.
The door opened and an obviously annoyed Pat entered. “Hey, what’s going on? What’s in that?” She reached for the folder Mike was shielding.
Mike pulled back.
“First of all, knock before you enter our offices. Don’t you ever just open the door and come in without our saying you can. Second, we’re taking a break,” Mike said coldly. He pulled the folder back. “We’ll discuss it when we return.” He nodded to Sheski and they started for the door.
From the harsh sound of his voice she considered backing off, but thought again.
“Paul said we’re to share what we find. When I get back here after lunch you better be ready to tell me what’s
in that file.” She glared at them both and stomped out of the office, slamming the door.
After watching Pat’s car exit the parking lot, Mike and Sheski settled in the break room for coffee and lunch.
“It must be Lana,” Sheski said. “It must be. She’d be about seven-years-old then. And how many Lana Stahl’s can there be in that small town?”
Mike nodded. “That means Lana was at the home of Shirley Adams on the night Shirley and Joey were murdered. I wonder how much of the events of that night she remembers now? Did she see or hear something? You’ll have to find out.”
“I don’t know,” Sheski replied. “But we’re gonna have to ask her.” He paused a moment. “And tonight’s the night I planned on giving her the engagement ring.” He looked pained.
“Listen. You don’t have to ask her about the case right away,” Mike said. “Keep your plans as they are. You can break the news about your involvement in the reopening of this case after tonight. And you can talk to her about what she remembers after we come back from Harrisburg.”
“Good idea. I’ll talk to her about it Friday when we get back into town. It’ll be hard not to mention it before then. What about Pat? She’ll want to know what we’re keeping from her.”
“We’ll find something else to tell her. We have an hour until she’ll be back. She doesn’t need to know this now. We can let it slip another time as if we just learned it.
Mike was feeling sorry for Sheski and he was afraid this would complicate the case for both of them. Pat might even bring it to Paul’s attention with the intent of having Paul take Sheski off the case. She could make it look like she’s worried Lana’s involvement would jeopardize Sheski’s performance. Mike also felt bad Lana would have to dredge up memories she’d probably prefer to keep buried.
That evening
TEEN LOVERS: Murder Along the River Page 3