The End of Summer: Book One in The Detective Bill Ross Crime Series

by Irving Munro

  “Oh wait!” she shouted. “I do remember one other thing about the flashes of those girls. They all wore white dresses and had bright red lipstick!”

  Marie and Tommy literally ran back into the house to talk some more to Miss Nora McConnell. The details on the white dress and the red lipstick were never released to the public. Nora McConnell had “seen” the body of the dead woman in the yard of Jim and Mary McCord.

  Chapter 25 - The jigsaw

  2014 - The Cold Case Investigation

  They were back in Austin by midnight. It had been a long and tiring day, about six hours each way to Port Isabel. However, neither Tommy nor Marie got much sleep that night. Their minds were on fire. Elation would not have been too much of an exaggeration on how they felt.

  They decided not to call Jack or Bill from their car but rather wait until morning so that they could give a comprehensive report and answer any questions that they might have face to face rather than over the phone. They would also have to update the catalogue of facts now overflowing on the white board.

  The next morning in the conference room, they provided their briefing on their trip to meet with Nora McConnell.

  “There is no doubt in our minds that Nora McConnell saw the dead woman,” said Tommy. “We have no idea how this little old lady can possibly have such a gift but there is no doubt that she has it.”

  “Were you able to get any more detail from her?” asked Jack. “For example, did she say the body was next to a pool or on a recliner?”

  “No, she didn’t. She said that all she saw was a face and shoulders, so she could tell that it was a white dress of some sort. She did say again that she was close to water and that she had been cleansed.”

  “Did she say anything about the hat and the sunglasses?” pressed Bill.

  Tommy’s heart dropped as he said, “No, she said that the woman she saw had blond hair. No hat, no sunglasses.”

  “How the heck can that be? She had those on when we found her,” said Jack with some degree of incredulity.

  Marie’s eyes widened as she said, “Perhaps the ‘snapshot’ she saw was before the killer put the hat and sunglasses on her! There are definitely questions, Jack but I believe she saw the dead woman.”

  Jack looked at both Marie and Tommy and said, “OK, her transcript said that she saw ‘others.’ How many others did she say she saw?”

  “Good question,” said Marie, “We forgot to tell you that she reckoned it was five or six but she wasn’t sure.”

  “Five or six! Are we saying we could have a serial killer here?”

  “If what she says is true, it sure sounds like it,” chimed in Bill.

  “If it turns out we have a serial killer on our hands, we would have to bring in other agencies, including the FBI. If we went to them with what we’ve got right now, they would laugh us out of Dodge! No, we need to gather more evidence before we go down the serial killer route,” concluded Jack. “Let’s switch gears here and get to husband of the year.”

  “According to Herman Lutz, he’s a right piece of work,” said Marie.

  Jack turned to Bill and asked, “What do you think? How do we take it from here on McCord?”

  “We need to validate. We need more opinions,” responded Bill. “We need to talk to everyone who knows him reasonably well and start to build a mosaic of Jim McCord. It would be wrong for us to run off half cocked with only Herman Lutz’s ranting.”

  They decided to split the McCord contacts for interview into five categories:

  1. Family

  2. Friends in Austin

  3. Friends in Pagosa Springs

  4. College friends

  5. Work friends and acquaintances

  “This is going to be a slog people, but there was no other way to do it,” said Jack.

  “Tommy and Marie, you guys take the Pagosa Springs connection. Get up there and interview neighbors and friends. Bill, you take college friends and the research on other murder cases involving women, white dresses, water, etc. I’ll take Austin and talk with everyone here who knows him,” continued Jack.

  “The clock is running on this and Chief Dunwoody is getting antsy. We will have regular update meetings as needed and for those of us who cannot be here in person, you must find a way to call in for the briefings. Bill, can you set up Google Hangout so we can use it for real-time video collaboration? That’s it for now team, so let’s get back at it.” Jack left to brief the Chief.

  The pieces of the jigsaw were beginning to fit but as of yet, no clear picture was emerging. It was clear that there was a guy with a beard and glasses in the picture but was Jim McCord the killer? More pieces of the puzzle would have to be found and assembled before they could reach that conclusion.

  Chapter 26 - A single dad

  2014 - The Cold Case Investigation

  To enable him to make the trip down to Port Isabel, Tommy again had to rely on help from Elaine. She made sure that Claire was picked up from day care and brought to Mimi’s house for dinner and a sleep over. She then took Claire to day care the following morning and Tommy picked her up later that night.

  Life was tough as a single parent and a police officer. It had taken him a couple of years to get over the death of his wife. He tried to talk with Claire about it as best he could but the older she got, the more questions she had about why others in day care had mommies and daddies to pick them up.

  He tried to explain that mommy was in heaven but the concept was tough for a four year old.

  Once he had come to terms with the death of his wife, Tommy had tried online dating sites. He was lonely and came home every night to an empty house. After a long day in the office having to get Claire fed, bathed and off to bed was exhausting. He then had to get on with the other normal household chores. The laundry needed to be washed, folded and put away. Claire’s toys had to be picked up and dishes had to be washed. All this sapped what remaining energy he had and he would routinely collapse into bed at midnight, totally exhausted.

  He needed to find another mate. He needed to find love again. The dating sites were a disaster. All of the thirty and forty year olds had baggage, some more than others. Tommy was a single dad, so he thought the best approach would be to find a single mom. He was shocked at how many were out there. He met a couple of dates for early morning coffee on the weekend. He was careful not to involve Claire and he again got help from Elaine to enable him to do that. The first few he met were disappointing. It was obvious that they were just looking for a man to help them raise their kids and protect them. They were desperate and it showed.

  He then met Sylvia and really liked her. She had one young son, a year older than Claire and they decided to go out for a drink together one Saturday night while Claire slept over at Mimi’s house. It turned out to be a great night. There was no sex involved on this first date. Tommy simply dropped Sylvia off at her mother’s house and went home.

  Later that night, he heard a knock on the front door. He grabbed his handgun, placed it within easy reach and asked who was at the door. It was 4 AM. It was Sylvia’s ex. He had been following them all night and now was at Tommy’s front door throwing out obscenities and threats. Tommy didn’t open the door and when he calmly explained he was a cop, the ex-husband left in a flash.

  Afterwards, Tommy couldn’t get back to sleep and was even more exhausted the next day. It couldn’t go on like this, he thought. He had to find someone and while it might take time, the dating sites were not the answer. The bars were not the answer either. He would have to meet someone in a social gathering and although Tommy was not particularly religious, he decided that church might be an answer. He could take Claire with him to church so she could get benefit from the support of the Christian community.

  He made up his mind. He would look for a church close by and give it a try.

  Chapter 27 - Fran Taylor

  2005 - A Great Adventure

  Pavel kept the Triumph close behind the Cadillac SUV as they drove north o
n I-25. Galina sat on the back with her arms wrapped tightly around Pavel. He was the love of her life but she still had reservations about the change of plan. They had spent months planning their escape from Pikesville and all it took was a chance meeting to toss those carefully prepared plans out of the window.

  But when they made the exit off I-25 on to the 84 North to Pagosa Springs, her mood instantly brightened. The scenery took her breath away.

  Growing up in Pikesville, Galina had never travelled out of the state. Her parents worked every hour they could to make the restaurant a success and never took vacations. Even her high school trips were all within the state. For the first time in her life Galina witnessed first hand the spectacular diverse landscape of the US. She had only read about this in textbooks and she now realized that photographs did not do justice to this amazing scenery. Galina drank it all in in. This must have been what it was like for Lewis and Clark minus the roads, homes, and overhead power cables.

  The 84 North wound its way through Northern New Mexico and into Southern Colorado. Her fears about the side trip to Vail began to subside as the Triumph ate up the miles passing through the Santa Fe State National Forest, Carson National Forest, past Lake Heron National Park and crossing the border into Colorado.

  The scenery in Colorado was even more dramatic. They entered the Rio Grande National Forest, passed within a few miles of Pagosa Springs and arrived at the River Bend Campground nestled in the pines on the south fork of the Rio Grande.

  That night, they fell asleep to the gurgling of the river, the scent of pine and the gentle hooting of a tawny owl calling his mate.

  ~

  After a good night’s sleep, they awoke, ate breakfast and continued on the second leg of their journey to their new home. Within a few miles of Vail, the road wound its way through the majestic mountains and the towering firs of the National Forest. After passing by the Breckenridge and Copper Mountain ski resorts, Galina saw, for the first time, the stands of towering Aspen trees with their shimmering silver bark. They were standing in formation to welcome her to her new adventure in Colorado.

  Vail was like an alpine village with taverns and every Swiss-German restaurant imaginable. It is the playground of the rich with expensive upscale boutiques and craft stores, offering every luxury item designed to relieve the seasonal, well-healed visitors of their wealth. Skiing is the sport of choice in the winter and golfing and fishing in the summer.

  The LSU crew had rented an apartment in West Vail, a sister township, where those who worked in the businesses in Vail Village lived. Luckily, it had four bedrooms, so the living accommodations worked for the three couples and Fran. Last year, they promised their bosses they would return again in 2005, so they all had jobs waiting for them in town.

  Gail had a waitressing job in the Lions Head Tavern. Back in Albuquerque, she called the owners to ask if they could use more help for the summer. To her delight, they said that they needed another waitress and after hearing about Galina’s experience, she was hired. Pavel, on the other hand, had to look for work and the morning after their arrival, he went off to look for a job.

  It took Pavel two weeks to get a job as a waiter and busboy at the Sonnenschein Resort and Spa. He worked the late shift in the main restaurant from 3:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Galina worked at the Tavern from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM and often got some overtime finishing at 9:00. It was hard work for both of them. When Pavel arrived back in the apartment after midnight each workday, he was so tired that he climbed in to bed and was instantly asleep.

  They had fun on their days off. They both had managed to work their schedules so they could spend their free time together. They met a guy who was a regular in the Lions Head Tavern who worked in a bike rental place. He helped them score free bikes whenever they wanted. Every once in a while, they went off on their own and made sandwiches to picnic by the river. They were making great money and saving every penny that they could. They both agreed that it had been the right decision to take this three-month side trip. This opinion would soon change.

  ~

  Galina and Pavel planned their wedding for the 3rd of July, as they all had the fourth as a holiday. Pavel chose Rocky as his best man while Gail, Adelaide, and Fran were the bridesmaids. They had filed the necessary documents to get their marriage license almost immediately after they had arrived in Colorado, so all of the necessary paperwork was in order.

  The ceremony was set to take place at the Eagle County Office of Clerk and Recorder in Eagle Vail. Afterwards, they would take the gondola to the top of the mountain to the wedding platform where the “rich” wedding ceremonies took place. It was agreed that Lani, who had taken photography as one of his elective subjects at LSU, would take the official wedding photographs.

  It was July 2nd and Galina got out of bed as the rising sun broke through the curtains. She grabbed a breakfast bar, kissed the sleeping Pavel on the cheek and left for work. She caught the bus every day at the end of the street and today was no different. When she arrived, Sabine Ruess, the owner of the Lions Head Tavern, told her to lay the tables for the lunch crowd and then to take the rest of the day off.

  “You need to go home and take time to prepare for the big day, dear!” said Sabine.

  Galina thanked Sabine, set the tables, and left the Tavern about 12:30 to catch the bus back to West Vail.

  When she opened the door to the apartment, she knew instantly that something was not right. She could hear what she thought were voices coming from inside. She expected to find Pavel preparing to leave for his shift but “voices?”

  She opened their bedroom door. Fran Taylor was naked and bent over their bed, her legs spread with Pavel thrusting from behind. Fran looked up, saw Galina and smiled. Galina ran into the bathroom and threw up.

  She ran out of the apartment with no idea of where she was going or what she was going to do. In the last fifteen minutes, her life had fallen apart.

  “Why did you do this to me!” she yelled at the top of her voice as she ran. “You bastard, Pavel and you fucking whore, Fran!”

  A few minutes later she was bent over a railing, looking down at the river. She thought about jumping. The torrent below could take her and in an instant wash away all of her pain. She was hysterical.

  Galina was shaking almost uncontrollably. She pulled out her phone and called Gail Anderson at the Tavern. When she told Gail what had happened, she was not as shocked as Galina had expected her to be.

  “Where are you?” asked Gail.

  When Galina responded, Gail said, “Well, stay there. I will borrow Sabine’s car and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  About twenty minutes later, Gail arrived in Sabine’s Toyota SUV and Galina jumped in.

  “So tell me again what happened?” asked Gail.

  As they drove back to the Tavern, Galina explained the situation to Gail. How she found the love of her life deep inside a whore named Fran. How her whole life felt shattered and broken.

  Twenty minutes later, they were back at the Tavern and sitting with Sabine Ruess.

  “This must be devastating for you, Galina. I am so sorry!” said Sabine. “You have your job here at the Tavern for as long as you need it!”

  “I’m not going back to that apartment,” sobbed Galina.

  “You can stay in one of the bedrooms here in the Inn. We have one empty room tonight and tomorrow. Then we’re full for the next six days. I can give you some toiletries and Gail can go back to the apartment and get your clothes and stuff.”

  Gail nodded and said, “I can do that. You just need to tell me where everything is in your room.”

  Over the next day, the others in the LSU crew rallied around her and offered their support. They told her that they had sensed that Fran had been trying to seduce Pavel and like everything else Fran did, saw it as just a challenge, another conquest to be made. They suspected that she never had any desire for a lasting relationship with Pavel. They all agreed that Fran was a piece of work.

  Pav
el and Fran were nowhere to be found. He called Galina constantly on her cell. She ignored them. Adelaide and Gail tried to spend as much time as they could with Gail to make sure that she was OK and didn’t do anything stupid.

  For the next two nights in the bedroom at the Inn, Galina lay awake for the longest time, trying to make sense of it all. Whether he was seduced or not, he had betrayed her trust and in an instant of lust, destroyed her life and her dreams. Her sixth sense had kicked in when she first met Fran. There was something about her that didn’t feel right. She vowed that she would never make that mistake ever again.

  ~

  The following morning, Galina met with Sabine. Galina had decided to return home to Pikesville. Sabine suggested that she might want to take some time and not just run home. That perhaps she should stay the summer in Colorado and then make a decision when she was less emotional.

  “I can’t stay any longer in the Inn and I can’t stay here in Vail,” cried Galina, “I have to get out of here!”

  Sabine offered an alternative she had been working on.

  “I have a good friend who owns a sports bar in Pagosa Springs. If you would like, I could call her and see if she needs help for the remainder of the summer?”

  Galina agreed that it would be an option that she would consider, and Sabine made the call.

  Heidi Braun owned the San Juan Sports Bar and Grill on San Juan Street in Pagosa. She offered Galina an ideal scenario. If Galina was willing to help out around the restaurant, Heidi would allow her to stay in an Airstream trailer that was parked out back of the bar rent free.

  It was the first good thing Galina had heard in days. This was a way for her to get out of Vail quickly and, as Sabine had suggested, a way to buy time to get her head straight. She took the job.

  That weekend, Adelaide, Gail, Rocky, and Lani drove with Galina to Pagosa Springs. Heidi Braun was a good woman; she welcomed Galina with open arms and just like Sabine, offered to support her through this difficult time.