Evidence of Murder

by Samuel Roen

  “Do you know whose gun it was, who owned it?” Weir asked.

  “When I first asked about that, no one answered me. Later, I was with Nancy alone, and I asked her about the gun. She admitted to me that it belonged to John Huggins.”

  Linnert prompted, “Did anything else happen that day, the twenty-sixth?”

  “Nancy, her kids, John and I went to Cocoa Beach to the pier, where we had lunch. And Nancy had several drinks, too many drinks. She got drunk. We returned to the hotel room, and Nancy passed out in the bedroom.”

  Melanie Cramden closed her eyes, wondering if she should have disclosed Nancy’s excessive drinking. She paused and the detectives encouraged her to go on.

  “Sometime in the evening—”

  Linnert interrupted, “On the same day, the twenty-sixth?”

  “Yes, the same day. It was about seven o’clock when John picked up the keys to Nancy’s van and he took off.”

  “Do you know where John went?” Linnert asked.

  “No, I don’t have any idea and I sure wouldn’t ask him, because you don’t ask John Huggins questions at any time.” She rubbed her hands together nervously.

  “When did you see him again?”

  “He was gone for about two hours. And he didn’t say anything to me when he got back. The kids were watching a TV show when he came in, and he just walked into Nancy’s room.”

  “What happened after that?” Weir asked.

  “Pretty soon Nancy came out of the bedroom and asked me to go with her to pick up some food for the kids, since they hadn’t eaten any dinner yet.”

  “Is that what you did, went out to get some food?”

  Cramden nodded and said, “I was ready to get out for a little fresh air and I was glad that Nancy asked me to go with her. As we were driving along in her van, that gun slid out from under the seat. I picked it up and handed it to Nancy. She smiled casually and put it into her bag. We drove around looking for a place to buy something for the kids, but most of the restaurants were closed. She finally stopped at a Dunkin’ Donuts and got some doughnuts. We also got some sandwiches at a 7-Eleven.”

  Linnert asked, “What happened next?”

  Cramden said, “The next day, the twenty-seventh, we checked out of the Royal Mansions. We all stood around for a while and then we went into the snack bar for coffee. At this time we talked about John and discussed the possibility of him riding back with us to Greenwood, Delaware. After that was decided, the talk centered on John again, and in that conversation it came out that he was wanted for DUI.”

  Melanie stated that she didn’t really know what John and Nancy’s game plan was about the DUI. “But it seemed logical that he wanted to get out of the jurisdiction of that charge, and going to Delaware offered him an out.”

  Also at this point, she said, it was decided that John’s kids would be dropped off with John’s mother. “While at his mother’s, Nancy pointed out a blue Taurus and said that it was John’s car.

  “From there we drove back toward Melbourne and checked into a motel. Nancy and John left and came back after a while and he was beaming with pride, like he’d hit the jackpot. I guess he had. He had a stash of marijuana that he picked up somewhere.” Melanie seemed somewhat embarrassed to tell them that information, but she continued. “I stayed with some of the kids, while Nancy took her youngest and drove to her mother’s home to pick up Angel’s son for the trip back to Maryland, where he lived with his father.

  “John was in a hurry to check out. He explained that Angel found out that he was with Nancy at the Royal Mansions and he was afraid that she was going to show up here.”

  The detectives were hard put to keep up with the activities of the group.

  Cramden went on with her tale. “Later that same day, we left for Delaware. Our party now included Nancy and her children, me, John and Angel’s son. He was to be returned to his father in Easton, which is close to Greenwood, Delaware, our destination.”

  “Your simple trip to Orlando to see Disney World certainly became a complicated travelogue,” Detective Weir commented.

  “It certainly became involved,” she agreed. “But as I look back, I can tell you that seeing Walt Disney World made it worthwhile. We drove straight through, with no stops, other than for gas and the bathroom. We went to Salisbury first, rather than to Easton to drop off Austin Junior. We wanted to get John Huggins settled in a hotel room.”

  She paused. “All the while we were together, Nancy and John Huggins were getting tighter.” She stopped and added, “And then there was Tom.”

  Cramden quickly explained that Tom is Nancy’s live-in boyfriend.

  “Somehow Tom learned that Nancy was back in town. Meanwhile, it was John and Nancy’s intention to hide John in Salisbury, so Tom wouldn’t find him.”

  Melanie Cramden seemed to be enjoying the attention the detectives were giving her, as they were hanging on her every word.

  She seemed a little embarrassed as she went on. “And after they got John his room, Nancy and he spent time together alone in that room, as they had on other occasions in Florida.” In a very quiet voice, Cramden told the detectives, “I just patiently waited for Nancy, reading in the lobby of the motel.”

  Melanie said, “Nancy came back into the lobby in a happy mood and said, ‘Let’s go back to Greenwood.’ I just went along with her.”

  She talked on and on more and more freely with Weir and Linnert and got to the point where she related a conversation that she had with a local police officer in Delaware, who was involved in the return of Angel’s son. While Nancy was sidetracked making arrangements for John Huggins’s accommodations, Austin Junior’s father became worried by the delay of his son’s return and reported that to the Delaware police.

  “I’ve got to tell you this,” Cramden concluded, “along with the information that I gave to the officer about Austin Junior, I told him that John Huggins, who had traveled with us, was wanted in Florida.”

  The detectives thanked Melanie Cramden for her information and cooperation and departed.

  When they were outside, heading to their vehicle, Weir asked, “What did you think of her?”

  “I felt like you can’t tell the players without a program.” Linnert laughed. “A lot of what she said we already heard, but there were a couple of points that were interesting, like Huggins disappearing for a couple of hours on the twenty-sixth. Could that be when he torched the Explorer?”

  “Yeah, I thought about that, too. We’ll have to check everything.”

  When they arrived at Nancy Parkinson’s door, she seemed open and friendly, willing to answer their questions and help them.

  After the initial greetings Detective Weir asked about Nancy’s purpose for her trip to Florida.

  “I drove down to Florida to pick up my nephew and bring him back to Maryland.” She explained that they made the trip in her Lumina minivan. “My neighbor Melanie Cramden made the trip with me. She came just to keep me company, but she also wanted to go to Walt Disney World while in Orlando.”

  “Is that everyone who made the trip?” Linnert inquired.

  “Oh, no. My three kids were with us. I wouldn’t leave them here while I took off for Florida. Besides, I knew they would have a great time on the trip, and they would get to visit their grandmother.

  “We drove straight through, arriving at Mother’s house in Melbourne on June fifteenth. I was pleased to see my sister, Angel, there with her children.”

  Parkinson rambled on, explaining that Angel’s husband, John Huggins, arrived on June 17. At this point, with the mention of John Huggins, her facial expression changed. She made a point of stating, “I didn’t know the status of things between Angel and John at this time. I mean, the status of their marriage.” She said, “I was aware that there was some kind of a situation between Angel and John, but I didn’t know if their problems were serious.”

  In her careful account of their comings and goings, Parkinson stated, “The entire family took a trip
to Wekiwa Springs and spent the night at a motel. While at the motel, John got alone with me for about fifteen minutes. He told me that he wanted to get to know me better.” Nancy smiled as she continued. “He said that he wanted to spend some time with me during the next week.”

  Parkinson, looking smug, stopped to light a cigarette, then went on. “A little while later, John took me aside again and talked about spending time together at Cocoa Beach.”

  Detective Weir, surprised by Nancy Parkinson’s frankness, bluntly asked, “Didn’t you have any compunction about that with your sister’s husband?”

  Parkinson stared at the detective, puffed her cigarette and made no reply.

  “Did you meet with John Huggins in Cocoa Beach?” Detective Linnert asked.

  Parkinson overlooked that question as well and stated, “On Saturday, June twenty-first, Melanie and I planned to go to Walt Disney World. That was the big thing in Melanie’s mind and I didn’t want to disappoint her and the kids, who were also looking forward to it.”

  Nancy explained that it all just fell into place. “John also arranged to meet us at Disney.” She laughed. “He was supposed to meet us at one P.M. I waited around for him, constantly looking at my watch, wondering if he was going to make it or not. He made it. But it was three o’clock when he showed up.”

  “Were you upset with that?” Weir asked.

  “I wasn’t exactly upset, but I wasn’t happy, either. John walked up with his two kids and it just was not the time for me to show any displeasure. I just thought that he must have had a bit of a problem getting away, but here he was, kids and all.”

  There was an indication of something in the tone of Parkinson’s voice, and Weir asked, “Did you have a problem with John Huggins’s arrival with the kids?”

  “No, it wasn’t anything about the kids. I was a bit startled when he told me that he came in Angel’s car.” She hesitated. “I couldn’t understand that he was cozying up to me and giving me indications that things with him and my sister were not going so well. I wondered, if that’s the case, why is he driving Angel’s car?”

  “Are you sure that she gave him permission to take it?” Linnert asked.

  “You’ve got something there.” Parkinson brushed her hair back, puffing quietly on her cigarette. “Much as I know about John Steven Huggins, I can tell you that the unexpected goes hand in hand with him. In other words, I wouldn’t bet my last buck that Angel gave John the go-ahead to use her car.” She laughed.

  “What else went on between you and John Huggins?” Linnert asked, wanting to get a firsthand report.

  Nancy evaded. “There is really so much about John and there were so many things, that it takes a little doing to get it all into order.” She paused, took a last drag on her cigarette, stubbed it out, then said thoughtfully, “One thing that stands out in my mind is his talking about a ring.”

  That statement instantly caught the attention of the detectives. Any mention of jewelry set their minds spinning.

  “What about a ring?” Linnert asked eagerly.

  Nancy Parkinson continued. “While we were together at Disney World, John admired my engagement ring.” She lifted her hand so the officers could get a look at it. “I didn’t understand his interest, but then he told me that he had a ring similar to mine, but bigger. He was kind of like bragging, like a little kid saying, ‘My dad can whip your dad.’ ”

  The detectives smiled. They sat impassively, but their hearts were racing.

  “Then he said something that puzzled me,” Nancy continued. “He told me that the ring was at my mother’s. That just bewildered me. He said that my sister was sitting right on top of it, and she didn’t even know it. Then he burst into laughter. He just thought that was so funny.”

  Weir asked, “Did you pursue the subject?”

  “Yes, of course. I wanted to know what he was talking about and I asked him point-blank to tell me about the ring and where he got it.

  “He looked at me with those big green eyes and told me confidentially, ‘I bought the jewelry as protection. Someone could steal your cash, but having jewelry hidden in a safe place is not that easy for someone to rip off.’ ”

  “That’s a good story,” Detective Weir acknowledged. “Did he say specifically what pieces of jewelry he had locked away somewhere?”

  “No, Detective. John Huggins is never specific about anything. He did indicate that the jewelry was at my mother’s, but he didn’t say where at my mother’s.”

  “What else can you tell us about him?” Weir asked.

  “Stories about John Huggins never end. But you might like to hear about his kindness.”

  “Yes, we would like to hear that,” Linnert said.

  “I was having some serious car trouble.” Her head dropped as she explained. “I just didn’t know where I was going to get the money to have the car repaired. Somehow John found out about my car trouble, and he also learned that I was short of money.”

  Parkinson waited for the detectives’ reaction as she lit up another cigarette.

  “He gave you the money to have your car repaired,” John Linnert suggested.

  “Not exactly.”

  “Okay, don’t keep us in suspense,” Weir urged.

  “When I saw John, he asked me a peculiar question. ‘Have you looked under your floor mat lately?’ I would have laughed, but the way he said it, there was nothing funny about it.”

  Parkinson leaned back in her chair and said, “I thought, no, I never looked under my floor mat. He didn’t explain anything further, but I got into my car and I looked under the floor mat. And guess what?”

  “You found a round-trip ticket to Hawaii,” Linnert joked.

  “No, but in this case it was something better. I found a hundred-dollar bill with a note that said, ‘Fix your car.’ I was overwhelmed.”

  “I would think so,” Linnert commented.

  Softly Nancy Parkinson told the detectives, “That’s not the first time he gave me a hundred bucks.” She did not elaborate, but the detectives freely imagined the occasions of this kind of generosity.

  Weir and Linnert listened attentively as Parkinson confirmed what they already heard from her friend Melanie Cramden about their stays in the different motels in Orlando, Titusville, Cocoa Beach and Melbourne.

  Nancy said that she told her mother they were going to St. Augustine to sightsee, but she said she really met with John Huggins. They followed Huggins to the Econo Lodge, where they left Angel’s car, then stayed at the Royal Mansions in Cape Canaveral. She said they checked in under her name, because John Huggins was wanted, and they got one room for the eight of them. However, during their stay they changed rooms.

  The detectives’ interest was piqued when Parkinson recalled a trip she made with Huggins on Tuesday, June 24.

  “We drove my van to this kind of isolated spot in Cocoa Beach and pulled up to a peculiar house. It looked like a trailer that had been added onto with wood from discarded crates. There were high bushes surrounding the place, apparently to provide some privacy for whatever activities took place there.

  “After parking, John got out of the car and went into the house while I waited in my van. I looked around the area and counted twelve motorcycles parked on the open land near the house.

  “In about fifteen or twenty minutes, John reappeared, accompanied by a tall, bearded guy who looked like he might be on a wanted poster.”

  According to Nancy, he and John seemed to have a special rapport. In short order they parted and Huggins got back into the van. She said she asked him how it went and he answered, “Fine. I got some good stuff that we can enjoy later.”

  Parkinson said Huggins told her that money was tight and that he worked out a deal with his friend to set up another pot dealer for him to heist. He laughed and said, “I’ll walk away with about ten thousand dollars for my efforts.”

  “That certainly was an interesting trip,” Weir remarked.

  “That’s right, but there’s more.”
Parkinson nodded, waving her cigarette. “As we rolled along, I was just thinking that I’d be glad to be finished with this junket. Then John said, ‘I’ve been thinking about our talk about the ring. I’d like to get my ring and the rest of my stuff from the house and from the shed.’ He asked me if I would help him retrieve all of his personal belongings. I agreed, but we never actually got into that. Nor was John ever able to pick up his things.”

  “What happened?” Weir asked.

  “We were getting ready to leave for Maryland and Delaware, and I had to drive over to Mother’s house to pick up Angel’s son, to take him back to his father in Maryland. Well, when I got to the house, I met Angel and all hell broke loose. She found out that John and I spent the past week together and she was fit to be tied. We had a real battle royal. There wasn’t much I could do but get out of there, which I did. I picked up Austin and made a beeline to collect the others and then we headed for the nearest route to Maryland.”

  “Probably a wise thing to do,” Cam Weir commented dryly.

  CHAPTER 14

  John Linnert hummed “Maryland, My Maryland” as he and Cameron Weir drove to the Salisbury Police Department.

  “You feel pretty cheerful, John?” Weir asked.

  “Yeah. I think the net is getting tighter and tighter around Huggins. More and more, he’s looking like our prime suspect. I’m really looking forward to catching up with that bastard.”

  Weir shook his finger at Linnert and censured, “Now, now, we mustn’t speak that way about our arrested subjects.”

  They both laughed heartily.

  At the Salisbury Police Department, the Florida detectives met Sergeant Mark Tyler.

  “We certainly appreciate your cooperation,” Detective Weir said.

  “Glad to help. This guy is something else,” Tyler stated.

  “I have these records and things that I’m sure you’ll want.” He handed Weir the hotel registration for the Salisbury Inn, where Huggins was a guest at the time of his apprehension. The records showed that room 234 was registered to Melanie Cramden.

  Linnert said, “Guess that was to conceal his ID, since he was wanted.”