by J. R. Martin
“Yes, sir, I do. I don’t know how. I would have bet everything that the video cam would have showed us who and what he has going on. I remember Ray Robert’s telling us that he heard a woman’s voice saying, ‘what would you have me do? And Garth telling her no more killings until I tell you. That sounds like a confession to me.” Ivan said.
“That’s true, but the only thing we can do is continue on with our surveillance and try to get these murders stopped. By the way Ivan, good work on these cold cases. You laid down a lot of good detective work to get those cases solved.” The Commander said.
“Thank you sir.” Ivan said. “I’m going to have to rethink this whole White District affair. I know there’s something there that I am missing. I don’t know what it is, but there’s a major piece of the puzzle that no one’s found, yet.”
****
Ivan had decided on his own, that he was going directly to Garth Simmons and sit down and talk with him. He was going to tell him that Ray Roberts had heard a woman talking to him and they knew that somehow he was involved in the murders. Perhaps the shock of learning that Ray Roberts had been an undercover agent might loosen Garth’s tongue a little.
When Ivan walked in the room Garth looked up at him and smiled. “Good afternoon, Detective. To what good fortune do I owe this visit from my old Nemesis?”
At first Ivan just looked at him and then he said. “Garth, that man that was killed here a couple of weeks ago, you knew him as Morris Wims I believe.”
“Yes, Detective, Mr. Wims was always very kind to me. Where has he been? I haven’t seen him lately?”
“Now come on Garth. I know you know it was Wims that was murdered here. Right down the hall as a matter of fact.” Ivan declared.
“I heard rumors of course, but, why would anyone want to kill him?” Garth asked.
“Because he was an undercover cop, Simmons. You knew that.” Ivan said.
“Oh, surely not, Detective. He was far too nice to have been a cop. He use to come into my room and asked if I wanted a candy bar or something. He was kind to me.” Garth said.
“Well, if you believe me or not doesn’t matter. The fact is he was murdered and I need to find out by who and why.” Ivan stated.
“If I knew, Detective, I might tell you, but I promise I really don’t know. I suspect, but I really don’t know.” Garth smirked.
“You wouldn’t tell me if you knew would you Garth?” Ivan asked.
“No, probably not. I like to see you squirm, detective.” Garth chided.
“Well, I’ll be back, Simmons. You can count on that.” Ivan said.
“Oh, I know that’s true, Detective, but you know you might should try looking in the mirror occasionally. It’s remarkable what all one can see in a mirror.” Garth said and then he continued, “I’m tired now, Detective, so you’re excused. I want to get a nap before supper.”
With those words, Garth turned over in his bed and Ivan knew their conversation was terminated.
What a monster he is. Ivan thought, as he got up and left the mad man’s room, being sure to lock the door behind him.
****
Ivan was so disgusted when he finished his visit with Simmons. As always the man had managed to get under his skin and irritate him. How I wish we had had the Nanny Cam hooked up before Ray overheard the conversation between Garth and the unidentified woman visitor. Now all I can do is speculate about who it might be. Ivan thought.
Once more he racked his brain trying to piece together some kind of motive for the White Chapel murders. He thought for certain when he and his partner Walt Graham, staked out that area they would come up with some kind of hint as to who the murderer might be. Instead, Walt had been killed and they still had no one even as a suspect.
Maybe, Ivan thought, if I go back to the White Chapel District and do another stake out I might find a clue. I’m going to suggest that to the Commander just as soon as I get back to headquarters.
When Ivan walked into headquarters he knew something had happened. The entire center of operations was abuzz. He walked up to the desk Sargent and asked, “What’s happened, what’s going on?”
“There was another murder last night in the White Chapel District. The Commander is all up in arms. He thinks we are not doing our jobs, or this mystery would have been solved by now. By the way he said to tell you the minute you came in, he wants to see you.”
Ivan laid his briefcase on his desk and walked back to the Commander’s office. He knocked and immediately the Commander motioned him in.
“What’s going on, sir?” Ivan asked.
“There’s been another damn murder in White Chapel last night. Did you go see Garth Simmons as you said you were?” He asked.
“Yes, sir, I did. I left there about five thirty in the afternoon. He acted as though he hadn’t heard that Morris Wims was an undercover agent. I told him I knew he was lying, but he insisted he was not.” Ivan said.
“Well, I want you to go over to the Coroner’s office and see what you can find out. I’ll have the Nanny Cam pulled from Simmons room and have a look at that. I’m seriously wondering now if we don’t need to let him know he’s being spied on. Maybe that would bring out some actions from Simmons we haven’t thought about.” The Commander said.
“Yes, sir. I’ll go to the Coroner’s office right away. As far as letting Simmons know the Nanny Cam’s there, in all truth sir, I think he knows.” Ivan said.
The Commander jerked his head up and asked, “What makes you think that?”
Chapter Twenty
Ivan walked into the Coroner’s office and smiled at Marsha Hart as she strolled to greet him.
“I knew Scotland Yard would make a visit soon.” She said.
“Did you find anything new?” Ivan asked.
“Nothing new, but something a bit surprising.” Marsha said.
“What’s that?” Ivan asked.
Marsha picked up an evidence bag and held it up so Ivan could see. “This,” she said.
Ivan took the evidence bag and examined its contents. “Is this what I think it is?” He asked.
“Yep, I’m afraid so.” Marsha replied.
“Good, grief, who in the hell does this key belong to? It just keeps showing up. Do you want me to take it to our forensic experts and let them see if they can pick up any prints? The City experts haven’t been able to thus far.” Ivan said.
“Yeah, I’d hope you could drop it off for me.” Marsha said, handing the evidence bag containing the key to Ivan. “Would you sign it out please?”
“I’ll be happy to.” Ivan said. “But, other than this key, you found no more clues?”
“No, everything else was exactly as it’s been. A female, suspected to be a prostitute, throat cut, dis-membered and thrown in a trash dump.” The Coroner said. “I have decided though, this murderer knows a little bit about anatomy.”
“What makes you say that?” Ivan asked, his curiosity aroused.
“Because, the cuts are precise, made at every joint with precision. They aren’t crude and hacked.” Marsha said.
“Humm,” Ivan said. “That in its self could be a clue.”
“That’s what I’m thinking.” Marsha said. “You know it could be a butcher, a surgeon, a taxidermist, a medical student, anyone that knows the anatomy of a human body and can handle a scalpel.”
“Yeah, but Walt was killed with a box cutter. So what’s the relation?” Ivan asked.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Marsha answered, with disgust showing on her face. “This just makes me so angry that we can’t find this madman.”
“I agree.” Ivan said, “all I know to do, is keep trying.”
“I know,” Marsha said, “but, this has been going on for a long, long time. You’d think by now they would have goofed up enough to leave more clues than a simple house key, that can’t be traced.”
“Well, I’ll get the key to forensics at Scotland Yard, in the meantime if anything different shows up give us a call.” Ivan
said as he departed.
****
“What in hell am I going to do now that that key has shown up once again at a murder scene? Especially, now that I know it belongs to me? Ivan thought. I must have lost it. I’ve turned my apartment over, looking for it after I found it missing. I wonder, could someone have entered my apartment, stole the key and then dropped it at a murder scene?
But, no one knows that key belongs to me. To have done that they would have had to know, it was my key and it was someone wanting to throw suspicion on me. That’s impossible.
No one knows that key belongs to me. I told no one that it unlocked my front door. Oh, what in the hell am I going to do now. If I give the key to forensic and my prints come back on it what will I tell them? Ivan’s hands were shaking. His thoughts continued. I guess I can always say of course my prints are on it, I picked it up and took it to the Brasserie Zidel and everywhere else. In fact, I am the one that made that print of the key.
Ivan decided he was telling no one that he had lost the key he made from the clay print. He was just going to wait and see where things fell. He also decided he was telling no one that the key looked just like his key and fit his door.
When he entered headquarters again he made a path straight to the forensics office. He went in and handed them the evidence bag containing the key. He said,
“The coroner’s office found this key at the crime scene last evening. Will you run it for prints?” Ivan asked.
“Certainly, Detective, we will be happy too. Maybe this will be the break we’ve been looking for.” The chief of forensics said.
“Perhaps,” Ivan answered. “Perhaps.”
Ivan left the forensics office and stopped off at the Commanders. As soon as the Commander saw Ivan he motioned him in.
“Did you find out anything, Detective?” The Commander asked.
“As a matter of fact I did.” Ivan said.
Looking up with a look of expectation, the Commander said, “What?”
“Another key that looks to me exactly like the last key that was recovered. Only this time, I convinced the coroner to give it to me and let our forensics run it instead of giving it to the City Police. I thought it would be better to plead for forgiveness than for permission.” Ivan said.
“Oh, that’s excellent. Have you already taken it down to forensics?” The Commander asked.
“Yes, sir, I have.” Ivan answered.
****
After Ivan left headquarters, the Commander walked down to forensics and went in. When the Chief of Forensics saw, him he made straight way to greet him.
“Good afternoon, Commander. Can we help you with something?” The Chief asked.
“As a matter of fact you can, have you run that key Detective Bennet brought in, for prints yet?
“Oh, yes, I was just writing up the report.” The Chief answered.
“Good, good, did you find any prints?” The Commander asked.
“No, no sir we didn’t, it’s been wiped clean.” The Chief said.
“I was afraid of that, I wonder, who that key could belong to.” The Commander mused.
“You find that out sir and you might just solve the case.” The Chief said.
“Yes, yes, that could be true. Thanks.” The Commander said and went back to his office.
The Commander looked around headquarters for Bennet, but soon saw that he had already left. He walked back into his office, sit down, propped his feet up on his desk and leaned back in his chair. None of this makes sense. He thought.
****
Detective Bennet had decided that he would make another visit to Grace Simmons, unannounced. She just might know more about her brother Garth than she had been willing to share. Especially now that she had been told who killed her brother Gregg. Ivan wanted to see if she held in animosity toward Cynthia Bost for her mother having taken Gregg Simmons’s life. When he knocked on Grace’s door she immediately answered.
“Come in detective. I’ve been meaning to call you, but I just haven’t had the wits to do much of anything. However, I do want to thank you for finding my brother’s killer.” Grace said.
“You’re welcome, Ms. Simmons. I’m just sorry that your brother was killed. Did you know Kate Bost?” Ivan asked.
“Oh, barely, I knew who she was. Gregg had introduced her one night when he and Cynthia had invited me over for dinner. Naturally, she was there as she lived with Cynthia so I was introduced to her.” Grace said.
“Did anyone explain to you why she killed Gregg?” Ivan asked.
“No, they just told me she killed him. I thought it was because she was insane. Lord, knows, I know enough about insane people.” Grace said.
“Do you want to know why?” Ivan asked.
“Yes, if you know. Yes, I would like to know.” Grace answered.
“According to Cynthia, her mother killed her father and then killed Gregg. In her mother’s sick mind she thought she was protecting Cynthia from anyone that would harm her. She knew Garth and thought Gregg might turn out like him. Her sick thinking made her think if she killed Gregg then he could never harm Cynthia.” Ivan explained.
“Who knows? Grace said. “She could have been right.”
“Whatever do you mean?” Ivan asked.
“Detective Bennet, do you really think I haven’t wondered about my mental health? I mean, Garth is my brother. We have the same genetic make up. Perhaps, Gregg would have one day lost his mind and turned into a killer. The human mind, sir, is very fragile. Much more than most people think. The least little thing can cause it to recede and forget who a person really is. Haven’t you ever thought about that Detective? Grace asked.
“No, not really, or at least I don’t think I have.” Ivan answered.
“Well, I guess not since you deal with maniacs on a daily basis. But, when one of your own is a madman, a proven monster, believe me you do think about it.” Grace said.
“Have you ever discussed this with Dr. Williams?” Ivan asked.
“As a matter of fact I have.” Grace said.
“And what did he tell you?”
“He said that all people could have a psychotic break and do those things. He says that the human mind is a difficult thing to analyze. What might throw one person off into a tangent might cause another to snap back to reality. Shock is very difficult to know how to deal with sometime.” Grace said.
“Humm, guess I’d never thought about it like that before.” Ivan said. “ I thought you would also like to know why Kate Bost put Gregg’s body in Mr. Éclair’s pig pen.” Ivan said.
“Yes, please tell me that.” Grace said.
“She knew Mr. Éclair was a friend of both families. She just knew he had a pig pen and in all honestly thought the pigs would do away with the body. That’s the only reason she did that.” Ivan said.
“Well, she almost was right about that, wasn’t she?” Grace said.
“Yes, she almost was right.” Ivan said.
“Well thank you detective for coming out and explaining this whole thing to me. I appreciate it. By the way, I read where an undercover agent was killed in the Insane Asylum. Did you know him?”
“Yes, yes, I knew him.” Ivan answered.
“You think Garth had anything to do with it?” Grace asked.
“At first I thought he might, but then when I looked at the Nanny Cam we have installed in his room, I decided he didn’t, at least not this time.” Ivan said.
“Well, thank goodness for that.” Grace said.
“Yeah, thank goodness for that.” Ivan agreed.
Chapter Twenty-One
As Ivan made the drive back to headquarters he thought about the things he and Grace had talked about. It was a shock to him that she had questioned her sanity to the point that she would have discussed it with Dr. Williams. But, on second thought Ivan realized that Dr. Williams was indeed the very person Grace should have talked about it to. After all, he was a psychiatrist, who was a well-known and respected doctor of the h
uman mind. And he also was the doctor who treated her brother, Garth. He of all people knew Garth better than anyone.
“That’s it!” Ivan said aloud. “I need to go talk to Dr. Williams. I know he will claim patient-doctor privilege, but he might be able to offer some information on who the killer might be in the White Chapel District murders.”
“I’ve been looking at this wrong. I’ve looked at it from a detective’s view point. I need to look at it from a murder’s view point and who better to tell me about a Criminally Insane mind, than Dr. Williams.” Ivan said outload.
Ivan could hardly wait to get back to headquarters, see if any prints showed up on the key and to tell the Commander he had decided Dr. Williams might could offer some insight as to what kind of personality the killer might have.
****
When the Commander told Ivan the key had been wiped clean of fingerprints, silently Ivan gave a sigh of relief. Then he told the Commander about his visit with Grace and how that conversation had lead him to believe that Dr. Williams might could give them a good insight as to what kind of personality the killer might have and that could, maybe, help them find them.
The Commander agreed, but then surprised Ivan by saying, “I’m going with you to talk to the doctor.”
“Oh, alright sir, but may I ask why?” Ivan said.
“Because I need to hear firsthand, exactly how the doctor describes the mind of the criminally insane.” He said.
Thinking the Commander’s reply over, Ivan concluded he probably was exactly correct.
Ivan made the appointment with Doctor Williams and the next day the two lawmen made the trip to the good doctor’s office.
When they arrived, the Commander looked up at the dark and menacing clouds that were rolling in from the north and said, “I certainly hope the weather is no predictor of what kind of visit this is going to be.”