BODY IN THE BOX a gripping crime thriller full of twists

by E. R. FALLON

  Dino smiled at the reporter’s curiosity. “I’ll get to that in a moment. Jake Riley had a brother, right?”

  “Yeah, he was older, went to high school with us for a while. Their parents passed away years ago, but I think the older brother still lives in the area.”

  “I didn’t know that.”

  “So, this case you’re working on, can you tell me about it?

  “Do you think you can get an article in tomorrow morning’s edition for me?”

  “Probably. Tell me, what do you have for me?”

  Dino finally told him about the dead boy.

  “I need you to write something at the end of your article, asking for whoever called us about the kid’s body to come forward,” said Dino. “The 911 operator said the caller sounded feminine. I listened to the tape and they did have a soft voice.”

  Tommy grabbed his notebook and a pen from his backpack. His style was still very old school. “I can help you but you’re going to have to tell me more,” he said.

  Dino drank some coffee. “You never change, do you?”

  “I wouldn’t be where I am today if I wasn’t a bit pushy.”

  Dino smiled slightly. “We talked to this guy yesterday who claims to have witnessed the kid being dumped.”

  “Who is this guy? What’s his name? Occupation?”

  Dino gestured to the backpack. “What, are you still in junior high school?”

  Tommy smiled. “I can’t carry a briefcase when I’m chasing a story, now can I? Don’t change the subject. What’s this guy’s name?”

  “I know better than to give you that.”

  Tommy smirked. “This better get good.”

  “It will, trust me. The guy told us he saw a woman get out of a car and drop the box with the kid inside.”

  “What was he doing down there? Taking an evening stroll through the abandoned factory?” Tommy said. “Those types amuse me. They’re always in the wrong place at the right time.”

  “What are you saying? He’s trying to cover his own ass?”

  “You’re the cop, what do you think?”

  “The guy’s a junkie. He was looking for a fix. He’s not the type to do something like this. He was just looking to score, but he didn’t that night because he panicked and ran after seeing the dead kid.”

  “What kind of car did he say the woman was driving?” Tommy asked.

  Dino figured he would be honest. “A Cadillac SUV. New, or at least maintained well.”

  “Very few people can afford new Cadillacs around here anymore.”

  “It was dark, and he was hiding in some bushes. He didn’t get a good look at it. The woman dragged the box out of the vehicle.”

  “Sounds like an excellent witness,” Tommy remarked. “Is that all you have for me?”

  Dino rested his hands on the tabletop. “That’s more than you’ll find anywhere else,” he said.

  Tommy closed his notebook and put it away. “I’ll help you out,” he said.

  They started talking about the old days, playing football for DeWitt High School, dating some of the same girls. Tommy wondered what had happened to Betsy Swanson and Jeanie O’Brien. Dino told him that Jeanie had married a guy they’d both hated. The guy had been the class president and had acted like he was better than them because he’d won a scholarship to college.

  “Whatever happened to him?” Tommy asked.

  “Who knows,” Dino said. “The last I heard, he was a teacher.”

  “What about Jeanie? She was good-looking.”

  Dino nodded. “Yeah, she was beautiful. They’re divorced, I think.”

  “And she always bragged that leaving me for him was the best thing that ever happened to her.”

  “Yeah, and now she’s still living in Marks Hill, and you have a place in the best part of town.”

  Chapter Three

  Terry was already gone when Tulia woke up and peered over at the alarm clock on top of the night table. Six thirty. Why had he left so early? His case must have been so important that he couldn’t have a cup of coffee with her before Jimmy woke up and talk about a few things, like that trip she wanted to take to see her parents in Charlottesville.

  She got out of bed and put on her bathrobe. Tulia could feel a cold draft coming from the closed window. She felt like staying in her warm robe the entire day. But she gained enough courage to take off everything once she got into the bathroom, where she showered, washed her hair, and shaved her legs. Maybe Terry would actually come home early tonight, and maybe he’d touch her for longer than one minute, like she’d been wanting for the past couple of months. She missed him. Terry loved stroking her legs after she’d shaved. And if he came home early tonight, he’d certainly be able to do that.

  She dried herself off and peered at her body in the large bathroom mirror. She didn’t look bad for forty-one, even though she barely managed to go to the gym once a week. For a second she wondered if Terry thought otherwise, and if that was why he’d stayed away so much lately. Maybe she didn’t look as good as she thought she did.

  She grasped the smooth flesh of her breasts with both hands. They weren’t as firm as they used to be, but they were still nice.

  Maybe Terry wasn’t really working all the time. What if he was seeing another woman? She thought she might call Terry’s partner Dino, invite him to have dinner with Terry and her on the weekend, and inquire casually about their caseload.

  Terry would probably find it strange if she invited Dino to have dinner with them, and he might think she was up to something. After all, she had told her husband more than once that she didn’t really care for Dino. Sometimes she found him a bit old-fashioned.

  She went back into the bedroom and got dressed in her work clothes — comfortable black linen slacks, a white dress shirt, dark gray cashmere sweater, and demure black flats. She carefully slipped on her delicate gold watch.

  Tulia worked as a freelance accountant for local businesses. On weekdays she made breakfast and ate with Jimmy before he left for school. Afterward, she drove to the particular office where she needed to be that day. Her job took her to places ranging from the local auto body shop a few blocks away to high-powered law firms in the heart of the city. She spent a good portion of the workday traveling from company to company in her car. Though she didn’t have an office of her own, she always had work. Sometimes she worked from home, especially during tax season.

  She opened Jimmy’s door a little and peered inside. He was still tucked underneath his covers, sleeping. It was 7 a.m. She quietly closed his door and went downstairs, entering the kitchen in a better mood.

  She was proud of Jimmy. He was a pleasant young man, as neighbors and family constantly informed her, as if she didn’t know that already. He was doing well in school, and she was encouraging him to go to a college nearby when the time was ready.

  She switched on the coffee maker. She had prepared the machine the evening before, and she now set the table. Two bowls of cornflakes, a pitcher of milk, some slices of banana on a plate, perfectly placed on two woven placemats that had been a gift from Terry’s parents.

  “Good morning, big man.” She spoke to Jimmy as he trudged lazily into the kitchen. He was already dressed. “Did you have time to shower?”

  He shrugged as he shot her a wide smile. “I have practice after school, I’ll shower after that.”

  She nodded knowingly. “Maybe it’s time for me to buy you an alarm clock without a snooze button.”

  His smile faded. “Don’t do that, please.”

  “Don’t worry, I probably won’t have time to,” she replied with a wink. “Speaking of which, we’re all out of orange juice. Do you want coffee instead?”

  He twisted his mouth a little and shook his head.

  She smiled. “They sell juice or Gatorade in the vending machines at school, right? I’ll give you a few dollars. I don’t want you to be dehydrated before practice.”

  He thanked her as she handed him the money.

&n
bsp; She gestured to the table. “We should eat before your bus gets here.”

  “Is Dad here?”

  Tulia shook her head as she sat down. “He already left, sweetie.”

  Jimmy nodded. Tulia noticed how the look in his eyes changed. She knew that he was disappointed because his father never took the time to eat breakfast with him anymore.

  * * *

  Terry got to Lulu’s Luncheonette around seven fifteen, and was surprised to see Dino sitting at a booth in the back with some guy. At first he didn’t know if he should just leave them alone and take a seat at the counter. Then he realized the guy was Tommy Monahan, the reporter for the Star-Ledger who sometimes stopped by the station once in a while to chat with Dino.

  He walked over to them and Tommy called out, “Hey, Terry, have a seat with us.”

  Dino turned to look at Terry. “How’s it going?”

  “Good,” Terry said. “How are you guys?”

  “Not bad,” Dino said.

  Terry didn’t know how much he should reveal in front of Tommy so he said, “Are you guys talking about the boy we found?” He sat next to Dino.

  “Yeah,” Dino said.

  “Don’t let me stop you.”

  He ordered a cup of coffee and an apple Danish.

  “We were talking about that before,” Dino said. “Now we’re just talking about the old days.”

  “Oh yeah, what about them?”

  “We were talking about some girls we knew in high school, wondering about where they are today,” said Tommy.

  Terry smiled. “I sometimes wonder the same thing.”

  “Where are you from, Terry?” Tommy suddenly asked.

  “I grew up in Greenwood.”

  “Greenwood’s always been a great place,” Tommy said. “A lot nicer than where Dino and I grew up.”

  “I was also suggesting that Tommy write an article, asking for the person who called about the boy’s body to come forward,” said Dino. “He’s agreed to do it.”

  Terry had no problem with Dino deciding to talk to Monahan on his own. Although they were partners, sometimes they needed to operate alone.

  “That’s a good idea, Dino,” he said.

  Before Tommy left he promised Dino that he would be in touch and mentioned they should look out for the story in tomorrow’s morning edition of the newspaper.

  “Have you been to the station yet?” Dino asked Terry once Tommy had left.

  Terry shook his head. “I had some errands I had to take care of before I came here.”

  “How’s the family?”

  Terry shrugged. “Oh, you know, same old stuff. Tulia’s complaining to me about my hardly being around anymore, and Jimmy’s upset because I haven’t been to any of his games this season.”

  “It’s a tough job. But somebody’s got to do it, right?”

  Terry agreed.

  “I admire you, raising a family, keeping it together while working on the force, that’s something I never managed.”

  “I don’t know if there’s much to admire anymore,” Terry said sadly. He took a sip of coffee. “Any more leads?”

  “I was working on it all night. I mean, here’s what we have: a dead child in a Maytag box, without a spleen; a junkie who says he saw some woman in a Cadillac SUV drop him off, no missing person’s report that matches the description of our victim, and a 911 operator who says that someone with a ‘feminine’ voice called it.”

  “Are you thinking what I am? Stan?”

  Dino nodded.

  “We need to go find him.”

  They walked the few blocks to the station first, and went to touch base with Captain Peters.

  The captain waved them inside. His posture was rigid as he sat in the leather chair at his desk.

  “Good morning,” Dino said.

  “How’s it going with the Beech Hills case?” Captain Peters asked them.

  Dino spoke up. “Pretty good.”

  “Any leads?”

  “We’re working on it,” Terry said.

  Captain Peters raised his eyebrows. “Here, maybe this’ll help you out.” He gestured to a piece of paper on his desk.

  “It’s a memo from the commissioner,” Captain Peters explained. “They’re sending us a new detective, Rebecca Everhart. She’s going to work homicide with you two. Apparently, she’s very good at her job.”

  Was Peters’s comment a dig at Terry and Dino?

  “She’s going to be working on the Beech Hills case with us?” Dino said.

  Captain Peters nodded. “That’s not going to be a problem is it, Detective Cooper?”

  Dino frowned and shook his head.

  Terry knew Dino wouldn’t like some new guy — or new girl — muscling in on their case.

  “Good. How about you, Detective Jackson?”

  “It’s fine by me,” Terry replied.

  “She was transferred here specifically to help with the Beech Hills case,” the captain said. “Detective Everhart comes to us with the highest recommendations and a lot of experience solving cases involving children.”

  “Where’s she from?” Dino asked.

  “Jersey City.”

  Terry was impressed. “That’s a tough area.”

  “You got that right,” Peters said.

  “But not as tough as Newark.”

  Captain Peters dismissed Dino’s negativity and told them they were to expect Detective Everhart to start that afternoon.

  “Rebecca Everhart,” Terry said after they had left the captain’s office. “Even her name sounds impressive.”

  “Do you want to grab Stan before she turns up, then throw her in a room with him and see how she does?”

  Terry eyed him skeptically. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but I want no part of it.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  * * *

  Terry and Dino left the station in the Crown Victoria and drove out on Highway 86 to the overpass to look for Stan, or at least to find someone who would know where he was.

  They found that tent city had been pretty much abandoned. A woman wearing more than one long overcoat, with her matted hair underneath a red cap, told them that the weather had finally gotten too cold for most people, and so they had reluctantly gone to shelters or applied for city housing.

  “Do you know where Stan went?” Terry asked. Stan had such a reputation in the area that he didn’t need to use his last name.

  “Oh, him?” The woman laughed, showing a top row of missing teeth. “They wouldn’t take him at any of those places. He’s a crackhead. Nobody wants him there. I think he’s staying with his sister.”

  “Where does she live?” Dino asked.

  “Here,” the lady gestured and then grinned

  “We’re not fooling around here,” Terry said. “Do you have an address for Stan’s sister?”

  “No. Why don’t you try the telephone book? His last name is Mason, correct? His sister isn’t married. Or do I need to spell it out for you?”

  * * *

  Olivia Mason lived in an apartment in Marks Hill overlooking McLean Park. Graffiti covered the playground. The park was empty. Terry wondered if children ever came to the park anymore. He had spotted a few shady characters wandering about, fidgety men with vacant stares.

  They took a shortcut across the park to Olivia Mason’s apartment. “This park looked a hell of a lot different when I was a kid. I’ve been here a lot since then because of work, but this place gets worse every day.”

  “You’re right about that,” Terry said.

  Olivia Mason lived above a small bodega. The two detectives went up two flights of a badly lit staircase before they reached the drafty corridor of her apartment.

  “Do you think we should bring her into the station to talk with her there?” Terry whispered as they neared her door.

  “Let’s just find out where Stan is. If we have any luck left, he’ll be in there with her.”

  Terry knocked on the door. At first he knocked lig
htly, then when no one answered he pounded on the door and stated loudly, “Police, open up.”

  The woman who finally opened the door was tall. She was attractive in a Rubenesque kind of way, with dark tendrils of hair falling around her pale face.

  “Yeah?” Her brown eyes were challenging.

  “Detectives Cooper and Jackson, ma’am.”

  “What do you want?”

  Terry was intrigued by her attitude. She was nothing like her brother. She seemed pretty tough.

  “We’re looking for your brother,” Dino said.

  “Oh, yeah? He’s in the kitchen.” She turned around and called out, “Stan! Get your ass over here. I told you that you could only stay here if you didn’t get into trouble, and now there are cops at my door.”

  Stan trudged toward them. He seemed surprised that Terry and Dino had found him, but barely made eye contact. “What do you want?”

  “We need to talk to you some more,” Dino said.

  Stan’s sister seemed reluctant to leave them alone, but then said she had to get ready for work and went back into the apartment.

  “How long have you been staying here?” Terry asked Stan.

  “Just for the day,” he muttered. “It’s too cold outside.”

  Terry nodded. He looked down at Stan’s bare feet. “Are you going to get ready to come with us or what?”

  “It’s not like I have a choice.” Stan put on some shoes.

  “It’s cold outside. Aren’t you going to wear a jacket?” Terry asked.

  Stan grabbed his coat.

  “Do you want to tell your sister you’re leaving?” Dino asked.

  Stan stepped into the hallway. “Nah. She won’t even notice I’m gone.”

  Terry felt a little bad for Stan, whose own family members most likely had given up on him long ago. It was hard to recover from that.

  They escorted Stan outside to the Crown Victoria and kept an eye on him as he crouched down into the back seat.

  Dino drove them back to the station, more slowly than usual. Terry wondered if that was because he was reluctant to meet Rebecca Everhart. He even asked Terry if they should stop for a cup of coffee first. Terry said no.

  * * *

  Back at the station they put Stan to wait in an interrogation room. Terry noticed a long-haired woman sitting at Dino’s desk, and nudged Dino’s shoulder. “Is that her?”