by Gary Starta
“You seem to have a good heart, Mr. Fishburne. I bet when Ms. Collins complained about her husband, you were there to console her. So are you sure you didn’t spend more time at her house than you recall? Time can fly when you’re engaged in interesting conversation, or perhaps . . .”
“Hey, don’t disparage Mrs. Collins like that, Detective. She’s a good woman. I did try to console her somewhat—but on an entirely professional basis. I—” he stuttered, “am appalled at your insinuation. But I also know as a fellow detective why you’re asking. You want to know what kind of relationship I had with Therese Collins. It’s all right. I’ll excuse it.”
“I just believe you might have been a friend for Ms. Collins.” Aware the ‘conversational’ approach with Fishburne was fast coming to a close, Carter took some long breaths. He wanted to maintain an even speaking tone and relaxed body posture.
Fishburne sipped his lemonade and swallowed. “It’s ‘Mrs.’ Collins. I respect the institution of marriage. It’s too bad Dan Collins didn’t.”
“You don’t say. Well, I won’t take up too much more of your time. I do have a favor to ask. Detective to detective.”
“Yeah?” Fishburne’s response was defensive, but not angry. It told Carter this man valued respect. Fishburne respected not only Ms. Collins—based upon his defense of her—but also held officers of the law in high regard. Carter did not hesitate to take advantage of this.
“I would like to collect some of your DNA to eliminate any involvement. I’m sure you can understand the nature of my investigation. You were one of the last people to see Dan Collins alive. Isn’t that right, I believe you observed him at Wong’s house, early afternoon yesterday?”
“That’s right.”
“Do you recall a delivery man dropping a package at the house?”
“Uh, I thought you wanted my DNA?”
“Oh, Jay. That’s right. I do. An officer will be stopping by shortly to collect it. I just wanted to confirm a statement. And you being a detective, well, I thought you’d be happy to help me out with that.”
“Sure. You’ve got to dot the ‘I’s and cross the ‘T’s. You know”—Fishburne laughed—“come to think of it; maybe I don’t miss the paperwork of being a cop so much. But in answer to your question, I honestly don’t recall the delivery van. And I’ll be happy to assist you in any other manner.”
“Including the DNA sample?”
“Including the DNA sample, Detective Carter.”
“Oh”—Carter added as he was leaving—“call me Stanford. We’re brothers of law enforcement, remember?” Carter laughed but it was full of sarcasm. Yet the glimmer in Fishburne’s eyes told Carter the man was too obsessed with cop envy to notice the jest.
***
Back at the lab, Carter made his way to the morgue. He hoped Dr. Shirley had ascertained the manner and cause of Dan Collins’ death. He felt a hand tap him on the shoulder. He turned around to find Supervisor Jack Hurley behind him. He was ordered to meet with Hurley in his office immediately. Carter realized it was now his turn to answer some questions.
Chapter 6
Carter stifled a sigh as lab supervisor Jack Hurley leafed through some paperwork. He was seated directly in front of the supervisor’s imposing mahogany desk. It shined before him, solid, impenetrable. Hurley raised his eyes, his leather reclining chair squeaked as he did.
“I’m sure you know why I called you in, Lieutenant Detective. But before we begin, I just want to say how pleased we are to have you. Your arrest record speaks volumes; you’re a valuable member of the lab—bottom line, I don’t want to lose you.” There was a pause and Carter knew the preamble was over. “Now, tell me when you became engaged to CSI Seacrest? And please remember you are on the record, your answers will be logged and placed in your permanent file.”
Carter peered down at his hands, folded before him. He shifted in his seat and finally met Hurley’s eyes after a long moment.
“It’s been about four months. That’s when I got her the ring. But I believed it was yesterday that the engagement became common knowledge in the department.” Carter cleared his throat, hoping Hurley caught his hint of indignation.
Hurley sighed. “I know you’re not happy that Captain Eldridge reported this. But you’ve got to understand it’s one of his responsibilities. Per BIS policy, officers who work together in any of the bureau’s divisions or units and become engaged must notify their supervisors. Marriage between officers is not allowed.”
Carter, despite his respect for rules, did not agree with this one. The fact that Captain Eldridge capitalized on Jill’s carelessness did not bode well with Carter, who again shifted uneasily in his seat. For a long moment, he bit his lower lip. Then he finally spoke in a venomous tone that usually only emerged when he spoke to suspects.
“Was it his responsibility to bait my CSI? I doubt the captain has an interest in fine jewelry. He purposely questioned CSI Seacrest about her ring to trip her up. She could have been engaged to someone outside the department for all he knew. I thought it was the responsibility of the officers to come forward—themselves—with this kind of news. But since the cat is out of the bag, I want you to know—on the record—that I take full responsibility for this. I do not want CSI Seacrest to be punished for this.”
“Let’s take a step back.” Hurley folded his hands, and leaned forward. “I have no choice but to enter this information into her record, just as I must do in yours. You just told me that it’s been four months. Per policy, officers planning a marriage must notify their department supervisor immediately. We need time to place one of the officers—preferably the employee of lower rank—in another position. Now, they also have the option to resign.” He paused to let Carter weigh this option. “I am familiar with Seacrest’s work record as well. It’s exemplary. I believe the best place for her is the Massachusetts State Police lab. They are always contacting our HR for recruits. There is a two week window, she can continue working here for that interim, but then, she must either transfer or resign—that is if the wedding is still to take place.”
“The wedding date has not yet been set, Supervisor Hurley. Is there any way you can postpone taking action in light of this?”
“I can’t—per policy. But remember this policy is designed for the welfare of the officers involved. My predecessor instituted this code to prevent officers from putting themselves or others in harm’s way. We all know that once officers marry and become a family, they may behave irrationally in the line of duty. They may ignore protocol to protect their loved ones.” Carter mulled over the concerns, but this rule allows officers to date within the department, doesn’t that constitute the same concern? Yet Carter would not argue this point yet. He waited for Hurley to finish. “Consequently, the lives of both civilians and officers might be compromised by emotional considerations. I can cite statistics if you like.”
Carter rested his hands palm down on his thighs. His mind flashed to the day his former medical examiner took Jill hostage in her apartment. He recalled racing up the steps, gun in hand, swearing to do whatever it took to save her. He had to admit on that day, protocol had been ignored. Backup was not called. He had taken a gamble and fortunately won, he had saved Jill, shooting the crazed and armed ME in the shoulder, forcing him to release Jill, effectively, saving the day. If events should conspire to put Jill in harm’s way again Carter could not be sure he wouldn’t break protocol to save her. She hadn’t even been his girlfriend at the time. Now she would soon be his wife. He had to admit the rule did have some merit. Perhaps the stakes were raised when your colleague was your wife, the woman who might even bear your children. He knew Jill would argue the hypocrisy of this rule. He chose to play devil’s advocate, yet be careful not to insinuate Hurley was to blame. He did not want to lose Jill as a colleague. He depended upon her expert crime scene analysis to turn arrests into convictions. He needed her, not only as a wife, but as a partner as well. And again the rule ate at him. Why, would boyfrie
nd /girlfriend relationships be tolerated by the department?—other than the obvious reason, there would be no way to monitor it. He was sure Jill would argue this point for him. At this moment, Carter couldn’t think of a loophole that might exonerate him and Jill. So he tried to be tactful.
“Supervisor, I understand that the department is concerned about protecting its officers. Yet we all must put our lives on the line day in and day out. In short, we can’t play it that safe. I need Jill Seacrest’s skills to get convictions. If I don’t put the perps in jail they’ll be released to repeat their crimes. So, I must argue, in the name of the greater good—that Jill and I continue to work as a team. It would be in the best interests of everyone. We are preventing crimes. As you said, our job performance is exemplary. Maybe an exception can be made. Maybe this policy can be repealed.”
“There is another option, Lieutenant. You can call off the wedding. I would take your word on this. You’re a good man, Stanford.”
Carter exhaled. “I could take that under consideration.”
“Or you can appeal to Captain Eldridge, he is the only one in the department with the authority to make an exception. But considering he’s the one who reported the infraction to me, I honestly don’t see that it would do much good. So again, back to square one. But if you decide to end your engagement, you must decide quickly. Right now this matter is on record. I must take action to remedy it within two weeks time. Changing departmental policy could take months. We don’t have that option.”
Carter nodded. He appreciated Hurley’s consideration. The supervisor had surreptitiously interjected his opinion that the rule might not be in the best interests of everyone. Carter was aware the supervisor must enforce current policies. Deep down he realized he would act in a similar fashion himself. But the rule nagged him. He hadn’t found one reference of any other police department using it. He excused himself for taking more of the supervisor’s time and inquired how this seemingly exclusive rule came into existence.
Hurley pursed his lips and nodded. He shuffled papers off the side of his desk. “I will tell you in strict confidence.”
Carter nodded. “I won’t share this with anyone, not even CSI Seacrest.”
Hurley smiled but in seconds it morphed into something resembling a wince. “I understand your curiosity. I haven’t come across another department mandating such a rule either. It may be a precedent. Regardless, it’s contained in the department’s code of conduct and therefore must be followed. That said, I think you might be partly familiar with how it came to bear. I know this precedes your hire with the bureau but do you recall hearing about a police suicide in the late 90’s? The officer worked in homicide. He was paired with his wife. That last part is between you and me only.”
Carter tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair. “I believe I recall the incident. And yes, I didn’t know he had been married to a colleague.”
“He was Officer Cameron Vickers.” Hurley folded his hands. “This was most disturbing because it had high visibility. As the media reported, Vickers put a gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger in a bathroom located in the homicide unit. He had left a note. It was grim. I am not allowed to quote it verbatim but it had something to do with letting his wife down. Apparently, he arrived late to the scene. His wife broke protocol and investigated without backup. I don’t know how many times this might have happened. Vickers admitted he was late because he was attending to their child. The press never knew the detectives were married because Vickers and his wife did not share last names.
Carter nodded.
“We can thank Police Commissioner Earl Dunwick for that little mystery. It was the commissioner’s discretion which prevented the media from connecting the dots. Vickers had been married to a homicide detective, Kim Lanigan. She had opted to retain her former husband’s name for the sake of her child, Spencer. Lanigan died two days before her husband at the hands of a serial as I just stated The serial, Oleg Stepanovich, was still hiding there. Who knows why?” Hurley threw up his hands. “Maybe to watch the detectives struggle over his handiwork; or maybe, to purposely get caught. I’m sure you know, Detective Carter, how much serials love accolades. Anyway, Stepanovich popped out of a closet, surprising Lanigan from behind. He got her in a bear hold with a knife to her throat.”
Carter cleared his throat. His head swam. Hurley’s narrative sounded all too similar to Jill’s ordeal with ME Shock.
“And then,” Hurley continued, “without warning Stepanovich knifes Lanigan in the jugular vein. But Stepanovich got his due. Supervisor Spires arrived to put two bullets in his head. It was a little too late for Lanigan of course; and for her grieving partner/husband.”
“I can see how her death would affect Vickers. I don’t understand why he couldn’t come to terms with it as an officer of the law.”
“I couldn’t tell you. But Vickers entered homicide all demure and subdued. He shook Spires’s hand for killing the perp. Moments later, Vickers excused himself to the bathroom where he shot himself. This could have been worse. Vickers could have shot a lot of people in the unit. Commissioner Dunwick amended the code of conduct immediately. At the time, I was in full agreement with the commissioner that action had to be taken. Officers in the unit knew the detectives were married.”
“And that constituted a need to punish married colleagues?” Carter cleared his throat. “I could argue that any individual might break protocol and have their partner cover for them.”
“Of course you could, Detective.” Hurley offered Carter a glass of water. “Sounds like you need to clear that throat. I believe married partners would be more prone to cover for one another; as you know, an officer who questions if their partner has their back or not is hardly an effective one or a safe one for that matter.”
Carter sipped at his water. “I agree. But any BIS officer new to the force has no idea of the reasoning behind the code.”
“I believe I have already explained the commissioner’s reasoning. Captain Eldridge is obviously in agreement with his code.”
Carter raised his eyebrows as if mock agreement. “Maybe the secrecy explains why other departments haven’t followed suit. They simply don’t know what happened to the couple.”
“Are you insinuating the bureau likes to keep secrets?”
“I don’t know who, other than the child, was served by this secrecy.”
“The commissioner might argue. He adopted the child. Despite the circumstances, the boy grew to be a balanced and smart man. He will be attending the police academy in Hyde Park this fall.”
Carter smiled. “I am glad for that.
***
Carter met Jill in a corridor leading to the trace lab five minutes later. Her raised voice revealed her excitement about finding a rock at the crime scene. It contained blood and possibly some hair.
“I have Tony working on it right now,” she told him. Her eyes were sparkling. To Carter, this confirmed the fact they were kindred souls, both experiencing rushes every time they gathered or analyzed evidence. Carter felt that rush when he could take evidence and use it to make an arrest. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her about his meeting with Hurley. Personally, it pained him like a dagger to the heart. But professionally, he didn’t want to distract Jill’s concentration.
“I also have a bonus,” she said. “The killer left the empty carton in a hotel dumpster. That should not only help Tony ascertain the exact type of needles used, but that box might also give us some transfer. Now the perp was extra careful not to leave any hair follicles or skin in the car or on the body. But maybe he got careless at the end. Maybe he removed his gloves and some epithelial trace got left in it. Maybe”—she stopped to laugh—“he sneezed in it. I just know odds are in our favor. No one can stay lucky for that long.”
Carter felt his heart skip. Was he guilty of believing he was above it all? Career criminals often believe they will never get caught because they are too careful or the percentages favor them. Had he class
ified himself as one of those people who are above the law? He had to admit he had broken department policy, selfishly reasoning that he and Jill should remain a team for the benefit of the citizens they served. He had filed the wedding date in the back of his mind. He knew he would have had to alert the bureau of the wedding at some point. Yet just days ago that seemed so far in the future and now Carter wondered if that line of reasoning was just arrogance. Maybe he and the killer now shared a similar trait; both incorrectly believing they would never get caught.
Carter’s head popped into Dr. Shirley’s morgue, the door swung partially open.
“Got a minute, doc?”
“To be honest, what’s been done to this man cannot be explained in a minute. But do come in, Detective. I can at least give you my preliminary findings.”
Carter had become quite used to Shirley’s southern candor over the last four years. The man’s honesty and dedication to the victims somehow gave Carter comfort. He wondered how he had been able to manage the surly arrogance of Andrew Shock for so long. Shock, the ME who killed two people before Carter stopped him and sent him to jail, was hardly a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Carter never felt comfortable with Shock’s off color humor. He had made references to his and Jill’s unrequited interest in each other. It came shortly after Jill joined the lab, while Shock was experiencing the pain of a divorce. Shock suggested they just hook up and release their pent up lust. The deranged ME eventually channeled his anger towards Jill, taking her hostage at knifepoint. Carter’s mind flashed back to that day as it had moments earlier in Hurley’s office. In that moment of crisis, in the split seconds he had to save Jill’s life, Carter had no choice but to come to terms with his feelings. He could not deny his feelings any longer. He loved her. There was no doubt. As a consequence, he had options. He could remain professional, treat Jill as a good friend—or he could follow his path to truth: enjoy Jill’s love and reason it was his destiny to fall in love with her.