I snatched the outfit from her and stuck it back in the drawer. “It’s a thank you gift from Kara.”
Mom clasped her hands in front of her waist and said, “Oh, well.” She pursed her lips. “Maybe I’ll leave you to finish on your own.”
As soon as she left the room, I took the sleazy underwear from my drawer, cut off the tags and hid it in the bottom of my suitcase.
* * *
The next morning, Eddie’s and I landed at Orlando International Airport. An Achalaca County Police Officer met us at the gate.
“Detective, your partner sent me to bring your car. We’re supposed to meet her at the cemetery.” The man looked at his watch. “We leave now, should get there in time for the grand opening.”
Eddie leaned in to look at the officer’s nametag and said, “Thank you, Briggs. I’m afraid to ask but how did you recognize me.”
“I didn’t. I saw you react to my uniform… but I thought it was you.”
“Why’s that?”
Briggs smiled. “Your partner said you’d be with a good looking woman who could be her older sister.”
During the ride, Briggs brought Eddie up to speed on recent activities. “You’re lucky. Your partner’s been all over this. She circulated Orazio’s photo, obtained a court order, rounded up staff, requisitioned equipment… ”
Eddie groaned.
“What’s the matter?”
“Briggs, you got a partner?”
“Yeah, sure, why?”
“What do you think your life would be like if he thought you left him to do all of the work?”
“Oh, sorry…”
After a while, the scenery looked familiar and I recognized Dragoni’s trailer but he wasn’t in sight. Eddie slowed down and drove down a dirt road past some trees until we came to a grassy clearing. He parked next to another unmarked Police car and I could see a work crew lifting a wooden box from a hole in the ground. A stone marker bore the names “Orazio and Agnese Medici” and the Italian phrase, “Insieme nella Morte” which meant “Together in Death”.
We exited the car and Briggs left to join the other patrol officers. Jennie walked over to us and said, “Welcome to Florida.”
I thought, “Older sister? No way.” but I said, “Thank you.”
She gestured towards Eddie. “I was talking to the stranger here.”
Eddie said, “Good to see you too, Sunshine. What you got?”
“While you were nice and cool in the Northeast, the boys and I’ve been sweating in the heat, walking in the mud, digging up dead people.”
“You sure know how to show the boys a good time. You already look inside?”
Jennie grinned, “Just about to. C’mon.”
I followed Eddie and Jennie graveside and peered between them as two men pried the cover off a plain wooden box. It gave way and one of the men lifted it open. A cop leaned in, took a picture and blocked my view. When he leaned back, I could see. They found only one box and it contained only one body.
Chapter Thirty-Two – Grand Opening
Jennie asked, “Orazio or Agnese?”
The Medical Examiner bent over the body. “Based on the bones, I’d say it was a female… not much more than five feet tall in life.”
Eddie said, “Orazio was over six feet. Must be Agnese.”
Jennie said, “… or some other poor victim. Let’s take it back to the lab. We can also use Leonardo’s DNA to ID his Mom. You gonna follow up on Orazio?”
Eddie said, “Yeah. I think I’ll start with the doctor who signed his death certificate. Got a copy in the file.”
Eddie went back to his car, pulled out a file folder and made some phone calls. I leaned against the car hood and watched men load remains into a Coroner’s truck. After a few minutes, Eddie called to me. “Found the doctor who signed the certificate. Private practice, not far from here. Get in.”
Eddie and I pulled up in front of a Medical building on Okalaka Trail and went inside. He read the directory in the lobby and said, “Dr. Evangilista Suite 202.”
When we entered suite 202, a 50-ish brunette with a 40-ish inch bust in a size 30-ish blouse greeted us. “Afternoon, you have an appointment?”
Eddie displayed his badge.
She looked behind her and then leaned forward, straining her poor blouse further and whispered, “I don’t recognize you but I thought I settled that downtown.”
Eddie leaned forward and whispered back. “We’re here for the doctor.”
“Oh, he wasn’t involved in that. Other things, maybe, but his lawyer says, ‘Innocent until proven guilty’.”
Eddie said, “We’re here to see the doctor. Please show us in and we won’t have to talk about your… ‘visit’ downtown.”
The woman stood to reveal a short black skirt tighter than her blouse. She winked at Eddie. “His office’s this way. I’ll send him in as soon as he finishes his patient.”
When we entered Dr. Evangilista’s office, Eddie gestured towards the sofa. “Have a seat.”
“I’ll take a chair. I can imagine the uses that couch gets.”
“Oh, I’ve got a great chair at home. Maybe there’s something new I can show you?”
The door opened and balding man in his mid-forties entered. He seemed surprised to see us. “I’m Dr. Evangilista and you are…”
Eddie stood and flashed his badge. “Detective Franklin. Raquel Flanagan.”
The doctor sat behind his desk, swallowed and asked, “… and you’re here because?”
Eddie placed a copy of Orazio’s death certificate on the desk, pointed to it and asked, “This your signature?”
Evangilista scratched his nose, picked up the certificate, looked at it and put it down. Then he put on his glasses, picked up the certificate, held it for a moment and then put it down again. “What’s this about?” he asked.
Eddie leaned over the desk, placed his finger on the certificate and asked, “Is this your signature?”
The doctor swallowed and then wiped his forehead. “What if it is?”
“We both know the answer to my question. You can tell me if that’s your signature or I can have forensic auditors and the State Licensing Board investigators here tomorrow morning.”
“Too late. They left last week. You put in a word with the D.A., I’ll tell you what I know.
“I can’t help you with your license.”
Evangilista laughed. “That ship’s already sailed. Just keep me out of jail or if you can’t, then get me a reduced sentence. Anything. I’m desperate.”
Eddie said, “Give me something good, I’ll tell them how you helped in a murder investigation.”
“Murder? That should trump fraud. OK. It’s my signature. He made me do it, threatened to kill me.”
“Who?”
Evangilista flicked his hand at the certificate. “This crazy man, Orazio Medici.”
Once he admitted signing the certificate, Evangilista appeared relieved. Eddie opened his pad, “I want the whole story.” He clicked his pen and said, “Take your time.”
Evangilista sighed. “Might as well before someone else comes and asks about it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Few years back. Some reporter came to see me. Asked the same things.”
“Know his name?”
Evangilista shook his head. “Something with an ‘F’, big Irish guy.” He looked at me. “Could be Flanagan.”
My jaw went slack but Eddie didn’t flinch. “What’d you tell him?”
“Nothing. Told him to get lost. Back then, nobody was preparing to yank my license and throw me in jail. You promise if I tell you what I know, you’ll tell the D.A. to take it easy on me?”
“Can’t promise what they’ll do, but I’ll tell them.”
Evangilista sat back and looked at Eddie for a while as if to gauge his integrity. Then he sat forward and said. “Twenty years ago, I just finished Medical School with big dreams and bigger debts. This area was rural back then and had no fu
ll time Medical Examiner, no need. I got hired as an Associate M.E., worked part time as needed to supplement my income while I started my practice.”
Eddie asked, “So you got the call for the murder-suicide. Did you know Orazio or his wife prior to that?”
“Never met them before. Wish I never did. I got to the scene and found two bodies. I pronounced them both and brought them in for autopsy. Back at the office, I’m all alone, working on the female, C.O.D. exsanguination due to a knife wound when I hear a sound behind me. The male, Orazio, sits up on the table and smiles at me.” EvRaquelista shook his head side to side. “I almost shit my pants.”
Evangilista got up, crossed the room and sat on the couch. Eddie and I turned to watch him while he poured a glass of water from a pitcher on the coffee table. He drank a sip and said, “The guy was some type of illusionist, could slow his body and hold his breath for, geez, must have been three minutes at a time. Made me an offer I couldn’t turn down. I sign, he pays my loans. I refuse, he kills me like he did the woman. He also said if I ever told anyone, he’d kill me and any family I might ever have. I was scared. He had nothing to lose by killing me. I signed the damn certificate.” Evangilista leaned back on the couch and sighed. “It ruined my life. Crime is a slippery slope.” He shrugged, “I’m going to lose everything soon anyway. If you can get me a favor when the shit hits my fan, I’d appreciate it.”
Eddie asked, “Who picked up the female?”
“I don’t recall, some friend of Orazio’s. His name, if it’s real, is right there on the death certificate.”
Eddie picked up the certificate. “Where?”
“In the box, Signature of Funeral Service Licensee or acting as such.”
“Signature’s illegible, all I can make out is a capital ‘D’, but wait a minute, this address is familiar.” He handed me the paper. “Raquel, isn’t this where we met Dragoni?”
Dr. Evangilista said, “That’s it. Dragoni, the fire breather. He’s the one I gave the body.”
Chapter Thirty-Three – One’s as good as another
We drove back out to the burial site. Dragoni wasn’t in sight, so Eddie approached the trailer. I lagged behind while Eddie knocked on the. After a few moments, it opened and Dragoni stuck out his head. When he saw Eddie, he stepped outside, shut his door and came down the steps. He sat in the canvas chair in front of the trailer and looked up at Eddie.
“Mr. Dragoni, You must know we dug up the grave out back and I’ll bet you know what we found.”
Dragoni tilted his head.
“We just spoke with Dr. Evangilista. We know he let Orazio go and he told us he gave you Agnese to bury.”
Dragoni cleared his throat and said, “All I did was bury a body – legally. Check the paperwork. Read the law.”
I asked, “What about the stone listing both names.”
Dragoni said, “A legal memorial.”
Eddie said, “You knew about Agnese’s charm bracelet. Do you know how Orazio got his hands on it?”
Dragoni coughed into a blue handkerchief and then said, “All I know is Agnese took Orazio from his first love, Rosa. Then the whore cheated on him with anybody that would have her.”
Eddie asked, “You know where Orazio is now?”
“No.”
“Any ideas on how to find him?”
Dragoni shook his head and reached under his chair for his bottle of rum.
Eddie’s phone rang. He looked at the display and then put the phone to his ear. “Yeah, Jennie…”
“Good…”
“What…”
“You’re kidding…”
“No, that’s OK. Yeah, thanks.”
He put his phone away and said, “DNA from the female corpse out back shows a familial match with Leonardo, but it’s not his mother. It’s his Aunt Rosa.”
Chapter Thirty-Four – A magician walks down the street and turns into a restaurant
Dragoni began another coughing fit but this time, he started to choke. I opened his rum bottle and helped him drink some. When he recovered, he said, “You can’t tell that from a test, they’re twins.”
“Yeah, we can. Only one sister had a broken leg.”
“You telling me that was Rosa I buried? You playing me?”
Eddie said, “I’m telling the truth. DNA says the body’s female and related to Leonardo. Agnese and Rosa as twins have the same DNA but only Rosa had a broken left leg. You buried Rosa.”
Dragoni’s head swung side to side in denial. “No, Orazio would never hurt Rosa. He always regretted leaving her for Agnese.”
“He killed the wrong sister.”
“But how? Why?”
Eddie stared at Dragoni for a moment without saying anything. Then he turned and walked back to his car. I followed. We drove for a while in silence.
“Now what?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Still trying to make sense of this…”
“Where we going now?”
“Station. No place else we have to be.”
“I think we need to find out what Pops knows about this.”
“What do you mean?”
“He acts like he really loved Rosa. I can’t imagine him not knowing about this but it also makes no sense that he would know and keep quiet.”
Eddie said, “Yeah,” reached for his cell, punched up the speakerphone and dialed.
The phone rang a few times and then I heard, “Carlyle here.”
Eddie asked “Mr. Carlyle or Detective Carlyle?”
“One step from Patrol Officer Carlyle. Tell me you got something for me.”
“Maybe.”
Eddie told Robby about the DNA results and both agreed they needed to talk to Pops again. They decided Robby would bring him in and they’d have a conference call when Eddie and I got back to the station.
When we arrived, Eddie and I settled into one of the interview rooms and waited for Robby’s call. Even though I expected it, I jumped when the phone rang.
“Franklin.”
“Detective Franklin, Detective Carlyle here with Viktor Popslowski. I’m recording this interview. Go ahead.”
“Mr. Popslowski, we’ve dug up the grave of Agnese Medici. The body there isn’t hers.”
Nobody said anything. For a moment, I thought we lost our connection. Then Robby asked, “Well, Mr. Popslowski, did you know that?”
I heard a sound like a fist against a table. Then someone started sobbing.
Robby said, “You knew that the body was Rosa’s didn’t you.”
The sobbing stopped and Pops said, “Yes. We thought it was the only way to keep them safe.”
Eddie asked, “Keep who safe?”
Pops said, “Agnese and Leonardo after poor Rosa died.”
“Explain.”
I heard a deep sigh, a pause and then Pops said, “One night, that night, just after a show, we didn’t even have a chance to change out of costumes. Orazio confronted Agnese about her lovers. He said he would kill her. She believed him and ran out leaving Leonardo behind. She came to our trailer, to Rosa and me. She decided to leave Orazio forever but first, she needed to get Leonardo.”
Pops went silent. I heard water pouring and Robby said, “Here.”
A moment later, Pops started talking again. “We decided it was safer if Rosa went for the boy instead. Orazio always had a soft spot for her. Agnese and I waited outside. As soon as Rosa walked in the door, she screamed and I knew we made a mistake. The twins wore the same costume and he was already furious with Agnese. He must have attacked Rosa, thinking she was his wife. I ran in and found her dying with a knife in her chest, Orazio lying unconscious but breathing on the floor, an empty pill bottle in his hand. Leonardo stood there watching. I called for an ambulance and tried to save Rosa.”
Eddie asked, “Did you tell Police the dead woman was Rosa?”
“No. Orazio wouldn’t have hurt Rosa unless he thought she was Agnese. When I heard the paramedics suggest Orazio might survive his overdose, I lie
d. I said the dead woman was Agnese. I didn’t want him to kill both sisters.”
“Did Leonardo know which sister his father killed?”
“Leonardo knew they looked alike. He used to say he had two mommies, but he could always tell them apart. I think witnessing the murder and the fear his father would learn Agnese was still alive ruined Leonardo’s life.”
“Did you know Orazio was still alive?”
“We suspected but didn’t know for sure. All I knew was that his body was missing and I never saw him since that night he killed Rosa. Agnese believed him when he said he would come back from the dead. She changed her life and kept watch over her shoulders till the day she died. She made Leonardo afraid he would come back for her.”
I heard a knocking sound over the phone and Robby said, “Come in.” There were some muffled sounds and then Robby said, “Franklin. They found something on the hospital videos. Four hours before the killing, in the north lot, we’ve got Orazio exiting a red and yellow camper van with Florida plates. He comes out, raises a TV antenna on the roof and then goes back inside. A clear shot. Then ten minutes before and immediately after the code blue, we’ve got a shot of someone who looks like him coming out the van and going back in. You can’t make out the face but it looks like the same guy. Gotta be him. Plates lead to Oscar Mendez with a Florida driver’s license. We’re going to look for any local activity. I’ll have someone email you his address and a copy of the video.”
Eddie said, “We’ll check it out at this end,” and disconnected the call. I followed him to his desk, where he logged onto his computer to find Robby’s email waiting. Eddie printed out the license and registration information, then picked up his phone and made a call. “Let’s go,” he said, “back up’s meeting us there.”
We ran to Eddie’s car and he hit the lights and siren. When he got close to Oscar AKA Orazio’s address, he turned them off. A few minutes later, he parked behind a Patrol car sitting in an empty lot. I looked at the print out Eddie made. Oscar’s license and registration both showed his address as 1101 Magnolia. We were there and I saw nothing but a mailbox.
Falafel Jones - The Kewpie Killer Page 20