Chapter Five
Kate was delighted that Megan sat down beside her to look at the photos.
Megan asked, “How old was she?”
Kate answered, “She was thirty eight, her name was Linda Miles and her husband’s name is Richard.”
Megan seemed mesmerized by the photos and Kate watched her daughter trace over the neck wounds with her fingers.”
Kate looked at her daughter and asked, “Are you okay? Do you have any questions about what happened to her?”
Megan asked, “Do you think you will solve it? It looks so cruel. Who called the police?”
Kate said, “For starters, it was cruel and I will try my best to solve this case. Her body was dumped in the alley and some people passing by found it and called it in. Why are you suddenly interested in one of my cases?”
Megan replied, “I saw it on the news when they showed her photo and asked if anyone knew her. I didn’t know it was your case until I saw the photos on the night stand. I recognized her.”
Kate wasn’t kidding herself. She knew this interaction didn’t mean there was any kind of truce between her and her teenage daughter. She was glad to see her daughter showing some signs of empathy, she hadn’t witnessed that in a while. Their conversation ended as abruptly as it started and Megan told her mother she was headed for bed and turned to make her way back to her room.
Kate knew it was just a way to excuse herself to go back to chat with her friends at school. Kate went back to looking over her notes, the evidence and the photos from the scene. It wasn’t the crime scene but it was the discovery scene. She wasn’t convinced there would be much to see at the crime scene either, since it was strangulation there wouldn’t be any blood evidence. .
Kate would spend the next few days checking Richard Miles' alibi and maybe asking the victim’s sister if she knew anyone that drove an SUV. She didn’t know how long she had been asleep on the couch when she felt the hands shaking her. Her eyes were still not focused when she saw the eyes looking back at her.
Megan was asking, “Are you okay? You need to go to bed.”
Kate looked at her clock on her cable box and it glowed two forty five A.M. Kate said, “I must have dozed off.”
Megan replied, “I’d say so.”
Kate gathered her papers, notes and photos and put them back into the folder and took it with her to her bedroom. Sleeping on the couch didn’t do anything to help the ache in her neck. She was surprised at her daughter’s apparent concern.
It seemed like she just closed her eyes when the alarm was blaring out in her ear. She set her alarm early to get a jump on Megan and their constant battle over control of the hot water. The shower felt good running over her skin. She wasted no time drying off and heading for the coffee pot. At least she wasn’t called out. If someone was killed, the department decided it would wait for morning. It would be another morning of a missed run, she was just too tired with little strength..
She didn’t have to take Megan to school anymore. Thanks to her dad she had her own car. It wasn’t new and Kate insisted on a big SUV. She knew the statistics on the small compact cars. The compacts were the usual choice of teen drivers and the survival rate in accidents were not good. Kate agreed to the big Chevy Blazer. Kate couldn’t help but think about the fact that it was very much like the vehicle that would have been used to transport the body of Linda Miles.
Kate made breakfast sandwiches, one of which Megan grabbed on her way out the door. Kate finished her breakfast and then got dressed. Her shoulder holster and Glock finished off her accessories. In the beginning, Kate wore a jacket to conceal her gun, but after a while she figured she was a cop and there was no point in keeping it hidden. When she was out in public, Kate wore her badge on the belt of her pants or skirt. It was the same place most of the male detectives wore their badge. In case they needed to identify themselves as law enforcement, they wanted the badge visible.
The one exception to the badge rule was the undercover guys. Everyone else didn’t want to be shot by another cop. They all wore their badges in a standard location so everyone would be able to easily see it on another officer. With a travel cup filled with coffee, Kate was quickly out the door.
Sean’s car was parked next to the spot where she always parked and Kate could tell he was still in the driver’s seat. He appeared to be on the phone, getting the last of his instructions from his wife no doubt. Kate knew the kind of hell he was in but she knew he would figure it out.
Kate waved at Sean as she walked down the sidewalk toward the side entrance where the officers entered through. The front entrance was for the public to enter. Kate spent most of the day verifying the receipts Richard Miles gave to her. She talked to the establishment managers to see if the receipts were valid and to also see if any security footage existed for that date.
Sean came by to see if there had been any progress and Kate asked, “When you have gone somewhere on vacation, did the people working at the places you visited remember you days later?”
Sean replied, “I doubt it, they usually don’t remember me while I am still there.”
Kate said, “Exactly, these people remembered Richard and go on about how great he was and outgoing and friendly.”
Sean said, “He was probably a big tipper. If someone was handing me hundreds for handing them a towel, I would remember them too.”
Kate replied, “You can bet he was a big tipper, that always makes you memorable. Maybe we should check around to see if he was a big tipper here too.”
Sean said, “Oh you mean to see if he was just a big tipper there to be remembered for an alibi.”
Kate replied, “Exactly. Now you are catching on. The receipts check out, someone who went by the name Richard Miles was in Vegas when Linda was being murdered. The airport and the hotel verified identification confirmation.”
Sean asked, “Is there any way he could have chartered a private plane to fly back here, commit the murder and then fly back?”
Kate replied, “Of course he could have but witnesses say he was there at the time the crime would have occurred. The hotels and a limo service have security videos they are uploading to our cloud server. After we get those we will know if we are investigating him for murder or conspiracy murder for hire.”
Sean replied, “The videos will tell us if he was physically there or not. What do we do for now?”
Kate replied, “We have a talk with the sister, Vicky.”
Sean called Linda’s sister and set up the appointment for their visit. They agreed to come to her, which had the effect of keeping her feeling comfortable, hopefully comfortable enough to speak candidly. It also is an opportunity to look around to see if anything stood out. It was a short trip to Vicky’s home, about twenty minutes in good traffic.
They rang the doorbell and Vicky was there within seconds to answer it. She recognized Kate and Sean and invited them inside the house. Vicky led them to a sitting room just off of the entryway. After they were seated, Vicky asked if she could get them some coffee or tea, which they both declined.
Kate started the questions with a simple one, “Do you know anyone who would want your sister dead?”
Vicky replied with the usual response, “I can’t think of anyone who would do such a thing. Everyone loved Linda.”
Sean replied, “Apparently not everyone.”
Kate gave him a look that told him to stand down. She wanted to make Vicky comfortable and gain her trust. Kate continued, “Do you know anyone that may have known Linda that drove a General Motors SUV, probably a Chevy or GMC?”
Vicky replied, “Since Linda has been married to Richard, she has become acclimated to having money, All of her friends I know drive expensive cars, and a lot of those with a driver. “
Kate asked, “Speaking of Richard, what can you tell me about their marriage? Did they seem happy? Were there any problems that you were aware of?”
Vicky answered slowly but deliberately, “Every time I have been around them I have seen nothing to indicate there were any problems. They had occasional spats like most couples but it never went beyond that. The only complaint I ever heard from Linda was that Richard worked all the time and she was lonely.”
Kate asked, “Do you think Linda ever went out to find someone to fill that void?”
Vicky replied, “I haven’t seen any evidence of that.”
Kate asked, “It seems Richard was rarely at home, did they ever go anywhere together?”
Vicky replied, “Oh yes, many times and Linda said that was their best time. When they travelled together, Richard left his phone at home.”
Kate asked, “Where did they go?”
Vicky replied, “They have a home near the Charles River. It was well out of town in a fairly secluded spot, which reminds me that Richard has an SUV. He keeps it at that river house for traveling the dirt roads close by.”
Kate made a note about the SUV. That fact could be a promising development. Kate stood up and gathered her notes, thanked Vicky for her help and shook her hand before she led the way out that Sean followed.
When they got back into their car Sean asked, “Do you think that was an interesting revelation about Richard?”
Kate replied, “I made a note of it and it is worth looking into.”
Sean asked, “Do you think we could get a warrant to search that SUV?”
Kate smiled but then said, “No! The judge is going to tell you that there are about thirty thousand people just in this city that drive an SUV. There is no evidence to suggest it is anything more than a coincidence.”
They were both silent on the way back to the station, both lost in thought about the interview and what, if anything, they learned from it.
