The Medusa File - Robert F. Clifton (best ebook reader android TXT) 📗

as I know the federal government has been looking for you for a long time. Once I turn you over to them I think that they'll petition the court to deport you back to Columbia”, said Kevin.

“I've been in this country for over fifty years and in all that time I've caused no trouble”, the woman replied.

“That remains to be seen. We haven't contacted the Immigration people. When and how we do is up to you”.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that if you co-operate, answer questions truthfully then we will help you stay in the United States. However, let me advise you that there is no guarantee that Immigration authorities will grant you permission to remain. That's a chance you have to take. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I need to stay here. My husband needs me”.

“I'm sure he does. Now, are you ready to answer our questions?”

“Yes”.

“Excellent, but first let me warn you that lying to the police is a crime. Do you still want to co-operate?”

“Yes”.

“Good. Let's start with why you took the name and identity of Delores Rodriquez”.

“When I met Edward my visa time here in this country was about to expire. Edward told me that since Puerto Rican people are viewed as U.S. citizens and with a Puerto Rican identity I could stay without being bothered by immigration.”

“I understand, but how did you get the identity of Delores Rodriquez?”, asked McKenna.

“I kept in constant contact with my brother who lives in Bogota. I told him of my plan and what I needed. It was he that gave me the name and birth date. The little girl was born about the same year as I was”.

“How did he get the information?”

“In his business he travels a lot. He was in San Juan and visited a cemetery. He got the name and dates from the headstone”.

“What kind of business is he in?”

“He's a pharmaceutical salesman”.

“Really, what's his name?”

“Adolfo Gollegos”.

“Alright, so you settled in with Edward Dawson in Boston with a hidden identity. Why did the two of you come to Nautilus Beach?”

“Problems with the police”.

“What kind of problems?”

“Edward was pushing cocain. One of our user customers blew the whistle on us”.

“Why the house on Albatross Lane?”

“Edward saw it as a nice safe place to live and by renting rooms we would have a nice weekly income. We made a mistake and it cost us”.

“A mistake?”

“Yes. Edward decided to let the prostitutes use the rooms on the third floor. Each time they did they gave Edward ten dollars or more, depending on how long they used the room.”

“And you consider that to be a mistake?”

“Actually the mistake was meeting and doing business with Teeny”.

“When you say Teeny are you referring to a black woman named Altina Woodson?”

“Yes”.

“Why was meeting her a mistake?”

“Because that's when all the problems started”.

“What kind of problems?”

“Death”.

“Really? Who's death?”

“The first was Norman Peters”.

“I see. Can you tell me how he died?”

“Yes. He inhaled cocain with strychnine”.

“Strychnine is a poison why would he do that?”

“Because he was under the influence of scopolamine”.

“And, who used scopolamine on him?”

“Teeny. She wanted to show my Edward just how easy it was to control someone after they were given scoploamine”.

“So, she wanted to kill Peters to prove a point?”

“Oh, no. Peters death was an accident. When the strychnine was added to the cocain to increase the high, too much of it was used. Along with receiving a high he died”.

“I see. Where did Teeny get the scopolamine?”

“The original dose I got from my brother. He brought it in from Columbia and as a pharmaceutical representative and salesman he had no problem with Customs. When I saw it I got both nervous and angry. You see, I know how it works. I saw it first hand in Bogota. So when no one was looking I took what he had given my husband and I hid it one of my shoes”.

“Then what?”, asked Kevin.

“Then Edward and I had a terrific argument. He wanted to give it to Teeny. He believed that it would be much easier to steal from her customers. She would take them to a room on the third floor. Some time up there she would blow the scopolamine in their face, take what they had such as cash, or jewelry and some one would walk the man out of the house. Evidently they never remembered what happened to them because the police never came”.

“So, I take it that Edward won the argument and he and Teeny went into business together on a larger scale”.

“Yes”.

“That brings us to Harry Nichol. Why was he killed?”

“Harry Nichol was a type of man who thought that he was a Don Juan and every woman he met he thought he could seduce. He made moves on me a couple of times, but my husband straightened him out and after awhile he left me alone. So one night he made a move on Teeny. I guess she more or less liked him, but was peeved because he wouldn't pay if you know what I mean”.

“Yes, a hooker never gives it away unless she's in love, so they say”.

“Well, the next thing we know is that Harry is found unconscious in bed. At that time Edward and I didn't know what happened to him so we called for an ambulance. We were told later that he died in the hospital”.

“Did you ever find out that he also died form a dose of cocain and strychnine?”

“Yes”.

“How?”

“Teeny told my Edward that she did it”.

“When was that?”

“A long time ago, back in April, 1968”.

“Alright, that brings us to Sheldon Holmes”,said McKenna.

“What about him?”

“Come now, you know and I know that he died just like the other men. Let's not start playing games. So far you've been doing very well in answering my questions. Don't tell me you want to stop now”.

“I'm not being difficult Sergeant. You have to know that Sheldon Holmes involvement was much different then the others”.

“How?”

“My Edward came up with the idea that if Teeny used scopolamine and the men she used it on were driven out of town say, several miles out of town. Then with no memory of the events that happened to them, discovery of Teeny, Edward and the rooming house would be very difficult”.

“Go on”.

“Things went that way for some time. Then, Holmes decided he wanted more from the operation. He had become the main provider of customers for Teeny. She no longer worked the streets. She just sat in my kitchen smoking cigarettes and drinking whiskey waiting for Sheldon's cab to pull up and bring a man into the house. So, he wanted a third of the operation. He got greedy.”

“So they killed him?”

“Teeny killed him. The guy thought that nothing could happen to him. He certainly never thought she would blow scopolamine in his face. But, she did and like the others under control he snorted the cocain and poison”.

“So all three murders, Peters, Nichole’s and Holmes were all committed by Teeny?”

“Yes”.

“And, Edward Dawson had no part in the killings?”

“Of course he knew about them, but he didn't kill anyone”.

“That then takes us to the murder of Michael Winters”, said McKenna.

“I don't want to talk about it”, said Delores.

“Why not?”

“I just don't”.

“Could it be because you don't want to tell us about Edward Dawson, your so called husband using a knife on Winters?”

“I have nothing to say. I refuse to say anymore”.

“Very well. I'll have you taken to your cell and tomorrow I'll contact the Immigration and Customs Bureau and they can talk to you. Cynthia, make sure that Delores Rodriquez is booked and add her real name, Patricia Gollegos,” said McKenna.

After leaving the interrogation room McKenna and Collins took the elevator to their office floor. Once in the office Collins said, “Well, that just about wraps up the investigation on three of those murders. Now, if we can get her to open up on the Winters case we can close it out.”

“I want her to stew a bit in her cell. Right now she's between a sweat and a shit. She wants to protect Edward, but she doesn’t want to be deported. Very soon in my way of thinking, she'll make a choice. Let's see if it's by the way of the heart or self preservation”.

“Either way, it's going to be interesting”, said Collins.

“Cynthia Adams walked into the office. “She's booked and wanted her telephone call”.

“Did she make it?”

“Yes”.

“To who?”

“Guess”

“Edward”, said Collins.

“You win the cigar”, Adams replied as she took a seat at her desk. When she did the telephone rang. She lifted the receiver and said, “Major Crime Squad, Detective Adams speaking. Oh no. When? Are you sure? Thank you”.

Mckenna looked at Cynthia and said. “What's up?”

“That was the Detective Bureau. A radio car responded to a call at the Dolphin Motel. Upon their arrival they found Edward Dawson unconscious. They called for an ambulance and Dawson was rushed to the hospital. Detectives there were told that Dawson was D.O.A.”

“Son of a bitch!”, said McKenna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Ten

A Girl Named Pat

 

Thursday morning at ten o'clock Sergeant McKenna and Detective Collins walked into the morgue located on the ground floor of the local hospital. There they met Doctor Albert Henderson, one of the pathologist that worked for the hospital.After introducing himself McKenna asked to see the body of Edward Dawson.

“Do you know that Edward Dawson is actually a woman?”, asked Doctor Henderson”.

“Yes sir. However, I still want to see the body”, McKenna replied.

The two police officers followed the doctor to where stainless steel drawers meant to hold cadavers took up the space on one wall. Doctor Henderson reached down and pulled a drawer out far enough to expose the face and upper body of the deceased. When he did he pulled back the white sheet that covered the body allowing McKenna a perfect view. Kevin looked upon a wrinkled face. A face with a white, neatly trimmed, beard. The eyes were closed but a hideous grin was visible, indicating strychnine.

“Have you done chemical analysis?”, asked McKenna.

“Yes, both blood and tissue.From what the police have told us and our own examination I will list the cause of death as Suicide, ingesting of strychnine poison”. Said Henderson.

“That's a hell of a way to go”, said Collins.

“I agree, but it seems fitting. After all, in a way he used it along with Altina Woodson. At least, he knew she was using it”, said Mckenna.

“I wonder how Delores will take it?”, asked Collins.

“Probably like any other wife who was in love with their husband. We just have to put a watch on her just in case she gets the idea to join her Eddie in some way”, said Kevin.

Back at headquarters McKenna met with Cynthia Adams.

“So, how is she taking the news?”, he asked.

“Pretty bad. When she finally stopped crying she asked if she could attend the funeral. What should I tell her?”

“Tell her yes. Then make arrangement for a female detective to join us. I want one of you on each side of her at the grave”, McKenna answered.

“Do you want her cuffed?,” asked Adams.

“No. Handcuffing an elderly woman in her seventies would appear not only stupid, but cruel. You can bet the press will be out there taking photographs and asking a lot of ridiculous questions like, how do you feel now that you know your husband committed suicide?”

“What about Immigration and Customs? When are you going to contact them?”, asked Collins.

“I want to question her one more time. Now that Ed Dawson is no more it is possible that she will open up and tell us about the murder of Michael Winters. If she does great. If she doesn’t at least we tried”, McKenna answered. When he finished speaking the intercom on his desk came on. “Sergeant, will you come to my office please?”, said Captain Myers.

“Yes Mam”, Kevin answered then left immediately for the Captains office.

Entering he was invited to take a seat. Captain Myers, after reading reports looked over the top of her eyeglasses and said,”Congratulations. I must say that