Garwood Village - Robert F. Clifton (free novels .TXT) 📗

Wally here”.

“Now what?”

“You will be receiving the body of one Edna Fisher, victim of a homicide. She should be arriving within the hour”.

“What killed her?”

“Two stab wounds in the abdomen, a slashed throat, severed carotid artery and trachea”.

“Well, what do you want from me? Any of those wounds could cause death”.

“What I want is for you to look for any signs of semen, either in her or on her”.

“Anything else?”

“Not at the moment. If I think of something I'll let you know”.

“Alright, do you feel like eating out tonight?”

“What do you have in mind?”

“Indian or Chinese”.

“Chinese, let's go to the Golden Dragon”.

“Fine, pick me up at seven”.

“See ya then, good by”.

After hanging up the telephone Wallace turned the high back leather chair he was sitting in towards the typewriter. He inserted the paper and began typing his report. In the upper right corner he typed the date. April 23, 1975. Using the roller he scrolled down and typed:

To: Chief of Police, Jerry Monahan

From: Captain of Police Robert Wallace

Subject: Homicide, Edna Fisher, Victim

White female of apartment 1414

Garwood Village, Nautilus beach, N.J.

Sir;

I report that on this date at approximately seven forty five A.M. I did receive a telephone call at my private residence. At that time I was notified that uniformed patrol officers did respond to a complaint of what was considered a murder (homicide) by members of the community of Garwood Village, Nautilus Beach, N.J.

As the commanding officer of the Major Crime Squad I then notified Sergeant Frank Stiles to dispatch Detectives Carol Myers and Thomas McKenna to the crime scene and for Sergeant Stiles to assume command pending my arrival.

Upon my arrival at apartment 1414 Garwood Village I was met by Sergeant Stiles who informed me that the victim was one Edna Fisher (age not confirmed at this time) a single Caucasian female who was found on the floor of her bedroom.

As commanding officer of the Major Crime Squad and with the assigned responsibility to investigate any and all homicides I did then assume command and directed both uniform and plain clothes Nautilus Beach police Officers. I personally viewed and investigated the position of the victims body, the wounds inflicted on the victims body, which appeared to consist of the following: Two stab wounds to the abdomen, a deep laceration of the throat, said laceration appearing to sever the left, carotid artery and the trachea.

After conducting the preliminary investigation I did then leave Sergeant Frank Stiles in command of the crime scene with the order to maintain protection of said crime scene until further orders.

Uniformed officers should be assigned.

Finally, upon my return to headquarters I did make contact with Doctor Manfred Edwards, Nautilus Beach Medical Examiner requesting standard and additional examination of the victims body.

Respectfully submitted

Robert F. Wallace

Captain of Police

Major Crime Squad Commanding.

Manfred Edwards sat at a table in the Golden Dragon Restaurant as he did he studied the face of his friend, Robert Wallace.

What he saw was a man trying to pick an entree' from the menu he held in his hands, but was unable to do so as his mind kept returning to the crime scene at Garwood village.

“Well? Are you going to order something or do you want to tell me about your latest case?”, asked Edwards

“Oh, I'm having the sweet and sour pork. However, since you mentioned it, did you find any semen?”

“No. I examined the body internally and externally. I even shut off the lights in the morgue and used ultra violet, still there was nothing”.

“OK”.

“OK? Just OK. There must be something bugging you”, said Edwards.

“On the bathroom floor in front of the washbasin, there was a puddle of water.”.

“Which means the killer washed up. Nothing unusual about that”.

“True, but it could also indicate the end of a sexual act. If so, then that could be considered to be unusual”.

“Hmm. Good thinking. I think I'll have the Tomato Beef tonight”, said Edwards as he picked up his scotch and soda.

Chapter Two

Wallace stood in the dark, combination den and office of his condo looking out through the glass pane door that led to the balcony.

From that vantage point he had an excellent place to watch the fireworks as they were shot out over the boardwalk and ocean. It was the fourth of July and both the tourists and residents were out in force, most lining the rails of the wooden walkway and some on the beach, all wanting to see and enjoy the show of pyrotechnics. It was Friday and if nothing happened that required him being called in for duty he was off for the weekend.

As he watched the lighted explosions in the night sky his memory went back to his days when he was a patrolman. Then, working on the Fourth of July meant a twelve hour shift. They would then direct traffic before and after any parade. If there was a parade they patrolled the perimeter. If there wasn't then they walked through the crowd maintaining order. When his mind returned to the present he marveled at the ability of the pyrotechnic manufacturers to create colorful displays in the night sky. He watched until the very end of the presentation and when it was over he walked to the floor lamp and turned on the light.

He noticed that it was ten P.M. And that meant it was time for the news. After turning on the television Wallace took a seat in his leather recliner, pushed the side lever stopping when he achieved a comfortable position. The evening news came out of Philadelphia which meant that he had to endure what were meaningless events, meaningless to him at least. Still, as an avid baseball and football fan he tuned in hoping to hear something new about the Phillies or Eagles. As usual there was nothing to report. Not pleased with the broadcast, he turned off the lamp and walked through the dark condominium into his bedroom. He pulled back the covers and slid beneath them and tried to sleep. It was a fitful sleep at best and at two A.M. On the morning of July 5, 1975 he was wide awake.

At two A.M. On the morning of July 5, 1975, Florence Alberson stood in her bedroom at apartment 1219 Garwood Village. She was still nude after having made love and she smiled as her lover standing behind her enveloped her by placing a bare arm across her chest. She closed her eyes as lips kissed her neck then moved to her ear lobe. Then, her eyes opened wide and a scream refused to leave her throat as the point of a knife penetrated her left kidney. In agony she felt the instrument being removed then felt the sharpness of the blade as it moved across her throat from left to right. As the artery in her neck was severed and shock came from the pain in her kidney she began to lose consciousness and slowly collapsed to the floor. Florence Albertson's killer stood over her and smiled.

Wallace stood on the concrete porch at 1219 Garwood Village. He looked at his wristwatch noting the time to be eleven seventeen A.M. He wrote that fact in his notepad then entered the living room passing uniform and plainclothes police officers. Seeing a Police Sergeant he motioned to him. “Yes sir?” said the Sergeant.

“Instead of standing in here and getting in the way get outside and if nothing else keep the damn press away from the doorway”, ordered Wallace.

Stiles walked out of the bedroom and finding the Captain went to him. “Looks like the same guy. Same M.O., a stabbing and then slicing the throat”.

“What do we know about the victim?”

“Florence Alberson, Caucasian female, age fifty. She works part-time as waitress at the Wonder Garden around the corner from here. She's divorced, is the mother of two children both live out-of-town. Myers is trying to get their address so they can be notified.”

“Good, is Campo here?”

“Yes sir”.

“Alright let me see the body”, said Wallace as he walked into the bedroom. When he entered he saw the nude body laying face down. He stood looking, but at the same time making mental notes.

“Who found the body?” asked Wallace.

“A woman next door in 1221. She was out of bread came here, knocked on the door. When there was no answer she figured Florence was in the shower so she opened the door and walked in. She called and when there was no answer walked into the bedroom and found the victim”.

“And, who is the woman next door?”

“Alice Williams”.

“My next question Frank is this. Who touched the body first?”

“I can't say Captain. I was told the uniformed patrolmen found the body”

“Find them, get their names and badge numbers. The way the body is laying face down it had to be moved in order to see the throat wound. They disturbed the crime scene. Better that we report that fact now, instead of looking like a bunch of assholes in court later”.

Wallace then walked into the bathroom. He looked at the floor finding a small puddle of water in front of the washbasin. He found the sink, spotlessly clean. Seeing Sergeant Campo he called to her. “June this is just like the last one. I want that water collected he said, pointing to the wet floor”.

“No problem Captain”, said Campo.

“What did you find in the water from the crime scene at 1414?”

“Ivory soap”.

Turning back to Stiles Wallace asked, “Did we get a time of death?”.

“The coroner established it at between two and three A.M.” said Stiles.

“Is there a telephone here?”, asked Wallace.

“In the living room”, Stiles answered.

“Has it been dusted?”.

“I don't know”.

“June? Have your people dusted the telephone for prints?”, asked Wallace.

“Not yet”.

“How long will it be?”

“You have a choice Captain. The water on the bathroom floor or the telephone. Which is more important to you?”, answered Campos.

“Right now, the telephone”.

Sergeant Campo walked into the living room carrying a field finger print kit. She stood in front of a small end table that held the traditional, black, rotary dial telephone. She opened the kit, removed a glass vial of white powder and dusted the entire phone. Then using the clear lifting tape, removed several latent prints. “I'm finished Captain”, she said.

“Thank you”, said Wallace as he wiped the receiver with his handkerchief. He then dialed the number of the city morgue. When Doctor Edwards answered, Wallace said, “Doc, I've got another, just like the last one. When you get the body check it for semen. Let me know what you find”.

“No problem. I'll call you at home”.

“Good by”.

When the Captain was finished making his call Stiles asked him, “Why the interest in semen?”

“Frank, from what you know of the two cases, is the killer a male or female?”, asked Wallace.

“I'd say male”.

“Based on what evidence?”

Frank Stiles stood silently thinking, trying to remember what information they had that would directly indicate that the murderer was a male. “None Cap. None”.

“Exactly, that's why I'm looking for semen”.

Later that evening Wallace received a telephone call from Doctor Edwards. “I ran all the tests, just as I did in the Fisher case. There is no sign of any semen. Other than that death was caused by asphyxiation when the trachea was severed.”

“I figured that”, said Wallace.

“Any idea of who or why?”, asked Edwards.

“Right now the only idea I have is that there is a potential serial killer loose in Nautilus Beach”.

“If that's true then the killer is one sick son of a bitch”.

“Yeah, but right now, that doesn’t tell me anything that I don't already know”.

“No ideas? No thoughts?”

“Plenty of thoughts, no ideas”, answered Wallace.

“What thoughts?”

“There has been no signs of forced entry, therefore the killer appears to have been invited into the apartments. There are signs that a sexual situation either occurred or was about to occur. The killer washes after the murder indicating that there was either blood on their hands or body and at the same time a puddle of water on the bathroom floor in front of the washbasin could be