The Body in the Pool

Book One of the Dismember Killer Series

Chapter Nineteen

Barnes and Melanie were back by noon. “It was a flipping farm of cubicles. I sent everything to a forensic accountant. It’ll be eons before they can make heads or tails of it.”
“Aren’t you full of good news.” Spence’s mood was black.
“Who pissed in your Wheaties?” Melanie frowned.
“Shit. There’s no easy way to lay this out there.” Spence stopped staring at his screen and made eye contact. “Turns out the leak was Tom.”
Melanie laughed and turned to her desk. She grabbed the wall calender hanging there.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking the date. You’re a couple of months late for April Fools.”
Spence shook his head.
Barnes pulled out his chair. “The new girl right?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh, come on.” Melanie’s face scrunched up. “We do not need this right now.”
“For now, he’s off the case. I don’t know if he’ll be back or when.”
“All these years, we’ve all debated what it might take to bring down ‘dynamite’, turns out it’s one bleach blonde bitch with a big mouth.”
Barnes snorted. “Say that three times fast.”
“Bleach blonde bitch with a big mouth, bleach blonde bitch with a big mouth, bleach blonde bitch with a big mouth.” Melanie sing-songed her way through the words.
Spence let it slide. They needed to process losing a family member. If making jokes helped, he was on board.
“I got a couple of the lab reports back.” Spence hoped this would get them focused on the case. “The mystery meat.”
Barnes provided a drum roll on the work table with his hands.
“Human. DNA was too fried for a match to Paulson. Think about it, how many bits of human flesh can we expect to find within 30 feet of a body missing those same bits.”
“That’s a new one for our serial killer.” Melanie frowned.
“We’ve had that thought about a number of aspects to this case.” Spence countered.
“I know, I just think we shouldn’t lose track of the minutia.”
“Fair enough,” said Spence. “The eyeball jelly is back as well.”
“Vitreous fluid,” said Barnes correcting Spence.
“Right, the vitreous fluid contained Rohypnol.”
“Somebody roofied the old guy?” Melanie asked in blatant disbelief. “That has never been done by our serial killer. He always overpowers them.”
Spence nodded his acquiescence. “It fits with the mode of death suggested by Choi, smothering. A few drops in a cocktail, he passes out. Couple of minutes with a pillow.”
“He passes way out,” Barnes chuckled. “That’s cold. And not our guy. I agree with Mel.”
“You two think we should pass this case off then?” Spence knew a copycat designation by his team right now, could tank Tom’s case for accidental information transmission. Harold was dead before the story hit the front page but it would still come down on Tom.
“That’s a hard call.” Barnes shook his head. “I think I’d rather take a gander at the personal financials we have access to now.”
“That sounds reasonable.” Spence looked over at Melanie who was staring off into space. Okay then, back to the data.
It was several minutes later when Melanie leapt to the cork-board and grabbed the preliminary autopsy report. She flipped pages. Then slapping the page in her hand, said, “No marks on his heels.”
“No what?” Spence asked.
“Marks on his heels. Paulson was 5’11”, 180 pounds. If he was dead already, how did the killer get him from the murder location to the pool without dragging him?”
“He carried him.”
“That’s a lot of dead weight. No pun intended,” she continued when Barnes guffawed.
“We’re looking for a big guy, a team, or someone with a little red wagon. That really narrows it down.”
Melanie flipped the papers back into order and retacked them to the board. “At least I’m trying.”
“As opposed to me?”
“You’re just staring at your screen, feeling sorry for yourself and Tom.”
Spence considered how to answer this without lying. Because Melanie was right. He did feel sorry for himself, for Tom, for the team. And he really hated Stephanie Lewis right about now. The ringing phone on his desk saved him the trouble of answering her. “Thomas.” He hung up ten seconds later. “It appears my wife is here.”

The Body in the Pool

Book One of the Dismember Killer Series

Chapter Eighteen

Tess arrived at the restaurant early. She was actually dying for a Reuben, had been since she suggested it to Magda in text last night. She also wanted to be sure they dined in a window booth. Spence’s seriousness the night before had left her with lingering unease. Deuces surrounded the bar, all next to large plate glass windows. She selected the table she wanted and ordered a Mango Mana-tea while she waited. Magda, true to form, was 20 minutes late.
“Tess, my darling, you are the size of a house.”
Tess laughed. “Thank you, I think.”
“A completely adorable house, of course.” Magda kissed both of Tess’s cheeks and then sat down signaling the waiter as she did. “I’m dying for a Martini. How about you?”
Tess shook her head. “Alcohol is bad for the baby.”
“Oh, right. The baby. One Martini then, s’il vous plait.” Magda beamed at Tess. “Tell me everything.”
For a moment Tess wondered if Magda knew, then she shook herself and tried to remember all the reasons she and Magda had been friends in culinary school. Which she could sum up in one word: fun. Magda was fun. “You’ve always been way more entertaining. Tell me what you’ve been up to.”
“Oh darling. Things have been simply dreadful. Matt actually had the nerve to put me on a shopping budget. Can you imagine? Me? On a budget?”
Tess laughed. “No. Absolutely not.”
“That’s absolutely what I told him.” Magda bubbled over with laughter. “Let’s order, I’m famished.”

They were into dessert, well Tess was, Magda was sipping coffee, when the subject of Matt’s work came up.
“He’s been ridic busy lately. Apparently one of his clients is in a mess of hot water. A bunch of money disappeared.” Magda leaned in towards Tess, “And the client canceled their deliberate malfeasance insurance last year.”
“And now money is missing?”
Magda nodded. “It’s about to be such a scandal. Of course Matt’s terribly stressed and working long hours. He had the nerve to suggest we might have to cancel our trip to Barbados next month.”
“I can’t imagine.” And she couldn’t. Spence took Tess on a cruise to Alaska for their last vacation. It happened to be their honeymoon, three years ago.
“I didn’t tell you the best part. Last night when Matt got home, he told me the guy they think stole the money was murdered yesterday.”
Tess stopped hard, her spoon half-way to her mouth. “Murdered?”
“Like murdered, murdered.” Magda flopped back in her chair, wrung out by the rehashing of such vibrant gossip.
“Matt’s not a suspect, is he?” Tess asked with a concerned note in her voice.
“Don’t be silly. It’s Matt’s clients that might be in hot water, in more ways than one.”
“With Matt as their lawyer…” Tess let her sentence trail off.
“He is rather good, isn’t he?” Magda smiled. “Complete pit-bull. Ridic sexy. Except when it’s about my credit card bill.”
Tess laughed.
“We should do this again.”
“I’d like that. I’ve been super bored since the whole bed rest thing.”
“It sounds positively ghastly. I don’t know how you stand it.”
Tess’s hand moved to her belly in an automatic response. “You do what you have to.”
“No, my darling, you do what you have to. There’s a reason my stomach is still perfectly flat and it’s not just Pilates. Speaking of which I’ve got to run. I’ll grab the bill this time.”
“You don’t need to do that.”
“Nonsense. I’ve done nothing but natter at you today. The least I can do is pay for the privilege.”
Tess stood up from the table. “Thank you.” She gave Magda as firm a hug as she could manage with the bowling ball in her belly.
Magda laid a gentle hand on Tess’s belly. “Next week?”
“Sure.” Surprisingly, Tess found she meant it.

While she waited for Magda to pay the check and leave, Tess texted Spence. I’m dropping by the office and boy do I have a scoop for you.

The Body in the Pool

Book One of the Dismember Killer Series

Chapter Seventeen

Spence was in the office before seven the next morning. He needed time to order a drive-by on the South Lake Grill.
Once he got to his desk he scrolled through his emails looking for reports: the Stephanie Lewis situation, lab reports, warrants, that preliminary written autopsy Choi said he was finishing last night.
The autopsy was there. He opened it and read through. He hit print, stapled the pages together, and added them to the cork-board under the New Reports heading. Melanie came through the door as he was sticking the tack in it.
“Morning.”
“Prelim autopsy,” Spence responded.
Melanie hung up her coat and crossed back to the cork-board to read the report.
Spence returned to his desk.
“Water injected into the lungs after death?”
“Yup, that’s what Choi told me last night.”
Melanie stared at Spence. “Who does that kind of shit?”
“Got me.”
Barnes came in and Melanie started explaining the preliminary findings.
“Warrants. We’ve got warrants for the business and the personal accounts. Who wants to serve?”
“We’ll go.” Melanie nodded at Barnes who nodded back.
“Go to it. And get digital where you can.”
Melanie laughed. The partners grabbed the coats they had just shed and left the office.
Spence was back into reading his email when Tom came through the door. Spence glared. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
Tom stopped dead in his tracks. “I wasn’t, I wasn’t thinking.”
“Partners for seven years, four years in that god awful hell of a sand pit before that. And you do this to me?” Spence kicked his chair back out of the way.
“I’m sorry.”
“What if something happens to Tess or the baby?”
Confusion streaked across Tom’s face. “Why would anything happen to Tess?”
“You don’t think asking her to sneak behind enemy lines and do a little recon is dangerous?”
Tom opened his mouth and then closed it without answering.
“You forgot you called her?”
“I didn’t-”
“Texted her.” Spence shouted, interrupting his partner.
Tom swallowed. “I did forget.”
“Then what were you talking about?”
They stood, staring at each other, computer fans whirring in the background, the hum of the overhead lights. Tom waited for the penny to drop.
“Stephanie Lewis.”
“Yeah.”
“You’re the leak.” Spence felt a weight crushing his chest.
“Yeah.”
Spence sat down, his head in his hands, elbows on his knees.
Tom hung up his coat and waited.
“You should have told me.” Spence’s voice was distant.
“I didn’t want to involve you. I saw the headline and I hoped it wasn’t, she hadn’t.”
“I ordered surveillance on her.”
“This isn’t how I thought it would go down.”
“Oh, you thought through the ramifications of dating a reporter?” Spence’s anger rose in his throat.
Tom shook his head. “I meant the end of our partnership, I figured one of us would get shot.”
“That can still happen,” Spence snapped back.
They stared at each other before Tom started to laugh, Spence slowly joining in.
“I am well and truly fucked.”
“Maybe not. Did you go see her?”
Tom nodded. “Last night.”
“Go to the lieu. Tell her Stephanie lied to you, you didn’t know she was a reporter until you saw the article. You never read The Times.”
“That’s a lot of lies to live with.”
“Or you end your career. I’ll back you either way.”
“I better go throw myself on her highness’s mercy.” Tom smiled then his face relaxed. “You’ve been a good partner. Even better friend.”
“Stop talking like you’re dying. It’s only your career that’s committed suicide.”
“Thanks.”
“Stop stalling. Go, before she gets around to the surveillance reports.”
Tom nodded and left the room. He went down the stairs to the floor below. It felt like everyone’s eyes were on him as he walked across the open bullpen. No conversations stopped, nothing that obvious. But voices dropped as he passed. He knocked on the closed door of his boss.
“Busy,” Her voiced barked.
“It’s Harding.” Tom heard her chair hit the wall behind her desk, five seconds later the door whipped open.
“You better have one hell of an explanation.”
“That’s why I’m here.” Tom watched her nostrils flare way too up close for his comfort. The bullpen behind him was silent now. If he turned, he knew he would find all eyes were watching the show.
“Come in.”

The Body in the Pool

Book One of the Dismember Killer Series

Chapter Sixteen

Butch greeted Spence at the door. His tail beyond mere wagging, into full helicopter rotor mode. “Where’s Tess, huh, boy?”
“Tess is in the kitchen,” her voice called out.
Spence followed the sound. “Does she still want ice cream?” He held the bag as he rounded the corner.
“Did you go buy me more ice cream today?”
Spence nodded.
“You are a sweet, sweet man.” Tess kissed his cheek. “You must be exhausted. How’s the case going?”
Spence sighed. “Rough.”
Tess took the ice cream out of the bag and placed it in the freezer. “Leftovers okay?” She pulled several Tupperware containers from the fridge and handed Spence a beer.
“I love you.” Spence took a long draught, “I’m not even hungry.”
Tess leaned towards Spence, inhaling deeply. “Kung Pao Chicken. And you didn’t bring me any?”
Spence took another long drink from the bottle and looked at Tess with sad eyes.
“I forgive you. You had a mighty long day.”
“I did. What about you?”
“Nothing too exciting. I did talk to Magda Sugden today.”
Spence stopped drinking mid gulp and pulled the bottle from his mouth. “What made you think to call her?”
Tess smiled. “I thought I might while the days away by calling up one or two old friends.”
Spence nodded. “What did Magda have to say?”
“She invited me round for tea tomorrow. Her husband is super busy right now and I knew you’d be tied up for days on this new case.”
“Are you going?” Spence held his breath.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Tess widened her bright green eyes.
Spence set the bottle down on the table. “Because her husband is general counsel on the case we are working right now. Why do I think you know that already?”
“I had no idea.”
“Tess.”
“Spence. I had no idea Matt was general counsel.”
“Which one of them called you?”
Tess laughed. “No one called me. I called Magda.”
“Tess.” Spence wanted to be mad; this wasn’t on Tess though. It was on one of his team and his team wasn’t here. He took a long drink of beer, counted to 15, and tried again. “Which one texted you?”
Tess laughed again. “Tom. He asked if I knew Matt Sugden’s wife. I actually had no idea who he meant until I came across that travel mug they gave the guests at their wedding, as though that made up for a crack of dawn ceremony.”
“Please don’t go over there tomorrow.” Spence crossed the kitchen to hug her.
“What if I meet her somewhere else? Lunch out?”
Spence held her closer and didn’t answer.
“What do you need to know, I’ll steer the conversation in the right direction.”
“Please don’t. It is way too dangerous for you to get into this.”
“Kind of too late now honey. Way weirder if I cancel.”
Slowly releasing his hug, Spence tipped his wife’s face up to meet his. “We need to talk about guidelines for this operation.”
Tess’s grin lit up her freckled face. She pulled her long red hair back into a bun and stuck a pencil through it. “Absolutely.”
“You meet somewhere neutral for lunch.”
“Done.”
“You do not eat any food that you left unattended. Pee between courses, Tess.”
“What if the mains come while I’m in the ladies?”
“Pretend you changed your mind and order a new meal. Drink only water and keep your glass way on your side of the table.”
“I can do that.”
“Do not ask about Matt or his work.”
“I have to ask about Matt. I’ll keep it simple, has he made partner yet? How many vacation days do they manage to get away each year? I do know how to have a conversation with an old friend, Spence.”
“I’m gonna kill Tom for bringing you into this.”
“You don’t actually suspect Magda of anything do you?”
“No. Maybe. Her husband worries me.”
“You didn’t like him before this. That’s half the reason Magda and I rarely speak anymore.”
“Really? Because I thought her husband was an ass?”
“It’s hard when one half the couple doesn’t like half the other couple to keep things balanced. It’s not like we have kids in common or anything.”
Spence sighed. “What’s the other half the reason?”
Tess laughed, “He didn’t like you.”
Spence shook his head. “Where are you going to meet her?”
“Are you going to stake the place out?”
“Maybe. At least have a couple of officers do a drive by.”
Tess rolled her eyes. “Hang on. Let me text her.”
My day went wonky. Can you meet for lunch instead? Dying for a Reuben at the South Lake Grill.
Tess showed Spence the text before she hit send.
“As long you don’t end up really dying for a Reuben.”
Tess shook her head with a smile on her face. “I think you’re being silly. I can’t imagine what Magda might say to put me in any danger.”
Spence could imagine many things Magda might say.