The Coffin Maker

Chapter 21

Li Li Wu sat in the leather wingback chair in the Crowley's library opposite the massive mahogany desk where Edmond Crowley, flanked by his wife and the lawyer Hoffshire, awaited her news.

"Yarden informs me that you have an update for us, Ms.Wu. Thank you for coming. Please proceed."

Edmond Crowley's bearing was not lost on Wu. He wore no judicial robe, but Crowley's mannerisms befitted the former legal giant. His desk was not elevated but its positioning implied authority. A retirement gavel with a matching walnut soundboard sat on a shelf behind him. She wondered how many felons over the past twenty-five years had heard it resonate the courtroom to punctuate the finality of a ruling. Wu began by giving credit to Ailsa Craig's investigative work for advancing the case to its present point and summarized the developments. Bunny Crowley let out a gasp when Wu informed them that Ailsa was missing and probably held captive with Riley Pacocha. The woman jumped to her feet and shouted, "Surely not!" when Wu revealed that the Crowley's gardener was the prime suspect. She admitted that the FBI learned only a few short hours ago of the suspect's connection with the Crowleys when Emiliano Velásquez's wife provided a list of her husband clients. Wu paused when Crowley rose from his desk to console his wife whose mutterings of shock and disbelief were interrupting the assembly.

Wu explained the facts behind Ailsa Craig's strange disappearance, the theft of her car and the Bureau's raid on the suspect's hunting camp in Pine County. She asked the Crowleys to speculate on where Velásquez might be holding the young women since it appeared he owned no other properties beyond his house and hunting camp. Bunny Crowley composed herself to mention that while she and her husband owned several other properties, Emiliano tended only to the estate grounds and to her knowledge, was unaware of their other real estate holdings. Wu asked Hoffshire for a list.

The discussion shifted to the main body of evidence against the suspect, his claim of innocence and his refusal to disclose the whereabouts of Ms. Craig and Ms. Pacocha. Wu provided a short history of cases where convicted serial killers defiantly retained power over law enforcement and grieving families by refusing to disclose the locations of victim's remains. Wu explained that they were hoping to find the lair before they formally charged the suspect but that time was running out. She explained that a prime reason for her visit was that Emiliano Velásquez and Ailsa Craig were both in the Crowley's employ. The Bureau believed that the kidnappings were not random, that the offender had stalked his victims. However, both Edmond and Bunny shook their heads when asked if they recalled whether Velásquez had met Ailsa on the estate. Wu concluded by inquiring if Edmond Crowley cared to draw on his deep knowledge of the law and offer a legal viewpoint.

"You haven't shown that you link the murders to the suspect," said Edmond Crowley, "only that Ms. Craig is linked to the suspect's property, i.e., his motor vehicle and that Mr. and Mrs. Velásquez own a dog whose hair samples were found among samples of nearly two dozen dogs. Defense counsel will tear you apart. You have no material or human semen residue on the bodies linking the suspect, none of his DNA under their fingernails, no workshop, nor tool of his that has left a distinctive mark on the wood of the coffins. Tell me, did you find Emiliano's fingerprints in Ailsa Craig's car, at her home or on her cell phone?"

"No," admitted Wu.

"The case is weak," said Crowley, bluntly.

"What about the fact that Ailsa Craig showed that the hair from the suspect's dog found on the coffins is separate from the bag of dog hair taken from the pet store dumpster?" asked Wu.

"It's clever investigating, but not proof," indicated Crowley. "Defense counsel will provide ample possibilities to plant doubt in the minds of judge and jury. Look, I'm not saying that Emiliano is innocent, but you can't put a man in prison for kidnapping and murder because he might be a liar."