A Death in the Family

Chapter 7

So life moved on in the small Illinois town. Rosie Cortez's sketch was distributed and aired on the evening news, Fern Solomon was still on bed rest awaiting her next doctor's appointment, the Dooley's waited for news and likewise Detective Cumberbatch and Sgt. Douglas waited for a break in the case.

The break in the case came on a slow Tuesday morning and when Sgt. Douglas got the call he instantly came alive.

"We got him!" He exclaimed jovially as he broke into his partner's office.

"Sir?" His partner asked, "I thought you said not to count a suspect until we had the facts."

"Well, we got something, it's a start." The sergeant nearly danced out of the office. "Rosie has done it again!"

"Do you want me to call the Dooley's?" Detective Cumberbatch asked.

"No, no, not yet. Let's talk to the guy first. Maybe he can help us put some pieces together."

"Do you want me to show Fern Solomon a photo lineup?"

"Yes, but let me get the guy arrested first." Sgt. Douglas replied grimly.

The man that was brought into the interrogation room several hours later had been brought in on a suspected drug charge as a peddler man for one of the bigger fish Narcotics was currently tracking. He was a man of average height, gangly and lanky with scraggly dark hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in several weeks. He had wide, deep set eyes that were just as dark as his hair, a thin mouth and a petulant expression.

"Come on man!" He wheedled at the cop was pushing him into the interrogation room. "What's this all about? Can't you just write me up and send me on my way?"

"This isn't grade school." The cop growled, "You're looking at 8 to 10 for what you were carrying."

"I told ya, I was keeping it for a pal." The man replied.

"Well it wasn't your pal I picked up, was it?" The cop retorted. The man was pushed down in a chair, none too gently. "The sergeant will be with you momentarily." The cop left the room shutting the heavy door firmly.

Sergeant Douglas entered with Cumberbatch and his heels. The suspect (or potential suspect) was about what he expected, a drug dealer and/or junkie that had been picked up on carrying the latest street drug, though he wasn't about to slap a murder charge on the spindly looking man yet.

"Come on, Sarge, can't you let me out of here?"

"Why should I do that when we're just getting acquainted." Douglas replied evenly. "You haven't answered my questions yet."

The sergeant consulted a piece of paper in front of him.

"Spinelli, that you?"

The man rubbed at his nose.

"Sure as I'm looking." He grumbled. "Though my pals call me "Weasel"

"You wouldn't know anything about this would you?" Douglas slapped a picture of Lara Dooley in front of him.

"Why would I care about some dumpy housewife." Spinelli grumbled shifting in his seat and wiping his nose again.

"She's dead." Douglas replied flatly.

"I didn't kill nobody!" Spinelli whined, his voice rising an octave.

"Well her neighbors and friends say different and her neighbor says you were the last person Mrs. Dooley drew before she disappeared. Funny enough, you were standing right where she might have disappeared. Taking in the scenery that morning were you?"

"Oh, is taking a walk in the morning a crime now?" Spinelli asked in the same nasal tone.

"No, but appearing where anybody disappeared under suspicious circumstances is well--"

"Suspicious." Cumberbatch cut it.

"Right." Douglas agreed regaining his composure. "We just need you to tell us where you were, and at the very least clarify a few things for us."

"I was in the park but it was like 1:30 PM, picking up a few things for a friend. Then I was back at my digs on the other side of town."

"So you didn't stop for lunch?" Cumberbatch asked. "Because that person those ladies saw looks an awful lot like you."

"I might've heard something. Maybe a friend or someone I knew was out that way." Spinelli was now speaking very fast his voice getting higher and higher.

"Who might that be?" Douglas asked.

"My stepbrother, Davey. Peddling for this side of town, good crowd at the clubs."

Douglas huffed into his mustache, causing it to flare out more than usual.

"Maybe put us in contact with him." Douglas continued smoothly as he put a pad and pen in front of the man across from him. Let him know we want to talk."

"Right..." Spinelli muttered, as he scribbled on the paper, "just don't tell him I sent ya."

Meanwhile, the Dooley's were finishing dinner when the phone call came. Steve, despite being tired from work answered in a short businesslike way. After several minutes of listening and a brief "thank you"" he hung up.

When he turned back to the table where Connor and Henry were dishing out massive bowls of ice cream they were looking at him expectantly.

"What is it dad?" Henry asked.

"Was that the cops?" Connor interjected his eyes wide.

Steve Dooley sat down and sighed.

"Yes, that was the investigator."

"Do they have a suspect?" Henry questioned.

"Have they arrested someone yet?" Connor asked eagerly, leaning forward.

"Yes they have suspects, but no," Steve looked pointedly at his younger son, "they haven't arrested anyone yet. No one has been charged." This was said with a tone of finality.

"Why not?" Connor asked petulantly. "You said they had a good lead off that artist's drawing."

"Well you wouldn't want them to put the wrong person in jail." Steve Dooley pointed out.

"Well, no." Connor mumbled.

"Yeah, if you had your way you probably go and slap cuffs on the guy right now." Henry said with a wry grin.

"Shut up." Connor muttered at his brother.

Steve Dooley attributed his son's surly attitude to his afterschool counseling appointments which he despised. If anything, they had made him more withdrawn, but the counselor assured Steve getting Connor to open up would take time. "Teenagers are not an easy case." She assured him and he agreed.

While Steve made himself a strong cup of coffee, Henry and Connor ate their ice cream while waiting for their favorite shows to come on, usually something that involved high speed car chases and lots of action. At least Henry wasn't blasting the stereo tonight and peace was restored aside from Henry and Connor's usual squabbles.