On the clock
Interview number two, present are Theo Taylor, Samuel Jacobs QC, Detective Raymond Richards and Detective Mike Soborno. Interview begins at 9.05am. "The purpose of this meeting Mr Taylor is to compile a statement as to your whereabouts and movements in the weeks leading up to the killing of your wife Melissa Taylor and to establish the history between you both during that time, do you understand? asked Mike Soborno shuffling a large writing pad and pen in front of him. "I would advise you at this time that a constant no comment answer could later in court suggest that you had something to hide. Now, are you resident at the block of flats named the Belgrave situated in the Upper West side of West Palm Beach? "I am" " Do you rent or own Apartment no 347 situated on the ninth floor? "I am the owner" "Do you live alone"? "Yes, my girlfriend stays over occasionally" When did you last speak to or meet up with your wife? "I last seen her around ten days ago, I called at the house which we jointly own to inform her that I was beginning divorce proceedings and advise her to get in touch with a solicitor. I informed her that following a valuation on the property I would be willing to buy out her share." What was her reaction to this? asked Detective Richards. "She threw her usual tantrum as this was not only her home it was also her place of work where most of her filming took place" answered Taylor. "You say you had no more contact" asked Soborno. "That is correct" answered Taylor, "Only through our respective legal advisors. Melissa is claiming the right to remain in the home for four years following a divorce, whereas my team are sighting that the breakdown of the marriage was due to her repeated adultery, albeit in line with her employment" "Are you a bisexual male Mr Taylor? "Let it be recorded for the statement that Mr Taylor answered no with a shake of his head" said Detective Richards. Mike Soborno looked straight into the eyes of the suspect. "Be very careful how you answer my next statement Theo" he said. We have removed from a cupboard in your flat items exactly matching those worn by the killer, we have also viewed CCTV footage of your car parked in the driveway of the home belonging to you and your wife on two separate occasions in the slot between your memory of your last meeting and the day of the murders, can you explain this please? Theo Taylor glanced at his Lawyer. "No comment" was his reply. "Are you acquainted with any of the other three deceased" asked Detective Soborno. After a slight hesitation he answered "No" "Can you explain in any way the appearance of your reflection in the hall mirror? Once again, "No comment" "Very well" said Soborno, I will read back to you all that you have said. If you disagree with any of the wording please tell me now as later would be to late, and he read the statement word for word. "All fine" said Taylor. "The District Attorney will decide tomorrow morning what is to be done with you, Mr Taylor" said Mike Soborno, "but what ever the outcome we will be investigating every aspect of your life. Your marriage, your work, your acquaintances male female or otherwise, your finances, insurances and Medical records. Do I make myself clear Mr Taylor, do I make myself clear? "Perfectly clear" answered Taylor nodding his head. "Meeting ended at 10-37am" said Mike Soborno switching off the recorder. Molly Maguire was pacing back and forth across her office saying things like, "I'm getting heat from above and the DA's up my ass" "Sounds painful" thought Soborno but I suppose it comes with the job and the reason why I will never be a Captain. "Your telling me we have nothing and he will most likely walk, Mary Mother and Joseph the whole thing looked like a done deal. So where do we go from here? "We let him go" said Rusty Richards. "His firm have indicated that they are willing to put up up to one million dollars surety for his release, we freeze his bank account and take away his passport, he aint goin nowhere" "There's something else here Captain" said Soborno interrupting. "We quite rightly followed the obvious but we don't believe it was Taylor. The killer may not have been there for Melissa Taylor it would seem that she may have been an unlucky bystander. We need to investigate the other three and we could do with some help" Molly Maguire was pacing again but this time in silence. "I have to say guy's I agree with what you are saying" she said. "From the moment I watched that CCTV footage I thought to myself, what the fuck, who would do such a stupid thing. I was hoping just as you were that it was cut and dried but that theory is about as fucked as the one about Mary being a virgin. So I'm giving you Martinez and Barkowitz. Maria Martinez was hot property around the Station. She was not only drop dead gorgeous, she was also a computer wizard there was nothing and no one she couldn't find. Martinez had qualified for a place at Miami University on a Soccer Scholarship and relocated along with her parents from their home in Saltillo Mexico to a Mobile Home district north of the City. Maria was an only child, her younger brother being killed in a gang shoot out when he was just thirteen years old. After two years of study and soccer she broke her leg while mountain biking with friends. Leaving University with a degree in Computer Studies she joined the Miami Police Department where she quickly progressed to the rank of Lieutenant by the age of twenty eight. Being a Homicide Detective had always been her dream and when a vacancy arose at West Palm Beach she immediately applied blowing away all of the other applicants. When she enters a room at the Station the male testosterone level goes through the roof, especially Rusty Richards who on more than one occasion has registered his interest, but Maria just presses exit on her key pad and is gone. Carl Barkowitz on the other hand was a bloodhound, they would say just give him a sniff of the suspects tee shirt and even if he or she had left the country Barky would find them. Born of immigrant Jewish parents, his grandparents died in a German internment camp during the second world war. He left High School and went straight to work in his Uncle's Jewish Slaughter house before enlisting in the Army spending his whole five years on the island of Guatemala where he met and married a local girl. On his return the Miami Police force seemed to offer a steady source of income as he had one child and another on its way. During a joint Miami/Palm Beach investigation he was loaned to Molly Maguire and for some unknown reason they hit it off and five years later he lives in the suburbs with his ever growing family, at the last count, four boys and two girls. Molly Maguire's strategy was that Rusty Richards and Maria Martinez would delve into the life of the other female victim, Cathy Brock a thirty five year old Prostitute originally from Denver Colorado, now based in the Palm Beach area. To explain, West Palm Beach is an Island reachable via a bridge. The East, South and North side of town is made up of Middle class to virtually no income families, while the West consists of some of the wealthiest families in the United States where in some properties it is party time all year round hence the attraction of Prostitutes male and female and where making of Adult Movies is big business. On the other hand Mike Soborno and Carl Barkowitz would head for Miami where the two dead men one Patrick Malone and Jason Barstow were both registered in the same area code of the City. If Soborno and Richards suspicions were true it was one of or all three of these names that held the clues to the quadruple murders.
YOU ARE READING
The Reflection
Ficțiune generalăa quadruple murder , but does the reason justify the crime
