| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted May 28, 2019 | Chapters: |
3 4 -5- 6... 
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Sarah and Don search a suspects home.
A chapter in the book A Light in the Darkness
Case Solved (or is it)
by Roxanna Andrews
| Background Rookie detective, Sarah Murray, is assigned five cases of missing women. Are they all connected, are they all the victims of the same killer? |
Sarah's phone blinked with a message, and she hoped it was either Taylor or Matthews calling back about an interview.
"Hi, this is Rick Taylor. Sorry I haven't gotten back to you. I've been out of town. Tomorrow afternoon is fine if you can come by then."
*****************
The following afternoon, Sarah and Don sat in Rick Taylor's living room and asked a series of questions. The guy liked to talk and added a lot of detail to the answers - his reaction to finding out his wife was missing, how devastated he was, how he hadn't changed anything since the day Lauren disappeared, and on and on. She thought he talked too much.
Sarah's radar had gone up. She didn't like him and had a feeling something wasn't right. She wanted to interview Ryan Matthews more than ever now.
"We would like to interview Mr. Matthews as well. We haven't been able to get a hold of him. Do you know how we could reach him?" Sarah asked.
"Well, you'll have to go to the cemetery. Ryan died six months ago," Rick informed her.
Sarah hadn't heard he was dead. "Oh, really. I guess we didn't get the word on that."
"Yeah, he drowned in a hot tub, got drunk and passed out. I told him he was drinking too much." Rick shook his head.
Rick didn't seem the least bit upset over his best friend's death. The guy was just weird.
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that."
"Thanks, I was pretty torn up about it."
Yeah, you act totally devastated, thought Sarah.
Back in the car Sarah asked Don why they didn't know Matthews was dead.
"I don't know. I guess we didn't get that memo either."
*********************
When they got back to the station, a pile of papers sat on Sarah's desk. It was a print out of all the white Dodge Rams that had a license with the two numbers she'd asked for. Good ol' Max, she got things done. The total at the end of the last page said 4253.
The names were in alphabetical order. Thank you, Max. She quickly perused them, and fifteen minutes in, one hit her like a lightening bolt. She went to talk to Don.
"I have a confession to make, I looked at the video footage the other night after you went home ... I found the white truck."
Don looked uncomfortable and squirmed in his seat. "What do you mean you found the truck?"
"It was right there, big as life. Why did you say you didn't see it?"
Don did some more squirming and couldn't meet her eyes. "Look Sarah, I haven't told this to anyone, but I'm losing my eyesight."
Sarah was stunned. That was not at all what she was expecting him to say. She didn't know what she was expecting, but not this.
"I have macular degeneration. That's why I always let you drive and I Uber to work. I could still drive, but don't think I should. I don't know why I said I'd look at the footage, it was stupid. As the veteran detective I thought I should take the lead and ... I guess I want to hide it as long as I can. Once they find out, I'm out of a job."
"Don, I'm so sorry. Can anything be done? Have you gotten a second opinion?"
"I can have an eye transplant." He laughed when her eyes got big. "I'm kidding. I've seen three doctors, they all say the same thing. Since I am so young it is progressing slowly, it usually happens to people in their sixties. They all say I am the youngest patient they have seen. How'd I get so lucky." He sighed and look so depressed, Sarah felt terrible.
"Well, I'll cover for you as long as I can. You do a great job of hiding it, I'd never know."
"Yeah, well ... I've been going to a support group. They have a lot of tips on how to get around, do everyday stuff without the MD interfering too much in my life, until, of course, it gets full blown. I still have a few years before that happens."
Sarah nodded. "Maybe they'll find a cure before then. You're still a skilled detective. You could consult on cases."
"Come on, Sarah. You're kidding yourself. Don't try to give me false hope. I'll deal with it when the time comes. So, what were you saying about the truck?"
Sarah got her mind back on business. She was still in shock from Don's confession and amazed he confided in her. "I was able to get a partial plate number, and the make and model. The plate was covered in mud, which I'm sure was deliberate. Anyway, I gave what I had to Maxine and she ran a search. Look whose name is on the list."
She showed him the name she had highlighted - Ryan Matthews.
"You're not thinking he's our guy? His wife disappeared too."
"Well, how many times does it turn out to be the husband?"
"All the time. But, that would mean he killed his best friend's wife." Sarah just raised her eyebrows.
Don let out an exaggerated sigh. "I'll call around and see what I can find out."
As she waited for Don to get back to her, she listen to Rick Taylor's interview again. There was just something about the way he talked. It didn't sound right. It wasn't sincere, more like a script he had memorized.
Don called her over. "It seems Matthews got rid of the truck about a year ago, but there isn't any paperwork to say who he sold it to."
"Maybe we won't need it. Don, I'm really thinking he's our guy. I know it was his truck following both Cummings and Harris. Can it be this easy?"
"I don't know. We need to search his house again, let's hope it hasn't been cleaned out. The police searched it after his wife disappeared, but they weren't that thorough. Let's tell the Chief and get a search warrant."
They were in luck, the house hadn't been sold yet and everything was still inside. They found out it had been left to Rick Taylor. Didn't Matthews have any other family? Sarah wondered.
The warrant took about an hour to secure, meanwhile, they put a forensic team together and a few officers, and headed to Matthews.
Rick met them at the house with the key. "I haven't had time to clean it out. I'll do it soon though and get it on the market. It's a nice house, in great shape. Should get a good price for it."
Sarah, again, thought how he didn't seem in the least upset about his best friend's death. But, she had been a police officer long enough to know people didn't always react the way you thought they should to death. She tried not to read too much into it.
She asked Rick to wait outside. Everyone on the team took a room, Don took the basement and Sarah took the master bedroom.
After about twenty minutes, Don called Sarah. "Get down here. You need to see this."
"Hi, this is Rick Taylor. Sorry I haven't gotten back to you. I've been out of town. Tomorrow afternoon is fine if you can come by then."
*****************
The following afternoon, Sarah and Don sat in Rick Taylor's living room and asked a series of questions. The guy liked to talk and added a lot of detail to the answers - his reaction to finding out his wife was missing, how devastated he was, how he hadn't changed anything since the day Lauren disappeared, and on and on. She thought he talked too much.
Sarah's radar had gone up. She didn't like him and had a feeling something wasn't right. She wanted to interview Ryan Matthews more than ever now.
"We would like to interview Mr. Matthews as well. We haven't been able to get a hold of him. Do you know how we could reach him?" Sarah asked.
"Well, you'll have to go to the cemetery. Ryan died six months ago," Rick informed her.
Sarah hadn't heard he was dead. "Oh, really. I guess we didn't get the word on that."
"Yeah, he drowned in a hot tub, got drunk and passed out. I told him he was drinking too much." Rick shook his head.
Rick didn't seem the least bit upset over his best friend's death. The guy was just weird.
"Well, I'm sorry to hear that."
"Thanks, I was pretty torn up about it."
Yeah, you act totally devastated, thought Sarah.
Back in the car Sarah asked Don why they didn't know Matthews was dead.
"I don't know. I guess we didn't get that memo either."
*********************
When they got back to the station, a pile of papers sat on Sarah's desk. It was a print out of all the white Dodge Rams that had a license with the two numbers she'd asked for. Good ol' Max, she got things done. The total at the end of the last page said 4253.
The names were in alphabetical order. Thank you, Max. She quickly perused them, and fifteen minutes in, one hit her like a lightening bolt. She went to talk to Don.
"I have a confession to make, I looked at the video footage the other night after you went home ... I found the white truck."
Don looked uncomfortable and squirmed in his seat. "What do you mean you found the truck?"
"It was right there, big as life. Why did you say you didn't see it?"
Don did some more squirming and couldn't meet her eyes. "Look Sarah, I haven't told this to anyone, but I'm losing my eyesight."
Sarah was stunned. That was not at all what she was expecting him to say. She didn't know what she was expecting, but not this.
"I have macular degeneration. That's why I always let you drive and I Uber to work. I could still drive, but don't think I should. I don't know why I said I'd look at the footage, it was stupid. As the veteran detective I thought I should take the lead and ... I guess I want to hide it as long as I can. Once they find out, I'm out of a job."
"Don, I'm so sorry. Can anything be done? Have you gotten a second opinion?"
"I can have an eye transplant." He laughed when her eyes got big. "I'm kidding. I've seen three doctors, they all say the same thing. Since I am so young it is progressing slowly, it usually happens to people in their sixties. They all say I am the youngest patient they have seen. How'd I get so lucky." He sighed and look so depressed, Sarah felt terrible.
"Well, I'll cover for you as long as I can. You do a great job of hiding it, I'd never know."
"Yeah, well ... I've been going to a support group. They have a lot of tips on how to get around, do everyday stuff without the MD interfering too much in my life, until, of course, it gets full blown. I still have a few years before that happens."
Sarah nodded. "Maybe they'll find a cure before then. You're still a skilled detective. You could consult on cases."
"Come on, Sarah. You're kidding yourself. Don't try to give me false hope. I'll deal with it when the time comes. So, what were you saying about the truck?"
Sarah got her mind back on business. She was still in shock from Don's confession and amazed he confided in her. "I was able to get a partial plate number, and the make and model. The plate was covered in mud, which I'm sure was deliberate. Anyway, I gave what I had to Maxine and she ran a search. Look whose name is on the list."
She showed him the name she had highlighted - Ryan Matthews.
"You're not thinking he's our guy? His wife disappeared too."
"Well, how many times does it turn out to be the husband?"
"All the time. But, that would mean he killed his best friend's wife." Sarah just raised her eyebrows.
Don let out an exaggerated sigh. "I'll call around and see what I can find out."
As she waited for Don to get back to her, she listen to Rick Taylor's interview again. There was just something about the way he talked. It didn't sound right. It wasn't sincere, more like a script he had memorized.
Don called her over. "It seems Matthews got rid of the truck about a year ago, but there isn't any paperwork to say who he sold it to."
"Maybe we won't need it. Don, I'm really thinking he's our guy. I know it was his truck following both Cummings and Harris. Can it be this easy?"
"I don't know. We need to search his house again, let's hope it hasn't been cleaned out. The police searched it after his wife disappeared, but they weren't that thorough. Let's tell the Chief and get a search warrant."
They were in luck, the house hadn't been sold yet and everything was still inside. They found out it had been left to Rick Taylor. Didn't Matthews have any other family? Sarah wondered.
The warrant took about an hour to secure, meanwhile, they put a forensic team together and a few officers, and headed to Matthews.
Rick met them at the house with the key. "I haven't had time to clean it out. I'll do it soon though and get it on the market. It's a nice house, in great shape. Should get a good price for it."
Sarah, again, thought how he didn't seem in the least upset about his best friend's death. But, she had been a police officer long enough to know people didn't always react the way you thought they should to death. She tried not to read too much into it.
She asked Rick to wait outside. Everyone on the team took a room, Don took the basement and Sarah took the master bedroom.
After about twenty minutes, Don called Sarah. "Get down here. You need to see this."
I tried to be very careful with this chapter, but I know, just let me have it.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of severe, irreversible vision loss in people over age 60. It occurs when the small central portion of the retina, known as the macula, deteriorates. The retina is the light-sensing nerve tissue at the back of the eye.
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective
Don Russell-Veteran Detective, Sarah partner
The Chief- Chief of Detectives, George Brenner
Rick Taylor-Victim who's wife disappeared
Ryan Matthews-Now deceaded, wife also disappeared
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of severe, irreversible vision loss in people over age 60. It occurs when the small central portion of the retina, known as the macula, deteriorates. The retina is the light-sensing nerve tissue at the back of the eye.
Sarah Murray- Rookie Detective
Don Russell-Veteran Detective, Sarah partner
The Chief- Chief of Detectives, George Brenner
Rick Taylor-Victim who's wife disappeared
Ryan Matthews-Now deceaded, wife also disappeared
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