| Mystery and Crime Fiction posted August 16, 2019 | Chapters: |
...5 6 -7- 8... 
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Police investigate Lonnie's death
A chapter in the book Monica
Monica Chapter 7
by Roxanna Andrews
| Background A narcissistic young woman invades the lives of newly weds, Rob and Sarah. She is determined to have Rob for herself. |
Ending of chapter 6 - "Lonnie McGovern didn't show up for work. He didn't look good yesterday. Lonnie's not answering his phone. He has heart problems and his boss is afraid he might have died in his sleep. Wants one of us to check it out."
"I'll go," Martin said. "I called Mason. He is about ready to upload the fingerprints. I told him to call you with the results."
"Thanks, Martin."
Martin was glad the weather man had been wrong about it snowing during the night. He hated driving in the snow. He was halfway to Lonnie's house when a call came for him to get to the Park. A worker had found a body.
*****
Martin pulled into the park to find the coroner had gotten there ahead of him.
A deputy was securing the area with yellow crime scene tape. Another was taking pictures.
Martin exited his vehicle and went up to the young man who didn't look old enough to be out of high school let alone the medical examiner.
"What have we got, Doc?" Martin stared down at the bludgeoned corpse of Lonnie McGovern.
Dr. Grant Young was squatting next to the body, touching the skull with his gloved hands. "Well, I just got here myself, but it looks like this poor fellow was beaten to death with the always handy blunt object. His skull is pretty much pulverized. I'd say he was attacked by a hammer. I've seen this before."
He looked up at Martin with clear blue eyes. "Did you know more people are killed every year by hammers and knives than guns? No one believes it, but it's true. He's been dead, give or take an hour or two, due to cold temps, ten hours. That would put the time of death around nine, ten last night."
A deputy handed Martin the dead man's ID. "This was found lying next to the body."
Martin took the blood-stained wallet secured in a plastic evidence bag. "Well, Mr. McGovern. It looks like your boss was correct in being worried you might be dead. But I don't think you died in your sleep."
"Take Farris and go see Mr. Duncan at Duncan Builders," Martin instructed the deputy. "He called in a Well-fare check for McGovern this morning. Said he didn't show up for work. It seems awful quick to call in a missing person. Find out where Duncan was last night and why he was so worried about Mr. McGovern."
"Sure thing, Lieutenant."
"His shoes are missing, and I'm guessing he had a coat," said Dr. Young. "That's missing too. This may have been a simple robbery, but this seems like overkill, pardon the pun, for a robbery. It feels personal to use this level of violence. Someone may have had a beef with the deceased and is trying to make it look like a robbery."
Martin nodded, agreeing with the Coroner. The liuetenant looked up to see Rob Mitchell pull up and get out of his car.
"What's going on?" Rob asked.
"Would you believe we have a very deceased Mr. McGovern," Martin informed him.
Rob's eyebrows went up. "The same Mr. McGovern we got a call about this morning?"
"The very same. I know Lonnie. He's a heavy gambler and I've had to question him a few times about unsavory goings-on in the world of gambling."
"Is there anything but unsavory goings-on in the world of gambling? This is kind of a coincidence, don't you think?"
Martin nodded. "I don't believe in coincidences. I sent two deputies over to Duncan Builders to question Mr. Duncan on his whereabouts last night. Coroner puts the time of death at around nine last night. The guy was beaten to death, Doc thinks the perp used a hammer. He said more people die from hammers every year than guns. Do you think that's true?"
"If Doc Young said it then it's true. What else did he say?"
"It looks like a robbery, but Doc thinks it's a bit excessive. The guy's skull is pulverized."
"Do you think it could be connected to his gambling?"
"It could be. From what I've heard, Lonnie had more bad luck than good. I'm sure he owed people that no one wants to owe. They took his shoes and maybe his coat. That doesn't sound like something an enforcer would do."
"No, it doesn't. If they're sending a message, I don't get it. Whoever did this would be covered in blood, I'd think."
"Yes, the cast-off would be all over them. You don't do this kind of damage and walk away pristine," Doc Young interjected. "I don't see any footprints in blood, so they either took off their shoes or cleaned them off."
Rob nodded. "Can you tell me anything else, Doc?"
"Not until I get him on a table. I don't think there is much more to the story, but I'll give him a good going over." The coroner signaled for his assistant to help get the body on a gurney to be loaded into the Coroner's wagon.
"Keep me posted," Rob called after him. Dr. Young nodded.
"Did you see anything laying around that looks like evidence?" Rob asked Martin.
"I was just going to start looking when you pulled up. I'll have the guys go through the dumpsters and see if the shoes or murder weapon got tossed."
"There aren't any cameras here by any chance?"
Martin shook his head. "I've been trying to get the town council to give funds to get some installed. Parks are always a magnet for all kinds of unsavory goings-on. It would be good to have some installed."
"Yep, we want to be able to catch all that unsavory behavior on camera."
Martin smiled and nodded "Yes we do. I'm going to do a little investigative police work now, and see what I can find."
"Okay lieutenant, I'll leave you to it. I'm going back to the station. If you need more help, and if you find anything, let me know."
"Will do, boss."
****
Monica turned off her flashlight when she got into her neighborhood. The street lights were on and she stayed in the shadows as much as possible. She managed to slip into her home without being seen.
She quickly took off her blood-soaked clothes and threw them in the fireplace along with the bloody rag and all the things she had taken from Lonnie. Jumping in the shower, she scrubbed away the blood. The water turned a brownish red as it went down the drain.
Monica filled the sink with bleach and put the hammer in to soak. She smiled, remembering she had taken it from a neighbor's garage. She wondered if they had missed it.
Lighting the fire, she used the poker to stir the flames, making sure they spread to consume the clothes and other articles she placed in the fire. Almost forgetting her tennis shoes, she put them in at the last minute, pushing them into the flames.
Pouring a drink, she sat in front of the fire and went over all the details of the killing in her mind, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything and had covered her tracks. Satisfied that she had, she put it out of her mind, not be thought about again.
Knowing she wouldn't sleep, she turned on the TV and binge-watched all the Downton Abbey episodes she'd missed.
"I'll go," Martin said. "I called Mason. He is about ready to upload the fingerprints. I told him to call you with the results."
"Thanks, Martin."
Martin was glad the weather man had been wrong about it snowing during the night. He hated driving in the snow. He was halfway to Lonnie's house when a call came for him to get to the Park. A worker had found a body.
*****
Martin pulled into the park to find the coroner had gotten there ahead of him.
A deputy was securing the area with yellow crime scene tape. Another was taking pictures.
Martin exited his vehicle and went up to the young man who didn't look old enough to be out of high school let alone the medical examiner.
"What have we got, Doc?" Martin stared down at the bludgeoned corpse of Lonnie McGovern.
Dr. Grant Young was squatting next to the body, touching the skull with his gloved hands. "Well, I just got here myself, but it looks like this poor fellow was beaten to death with the always handy blunt object. His skull is pretty much pulverized. I'd say he was attacked by a hammer. I've seen this before."
He looked up at Martin with clear blue eyes. "Did you know more people are killed every year by hammers and knives than guns? No one believes it, but it's true. He's been dead, give or take an hour or two, due to cold temps, ten hours. That would put the time of death around nine, ten last night."
A deputy handed Martin the dead man's ID. "This was found lying next to the body."
Martin took the blood-stained wallet secured in a plastic evidence bag. "Well, Mr. McGovern. It looks like your boss was correct in being worried you might be dead. But I don't think you died in your sleep."
"Take Farris and go see Mr. Duncan at Duncan Builders," Martin instructed the deputy. "He called in a Well-fare check for McGovern this morning. Said he didn't show up for work. It seems awful quick to call in a missing person. Find out where Duncan was last night and why he was so worried about Mr. McGovern."
"Sure thing, Lieutenant."
"His shoes are missing, and I'm guessing he had a coat," said Dr. Young. "That's missing too. This may have been a simple robbery, but this seems like overkill, pardon the pun, for a robbery. It feels personal to use this level of violence. Someone may have had a beef with the deceased and is trying to make it look like a robbery."
Martin nodded, agreeing with the Coroner. The liuetenant looked up to see Rob Mitchell pull up and get out of his car.
"What's going on?" Rob asked.
"Would you believe we have a very deceased Mr. McGovern," Martin informed him.
Rob's eyebrows went up. "The same Mr. McGovern we got a call about this morning?"
"The very same. I know Lonnie. He's a heavy gambler and I've had to question him a few times about unsavory goings-on in the world of gambling."
"Is there anything but unsavory goings-on in the world of gambling? This is kind of a coincidence, don't you think?"
Martin nodded. "I don't believe in coincidences. I sent two deputies over to Duncan Builders to question Mr. Duncan on his whereabouts last night. Coroner puts the time of death at around nine last night. The guy was beaten to death, Doc thinks the perp used a hammer. He said more people die from hammers every year than guns. Do you think that's true?"
"If Doc Young said it then it's true. What else did he say?"
"It looks like a robbery, but Doc thinks it's a bit excessive. The guy's skull is pulverized."
"Do you think it could be connected to his gambling?"
"It could be. From what I've heard, Lonnie had more bad luck than good. I'm sure he owed people that no one wants to owe. They took his shoes and maybe his coat. That doesn't sound like something an enforcer would do."
"No, it doesn't. If they're sending a message, I don't get it. Whoever did this would be covered in blood, I'd think."
"Yes, the cast-off would be all over them. You don't do this kind of damage and walk away pristine," Doc Young interjected. "I don't see any footprints in blood, so they either took off their shoes or cleaned them off."
Rob nodded. "Can you tell me anything else, Doc?"
"Not until I get him on a table. I don't think there is much more to the story, but I'll give him a good going over." The coroner signaled for his assistant to help get the body on a gurney to be loaded into the Coroner's wagon.
"Keep me posted," Rob called after him. Dr. Young nodded.
"Did you see anything laying around that looks like evidence?" Rob asked Martin.
"I was just going to start looking when you pulled up. I'll have the guys go through the dumpsters and see if the shoes or murder weapon got tossed."
"There aren't any cameras here by any chance?"
Martin shook his head. "I've been trying to get the town council to give funds to get some installed. Parks are always a magnet for all kinds of unsavory goings-on. It would be good to have some installed."
"Yep, we want to be able to catch all that unsavory behavior on camera."
Martin smiled and nodded "Yes we do. I'm going to do a little investigative police work now, and see what I can find."
"Okay lieutenant, I'll leave you to it. I'm going back to the station. If you need more help, and if you find anything, let me know."
"Will do, boss."
****
Monica turned off her flashlight when she got into her neighborhood. The street lights were on and she stayed in the shadows as much as possible. She managed to slip into her home without being seen.
She quickly took off her blood-soaked clothes and threw them in the fireplace along with the bloody rag and all the things she had taken from Lonnie. Jumping in the shower, she scrubbed away the blood. The water turned a brownish red as it went down the drain.
Monica filled the sink with bleach and put the hammer in to soak. She smiled, remembering she had taken it from a neighbor's garage. She wondered if they had missed it.
Lighting the fire, she used the poker to stir the flames, making sure they spread to consume the clothes and other articles she placed in the fire. Almost forgetting her tennis shoes, she put them in at the last minute, pushing them into the flames.
Pouring a drink, she sat in front of the fire and went over all the details of the killing in her mind, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything and had covered her tracks. Satisfied that she had, she put it out of her mind, not be thought about again.
Knowing she wouldn't sleep, she turned on the TV and binge-watched all the Downton Abbey episodes she'd missed.
Monica-a spoiled narcissist obssessed with Rob
Rob Mitchell-Sheriff of Big Sky, Sarah's husband
Sarah Mitchell-Wife of Rob, ex-detective, now a bakery owner
Martin Robinson - Sheriff Lieutenant
Doc Grant Young - County Coroner
Lonnie McGovern-builder's asst.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Rob Mitchell-Sheriff of Big Sky, Sarah's husband
Sarah Mitchell-Wife of Rob, ex-detective, now a bakery owner
Martin Robinson - Sheriff Lieutenant
Doc Grant Young - County Coroner
Lonnie McGovern-builder's asst.
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