Read Online Murder at McDonald's by Phonse; Jessome - Free Book Online

turned left again, heading back towards the basement stairs, where Jantzen had headed. On his right, through an open door, he saw a foot. Another victim. My God, he thought. It’s got to stop. Cleary took a deep breath and moved forward again. There was an open safe door beside the foot, and then he could see two feet, and legs. It was a woman. Cleary put his back to the wall outside the tiny office and peered in through the door.
    What Kevin Cleary saw inside that office continues to haunt him to this day—an image that clearly depicted the savage, senseless nature of the crime. There on the floor lay a pretty young woman with a hole in her right eye; a large black stain surrounded the eye, making it appear that she had been hit in a fight. But this was no bruise; it was gunpowder stippling and sooty discharge, telltale marks left on a victim when a gun is discharged at close range. Blood stained the wall behind Donna Warren’s head, and her hair was matted with blood where her head had slipped closer to the floor. Then Kevin Cleary was shaken to his core. On the floor in a pool of Donna Warren’s blood was a crumpled five-dollar bill and a mixture of change. God, no! There was no way this could be about money. It had to be about more than money. Cleary took another deep breath and got back to his job. This was no time to allow himself to feel anything—not sympathy and not anger. He had to think clearly.
    The corporal’s search had taken him to the doorway leading away from the kitchen and into the public area of the restaurant. He moved quickly, remaining quiet as he carefully searched the area. With the public area clear, there was only one more place to check. Kevin Cleary had taken his kids to this restaurant many times and knew that the only enclosed areas in the public portion of the building were the two washrooms at the back corner. He moved to the door of the first washroom and swore to himself as he realized that the door opened towards him. Pulling it open, he moved away from the line of fire, quickly stepped inside, and kicked open the door to the stall. It was empty. Cleary hoped the other washroom would be vacant as well; surely if there were anyone inside, they would have heard him kicking open that stall door. And he was right. Secure in the knowledge that the upstairs was clear, the officer rushed back to the entrance to get an ambulance attendant inside. The attendant confirmed the officer’s first impression—Neil Burroughs and Donna Warren were beyond help—so the two returned to Jimmy Fagan. The second ambulance had arrived, and Cleary sent that attendant down to the basement to have a look at Arlene MacNeil, still being guarded by Henry Jantzen. The taxi drivers joined in the effort, and moments later Arlene and Jimmy were on the way to hospital.

    The safe in the office where Donna Warren died. A stack of two-dollar bills was left behind in the till, and change was scattered on the tile floor. [RCMP crime scene photo.]
    Cleary pressed the transmit button on his radio. Nothing happened; it was dead. He moved quickly back to the door where another officer, Constable Dave Trickett, was now standing guard at the entrance. Seeing the problem the corporal was having, Trickett handed Cleary his portable radio. Cleary turned his attention to securing the scene and helping Henry Jantzen in the basement, where those responsible could still be hiding—or, God forbid, more victims were yet to be found. He needed more backup, and he had to deal with the strong possibility that those responsible had escaped. Before Cleary could call Stan Jesty and arrange to bring in every available officer, he heard someone else on the radio. It was Corporal John Trickett, asking Jesty what the situation was. Cleary quickly interrupted, not knowing that he and Trickett were forcing Jesty to cut short his conversation with Derek Wood: “Three-zero-six, come into McDonald’s right