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Authors: J.J. Franck
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He’ll set up the
appointment. Beatrice shouldn’t have said what she did.”
“If you know what they were working on, why not tell us? It may be
pertinent to this investigation.”
Dr. VanBuren just shook his head while his jaw muscles tensed up.
“Dr. VanBuren,” Don started to say, when Fred
quickly got his attention and then motioned to Mrs. VanBuren, who was clearly
angry with Don. Don cleared his throat and had a look of sincerity on his face
when he turned to Mrs. VanBuren. “I’m truly sorry for your loss,” he said.
Fred stared at Don and then at Raven’s parents. Don seemed clearly
upset, while Raven’s parents appeared somewhat indifferent about them being
there. He couldn’t put his finger on it. Dr. VanBuren? appeared upset, but not
as upset as he would have thought, given the circumstances.
Don abruptly turned and walked out of the house, followed closely by
Fred.
Once outside the house Don pulled out a cigarette and lit up. Fred
shut the door behind him and then turned to Don and stared at him, shaking his
head.
“What was that all about?” he asked.
“Didn’t you find it a little strange that they weren’t broken up about
their daughter’s murder?”
Fred thought a while and then added, “He sure was prepared, with his
attorney’s business card in his pocket.”
“Yeah, I wondered about that too.”
“The mother appeared to have been crying.”
“Remember how frantic the old girl sounded on the answering machine
when she couldn’t reach her daughter,” Don said. He took a long drag on the
cigarette and then quickly exhaled.
“Yeah, you’d think she’d be a
little more upset by her daughter’s death?”
“Now that you mention it, I guess you’re right.”
Don tossed the cigarette on the sidewalk, stepped on it, and then
walked over to the squad.
Chapter 9
Fred had been watching Don closely ever since the incident at the
victim’s house. His behavior at her parents’ house was somewhat strange also.
Fred had only worked with Don for a little better than a month, and yet he knew
this case was different. On the other homicide cases they worked on, Don had
always been analytical and very focused on the facts, almost to the point of being
annoying. Fred honestly did not feel Don cared enough about the victims in those cases. And now he was faced
with Don caring too much, to the point he was becoming obsessed with Raven
VanBuren.
Fred turned to Don, “You okay?” he asked.
“Okay as I’ll ever be,” Don snapped, a little annoyed at Fred’s
insistence on asking him if he was okay.
“What’s gotten into you?” Fred asked. At that point he knew there was
definitely something different about his case. He was sure Don did not know
Raven VanBuren before she became a victim, so he was not sure what the problem
was with him. It was a question that was really troubling him at that point.
Don finally replied. “There’s something about her,” Don said. His
voice sounded desperate. “I can’t put her out of my mind. Last night I couldn’t
sleep.” Don looked around. “Something is not right, and it’s staring us in the
face. But we can’t see it.”
“The coroner should be done by now. Maybe he will have an answer for
you.”
“It’s a start. Afterward I’d like to talk to Mrs. Maxfield and put
something to rest.”
“You think her husband’s disappearance is connected to the murder?”
Don looked at Fred. “I want to hear her voice. We still have the voice
on the tape threatening our girl. I want to know if there’s a side of our victim
Mama and Pop VanBuren didn’t know about.”
Fred turned to Don with concern. He was worried Don’s ability to solve
this case was flawed, but his reasoning still seemed to be intact. Fred still
had a lot to learn, and the Chief spoke highly of Don’s ability to be a
valuable mentor. Fred just had to sit tight, keep his mouth shut, and make sure
he kept Don on the straight and narrow road in solving
appointment. Beatrice shouldn’t have said what she did.”
“If you know what they were working on, why not tell us? It may be
pertinent to this investigation.”
Dr. VanBuren just shook his head while his jaw muscles tensed up.
“Dr. VanBuren,” Don started to say, when Fred
quickly got his attention and then motioned to Mrs. VanBuren, who was clearly
angry with Don. Don cleared his throat and had a look of sincerity on his face
when he turned to Mrs. VanBuren. “I’m truly sorry for your loss,” he said.
Fred stared at Don and then at Raven’s parents. Don seemed clearly
upset, while Raven’s parents appeared somewhat indifferent about them being
there. He couldn’t put his finger on it. Dr. VanBuren? appeared upset, but not
as upset as he would have thought, given the circumstances.
Don abruptly turned and walked out of the house, followed closely by
Fred.
Once outside the house Don pulled out a cigarette and lit up. Fred
shut the door behind him and then turned to Don and stared at him, shaking his
head.
“What was that all about?” he asked.
“Didn’t you find it a little strange that they weren’t broken up about
their daughter’s murder?”
Fred thought a while and then added, “He sure was prepared, with his
attorney’s business card in his pocket.”
“Yeah, I wondered about that too.”
“The mother appeared to have been crying.”
“Remember how frantic the old girl sounded on the answering machine
when she couldn’t reach her daughter,” Don said. He took a long drag on the
cigarette and then quickly exhaled.
“Yeah, you’d think she’d be a
little more upset by her daughter’s death?”
“Now that you mention it, I guess you’re right.”
Don tossed the cigarette on the sidewalk, stepped on it, and then
walked over to the squad.
Chapter 9
Fred had been watching Don closely ever since the incident at the
victim’s house. His behavior at her parents’ house was somewhat strange also.
Fred had only worked with Don for a little better than a month, and yet he knew
this case was different. On the other homicide cases they worked on, Don had
always been analytical and very focused on the facts, almost to the point of being
annoying. Fred honestly did not feel Don cared enough about the victims in those cases. And now he was faced
with Don caring too much, to the point he was becoming obsessed with Raven
VanBuren.
Fred turned to Don, “You okay?” he asked.
“Okay as I’ll ever be,” Don snapped, a little annoyed at Fred’s
insistence on asking him if he was okay.
“What’s gotten into you?” Fred asked. At that point he knew there was
definitely something different about his case. He was sure Don did not know
Raven VanBuren before she became a victim, so he was not sure what the problem
was with him. It was a question that was really troubling him at that point.
Don finally replied. “There’s something about her,” Don said. His
voice sounded desperate. “I can’t put her out of my mind. Last night I couldn’t
sleep.” Don looked around. “Something is not right, and it’s staring us in the
face. But we can’t see it.”
“The coroner should be done by now. Maybe he will have an answer for
you.”
“It’s a start. Afterward I’d like to talk to Mrs. Maxfield and put
something to rest.”
“You think her husband’s disappearance is connected to the murder?”
Don looked at Fred. “I want to hear her voice. We still have the voice
on the tape threatening our girl. I want to know if there’s a side of our victim
Mama and Pop VanBuren didn’t know about.”
Fred turned to Don with concern. He was worried Don’s ability to solve
this case was flawed, but his reasoning still seemed to be intact. Fred still
had a lot to learn, and the Chief spoke highly of Don’s ability to be a
valuable mentor. Fred just had to sit tight, keep his mouth shut, and make sure
he kept Don on the straight and narrow road in solving
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