Read Online Under the Color of Law by Michael McGarrity - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Michael McGarrity
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to report the death?"
"Within a few minutes. Almost immediately."
"Did you see anybody nearby?"
"I saw no strangers, if that's what you mean, and everyone else had been to prayer and breakfast."
"Your colleagues seem to know very little about Father Joseph."
"He kept to himself and we respected his privacy. I may know a little more, since I granted Father Joseph's request for a visiting scholar's appointment."
"So far all I've learned is where he earned his advanced degrees, where he recently taught, and that he served a hitch as an army chaplain,"
Kerney said.
"Father Joseph retired as an army chaplain with the rank of major about a dozen years ago. He was stationed all over the world. He took his master's in history at a university in Georgia while on active duty, and completed his Phd after he retired."
"What else can you tell me about his professional life?" Kerney asked.
"His research interest was military history. Much of it he did on the Internet."
"What brought him to Santa Fe?"
"He was gathering oral histories from some significant primary and secondary sources. Mostly retired military officers living in the state, I believe."
"Did Father Joseph mention any names?"
"Not to me. But he spent a fair amount of time conducting interviews."
"Did he talk about his personal or family life?"
Brother Jerome shook his head.
"Only in the most general of terms. We shared a few reminiscences one evening shortly after he arrived. He has a widowed mother who lives in Houston. And his only younger brother died while serving as a military attache at an embassy in Latin American some time ago. He wouldn't say more about it and never seemed willing to discuss it again."
"Did you ever try?"
"Yes. Father Joseph said it was just an everyday sort of tragedy in today's America."
"How would you characterize Father Joseph's political views?" Kerney asked.
"Very liberal. Are you looking to do a bit of witch hunting, Chief Kerney?"
"That's not how the question was meant. Understanding Father Joseph may help me catch his killer. This could be the act of an everyday criminal.
On the other hand it could be connected to something in Father Joseph's past. Did you learn anything about the younger brother?"
"He was career military, I believe. A colonel in the army."
"Did Father Joseph speak to you of any personal or family problems, conflicts with others, or worries he might have had?" Kerney asked.
"No. He seemed very content and at ease with himself and others. He was a fine man and a good priest."
"What about contact with students?"
"He had no teaching responsibilities," Brother Jerome replied, "although he may have had some casual association with individual students."
"Did he keep any papers or documents outside of his room, or show you his work in progress?"
"I never saw his manuscript or research notes. He did have a briefcase he carried with him whenever he left the residence."
"Did Father Mitchell have a car?"
"Yes, he drives a brown Toyota. It should be parked outside."
"We found no briefcase in his room," Kerney noted.
"I see," Brother Jerome said.
"Would you like to look for it?"
"If it's not a bother."
"By all means."
No briefcase was found during the search of the residence hall, and nothing turned up in the car search. After checking in with Catanach and Sloan, Kerney left the residence hall to find Officer Herrera hurriedly finishing his supplemental report.
Cloudy handed over the paperwork and had Kerney sign the crime-scene log.
"Is your report complete?" Kerney asked.
"Yeah. There wasn't much to say."
At his office Kerney entered the information he'd gathered from his interviews into the computerized paperwork system. He finished and looked over the list of stolen items. The perpetrator had cleaned out all the priest's research plus two computers. Two trips would have been necessary to cart it away, which heightened the chance of discovery. No professional thief would risk getting caught
"Within a few minutes. Almost immediately."
"Did you see anybody nearby?"
"I saw no strangers, if that's what you mean, and everyone else had been to prayer and breakfast."
"Your colleagues seem to know very little about Father Joseph."
"He kept to himself and we respected his privacy. I may know a little more, since I granted Father Joseph's request for a visiting scholar's appointment."
"So far all I've learned is where he earned his advanced degrees, where he recently taught, and that he served a hitch as an army chaplain,"
Kerney said.
"Father Joseph retired as an army chaplain with the rank of major about a dozen years ago. He was stationed all over the world. He took his master's in history at a university in Georgia while on active duty, and completed his Phd after he retired."
"What else can you tell me about his professional life?" Kerney asked.
"His research interest was military history. Much of it he did on the Internet."
"What brought him to Santa Fe?"
"He was gathering oral histories from some significant primary and secondary sources. Mostly retired military officers living in the state, I believe."
"Did Father Joseph mention any names?"
"Not to me. But he spent a fair amount of time conducting interviews."
"Did he talk about his personal or family life?"
Brother Jerome shook his head.
"Only in the most general of terms. We shared a few reminiscences one evening shortly after he arrived. He has a widowed mother who lives in Houston. And his only younger brother died while serving as a military attache at an embassy in Latin American some time ago. He wouldn't say more about it and never seemed willing to discuss it again."
"Did you ever try?"
"Yes. Father Joseph said it was just an everyday sort of tragedy in today's America."
"How would you characterize Father Joseph's political views?" Kerney asked.
"Very liberal. Are you looking to do a bit of witch hunting, Chief Kerney?"
"That's not how the question was meant. Understanding Father Joseph may help me catch his killer. This could be the act of an everyday criminal.
On the other hand it could be connected to something in Father Joseph's past. Did you learn anything about the younger brother?"
"He was career military, I believe. A colonel in the army."
"Did Father Joseph speak to you of any personal or family problems, conflicts with others, or worries he might have had?" Kerney asked.
"No. He seemed very content and at ease with himself and others. He was a fine man and a good priest."
"What about contact with students?"
"He had no teaching responsibilities," Brother Jerome replied, "although he may have had some casual association with individual students."
"Did he keep any papers or documents outside of his room, or show you his work in progress?"
"I never saw his manuscript or research notes. He did have a briefcase he carried with him whenever he left the residence."
"Did Father Mitchell have a car?"
"Yes, he drives a brown Toyota. It should be parked outside."
"We found no briefcase in his room," Kerney noted.
"I see," Brother Jerome said.
"Would you like to look for it?"
"If it's not a bother."
"By all means."
No briefcase was found during the search of the residence hall, and nothing turned up in the car search. After checking in with Catanach and Sloan, Kerney left the residence hall to find Officer Herrera hurriedly finishing his supplemental report.
Cloudy handed over the paperwork and had Kerney sign the crime-scene log.
"Is your report complete?" Kerney asked.
"Yeah. There wasn't much to say."
At his office Kerney entered the information he'd gathered from his interviews into the computerized paperwork system. He finished and looked over the list of stolen items. The perpetrator had cleaned out all the priest's research plus two computers. Two trips would have been necessary to cart it away, which heightened the chance of discovery. No professional thief would risk getting caught
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