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By the way, all material on this site is copyrighted James Ciano over the years |
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I came across the pictures below a short time ago and they brought back some great memories. |
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Chapter Thirty Seven
Once we got completely back to Boston from Bathurst, having moved my few things and Leigh’s parade of suitcases and boxes, I realized it’s time for a warm vacation for us, before Leigh has to be back in class. We should fly south for a vacation. That cold trek through the Western Massachusetts wild lands was bone chilling to mind and body. I’m thinking about going to the Island of Martinique, or maybe just Miami. I discussed these thoughts with Leigh and since she has the next several weeks off, loves the idea of traveling south with me. She prefers Miami, because, she has relatives there, but, she said anywhere is fine with her, well we’ll see.
However, Robert has other ideas for us.
“Hey, Angy, do you think you could do me a favor?” “Well, I hired an entertainer from upstate Maine to come in and work a couple of weeks in February. I need his contract signed before the fifteenth of December. I’ll get you the tickets to fly up and see him.” “Sure, that sounds fine. I think after I drop off the contract I’m heading South for a week or two.” “That’s great, I’ll get Donna on the tickets now. I think as a gift I’ll pay for your Florida tickets and hotel.” “Gee, Thanks Robert I appreciate it. Any chance you can make those tickets for two?” “I don’t see why not, for you and Leigh?” “Yes!” “You guys are heating up? Any chance of wedding bells?” “You never know, of course any discussion along those lines will be followed by an announcement.
Flying up to Northern Maine, the Eastern Airline pilot came on the speaker and told us, “It’s such a beautiful day I’ll fly low for a while so you can see the White Mountains in all their majesty.” As we fly low over New England the sky is clear as far as the eye can see. We’re landing in Grand Sault Canada. This is the closest airport to St. Agatha Maine where Sean McLain, the comedian I’m looking for, lives. I never heard of Sean before Robert told me his name. Sean is considered one of the top comedians in the New England states. I hope so, this area he lives in couldn’t be more remote. I found Sean to be a nice guy, and very funny. He is well liked in the area. An hour after Sean signed the contract. Leigh and I had lunch in a little place Sean recommended then we were on a flight back to Boston for our connection to Florida. When we landed in Boston we walked through the terminal to gate D. The walk took us out to the main terminal where I met Donna, in the main terminal building. Donna took the contract back to Robert and Leigh and I proceeded on to gate D and our flight to Florida. . I noticed as we took off that the sky had turned cloudy and the higher we got the further the clouds extended in the direction we were flying. The trip was uneventful and Leigh and I talked mostly about the Florida Beaches, and what we would do while in Florida. When we arrived in Miami the rain was incredible. It was raining so hard I could hardly see to drive the rental. Walking from the car to the motel office we got completely soaked. First I talked Leigh into taking classes in Boston and working at the Club, then I talked Al Russo into giving her some time off so we could travel. Well, I didn’t plan on rain so the first day we stayed in and found other interesting things to do. Leigh’s spectacular blue eyes reminded me a little of Kari at first, but Leigh soon made me forget everyone else. I realized this is a new experience for me, a real girl who really likes me, not what I can do for her. I was certainly enjoying our velvet prison, but, very quickly I got antsy. It wasn’t boredom or even needing to do something different, it really was unaccomplished purpose. In Boston, I got it into my head that we were going to Florida for a sunburn, which never mattered to me before, but the rain stopped us from even going outside. Not much chance of a sunburn in this lifetime, it seemed unless we got under a lamp, which I refused to do, after all we were in FLORIDA. Florida’s wonders hide indoors out of the rain when the weather gets like this. Luckily Leigh was not a complainer and we suffered through another day staying close to the room. Frankly I was enjoying my time with Leigh so much I was losing interest in the sunburn. Leigh had a distraction she visited her Aunt and Uncle one afternoon. Unfortunately I was unable to meet them with her that day so we arranged to get together later in the week for dinner at their home. But, by the next day I was stir crazy. As much as I adore Leigh, and the closeness we’ve developed these last days, the heady smell of her skin and intense pleasure of her touch is fighting with the four walls of the room which are closing in on me. I couldn’t stop myself from checking with the weatherman, the Florida weather for the next few days will be wet and cold. I checked the weather in Puerto Rico and found it to be clear and hot for the next week. Dragging Leigh away from her family, as she is giggling at my frustration, and loving every minute together, Leigh hangs on tight to my arm as we run for our flight to finally sunny San Juan.
Goodbye Miami, hello San Juan. Up to now I have been following the rain, let’s hope that changes.
The first flight out to San Juan, Puerto Rico was the next morning, and we were on it, in fact the first in line. However, once we got airborne I couldn’t believe what I was seeing out the window. As we flew further south it was cloudy and looked like rain again. Landing in San Juan was a disaster. I insisted that Hertz bring the car to us, at the office, as the rain made visibility all but zero and the possibility of drowning if we wondered the lot looking for our car very likely. As I drove away from the Hertz office I had trouble seeing the hood ornament on the rental car. We stayed at the Azure Inn on the beach where in the next few days of rain, I got to know Leigh’s body better than her gynecologist. I discovered what I wanted my life’s work to be, and certainly was no longer bored. As an adult I have had sex many times and Leigh and I have explored each other both in Bathurst and Boston many pleasurable times. After all the rain in Florida and nothing else to do but sex for days, you would think we’ve had enough of each other, or at least there would be no surprises for us. However, the exotic sea air at the motel must have done something to us. The second day in San Juan we woke up from a short nap, each with a smile of anticipation. I marvel at how beautiful she is and her return smile is as bright as my own. We both sleep nude and during the nap bumped into each other several times, all intertwined, arms and legs wrapped around each other. This has happened many times before without much effect. However, today both of us woke with excitement and anticipation. For myself I have never been so hard in my entire life, I’m literally jumping out of my skin, as if I ate a whole bushel of oysters by myself, that’s the aphrodisiac isn’t it?. Actually, no, the aphrodisiac is Leigh. A fleeting thought worried itself through my head, “I might cause her pain”, but as I looked at Leigh, I saw the hunger in her eyes and the sparks dancing on her cheeks. Suddenly I knew we were in love, the real thing, I also knew that anything more intense than I was feeling right now would almost certainly be fatal and I welcomed it with every fiber of my being. I could see on Leigh’s face she felt the same. I moved very slowly, toward her, all my effort to slow my movement. We started out inches apart and my move brought me barely in contact with her, I could feel intense heat radiating from her body. I wanted us to almost touch, to feel each other’s heat announcing our impending contact. I barely caressed her inner thigh with my penis as I slid down to envelope her breast with my lips and tongue. Both our bodies shuddered in unison. Leigh watched my every movement as I enjoyed her breast. Again, we were barely touching, all the while my lips and tongue caressing her right nipple, the heat from our bodies a cushion of pleasure we both felt. Now, as we touched, the heat and tingling for a background as our bodies moved against each other was almost unbearable. Now touching, now sliding, and never stopping. I moved my head slightly and her nipple stiffened even more against my tongue, I couldn’t ignore her other breast, I could feel it beckoning to me and yet I took my time getting there. Once engaged I couldn’t leave her second nipple until it too announced its satisfaction. All the while I could feel tension building up in our bodies like guitar strings. In these moments our bodies were so intertwined it was impossible to tell which leg was mine or which arm I had just kissed. I moved down her belly, stopping long enough to taste her belly button. Then moving down further I rested just above her clitoris with my mouth open breathing hard against her. I could feel her body hairs waving as my hot breath passed over them. All this time she had been caressing my head, now her hands moved to either side of my head and very gently pushed me down and pulled me into her body for better contact. While she was moving my head she positioned her legs for me, giving me full access to her clitoris and vagina. My lips and tongue danced against her quivering body until I thought we would both explode. Her inner thighs against my ears added unreality to sensations already beyond my understanding. I could feel her quiver and expand as I caressed her with my tongue, soon Leigh moaned continuously and quivered for what felt like hours or seconds, her head thrown back. We stayed this way as long as we could, until our bodies rebelled uncontrollably. I somehow found myself above her sliding to her. Here time no longer has any meaning. I forced my self to stop moving and enjoy every sensation. I held on with all my strength, quivering and shaking for an eternity, then again, without conscious control our bodies were in full contact, almost entirely on their own. My tongue was dancing and flirting with hers. Again, I held on as long as I could, with our bodies in exquisite torture. The next seconds, minutes, hours, I could feel myself inside of her, as we began to move up and down on the bed. At first very slowly, then faster until we exploded together in an arch above the bed; the sensations I felt at that moment are beyond description, no drug or artificial stimulation could ever compare. Two bodies striving for the pinnacle together is an incomparable experience to me. After a few minutes, hours, days, Leigh hugged me hungrily to her breast so she could roll over keeping us locked tightly together. Now she was on top of me full length and hugging with all her strength. We lay like this for hours, until sleep overtook us. During the night we attempted repeat performances many times and, though not always exactly the same we exhausted each other learning the flavor of our love. Now giggling and trying again, falling asleep and giggling again. I swear at times giggling in our sleep. This was the most intensely sexual and sensual night of my life. With deep love and caring, together we created a sexual experience I would not have believed possible, let alone, would ever achieve. An experience the Gods on Mount Olympus will point to as the ultimate in such experiences forever more!
Chapter Thirty Eight
The next day, Friday morning I awoke at 6:30 AM and found the sun shining brightly. Leigh was sleeping so peacefully I didn’t dare wake her. I couldn’t help standing there looking at her, this was the love of my life. I loved the smile on her face, it matched the one on my own. I couldn’t wait to make Leigh the mother of my children and the partner of my life. For the first time in my life the thought of my girl friend having my baby was wonderful, instead of terrifying. I must be growing up, before this minute, a girl that got me thinking about children, only saw my butt as I ran away as fast as my legs would carry me.
After leaving a note for Leigh I bounded out of the room smiling my head off and set my sights on the pool for some sunshine. Halfway to the pool I stopped and had to convince myself that the sun was important. Two days ago nothing was more important than a sunburn. Today I couldn’t understand what the hell’s so important about a sunburn. At that moment I wanted to go back, wake Leigh and repeat last night all over again. It would not be long before I would regret this decision for the rest of my life. As soon as I realized it would require my waking Leigh up, the smile on her face is telling me she is happy where she is. I thought an hour in the sun and back to the room, to make more memories for each of us to smile about. This way Leigh can get the sleep she needs and I get this stupid sunburn thing out of the way.
I guess with all the bad weather and the indoor exercise I’ve been getting; I was more tired than I thought. I lay down on one of the loungers and promptly fell into a deep sleep. Well, Leigh came out about four hours later and I was still asleep. She woke me very concerned. She could tell I was sick I was as red as a lobster, and making low moaning noises. The burn was so bad I was actually sick to my stomach, and had trouble opening my eyes. There was a distinct line along both my sides where the sun stopped and the shade took over. Leigh tried to help me up but every time she touched me it was like a hot poker on my skin. After all the touching in the last five days, we could not touch at all. I was extremely sick and in intense physical pain. Leigh and I discussed what to do. I wasn’t bad enough for professional medical attention, but needed some kind of medication. Obviously I couldn’t go in the sun again and she had had enough of the whole idea, as well. We, decided to ask a druggist what to do. I had all the symptoms of sun poisoning, but there really is not much that I could do without a doctors prescription. Even then, in my case, time is the real healer. So, back to square one, just put up with it for a few days.
I could use a hug about now, from the pain in my stomach and the soreness and sensitivity in my eyes I didn’t know what to do. I was not aware until this very moment of how much touching we’ve been doing and how wonderful it’s been, and how much we both miss it now. With this thought in mind Leigh suggested that she would stop off in Miami for a few days to see her aunt and uncle and by that time I would be over the worst of the sunburn. She would then fly to Boston and we could be together again. Now that we’re living together, we have every night to look forward to.
The decision was made and we only had to follow through. We got two tickets to Miami, where Leigh would stay to visit her aunt and uncle. My ticket was to Boston with a stop in Miami. Once in Boston I could recuperate from this horrendous sunburn. The plan has us flying out tomorrow, Saturday. I’ve been lucky in my life, I’m never sick. I get the occasional cold , but knock down, lying in bed sick, or the stay at home kind of sick has never visited me, until now. This was different; I couldn’t even put on a terry cloth robe, it left marks on my skin and excruciating pain. Unbelievably, the next morning I woke up even worse. I couldn’t put my shirt on, I had all I could do to put on a pair of pants. This being Puerto Rico, everyone had Aloe lotion, Aloe plants grow everywhere. The druggist said it might help and he suggested a bottle of some locally collected Aloe lotion. After splattering me with Aloe lotion, we decided to go to the airport with me shirtless and hope I could actually get on the plane without ending up in the hospital. I was anticipating sitting with my body leaning forward off the seat, I also was terrified of getting out of the airport in Boston in that sub zero weather, this sunburn gave me the chills if I walked into some shade along the way. . We weren’t in the airport five minutes when a San Juan cop came up to me and started yelling. I didn’t understand a word he said, because he was yelling in Spanish, and the next thing I knew I was in handcuffs and being marched off to jail. Leigh found a translator and followed us to the security office, where we argued. I later found out the San Juan airport has a law about indecent exposure and since I did not have a shirt on I was guilty of Indecent Exposure, a hanging offence, in San Juan, it seems. We argued through the departure time for four flights to Boston and half dozen flights to Miami. I finally got yellow pages and started calling local attorneys. I thought once the attorney arrived we’d be all set, but I didn’t account for the airport police. After he argued with the Airport Police for several hours my attorney got me to pay a fine of one hundred dollars and we were ready to fly out. I was hoping we could take the “Red Eye” out to Miami at 12:30 AM. But, as soon as the attorney left, the San Juan Airport police ushered me out of the airport saying I could not fly tonight. The airport police were getting back at me for embarrassing them in front of the lawyer. I guess the lawyer could get me out of the holding cell but the security cops could make sure we missed tonight’s flight. It would be morning before my lawyer could get any further legal action started. I didn’t know what my options were, the morning would look brighter I hoped. Leigh came along to the motel and our vacation was extended by I don’t know how long. A cab got us back to the motel and luckily we were able to get another room. Once in the room I called the airline and had our tickets changed. Now, we had to take a Monday morning flight, all the next day, Sunday, flights were full because this is still high season.
Chapter Thirty Nine . It was my back that was the most burned and I was able to sleep only on my stomach. After taking several sleeping pills, I finally fell into a coma like sleep. I never knew exactly when, but sometime after midnight I guess I actually fell asleep. The next morning, Sunday, I awoke feeling very groggy and my stomach was unsettled, always a side affect of sleeping pills for me.
Hell, am I alive or dead. I feel awful. The last thing I remember is taking those damn pills and heading for the bed. I don’t even remember putting my head down. Well, I don’t want to move now. No, don’t open my eyes, I won’t be able to go back to sleep, another couple of hours will feel better. God, I hope Leigh isn’t mad at me for the hassle at the airport. What an Asshole I am falling asleep in the sun. What’s that smell. I guess their mowing the grass outside, but it smells rusty to! I better check.
“O MY GOD” LEIGH! The first thing I saw when I looked over is Leigh’s open eyes, they are very cloudy and all the blood on her chest. I reached over, pulling Leigh toward me and started hugging her shouting her name. For a minute there I totally lost it. There’s blood all over Leigh’s chest, and she is not moving or responding to my touch. “O MY GOD! LEIGH!” “O MY GOD! LEIGH” All I can see is blood, now I’m hugging her again and she’s so cold! I guess I’m rocking, or just shaking. She’s not waking up! HELP SOMEONE! “O MY GOD! LEIGH!” I’m shouting at the top of my lungs and no one is responding, or am I only shouting in my head, I can’t tell. “I need to get control of myself. What the hell happened? Why isn’t Leigh waking up?” “My God, there is so much blood. Leigh What Happened…?” The only time I could tell I was yelling out loud was when I started spitting as I yelled. I’m just going to pieces. I found myself out of bed looking down at Leigh, she’s covered in blood. God Why? I just found someone I could really love. God Why? WHY???
I keep hearing this screaming and I don’t know where it’s coming from, I keep looking back at Leigh hoping it’s her but she hasn’t changed. I guess I can’t blame God. I finally let Him in my life when something terrible happens. No wonder He won’t help me now! If there really is a God, I blew it!
Let’s see, does she have a pulse?
I reached my hand out to find her wrist. My hand is shaking so badly I almost can’t hold onto Leigh’s wrist, her hand is so cold.
Hell, I can’t feel anything! WAIT, Wait, there’s something, I feel a pulse, YES. She’s alive…. Oh Thank You God, she’s alive! But, why is she so cold. “STOP ASSHOLE” call the paramedics get them working on her right now!
“Hello, Please help, my girl friend is not breathing, there’s blood everywhere.” I shouted into the phone. “What Happened sir?” I don’t know, I just woke up. She was fine last night now she’s so cold. I felt a pulse but she’s cold.” “I’m at the Azure Inn on Beachfront Road.” I was staring at a motel brochure with all the information. “All right sir, there’s an ambulance on the way. What room are you in?” “Room two, six, oh, Room two sixty. Bring warm blankets Leigh’s so cold.” “You stay on the phone with me; the ambulance will be there in a minute.” A few minutes later I heard knocking on the door. “Someone is knocking on the door, I’ll be right back.” “Hello” It’s the police. I let them in and say to the first officer: “My girl friend. Leigh is not breathing, I felt a pulse but she’s cold!” “The paramedics called us, what happened here?” “I don’t know I just woke up, she was like that, well not exactly, I think I started hugging her when I first saw her or something, I remember calling her name but she didn’t answer!!” “She’s not moving. What’s wrong with her?”
“I think she’s dead sir. Sit down you’ll hurt yourself. What do you remember? The second officer moved next to Leigh and put his hand on her neck, then shakes his head and turns to me. “I don’t know, I woke up and when I looked at her all I saw was blood on her. She wasn’t moving!” Just then two paramedics arrived and the policeman who checked Leigh said; “No rush she’s dead!
Now the policeman is asking me questions while the paramedics look at Leigh. “What happened sir, what did you do? Where is the knife? “I don’t know what happened, she was like that when I looked at her. What knife are you talking about? Hey, paramedic, are you positive she is not alive? I didn’t see you take her pulse. About fifteen minutes ago I took her pulse and she was alive! I definitely felt a pulse fifteen minutes ago.” The paramedic did feel for a pulse, like the policeman, and shook his head. “Sorry Sir. You felt a “false pulse”! You’re in shock, you felt what’s called a “false pulse.” It’s actually your own pulse bouncing off the other person. Your girl friend has been dead for about six or seven hours.”
To the police officer he said; “This guy’s in shock, we better give him some attention.” “Wait, he killed his girl friend. Let me get a confession first.”
Hearing the officer say this life just went out of me. I sat in a chair and didn’t see anything. I couldn’t think.
OH MY GOD. Leigh’s uncle is waiting for her in Florida.
While I was floundering the paramedics took over and checked me out. They took a blood sample and checked my vitals. Nothing registered to me at that moment.
I’ve got to remember the cop said something wrong there.
A moment later I jumped up and ran for the bathroom barely making it. Between peeing and puking I didn’t know what to do first. I’ve needed to go since I awoke, but seeing Leigh made me forget, however, my body hadn’t forgotten anything.
A lot of things have happened to me in my life. Nothing compares to this. Poor Leigh is dead; she was murdered next to me, in the bed while we slept. Realizing how close I was to death last night, not just Leah’s death but my own, I guess self preservation took over and I started to shake uncontrollably. The paramedic had followed me and left for a moment and when he came back he had a syringe in his hand and gave me a shot. He said: “This will calm you down a little and stop the shakes.”
The front of me was covered in blood almost as much as Leigh and I had no cuts or wounds that I could feel. To the Police there was no doubt I killed Leigh. They kept asking me why I had killed her and what made me so angry that I did that to her. Apparently Leigh slept on her back and the attacker struck while she slept. Leigh was stabbed several times in the chest. Leigh’s pajama top was soaked with blood, I guess when I flipped out and grabbed her I got her blood everywhere. My chest has the same blood pattern as Leigh’s chest.
Eventually the police dragged me out of the room in my boxer shorts, shoeless, shirtless, and handcuffed to one of their men. They took me to a police car, where they threw a dirty blanket over me and shoved me into the back seat. The interrogation continued at the police station. When I finally got my call, I called Bobby Long in Boston and explained the situation to him the best I could. He said: “God, Angy, I’m sorry, Leigh is so lovely, what a terrible thing. What can I do, how can I help you right now, and what do you need? Angy talk to me.” “Bobby, I don’t know what I need, I could sure use some help about now I guess. Also, it would be nice if Robert knew why I won’t be back for many years to come. Also, could you notify Leigh’s family? Her aunt and uncle are waiting for her in Miami. We were due in around 2:00 PM today.” ‘Ok, give me Robert’s home number and Leigh’s family in Miami?” I gave Bobby Robert’s number, but I asked him to check with information for Leigh’s number, her family lives in Jamaica Plain.
“Do you have any preferences for a lawyer, or should I start looking in the yellow pages?” “If Lee Bailey is busy, someone who is familiar with Puerto Rico would be nice.”
After my conversation with Bobby I’m a little more confident than I was, but, this is horrible. The sunburn forgotten, I’m now feeling an incredible hollow in the pit of my stomach, like something bad is about to happen. I thinking what the hell can be worse than what already happened? My head is spinning, there’s so much to do. I need to start digging and find out what the hell is going on! I have to pull myself together, I can’t lose it again like I did this morning. Spending the rest of my life in jail won’t help Leigh and certainly won’t help me. One thing is for sure, the local police won’t do anything to find Leigh’s killer. They think they have him, in me.
The police interrogated me again, this time for about three hours. Now their taking me to a cell. I’m so disoriented I have no idea what time it is, is it the same day, I don’t know. My heading is spinning again, I’ll just put my head down for a minute and I was out like a light. I slept until about seven AM the following morning.
A local lawyer, from San Juan, showed up to visit me today, Monday. He was sent by an affiliate lawyer, in Boston.
“My Name is Daniel Webster Jones and a friend of yours hired me to help you get out of jail.” “Have you spoken to the police yet? Are they still adamant that I’m guilty?” “Yes and yes on both counts. They don’t have any leads except those that make you look guilty.” “To them this is a simple case of the crazy “Gringo” flipping out and killing his girlfriend. It happens all the time.” “Do you remember anything from the other night? Anything at all?” “No I don’t. Where the hell did the murder weapon come from? I didn’t notice anything when I woke up, but I was so shook up I really didn’t look very hard. I couldn’t stop myself from hugging Leigh though.” “The Police have not found the murder weapon yet. They’ve had men at the motel all day checking every room and every inch of the grounds, looking for the weapon and nothing has turned up. They’re even diving in the waters of the beach in front of the Motel.” “Well Hell! That proves I’m not guilty! How did I do it without a weapon? This morning I was so full of blood, sorry, yesterday morning, I left a trail when I went to the bathroom. I certainly couldn’t have left the room to dispose of the weapon.” “The police are looking into that. They think you threw the weapon into the ocean and snuck back into the room.” “How the hell could I do that and not leave a bloody trail everywhere? All they need to do is check the trail from the bed to the door and then from the chair to the bathroom when I ran to puke during the interrogation, this morning, no sorry, yesterday morning. What the hell is going on? Why was she attacked in the first place? Neither of us know anyone here. We have plenty of questions, but no answers This was Leigh’s first time traveling south. She never left the states before or traveled further away from home than New Jersey. This is also my first time in Puerto Rico. Who the hell could hate us so much to do this? Why didn’t they kill me at the same time?”
“There’s no answers right now. The Police have no answers for anything. There are no finger prints anywhere in the room as if someone wiped down the room. The door and the window were not forced; the only signs of a crime in the room are Miss Lonagan’s injuries and all the blood on her and you. The rest of the room is undisturbed.”
“Tell me about Leigh’s injuries? What exactly killed her?” “The autopsy will be performed tomorrow, Tuesday, we’ll know then. But, it looks like the stab wounds killed her.” “Has anyone notified her family?” “No not yet.” “It’s time you got me out of here. Start whatever action you need to get me bailed out and I can start investigating this. By the way, I told my friend in Boston to call her family.” “Good he can take care of that. The other, getting you out, will take a few days, they have you in a locked room with a dead body remember. The police are convinced you murdered the girl.” “Without a motive? Without a weapon? We loved each other.” “Get me out as soon as possible, whatever you need, I will get it sent here.” “Ok, I’ll get started and when I come back tomorrow morning I’ll have a better idea of what we will need.” “Is there anything you need right now, before I leave?” “No.”
A short time later a guard came and opened my door and for the first time, very formally said; “You have a call from a Congressman of the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Mr. Edward Brakeman.” Then the guard took me out to a desk in the reception area of the Police Station. Politely sat me down at a desk and the phone rang. “Hello, Angelo Cataldo here.” “Hi, Angy how you doing? I guess that’s a stupid question under the circumstances. Is it true Leigh is really dead? I feel Terrible about this.” “We’re standing by to help in any way we can, just let me know what you need. Helen and Marilyn send their love. We’re all mortified.” “I’m doing as well as can be expected Edward, how are you and Helen holding up? How was your trip?” “It was all great and wonderful to have Marilyn with us for a change. As kids grow the parents get to enjoy their company less and less until they settle down.” “I see your still in jail; I hope the lawyer is working quickly to get you out?” “He has instructions. He told me the police have not found a weapon yet. I’m hoping that will be enough grounds to get me out.” “That’s strange, no weapon. Whoever did it took the weapon for some reason, what do you think?” ““I’m as confused as you are. Really my biggest question is “Why didn’t they kill me also or only and leave Leigh alive?” Since they left me alive they must have put my fingerprints on the murder weapon to clinch my guilt. I would have done that myself in their position.”” “But I’m beginning to think whoever did it is after something else and I can’t figure what that is yet. Taking the weapon looks like they’re saving it for later, or there is some thing unusual about the weapon. When they murdered Leigh I was out like a light. I took three sleeping pills and slept very soundly. I only woke when I did because I needed the bathroom.”
“It’s confusing. Get out of jail quickly and solve this. By the way as head of my security detail you have some powers and you can get out of jail without bail if you need it.” “Shall I notify Puerto Rico of this and get you out?” “Edward, don’t do it yet. Let’s leave that as a last resort.” “I’m not guilty and I’d rather use that than any privilege I might have. The Puerto Ricans don’t like people with privilege. The night Leigh died, we would have been on a plane on our way to Miami if they hadn’t become insulted that my lawyer embarrassed them.” “Walk softly Angy, hold on, Marilyn wants to talk to you” “Hi Angy, I’m so sorry, poor Leigh!” “I don’t know what to say, I know you loved Leigh, Marilyn, you know I’ll miss her?” “My heart is breaking for you Angy, I know you love her as much as I do.” “Marilyn I don’t know what to say, Leigh and I were ready to talk marriage, then this. I can’t understand why they killed her and not me. I’ll never get over seeing her lifeless body lying there.” “Hold on Daddy wants to talk to you again.”
Mr. Brakeman asked me; “Angy, do you have a lawyer yet?” I could hear Marilyn in the background saying; “Daddy, I want to go down and help him.” I answered Edward; “Bobby Long got me an attorney and he seems competent, I’m ready to see what he does.” “OK Angy let me know if you need anything. By the way, Marilyn wants to come down there, maybe she can help you in some way.” “Edward, please, don’t let Marilyn come. I don’t know what’s going on and until I do, being here might put her in danger. Look at what happened to Leigh.” “Tell Marilyn I was crazy about Leigh and will miss her terribly. We were only together a short time but we became incredibly close. We were truly in love. If this hadn’t happened you’d be coming to a wedding instead of a funeral.” “OK Angy, call me every day and let me know what’s going on, Robert must be out of his mind with worry by now. And Captain Long is chafing at the bit wishing he were there.” “Yes, I guess they are. Well thank you for calling I’ll call every day and give Helen and Marilyn a big hug and kiss from me.”
I spent the rest of the day, Monday, in jail. I must have measured that cell five thousand times. Four paces this way, three paces that way, no matter how many times I re-measured it, it never changed its dimensions. These cells lose their mystery very quickly. First thing Tuesday morning Daniel, my attorney came and bailed me out, apparently the lack of a weapon made someone nervous. I’m sure the call from a Congressman from Boston helped a little to. I went back to the motel and got another room. The murder scene was being preserved until they had finished the investigation and no one is allowed in it. One of the first things I did was to call Robert and fill him in. Since everything is so up in the air there are not many facts I can give him. Before we hung up he offered me any help I need, just call and tell him what I want and he’ll send it or provide it. Suddenly I realize I haven’t thought about Leigh in a long time. What the hell is wrong with me. Is this happens in a tragedy; you only think of yourself, I thought I was a better person than this. At this moment I hate myself and wish with all my heart I could trade places with Leigh, shit all I’m worried about is going to jail, Leigh would gladly take jail to the death she got and didn’t deserve.
I know they’re all offering to help because they like me and want to help, and I love them for it. You only find your true friends in adversity, I don’t know who said it but they’re certainly right.
The local police gave me a lot of trouble about entering the room, until my lawyer made a deal. Every time I needed to enter the room a police officer must be with me. I can’t take anything out of the room. I can’t change anything in the room. I can take pictures, measurements, make sketches and bring in experts to view the scene only.
I got started first with pictures. Thank God for these new credit card things, I was able to rent or buy several cameras and other equipment to get started. One year ago there were almost no credit cards, today, everyone has one and every store takes them. I took pictures from every possible angle in the room, with my new cameras, then I started again and took close ups of everything again, now it was time to cross the room to the other side and take all the pictures again. I took so many still pictures I had to go and buy more film. Then I got a movie camera, 8 mm, and took movies, the same way as the stills. All vivid color, sharp and as detailed as possible. I then made sketches of the room with measurements in the appropriate places. Once outside I took pictures of the approach to the room from every direction, with measurements. By the end of the day I had over a hundred pages of details describing every picture, note and sketch down to the film speed, camera speed, f stop and every detail I could think of. In court all of these details will be examined and re-examined.
Next I got a list of the guests in the rooms the night of the murder for the entire motel, Saturday night. Two guests had already left so I got their home addresses and then I proceeded to question those guests that are still here. I questioned the night clerks very closely as to whether anyone asked about Leigh or I while we were here. We actually were in the hotel only a few days before we headed to the airport. After the hassle at the airport we returned that same night and got another room. The guests on either side of the room are both still here and neither of them heard or saw anything. Apparently one of them watched television all night and never heard anything. The other took sleeping pills and didn’t get up until late Sunday morning and only saw me being removed from the room. After questioning everyone I could think of, I started walking around the motel in circles. First close in very near the building and studied everything I could see, and taking pages of notes. Then I widened the circle to the edges of the motel property. Again taking everything in, and photographing everything and writing every detail down. Actually I was striking out in every direction but I still had to put all the pictures and information I gathered together and sort through it. This early collection took me two days and by Thursday night I had looked at every place and talked to every person who could possibly have any information. Now it was time to lay it all out and think about it.
At this point I just got in the rental car and drove. I really needed to think and staying in the hotel was beginning to feel a little claustrophobic. I had all this information but it didn’t make sense to me now. The rental space I’m looking for will help, but I needed some helpers as well. I’m also having a problem seeing Leigh everywhere I look in the hotel. When we first got here we stayed in all the time it was raining and either stayed in the room or roamed around the hotel. She loved to walk around and see how everything was done. I’ll bet she questioned every maid and busboy in the hotel about what they did. I’m remembering how her nose crinkled when she listened to an explanation that didn’t make sense. Then, she’d look at me and roll her eyes. God I loved her. More than I had any idea! I’ve lost all interest in life.
Four days earlier, Boston Monday Morning
“Hello, who the hell is this; this is Monday morning, very early.” “Hello, Alex is that you? This is Robert Cimino from the Club.” “Hi Robert, sorry I didn’t know who it was. Is everything alright?” “Actually no it isn’t. I just got a call from Bobby Long and he told me Leigh has been murdered and Angy’s been arrested for the murder.” “Oh my god, it can’t be Angy is so in love with her.” “I know he certainly didn’t do it. But the cops in San Juan are accusing him and we need to help him.” “Of course Robert what do you want me to do, anything you and he need I’ll do.” “Thank you Alex I knew I could count on you. I want to give you some money to take down with you. Use it to help any way you can. Right now Angy is in a San Juan jail, but the lawyer says he can get him out maybe tomorrow or Thursday.” “Ok I’ll pack my bags. Anything special I’ll need to take down with me?” “I don’t think so but you can buy anything you might need. I’m planning on giving you twenty five thousand dollars in traveler’s checks. In the mean time I will also have my travel agent put your tickets together for a flight down there.” “Will I need that much money, Robert?” “I don’t know Alex, but I want you to have enough to pay any bills that come up and also to pay a lawyer down there. You never know how much a lawyer is going to charge. Also, if you need more just call me I will send whatever money you need.” “Ok, Robert I’m on it. I’ll see you Thursday.” “Ok, Alex meet me at my office at 1PM, Thursday, the flight you’ll be leaving on is at 2:30PM and there is a layover in Miami until early Friday, you’ll be leaving Miami around 5 AM and arrive in San Juan around 7:30 AM Friday. I’ll have all the tickets, hotel reservations, traveler’s checks and drive you to the airport”
Chapter Forty One
The next morning, Friday, eight days after our first arrival, there was a loud knock on the door at 8:30 AM. When I answered the door I couldn’t believe my eyes. Alex from the Club was standing there, with a serious face and a suitcase in his hand. I couldn’t help but hug him and drag him into the room.
“What are you doing here? It’s so good to see you.” “I heard about your trouble and came running as soon as I could.” “I’m surprised that Robert let you leave.” “Are you kidding, he paid for my ticket down here and said “Don’t come back without Angy.’” “Really? he’s Ok!” “By the way, he gave me twenty five thousand dollars in traveler’s checks in case you need it.” “Wow, Robert is ok. I hope we don’t need that much. Look Alex, do you need time to settle down after the trip?” “No Angy, I’m fine.” “Ok, I’m still a little shell shocked and right now I’m starving. I can’t tell you how glad I am you’re here. Now, drop your bag anywhere and let’s head out to breakfast. While we’re eating I’ll fill you in on everything that has happened. And you can fill me in on Boston.
Alex and I arrived at the coffee shop in the Azure Inn and took a table near a window. Alex ordered ham and eggs, I ordered pancakes then the waitress left us alone. “Tomorrow it will be a week plus two days and I’m still in denial. Hell, I miss Leigh something fierce. We really connected like no other I’ve ever known. I loved everything about her. From the way she brushed her hair, to the way she farted so unselfconsciously.”
“I’m really sorry for your loss, Angy. I didn’t know you were so close.” “To tell the truth, neither did I. We’ve only been together about three or four weeks. This trip is the first concentrated time we’ve had.” “Do you have any idea how we’ll start this investigation?” “Yes, Alex, actually many ideas. We’re going to start with information. We need a ton of different information, like: airline passenger lists, hotel guest lists. We’re going to need lab work and then we’ll be compiling all this information. I’m considering hiring a crew to help us, maybe from a local Jr. College or something.” “This is the middle of the busy season for hotels here in San Juan so I want to look for a local cheap rental space. We don’t need anything fancy just big. I want chalk boards so everyone can see our needs and our progress all the time. I want large folding tables so we can lay out sketches, photos and the dimensions of things so we’re constantly reminded of what we have and what we need.” “OK, When we get back to the room I’ll start making lists of what we need and then look for local rental agents to get us a space first thing.” “Great, first, check with Eastern Airlines. They’re the pre-eminent Airline from Miami to San Juan. I want to make a connection there so we’re informed about who is here now and who is coming, that might have information for us. When you finally get someone that sounds helpful, romance them. I want to make them a friend that will call us with ongoing information and updates to information we already have.”
Back in the room, Alex got right on the phone to Eastern Airlines. In the meanwhile I’m checking the telephone book for numbers of nearby hotels for guest lists. A short while later Alex got off the phone. As he was hanging up, the phone rang in his hand. Apparently Allen and Josie Lonagan, Leigh’s aunt and uncle, are arriving in San Juan in about an hour. They’re on Eastern flight 601 out of Miami this morning.
“Alex, call the front desk and reserve two rooms in my name for now. Tell them for a week and we’ll see how long we need them. I want one ready right away, we’ll use that for the Lonagan’s.” As we were talking the phone rang and it was the local rental agent Alex had called earlier. Alex answered:
“Yes, as we said earlier, we need a space of about a thousand square feet with facilities, we don’t need anything special. It will be a short term rental, one or two months. No, no we don’t need street front or anything special just the space. It would be great if it could be near the Azure Inn, but that is not entirely necessary.” “Ok, we can look at it later today. We will need to call to firm up the appointment.” After Alex hung up, I agreed with him; “Great Alex, that sounds wonderful. I have that rental car, we’ll pick up the Lonagan’s and if need be you can take the car and see the rental space later.” “Sounds fine. Any special instructions for the rental agent?” Alex asked; “No, I don’t think so.”
Alex and I then jumped into the car and drove over to the airport. It was a breeze finding parking but we were a long walk from the Terminal. As we walked I had a nagging thought that I had overlooked something in the room. I almost turned around to race back to the room. I finally convinced myself to finish what I was doing and Alex and I continued on. When we got in the terminal the flight had just landed and we headed to the gate. Since I never met them before I made up a sign with the name Lonagan on it and we waited in the loading gate area for them. A distinguished looking fellow and his beautiful lady approached me, I could see we didn’t need the sign, Leigh’s aunt looked just like her, and said; “We’re the Lonagan’s. I’m Allen and this is my wife, Josie, Leigh’s aunt.” Sometimes in life you can spot a good person a mile away, it was like that now. I could tell both of these people were the salt of the earth. Josie looked just like Leigh, maybe a few years older, but the same thick blond eyebrows and golden yellow hair framing her face. Josie was smartly dressed in a linen suit and matching bag, she looked like she just stepped out of a Vogue Magazine. The look on her face was just as heartbroken as mine, we instantly took to each other. Allen was more business like, but you could see most of his bravado was, him hanging on by his fingernails. The square jaw and close shave spoke of his military service, but the crushed look in his haunted eyes spoke volumes of the family closeness and the gaping void Leigh’s death caused.
I put out my hand to shake and Josie put her arms around me. “My sister is Leigh’s mother and she is devastated.” Josie said. “I'm Angelo Cataldo, Leigh’s boyfriend, please call me Angy, this is my friend Alex Saroyan. I spoke to the side of her head. I’m terribly sorry for your loss. I thought I would come and meet you to see if we could make this easier.” Josie, still hanging on to me said; “Leigh told me in Miami that she loved you and you are the one. I’ve never seen her so happy.” “As she was talking I was falling apart, the tears streamed down my face and I could hardly stand.” At one point Leigh’s aunt was actually holding me up. “Well, since we don’t know anything yet except Leigh is dead I have no idea what our first actions should be.” Leigh’s uncle Allen, trying to be business like, but he was betrayed by the tears streaming down his face as well. We stood there totally silent except for a few sobs now and again. Tears streaking each face in turn, even Alex couldn’t help himself, and he only met Leigh once. The four of us in a group hug, crying our eyes out. I finally spoke up, hoping to break this gloom before it drowned us. “The police are being obtuse about everything right now. They believe I murdered Leigh, I assure you nothing is farther from the truth. I am currently unable to shake their belief. Alex and I are assembling an investigation, I’m licensed in Mass. as a private investigator, and aside from the fact that I have a self interest, I also intend to move heaven and earth to find out what happened. I’m in love with Leigh and would have asked her to marry me by the end of this trip, if not sooner.” Aunt Josie told me; “Our heart felt condolences as well. Leigh is an easy girl to love, she never looked happier than when she visited us in Miami.” Allen added; “We were on our way to rent a car and find a hotel, where are you two staying?” “For convenience we’re staying at the Azure Inn on the beach where it happened. I have reserved a room for you if you want it. I also have a rental car, but if you intend staying for a while you might want to rent your own.” “It sounds like you have everything in hand. Maybe, we will have Hertz drop a car off later in the week, in the mean time we could familiarize ourselves with the hotel layout and area. Have you put together a plan? We would like to help any way we can, right dear?”
“Of course Angelo, Oh, excuse me, Angy, we intend to stay and be as helpful as possible.” “Thank you, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate that.” We walked as we talked and eventually arrived at the Luggage carousels, after picking up their luggage we each took a bag and walked to the car. They packed several suitcases, so they intended to stay for while. The drive to the motel was uneventful, but informative. They informed us of their exact relationship to Leigh, Josie’s sister is Leigh’s mother, and conveyed the family’s deep, shock, concern and sadness. Everyone in the family is poised ready to help with whatever is needed here in San Juan. There are about thirty five people that will fly down and pitch in for whatever we need.
When we got back to the motel, there was a message from the rental agent. He has a place right across the street from the motel that fits the qualifications I specified. First I brought the Lonagan’s to their room in the motel, where they dropped off their suitcases and were ready to leave almost immediately. They were anxious to get started and wanted to see the rental space we’re looking at. I had told them I would be checking something out in the room, while they changed and that’s where I headed. As I entered the room, I felt an almost physical blow as I moved further into the room. The sadness overtook me for a moment and I couldn’t move. I’ve got to fight through this. I can’t keep falling apart every move I make. I suddenly remembered what crossed my mind in the airport. Simple first grade investigative technique. I must recreate the crime in order to understand and possibly see new evidence. I, realized I could use help here and called our room and got Alex on the phone. Alex, I need your help in the Room. Two minutes later Alex knocked on the door. I answered the door and said; “Alex, I want to recreate the crime and I need you to watch and get ideas, maybe.” “Sure, Angy, whatever you want” Our watch dog policeman, stayed out of the way and watched and listened. I steeled myself to not think at all and then ran through in my head what the killer must have done. Forcing myself into thinking of it as an intellectual exercise. What kind of hate must he have felt to end the life of someone so beautiful and wonderful as Leigh. With tears streaming down my face and the darkest anger of my life filling my heart, I started moving my arms up and down in front of me as if I had something in my hands that needed to be held with both hands. I dropped to my knees next to the bed and could hear someone yelling at the top of his lungs as my body moved with the striking motions I was making. I never realized it was me screaming as my body suddenly stopped moving. The room was totally quiet as I got up off my knees and headed across the room, looking in a straight line from the side of the bed where the killer must have stood. Even the police officer who was my chaperone protecting evidence, followed me across the room. Alex, trailed behind with the camera at the ready. There was a night table right against the bed and then about three feet of empty space from the night table to the wall. I could see paint chipped out of the wall in a very small spot about eighteen inches from the floor. Near the chip is a tiny round red stain. I never got closer than five feet to this new evidence. I turned to the police officer and asked him to keep his eye on me and call in to have forensic people come with cameras and check out this new evidence. Now, with the police officer watching me closely I moved closer with the camera and got pictures of the dent and stain on the wall, which were right next to each other, then a stain on the rug directly below the wall stain. Next I got down on the floor and looked under the night table I could see a shiny object deep under the night table. By laying the camera on its side, with the flash on the rug, I took about five pictures of whatever it was under the night table. Next I backed up and got good pictures of where the table is exactly. Once the police forensic people arrived I made an agreement with them to have the table lifted directly up so that it doesn’t disturb the shiny object so we can photograph it from directly above. We found an interesting silver ring as the shiny object. The ring had a simple, yet unique design on it which resembled an Indian rug pattern. The first dent in the wall and the stain both on the wall and below the dent were difficult to understand. The dent was like something poked into the wall at that point and below the dent about six inches was the stain, a very thin red line. Now, directly below this on the rug was a strange and faint staining about three inches long and kind of pointy at one end. I must have taken about ten pictures of this stain and the wall dent.
While I did the recreation I got the idea that if the killer really got frenzied as he was stabling Leigh he might have gotten blood on the knife and his hands, which would make his hands slippery and maybe the knife slipped out of his hands and flew across the room. The dent in the wall could be the “hand guard” between the blade and the grip striking the wall first. The thin line a splash of blood from the blade as it hit the wall next and the blood on the floor as the final landing of the knife in this experiment. The ring could have been on his hand and flew off around the same time as the knife left his hand.
As Alex and I were walking through this reenactment, Leigh’s aunt and uncle arrived knocking on the door. Alex let them in and I could hear Josie crying quietly as she and Allen moved across the room. Almost immediately more Forensic people from the police arrived and I walked through what we had found with them. Explaining how, during the recreation of the crime I found this new evidence. They took more pictures and did measurements from the point where the killer must have stood, to the wall and every possible measurement from there. Together with the first two investigators that had arrived earlier, they asked us to leave while they worked. I couldn’t believe we actually found something even though, at this moment I couldn’t tell what we had really found. When we got back to our room, I made a drawing from memory of the design on the ring and put it in a file that would become our Clue File. Chapter Forty Two
I drove the four of us, Alex, Allen, Josie and I across the street to the address the rental agent gave me and found him waiting for us. It was not a long distance but, I didn’t want us walking that first time. The place was a former real estate school that went out of business so it had some chalk boards a table and several phones, in addition to a lot of scattered papers and magazines on the floors. Telephone outlets all around the room, a full men’s room and ladies room and a good working air conditioner. “Hi, I’m Juan Hernandez. I‘m your rental agent.” Mr. Hernandez said as he led us into the rental space. Juan is a handsome energetic Puerto Rican, who has all the answers about real estate rental in San Juan and is incredibly helpful to us. “This was the Gutierrez Real Estate School for many years, until they went out of business last fall.” “It looks perfect, how much do they want for rental?” “By the way, I am Angelo Cataldo, a private investigator from Boston.” “A pleasure to meet you Mr. Cataldo. The owners want $200.00 dollars a month since it is a short term rental.” “Mr. Hernandez, I’d like to give you a check and start the rental as soon as possible.” “That would be fine.”
“I’m sorry folks, I got carried away, and this space looks perfect for what we need. What do you think?” “I think we all agree with you, it is perfect and right across the street from the Motel.” Answered Allen. “Great, Mr. Hernandez. How do I make out the check?”
After collecting the keys we all looked around a bit more and then decided to head back to the rooms. There were a few things we needed, like a file cabinet and some chairs and a stock of chalk I asked the motel clerk about the things we needed and he offered us all but the chalk, as a loan from the motel which we gladly accepted. He also told me he could call the telephone company tomorrow and get the phones turned on as extensions from the motel. The motel would make a special rate under the circumstances. Everything was coming together nicely. Within thirty six hours we had a functioning office. The first night Allen and Josie were there I suggested we go to dinner, unless they were tired, and they said dinner would be good. We set a time and met them in the motel dinning room. “Allen, Josie you look wonderful.” “Well, thank you Angelo, you and Alex look good yourselves.”
Allen asked; “Alex, Angy said you were a friend from Boston, were you down here with Leigh and Angy?” “No actually, when I heard what happened, the owner of the Club and I decided I was needed here.” “That was very good of him, he must think the world of Angy?” Alex answered; “Absolutely, he would have come down himself if he could.” We sat and after studying the menus for a few moments the waiter took our orders. As soon as the waiter left Allen asked: “Angy, earlier you said you wanted to collect information, for an investigation. Have you started anything besides what we saw in the Room?” “Yes, we have. I was telling Alex earlier we need the; blood reports from both Leigh and I. Mine was taken last Saturday by the paramedics, hours after the murder and I’m sure one has been taken from Leigh by the M.E. Next we need copies of all official reports made about this incident, both police and medical. We need passenger lists to compare with names we know and with other passenger lists to see who is here or was here during the crucial time frame. My first day out of jail, I took pictures of everything from the room to the beach front and pretty much every inch of the motel property. Alex and I have interviewed everyone here during the time and Alex called the few that left before we could interview them, at their homes. We have offers from the Gas Light Club in Boston, who are ready to send people down to help if we need them. The Massachusetts Congressional Security Office in the State House in Boston, has offered us manpower if we need them, also, they have contacted the local police and the San Juan Mayor to let them know of the State of Massachusetts interest and concern in this case. I am a member of the House of Representatives Security force in Boston, which explains the official interest.”
“Very Impressive. It sounds like you have it under control.” “Well, at this point that remains to be seen. To me, it looks as though we have our work cut out for us.” “Angy, if you don’t object, tomorrow I’ll approach the police and the paramedics for copies of all reports they have.” As a member of the Massachusetts and Florida bar, I am also entitled to some courtesies from the local officials.” “That would be great. I intended to get the processed photos first thing in the morning, by now they should be ready. It’s my idea that if we put everything we find out on tables or up on the chalk boards, we will all see it constantly and maybe ideas will flow from the constant exposure to everything.” “I like your idea. Are you really concerned that the police will accuse you and maybe re-arrest you later on?” “Actually, the local police would like it very much, it would make this case easy to wrap up for them, but, in my opinion no, there are several things that point away from me. The first is the weapon, which is still missing. I didn’t have time or the actual physical ability to hide the weapon and later be found the way I was, and if I did not hide the weapon, that shouts the probability of another person somewhere. Also, the blood test taken at the motel room hours after the murder will show I had a large dose of sleeping medicine in my system. If I’m right a good doctor and chemist together could swear that at the precise time of Leigh’s death I could not have committed the crime. I would have been unconscious from the sleeping pills. How ironic, Leigh and I were making a hasty departure from San Juan because I was very sick from an intense sun burn on my back. When we got to the airport the police arrested me for “Indecent Exposure” which is a law at the airport and after much hassle they freed us but would not let us fly that night. They’re petty embarrassment over my lawyer’s besting them, prompted their throwing Leigh and I out of the airport that night. ” “Had they let us leave, Leigh would still be alive!” “There are inconsistencies and oddities in this case. “The worst of which is I don’t understand the killer taking the knife. It seems to me it would have been smarter to leave it to be found with Leigh.” “Well that of course is a major point. All along I have questioned why the killer spared me and killed Leigh. It doesn’t seem logical, but we don’t know his real agenda. There was no robbery, he did nothing to me at all. The police said the entire room was wiped down. No fingerprints were found, not even Leigh’s or mine. We, Leigh and I moved about the room the night before she died normally, which would have left fingerprints. These are some of the questions we need answers to.”
“For the first time since I heard of Leigh’s death, I don’t feel as hopeless as I did. We, Josie and I will miss Leigh for the rest of our lives, she was like a daughter to us. I never saw Leigh without a smile on her face. Leigh loved life, and Leigh didn’t give her love easily or to just anyone. You, Angy must be an extraordinary person for Leigh to have loved you. When she called to tell us she wanted to stop by for a few days she told us of this incredible person she was so captivated by.” She told Josie,” “This is the one I can tell” Josie, with tears in her eyes said; ‘“Leigh said; “Aunt Josie, Angy is the one I’ve been looking for. I intend to spend my life with him.”’ “We spoke about us, Leigh and I, and we decided that as soon as we got back I would ask her father for her hand in marriage. If I could wait that long.” “Now, it is the time to find the bastard that ended all that for me.”
“We’re ready to help Angy.” “First thing I’m going to do is get Hertz to send a rental for Josie and I, then we will get the official reports.”
Chapter Forty Three
Alex has tried every trick known to man to get copies of the passenger lists from the airlines. The only one to give us any help has been Eastern Air Lines, which has the most flights we’re looking for. We’re still waiting for North West Airlines, People’s Airlines and United. They’re insisting we have no right to the information. I think we might need to sue them to get the lists. Now we’re beginning to compile the information. During my call to Edward Brakeman this morning, he told me he was able to speak to a friend of his about our information needs and the friend, no names mentioned, will see that we get all the passenger lists we need right away. People from the NTSB will call us.
Edward Brakeman’s call to the NTSB really got results. We have the passenger lists in hand from all the flights from Boston to Miami for the time Leigh and I were there. The lists were hand delivered from the airlines an hour after Edward’s call. We actually got the lists from the day before our arrival and the day after our planned departure. This will probably be the most time consuming aspect of the investigation. Alex, Josie and Allen have volunteered to go through these lists. The only way to do it, that we can figure, is each take a list and while one reads off the name of a passenger, the others will check their list for that name. When that list is finished the others, in turn will do the same until all the list have been scoured through.
The third day we still are struggling through the lists when Bobby called from Boston. When I told him what we were doing he suggested we send the lists to him. He has people who do this type of thing all the time. It may not be much faster, but, will free up our people locally for other things. The lists were faxed up to Boston within the hour. Alex picked up the results from my blood test this morning; I didn’t realize I would need a doctor to interpret the results. We’re looking for local volunteers with these technical interpretations.
There are ten tables in the rented space that we’re using to lay things out on. It took me several days to choose the order of laying out the pictures. At first I put them down as they came out of the envelope, but as time went by, I reordered them until they show a sort of time line. So far that’s all I’m seeing, and it’s not much help. The pictures are not jogging ideas out of us as I’d hoped. None of us can get over the intense sadness they produce every time we look at them. The first few days I found myself looking straight ahead as I entered the room, avoiding looking around. But, now, a week later, I have seen them so many times I now find myself stopping and staring at one or the other of the pictures until whatever caught my eye is clarified. I’ve taken the sketches we made and added a probable amount of time it took to traverse the distances listed.
All this division of each fact, breaking them down to components, will eventually lead to something important jumping out at me, I hope. But, by the third week we aren’t any further along than the first day it seems, we just have a larger pile of information. We found that the missing murder weapon is an anomaly. The attack looks emotional, but the order of stab wounds now tells us the killer stood over Leigh and first stabbed her in the heart with a decisive blow, forcing the knife down to the hilt. Then, the second and subsequent stab wounds were all more tentative. As if the murderer, knowing she was dead in the first blow, wasn’t sure if he or she wanted to stab her again and again. What first appeared as an emotional frenzy, now looks staged. The murderer wants us to believe: This fictitious killer he’s created struck, with great anger, and loss of control, ending up killing Leigh. Stabbing her in the heart and then continuing to stab her until his frenzy ran out. Then, he takes the murder weapon away somewhere else and disposes of it. All the while cleaning up behind himself every step. Taking the time, in the middle of all this frenzy, to reset the room so it looks unoccupied, and then lying next to the victim and calmly falling asleep. Since it’s me he is setting up for this. This scenario just doesn’t make sense.
If my guess is correct, the killer made sure to press my fingers to the knife, clinching my guilt. Of course this scenario doesn’t make any more sense when you add in the missing knife.
“Alex, the first chance you get I want very close pictures of the entry wounds maybe we can figure out what type of knife was used. I think the coroner might have already done the close ups.”
When Alex got back this afternoon after picking up the pictures, he also brought a copy of the Autopsy Report. The official Autopsy Report has an odd item in it. They are now saying that after microscopic examination of the entry woods on the body they discovered each stab wound was done twice or more times. It seems someone went over each stab wound and made a second stab wound slightly off from the first. On first examination the stab wounds looked as though they were made by a very strangely shaped knife. However, on closer examination it has been determined that each apparent stab wound is actually two stab wounds. The second slightly off from the trajectory of the first. It appears as though someone tried to obscure the appearance of the entry wounds. Because of this, it is impossible to tell the exact shape of the murder weapon.
Allen has been reading the Miami Herald and this morning he found an article I might be interested in:
January 20, Miami: Apparently a body was found just off the Florida Turnpike in Homestead yesterday. The bullet riddled body is that of Morton Saliva a minor criminal from the Miami area who has several convictions for break-ins and minor robberies in the Miami area. On the body the police found a very expensive antique Presentation Knife that had been reported stolen from the home of a Massachusetts Representative from Granlargo Mass. Mr. Edward de Roche, who is currently under indictment for criminal assault, conspiracy and malfeasance in office while a member of the House of Representatives. The knife is a jewel encrusted ancient dagger with an unusual blade configuration. The Dagger is reportedly worth approximately $40,000.00 or more. It is unknown if the thief was the one that originally stole the dagger from Granlargo Mass. Or if someone else committed that crime and the dead Miami man sub-sequentially stole the dagger from him.
That certainly is an interesting article. I wonder if there is any connection to us. That would be ironic. I called Bobby in Boston to let him know our progress and mentioned the Miami Herald article.
Later in the day Bobby called me because after reading the article in the Miami Herald about the dagger thief he also wondered as I did, if there is any connection. However, Bobby, acted on his suspicion and called the Miami detectives and asked if the Dagger was pristine or was there anything on it. They told him there was fresh blood on the blade. Bobby told them about our situation and they promised to contact all of us when they have more information.
My Lawyer called me while we were speculating. “Angy, the local police are dropping all charges and suspicions against you. They got the copies of the blood reports from the paramedics and realize you couldn’t have done it. Also, the missing murder weapon was always a problem for them. Lucky for us those reasons got them looking elsewhere.” “Thanks Daniel. Have you heard about the dagger the Miami Police recovered yesterday?” “No, Angy, is it the Murder weapon?” “They’re checking it as we speak and will let us know.” “Where did they find it?” “This morning’s Miami Herald has the story of a small time hood’s dead body being discovered and the knife was in a sheath on his belt. Apparently, the knife is a stolen Antique Dagger from Massachusetts. “Some coincidences here. There is a definite Boston Connection.” “I’ll say, one of the guys I put away in the Quamac Reservoir thing, a Mr. de Roche, was the victim of the earlier robbery. His house was robbed and this unique dagger was the most expensive item stolen. It was just found in Miami.” “I want to get a list of people around this mister de Roche and see if there is any connection or maybe a connection to this petty crook in Miami that just got murdered.” “Daniel, do you want to inform the local police of this possible connection. I intend to call a friend in Boston and get him looking into it as well.” “Yes, Angy, I would like to do that. It’ll make us look good to them. I’ll call you later.” “Ok” I dialed Bobby’s number, but, at this time of day I’ll need to leave a message. When the phone answered it was an answering service for Captain Robert Long; “Hi, Bobby, Just wanted to let you know about developments here. I’ve asked Miami for impressions from the Dagger’s blade to compare with Leigh’s wounds.” “When you get in give me a call. Thanks Bobby, Angy calling.”
“They’ll be ready tomorrow!” They needed time to have their lab process them and make the 8x10 prints.” “Ok, now I’m in rush for the blood tests of the knife in Miami.” “Have we checked the name of this Miami dead criminal against the passenger lists, in and out of San Juan?” “Yes, Angy after I read the article this morning. His name was Morton Saliva and no one by that name flew according to these lists.” “Well, it seemed logical. That knife’s origin is one hell of a coincidence.”
“For the moment I think this is enough. Allen, Alex and I would like to take you and Josie out to dinner tonight? We found this seafood place not far off that really has good food.” “I think that sounds great Angy.”
Chapter Forty Four
The phone lines have been buzzing this morning. Bobby called from Boston to let me know there is no obvious connection they can find between Granlargo and San Juan. Also; “If the guy in Miami did the job in San Juan he traveled under a different name, and that’s not out of the question. We’re still checking into the Granlargo connection and have not found anything yet. Is there anything new in San Juan? Things are moving pretty fast all of a sudden.”
The Miami police sent us pictures of the Dagger’s blade and some impressions made by the blade. When we compared them to the photos of Leigh’s wounds they matched almost perfectly. However, since the killer double struck every stab wound he made it’s impossible to prove in court that this is the exact weapon. We can match one side of the blade from part of a wound and the other part of the blade from a different part of the stab wound but, the entire wound is distinctly different because of the double penetration of the blade. One last thing, the blood on the knife is the same type as Leigh’s blood. They’re going to do further tests, there is a new test they say that will identify blood to a single person, but it takes several weeks to do. At this point it looks as though this guy from Miami murdered Leigh, but, we can’t figure out why.
I started listing off the facts in the case to everyone in the room. Actually, everyone in the room knew the facts as well as I did but, I needed to hear them out loud myself; “I have been eliminated as the killer because of the missing weapon and the sleeping pills” “The weapon found on the dead, Morton Saliva, in Miami is definitely the murder weapon” “The killer took the weapon because it was a very well known weapon and is identifiable and extremely valuable.” “There is no definite proof, this Saliva guy is the actual murderer.” “Why did the murderer wait until San Juan to kill, he could have done it in Miami?” “Still no reason why Leigh was killed and not me” The only thing that makes any sense is the killer decided that killing Leigh would cause me more pain if I’m alive. I can’t imagine Leigh was his original target. If, my pain is his reward, then something I’ve done or am doing has set this all in motion. If it was the Club, why wait until I’m not there? I would suspect Granlargo and my recent involvement with them if there was any real connection to them. The dagger is a coincidental connection at best. With nothing more I’m having a problem making all the connections. Marilyn arrived yesterday and insisted that the danger is over. I couldn’t convince her that as long as we don’t know why anything happened it could happen again. Edward called and apologized for not being able to stop her from coming down. He said she has a mind of her own and sometimes she’ll do what she wants no matter what. After going over the evidence again and again, even with Marilyn’s new eyes we couldn’t find anything or make any new connections out of old data.
I told Alex, we need to make sure Marilyn is never alone while we’re here in San Juan.
The blood evidence from the knife blade finally came back as definitely Leigh’s blood. This had been expected for a while. We knew it matched almost perfectly three weeks ago, it seemed a foregone conclusion.
Point one is the blood match to Leigh, the murder weapon has been found. One more point, since the murder weapon is from Granlargo, maybe there are more connections we don’t see yet. I still can’t figure the ring I found, there was definitely blood on it but not enough to test. The only thing we have from the ring is the odd design. I know I’ve seen it before but, still can’t remember where. No one else here can place the design.
Did Morton Saliva kill Leigh or did Saliva’s murderer kill Leigh and then plant the knife on Saliva? The lists from the airlines actually told us nothing. We could not find a single match, outside of those already in our sights. There is no explanation how Mr. Saliva got himself to San Juan and back to Miami without leaving a trail.
We’ve been in San Juan five weeks now and we’re at the end of what we can do. The police have released Leigh’s body to a local funeral home for preparation to ship her body to Boston. By law a body must be shipped from a funeral home to a funeral home at its destination. So, Allen and Josie are coordinating all these plans. Alex and I are also packing everything up. There is no longer any reason for us to stay in San Juan. Every bit of information we’ve collected, is packed up in the boxes we’re shipping back and nothing new is expected. We’ve made a few friends here in the lawyer, and police. They have agreed to contact us if anything new is found.
Marilyn and I have gone over everything several times without finding anything new. Allen and Josie have finished packing Leigh’s clothes from the room to ship to Boston. With everything in San Juan packed up we flew back to Boston. As her family, Allen and Josie have arranged for Leigh’s body to be transferred to Boston on the same flight we are on. It was not the home coming I had hoped for. First walking with Leigh’s body across the tarmac from the plane, I elected myself for this task as her Honor Guard. I can’t help remembering a similar scene on television just a few years ago as our President; John F. Kennedy was similarly honored by U.S. Marines. As much as I loved John F. Kennedy, this hurts so much more. Next I will be riding with the hearse from the airport to the mortuary in Jamaica Plane, Massachusetts. Riding along with Leigh one last time, I feel the deepest sadness and despair of my life.
When my parents died, each in their turn, I was sad but, in their seventies and eighties, I counted myself lucky to have had them that long. The death of a parent at that age, no matter how unwanted, is somehow inevitable it is considered; the natural order of things. The death of a loved one in the prime of life is profoundly more shattering. Because of the loss of; what might have been? I loved Leigh, she was my first true love, and I will never forget her loss. In the last moments of our relationship we had connected in a way humans are supposed to connect, but rarely do. The morning Leigh woke me on the lounger near the pool I could see, in her eyes, the pain I felt in my body. At that moment our relationship had moved to a new level, it was complete.
As friends and relatives came to the funeral home to pay their respects her parents insisted I sit with them as a respected member of their family. Now, meeting Leigh’s mother and father for the first time it is easy to see why she was so wonderful. They, to a soul, are truly “The salt of the earth.” We, her loved ones, endured the assault a modern wake becomes; when all we wanted to do was crawl in the coffin and keep her safe from the inevitable. Two days later we buried Leigh. As her coffin was lowered into the ground for the last time I found my heart empty of all feeling, as if feeling itself, had become the enemy, instead of death.
Chapter Forty Five
After the FBI arrested de Roche and Spaulding, I got a call at the Club from Edward Brakeman;
“Hi Angy, That was a beautiful funeral, we will greatly miss Leigh. Aren’t her parents wonderful? We always got along famously with them. My heart breaks for their loss. I would be totally heartsick in their place.
“I wanted to let you know the District Attorney of Hampshire County, Mr. Erwin Bleaker, will be contacting you for any information you can give him regarding the two ringleaders of the Quamac affair.” I asked Edward. “Has he decided how he’s going to prosecute them? Are they putting them all together and try them or are they separating them into more than one trial?”
“It seems that the decision has been made to try the three flunkies first, the ringleaders have given depositions about what each of the three were ordered to do and who ordered them to do it. At first we all thought there would be no trial, because each one talked about the others. Now, apparently the state will only accept the plea agreements for Spaulding and de Roche if the three actual attackers get serious time. Apparently de Roche and Spaulding hatched the plan to attack Marilyn and discredit her. They thought the car, the apartment and the midterm exams would be enough to get her kicked out of school. The plan was to get close to her and get her hooked on drugs. Don’t ask me how they thought they could make that enormous leap. Marilyn is not the type to fall apart and certainly not the type to escape to drugs. Knowing she’s not guilty Marilyn would never give up. She would fight until everyone else gave up. Well, anyway, once their little plan didn’t work the three idiots came up with the plan to attack another student and pin it on Marilyn thinking that would get her sent to jail.”
“These guys didn’t think their plan through. If she went to jail how would they get her out after you gave in and passed their Bill?”
“You won’t believe this. They intended to take 8 mm movies of one of the three stooges doing the assault and after I gave in and did what they wanted, they would give the police the 8 mm movies. Of course the three stooges didn’t think it through; one of them would then have to go to jail. They thought they could disguise the actual criminal enough so the police would not recognize him, except to see that it is in fact a man.” “This sounds like a comedy of errors. Every time they made a plan that didn’t work they escalated, rather than back up and rethink.”
“I think your right. They never realized their plans couldn’t work. They ended up attacking Ms Traynor and didn’t take the movies they needed to make the plan work. They did leave the tissue they found in Marilyn’s waste basket. But they left it on the floor of the Traynor apartment after the attack. They left it in the middle of the floor, obviously planted. When you look at the crime scene photos, the tissue, is a beacon in the middle of the floor.” “We’re lucky they’re as stupid as they are. They left a trail a mile wide to follow once we realized we were on a trail.” “Next Monday, the trial starts in Granlargo. Mr. Bleaker would like to have you out there the first week. If anything comes up, he wants to have your input before it gets out of hand.” “Ok, I’ll be there. Have you given him my phone number at the club in case he wants to talk before next Monday?” “Yes, but he felt he had enough to go ahead. He just doesn’t want any surprises.” “I agree with that. Ok, have a great day and when you see Marilyn give her a big hug and kiss from me.” “You’ll see her first she’s on her way to meet you today.”
“Oh yes, that’s right, boy if she knew I forgot she’d shoot me.”
Granlargo, Mass. I’m sitting in the courtroom waiting for the trial to start. I’ve spoken to Mr. Bleaker and after our conversation, he seems very confident.
The defendants are: Mr. Calvin Coleridge, Mr. Roderick Spinks and Mr. Frederick Edwards. Spaulding and de Roche are two of the many witnesses against them.
The Clerk of courts does the “Hear Ye Hear Ye” and introduces the Judge. Judge Harriet Stowe presiding. And the trial begins.
The judge asks Mr. Bleaker “Mr. Bleaker, your first witness please?” “I call Ms. Judy Traynor, your Honor” Ms Judy Traynor walked from the gallery to the witness stand. She is sworn in and sits down. “Ms. Traynor, will please tell us your name and what connection you have to this case?”
“My name is Judy Traynor I am a student at Barron College at Bathurst and live at the Munson Hall dormitory on campus. I was attacked in my Dorm room last September 30.” “Miss Traynor, Can you give us an account of what happened to you on the night of September 30, last year at or around the time of 3:00 AM? While you were sleeping in your dorm at Munson Hall, Barron College. Campus Bathurst Mass. If anything.” “I am unable to tell you anything first hand, as I was unconscious for eight days starting from that time and date. I later learned what happened.” “I apologize Ms. Traynor, please recount what you later learned and who told you, and its consequences to you.” “The Campus Police told me, I was rendered unconscious from an attack while I slept. Whoever did it beat me about the upper body, chest and back, and finally crushing my skull. I was in a coma for eight days and nights. While I was unconscious the attackers, taped me up with “Duct Tape” and left me in my closet to die. Then, whoever did it proceeded to search my room and belongings breaking anything they could and leaving everything else scattered about the room.” “What did the doctors tell you about the attack and your physical injuries?” Before the witness could answer the defendants attorney objected. “I object your honor!” “Grounds?” Questioned the Judge.
“Hear say, your honor” Answered the defendant’s attorney.
“Sustained” Answered the Judge. “Ms Traynor, were you told the extent of your injuries and their severity?” “I had a severe concussion and lacerations about the head and torso. I had abrasions and contusions all over my back and chest area. The head trauma was severe enough to require, ongoing, operations even now a year later. My medical complications and operations could go on for years. I don’t have any idea when they will end.” “Do you know or recognize, any of the defendants in this case?” “No, I do not.” “Do you know Mr. Edward Brakeman, Congressman of the House of Representatives for the State of Massachusetts, or his daughter Ms Marilyn Brakeman?” “No, I do not. I have heard that Ms Brakeman is at school as a student, but, I have never met her.” “Have you ever heard of the “Quamac Reservoir Land Acquisition and Appropriations Bill”?”
“No, I have not.” “Thank You Ms. Traynor. I am finished your Honor.” The Judge asks the defendant’s attorney;
Mr. Webster, do you have any questions for the witness?” “No, your Honor.” The judge says to Ms. Traynor. “Ms Traynor you may step down.”
The Judge asks Mr. Bleaker “Mr. Bleaker, your next witness please?” “I call Ms. Beatrice Plant, your Honor” Ms Plant walked to the witness box. She is sworn in and sits down. “Ms. Plant will you tell us who you are and what your connection is to this case?” “My name is Beatrice Plant, I am a student at Barron College Bathurst. I live at the Munson Hall Dormitory and am Judy Traynor’s roommate. After the attack on Ms. Traynor, I found her in our closet.” “Were you at home in your dorm room on the night of September 30, around 3:00 Am, of last year?” “No, I was not. I arrived there on the morning of the 30th about 6:30 AM: after a visit home for the day.” “Did you see Ms. Traynor when you arrived?” “I did not, not at first. But, I did see how messed up the apartment was.” “When did you first see Ms. Traynor?” “About fifteen minutes after I arrived, I first heard a moan coming from the closet and went to see what it was. When I opened the closet door I found Ms. Traynor all curled up on the floor.” “What did you observe of Ms Traynor’s condition.” “Ms. Traynor was covered in blood, there was blood all over her head and chest. She was not moving, but, every few minutes she would moan very softly.” “What did you do then?” “I immediately called the campus security, then I called her father.” “You called her father, why did you do that, do you know Mr. Traynor?” “Not really, but, on one of his many visits he gave me his business card and told me to call him if anything happened, or if there was ever a problem.” “Is Ms. Traynor in the habit of getting into trouble?”
“No Sir. He told me as a concerned parent he wanted to stay close to his daughter and would appreciate my help very much. When he told me that I decided that was wonderful of her father and that I would keep his card close at hand. I never expected to use it.” “Did you ever need to call him before that time?” “No sir. Judy is a terrific person, she’s never in any trouble. She is a conscientious student.” “Have you ever heard of the “Quamac Reservoir Land Acquisition and Appropriations Bill”?” “No, I have not.” “Thank You Ms. Plant.” “I have no more questions of this witness Your Honor.”
The Judge asks the defendant’s attorney; Mr. Webster, do you have any questions for the witness?” “No, your Honor.” The Judge says; “You may step down Miss Plant.”
The judge asks Mr. Bleaker “Mr. Bleaker, your next witness please?” “I call Ms. Fanny Brice, your Honor” Ms Brice walked to the witness box. Ms Brice is sworn in and sits down. “Ms. Brice tell us who you are and what your connection with this case is?” “I am the house mother of Ms. Traynor’s Dormitory, Munson Hall. Ms. Plant called me after calling Mr. Traynor.” “What, if anything did you do after you received the call from Ms. Plant?” “I called campus security and the campus police as soon as I got off the phone. I then went upstairs to Ms. Plant and Ms Traynor’s apartment.” “What did you see as you entered Ms. Plant’s apartment?” “I first saw the mess the apartment was in and as I moved further into the room I saw Ms Traynor laying on the closet floor, covered in blood and Ms Plant walking back and forth in the main room waiting.” “What did you do next?” “I checked Ms. Traynor closely to see if there was anything I could do to help her. I have had extensive First Aid training, however, I determined that Ms. Traynor’s injuries were way beyond my first aid abilities. I then made sure that all necessary calls had been made, that Miss Traynor could breathe easily and waited with Ms. Plant for the ambulance, which arrived momentarily.” “Have you ever seen any of the defendants in this case? Do you personally know any of the defendants in this case?” “No I have never seen any of them before and I do not know any of them.” “Thank you Ms Brice, I have no further questions.” The Judge asks the defendant’s attorney; Mr. Webster, do you have any questions for the witness?” “No, your Honor.”
Judge Stowe asks Mr. Bleaker the prosecutor; Mr. Bleaker your next witness; “I call Mr. Albert Swan your Honor.” Mr. Swan walked to the witness stand. He is sworn in and sits down. “Mr. Swan, please tell the court your name and your connection to this case?” “My name is Albert Swan, I am a Para Medic for the county of Hampshire Mass. I am one of the two Para Medics who responded to a call on the night of September 30, last year at Munson Hall Dormitory at Barron College Bathurst. The Traynor, Plant apartment.” “When you arrived at Ms Traynor’s apartment in Munson Hall what did you see?” “I saw Ms Traynor lying on the floor of her closet in a fetal position. Her head and torso were splattered with blood.” “What did you do next?” “I began first aid, by checking her injuries, while my partner, Bert Palto, went for a gurney.” “Were you able to discern Ms. Traynor’s injuries?” “I was able to see “blunt force trauma to her skull, and lacerations to her chest. When I turned her over I could see abrasions and contusions on her back. None of the abrasions and contusions were still bleeding. However the blunt force trauma laceration was still bleeding and I stopped the bleeding. I put a stabilizing collar on her neck and at that moment Bert, my partner, arrived with the gurney. Together we first cut any constraining pieces of duct tape out of the way, then got Ms. Traynor on the gurney and wheeled her down to the bus. I notified emergency that we had her stable and gave them her vitals while Bert drove us in.” “Thank you Mr. Swan no more questions.”
The Judge asks the defendant’s attorney; Mr. Webster, do you have any questions for the witness?”
“No, your Honor.”
The judge says: “You may step down Mr. Swan.”
Judge Stowe asks Mr. Bleaker; “Your next witness Mr. Bleaker?” “Your Honor I call Mr. Bertram Plato.” Mr. Palto walked to the stand. He is sworn in and sits down. “Mr. Palto will you tell us your name and your connection to this case please?” “My name is Bertram Palto, I am a Para Medic for the county of Hampshire Mass. I am one of the two Para Medics who responded to a call on the night of September 30, last year at Munson Hall Dormitory at Barron College Bathurst.” “When you arrived at Ms Traynor’s apartment in Munson Hall what did you see?” “I saw the apartment in total disarray and as I moved further into the apartment, I saw Ms Traynor lying on the floor of her closet in a fetal position. With my partner Al attending to her wounds.” “What did you do next?” “I went for a gurney.” “What did you then do?” “My partner Al and I put Ms. Traynor on the gurney and wheeled her down to the bus. When we arrived at the bus, Al and I put Ms. Traynor in and Al, radioed in. I drove us to the hospital Emergency room.” “Thank you Mr. Palto no more questions.”
The judge asks; “Mr. Webster, do you have any questions for the witness?” “No, your Honor.” The Judge says; “Mr. Palto you may step down.”
The judge asks Mr. Bleaker “Mr. Bleaker, your next witness please?”
“I call Ms. Ellen Ready, your Honor” Ms. Ready walked to the witness box. She is sworn in and sits down. “Ms. Ready on September 30, last year were you working in the emergency room at the Parkland hospital in Bathurst Mass.?” “Yes I was.” “Did you admit Ms. Traynor as an emergency room patient that evening?” “Yes I did.” “What was her condition? Was she treated?” “She was unconscious and had multiple trauma, bruises and abrasions. The attending physician treated her head trauma and I treated her chest and back wounds. We then sent her down to x ray for further tests. After x ray she was admitted to Intensive care for around the clock observation where she remained for the next eight days.” “Was Ms Traynor released from the hospital at that time?” “No, she remained in the hospital for twenty one days after that for observation of her head trauma and to convalesce. We, routinely keep head trauma patients longer. Undiscovered long term problems can exist and could be catastrophic without immediate medical attention. “Thank you Ms. Ready, I have no more questions.” The judge asks;
“Mr. Webster, do you have any questions for the witness?” “No, your Honor.”
The Judge says; “Ms. Ready, you may step down.”
The judge asks Mr. Bleaker “Mr. Bleaker, your next witness please?” “I call Officer Mark Hamilton, your Honor” “Officer Hamilton, will you tell us your name and your connection with this case?” “I am officer Mark Hamilton of the Barron College. Bathurst police force. I was a responding office on September 30 last year at the Munson Hall dormitory of Ms. Traynor. We conducted an investigation into the attack Ms Traynor sustained.”
“Did you go to the scene on the night of the attack?” “I did.” “What, if anything did you discover?” “The apartment was completely disheveled. There was blood on the carpet in the main room and a patch of blood on the floor in the closet. In the apartment we found a single tissue on the floor in the middle of the disarray. There were several partial fingerprints of a Roderick Spinks in several locations around the room. After speaking to neighbors, we got the license number of a car registered to a Mr. Calvin Coleridge, which had been parked around the corner from the scene, on Waverly Avenue. A witness saw one man sitting in the car for about thirty minutes and then two other men joined him and the three of them drove off. We were not able to identify them at that time.” “Did you subsequently learn the identity of the three men?” “Once we arrested Mr. Coleridge, he confessed that he was waiting for Mr. Spinks and Mr. Edwards to return from Ms. Traynor’s apartment.” Mr. David Webster jumped up and Objected. “Hear say” “facts not in evidence” “Sustained” The judge ruled. “Your Honor, I have Mr. Coleridge as my next witness.” “Then have him testify to these facts, not this witness.” “Yes, your Honor. I have no more questions of this witness.”
The Judge asks the defendant’s attorney; Mr. Webster, do you have any questions for the witness?”
“No, your Honor.”
The judge says: “You may step down Officer Hamilton.”
Judge Stowe asks Mr. Bleaker;
“Your next witness Mr. Bleaker?”
“Your Honor I call Mr. Calvin Coleridge.”
Mr. Coleridge walked to the stand. He is sworn in and sits down. “Mr. Coleridge will you tell us your name and your connection to this case please?” “My name is Calvin Coleridge and I am one of the three men who attacked Ms. Traynor.” “You say, you’re one of the three men who attacked Ms. Traynor, but you were not in the apartment during the attack, is that correct?” “That’s right I stayed in my car and waited for Spinks and Edwards.” “Could you tell us Mr. Coleridge, exactly how this attack came about, who planned it, agreed to it and helped plan it?” “We was hired to get Ms Brakeman in trouble with the school and when that didn’t work we needed to go something more to get the job done. Us three planned the job to attack Ms. Traynor and leave evidence of the Brakeman broad in the apartment so the cops would arrest her. We intended to knock Traynor out and leave her but they had other plans. When we told them, Mr. Spaulding and Mr. de Roche, our plans they told us to kill her. They wanted Ms. Traynor dead that way the police would have to arrest Ms Brakeman. Spaulding and de Roche felt that we could take movies of the attack and later show that it was a man that attacked Ms. Traynor and not Ms. Brakeman. At first Spinks and Edwards thought they were going to be able to rape the Traynor girl, but once they knew she was supposed to be killed they changed their minds.” “I don’t understand, why you needed to kill or even hurt Ms Traynor, why not just do it to Ms. Brakeman. What was behind all this?” “You don’t understand. We needed to force Congressman Brakeman to vote our Bill in. If we killed Ms. Brakeman her father wouldn’t help us? Our way, we get Ms. Brakeman in trouble and her father is frantic, so we have a way to bail her out of trouble. That’s what he’s paying us for, by voting in our Bill. See. Then we simply give the cops the movie we made.” “Did you make a movie of the attack?” “No, we forgot.” Mr. Bleaker says; I have no more questions for this witness Your Honor. The Judge asks the defendant’s attorney; Mr. Webster, do you have any questions for this witness?”
“Yes your Honor”
“Mr. Coleridge, you say the three of you planned this, but when Mr. Spinks and Mr. Edwards come to the stand will they agree with that?” “I don’t know what they will say anymore.” “What do you mean Mr. Coleridge?” “They’re not talking to me. They blame me because I used my car, but, Spinksy didn’t wear gloves and left fingerprints all over, that’s what really got us arrested, I think.” “I object your Honor, I didn’t ask him about Mr. Spinks. The answer was non responsive.” “Mr. Webster, you opened the door and your client ran through it. Sorry, your objection is overruled!” “I have no more questions for this witness your Honor.” The judge says: “You may step down Mr. Coleridge.”
Judge Stowe asks Mr. Bleaker; “Your next witness Mr. Bleaker?”
“Your Honor I call Mr. Edward de Roche.” Mr. de Roche walked to the stand. He is sworn in and sits down. “Mr. de Roche will you tell us your name and your connection to this case please?” “My Name is Edward de Roche and I am a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the district which Granlargo is a part. My connection to the case is, I hired these idiots to scare the Brakeman girl and instead they almost kill someone else.” “Are you denying that you ordered them to kill Ms. Traynor?” “Of course I am. I didn’t tell them to kill anyone.” “What were your orders to them exactly?” “We, Franklin and I told them to scare the hell out of the Brakeman girl so we could get her father worried about her and not about the Bill.” “Mr. de Roche, have you made a deal with my department for your testimony here today?” “Yes I did.” “What was the deal?” “Franklin and I must tell the entire truth about what happened with this Brakeman situation. We will get a lighter sentence for our testimony.” “Have you told the truth here today?” “Of course I have, I said I would and I have.”
“Thank you Mr. de Roche, I have no more questions at this time, however, I would like to reserve the right to recall this witness.” The Judge Rules; “So ordered Mr. Bleaker.”
The Judge asks the defendant’s attorney; Mr. Webster, do you have any questions for the witness?”
“Yes, your Honor.” “Mr. de Roche, what did you hope to gain by this action against Ms. Brakeman. Did you really think her father, Congressman Brakeman, would cave in and vote your Bill in the way you wanted?” “If the idiots didn’t bungle the job he would have done as we asked. It’s not as if he cared one way or the other. We are the only ones that really care about Quamac Reservoir.” “So, it is the fact that you care about the Quamac Reservoir that you did all this?” “Of course it was. The Quamac Reservoir is one of the most important natural resources the state of Massachusetts has. Boston would be without water if not for the Quamac Reservoir.” “It had nothing to do with the money you would make?” Attorney Avery jumped up and objected “I object your Honor, that question is outside the agreement we made.” The judge asked the attorneys to approach the bench; “Approach please”
All the attorneys approached the bench. At the bench, the judge asked attorney Bleaker about the agreement. “Mr. Bleaker, is that correct. The question Mr. Webster asked is not allowed in the agreement?” “Yes, your Honor. We agreed that nothing would be mentioned about money because the state has been unable to find any money transactions or transfers. As long as the agreement stands we forfeit any money claims. ” “All right, the objection is sustained.”
Attorney Webster says; “Your Honor, I have no more questions.”
The judge says: “You may step down Mr. de Roche. However, do not leave the courtroom!”
Judge Stowe asks Mr. Bleaker; “Your next witness Mr. Bleaker?”
“Your Honor I call Mr. Franklin Spaulding.” Mr. Spaulding walked to the stand. He is sworn in and sits down. “Mr. Spaulding will you tell us your name and your connection to this case please?” “My name is Franklin Spaulding, I am a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the district which Granlargo is a part. I am Mr. de Roche’s partner and also a part of the agreement we made with the District Attorney’s office regarding our sentences. We tell the truth and our sentences are lighter.”
“Did you order anyone to kill anyone? Did you order Spinks and gang to kill Ms Traynor or Ms Brakeman?” “Absolutely not! We did not order anyone to kill anyone else.’ “Your agreement with me is the same as Mr. de Roche is that right?” “Yes, it is.” “Is everything you’ve testified to here today the truth?” “Yes it is.” “Thank You Mr. Spaulding, I have no more questions at this time, However, I would like to reserve the right to recall this witness at a later time.”
The Judge asks the defendant’s attorney; Mr. Webster, do you have any questions for the witness?”
“Yes, your Honor.” “Mr. Spaulding, did you order anyone to kill anyone else?” “No, I did not.” “Thank you Mr. Spaulding, I no further questions Your Honor”
“The Judge says, “ “Mr. Spaulding you may step down, do not, however leave the courtroom!”
Judge Stowe asks Mr. Bleaker; “Your next witness Mr. Bleaker?”
“Your Honor I call Mr. Angelo Cataldo.”
I walk to the stand. I’m sworn in and sit down in the witness seat. “Mr. Cataldo will you tell us your name and your connection to this case please?” “My Name is Angelo Cataldo and I am a private Detective licensed in the State of Massachusetts. I have been hired by Mr. Edward Brakeman to find out why his daughter was having problems at school and to protect her and her interests at all times.” “When did you arrive in Bathurst?”
“I first arrived on the day, but later in the afternoon, Ms. Traynor was attacked. September 30, last year. I saw the police activity and asked one of the officers what was going on. He explained very briefly that someone had been attacked and the perpetrators had not been apprehended yet.” “Would you tell us what happened next and what you found out?” “I was at the College for several days talking to students and getting the general consensus of what the students thought of Ms. Brakeman and later their opinion of the Traynor attack. The more I talked to people the more I began to worry that another attack or criminal activity was eminent. I finally realized that if the actual reason Ms Traynor was attacked was because of the Quamac Bill and Congressman Brakeman, then maybe Ms Traynor was in great danger because Ms. Brakeman was not being arrested, so their plot failed so far. I also realized that if Ms. Brakeman was ultimately eliminated as a suspect in the Traynor attack then, she, Ms. Brakeman would be in greater danger, because the attackers would have no choice but to kidnap her to force her father’s hand. Knowing what I did I went to the hospital to be sure Ms Traynor was alright. When I arrived at the hospital I first had to get official permission to be there at all, then I went immediately to the Intensive Care Unit to check on Ms. Traynor. When I arrived there, I found the duty nurse unconscious on the floor of the nurses station in Intensive Care section. I raised an alarm and when security searched they found Ms. Traynor’s breathing apparatus and IV had been disconnected and Ms Traynor was dying. The hospital staff reconnected Ms. Traynor life support equipment and got her stabilized. I then asked the campus Police to first put a guard on Ms. Traynor, then to immediately get in touch with Ms. Brakeman and ascertain her whereabouts for the last several hours. They found she had been in continuous conversation with other students at her dormitory and her whereabouts were confirmed for the time in question. Now, I had another problem, because of my efforts I took Ms Traynor out of danger and put Ms Brakeman in mortal danger. I then, convinced Ms. Brakeman to travel with me to Boston. To her parents house, where we could put her and her mother under constant protection while the FBI and State Police investigated this incident. We, Ms. Brakeman and I left Bathurst in a rental car and headed to the Mass. Pike outside of Granlargo on our way to Boston. About fifteen miles from Bathurst, as we were making a curve on the roadway a loud bang blew out one of our front tires. I later learned it was shot out by a 30-30 rifle. The loss of the tire made me lose control of the car and it sent us careening through a guard rail and down a steep embankment. At the bottom of the embankment, about a quarter mile distance, we came to rest only feet from a fast moving river. Ms. Brakeman and I pushed the car in the river, so that it would not be found right away, and moved away from the area on foot. With the car unable to be found the person who shot out the tire would think we, Ms. Brakeman and I were dead. Which was exactly what I wanted and at that time it was our best protection. We stealthily made our way back to Bathurst and contacted Captain Robert Long of the Massachusetts State Police. After explaining our predicament, he made arrangements to pick us up by airplane from a local Bathurst airport and take us to Boston. Once in Boston, we made our way, with Captain Long, to the Brakeman house, where the FBI where conducting an investigation into possible blackmail of a State Official. While I was there I was asked to listen along with others to a conversation Mr. Brakeman had with Mr. de Roche, who testified here earlier. In addition to the living witnesses the FBI also tape recorded the conversation. They have Mr. de Roche in all his glory.” “You actually heard Mr. de Roche during the entire conversation?” “Yes I did. I also recognized his voice here today, as the voice I heard during that conversation.” “Can you tell us any part of the conversation that pertains to our activities here?” “Yes, actually, Mr. de Roche admitted directly to having ordered my Death.” Before I could finish what I was saying Attorney Avery was jumping up and down objecting, shouting; Hear say, I object, it is hear say! “Objection Overruled” Ruled Judge Stowe “Mr. Cataldo heard the conversation first hand, even though Mr. de Roche did not know it.” “Mr. Cataldo could you finish what you were saying please?” “Mr. de Roche said, “I ordered Cataldo killed and we took your daughter. I expect you to vote correctly if you want to see your daughter alive again?” “The FBI later informed me that a team of arresting officers found Mr. de Roche in the middle of his conversation with us and physically arrested him.” “Is there anything else we should know Mr. Cataldo?” “Two weeks after Mr. de Roche was arrested I was vacationing with my girl friend in San Juan Puerto Rico. Sometime during the night of our third night there someone entered the room we were staying in and viciously murdered Ms Leigh Lonagan, my girl friend, with a special type knife. After a thorough investigation we, the police and I stumbled across a Miami murder victim whose body was found in Homestead FL. The victim had attached to his belt a dagger that exactly matched the wound Ms. Lonagan sustained from the attack. This dagger was traced to a robbery, the previous week, from a Mr. Edward de Roche of Granlargo Mass. This guy vowed to have me killed and killed my girl friend instead.” Avery jumped up again and objected to “facts not in evidence” And the judge ruled “Objection sustained” I said; “Sorry your Honor, that last was my opinion.”
Bleaker then said; “I have no more questions for this witness, Your Honor.”
The Judge asked; Mr. Webster do you have any questions for this witness?”
“No, Your Honor.”
The Judge asks Mr. Bleaker; “Mr. Bleaker, call your next witness.”
“Your Honor, at this time I would like to recall Mr. Edward de Roche.” Mr. de Roche moved to the stand. He is sworn in and takes his seat. “Mr. de Roche do you have anything to say to Mr. Cataldo’s testimony?” “No, it is all lies. “ “Even the tape recordings are lies sir?” “Yes, they are, it is not my voice.” “Actually sir, that is for a jury to decide.” “I have no more questions of this witness, Your Honor.” The Judge asks Mr. Webster; Mr. Webster, do you have any questions for this witness?” “No, Your Honor.”
The Judge says; “Mr. de Roche you may step down.”
Judge Stowe asks; “Mr. Bleaker, your next witness.”
“Your Honor, at this time I would like to recall Mr. Franklin Spaulding.” Mr. Spaulding moved the stand. He is sworn in and takes his seat. “Mr. Spaulding do you have anything to say to Mr. Cataldo’s testimony?” “No, I agree with de Roche it is all lies.” “Even the tape recordings are lies sir?” “Yes, they are, every word, it is not my voice.” “Actually sir, As I said before, that is for a jury to decide.” “I have no more questions of this witness, Your Honor.”
The Judge asks Mr. Webster; Mr. Webster, do you have any questions for this witness?” “No, Your Honor.”
The Judge says; “Mr. Bleaker, your next witness.” “Your Honor, I would like to make a motion to vacate the agreement the State has with Mr. de Roche and Mr. Spaulding. Clearly they are lying and broke the agreement many times over.” “I agree Mr. Bleaker, they have lied and both admitted under oath they knew that would end their agreement. I hereby dissolve the agreement between the State of Massachusetts, and Mr. de Roche and Mr. Spaulding.
Mr. Webster approached Mr. Bleaker and asked for a deal. The district attorney made a severe deal, with the three stooges getting fifteen years without parole and the new deal Mr. Avery made for de Roche and Spaulding gave them the same time in Walpole Prison the States toughest prison. With deals in place the trial was over. I did not completely agree with the deals I think they should have gotten life. After all they gave Leigh death!
Chapter Forty Six
Fourteen months after getting back from San Juan, everything seemed to be back to pre-San Juan conditions. The Club is running smoothly and everyone is happy, almost. This has been a long time coming, but no matter what happens in life, it goes on.
With the Granlargo trial over I thought it would give me some closure but I was wrong.
Marilyn has moved her classes to the Barron College Boston Campus. Her and I are unofficially dating, but, I still have no feelings. I like Marilyn a lot but I have made it clear I’m not all here right now. She says she understands and I hope she does, but I know I don’t understand. I’ve never gotten over Leigh’s death, and I don’t want to get over it. I haven’t had sex with anyone since Leigh and I don’t want to. This is the first time in my life that something is more important than sex. Now, everything is more important than sex. I’m a man, and sex is supposed to be everything in the world not this nothingness that surrounds me. Sex and love, love and sex, I never knew they were two different things until I met Leigh.
Work is becoming interesting, I’ve taken several domestic cases and two of the three I’ve started are still going on. Alex and two other new hires are working with me in the detective agency, so I’m back to a supervisory capacity. The club is running great and I still spend three nights a week swinging in my solitary seat, listening to the band and trying to beat Joe Russo out of cab fare.
Unofficially Bobby Long and I are escorting Marilyn everywhere she goes. I still don’t like the idea of Leigh’s case being closed. Everyone else thinks it’s closed because San Juan closed it. But to me it will not be closed until I can connect all the dots. There are a lot of unanswered questions.
On the afternoon of April 1, I got a call from Bobby Long; “Hey Angy, get on your horse I need you. Marilyn hasn’t come out of Filenes yet and we set a time of 3:00 pm which was two hours ago. She insisted I buy some clothes and while I was in the Men’s section she was having her hair done. When I finished buying what I needed I strolled over to the beauty parlor and she had never arrived.” ‘“Bobby what are you saying, Marilyn has been missing now for three hours? Is this some stupid “April Fools” thing?”’ “Sorry, this is no joke, yes Marilyn is missing. I have been through Filenes from top to bottom and she’s not here.” “Bobby, come on back to the Club and we’ll figure out what to do next.”
What the hell? Is Bobby crazy, Marilyn missing for two hours and he says nothing? Christ! I know it is not Bobby’s fault. As I get older I guess I panic faster.
The office phone rang and when I picked it up my heart stopped it was Marilyn; “Angy, Help, I’m so glad to hear your voice. O God” I can hear Marilyn crying between her words. “Marilyn, Where are you?” “This asshole said he had killed you. I’m so happy your alright. Look, I’m in Marlboro Mass. In a rest area on the Mass Pike. Some guy grabbed me in Filenes and marched me out of there with a gun in my back. Then with the gun pointed at me the whole way, he drove us to the Mass Pike headed west. I don’t know where he was going but when we got to the rest stop here in Marlboro, he tied my hands and locked me in the trunk. After five minutes I managed to untie my hands and kicked the back seat into the car and escaped. I ran into the restaurant and I’m hiding in the ladies room afraid to come out.” “Stay right where you are. I’m calling Bobby and we will be on our way in minutes. In the mean time I’ll get the Mass. Pike State Police to you. Where exactly are you? “I’m in the main restaurant’s ladies room.” “Ok we’re on our way.”
Two hours later Bobby and I arrived at the Marlboro Rest Stop and the place was full of State Police cars and FBI vans. We were riding in Bobbies State Police Command Vehicle and made good time but between bad traffic and congestion getting out of Boston in the first place it still took us two hours.
It took about five minutes to find Marilyn, she was being treated like a rock star, with the State police and the FBI fighting over her. She was fine until we arrived. I saw her looking around with a funny look on her face, as if she were afraid, something I had never seen before, fear on her face. The men were all around her running in every direction at any thing she said. When we got there she ran headlong into my arms and collapsed, almost passing out. She was relieved and happy, I was astounded and pleased, not completely understanding yet. As I held her, her heart was pounding so hard I could feel it pounding against my chest. I got scared and called a paramedic over. When I looked at her she had her eyes closed so tightly I though she was in excruciating pain. She wouldn’t let go for the paramedic, just hung on tighter. I held her close and spoke softly into her ear. “It’s Ok, I’m here, I won’t let anything happen to you I’m here.” The paramedic was buzzing around us trying to take Marilyn’s blood pressure and check her heart beat. As I held her she finally started talking; “Happen to me? She burst out. Hell, I don’t care about me, that asshole said he had already killed you. His description of killing you was so graphic I got scared. Then he said my Mom and Dad were next.” “Did you recognize this creep, do we know him?” “I never saw him before, He didn’t go into any detail, but everything he said pointed to either de Roche or Granlargo. He was ranting about someone in prison, and all their fancy plans failing.”
“Ok, slow down. Bobby heard you and is right now getting the state police onto the State House.” “Make sure they protect my Mom! She’s always home alone.” “Yes, first thing” Bobby said in her ear.”
As we stood there, Marilyn shaking and me hugging her, for the first time since Leigh’s death I actually could feel something. First, it was relief, that Marilyn was ok, then anger at Bobby for letting it happen, then remorse because it certainly wasn’t Bobby’s fault. Then back again to Marilyn another more intense feeling I couldn’t identify. It began at the pit of my stomach as emptiness. As Marilyn and I stood there “clinging” to each other I finally realized I was in love with Marilyn and absolutely terrified that I would lose her too. At this moment I realized what Marilyn already knew, we felt the same about each other. She spoke first;
“Finally, your feeling something. What is it gas? Like an infant’s smile” she asked sarcastically, yet playfully. “What are you talking about? Who smelled gas?” I asked with a huge grin. She kicked me in the shins and said; “I’ve been waiting for a response from you for quite a while.” “You know we both loved Leigh.” “Of course, it was definitely true love.” “Sure, I think you saw me fall in love with her in Bathurst before we left, for Boston.” “Yes, I saw you both fall head over heals. I was jealous as hell of you, then I was jealous of Leigh. For a while there I didn’t know who to be jealous of. I was in love with both of you.” “Well, Angy now you better have your head screwed on correctly.” “It’s beginning to get there. Right this minute is the first time since Leigh died that my heart has felt anything but grief. I hesitate to relax it just may stop beating.” ““That’s what got me going today. The bastard said he just left your dead body in your office at the club and it was my turn. At that point I said then if Angy’s dead I’m not moving cause you can kill me to. He said ; “Good, it will be easier to move without dragging you along, by the way I’m going to have to kill everyone around us to.” Then he grabbed me by the hair and it felt like he was trying to pull my hair out by the roots.”” I started to kid with her, she was becoming too serious. “At least your roots are the same color as your hair, right?” “What the hell are you talking about? Do you think I color my hair?” She’s yelling at me, tears streaming down her face, shocked and then a strange look came over her face and she broke out laughing. I couldn’t help laughing at her flashing eyes and serious tone all over this ridiculous subject. She looked at my face, then started to laugh and cry at the same time. “Hey, you made a joke, do you finally know what a joke is, you idiot?” “As long as your laughing I don’t care what a joke is.” “You know something, I love you!” “I’ll bet you didn’t know that?” “Of course I did you big dummy. Who do you think made you love me?” Still in each others arms we kissed and realized together, this was our first kiss.
Chapter Forty Seven
I’m a little shell shocked that Marilyn and I are an item. Since Marlboro, we’ve been holding hands, going to dinner together, mostly in the club and staying together, we haven’t had sex yet, but I don’t think I’m ready yet. It won’t be long, we’re sleeping in the same bed. Marilyn is being so patient with me I feel like an invalid. Her mother and father couldn’t be nicer to me. Since the attempted kidnapping Marilyn and I have been to Granlargo a dozen times hoping to see the guy who kidnapped her on the street, or in a store, or wherever. Without success. For some reason this guy has just vanished. I have been doing a genealogy on the de Roche family to find any relatives that might fit the attacker’s description. Edward de Roche’s son Franklin is a fit but has been away at college in Colorado. Still no success. Marilyn and I are becoming domesticated. She is living out of my apartment mostly and going to school, which I insisted on. She only has two semesters left and she’ll have her BA degree. I’m getting into a routine at the Club, the detective agency has taken off and we are employing four full time investigators. We do mostly domestic and some tort work but, you never know what will walk in the door. In our case that’s quite a walk, up four flights, through a very busy kitchen, around two, constantly fighting cooks, across a connecting passage, then down a gauntlet of women’s costumes and skimpy outfits to a plane white door.
Mostly people catch me sitting at a table on the first floor, around the corner from the front door listening to the band. Joe Russo is doing a great job and now, I couldn’t get along without him. Summer has arrived and I’m beginning to come back to life. I still help out running the Club and am able to give Joe two days off a week.
My projects now are a lot more sedate. I’m chairman of the local Crime Stoppers. We pay rewards to people who help the police catch dangerous criminals. Mostly it’s minor offenders, but occasionally we get a big one.
Then everyone gets involved, it’s like old times. I guess investigative work gets in your blood. More and more lately we’re helping out battered women using the “Exit Anomaly” and also confronting the bastards if they follow the escaping woman into the club. We easily have a few a week, but no one knows for sure, Donna keeps their numbers secret. Last month, they wanted to name Donna “Woman of the Year’. After we talked about it, Donna convinced me that it would be calling attention to our involvement and possibly expose our little secret. Donna asked me to let the committee know our decision and why. Which I did.
Marilyn and I are closer than ever, but still not all the way. Bobby and I get together about twice a week for lunch and dinner, and always with Marilyn. We’re the “Three Musketeers.” And enjoy each others company.
Tonight, the last of June, The Three Musketeers are having a weekly meeting. I got lazy and left the car in the garage. Marilyn and I took a cab and just now arrived in front of the Club, in fact that’s Bobby’s State car parked at the curb in front of us. He saw us and is out of his car and waiting. Marilyn and I stepped out of the cab as Bobby approached us and hugged Marilyn on my left. I reached over to shake his hand across Marilyn. Out of the corner of my eye I can see some movement to my right on the opposite side from Bobby. I start to turn to my right and hear someone say; “It’s about time I killed you and your bitch too. I let you live in San Juan, but that was a mistake” As he was saying his little speech a blinding flash went off and my face hurt like hell. By now I was fully turned to face him as he raised his gun again to shoot Marilyn as promised. I stepped in front of her as a huge fist slammed into me. I never heard the last shot because it caught me fully in the chest and knocked me back into Marilyn. As I was turning Bobby saw him coming over my shoulder and pulled his gun. He barely had time to aim when the attacker’s second shot caught me. Almost simultaneously , Bobby’s shot caught the bastard dead between the eyes. Apparently the club’s door was open because someone coming out saw what happened and called back inside for the police and an ambulance. While Marilyn held me Bobby went inside and made sure an ambulance was on the way, then came right back out. The entire incident didn’t take one minute. The shot I took in the face was not fatal but very painful. The bullet went into my big mouth and passed through the left cheek, not even hitting any teeth, but, giving me a scar and a bad taste in my mouth from the spent gun powder. It was a good thing this guy was shorter than me because when the bullet exited my face it was on an upward trajectory and hit nothing else. If the shooter was taller it would have hit Bobby in the head.
The shot to my chest however, was life threatening. The ambulance got there in under seven minutes and I was on the way in under five more minutes. Twelve minutes that changed my life. The paramedics were great, they had me bandaged and stable before we drove the five minutes to the Massachusetts General Hospital Emergency Room. Marilyn rode in the ambulance with me. In under thirty minutes I was in an operating room with a team of surgeons working frantically to remove the bullets and get me stabilized, all the while trying valiantly to keep me alive. That first night the doctors made sure I had the “Last Rites” just in case.
Chapter Fort Eight
Outside of the Stroud Harrison Major Trauma Unit of the Mass General Hospital, Boston Massachusetts
Captain Bobby Long just arrived at the Mass General Hospital trying to find Angy. He checked and found that Angy was brought here, the Stroud Harrison Major Trauma Unit. The nurse at admitting told him that Angy was now still in surgery and that friends were waiting in the fourth floor corridor outside surgery. As Bobby got off the elevator he could see Marilyn sitting near the nurse’s station halfway down the corridor. As he approached her, she finally looked up, seeing Bobby she jumped up to hug him. “Marilyn is there any word yet?” “Nothing yet, they’re still working on him. The nurse said he probably has a good chance of survival, because he’s in good shape. Their afraid because the bullet is right next to his heart. If he hadn’t stepped in front of me I would be dead now. That was about the third time he saved my life Bobby, he better live, or I won’t be able to.” By the way, what happened to that son of a bitch the shooter?” “He’s dead my bullet caught him above the left eye.” “Is he the one that killed Leigh?” “We don’t know yet, Angy will know the details of if and why, but it looks like he is the one who did it. I know Angy suspected him from as far back as San Juan.” “Who the hell is he that he would do this shit? I heard the name de Roche, but it really doesn’t mean anything to me.” “Angy figured it out, apparently this guy de Roche was avenging his father. His father is one of the two big shots Angy put away from Grand Largo. De Roche and the other guy Spaulding conspired with the three nit wits, Spinks, Coleridge and Edwards to get you kicked out of school and they planned to blackmail your father into voting for their version of the Quamac Bill. The criminal master minds Spaulding and de Roche senior told the other three animals to do whatever is necessary to get your father to vote their way. Apparently when Spinks shot out the tire on your car they all thought you were dead and they decided to use it. Angy was right when he theorized they would try to brazen it out and lie that they had you. If you weren’t sitting across from your father when they were talking to him, they would have convinced your father that they had you.”
“God, that got so confusing. But who was this guy Franklin de Roche? He wasn’t one of them. He actually was not part of it at all.” “Apparently Franklyn was one of those people that had to prove himself to his father constantly. His father didn’t even know his son was not at college. A week before he killed Leigh he was in Grand Largo with his father, Congressman de Roche, at a conference between Spaulding, de Roche and two of the three animals Spinks and Coleridge. They were planning to either kill Judy Traynor or kidnap you. Apparently Franklyn heard the entire conversation and put himself in it.” “Once you and Angy escaped from drowning everything changed. At the time his father went to jail, everyone thought this guy Franklyn was at college in Denver. But actually he was hiding out in Grand Largo and stewing about the case. That’s when he decided to go after you and Angy, he thought Leigh was you. So, off he goes to Miami to kill you and Angy. I guess he couldn’t find Angy in Miami and when he finally did Angy and Leigh were leaving for San Juan. I guess it took him time to get tickets in a phony name and fly to San Juan. To get tickets out of the country you need a passport or as in this case a driver’s license since he was going to a U.S. Territory he could get away with only a drivers license, but he had to buy one in an assumed name. He apparently arrived in San Juan the day Angy and Leigh were trying to fly out. The San Juan Airport Police stopped them because Angy wasn’t dressed properly. The sunburn kept him from putting a shirt on so he and Leigh had to stay for an extra few days, during which time this creep followed Angy and Leigh back from the airport to their motel. That night he waited until Angy fell asleep and picked the motel door lock. No one knows why he killed Leigh and didn’t kill Angy. That question drove Angy crazy, he’ll never understand it. Once this Franklin found out he had killed the wrong girl it must have driven him nuts. It looked like he would do anything to kill the two of you, and Angy stopped him again. I tell you the truth, I don’t like killing anyone, but this time that guy needed killing.”
“Do you think Angy will ever get over Leigh? I can’t believe how deeply in love they became in such a short time.” “That’s tough to answer. I know Angy loves you, but will he ever get over Leigh, I don’t know.” “I think Angy was ready to fall in love. He was tired of the games and fooling around. When he met Leigh he suddenly thought he had a chance to be happy. Honestly I don’t know if he will ever get over her.” “Are you here for the Cataldo Patient?” Asked a doctor in a soiled hospital gown. “Yes doctor, I’m Marilyn Brakeman and this is Captain Robert Long of the MA State Police.” “As you may know the operation was ten hours but we got the bullet without doing any more damage. We repaired the damage it did on the way in. Now it’s up to him to fight off infection and overcome the trauma of being hit by the bullet and the shock of the operation. The worst damage was to his left lung, only time will tell if it heals properly. He’s was in good health and we have every expectation of his pulling through successfully. We expect him to rest for thirty to sixty hours. The body needs time to heal itself.” “Thank you doctor for telling us we’ve been very worried.” “Bobby I’ll call his family.” Marilyn said as she headed to a pay phone near by.
When I came to I was told that after ten hours of operation they had the bullet out of my chest and patched me up as good as possible. Up to recovery now I slept for the next fifty hours. Everything was up to hours. I was oblivious to all of it. I didn’t become aware that I was still alive for at least four days. All the drugs and medications kept me unconscious and alive. Now it was the bodies turn to do the healing.
Chapter Forty Nine
When I finally could talk and understand better and not drift in and out. I was told about what happened. Like many other trauma patients I had total memory loss about the actual event. The last memory I had was getting out of the car in front of the Club and taking Marilyn’s hand. My next memory was three or four day’s later. At first Bobby couldn’t identify the attacker. Lately I’ve been in the news for Leigh’s death and the incident in Bathurst, and the trial, so that it could be any nut pissed off at me or the moon, who knows what.
It later turned out through Bobby’s investigation, that the shooter was Edward de Roche’s son, Franklin. He wanted revenge for sending his father to jail. This is also the same bastard that killed Leigh. The guy in Miami did nothing. Apparently de Roche the younger, planned everything he did, down to the last detail. Marilyn was lucky when he planned her kidnapping, he expected to have a wheel chair so he could knock her out and wheel her away. But, at the last minute he couldn’t find the one he set aside, apparently someone had stolen it. He went ahead with the kidnapping anyway. The murder attempt was the final straw. He chose to confront us in front of the club; in his arrogance he forgot the protectiveness of the people there. His first shot actually went through my left cheek without doing any more damage than a small hole. The chest wound was another story. Although it missed my heart by a small amount, it hit my left lung and the damage there took hours to patch and months to heal. Luckily, nothing else was seriously damaged and I drove Marilyn crazy recuperating. Although my lung will never be the same as it was, I can live with the damage.
While I was lying on the ground in front of the club, I had a dream I will never forget. A dream I didn’t remember until months after the shooting. I dreamt I was dying and my only regret was not having the opportunity to love Marilyn. All the things we could have done and been would never be. I realized I needed someone to love. And, she was already standing next to me.
I vowed right there, if I got the chance I would make up for lost time.
After recuperating for months I’m back on the job. Marilyn and I are still a couple, I find my self still thinking of Leigh sometimes so I can’t, in good conscience, marry Marilyn. But, we’re together all the time. I finally remembered about the ring I found under the night table in the murder room in San Juan. Bobby and I began to dig into the ring and found something interesting. The design is by a famous artist from the Springfield Massachusetts area. This artist is a member of the Mahigan Indian Tribe. Which is the same tribe that was described in the book “The Last of The Mohigan’s” which is based on James Fenimore Cooper’s classic novel. The name was changed for the novel. The ring design turned out to be of a classic Indian rug design made famous by this artist. Franklin de Roche was obsessed with this tribe, having a very small percentage of Indian blood. We also discovered that, de Roche took a train from Boston to Miami and there flew under an assumed name to San Juan. He got to Miami the day after Leigh and I did, but couldn’t find us. When he finally did we were getting on a flight. Then on to San Juan where he had about the same luck. It’s astounding to me that Leigh died because the San Juan airport Police would not let us fly out that first night. De Roche told his friend he finally found us in the airport when he arrived in San Juan; I was being arrested, and later simply followed us to the motel. Even his father didn’t know what he was up to, he just blundered around until he succeeded. His intention was to kill Marilyn Brakeman and Angelo Cataldo. He killed Leigh thinking she was Marilyn. While he was stabbing Leigh the knife slipped from his hand and flew across the room. He never noticed the ring. It was always to big for his hand but he was too cheap to have it resized. He only realized he killed the wrong person from the newspaper accounts of the murder. I’m glad I kept at the investigation, I never would have known about the Indian connection.
One last, unfinished detail, while I got a chance to look through Franklin de Roche’s room at his father’s house, among a host of crazy ranting in his papers and a journal he was keeping, I found an unfinished letter to his father. In the letter he is telling his father how he overheard the conversation that day between the two thugs Cal and Rod, and Congressman Spaulding and decided to help them out if he could. Once, his father was arrested he at first decide to shoot Angy Cataldo, But, when he was standing over me in San Juan it dawned on him that killing Marilyn, he thought Leigh was Marilyn, would be painful for me so he let me live, hopefully in great pain. He was always planning to kill me later, after I had suffered, as he was suffering.
For me this closes a very bad time in my life. These bad memories occasionally rear their ugly head, but less and less often as time goes by. Leigh’s death is still an enormous ghost in my relationship with Marilyn, or for that matter with anyone. I hope time will change that.
On a happier note, the Cataldo Saroyan Detective agency is doing fine. Oh, did I tell you Alex and I are partners? We take only small, easy to control, cases, anything big we refer to the Long Cataldo Investigative Unit. Bobby does most of the work but, I get to meditate with him several times a week. Marilyn is the head of both agencies and runs us ragged. We also have a security guard division that has over a hundred people protecting banks and moving money by trucks everywhere.
We still do the occasional big time investigation. The big Three, Alex, Bobby and I get involved it must be earth shaking, or so we like to think. Of course Marilyn is still directing us, some things never change.
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