Detective Martin Hanna and his side kick assistant Matt sat in the Captain Hooker’s office waiting for Victoria and a lab tech to show up with Cale’s preliminary findings and the autopsy report for Paula Henderson.
It wasn’t long until a tech turned the corner and presented Captain Hooker with three manila folders, “They are not complete but there’s a couple surprises in there for you.”
“Thanks for bringing them up so fast.”
As the tech retreated through the captain’s door he smirked and commented, “We’re doing some additional DNA testing considering some of the findings.”
Hooker opened the top forensic report on Dixon’s apartment and looked them over. “I think this works in Dixon’s favor; it coincides with where he thought he touched and the timing. His blood has been exposed to oxygen for longer than the victim’s by hours. It’s his blood where he said it would be and his fingerprints everywhere except on Ms. Henderson, but they didn’t find anybody else’s fingerprints on her either. They did find three sets of fingerprints at the door jam, Dixon’s, Rayman Stell’s, and . . .”
Martin interrupted, “Hey, Stell is supposed to have died in a house fire in Driggs, Idaho last week. Turned out to be arson. Victoria should be monitoring and collecting all the details for Dixon.”
“One other set of prints with no match yet; still searching.” Hooker handed the folder to Martin and opened the next folder, Paula’s preliminary autopsy, and began reading down the report. He closed the report and tossed it slackly on his desk toward Martin and revealed, “Ms. Henderson was pregnant.”
Matt cockily announced, “There’s your motive. Dixon’s got motive.”
Martin winced at Matt, “Whose side are you on? You don’t know whose kid it is.”
“It doesn’t matter whose kid it is, Cale killed her in a jealous rage for being pregnant with his kid, or because it’s someone else’s child, it doesn’t matter.”
Defensively Martin added, “And tortured her for it? Come on Matt. Dixon is not like that.”
“Maybe to get the fathers’ name. Maybe to find him and kill him too.”
Hooker couldn’t take it, “Matt, stop talking and go find Victoria Short and escort her here right now.”
Matt got up and walked out of the office and down the hall passed the maze of gray cubicles, the stairs to the lab and a second set leading to the back door of the jail where Cale remained on his cot. Matt smiled with contempt and turned down to the holding cells to give Cale the heads up; he was going to be charged with murder.
In the Captain’s office Martin commented sheepishly, “I hate to admit it but Matt might have something.”
“No he doesn’t. When was the last time Dixon told you about a girlfriend?”
Martin nodded and admitted, “It’s been a while.”
Hooker clarified, “Matt has taken information out of context and twisted it to his wishful thinking. Granted, Henderson’s preliminary report does not bode well for Dixon but there is still a lot of evidence not in yet. Personally, I need him to be innocent; then I can let him go or leave him in the bat cave; just get him off the streets, out of harms way and permanently out of my hair.”
“Yeah, I’m with you Captain; I don’t think Dixon did this, but he’s in the mix somehow. He’s recently been stabbed in the back and now he looks framed for a murder of a girl he has admitted having sexual relations.” Martin reached for the autopsy report on Hooker’s desk.
Hooker reached for Cale’s blood work report and opened it.
Matt opened the research department office door and saw two interns sitting at the two desks busily working on research projects, “Have you seen Ms. Short this morning?”
An intern sitting at Cale’s desk glanced up and shook his head, “We haven’t even heard from her and that’s not normal.” He looked at the other intern who shook her head then nodded without breaking away from her typing.
“Okay. If she comes in will you send her to the Captain’s office?”
The interns nodded.
Matt walked out and closed the door and headed back to the Captain’s office.
Frustrated, the Captain flopped another file down on his desk, “What’s taking her so long?”
Martin offered simply, “Why don’t you try calling her cell yourself?”
The Captain glanced at Martin, thought for a moment and reached for his phone to dial Victoria’s number.
Matt opened the Captain’s door, “Hey Cap; I just heard we got a call from a woman in Dixon’s building. She reported Dixon’s door open, police tape broken, and her son found a shell casing on the floor in the hallway at the top of the stairs.”
With the phone still to his ear, “Did you find Victoria?”
“No. She hasn’t reported in yet and she hasn’t called them.”
“Them?”
“There’s two interns in her office.”
Martin stood up.
The Captain closed his phone, “Martin, get a forensics team over to Dixon’s apartment and do it all over again. And place someone at the door.”
Matt wagged his tail, “Should I go with him?”
“No. I want you to start the paperwork on Dixon’s release. I want him out by noon and in my office at 1 o’clock.”
“Really? That’ll be awkward.”
Martin looked at Matt as he was heading for the door and stopped, “Why? What have you done, Matt?”
Matt wore a senseless look, “ I just told Dixon that if it was up to me, he would be charged with murder. I just wanted to see his response.”
“And?” Martin waited.
“He laughed at me.”
Captain Hooker was furious and stood up, “Matt! It’s stupid foolish immature mistakes like this that are going to keep you from ever being a detective here! Dixon is in trouble because he’s close to the answers, not because he’s a murderer. If he was home last night, he’d most likely be dead right now and we’d be further from solving the case because of it.” The Captain paused looking at Matt and Martin, “You know what, on second thought, yeah, go with Martin and stand at the door until further notice. Stay out of forensics way and do not enter the apartment. I’ll take care of Dixon’s paperwork myself. Pack a lunch and I’ll have Cale bring you dinner. Now get out! That’s an order.”
Matt turned and left.
“Martin, send a car over to Victoria’s house. Let’s find her. Secondly, Dixon said something about his camera. Find it.”
“Roger that.” Martin walked out the door with a stack of orders to follow. He was good at following orders and knew how to go-fetch. He took illegitimate pride in the fact that it wasn’t his tail sticking out of the doghouse.”
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