Naked Evidence: Crime Thrillers, page 16
He then checked out a second bedroom. It looked as though it was set up as a guest bedroom. Nothing appeared to be out of place. Garcia stood there pondering plausible scenarios when he remembered that a code was needed to access the building. The killer must have had the code or was let in by someone, he thought. After he looked around, he returned to the living room, where he met Elsberg.
“How is the sister doing?” asked Garcia.
“About as well as expected.”
“We need to look around that third bedroom she is in, and we probably should interview her as soon as possible.”
“I agree. I will take her to the police department while you finish up here. Once you get back, we can both interview her.”
“Sounds like a plan. I won’t be here much longer. I’ll check out the last bedroom and then let the CSIs do their work.”
“Okay, Juan, I’ll see you back at the PD.”
As Elsberg led Cindy Decker out of the condo, Garcia could hear her gently sobbing. After they left, Garcia looked around in the third bedroom. He found nothing out of the ordinary. Garcia knew they would later need a search warrant to do a more thorough search of every room in the house. He then returned to the master bedroom to take in the scene. The CSIs would take photographs but remembering the scene as it looked was always helpful to Garcia. He wondered what significance the blue pills had. Was this a drug-related homicide? Or maybe the pills had nothing to do with the killing. It would be Garcia’s and Elsberg’s job to find out. After finishing, Garcia left the crime scene and drove to the police department.
Once he was back in the office, Garcia called his wife, Rosa, to find out the results of the baseball game.
“Oh, Juan, you would have been so proud,” exclaimed Rosa. “Jose got another big hit after you left, and his team won seven to four.”
“That’s great, Rosa. Did you all go out to eat afterward?”
“Yes, I took the kids and Jose’s friend Danny to Pappy’s Diner, where they have the ice cream the kids love. Everyone had a fun time, but we missed having you there.”
“And I missed being there, but I’m happy you had a good time. Tell Jose I’m proud of him.”
“Oh, I will. How is your case going?”
“Just getting into it right now. Some high society woman was shot in her condominium. It looked like she was killed instantly.”
“That is sad. Do you know who killed her?”
“Too early, but from the look of it, I’m guessing it was someone who knew her, possibly even her husband.”
“What time do you think you will be home?”
“No idea. You know how this goes.”
“Unfortunately, I do.”
“I’ve got to go, Rosa. We need to interview the victim’s sister.”
“Goodbye, love you.”
“Love you too.”
Garcia then called Elsberg on her cell phone. “Where are you at?”
“We are in interview room three,” responded Elsberg.
“On my way.”
Garcia got himself a cup of coffee from the detective lounge and then joined Elsberg and thirty-three-year-old Cindy Decker in the interview room. Garcia introduced himself and noticed Cindy already had a bottle of water. Even so, he asked her if she wanted anything else to drink. She politely declined. Garcia noticed that Cindy was an attractive woman, similar to her sister Ivy. Cindy had short brown hair with rounded cheeks and brown eyes. She was slimmer than her sister. She was dressed in a yellow blouse, a thin white jacket, and white pants that extended just below her knees.
Elsberg had developed a rapport with Cindy, so she started the interview and asked most of the questions. Cindy explained she was scheduled to meet Ivy that morning at nine o’clock at Chloe’s Coffee Pot, a coffee boutique on East Madison Street, three blocks from Ivy’s condominium building. Ivy had asked Cindy to meet her, as Ivy’s husband, Chuck Brendan, would be gone for the day. He was going on a boating excursion with a business associate and friend. Cindy arrived at the coffee shop at eight fifty-five and waited for Ivy. When she didn’t show, Cindy tried to call Ivy, but the phone kept going to voice messaging. After forty-five minutes, Cindy tried to call Chuck to see if he knew where Ivy was. Chuck’s phone also went to voice messaging. Cindy then walked to Ivy’s condo to check on her. Once she got there, it took her a while to get into the building, as she had forgotten the code to the door. Cindy waited for someone to enter and then just followed them in. Once she got to the condo, she rang the bell, but no one answered. Cindy then tried the door and found it was unlocked.
Cindy entered the condo and called out to Ivy. Getting no answer and being concerned, she searched the condo. When she entered the master bedroom, she found Ivy on the floor with blood all over her. Cindy screamed, then ran to Ivy and knelt next to her. When she touched Ivy, she immediately knew Ivy was dead. Cindy then called the police.
Cindy was not aware of anyone who would want to harm Ivy. As for the drugs, Cindy said Ivy occasionally used marijuana but did not believe Ivy used any hard narcotics. After this line of questioning was finished, Garcia started asking about Ivy’s personal life.
“What was Ivy’s relationship with her husband like?” asked Garcia.
“Well, they worked together as accountants. They own a large accounting firm on West Wacker Drive, along the Chicago River Walk. It’s a large company. It’s called Brendan Business Services.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of it,” responded Garcia. “I thought the Brendan name was familiar. Were they both happy in the relationship?”
“I don’t know. Ivy would sometimes complain that she was not getting enough attention from Chuck. In fact, she wanted to talk to me this morning about their relationship. She wasn’t clear on what it was about.”
“Do you have any guesses based on your observations and discussions with Ivy?”
“I think it was about not getting enough attention from Chuck. Today he is out boating with a friend, leaving Ivy alone all day. This wouldn’t have happened if he had been home with her.”
“Does Chuck own any guns?”
“I’ve never seen any, but he has talked about owning one. You don’t think Chuck had anything to do with this?”
“No reason to at this point, but we must ask these questions. Did Ivy ever talk about anyone she was concerned with?”
“No, not that I recall.”
“Do you know who Chuck was with today?”
“No. I think Ivy told me he was a client.”
Elsberg interjected, “Okay, Cindy, we see you are getting tired, and your husband is here to pick you up. Is there anything you want to ask us before we let you go home?”
“Yes, why did the officers swab my hands with Q-Tips at the condo?”
“That is a routine procedure for anyone found at the scene of a shooting. It is to test for gunshot residue.”
“You think I shot my sister?”
“No, not at all, but we have to be thorough to eliminate other theories that a defense attorney might think up.”
“That makes sense. Thank you.”
Cindy was then led to the waiting area, where she was reunited with her husband. Elsberg briefly explained the circumstances, then let Cindy and her husband go home.
When Elsberg returned to the detective bureau, Garcia had some news. He had received a call from one of the officers at the condo. Chuck Brendan had just returned home, and according to the officer, Brendan was distraught over the news. An officer was transporting him to the detective bureau to be interviewed.
“He should be here in about ten minutes,” advised Garcia. “I’m looking forward to talking with him.”
“Yes, it should be interesting,” replied Elsberg.
Chapter 3
Detective Garcia had only been working with detective Hannah Elsberg for two months. He was assigned to work with Elsberg upon his transfer from his area 4 assignment, where he had worked homicides for the past two years. Elsberg was a 42-year-old white female, approximately 5’-8”, and a firm 152 pounds. She had mid-length blond hair, often tied in a small ponytail behind her ears. She had a light complexion and blue eyes. Elsberg typically wore dress pants with a blouse and a light suit jacket. Elsberg had been with the Chicago Police Department for 14 years, joining when she was 28 years old. She had worked a variety of assignments in the police department but had only been working homicides for the past eighteen months. She had been married but got divorced several years ago when her husband could no longer handle her being away from home for so many hours. Elsberg now lived alone in a small one-bedroom apartment not far from the downtown police bureau.
Garcia found Elsberg to be competent and easy to work with. However, he sometimes believed she could be too trusting of people and occasionally thought he could be too suspicious. Garcia had adopted a cynical mindset ever since the Candy Man case. He wasn’t sure what Elsberg thought of him, but he believed she enjoyed working with him.
It was 5:30 pm when the officer walked Chuck Brendan into the detective bureau at the downtown police station. Garcia introduced himself, expressed his sorrow for Brendan’s loss, then escorted him to the interview room. Brendan was thirty-eight years old, 6’-1”, 210 pounds, with short light brown hair parted on the left and light brown eyes. He was clean-shaven. Brendan wore a blue Chicago Cubs t-shirt, beige Bermuda shorts, and sandals. Garcia believed his dress was appropriate for being on a boat all day. Garcia left the room to get Brendan a bottled water.
Before returning, Garcia joined Elsberg in the video monitoring room, where she was watching Brendan’s behavior. Both detectives watched for a few minutes while Brendan placed his elbows on the table, placed his face against both hands, and rubbed his forehead with his fingers. Garcia noticed Brendan’s right leg nervously bouncing up and down. A few moments later, Brendan lifted his head and rested his chin in his hands while staring down at the table.
“What do you think?” asked Elsberg.
“He’s definitely nervous and looks distraught. It could mean he is upset about losing his wife, killing her, or both. Let’s go in and try to find out.”
Both detectives walked into the interview room, and Garcia handed Brendan a bottle of water. Brendan politely thanked him.
Elsberg began the interview by asking about his and his wife’s backgrounds. They learned Brendan had graduated from the University of Wisconsin fifteen years earlier with a mathematics degree. He moved to Chicago and returned to school at DePaul University to get his master’s degree in accounting. That is where Brendan met his wife, Ivy. They met in a small nightclub near the college they both attended. Ivy was also in the accounting program. After graduating, they got married and started an accounting business together. They were both very involved in the business and chose not to have children.
They named the business Brendan Business Services and provided bookkeeping, payroll, and accounting services to small and medium-sized companies. When they started, Brendan and Ivy worked from an apartment building west of the central hub of Chicago. They initially only had a couple of small mom-and-pop-type businesses as clients. They worked hard to provide excellent and timely services. Through word of mouth, the company grew. They soon had to rent office space and hire employees. As business increased, they had to find additional space, eventually taking over an entire floor of office space in their current location on West Wacker Drive near the Chicago River. The name Brendan Business Services was displayed on the outside wall of the building.
“Yes, I know where that is,” said Garcia. “It sounds like you and your wife have been highly successful.”
Brendan nodded his head.
“Chuck, may I call you Chuck?”
“Yes, of course,” responded Brendan.
“Now, we need to talk about what happened today. I know this is hard, but it is imperative. Your cooperation will help us find who killed Ivy.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Chuck, why don’t you walk us through what you did today and tell us when you last saw your wife.”
“I was scheduled to go on a friend’s boat for the day. He also happens to be one of our biggest clients. At about seven forty-five this morning, I left the condo and drove to the marina, where I met Theo. We went out on his boat, enjoyed the water, and did some fishing. We did a lot of talking and drinking as well.”
“Who is Theo?” asked Garcia.
“Theo Mariano. He is a client and friend of mine. He owns a chain of six Italian restaurants in the Chicago area.”
“Oh yes, I recognize the name now. Very nice restaurants. When did you return home?”
“We got back to the marina at about four-thirty. After helping Theo secure the boat, I drove home. When I got there, I was met by the officers and told my wife had been shot,” said Brendan as he began to cry.
“Take your time, Chuck.” Garcia gave Brendan a moment to compose himself.
“Who else was on the boat with you and Mariano?”
“Nobody.”
“Chuck, when you left your condo, where was your wife?”
“She had just gotten up and was going to get ready to go meet her sister for coffee or something.”
“Did you lock the door when you left?”
“Yes, I always lock the door.”
“Who else has a key to your condo?”
“No one, unless Cindy has one.”
“Do you mean Ivy’s sister, Cindy?”
“Yes.”
“No one else has a key?”
“No, not to my knowledge.”
“How about the code to the front of your building? Do any friends, family members, or acquaintances have the code?”
“I believe Cindy knows the code, and Steve has it.”
“Who is Steve?”
“One of our employees and a good friend of mine. He often comes over to watch a ballgame with me. I gave him the code so that he didn’t always have to call.”
“What is Steve’s last name?”
“Monk. Steven Monk.”
“Anyone else have the code?”
“No.”
“Thank you, Chuck. I will let Detective Elsberg ask you a few questions now.”
“Chuck, what was Ivy wearing when you left the condo?”
“I believe she was still in her nightgown.”
“Was it a green robe?”
“No, it was a white nightgown. Ivy had just gotten up, and she was getting ready to take a shower.”
“She was wearing a green robe when she was shot.”
“She probably put that on after her shower. She usually does that.”
“Okay, thank you. Did you receive a call from Cindy this morning?”
“Um, No.”
“She told us she tried to call you. Did you have your cell phone with you?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“I left it in my car. I didn’t want to risk losing it in the water. Theo’s boat is well-equipped and has a phone on board. Ivy knew the number to the boat. I didn’t feel like I needed to take my cell phone.”
“Were you and Ivy having any marital issues?”
“Nothing more than normal.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we had our fights like every married couple.”
“Had you or she had any recent affairs?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
“Ivy had expressed some concern with the marriage to Cindy.”
“Like what?”
“That’s what I’m asking, Chuck.”
“No, no problems.”
Elsberg remained silent while she looked into Brendan’s eyes for a few moments. She could tell this made him nervous.
“Are we almost done?” asked Brendan.
“Not yet,” replied Elsberg. “Tell me about the blue pills found on the bedroom floor.”
“What blue pills?”
“The drugs we found in the condo next to Ivy’s body. Where did those come from?”
“I don’t know anything about blue pills. Ivy took some hormone stuff, but I never saw any blue pills.”
“Have you or Ivy ever taken illegal drugs?”
“No! Well, I mean no hard drugs. Sure, we used some weed from time to time.”
“Do you have any friends that use narcotics?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Okay, thank you, Chuck. Detective Garcia has a few more questions.”
“Chuck, did you kill your wife?” asked Garcia in a serious tone.
“You think I killed Ivy?”
“I’m asking. You were with her before leaving this morning.”
“No, I did not kill my wife.”
“Do you own any handguns?”
“Umm, yes, I own a handgun.”
“What kind?”
“It’s a Smith and Wesson semi-auto.”
“Is it a nine-millimeter?”
Brendan paused for a few seconds. “Yes.”
“Where is the gun now?”
“It’s at my office, locked in a desk drawer.”
“Would it be okay if we examined the gun for a few days?”
“Why would you need to do that?”
“Chuck, Ivy was shot with a nine-millimeter. The first thing we must do is clear you. Once we do that, we can focus on other people. You must admit; there are some strange circumstances here.”
“Do you want me to bring it in tomorrow?”
“No, I’d like a couple of our officers to take you to your office today and retrieve the gun. This is an essential first step.”
“I don’t know. Does it have to be today? I’m heartbroken and exhausted right now. I need some time to grieve.”
“I understand, Chuck, but we first need to get the gun. I’d like to get it without having to get a search warrant.”
