CHAPTER 8
Laying out photographs on the floor didn't take up as much space as he thought and mostly, they were from Sofia's childhood. William put them in year order, wrote on the post-it notes and sat down at his computer. His head didn't want to work and kept returning to the incident and the disappearance of Dr Woodruff.
The first was New York, an infamous city with an equally infamous police force. William had spent the first few years after the academy there. There he'd met Tom and Carol - new friends. At the first, work was just routine and not very complicated. It was all just standard procedure and insignificant scribing at court hearings. Yet, William had always wanted to get to the bottom of cases, or at least until his bosses got tired of them and began to slow him down. His bosses had always tried to hush up the illegal use of migrants and corruption, since more influential people were at fault. In the end, he was offered a promotion with a move to the west coast. It was here that William formed in his mind the principles of guilt and innocence. He once told Carol: "If you do not want it, you will never do it." If someone doesn't want to commit a crime, they won't. This principle extended to all corners of William's life. Carol didn't agree with him, but never argued over the matter. This was the only time in his life, oddly enough, that Carol's mother, Tory Blackhouse, supported him. Since then however, she's never repeated such 'mistakes' and supported him again. Tory hated him so much that this couldn't be discounted. He convinced himself that this line of thought was stupid, and that he had to look from a different angle.
Gradually, his list approached 2020 and he stopped. There was nothing further to print. He opened a new tab in the spreadsheet, renamed it 'Cases' and started a list of all the investigations he'd been involved within the last 20 years. It soon became clear his memory wasn't photographic. He'd forgotten processes and names, meaning he could only recall about a third. Then, he realised he needed to consult the archive. This had become easier, as it had been centralized and digital, so access was available from anywhere in the country. Looking down the list, William threw his hands behind his head and leaned back. Nothing on screen triggered his memory or showed any sign of connection to the incident.
After a while, he felt hot. Surely his blood pressure had risen as he was bubbling with anger. He threw the TV remote across the room, hitting the TV. Batteries fell out of the case and rolled under the bedside table. A crack appeared on the screen, but he was still angry and didn't feel any easier. He reached for his pill box. 'Damn it, the doctor has disappeared, but his pills remain'. A stupid thought flickered in his head.
He had to have a rest, but at that moment Tom called. He told William to drive to the office and suggested to send a sergeant to pick him up. William refused and soon went to the garage to pick up his Ford. It was nearing three o'clock and William's shift was nearly finished. Therefore, the boss had called him on purpose. On the way, he drove to a coffee shop and picked up four drinks for everyone in the office.
'Hi Felicia!' he said, trying to sound normal as he approached the desk of the press officer.
'Bill, it's you!', she blushed, joyfully. Then she looked down and added 'You shouldn't have. Thank you, of course, but I feel bad...'
'Don't worry about it. You're the only one who supports me, pretending that you love coffee. I bet you'd never had it before moving here?'
'I've been here for nine years now,' Felicia pursed her lips and smiled. 'So I've got used to it and actually really like it.'
'Thanks!' William nodded and went over to Huston's desk. Sergeant Huston wasn't in. William put a double Americano on his desk and handed over two glasses to Sergeant Rith and another detective, who both preferred strong coffee from a coffee shop, not the tepid and bitter mess their kettle spewed out. They thanked William and looked away. William felt this was something he had to get used to, but so far, the tension was unpleasant.
Tom's office was full of people. They all fell silent when they saw him in the doorway.
'It seems there's more to this case than meets the eye. We need new schedules and more volunteers. Understand? The meeting concluded and no questions followed. The team had been asked this before, so this phrase was a mere formality.
'Come in and sit down,' Tom said to William. 'Would you like some coffee? Ours of course,' he grinned. 'We have nothing else.'
'No thanks. Water is better for me as I've taken some painkillers, so best not to mix them.'
'Who said that? Woodruff?' his old colleague smiled. Seeing a nod, he continued 'This is a long story. I discussed the results of the initial findings with Sam.'
'And?' William barely managed to restrain himself from screaming.
'My head's spinning. Let's talk this over piece by piece. Your fingerprints are on the glass in the Doctor's bedroom. There's some whiskey in the glass, yet, there's been no alcohol in your tests. I've been wondering if you poured it.'
'Rubbish! My fingerprints may have been left after visiting him a month or two ago, maybe even six months ago. Did he never wash his dishes?'
'Good question. At least that indirectly confirms there was another person in Dr Woodruff's house,' Tom sat in the chair and wearily rubbed his temples. 'Although Jimmy doesn't think so. He wants some facts.'
'Indirectly? What do you mean?'
'It's strange that there wasn't any linen on the bed, nor pillowcases, duvet covers or sheets. I don't think Woodruff would have gathered them to take to the laundry along with his laptop. Now there's a second group of forensics there. They're looking for prints more carefully. In short, the fact is that there's hairs on the floor. Some belong to Woodruff, and others to your daughter.'
'What?' William was taken aback. 'Sofia, are you kidding? She's been dead for five years, we buried her.'
'Huston sent Carol's hair today for a check. They need yours as well. You're gonna have to talk to him later and hand it over. Let's think how it may have got there.'
'I don't get it, Tom, is that all?' asked William, sharply. 'I want everything.'
'You always did," the inspector smiled sincerely. "Alright, everything else is pretty boring. There's some footprints on the floor in the house, but they're unclear. Now forensics is working in them. Something's obviously been done on purpose. There aren't any fingerprints on the surfaces. The only ones present are Woodruff's and Carol's. There's also no cameras, notepads, papers or folders. The evidence in the cloud on Amazon has also been erased. It's clear we've got the third one though. Reports from his patient's records require a judgment and it'll take two weeks to get them. The CCTV has been viewed again, but they haven't found anything following the first check. The registration plate on Woodruff's car hasn't shown up anywhere yet either. I can see the question forming in your eyes. A map of possible routes under the CCTV is being formed now. It can even be done in Google now. Therefore, it's not a problem. Carol's autopsy revealed a heart attack - there's traces of antidepressants, as well as strong sleeping pills and alcohol. Her heart couldn't take it. I'm really sorry.'
'Thank you, but although it sounds simple, nothing's clear. There was a third person, yes? If so, could Woodruff kill that person, drag them into the car and take them away?'
'Potentially, but only the doctor himself can answer that question and we haven't found him yet. To be honest, there are bigger issues. Governor Newsome wants to increase the number of patrols because of the quarantine. Are you up for it? The president has closed the borders, banned European travel and there are people already infected in the States. It's called coronavirus and, as always, there's excessive hype and very little data to go on. It started in China and was spread by air. It's dangerous to the elderly and smokers because of a kind of protein. For us, it causes a headache with shifts as there aren't enough people. The mayor refused to allocate budget at first and that directive came from above. Now they're calling for volunteers, so it's going to be difficult to deal with your case for the next couple of weeks.'
'Are you serious?' William looked, as if Tom was talking complete nonsense.
'Sorry, but yes. The problem is that if the result of the hair analysis is confirmed, we're gonna have to make a request for exhumation. Are you against it?' asked Tom, although he knew the answer in advance.
'No, but we also have to interview the staff and pathologists again and raise all the documents about the clinic. Although, exhumation must be done immediately.'
'Don't get ahead of yourself. First is the test, then Huston will do the rest. He's also a little puzzled, to say the least and was shocked for half an hour when he got the results. I suspect, this puzzle may be too complicated for him. So I'm gonna guide him, so to speak.'
'Wait, what about me? Are you excluding me?' exclaimed William.
'No, I'm not. You'll be helping out with advice, but your position is shaky. The office is full of cases, there are not enough patrols. The Mayor ordered the closure of all eateries and restaurants, so we're ensuring security on the streets and Attorney Harris advised us not to get you involved in the investigation.'
'What does she care! This is not a state matter!'
'Shut up! I know about your relationship, but we need a result, not emotions. City Attorney Parker said the same. Want to know more? The mayor also called and she asked about taking care of you. Sounds odd, right?'
'Does Schaaf know? Who told her?'
'Why shouldn't she? This shows you managed to stick your nose in where it's not wanted and you've upset those higher up who put pressure on her. She's a tough cookie.'
'Yes, Libby is a real fighter. She helped us a lot.'
'We're all fighters, Bill, none more so than you. So, don't help those who are out to get us at these difficult times. Here, take Carol's blouse button and go back home for now.'
'Tom, you know me! I had nothing to do with that. I had no motive.'
'Some people don't agree. Your alibi doesn't stand-up. There's no surveillance cameras at your house, which is strange. Maybe you knew in advance that they didn't need to be installed? Do you see the point?'.
'Tom!'
'Wait! I want to make this clear between us. If I've got to clear your head to make you see, then I'm ready to do so. Stop being emotional for a second and listen. A torn button on the floor of your apartment isn't exactly a bonus. It's easy to infer that there was an argument between Carol and yourself, and you didn't want to let her go. Therefore, it's domestic violence. Next comes anger, resentment, jealousy and a burning desire to take revenge. The amount of alcohol in your bloodstream doesn't stop you moving around, as if you were sober. Therefore, it's likely that you were at the psychiatrist's house when the tragedy happened with Carol. You watched her because you were jealous and then erased all the prints. Which patient would've thought to clean the place up after their visit? By the way, as Woodruff had no cameras, the evidence is suggestive. Could he open the door for you? Did Woodruff trust you so much that he could calmly let you into the house? Yes, he did. Have you been his patient? Yes, you have.'
'I don't...'
'Let me finish! More to the point, would Woodruff leave Carol alone in the house? Yes, he would. If you were sitting next to her, would he trust you with her? The probability, as you see, is higher. Here's an option for you. The fingerprints on the glass are quite old and were left too long ago. Plus, Sofia's hair. It doesn't add up. However, if we imagine you're a pervert, it's possible you'd cut her hair off before her death and now decided to use it to confuse the investigation. As you see, there's a motive for the judge and jury. Moreover, some people think you're far too calm following Carol's death.'
'What?!'
'I know that sounds strange but your superiors share this opinion. This doesn't mean you've got to act out a tragedy to get them to believe you. Just bear in mind you're being closely watched on all fronts, much like me. There's no evidence so far. All this is just based on assumption. Yet, these people can turn those assumptions into accusations when things go even slightly their way. It's not me who needs to explain that to you.'
'I get it. Thanks for saying. I can't exactly shout about it on every street corner. I want to get to the bottom of the truth and that desire is forever in my heart,' William banged his chest as he said, 'I'm feeling the urge to hunt and punish. I hate to look pathetic. I know that justice will prevail above all, and that's all that matters.'
'That's why I'm asking you to fulfil your duties, but only as an advisor at this point. Listen to me and help me. There's no need to ask Sergeant Huston so many questions. If you have enough time, go to your office and start planning the shifts for the patrols. I've prepared all the documents for you. Calm down, Jimmy won't waste time. He's nobody's fool and knows his job and I'll keep my finger on the pulse.'
The movement of the people in the office resembled fish in an aquarium. William stood outside the door for a while, fixated on them. He felt as if he was just a cog in a machine, with it rotating around him and him having no control. All he knew was the clinic where Sofia died held a key.