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| Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash |
Lynn pulled into the parking lot of the Blue Vista Motel. She had been meeting Brad at this motel every Friday night for six months. As usual, her heart quickened at the prospect of seeing her secret lover. At first, she was surprised that she could even participate in such a scandalous deception. It became easier over time. Now she looked forward to their tryst with gleeful anticipation.
The desk clerk recognized her. He smiled as if he knew her secret and handed her the room key. She smiled, thankful that she had never given her real name.
She let herself into the room. The lights were dim. Soft jazz wafted from the speaker. She kicked her heels off and threw her jacket across a chair. “Brad,” she softly called as she headed for the bedroom. There was no answer. “Brad,” she called again.
The bed was still perfectly made and she could hear the water from the running shower. She briefly considered joining her lover in the shower. For reasons that she could not explain, she decided against joining him. She gently pushed the shower curtain back and whispered his name again.
The room was cloudy with steam from the running hot water. Brad lay slumped in the tub as water rained down on his lifeless body. As her eyes adjusted to the steamy room, she saw her lover’s face with a single gunshot wound in the center of his head. Lynn screamed. It was an ear-piercing, blood-curdling scream of horror. She suddenly couldn’t breathe and took several steps backward, distancing herself from the horrible scene. She struggled for composure for several minutes. When she was finally able to control her emotions, she retrieved her cell phone and called 911.
After calling the police Lynn called her husband. “Hello, Jason.”
“Lynn, where are you?”
“Jason, just listen to me. I have to tell you something.” The line was quiet for a while. “I am really sorry, Jason. I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Lynn whimpered.
“What the hell are you talking about Lynn?”
“I had an affair and I am so sorry.”
The line went quiet for almost a minute. Jason was not surprised but he didn’t know what to say. “Why?” He finally whispered.
“I don’t know why. Maybe I was lonely but that isn’t important right now. We can talk about why later. Right now, I may be in trouble.”
“What have you done, Lynn?”
“I’ve been having an affair with Brad.”
“Brad?” His voice raised for the first time, “You have been cheating on me with Brad?”
“He’s dead Jason!” She blurted out. Lynn knew that this would hit Jason hard. He and Brad were friends and partners in a private law firm. “I’m sorry,” she said again.
It took a moment for Jason to understand what she was saying. “Why are you in trouble?”
“I was the one who found him. The police are here now. They’re taking me in for questioning.”
There was no immediate response. “I’ll meet you at the police station,” he said and hung up.
At the police station, Lynn was put in a small, windowless room. There was a small metal table and three very uncomfortable chairs. They wouldn’t let Jason into the interrogation room. The first detective was a tall handsome black man. He was Detective Williams. The other detective was a young white man. He looked too young for his position. He was Detective Franks and he was relentless in his questioning. Lynn was questioned for over six hours. Over and over she was asked the same questions. Why was she at the motel? What was her relationship with Bradford Cummings? Was she there when he was shot? Did she witness anyone coming or going to that room? On and on, the questions seemed never to stop.
Sometimes one detective would ask a question and the other would ask another question before she could answer the first question. She answered every question to the best of her knowledge. She knew that she didn’t have anything to hide because she had nothing to do with the murder but she couldn’t seem to convince these detectives. She was hungry and tired but the questions kept coming. At some point, she put her head down on the table and cried.
At three in the morning, Detective Franks released Lynn and told her not to leave town because they may need to speak with her again. As she stood up to leave, Detective Williams handed her a business card. “Lydia James may be able to help you,” he whispered.
Jason was waiting for her in the lobby. As soon as she saw him, her mouth went dry and all her self-restraint vanished. As she came closer to Jason, he stood up and Lynn was overcome with remorse. Tears flowing freely now, she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I am so sorry,” she whispered.
Jason did not respond. He gently removed her arms from around his neck, took her hand, and ushered her out of the station. As he drove her to her car, he was completely silent. He refused to talk to her. She wanted him to confront her about the affair, ask for a divorce, or just tell her what he was feeling; but Jason said nothing.
They arrived at their small suburban townhouse relatively at the same time. Lynn threw her keys, along with the business card that the detective had given her on the table in the entryway. She slumped in the nearest chair and covered herself with an afghan. Jason went to the bedroom, still not speaking.
For the next few days, they were never in the same room as the same time. On Friday morning the police showed up at their house with a search warrant. Lynn was hysterical. “Why are they searching our house?” She raged at Jason.
“As you already know Lynn, you are a suspect,” Jason calmly said.
“That is ridiculous. Why would I kill Brad?” She began to cry. “What are you looking for?” She raged at the police.
The police searched every inch of their property. Jason took a seat on the patio and called his office to say that he would not be coming into the office.
“Do something!!” Lynn screamed at him. “You’re a lawyer for God’s sake. Can’t you do something?”
“No! There is nothing that I can do. You were in the room where a man was murdered. The police are doing their job. I suggest you calm down and let this play out.” He sighed loudly. “Like it or not Lynn, you are a suspect.”
On Monday morning Jason found the business card that Lynn had carelessly thrown on the entry hall table. Without Lynn’s knowledge, Jason contacted the detective agency and made an appointment for the next day.
Jason was greeted by a very studious black woman who looked to be too young to be a private investigator, let alone, own an agency. “Mr. Miller?” She questioned as she extended her hand. Jason stood to shake her hand. “I’m Lydia James. Please come in,” she said. After a polite offering of tea or coffee, she sat behind the desk and motioned for him to sit also. “How can I help you?”
Jason took a deep breath. “My wife is the prime suspect in a murder case, I know that she is innocent but the police don’t seem to have any other suspects.”
There were a few awkward moments of silence. Lydia tried to keep her demeanor impassive.“The obvious first question is, how do you know that your wife is innocent?”
“I know this woman,” was all he said.
“If the police are already investigating this case, I’m not sure I understand what you think that I can do for you.”
“I’m not sure either. I just know that she is innocent and that I have to do something.”
“Alright, Mr. Miller. I can make no promises but I will see what I can do.”
“Thank you, Miss James.”
Lydia took out a pen and notepad. “Start from the beginning. Tell me everything that you know.”
“First, you should know that my wife was cheating on me with my best friend and business partner, Brad Cummings.”
Lydia stopped with her pen paused above her notepad and eyed Jason Miller with suspicion. “Why are you trying to save this woman who you say cheated on you with your best friend?”
He cleared his throat again and dropped his head into his hands. “She isn’t some woman. She’s my wife and I love her. I have always loved her and I know that she just couldn’t do this. I married Lynn knowing that she had eyes for my best friend. Lynn was fond of me. She respected me but she did not love me as I wished she could. I knew it all. Ten years ago, Brad was hardly the kind to settle down and I always knew that Lynn settled for me but I didn’t care. I thought I was the winner. That is also why I know that she couldn’t kill Brad. She loved him.”
Lydia was writing vigorously and Jason was just quiet for a time. After a few minutes, he continued. “Brad and I have a small law firm. We specialize in corporate law so it is unlikely that his murder had anything to do with our business.”
“What is Brad’s full name?”
“Bradford Cummings,” Jason said.
“Is he married?”
“Divorced two years.”
“Children?”
“Two.”
“As I said, I can make no promises. I will do some digging and see what I can find but understand that whatever I find, I am obligated to turn it over to the police.”
“I understand, but at least I know that you will have Lynn’s interest at heart.” Jason breathed a sigh of relief for the first time since he and Lynn left the police station. He was comfortable with Lydia James looking into matters and now he could devote his attention to repairing what was left of his marriage.
Lynn was a self-made fashion designer and worked in her homemade studio in their attic. The first thing Jason noticed when he got home was that Lynn was still on the recliner in their living room. He dropped his keys on the table in the entry hall loudly. Lynn jumped at the noise.
He sat across from her. “We need to talk,” he said softly. She sat up and wiped at her swollen, red eyes with the sleeve of her robe. She was about to speak but Jason put his hand up to stop her from speaking. “Don’t tell me how sorry you are. You’ve done that. Tell me why.”
“I don’t know why,” she said softly. “It just sort of happened. You were so busy all of the time and . . .”
“Oh, so this is my fault? Lynn, we were both busy. If you needed attention, why not tell me? I’m your husband.”
“Jason, I am not blaming anyone.” She was quiet for a moment. “I met Brad for drinks. That was all it was supposed to be, I swear. Then it just happened.” Uncomfortable quiet moments passed. “You know Brad, He’s the fun guy. He has always been fun.” More silence. “Do you hate me, Jason?”
“No Lynn, I do not hate you.” He stood up and began to pace the length of the room. “I am not happy that you have been sleeping with someone that I thought was a friend to both of us. I trusted you, Lynn. Hell, I trusted Brad!” Anguish was written in every line of his face. He looked as if he were about to explode but suddenly he turned and fell to his knees in front of Lynn. She uncurled and sat up. Jason took her hands in his. “I love you, Lynn. I have always loved you and I will forgive you for this but cannot say that I will ever trust you again. The trust is broken and I’m not sure how we will get it back, if ever.”
“What if I am arrested?”
“I don’t think that you will be arrested but, don’t worry Lynn, I will be with you through whatever comes. You are my wife and I love you.”
They slept together for the first time since the murder but Jason kept his distance.
Lydia first presented the facts of the case to her partner Ken. Then she called Carl. “That’s my case, Lydia. What are you doing?”
“Jason Miller visited me. He hired me to prove his wife’s innocence.”
“Wow! I’m not surprised. I gave Lynn your card. However, the fact that her husband called you is surprising given she was cheating on him with the victim.”
“He knows. Do you have any other suspects for this murder?”
“No, not yet.”
“What can you tell me?”
“I can tell you that my partner and I have this case.”
“Then why did you give Mrs. Miller my card?”
“Because this is your kind of case. The kind of case where your particular brand of snooping might help.” He paused. “As far as I can tell, this isn’t a high-profile case. That means that if we don’t solve in a short time it can easily be relegated to the cold case file.”
Lydia laughed out loud. “I told Mr. Miller that I would do what I can and I fully intend to do what I can.”
“You will never change.”
“That’s why you love me. I will see you later,” she said and hung up.
As usual, she began her investigation by searching public records. She quickly learned that Bradford Cummings was quite a bit more than a small corporate lawyer. He graduated from a prestigious all-boys high school outside of Philadelphia before going to Princeton University and Temple Law School. His career could have taken a much more lucrative track. He was the youngest of three siblings and the grandson of a very wealthy Philanthropist billionaire. He stood to inherit a fortunate, even if it would have been split three ways. That information alone could present quite a bit of suspects.
Apparently, his divorce went well and he enjoyed continued communication with his ex-wife and his children. Lydia investigated the lives of everyone in Bradford Cummings's life and could come up with no one who could possibly benefit from his death. She compared notes with Carl and he confirmed that he had also come up empty.
“You didn’t find anything in his apartment?” She asked Carl.
“Nothing.”
“What about his computer?”
“We have it but I can’t share anything yet.”
That was a red flag for Lydia. She felt that the police must have found something on Brad’s computer. That led her to social media. Brad turned out to be a big lady’s man. According to his social media, he left a string of broken hearts and angry husbands across the tri-state area. This information sent Lydia in different directions and she enlisted the help of her partner Ken to run down all of the prospective suspects.
The two of them found that one of the three husbands whose wives left them for Brad, who eventually jilted the women, could hate Brad enough to kill him. However, the men all had alibis for the time that Brad was murdered. Back to square one, Lydia thought.
The Cummings family had arranged a funeral at their family church. Lynn had no plans to attend and was surprised that her husband intended to attend the service. “You can’t go, Jason. How would that look?”
“Besides being your lover,” Jason said sarcastically. “Brad was my best friend. I am going to attend the service and I don’t expect you to understand.”
Jason’s plans to attend the funeral would change when homicide detectives requested that he and Lynn come to the station for more questioning. They were ushered into the same room that Lynn remembered from the night of the murder.
Detective Williams was very polite. He spread out an array of photos of young men about the same age as Brad and Jason. “Do any of these men look familiar to either of you?”
“No,” Lynn quickly answered.
Jason wasn’t so quick to answer. He recognized one of the men but he couldn’t remember where he could have met him. “He pointed to the blond-haired, green-eyed man. “I’ve seen this guy before. Who is he?”
“I am not at liberty to say at this moment.” He gathered up the photos and set out another array of photos of females. “Are any of these women familiar?’
Both Jason and Lynn pointed to the same female. “This woman works in Brad’s office,” Lynn said.
“Her name is Janis Hanson. She doesn’t work in our office. I believe that she is Judge Cummings Law Clerk. Judge Cummings is Brad’s uncle.”
Detective Williams thanked the Millers for coming in and said that he would be in touch.
“Does this mean that I am no longer a suspect?” Lynn asked.
He smiled but did not answer. “Thank you again,” he said and left the room.
Later that evening when Lydia and Carl were at home and talking about their day, Carl told Lydia that the Millers had been questioned again. She probed him for information, as she usually did, but Carl would say no more. The next day Lydia called Jason Miller and he was eager to tell her everything about their meeting at the police station.
“The funeral service is this Tuesday. Do you think that I should attend?” Jason asked.
“Well, it isn’t my place to advise you about something so personal but, under the circumstances, I think it might not be in good taste,” Lydia said. She thanked him for the information and promised to contact him if she learned anything new.
It didn’t take long to figure out whose photos got the police’s attention. The man with blond hair and green eyes was an attorney for the Cummings estate and the woman was a law clerk just as Jason said.
On the day of the funeral, Lydia found a discreet place to park where she could observe the mourners. Although she was a couple of yards down the block, she was close enough to see the attendees as they left the church. The one thing that got Lydia’s attention was how distraught Mrs. Hanson appeared. That also seemed to get the attention of Brad’s siblings. His sister, Lauren stared at the weeping Mrs. Hanson as if her grief was surprising. Lydia thought that the woman must have had some kind of relationship with Brad. This presented many questions and very few answers. Lydia knew that somehow Mrs. Hanson was the key to solving this case. It was a hunch and Lydia was well aware that a hunch was nothing without evidence.
Back at the office, Lydia called Carl. “How is the case coming?” She asked.
“Not good, as I’m sure you already know. What have you found out, Lydia?”
“Nothing, really. Have you any evidence?” She asked sharply.
Carl breathed a deep sigh before answering. “Nothing hard.”
“What about the gun?”
“Well now. Here’s an interesting fact. Bradford Cummings was killed with his own gun.”
“Really?” Lydia was intrigued. “I would say that is a fact that is more than just interesting.” She was quiet for a moment, “He lived alone, didn’t he?”
“As far as we know.”
“Then who would have access to his gun? It isn’t likely that he took it with him for an evening with his lover.”
“I agree,” Carl said. “The Crime Unit found the empty gun case in his apartment. Footage from the building’s security system showed that in the 48 hours before the murder, Mr. Cummings was the only person seen coming and going to his apartment.” Moments of silence. “Have you come up with anything useful on your end?”
“I’m not sure how useful this will be but, I sat outside the funeral home and observed the family. Nothing out of the ordinary except Janis Hanson appeared to be terribly distraught. I assumed that her association with Bradford was more of an acquaintance, but she was balling her eyes out. It made me wonder if they could have been lovers.”
“Wow! That bears looking into. We should talk later.”
As soon as Lydia hung up the phone she left the office. The police had checked the building’s security cameras, but Brad may have personal system security inside the apartment. The apartment building was on a tree-lined street which was also shaded by a large awning. It was fairly easy to slip by the doorman who was busy helping a resident with her shopping bags. Once inside the lobby, Lydia avoided the front desk by heading straight for the stairs. Brad’s apartment was on the third floor. Crime tape was crisscrossed over the doorway. Lydia peeled one end away and stepped over the tape.
It was a beautiful apartment. Modern furnishings that looked barely lived in. An extensive bar and bookcase. Lydia took her flashlight and examined everything in the main living room and found nothing. She was just about to give up and leave when a flashing light on the bookshelf caught her attention. As Lydia suspected, there was a tiny camera mounted on the shelf between books. Now the challenge would be to find the feed. It would likely be on his cell or his laptop, neither of which was in the apartment. Lydia was careful to leave everything just as she found it before leaving the apartment.
In the car, she phoned Jason Miller. “Good afternoon, Mr. Miller. I hope this isn’t a bad time for us to talk.”
“No. Absolutely not. Have you found something?”
“Maybe, but I do have a few questions.”
“Alright.”
“How well do you know Janis Hanson?”
“Not well at all. I know that she clerked for Judge Cummings as I told the police.”
“Do you know if she had a relationship with Brad?”
Jason was visibly surprised at that question. “I know he knew her better than I did, but I don’t know if they had a relationship. Do you think that she had something to do with his death?”
“I couldn’t say yet, but I think that I may have something soon. Thank you, Jason. I will be in touch.”
Lydia spent the next few days researching Janis Hanson. She learned that this young woman, although seemingly very shy, was also very smart. She was a well-respected lawyer in her own right. Lydia found no indication of a relationship with Brand. However, there was some kind of relationship with another staff member associated with Brad and Jason’s law firm.
Lydia knew that she could not get access to the footage from the security camera or Hanson’s phone and office calendar. She had no choice but to take her hunch to the police. She called Carl to let him know that she was coming into the district.
“That must mean that you have something, am I right?”
“Maybe. As I said. It’s a hunch that just might lead to evidence. I’ve gone as far as I can go.” The line was quiet for a moment. “I’m on my way.”
Once in the station, Lydia played out the case as she saw it to Carl and his partner. “First, I found a camera hidden in the bookcase in Bradford’s apartment. You can buy these small cameras at any electronic store. The footage is usually stored on a cell or laptop. You have both in evidence.”
“We will check,” Carl promised.
“Secondly, as I told you, Janis Hanson seems more distraught than some of the victim’s own family. The more I thought about it, the more I became convinced that her grief had less to do with the victim and more to do with who she may know is the murderer.” Lydia paused to judge if there was any disagreement at this point. “You can get a warrant for her phone and office calendar which will show who she was spending time with and who she was communicating with.”
Carl cleared his throat loudly. “We already know who Janis was spending time with. We had her in for questioning a couple of days ago. She was having an affair with one of Bradford’s clients. A man named Kelly Parson. Bradford represented him in a property litigation case that had the possibility of costing Parson millions. Parson was convinced that Brantford was slow-walking his case. However, we only have Hanson’s word for it. We still have no evidence.”
Lydia stood up to leave. “I think that you will find all that you need once you view those security tapes. You can thank me then. A nice steak dinner would be
nice.” She winked and left the district.
Later that evening as Lydia packed her bag to leave the office, she received two text messages from Carl. The first read, “Thanks to the security footage from Bradford’s camera, Kelly Parson has been charged with murder.” The second message read, “Dinner is at seven at DeMarco’s Restaurant. See you there.”
#
THE END
