Red Leaves by Paullina Simons
Spencer stepped away, and his gaze became cold again. This boy was impossible. ‘You’re absolutely right. Nothing’s going to bring her back. But helping us is going to keep you out of jail. Because I’m sure Concord’s DA’s office will want to know why you knew she was dead yesterday and didn’t report it. Why you knew she was missing for over a week, yet didn’t report her missing. They’ll be very curious, I can tell you that right now. They’re a curious bunch.’
Jim’s expression went from defiant to broken. ‘All right,’ he said, pointing to the gurney. ‘Do I need to see any more? It’s her new boots, I know them.’
Yes, Spencer thought, reaching out and touching the boots with his fingers.
‘Spencer!’ exclaimed Will.
Spencer slowly took his hand off, not taking his eyes off the boots. ‘Huh,’ he said, squinting up at Jim. ‘Interesting.’
Jim looked at the boots. ‘What?’
Stepping back, Spencer said, ‘Nothing, nothing.’
Jim said, ‘Listen, it’s her, all right? Do I have to see any more?’
Spencer didn’t want to see her himself, and was about to say, no, no, you don’t, when Will stepped in. ‘Yes, Jim,’ he said, glaring at Spencer. ‘I’m afraid you do.’
‘All right,’ Jim said, stiffening. ‘Show me, and then let’s get out of here.’
The little attendant lifted the blanket off the body’s head. Then he removed the blanket completely. Spencer stood at the head of the gurney, looking at Kristina in front of him and at Jim to the left of him. He held his breath. He didn’t want another cry of pain to escape his throat.
If ever there was a positive identification, this was it. Jim looked at her and turned away, trembling. Kristina was naked, her hands at her sides. She was still frozen, but the extremities were starting to thaw: their bluish color was different from the rest of her body, which remained white. Spencer needed to ask the question Is it Kristina Kim? But he couldn’t speak. He motioned to Will, who said, ‘Jim, is it Kristina Kim?’
‘Yes,’ Jim said brokenly without turning around. ‘It’s her.’
Though Spencer noticed – with a pang in his chest – the blueness of her skin, the whiteness of Kristina’s face, he was riveted on Jim. He wanted to see what was in Jim’s eyes. Tears and shaking shoulders could just as easily be remorse as grief.
Crying, Jim turned back to the body. Wiping his face in a rough gesture, he asked, ‘So what’s going to happen to her now?’
‘Nothing,’ said Spencer. ‘Nothing until she thaws. Maybe Saturday. The medical examiner in Concord has already been notified.’ The last sentence was more a question than a statement. Spencer looked over at Will, who shrugged.
‘Fell was supposed to call the coroner.’
‘And the DA’s office?’
Nodding, Will said, ‘And the DA’s office.’
Turning back to Jim, Spencer said, ‘And I’ll tell you about the DA’s office, Jim. They’re eager. The more criminals they put away, the better their record. You dig how that works, right?’
Jim, looking as if he were barely listening, nodded.
‘There’s nothing they like better than a homicide. We don’t get too many of them around here. I don’t know what it’s like around Wilmington, but in this part of the country a suspicious death is the biggest deal there is. It’s front-page news, if you get my meaning.’
Jim didn’t move.
‘If the death was an accident, fine,’ Spencer continued. ‘But if the autopsy shows it wasn’t, then our little friends in Concord don’t sleep or eat until they get their man. Understand?’
‘What makes you so sure it was a man?’ Jim asked.
‘Jim, Jim. You’re taking this personally. And literally. Try to relax. We don’t know her death wasn’t an accident.’
‘An accident?’
‘Yeah, sure, an accident,’ Spencer said. ‘The autopsy could show she’d been drinking. She could’ve drunk an entire bottle of Southern Comfort, walked the wall, then taken a walk through the woods and just collapsed. Alcohol made her seem warmer; meanwhile she was colder and colder. Sat down in the snow and went to sleep. It could’ve happened.’
‘Really?’ Jim said, with so much expectation, so much hope, it made Spencer almost physically sick.
‘No,’ Spencer said sadly. ‘No. But never mind that, right now. You understand how important your testimony is? Taking her body temperature is useless. Worse than useless. Irrelevant. It won’t tell us anything. She’s been frozen solid under three feet of snow for nine days.’
‘But at least we know when she …’ said Jim, trailing off as if the words were too much in Krishna’s presence.
‘Died?’ finished Spencer, mindful of Jim’s delicacies. ‘Do we know that? I think we don’t know anything.’
Moving away from the stainless-steel gurney, Jim blinked away tears. Spencer motioned to the attendant that they were done.
I hope this attendant doesn’t fall asleep in public places, Spencer thought. Or someone might mistake him for a corpse, too.
The white-gray sheet was spread over her legs, then over her naked midsection, over her frozen breasts, and finally over her face and wet, black hair. Spencer lowered his head.
‘Let’s go,’ he said. ‘Tell you what I’ll do. I’m going to send you home. I want to talk to your friends. Albert and Constance. I’ll ask you to come back tomorrow. Don’t go into Kristina’s room. We’re getting a search warrant first thing in the morning. Understand everything? Hope for your sake your story checks out. Come on, let’s go.’
‘Why’d you do that?’ Will whispered to Spencer on the way to the car. ‘It’s against protocol. We definitely should keep him overnight.’
‘He’s a poor scared-shitless kid,’ Spencer whispered back. ‘And I don’t think he did it.’
‘You don’t? Why?’
‘Because,’ said Spencer. ‘I don’t think the killer would keep coming back to Kristina’s room. What would be the point?’
In the car, Spencer said, ‘I just want to ask you again, the dog wasn’t with you for Thanksgiving?’
‘No,’ Jim said from the backseat.
After they dropped off Jim, Spencer and Will went back to the station. It was after hours, and the station was nearly empty. Albert and Conni remained separated in their rooms.
Spencer poked his head in to see Conni. ‘How are you doing?’
‘God!’ she exclaimed. ‘It’s been so long.’
‘Just a few minutes longer, all right?’ said Spencer. He wanted to talk to Albert first.
‘That’s what you said last time,’ she said. ‘Look, can I get something to eat, or –’
‘No, Conni, you can’t,’ said Spencer as he was shutting the door. ‘This is not a restaurant.’ He brought her a glass of water and some coffee, anyway.
He and Will went in to talk to Albert, who was composed. Spencer knew composure did not mean internal calm nor ignorance. All it meant was that someone could handle his or her bodily tics in front of others. It was eight o’clock. Spencer was still a long way from being done, and he was spent. He adjusted his gun holster so he could sit more comfortably, and then took it off altogether.
Albert said, ‘Do you need someone to identify her?’
Opening his notepad, Spencer said slowly, ‘Jim Shaw already identified her. What we need is someone to authorize an autopsy and to claim her body. Can you do that?’
Shaking his head, Albert said, ‘I thought maybe you needed someone else to look at her.’
Spencer considered him for a moment. ‘We got a positive ID. We don’t need to second it.’
Shrugging, Albert turned his gaze straight ahead and shifted in his seat. Spencer watched him. There was something impressive, something no-nonsense, about his demeanor, about his unwavering gaze and his stoicism. Young people didn’t regularly die in this part of the country. This was not the streets of New York. And Kristina was Albert’s friend. Yet he was composed. He didn’t look
Before Spencer could speak, Albert expressed remorse for what had happened and said he would do whatever he could to help.
‘Well, we certainly appreciate that,’ said Will Baker, who took his seat next to Spencer and across from Albert.
‘It was very hard for Jim Shaw,’ Spencer added.
‘It’s hard for all of us,’ said Albert, and somehow Spencer didn’t doubt for a moment that Albert was talking about himself. Spencer turned on the tape recorder.
‘Albert, before I get to Kristina, tell me a little about yourself.’
‘What would you like to know?’
‘Where are you from?’
‘Clairton, Pennsylvania.’
Spencer nodded. ‘Never heard of it. Where are your parents?’
‘I don’t know. Maybe still there. We don’t keep in touch.’
‘You don’t keep in touch with your mother?’
‘No.’
‘Why not?’
Albert shrugged. ‘I just don’t,’ he said slowly.
‘She was important enough to you to tattoo her name on your arm.’
‘She was my mother, detective.’
‘Any brothers or sisters?’
‘No.’
‘Why did you choose Dartmouth?’
Albert smiled lightly. ‘Because my SAT scores were too high to get into Harvard.’
Spencer didn’t smile. ‘Why Dartmouth?’ he repeated.
Albert stopped smiling. ‘I didn’t choose Dartmouth. Dartmouth chose me.’
Spencer studied Albert, while the tape recorder hummed. They didn’t speak. Albert looked different from a few hours ago, somehow more familiar, more sympathetic. The tattoos made sense, the earring, the long hair, the impenetrable black eyes. Albert was collected and he was steadfast, but underneath, Spencer saw no fear. No fear of him, no fear of the interrogation, no fear of jail. Albert looked like a guy who had nothing to hide.
‘Albert, tell me,’ said Spencer. ‘Were you good friends with Jim?’
‘Yes, we were roommates in our freshman year.’
‘Is that how you met Kristina and Conni? Through Jim?’
‘Kristina and I were in the same philosophy class together. Conni was Kristina’s roommate.’
Well, that explained it. Albert had met Kristina in class. He wondered why Jim didn’t know that. Why had Jim been sitting there puzzling over a three-year-old memory when in two seconds and one sentence it was all clear?
Will stood up. ‘Can I see you for a second, Trace?’ he said.
Closing the door behind him and lowering his voice in the narrow hallway, Will said, ‘What are you doing?’
‘What?’
‘What the hell are you asking him this for? I can see you’re on a roll, but we already got this stuff from Jim, and it wasn’t any more relevant then.’
Will was shorter than Spencer, who had to bend his head to reply. ‘Will, I want to see if their story is the same. I want to catch one of them in a lie.’
‘So?’ Will said wearily, rubbing his eyes. ‘So you catch one of them. One says one thing, one says another. You gonna go through this with Conni too, to get a third side? So what if one of them is lying? This is three-year-old shit. Who cares?’
‘This is where you’re wrong, Baker,’ said Spencer. ‘This is two-hour-old shit. A girl has been found dead, and her three best friends didn’t report her missing for nine days.’
‘They were away!’ Will raised his voice.
Spencer also raised his voice. ‘They didn’t report her missing! That’s all I care about, Will,’ Spencer said, quieter. ‘They didn’t report her missing, and I’m going to find out why.’
Will groaned.
Back at the table, Spencer continued, ‘Tell me something, Albert. Why didn’t you go out with Kristina? Jim was seeing Conni.’
Smiling bemusedly, Albert said, ‘Is that what he told you? Well, to be perfectly honest, I couldn’t help that Conni liked me. She just didn’t want to hurt Jim’s feelings. And Kristina really liked Jim.’
‘Jim said you told him there was no chemistry between you and Kristina.’
‘I told him that, yes. I wanted him not to be upset about Conni and me. I also told him that Kristina really liked him.’
‘He didn’t tell me that.’
‘No, he wouldn’t.’
Will nudged Spencer under the table.
Spencer proceeded to ask Albert the questions he had already asked Jim. When was the last day and time Albert saw Kristina? Albert said he had seen her after poker on Tuesday night after midnight, to wish her a happy Thanksgiving.
‘Was Conni with you?’
‘No, she wasn’t.’
‘You’re going out with Conni, right?’
‘Right.’
‘You often visit other girls’ rooms after midnight without your girlfriend?’
Albert looked at Spencer with surprise. ‘We’re all very good friends. Besides, Kristina and I were on the same floor, and Conni was downstairs packing. It was no big deal. I went upstairs to pack my stuff anyway.’
Albert said he didn’t know what Kristina had planned for the holidays. Conni had invited Kristina to come with them, but Kristina had refused, something about a girl at Red Leaves House and a basketball game on Saturday.
Spencer remembered Kristina’s boots. ‘Her boots – I noticed one of them was tied, one untied. When you went to see her, you didn’t happen to lace up one of her boots, did you?’
‘I don’t recall,’ said Albert. ‘I might’ve. She’d been hurt in an accident, and her arm wasn’t working well. I might have helped her with the boots.’
‘You mean the boot?’
‘Do I?’
‘Only one was tied.’
Albert smiled comfortably. ‘Maybe one got untied.’
Spencer studied him. ‘Maybe,’ he said.
Will said, ‘We’ll have Ed Landers dust the boots, Tracy.’
Nodding, Spencer asked, ‘If your fingerprints are all over the boots, would that help you remember?’
‘Not really,’ replied Albert. ‘So much has happened, and it would have been such a little thing. I can’t recall.’
‘Albert,’ said Spencer, ‘when you came to see her, was she naked? Would you recall that?’
‘Sure.’
‘Was she?’
‘I don’t recall.’
‘I see.’ Spencer paused. ‘Because if you were kneeling in front of a naked woman, who was not your girlfriend, and lacing up her boot, you’d recall that, wouldn’t you?’
‘I think I would.’
‘Yes. I think you would, too. You wouldn’t mind giving up a fingerprint sample, would you? Hair and blood?’
‘No,’ said Albert. ‘Of course not.’
‘Did Kristina seem normal to you?’
‘Yes,’ said Albert. ‘Sweet.’
‘Where was she headed after midnight?’
‘I don’t know. She didn’t say.’
‘Did she mention wanting to walk the bridge wall?’
‘I don’t recall her mentioning it, no.’
‘You don’t recall a lot of things about seeing Kristina.’
‘It wasn’t that important.’ Albert smiled. ‘That’s why I don’t recall it.’
‘A few more questions.’ Spencer stared pointedly at Albert.
Politely cocking his head, Albert said, ‘Whatever I can do to help, I’ll be glad to do.’
Prodding Albert along, Spencer asked him what happened to Kristina’s dog.
‘We took the dog with us,’ Albert replied.
‘Why?’
‘It’s not unusual. We also took him with us last year for Thanksgiving. Kristina sometimes likes a break from the mutt, and Conni’s got a great backyard for him to run around in.’
‘You took the dog.’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, how was Kristina supposed to know that Aristotle had
‘I thought you said Kristina was dead?’
Spencer did not take his eyes off Albert. ‘I said that, yes. But you didn’t know she was dead before you left for the holidays. Did you?’
‘No, of course not.’ Albert’s eyes never left Spencer’s.
‘And Conni? She also didn’t know?’
‘You’d have to ask Conni that,’ Albert said, smiling affably.
‘Back to my question. How did you tell Kristina you were taking her dog?’
‘I think Constance left her a note.’
‘Where?’
‘I don’t know. On her desk?’
‘You walked into her room last Wednesday morning to take the dog and write her a note?’
‘I didn’t. Conni did.’
‘Okay.’ Spencer had a lot to talk to Conni about. ‘And then you went away for four days.’
‘Five, actually. We came back on Monday.’
‘Right. Did you return the dog to Kristina?’
‘No, she wasn’t around. Jim took her.’
‘Did you inquire where Kristina might be?’
‘We didn’t know she wasn’t around. It was Jim who asked us if we’d seen her. And we hadn’t.’
‘You speak for both Conni and yourself?’
‘Yes, because we hadn’t left each other since the previous week.’
‘Not even for a second?’
‘No.’
‘That Tuesday night, you were together every minute?’
Albert became puzzled. ‘Which Tuesday night are you talking about now?’
‘The Tuesday night Kristina died.’
‘Oh. That Tuesday night.’ He scratched his head. ‘I think so. I mean, not every second.’ He smiled. An open smile. ‘We went to the bathroom separately.’
Spencer wasn’t biting. ‘Remember what time that was?’
Albert shook his head, saying pleasantly, ‘I’m only joking. I mean, we weren’t together every second.’
‘Do you remember the seconds you were not together?’
‘Am I or are we both under suspicion, Detective O’Malley?’ The question was asked mildly, but Albert’s eyes hardened.
‘Right now, even the dog is under suspicion, Albert, so the answer to your question is yes. I have a body that’s been lying in the snow for a week and a half and three friends who weren’t curious where Kristina was during that time. Now I’m trying to piece together what I think was the last night of her life. Didn’t you worry when you hadn’t seen her?’