The Yearbook
Billy said, “Hey, Tess, come check out the house with me. My Grandparents bought it as a wedding present for my mom. It’s pretty cool.”
Tess smiled and said, “Sure, lets!”
Tess and Billy spent most of the afternoon with Billy showing off her house and room. It was a really nice place. 5 bedrooms, 5 full baths, a mother-in-law suite with full bath, living room. Nice place. Billy had a shift that night, and they planned for Tess to go in with Billy and do some work at an empty desk in the waiting area, so they arranged to go by Tess’s house to pick up stuff and check and make sure the cat and dog were taken care of. Tess put them in the garage the night before Foxx sealed off the house. Her friend picked them up that morning and took them to her place. Ben gave her an old Chromebook he had sitting around to check her email and then he set up the phone for her, and she was pretty much back in the 21st century.
Tess spent some time calling her friends and family and work, assuring them she was okay, talking to the lawyer they had retained and making sure they kept in contact while she was away. The lawyer, Rachel Kaplan, told her she’d check in periodically. She knew Detective Foxx well, she said, and promised to get in touch with him that night. Foxx was sleeping and going in again at 1800, 6pm. Billy and Tess were going to the courthouse at 5. Billy was doing a patrol and then working dispatch again because they were chronically short-handed.
They chatted in the car for whole way, finding a surprising amount in common. After running errands, finding the pets, moving Tess’s ride out of the garage into a lot down the street so she could get her wheels back and some other stuff, they ended up back at the county courthouse. They made arrangements to meet for dinner before Billy did her tour at 2000, 8pm.
Billy pointed her at an empty desk and she set up the Chromebook and started catching up on her notes. Tess was amazed at the volume of tasks that a missed day set her behind.
Foxx came in from the main hallway, wearing and holding a raincoat. He walked over and handed the raincoat over his arm to Tess, “I know you can’t get to any of your stuff and it’s going to rain tonight. Here you go.”
Tess said, “I don’t actually own a raincoat.”
Foxx waved and said, “Happy Birthday.”
Tess said, “It’s not my birthday.”
Foxx winked and said, “I’m sorry... I missed it, but you forgot to take the coat. I’m going to go knock on some doors, but I’m going to meet you and Billy for dinner before she leaves. I expect things will get interesting sometime after that.”
Tess took the coat, and folded it over the back of the chair, “Why are you acting like a second-rate spy in a third-rate movie?”
Foxx smiled said, “But it’s so much fun!”
Tess smoothed the running jacket she was wearing and said, “Are you sure something is going to happen tonight?”
Foxx said, “Yeah. We’re missing something, but something will happen tonight. I work for the county attorney most of the time. She is of the same opinion. Billings is a big advocate of the 48-hour rule. I think he gets his crime solving knowledge from the show First 48. Oh, we’ve got quite a while before any results on the autopsy come in, but they called the cause of death immediately.”
Tess said, “And?”
Foxx said, “You already know, knife in the heart. Straight through the ribs. Death in seconds.”
Tess said, “But... he spoke to me..”
Foxx said, “That’s right. The killer was right behind him. You were looking out of a lighted room. When you closed the door and then slammed it shut and locked it, I pretty much guarantee you saved your own life.”
Tess said, “Billy told me to lock the door, so she did it.”
Foxx said, “Got a good head on her shoulders, that one.”
Tess paused, looked up and said, “So you knew I didn’t do it, because... because my clothes weren’t wet!”
Foxx nodded and said, “Damn. Good job. I’m impressed. Again. Right... the kitchen phone is a corded phone. You couldn’t have changed. If you had the change of clothes waiting there, then this would be the kind of pre-planned three ring circus murder that Agatha Christie wrote about and would never hold up for a second in real life. Besides, I checked your hamper and your laundry and your trash. I don’t like surprises.”
Tess said, “Stranger stuff has happened in real life. Look at Lizzie Borden.”
Foxx shrugged and said, “They knew who did it, they didn’t want to prosecute so they picked her as the fall girl.”
Tess said, “The business partner.”
Foxx said, “The business partner.”
Tess said, “I do have a question.”
Foxx said, “Oh?”
Tess said, “Detective Lt. Foxx, what is your first name?”
Foxx grinned and said, “This is the south. Nobody goes by their front name. My first name is David. Middle name is Robert... Everybody calls me Bob. I hate it.”
Tess stuck out her hand and said, “A pleasure to meet you, David, my name is Theresa.”
Foxx shook her hand and said, “Nice to meet you too, Theresa.”
Tess said, “Are you Jewish? Your inside garage door had one of those things on it.”
Foxx smiled and said, “Yep. You’re observant. That thing is called a mezuzah. And you just touched on the real reason why Billy’s grandparents don’t like me. They had other plans for their daughter. She converted before we got married, so Billy and all the other kids are Jewish too.”
Tess stopped for a minute, blushed bright pink, then said, “Is that a requirement?”
Foxx looked down, still smiling, and noticed they were still holding hands, “Nope.”
Someone coughed behind them and they both let go, stepped back, and turned around. Billy said, grinning like a fool, “Dinner at 8, right?”
Foxx said, “Little girl! … mmmph, yes, dinner at 8. The stuff is in the office.1”
Billy said, “Get going, Lt. You gots work to do.”
Foxx said, “Right, see you at 8,” and he turned around and strode off.
Billy said to Tess, “Dad doesn’t like many people at all.”
Tess said, “I can see that.”
Billy leaned forward, laid her finger on the side of her nose, and said, “Keep the coat with you.”
Tess said, “What is with you idiots?”
Billy said, “Fun, isn’t it? See you at 8,” and she went to get ready for her shift and do other unspecified cop things.
The hour and a half flew by like lightning. Tess got a bunch of work done, notes, case scheduling, contact lists and the like, and before she knew it Billy was standing next to her. She closed the Chromebook and slipped it into the desk drawer along with the new phone in a briefcase looking thing that Ben handed her with the little computer and magical tiny power supply. She checked the case out and it had headphones and a charging cord somehow magically stuffed in there. It seemed that Ben’s skill with technology rivaled David’s skill with cooking. She smiled as she thought of it. They were such an interesting family.
“Ahem,” said Billy holding a huge hamper,
“Oh, right,” said Tess as she pulled out of her daydream and stood up.
They headed over to the cafeteria for their little picnic. The ground floor cafe had a nice little atrium in the middle and they scoped out a spot with a medium table. Billy had all of the stuff laid out in a couple of minutes. There were 4 bento boxes, several bottles of water, some sides of chicken salad, some chips, rye bread. It was laid out quickly and neatly. Foxx appeared precisely at 8pm.
“Hey,” said Foxx, staring at Tess.
“Hey,” said Tess, staring at David.
Billy said strongly, “HI DAD, How are you?”
Foxx looked over and said, “Hi, Billy. You’ve got a patrol till midnight, right?”
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Billy said, “Yep. Let’s eat.”
Tess said, “Do you guys say grace or anything?”
Billy picked up her bread and took a chomp, “I thank Dad for providing this amazing bread and chicken salad and God for providing the company. How’s that.”
Tess said, “Just fine.”
Foxx said, “7 years of religious school, gone to waste.”
Tess said, “Huh?”
Foxx said, “Ah, never mind.”
Billy said, “Fine, Dad, Baruch ata Adonai, thank Dad for providing this amazing bread and chicken salad and God for providing the company, amen. How’s that?”
Foxx said, “Perfect.”
They ate stuff, drank stuff and had a good time for about 30 minutes, then Billy stood up and said, “Okay, I gotta go. See you guys later. I come on dispatch at 0100.”
Tess said, “Okay.”
Foxx said, “Hey, would you be interested in doing that? I don’t know what you make in your job, but we always need people here for some reason. Hmm. I guess there’s no real reason you would have to give up your day job.”
Tess said, “Let’s get this sorted out, but it seems kind of fun. All I do at night is sit at home alone.”
Foxx said, “I think we might be able to change that.”
Tess said, “We’ll talk about that after this gets sorted, as well.”
Billy said, “Tess, would you mind taking the hamper back to that desk? We can clean it all up at home. I’m going to take off and I’ll see you about 1230.”
Tess said, “Sure, I can do that,” and she started packing up the hamper with the leftovers and dishes. She brought the hamper back and just for laughs tried Lt. Foxx office door. It was locked. She stuck the hamper under the desk next to the one she was working on and put the raincoat over the back of the chair. It was still early enough to make some calls, so she got started on her case list for the next couple of days, handling what she could and rescheduling others. She would have to handle the rest tomorrow when she woke up. After a couple of hours of that, she put the computer in the sleeve thing and stuck it in the desk and pulled out her murder mystery and wandered over to one of the couches. The raincoat made a good pillow.
“Ms. Smith, can we speak with you? We have some questions we wanted to ask you about last night,” said someone. Tess looked up and blinked. Trooper Billings and another State Trooper, a woman, in uniform were standing over her, looking intimidating. Tess wasn’t intimidated at all. She said, “Just a minute. I’ll go wash my face and be right out.”
“You’ll come with us, Ms. Smith,” said Billings.
“I wasn’t ASKING, Trooper,” said Tess as she grabbed the coat and her purse and walked over to the ladies' room in the reception area, went in and locked the door. Billings tried to stop her, and the woman officer grabbed his arm and shook her head.
Tess cleaned herself up and got ready for a rather difficult conversation. She draped the coat over her purse and stepped out. The two officers were right there waiting. Tess said, “There’s no window, Trooper Billings.”
“Are you trying to be smart with me?” said Billings.
“I’m not one of your trainees or a child. Either be polite to me or we aren’t going to talk,” said Tess.
“Billings, calm down,” said the other trooper, “she’s not our prisoner. We’re just here to ask your list of questions. She belongs to County. The state attorney agreed that you can have a go at her.”
“That doesn’t mean shit to me,” said Billings.
“Whatever,” said the woman, “I can’t believe I agreed to help you. We can use one of their rooms, I already asked. Please come over this way, Ms. Smith.”
They walked over to the same room Tess gave her statement in last night and sat down, Tess’s back towards the door.
Billings said, “Ms. Smith, let’s go over your statement.”
Tess said, “Recorder.”
Billings said, ”What?”
Tess said, “I really don’t want to do this over. Turn the recorder on.”
Billings said, “Who the hell do you think is in charge here?”
Tess said, “Turn the recorder on or I’m not saying another word, and you can wait till you arrest me and I have a lawyer present.”
Billings said, “That’s bullshit.”
The woman trooper shook her head and said, “One second,” and she manipulated the controls of the digital recorder, punched some numbers and set up a session. “Interview with Theresa Smith, 59, white Caucasian female. Present is Detective State Trooper Walter Billings and Detective State Sargeant Karen Noire.”
Billing said, “Can you tell us what happened last night?”
Tess said, “I’m going to assume you want to know what happened shortly before and directly after the man died. Fine. I was watching the Yankees recap on the evening news when I heard a knock on the door. I put a robe on, came out to the door, looked through the peep hole, saw the guy. Then I opened the door. When I opened the door he fell face first against the doorframe and down onto the porch. I saw he had a large butcher knife in his back. I closed the door and ran to the phone to call 911. I called 911 and the operator told me to make sure the door was locked, which I did. I ran back to the kitchen and sat down and waited for you gentlemen to arrive.”
Billing said, “You and the victim were the only people there last night.”
Tess said, “That’s absurd, Trooper. Somebody else was there, because I didn’t stab the man.”
Billings said, “I think you did.”
Tess said, “How nice for you, Trooper. It’s going to be difficult to solve the murder then.“
Billings said, “Why did you kill him?”
Tess said, “That’s two.”
Billing said, “What?”
Tess said, “I answer a question twice. That’s it. There’s no reason for more than that.”
Billings said, “Answer the question!”
Tess said, “No.”
Billings said, “What was the victims name?”
Tess said, “Detective Foxx told me yesterday it was a Donald Eleesworth. I don’t know if that’s true.”
Billings said, “How long have you known him.”
Tess said, “I didn’t know him, at all.”
Billings said, “I think you did.”
Tess said, “How nice for you, Trooper.”
Billings took a large book out of his bag and placed it on the table and said, “Do you know what this is?”
Tess said, “Yes, it’s a yearbook from my high school. I’m curious where you got it.”
Billings flipped open the book to a marked page and said, “Does this picture look familiar?”
Tess said, “It’s Mr. Eleesworth, obviously, it says his name right there below the picture.”
Billings said, “You knew him. You went to the same high school. So why did you kill him?”
Tess said, “I’m going to help you out here. I didn’t know him. I am not IN that yearbook.”
Billings said, “You are,” and he flipped the book to the C’s and pointed at a picture. Teresa Cripps picture, a young black woman.
Tess said, “That’s not me.”
Billings said, “It’s your name and your picture.”
Tess said, “Trooper, it’s very hard to be polite to you. That.. Is.. Not... Me.. I shouldn’t have to tell you that.”
Billing said, “I have enough evidence to arrest you on suspicion of murder. With your record, conviction will be a cinch. Why don’t you come clean and save all of us the trouble?”
Tess said, “I have a speeding ticket. I’m sure that proves me a hardened criminal.”
Billings said, “You have 3 convictions for fraud, 2 for drug possession and dealing. Another for domestic violence.”
Tess said, “Wow... I am... speechless. That’s not my record. That’s not my record. I’ve never even been arrested, much less charged with a crime.”
Billings said, “I think you had a fight, you stabbed him and then you moved him out to the porch, then called the cops.”
Tess just stared in disbelief at Billings for a minute while he grinned at her with that ‘I got you’ expression, then she looked down at her 5’ self and said, “You’re saying I.. moved him... to the porch. Did you search my house, Trooper?”
Billings said, “We’re getting the warrant from the state attorney's office now.”
Tess shook her head and said, “Was there something else you wanted to ask me?”
Billings said, “Let’s go through it again. What time did Eleesworth get to your house.”
Tess looked up and said, “That’s a very good question. I’m shocked, Trooper. I don’t know.”
Billings looked confused and said, “What?”
Tess eyes widened and she said, “He was outside, I was inside, I have no idea when he got there. There was no car, nothing. He could have been standing there all day for all I know. We all have assumed he arrived right before I opened the door. Except you for you, of course, Trooper, but in fact I don’t know when he got to the door. I only know when he knocked.”
Billings said, “That’s all garbage. He was killed inside your house and you moved him onto the porch and called the cops. Very clever. Now I want you to tell us why.”
Tess said, “I think we’re about done here. Lawyer.”
Billings said, “You’ll get a lawyer when I say you’ll get a lawyer, bitch. Now answer the question or I’ll toss you in a cell and forget about you.”
Tess crossed her arms and said nothing.
Billings said, “Why did you kill Donald Eleesworth?!”
Tess just sat there, arms crossed, and stared at Billings like she was looking at a dead fish.
Billings shouted several more questions at Tess, his face getting redder and redder, all in the same theme. He stood up and leaned over her... and slammed his arms down on the table.
Tess was unfazed. It was pretty common for her to be loomed over and shouted at. She blinked and just sat there and practiced her calming mantra. Maybe she prayed a little bit for this ordeal to be over. After a couple of minutes, the other trooper stood up and said, “That’s about enough, Billings.”
Billings said, “We’re not done here.”
Noire said, “Yeah, we are. I did what you asked, and you got your interview,” and she killed the digital recorder.
Billing said, “We need to take her back to the office and keep at it till she confesses.”
Noire said, “Are you arresting her? Because right now she doesn’t have to go anywhere.”
Billings said, “I want you to arrest her on suspicion of murder.”
Noire said, “No, I don’t think so. Go see the SA and convince him to get you an arrest warrant then… we’ll do that. I’m done, for now. Come on Ms. Smith. I can’t leave you in the room with this dude.”
Tess stood up and grabbed her bag and coat. The woman trooper stepped between her and Billings and waved her out the door, and then followed Tess out. Then she looked at Tess and said, “Sorry to trouble you Ms. Smith, have a nice night,” and she strode away.
Billings said, “Goddamn it!” and he pulled out a set of cuffs and slapped them on Tess' wrists then started dragging her down the hallway. Her coat was still hung on her arm and the purse on her shoulder.
Tess thought hard about resisting, but Billings seemed like the kind of man that would think nothing of shooting her given any excuse, “You’re hurting me, Trooper Billings.”
“Tell me how you killed him and it’ll stop,” said Billings as he dragged her down the hallway to the elevator.
Tess said nothing and tried to ease the pressure on her arms and wrists. They took the elevator down to the parking garage and onto the first level. Billings’ unmarked car sat in the lined off area next to the elevator, about twenty feet away from some visiting law enforcement spaces. He tossed her in the back of the car, and she bounced off the driver's side door. It took Tess a couple of seconds to roll over and sit up to take the pressure of her wrists.
He took off and floored it out of the garage, ranting to himself a bit about the incompetence of his co-workers.. At least that’s what it sounded like. She watched the road go by and figured this was by far the most exciting thing that's happened to her in years. She sort of hoped that whatever Foxx was planning, it wouldn’t leave her out in the cold. She didn’t get that vibe from him at all, but you never really know.