~The latest news from the New York police department today is that another body of a young blond female was found early this morning outside the club called the Den. Like all the other previous victims she was strangled and the body was left without any fingers prints on it. But according to the police department there was a tape from the club showing five different young men going out the back door of the club and stayed out there during the time they suspect the young woman was murdered. As of now all five of them are in custody and are going to be questioned concerning the death of this young woman along with the previous murders…~
Detective Cicero was not having a good day to say the least. His wife had burnt a hole in his favorite shirt and his son was running around like a mad man trying to finish a report on urban legends and how they spread for a college course he had never heard of. How that was going to help his son find a job he would never know. Now to top it all off he had to interrogate these five young men along with his partner detective Falco. Falco was the new guy and had only been a detective for the past year. How he had gotten on a case as big as this he would never know and now he had to go and talk to these men, one of which was a serial killer most probably.
As he walks up to the interrogation room Falco was standing outside the door clicking the top of a pen impatiently. Falco was only twenty-nine and had dark black hair with bright blue eyes. He was tall at six feet three compared to Cicero’s five feet eleven frame. Cicero was also not happy to be working with a guy who was almost half his age.
“Ready?” Falco asks.
“Whose first?”
“Young guy named Nicholas Carter. He seems scarred out of his wits to me in there. His eyes are darting all around and he is bouncing his leg the whole time.”
“That’s great Falco,” Cicero says opening the door and walking in as Nick looks up at him, “Nick Carter, I am detective Cicero and this is Falco. We will be the ones interrogating you about the night of August 26, 2001 at The Den club and the events that happened there, ok?”
Nick nods as Falco and Cicero take a seat in front of him.
“Ok, Nick,” Falco says, “First off why were you in the back alley of the Den at that time.”
“I just wanted to get some air,” Nick says shrugging his shoulders, “After you’ve been in that club a while it reeks of smoke and beer, so you need to get air at some point. I couldn’t breath. I always go out there after a while. You can check back tapes and see if you want.”
“That’s ok Nick,” Cicero says.
“You’re taping recording this?” Nick says looking at a tape recorder sitting on the table.
“It is just procedure Nick.”
“I didn’t do it I’m telling you. I would never do that to a girl.”
“Ok, Nick calm down,” Cicero says, “ We don’t just have you here on questioning I’m sure you know that already, so we are not saying you did it. I just want you to tell us what happened that night after you went into the back alley.”
“I went back there to get some air, so I walked out and down towards the back a little. If you stand near the dumpster you end up smelling that and I didn’t nee that at all. So I was standing out there just getting air and after a few minutes I decide that I didn’t want to go back in, so I walked out of the alley back onto the street and went home.”
“Did you see anyone else out there?” Falco asks.
“Yeah, there were a few guys out there.”
“What about a girl?” Cicero asks.
“I dunno I didn’t look that close. One could have been one though. I didn’t really care to look, so I kept walking.”
“And you went home?”
“And I went home,” Nick states again.
“You know one of the men out there don’t you?” Cicero asks.
“Yeah, AJ he is my neighbor. He’s a good guy, a little weird, but still a good guy.”
“Could he of done it?”
“I’m not saying yes and I’m not saying no. I’m not gonna say anything because I really don’t know and I don’t wanna get him in trouble.”
“Ok, Nick.”
“Nick have you ever been in trouble with the law?” Falco asks.
“A few times,” Nick says shrugging.
“For what?”
“Stealing. I need to eat you know. I’m not exactly Mr. Millionaire here. I needed food, so I got it any way I could. Listen just because I stool doesn’t mean I’d kill anyone ok?”
“Alright calm down. Listen how about we leave you alone for a little ok?” Cicero says as he stands up and so does Falco, “We’ll be back to talk to you later ok?”
“Alright,” Nick says as the two of them walk out of the room shutting the door behind themselves.
“What do you think?” Falco asks Cicero as they walk over to the other room.
“I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.”
“Alexander James McLean?” Cicero says looking at AJ from across the table from a room identical to the room Nick was in.
“Call me AJ,” AJ says.
“Ok AJ,” Cicero says, “Now AJ what were you doing out in the back alley of the Den the night of…”
“Yeah yeah yeah I know the routine,” AJ says, “I was out smoking.”
“You know people smoke in the club too,” Falco says.
“Well then you go there and smoke when you have no place to put the ashes while the rest of your friends complain about you blowing smoke in their face.”
“Ok,” Cicero says looking at Falco, “You were smoking and then what did you do?”
“I smoked two cigarettes and then left. I didn’t want to go back inside, so I called Conrad on my cell phone and told him I was going home.”
“Why did you go home?”
“I wasn’t feeling good and I had to bandage my hand again.”
“What happened to your hand?”
“I was jumped a fence and my palm got all torn up what’s the big deal.”
“Did you see anyone else in the alley?”
“Yeah a few people.”
“Did you see a girl?”
“Yeah, a pretty one she was smoking too and was still there when I left.”
“Ok, AJ. So you are part of the Locks?”
“Listen detective…”
“Cicero.”
“Ok listen detective Cicero if you are going to put the wrap on me just because I am in a gang that’s bull. Oh I know lets blame the gang member it’s easier for society to hate him and not the cop or the college boy or the billionaire or whatever the hell that guy is.”
“So you think we are trying to blame you?”
“I dunno. You tell me,” AJ says leaning back into the chair.
“Listen AJ we are out to find the killer not to put the blame on the easy target ok?”
“Alright,” AJ says.
“You got in trouble with the law before AJ?”
“Yeah, I’m not gonna deny it. I’ve stolen things, beat up people, got thrown in jail a few times not long though, and I got messed up in some shit about drugs, but it wasn’t me I swear. It was all my boys not me. Listen man I’ve done shit, but I wouldn’t kill a person I couldn’t.”
“Why is that?”
“She was strangled like the other right?”
“Yes, I believe they think it was wire.”
“Well I can barely bend my hand enough to hold a pen let alone hold wire that tight. It cut it to hell more then it already is. I didn’t kill her,” AJ says again taking off his sunglasses and staring them dead in the eye.
“Alright AJ we’ll be back to talk to you again,” Cicero says and stands up along with Falco.
“Ok maybe next time the pretty boy will talk,” AJ says as Falco stares at him, “Yeah that’s right you sunshine,” he says smirking as the two of them walk out of the room.
“Something about him isn’t right,” Falco says to Cicero.
“He’s a very smooth talker. He’s been through interrogation before so he knows the right strings to pull. There is something about him that isn’t right though you are right.”
“Mr. Richardson,” Cicero says from across the table sitting with Falco, “We are just going to ask you some question if that is ok with you.”
“Fine with me as long as my lawyer gets a copy of it,” Kevin says.
“Ok,” Cicero says, “Why were you in the back alley of the Den?”
“Throwing up.”
“Excuse me?”
“I was throwing up in the corner. I think someone put something in my drink or something. Whatever it was I needed to throw up and the back alley is cleaner then the bathroom, which is sad if you ask me.”
“If you don’t mind me asking why would someone of your stature be at the Den that night?”
“Why not? It’s a club. All those ones around me are for people with their noses up in the air it’s not real. It makes me sick to be in places like that I would rather be somewhere where it’s real. I really don’t see why this is a question.”
“Ok, did you see anyone else in the back alley?”
“Yes a few.”
“Did you see a girl?”
“I was throwing up I didn’t really look that closely.”
“What did you do after that?”
“I went home. I didn’t feel any better, so I decided to go home. I got a cab and they took me home.”
“Ok, that’s all that happened?”
“Yes, listen I know my rights and I already called my lawyer. The fact that I am even being questioned is outrageous. This is going to ruin my career with the fact that I am even a suspect.”
“I’m sorry Mr. Richardson, but this is regulation. We’ll leave you alone and come back later ok?”
“Good get my lawyer on the phone.”
“I’ll end someone in to get you a phone,” Cicero says getting up and walking out of the room with Falco following behind.
“Well I’m beginning to like AJ even more and more,” Falco says.
“He’s a big hot shot here and mommy and daddy gave him everything, so he is walking all over us right now. Something isn’t right about him though and I am going to find out what it is,” Cicero says walking over to the next door and opening it.
Brian looks over the table at the two of them with wide eyes and a nervous face.
“Brian Littrell?” Cicero asks taking a seat.
“Yes,” Brian says.
“We are going to ask you a few questions
“Ok.”
“Ok Brian. You were outside the Den in the back alley on the night of August 26, 2001 when the murder of Becky Andrews was committed?”
“Yes.”
“What were you doing back there Brian?”
“I needed to get out of that club. I couldn’t stand it much longer. My friend Seth got me to go to it and after a while I just needed to get outside for some air. The people there weren’t exactly my type.”
“Ok. Did you see anyone else back there?”
“Yes, a few people.”
“Did you see who Becky was with or was she talking to anyone?”
“No.”
“What did you do after you got some air?”
“I decided to go home. My roommate drives me insane, so I figured screw him and I got the bus back to my dorm room.”
“You’re a college student?”
“Yes, I’m studying to be a doctor. You don’t think this will hold me up long do you? I have a paper due in two days I really need to get home and finish it.”
“We’ll try our best to be done as soon as possible.”
“Thanks,” Brian says as his hand drifts up to a chain that has a small gold cross on it, “You don’t think I did it do you?”
“We aren’t accusing anyone this is just procedure.”
“Ok.”
“Brian, your file shows that you are pretty good kid. No run ins with the law or even a parking ticket at that.”
“My parents would kill me if I ever did anything like that. They were mad enough when I didn’t go to Harvard.”
“You didn’t get in? I know it’s a tough school…”
“No no nothing like that. I just didn’t want to go it Harvard or Yale. I got into both I was valedictorian in my class. I had my pick of colleges. I just chose not to go to them. I never got below an A my whole life. It was kind of expected of me.”
“Brian do you think that any of the people that were in the alley with you could of killed Becky?”
“I dunno,” Brian shrugs, “It’s not really my place to judge any of them.”
“Ok.”
“Is that all for now. I still gotta call my parents and I don’t think they’re gonna be happy about this.”
“Ok we’ll let you go for now, but we’ll have more questions for you later ok?”
“Ok, sir,” Brian says as they get up and leave the room quietly.
“So what do you think about him,” Falco asks.
“I don’t know. He seems like a good kid, but he can also be a classic case of an over achiever that can’t take it anymore. The most cunning of killers can put on a nice guy act like that. You don’t want to believe he could do it, but he could.”
“I see,” Falco nods.
“So are you going to interrogate any of them or are you just gonna sit there?”
“Sorry sir, it’s just I’m a little intimidated.”
“It’s ok. Whose the next guy?”
“Howard Dorough. Officer Howard Dorough.”
“Howard Dorough,” Cicero says sitting in front of Howie with Falco.
“Howie,” Howie says.
“Ok Howie. I’m sure you know the procedure we are about to go through.”
“Yes sir,” Howie says.
“Ok. Howie what were you doing in the back alley of the Den that night?”
“If your check with my superiors they’ll tell you they sent me there because we have had suspicions that they have been keeping two sets of books there. I was supposed to look over the club and report back to them about the layout the next morning.”
“So why did you go into the back alley?”
“I went back there to get some air and check out the back area of the club to see if there were some windows or another door I could get in.”
“Was there anyone else back there with you?”
“Yeah a few people.”
“Was there a girl?”
“Yeah, blond? She went out a few minutes before me.”
“Was she talking to anyone?”
“Yeah. She got a light for a cigarette from some guy. He was a skinny guy. I saw him come in with the Locks earlier that day.”
“Tattoos?”
“Yeah, but that was I all I saw of her. I left after that.”
“Where did you go?”
“I decided that I had enough information, so I left to go home and write down what I found out.”
“Ok. Howie how long have you been a cop?”
“A cop? Around five years now. Yeah around five.”
“Ok.”
“I guess I kind of caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, huh?”
“Yeah, I guess you did.”
“Is that all for now?”
“Yes, we’ll be back later to question you some more though,” Cicero says standing up and walking out of the room while Falco follows behind him, “How many years have you been a cop Falco?”
“Nine sir,” Falco says.
“When was the first time you were considered to work on undercover work?”
“About two years ago.”
“So you were seven years into your training?”
“Yes, well then why if Mr. Dorough doing work after only five?”
“I don’t know sir.”
“We need to ask McLean about this girl some more. One of them is lying and I have no idea who the hell it is.”
“So you think one of them did it?”
“Positive. We just need to question them more about that night and about their whereabouts the nights of the other murders.”
“Who do you think did it?”
“I have no idea. No damn idea.”
