Marina Von alberini
In:
The Stillwater fires investigation
My motto was "if it's too hard a job for you to handle, then it was a job for Me." danger and sticking my nose where it didn't belong was my stock and trade. Abiding by that motto generated great business for my division and also a lot more then I could chew at times. What fascinated me was murder was mysterious, bore a lot of unwanted feelings, such a dark entity all its own. The epitome of hate, but the darkest crimes one man can invent, another can unravel or should I say woman in this matter. I thought the day would sail smooth but the moment was short lived before the phone ranged.
"Marina Von alberini… private eye investigations."
"How fast can u get to Stillwater Kansas?" the chief said
"Wasn't really on my dance program sir... Why what's up." I asked.
"Four burned down houses and the beneficiaries are his kids Ms. alberini." he told me
"So why can't you settle it with the primary?" I asked some more.
"The primary isn't talking anymore nice big hole in the back of the head. Cold blooded murder Ms. Alberini. The brow raiser is he took out the insurance on the houses just weeks ago along with a life insurance policy worth one hundred thousand dollars!"
"Yes that does raise some brows. I'll take the next flight out chief."
Expense account forwarded by special investigator marina von alberini to home office, private eye investigations. The following is accounting of expenditures during my investigation of the Stillwater fire matter. Expense account item one: $356.54 for Airfare and incidentals between Private eye investigations, Rochester New York to Stillwater, Kansas. Expense account item two: $37.50 for carfare to Stillwater municipal plaza aka police headquarters.
"Ms. Alberini. Pleasure to see your face once again." the chief said.
"I'm glad you believe in my services. It's what I get paid to do. But you look good yourself long time no see."
"Ahh yes much indeed Ms. Alberini. Stillwater needs your assistance once more." the chief shifted into a more serious state of mind and continued "here's the file on the case" he said tossing the file towards me.
I opened it and gazed over the pages pulling out all the vitals of the case, all in the 7 seconds it took me to flip through an inch thick of fine lined pages, and already it had me scratching my head. What jumped out at me was that all the kids had the same mother except the second oldest daughter that was from her father's side from a separate marriage years prior. Lindsey Charles was her name. Second point of interest was why she had a set of keys left to her from their mother's will, when she died two years ago. I could smell a good conspiracy when it's brewing up. Not many leads to go on but I figured I'd start with paying a visit to Ms. Charles. Expense account item three: $45.78 for carfare to 1576 Florence lane apartment B aka Ms. Charles apartment. I gave a few knocks at the door and there was no response. So I gave the door a little heavier knock if you know what I mean. I heard rustling on the other side of the door accompanied by
"Who is it?"
"Marina Von alberini. Special investigator" I answered.
Their we're several clicks and a clank and the door came ajar.
"Badge" the woman said and I retrieved it.
She closed the door once more and the final slide bolt had clunked and the door fully opened. She directed me to her spacious living room coated in pretty lavender with wood accented furniture. It felt pleasant to just sit in here. She stared at me with deceptive eyes trying to figure me out. How to make a pitch on me. I was dying to get this story straight but she seemed just as eager to know how deep I was in this mess. So I thought I'd sweat her a little bit.
"Nice place" I broke the silence.
"Thanks. So you're from the insurance company huh" she said in a sly tone
"That's why I'm the special investigator baby. I'm sure you've been down this route many times but I've got a couple of questions for you."
"I'm sure you do. I had nothing to do with my dad's death nor do I know how those fires got started. I keep repeating myself over and over and over." she rambled.
"I'm not interested in his death. That's not why I'm here. The reason why I'm here is because there is still one house left untouched and I wanna know why? Why only four of the five?" I asked her. I had learned a lot from reading the file and put my own twist on the story.
"I don't know why only four was burned down. I didn't do it. I have an alibi and it was cleared by the police" she answered.
"So let's talk about something you do know sweetie"
"And what would that be missy"
"The death of your stepmother" I said fiercely and she paused with the look that said I've been caught off guard. I discovered a new lead based on that look and I figured I would have to dig a bit deeper on the matter.
"You were a suspect in her suicide. Does that stand correct?" I asked her. She shook her head.
"How close were you with your mother, stepmother that is?"
"We were pretty much neutral. I was always treated like the scape goat in the family so I went my own way but we kept in touch and shared a separate relationship outside the rest of the family even from my father." she told me.
"And when she died she left you a set of keys correct" I asked intuitively and she shook her head. "And what does this key produce" I said straight faced. Her mood shifted faster than a NASCAR tire change. All of a sudden she wanted me out... And fast.
"Get out I've said enough. Go on your nothing but trouble asking questions like that. Get outta my house." she yelled.
"Take it easy there sweetie I can see the smoke steaming outta your ears baby, there is nothing to be upset about. I'll be on my way, but just know you'll be seeing me again. I've just got to find the evidence that points the arrow towards you" I told her.
"What are you talking about?" she asked very curiously.
"Well first the little pact you and your stepmother made or whatever you wanna call it. There was a lot of drama in the family with your father being an alcoholic. I understand that. The real reason for your departure from your home at a young age. It's quite hard to pick up at first glance, but when you said you two had a separate relationship outside the family and the fact she left you a set of keys that you don't wanna talk about, it became clear to me something went wrong between you two. Whatever it was it lead to her untimely death? So that leads me to my next point. She didn't die by her own hands that I know for sure. She didn't know how to tie rope... Properly." I told her looking dead into her eyes. "Isn't that right former girl scout leader."
"GET THE FUCK OUT"
Expense account item four: $175.89 for the night at a nice hotel The day had worn on me heavily and so did this case I wasn't making any real progress all the evidence I had was all circumstantial and that's not gonna convict anyone in this day in age. After a nice hot shower and a warm helping of beef and broccoli and two egg rolls. I was ready to call it a day. But the person knocking on the other side of my room door had a different approach to the night.
I looked through the peep hole and was surprised to see tommy Harris, the dead guy's oldest son, step son that is. It occurred to me that I didn't even know the dead guy's name, but I thought it was needed to dig around about the father and how his death tied into the new leads I dug up. Tommy being the oldest probably got spoiled by Mr. Charles. I opened the door and guided him to a chair. He was tall, blonde hair, blue eyes, your typical German looking fella. He looked quite young putting his age around his late twenties, early thirties. He looked depressed and worried. The kind of look that said I need help I'm in trouble. Equally as important he had a manila envelope.
"Are you Ms. Alberini?"
"If I wasn't you'd probably be in some sort of mess carrying whatever in that package." I told him. "Why the urgency?" I asked
"I think my stepsister is gonna kill Me." tommy said.
"Oh yea. I wouldn't put it past her, but why you?" I asked him.
He handed me the envelop. I opened it and took out several pieces of paper and a map with directions that said "key number 3 far left. Key number 5 inner lock." the papers that came with the map were copies of insurance policies and bonds netting in three million cash stashed away somewhere. I asked him where did he get the bulk mail from and told me from his step father before he was killed.
"What else did he tell you?" I asked
"He told me to stay away from Lindsey-"
"Your stepsister" I interrupted. He shook his head and I nodded for him to continue.
"He told me that they had gotten into an argument that didn't roll over well and he hit her by mistake and swore she'd never manage the business. He was opening rental multifamily homes in addition to his carpentry business but nobody from the family wanted to be the landlord for the homes except Lindsey. But he chose one of his friends and she flipped shit about it." tommy said.
"So how did you end up with the bulk mail? Why not give it too this friend." I asked.
"I don't know Ms. Alberini. I guess he felt it was safer with me." he said
"How close we're you with your mother." I asked
"We were really close when I was growing up and then when my step father had told us that he had another daughter it surprised all of us. After that my mother started acting secluded, always looked depressed. She was always busy with Lindsey and everything just faded and the rest of us being teens at the time took it out on her and after a while she left. Therefore my mother spent hours away from home.
"Do you know anything about a set of keys?" I asked
"No their missing. The package didn't come with keys"
"No tommy their not missing. Your stepsister has them and I have a hunch she's looking for this map. That's why she killed your father. He wouldn't give it up. He gave it to you because he knew she would go after his friend. And judging by these end dates on these timeshares I say she's gonna hit tonight." I said aloud. "Let's go tommy I need to know where this friend lives."
It took about a half hour to forty-five minutes to get to Mr. Hanson's house. Tommy wasn't the conversationalist like the rest of the family. He eliminated my suspicions about him having any connection in this case largely because he rushed to Mr. Hanson's house in an attempt to save his life or he's playing one hell of a role and a good one. We got to the destination and tommy parked adjacent from the house. When we got out of the car I noticed a car running idle also adjacent from Mr. Hanson's home. I couldn't tell if anyone was in the car due to the heavily tinted windows and with the night blanketing everything with darkness that didn't help either. We walked up to the front door and were rattled by gunshots. Three of them. At that point manners were out and i kicked the door in. I told Tommy to stay behind me as I drew my gun. I took a quick glance around the dark space and saw a light stemming from upstairs. We headed towards it and quick. When we got to the room with the light we saw Mr. Hanson filled with holes. I looked out the opened window and saw the car that was once idle race off into the night. I made a quick phone call to the chief of police.
"Hey chief do you know where Lindsey is? I asked
"She's home. Had a detail on her since you came to Stillwater like you asked." He told
"Well chief i think she gave your boys the slip Mr. Hanson is dead. Murdered just now heard the gunshots and all and she escaped in a black or dark blue looking Chevy." I told him
"Well that makes two of us with new discoveries."
"What development do you have chief" I said curiously.
"The last house exploded just twenty minutes ago. The source came from C4 and gasoline. We got several particles from what seems to be from a gasoline can. We bagged and tagged it for fingerprints." He said
Apparently Lindsey had an accomplice. I found a pack of smoking papers and I asked tommy if any of his sisters smoked and he shook his shoulders. I then asked him who drove a Chevy and he told me that there was a company owned Chevy that his stepfather used to drive.
"Alright tommy… take me to Katherine's house I think I just solved this case." I told him.
It took another hour to get to Katherine's house. The dark colored Chevy was nowhere to be found so she must have did the bombing. She was a slick one, but she couldn't fool me. I was sure of it. I told tommy to stay in the car because it would probably get nasty in there and I didn't want another dead body. I walked up to her door and I caught a glimpse inside from the outside window. It was dimly lit, like if no one was inside or better yet like if someone just got back from doing something regretful. I knocked on the door and knocked and knocked some more. She finally answered the door presumably after getting sick of my banging and mild temper tantrum from yelling her name.
"Who are you? You're causing a disturbance in my neighborhood. You're lucky I didn't call the police." Katherine said to me.
"Just your luck sweetheart I am police." I told her flashing my badge. "Special investigator Marina von Alberini. May I step inside to diffuse the ruckus?"
She gave out a long sigh and opened her door for me to enter. Like her stepsister she too had taste in the interior design department. We sat in her kitchen and she had hot water going and she asked if I wanted a cup of tea. I didn't decline her offer. Who would, sitting at a marble countertop island with I chandler overhead. It made you seem ungrateful to refuse anything she offered legally. I looked her over several times to see if she had any gun residue on her persons, but I discovered she had jumped into the shower. She looked really pretty with dampened hair and a slim robe on. I caught myself thinking about what she probably looked like under that robe, but I pressed on the issue of why I was really here.
"Ms. Harris I have a few things to ask you. My apologies for coming in the wee hours of the night." I told her.
"It's fine I wasn't doing much anyways." She responded.
"I just wanna ask how close were you with your stepfather?" I asked
"We were cool. Um didn't really talk much and when we did it was usually work related or he had some sort of job for me or Tommy-"
"Oh sorry about my manners but do you have a smoke?" I interrupted her.
"Yea sure… I just have to get my pants." She said
She went into the other room and shortly after she came back with just a bag of Stillwater rolling tobacco.
"If you have papers, then u can have a smoke." She said
"That's strange…" I said aloud
"What is?" she asked
"I have a pack of Stillwater's rolling paper and your missing papers to your pack. The papers that I have are used. Where were you the last two to three hours ago?" I asked
"You're kidding right?"
"I'm afraid not sweetie" I told
"Get out. I want you out of my house right now." She flamed
"If you say so, but you're coming along with me. Katherine Harris you are under arrest for the murder of Mr. Hanson!"
"I didn't kill anyone I was home the last three hours." She pled
"Anyone to corroborate your story." I asked
She stood there stumped.
"Didn't think so. Why kill Mr. Hanson. Did your stepsister put you up to this? I know she's the brains to this operation dating back the last two years. More impressive is why did she kill your mother." I told
Katherine went from stumped to heartbroken faster than the fat lady could sing because this case was clearly over.
"I didn't do anything and she didn't kill my mother, your full of lies." She said
"You can't fool me Katherine. As gorgeous as you are, that sweet face buries the heart of a killer. You made the silly mistake of dropping your papers at Mr. Hanson's house. Lindsey also made the mistake by blowing up the last house. She was clever sneaking out of her home to do so, but the smell of gasoline can be overpowering and once we lift the prints of the gasoline can fragments that we found at the burned house she'll be going to jail along with you once the lab lift's your prints off this pack of rolling papers." I told her.
"Well Ms. Alberini seems you have it all figured out. You have two things wrong." She said
"And what's that baby?" I asked
"I'm the brains of the operation and second I'm not going anywhere." She said pulling out a gun.
"Oh… a gun, how charming." I said
"Yea… I'm going to blasted you into the next world. You're not gonna mess this up for me I worked too long to let this get away. Any last words?" she told me.
"I only have a couple." I said in a smooth tone of voice.
"What is it-"
By the time she finished her sentence I had shot her twice. One in the shoulder and one in the knee.
"Never right out a women with her hand in her pocket" I said putting my revolver back into my pocket.
She didn't know my family had the heart of a cowboy. I could draw out a revolver faster than one can blink an eye. I called the chief of police and relayed the good news to him. The next day at police headquarters the chief had thanked me for solving the case that needed close attention. He wondered how I knew Katherine was behind the act and I told him "sometimes you need to read between the lines and put yourself between the lines and step back and look at it like a mosiac. You always have to think simple when handling something like this because the mistakes are the little things that get you caught up."
He thanked me once again and I was on my way. Expense account item five: $245.21 for airfare back to home office private eye investigations Rochester, New York. Expense account total $863.92 and another crime solved. Until next time sincerely yours Marina von Alberini.