Role Models
***Chris and David's apartment***
Chris woke up and got her workout in. She had set her alarm for extra early this morning, because she wanted to make sure she was out of the shower before the contractor's team got there to continue renovating.
So far they had the new floors in, and the wall between the apartments knocked down. David had moved his office stuff to one of the open spaces in the new apartment and they had set up the guest room as a guest room again, for Miranda when she was there.
Chris headed for the shower and woke up David, and then went to make them breakfast. She put the muffins in the oven, and then went to get dressed.
David came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck.
"Good morning my beautiful wife".
She turned around to kiss him.
"Good morning my beautiful husband".
She kissed him and then they started getting dressed.
"What do you have on deck for today, honey?"
"Court this morning, then I am going to work from here this afternoon while they paint our offices. Wanna have lunch?"
"I would love it! Mary Beth and I are working on a case, so we will be out in the field. I will call you and we can meet up, how's that?"
"Sounds good babe".
She went and got the muffins out of the oven, and they ate pretty quickly.
They both left for work when the contractor got there.
"Few more days and this place will be good as new!".
"Good". Chris and David walked to the parking garage.
"Have a good day babe, see you for lunch". He kissed her.
"Good luck in court honey". She kissed him again, and they headed to their separate locations.
***Mary Beth and Chris' office***
Chris had come in to the office to get Mary Beth, and she picked up the case files while she was in there. They were investigating the murder of a businessman. Kyle Jenkins. Single shot to the head between the eyes. Nothing spectacular or peculiar about the crime scene. However, there were three people confessing to the crime and they had to figure out which one it was.
Chris and Mary Beth get in the car and head to interview the first confessor. She was being held at the East jail in downtown Manhattan. Her name was Allyson Jenkins; she was Kyle's wife.
They pulled into the parking lot, and headed inside.
***East Jail, Downtown Manhattan***
Chris and Mary Beth checked into the jail, and signed in.
They were screened, and then they were ushered into a conference room. The guard indicated that Allyson would be brought in there to them.
A few minutes later, they brought her in. She was tall, blonde, and had a slim figure. Christine noticed she had some bruises on her arms and neck.
"I am Detective Lacey, this is my partner, Lieutenant Keeler. We would like to ask you some questions and get your statement about the murder of your husband".
"I told the officers last night, he and I were arguing, and he hit me. So I went and got a gun and put it under my pillow. I waited until he was asleep and then I pulled the trigger, and killed him".
"Yes, but the evidence at the crime scene doesn't support that. And we have reason to believe that his body was moved from the place where he was originally killed to the bedroom".
"Well I know I didn't move it, I'm not strong enough".
They asked her to go over last night's events one more time, and Lacey wrote it out in a timeline.
They had her statement, and she signed it, and then the guard came to take her back to her cell.
They told her they would be in touch and then they left.
"Next up, Savannah Jenkins, Brooklyn jail".
***Brooklyn Jail***
Chris and Mary Beth checked into the Brooklyn Jail. They went through the security check in process and then they were ushered into another conference room to meet with Savannah Jenkins.
Savannah Jenkins is the 18-year-old daughter of Allyson and Kyle Jenkins. According to her initial statement, she has been living with her aunt, Rachel for the past 2 years.
The guard brought Savannah in. she was the spitting image of her mother. She was so tiny she looked like the prison uniform was swallowing her whole.
She came in and shook their hands and they introduced themselves.
"Savannah can you tell us exactly what happened last night?"
"Well, I have been living with my aunt for 4 years. But I turned 18 last week, and my dad called me and told me to come get my stuff. So I did. He was at work while I was there, and I was hoping to leave before he came back, but he got home early".
"So you and your father didn't get along?" She shook her head.
"We haven't for a long time, that's why I moved out".
"Ok so he came home. What else happened?"
"So he got home and told me I had one hour to leave the property. I was loading up my car and he started criticizing what I was taking and how I had packed it. So we started arguing. He said I wasn't allowed to take anything that they had bought for me. He was being totally unreasonable. So I told him that I was taking what I wanted, it belonged to me and not him, and if he felt otherwise he could bill me for it. He got really angry and pushed me, and I pushed him back, really hard this time. He slipped and he fell, and he hit his head. And I just left him there. I was afraid to touch him, because I thought that he would grab me and hit me like he used to. So I just kept carrying my stuff out to my car and then after it was done, I went to my car. I was going to call my mom and tell her that he had fallen, but I could see him get up through the window and he was getting up and walking away. I thought he was fine. So I went back to Aunt Rachel's. and when mom called to tell me that he had died, I knew that I was responsible. So I went to the Brooklyn jail here, and turned myself in".
"And they held you, even without a body?"
"they called the police in Manhattan, where his house was and they confirmed there was a body found of a male at the address I gave them. So they arrested me".
"Sweetheart, I am sorry for what you have been through. But I don't think you killed your father. We have the report that states the way he died, and what you described isn't it."
"My lawyer said that I can't be released until the official report from the Medical Examiner comes back. But I don't want to be released. I deserve to be in here for what I did. He deserves to be dead for what he did, but I deserve this too".
"what do you mean, what he did? What did he do that makes you think he deserved to die?"
"It's the reason I lived with my aunt. My dad had another son from his first marriage, my older brother Sean. When I was 10, Sean came to live with us. It was that summer that he started molesting me. He told me not to tell anyone and threatened to kill me if I did, so I obeyed. He molested me every day, and only skipped the days he went back to his moms which was every other weekend. Every day that he was at my house, he molested me. I was sick of it, so when I was 12, I told my dad to make him stay away from me. My dad questioned me further, and when I told him the truth about what was happening, he said show me. Show me what he did to you. So I was trying to explain it, and then my dad molested me too. He never made Sean leave me alone, he just added to it by coming after me also. So when I was 14 1/2, I told Aunt Rachel. Her husband had just left her and she had 2 little kids, my cousins Natalie and Presley. So I told her what was happening and that I was going to run away. She went to my mom and told my mom, and mom confronted my dad. He denied everything and threw me out. So Aunt Rachel took me in. Mom came over for dinner 2 times a week, and that was the only contact I have had with mom since I moved out".
"Oh geez. Ok, we are going to go talk to your mom again, and your Aunt Rachel, and now we are going to interview your brother. I still believe what I said to you earlier- I don't think you killed your brother. However, your lawyer is right, you can't be released until the Medical Examiner's report says that you didn't kill him. So hang tight, and as soon as we get it, we will come back."
Chris agreed with Mary Beth on this one. "We will be in touch; we promise".
They left and headed to talk to her Aunt Rachel.
***In the Car***
"So we have a wife who says she shot him. We have a daughter who says she pushed him and he fell and hit his head and she left him lying there. We have his business partner who we haven't spoken to yet, who turned himself into Manhattan jail, and now the daughter says that her Aunt Rachel knew that her father and ½ brother were molesting her and did nothing to stop it. Geez I love the people in this city".
"Chris, we don't know until the ME's report comes back exactly what we are dealing with. At this point in the game, we are just getting our cards dealt. As soon as we have the report, we will know which one to play".
"Well we better get it soon".
They pulled up to the address Savannah had given them, to her Aunt Rachel's house.
"This should be interesting".
***Rachel's house***
"Come on in, the house is a mess, so please excuse it. I haven't had time to clean this week yet".
They all went in and sat down.
Christine started.
"Ms.?"
"Stevens. Rachel Stevens".
"Ms. Stevens, you are Allyson's sister, right?"
"Yes, that's correct".
"So can you tell us how it came to be that Savannah was living here with you and your kids?"
"Savannah was 14. She and her dad weren't getting along. He was always very controlling, very unreasonable, and very cold-hearted. She came to me right after her 14th birthday, and said she needed to tell me something. So I sat down and listened to her. And she said she was going to run away and that she was going to call me from time to time to check in and let me know she was ok. And I told her she couldn't do that. That we would all worry about her. She stated that if she stayed she would die because she couldn't' take it any longer. I pressed her to tell me what was wrong and she told me that Sean had been molesting her and that she confided in her dad and he started molesting her too. I hugged her and told her I was sorry and that it would be ok, and she told me that she didn't see how it was going to be ok. So I started letting her stay the weekends with me, and she was a different kid when she was here. She was alive, and happy, and sweet and kind. But her moods would change when I would take her home. So, after 2 weekends of that, I decided to ask Allyson and Kyle if she could live with here with me. And just before I was able to ask them, Kyle kicked her out. She called me and I went and got her. Allyson was upset, but happy that she was with me and not on the streets. She started coming here for dinner 2 times a week to see her, and us, and it was nice. Last week, she told me that Kyle had said they were moving to Florida and she said she had told him she wasn't moving. She said he hit her when she said no, and she didn't care, he would hit her again, but she wasn't going to Florida. So when she called me to come to the house last night, she told me that he had brought it up again, and again she had told him no, and he hit her several times, and she had these red marks on her arms and her neck. She told me that he had told her she didn't have a voice in their family and that she was going, dead or alive. So she went and hid the gun under her pillow and stayed in the bathroom till she heard him snoring. Then she says she shot him, between the eyes, and since all the blood was on his pillow afterwards, she replaced that pillow with one from the guest room, and she put the pillow in her fireplace. After it was burned up, she called me. After I got there, she called the police."
"So did you ever have proof that Sean and Kyle molested Savannah?"
"No solid proof. Just what she told me. But I didn't want to be another person in her life who didn't believe her, especially after she trusted me enough to tell me in the first place".
"Well, she is lucky to have you."
"I know I can't replace her family, but I tried my best. I gave her my dad's car after he passed away, she had her own room here, and she is great with my children. They love her, we all do. She was able to still go to her same school, and she was able to see her mom. That was the best deal I think we could have come up with, and I am glad it worked for her".
"Well thank you for answering our questions, we will be in touch".
"Thanks for coming, and if you see Savannah or Allyson, please tell them I love them".
***In the car***
David texted Chris. "Court is running late, lunch looks doubtful for today, babe. Sorry"
"It's ok, our case has taken off. Why don't we take ½ day Friday off and have a day-date then?"
"Sounds great. Love you!"
"Love you".
Chris and Mary Beth were trying to figure out how to get in touch with Sean Jenkins. They contacted the housekeeper and she stated he wasn't there. She did give them the number to his mom's house out of Kyle's rolodex. "Not sure how current this is though".
"That's ok, we will try it". She wrote the number down, thanked the housekeeper and hung up.
Chris called the number and spoke with Olivia Thompson, Kyle's ex-wife. She indicated that Sean would be home in ½ an hour, so Chris instructed her to keep him there and told her they would be there by the time he got home.
"Let's go partner. We might not find a murderer today, but with any luck, we can nail a child molester".
Mary Beth drove them towards Olivia's house and Chris called her office and left word for someone to call her the minute the ME's report was in.
About 12 minutes later, Mary Beth pulled their car up outside Olivia's house. Sean was getting out of his dad's Porsche in the driveway.
He walked inside as they parked.
***Olivia's house***
Olivia let them in, and they introduced themselves to her and Sean.
"We are sorry for your loss, Sean but we need to ask you a few questions".
"Ok." They all sat down in the living room.
"Your sister Savannah has quite a lot to say about what was going on in the house. Can you elaborate?"
"I don't know what you are talking about. What did she tell you?"
Mary Beth looked at Olivia, and then continued. "Well, she claims that you molested her for the first time when she was 10, and that you did it every single day until she moved out at 14".
"What other choice did I have, he was going to kill me too!". He looked away with tears in his eyes.
"who was going to kill you?'
"My father. He told me that I had to do it, because if I didn't, he was going to. He said that as the brother in the house, I needed to protect her from him, and that in order to do that, I had to rape her myself. He covered all the bases too. He told me that if I told anyone he would deny it and then kill me. He told me that nobody would ever believe anything I had to say. I was stuck, I had no choice. The day she moved in with her aunt, I was so happy, because she was away from both of us".
"Were you there last night, when your father was killed?"
He nodded. "I came home and he had this big cut on his head, he said he had fought with Savannah when she came by and she had hurt him. He told me that I was the only child he had that had ever listened to him and obeyed him, and he gave me the keys to his Porsche. He told me that he and Allyson were moving to Florida and that he wanted me with them, but I told him I didn't want to go. I want to graduate here with my friends, and I told him I would visit, but I didn't want to move. He said he understood. He told me to take the Porsche out for a spin, and when I came back, he and Allyson were still arguing. I heard him say he was very thirsty and he kept getting glasses of water. He said nothing was working and he didn't know why, and then I went upstairs to my room. You can't hear anything up there, because it's so far away from the other end of the house. About 30 minutes later, I came downstairs and things were quiet, but I noticed that he had opened a beer and only drank about 1/3 of it. It was just sitting there on the counter. I left and went to a friend's house, to show them my new Porsche. I had been there about 15 minutes when Allyson called telling me I needed to come home".
"And then what?"
"I got home, just as they were leading her out in handcuffs. An officer told me that my dad was dead, and that I had 1 hour to get my things together and asked me if I had somewhere to stay. I packed my things, gave them my contact information, and came out here to my mom's."
"Sean, do you realize that even though you say you were forced into molesting your sister, you still broke the law by doing so?"
He nodded. "I didn't want to, I swear. She's my sister, I can't want to do that. But I was scared to disobey. You don't disobey my father and get away with it".
"we are going to have to take you down to the station with us, and arrest you. It's early in the day, so you can still make the afternoon arraignment, where they will set bail and then your mom can bail you out".
Olivia nodded. "I know you are only doing what you have to do. Can I bring him in myself?"
"no ma'am, policy states that it must be a uniformed officer. You are allowed to follow, however". She nodded. "Ok, I will". She hugged Sean then, and he told her he was so sorry. "I know, baby, I know".
She called her lawyer, and then her husband. Christine called for a uniformed officer to meet them at their address.
Mary Beth looked at Sean. "I shouldn't do this, but if you have anything on you that you don't want to lose, now would be the time to take it out of your pocket. I also recommend that you leave any money here, and that you make sure you are wearing comfortable clothes.".
"thank you ma'am". He took off his watch, and pulled his pocket knife out of his pocket, and took the money out of his wallet and gave it to his mom.
Uniforms arrived then, and arrested him. Olivia's husband and their lawyer were going to meet him at the station. She followed uniforms in her car to the station.
Chris and Mary Beth headed back towards the city, and went to Kyle Jenkin's office. To speak to his business partner, David Simpson.
***Kyle Jenkin's office***
Chris and Mary Beth walked in and took the elevator to the 45th floor. There was a secretary sitting at a desk as soon as you get off the elevator.
"David Simpson, please".
"He has asked not to be disturbed. Maybe you can come back later".
Chris pulled her badge out. "Maybe you can tell him it's important and that we are the police".
The secretary rolled her eyes, and went to tell him. 2 minutes later, she came out and said they could go in.
"How can I help you ladies?" David Simpson was a striking man. Tall, broad shouldered, square jaw, tan. He motioned for them to sit in the chairs in front of his desk.
"Are you aware that your business partner, Kyle Jenkins passed away last night?"
"yes, it's very tragic. He will be missed. We built this company together, and I hope I can run it the way he would have wanted".
"Were you intending on moving to Florida too?"
"Not at all. He told me that he and Allyson were, and that the business was, but I told him no. He offered to buy me out and I told him no on that too. We were prepared to face off in court over this. I took him a case of beer as an olive branch, and he listened to me, took the beer and then told me that I was a damn fool for not going. He kicked me out of his house and this morning, I wake up to see in the papers that he died".
"Did you tell the police this morning that you killed him?"
"Yes, I did."
"What makes you think that you killed him?'"
"Well we argued pretty good when I went to apologize. And we have been arguing the last few days. So much so that I have took him a six-pack of beer 3 days ago, and another case last night to apologize. I just assumed that I caused him to have a heart attack, or a stroke or something that would cause him to stop breathing. But they told me it wasn't a medical death, whatever that means".
"Well, we have a few theories about how he died, but nothing concrete as of yet. When we know, we will let you know".
Mary Beth and Chris stood up to leave. Chris handed him her business card. "If you think of anything else, please let us know". Chris and Mary Beth headed back to the office.
***In the Car***
"Something doesn't sit right with me about Mr. Simpson".
Mary Beth looked at Chris. "Me either".
She thought for a minute, and then she looked at Mary Beth. "I am going to follow my gut on this one, Mary Beth". She grabbed the car radio and called dispatch. She ordered them to go to the Jenkins' house and confiscate any beer they find in the house for testing. She also called Feldberg and asked him to get her a search warrant for David Simpson's house.
***Chris and Mary Beth's office***
Chris and Mary Beth walked into the office and Feldberg told them the search warrant would be ready in the morning.
"Thank you!" Chris and Mary Beth went on in, and found the Medical Examiner's report on Chris' desk.
Chris read it for a minute, then told Mary Beth what it said.
"Male subject had internal brain bleeding and hemorrhaging consistent with a fall or blow to the back of the head. Male subject had a foreign substance in his stomach lining and airways. Male subject had a gunshot wound to the cranium, located between the eyes. Cause of death was from the foreign substance, and not the blow to the head. The gunshot wound finalized things. Had there been no gunshot wound, the foreign substance would have killed him. The blow to the back of the head incapacitated him, but was not enough to cease life".
"So this means we have 3 murder suspects, one of whom can be eliminated, and the others both think that they killed him. Time to talk to Feldberg".
***Feldberg's office***
Chris and Mary Beth walked into Feldberg's office.
They explained everything to him and showed him the ME's report.
"So basically, we have the wife who thinks she killed him with the gunshot wound. We have the daughter who thinks she killed him by pushing him and making him hit his head. And we have someone who poisoned him, and I am betting that was the business partner and that it was done with the beer".
"If what you are saying is true, Lieutenant Keeler, then I will drop the charges against the daughter, and I will cut a deal with the wife, voluntary manslaughter, 4 years. With good behavior, she will be out in 2. I need you to find a way to pin the poisoning on the business partner and let me know when you find out what it is. If you are right, I will push for life with no parole for David Simpson".
"I love it when we are on the same page, Feldberg!".
They headed back to their office and decided to search the Jenkins' residence and the Simpson residence first thing in the morning.
***Chris and David's apartment***
Chris got home and found David sitting at the table, working. The Contractor was there, and had painted the new apartment to match the old one. The only thing they were waiting on now, was Miranda's bathroom to be painted, Miranda's bedroom to be painted, the contractor to make her the pocket bed that she said she wanted, and for their new refrigerator to be delivered.
"Hi honey!". She walked over and kissed him.
"Hi babe!" She sat in his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Sorry about missing our lunch today. How about I take you out to eat tonight instead?"
"Ok. Let me change clothes and we will go".
She went and put on the black V-neck blouse and teal capris that she bought for the concert a few weeks ago. She paired them with black stacked flip flops and a sparkly necklace and bracelet. She spritzed on the perfume that he loved, too.
She came out of the bedroom and he was sitting at the table, talking on the phone. She went to the drawer in the kitchen where they kept gift cards and grabbed a few. David was off the phone then, and she took him the gift cards.
"Where do you want to go? We have gift cards for Butter, Nobu, and The Palomino".
"What if…we skip the gift cards and I take my wife out for Mexican food at Cosme?" He kissed her.
"Your wife would be a very happy woman if you did that".
They left and headed to Cosme.
After a nice dinner, they went to a bookstore and looked for new books and then came home.
Chris headed to the bathroom to soak in the tub, and David put their leftovers in the fridge, and then locked the doors and set the alarm. He got a glass of water for Chris, like he did every night. She often woke up in the middle of the night thirsty, so he always made sure she had water next to the bed.
After putting the water on her nightstand, he joined her in the tub. He looked forward to soaking in the tub with her as much as she did.
He climbed in, and added some more hot water. She had the jets going, and was watching the news.
He had lit some candles and the lights were off, so it was dim and romantic.
"What happened in court today?"
"We have a case coming up that had a preliminary hearing today. Jury selection starts next week, and the prosecutor was trying to rush everything today. How was your case?"
"One murder, three suspects, three confessions, three different methods of homicide. I am pretty sure one of them was a confession out of guilt, and I am pretty sure that one of the other suspects is ultimately guilty of murder, but thinks they got away with it, while the last suspect thinks they are the only ones who murdered anyone, and while they did end the person's life, their actions wouldn't have prevented death if they had been absent".
"I don't follow you babe".
"We have a businessman who was murdered. His wife, daughter and business partner are all suspects. I am pretty sure that the daughter only confessed out of guilt. I am also pretty sure that the wife thinks she is the only one who murdered someone. She ended his life, but she didn't do anything other than speed it up. He was already dying, thanks to the actions of his business partner, who I am pretty sure is ultimately guilty of murder because it is my belief that he poisoned him".
"Wow. That's complicated. Hope you can solve it".
"we are on the cusp. I can just feel it".
They soaked for a while and looked at the view. It was just starting to rain, which always relaxed Chris.
David got out of the tub, and helped Chris out. They grabbed towels and dried off, and as they were putting on their pajamas, the power went out.
So David carried the candles and took them to their bedroom, and grabbed his cellphone. He turned on the flashlight feature and placed it in the bathroom so that Chris could see. He went and lit more candles in the bedroom and then she carried the phone to bed.
They climbed in bed and he turned off the phone light.
"Look how romantic it is in here with the candles lit. We should do this more often".
"I like how you think, babe".
He kissed her and held her. They made out for about 20 minutes, and then made love like they were on their honeymoon. Chris fell asleep in his arms afterwards and once he knew she was asleep, he got up and blew out the candles and then got back in bed and held her.
"Loved you once, love you twice, love you more than beans and rice", he whispered in her ear.
***The next morning***
Chris and David left for work when the contractor got there. Chris had always been such an independent woman, but she really loved the way that David walked her to the car in the parking garage each morning. It was one of her favorite things that he did for her.
He helped her get her stuff into the car and kissed her goodbye and they headed in their separate directions.
Chris pulled into the parking lot of her office, ten minutes later, and texted Mary Beth to just come to the car instead of going inside.
***In the car***
Chris and Mary Beth went and picked up the two warrants they needed. They headed straight for David Simpson's house.
They called for backup when they got there, and waited for them to arrive. As soon as they did, they knocked on the door. David Simpson's wife answered, and let them in. When they showed her the warrant, she agreed to wait in the kitchen provided she could call her husband.
An officer waited with her in the kitchen, and she confirmed that nobody else was in the house. Chris and Mary Beth told the uniforms that they were specifically looking for chemicals of any kind.
In the garage, Christine found a home brewing system, and it had a separate machine just for capping beer bottles. She confiscated it and then she looked in the tool room of his garage. In there, on the bottom shelf, she found a bucket with several bottles labeled "poison". She confiscated those as well.
"Mary Beth- come look".
Mary Beth came and looked and agreed it was suspicious.
They searched his office next, and found some books for the business that appeared to be altered, and they confiscated those as well.
They left his home then, and headed to Kyle Jenkins' residence.
***The Jenkins residence***
Chris and Mary Beth knocked on the door, and the housekeeper answered. She had been permitted back in the house but the master bedroom was still off limits. She allowed Chris and Mary Beth inside and they immediately had a uniformed officer confiscate the beer in the fridge. Chris and Mary Beth wanted to test it for tampering.
Then, they went to the basement, where Savannah said the rapes had occurred. It was an ordinary basement, with a mattress on a roll away cot, and an old couch. They looked around for a few minutes, and Chris found a spotlight type flashlight and she turned it on. As she turned to leave, she saw it. Over in the corner, up at the ceiling, was a camera lens.
"Mary Beth, see that camera?"
"Yes, I do. And there's one on that side of the room, as well as 2 over there. We gotta find out where these cameras lead to".
They followed the wires, and they discovered that they went to an office which had been disguised as a closet. They jimmied the lock open, and found it filled with computers and recording equipment.
"Holy crap!" Chris called for a uniformed officer to come down the stairs.
She confiscated the computers, and the recording equipment and the cameras.
"Take everything, and take it back to my office building and have it certified as evidence. Let me know when you are done".
She and Chris headed out, and decided to go see Allyson at the jail.
***At the Jail***
Chris and Mary Beth checked into the jail and were ushered into a conference room. Allyson was brought in a few minutes later.
"Hi detectives. Any new updates on my case?"
"Quite a few, actually. We talked to Savannah. She stated that she was in your home the day your husband was murdered, and that she and your husband argued. She stated that he pushed her, she pushed him back harder and he slipped and fell and hit his head. She then left him there while she loaded the rest of her things into her car and then she left. She said she saw him get up after she left so she assumed he was ok. When she found out that he had died, she turned herself into the police department and is being held right now."
"Well I killed him, she didn't. So you have to let her go".
"We got the report from the Medical Examiner. I don't think she killed him, and I don't think you did either, at least not in cold blood as you thought".
"What do you mean?"
"the Medical Examiner said he found a poison in your husband's airway and stomach lining. He said it was already killing him, and you just brought the end closer by shooting him. He said the hit on the head from the argument with Savannah, was incapacitating but not lethal. Then, when the poison was ingested, he most likely started breathing heavily and felt very tired. So he went to lay down, and if you hadn't shot him, he would have died a few minutes later anyways".
"Poisoned? Well what could have done it- we didn't eat anything. He said he wasn't hungry. All he had was a ½ beer when he got home and another ½ a beer when David came over."
"We suspect that David Simpson poisoned the beer he gave your husband, to keep him from moving the business to Florida, or closing it all together. We searched his house today and we believe we found the evidence we will need to convict him".
"So what about me? Am I still going to be charged?"
"yes, but with a lesser charge, most likely. My boss, the DA, has agreed to charge you with voluntary manslaughter, and is preparing a plea deal to offer you, just a couple years or so. David Simpson will most likely be charged with capital murder or first degree murder, and could face life in prison. Your daughter will be released and not charged".
"That's good I suppose".
"There's one more thing. We spoke to Savannah and she explained to us that when she was younger, your step-son, according to her, molested her. She stated that she told her father, and he began molesting her too. So she confided in her aunt, your sister Rachel, and she agreed to let her move in. She says the only reason she was at your house that day is that your husband had called her and told her to come get her things now that she was 18".
"Yes, that's true. She did tell us that she was being molested by Sean, and when my sister said she also said her father was doing it, he kicked her out. And last week, on her birthday, he called her and told her to come get her things".
"We talked to Sean. He admitted it, but he gave more details. He claims your husband forced him to do that to Savannah, because he was going to if Sean didn't."
"Oh my gosh…. I swear I never knew it was happening".
"We believe you. Now, who has custody of your other girls?"
"My sister Rachel has been taking care of them".
"Ok. We are going to have Rachel take them to the doctor to have them examined to see if he was doing it to them as well. Since Savannah moved out, the chances that they started on one of the other girls is pretty high, I am afraid".
She nodded. "Thank you".
"Sean was arrested and will be charged with several counts of child molestation and rape. We also found video recording equipment in the basement".
"I never want to go back to that house. I want to sell it and move on with my life when I get out of here".
"That's a good idea, Mrs. Jenkins".
"We will be in touch, thank you for your time".
***Chris and Mary Beth's office***
On the way back to the office, Chris and Mary Beth had called Allyson's sister, Rachel. She agreed to take Allyson's daughters Zoe and Alicia to a doctor and have them examined for possible rape.
"How old are the girls?"
"Zoe is 9, and Alicia is 6".
"Ok, I will note that in my report. Thank you. Please call and let me know what the doctor says, and have him fax his report and findings to my office".
Chris and Mary Beth got back to the office, and they walked in and immediately started making phone calls.
Chris called the Medical Examiner and found out that the substance in Kyle Jenkins' stomach and airway was strychnine. It was a very harsh poison and a horrible way to die.
Chris called the lab and put a rush on the substances and the bottling machine that she had sent them that day. "I want to know what you find, but if you find strychnine, call me the moment you find it, and that includes in the beer bottles, too".
She and Mary Beth tagged the video recording equipment from the Jenkins' house and sent it to the evidence room.
They had just finished up when the call from the lab came.
"Lieutenant Keeler, I have the results on the beer and the poison that you asked to be tested".
"Ok, what did you find?"
"the beer has a high concentration of strychnine, like you said. But it wasn't tampered with, it was bottled that way. So I tested the bottle maker, and found strychnine traces on the machine that caps the bottles. Just a trace but still, it's there".
"Paydirt! Anything else?"
"Yes, I tested all the bottles in the case and they all had strychnine in them. So whomever wanted to poison this person wasn't taking any chances. And the bottles in the bucket were tested as well and they were all strychnine".
"Thank you! Can you fax those results to me as soon as possible? Thanks".
"We got him, Mary Beth. Let's go tell Feldberg".
They ran down the hall to Feldberg's office and told him that what they had found at David Simpson's house tested positive for Strychnine, and that they had also found recording equipment in the Jenkins' basement, that would probably prove Savannah's claims about the abuse.
"Good work detectives, here is your arrest warrant, you may go arrest Mr. David Simpson".
"Thanks Feldberg".
***David Simpsons' office***
Chris and Mary Beth called for backup to meet them at David Simpson's office. His car was still in the parking lot, so they blocked him in and then waited till backup arrived.
After the backup arrived, they all went upstairs to where his offices were.
They showed the secretary their badges and showed themselves into his office.
"David Simpson you are under arrest for the murder of Kyle Jenkins. Please stand up sir, and put your hands behind your back".
Mary Beth read him his rights, and the uniforms cuffed him.
They led him out of the office, and he told his secretary to call his wife and his lawyer.
Chris and Mary Beth followed the patrol car back to the jail, and signed the booking paperwork.
Chris took Mary Beth to the subway, and then headed home.
***Chris and David's apartment***
Chris got home and found David home already. He had the news on, and the top story was David Simpson's arrest.
"Good work babe!" He kissed her and picked her up and spun her.
"Thanks Honey!" She kissed him back and he finally put her down.
They took a walk through the new part of the apartment then, and were pleased with what they saw. The walls had fresh paint and the hardwood floors looked amazing. The bathroom had been painted that day, and so had Miranda's bedroom. The bathroom was a slight bit overwhelming, but once they added in the cabinets and the shower curtain, it would be a little muted.
Her bedroom was gorgeous- deep purple with silver baseboards, as she had requested, and the wall opposite her bed was a glitter wall. It was really shining too. The new windows had been put in and she had an excellent view of the city. They had window locks too, so that she couldn't climb out onto the terrace.
They were going to let her use all the closets in that end of their apartment for her things, so that was good. And they had turned the extra living room area into an office, so that they would have a guest room again.
"Honey, what do you think about us using the eat-in space down here for our formal dining room and getting a new table for our eat in space on the other side?"
"I like it. Then we can spread out when we need to."
"I will start shopping for a table tonight, after dinner".
They walked back to the kitchen and Chris started preparing dinner. David was walking around and adding things to the house. Now that he was a dad, he needed to think about fatherly things, like carbon monoxide monitors, and he wanted an alarm panel installed down by Miranda's room, in case she needed to push the panic button. David installed the carbon monoxide monitor himself, and just to be safe, he installed one outside their room as well. He was going to call the alarm company tomorrow and have them come install another panel.
The pocket bed was coming along, and all her room needed was carpet on the floor, and then a mattress once the bed was completed. It was being delivered tomorrow, and Chris had left instructions with the delivery service that they could leave the mattress in the den, and then the contractor could pick it up and place it in there. She would make the bed up before Miranda saw it.
They ate dinner, and then went to Pottery Barn to pick up the things they had ordered for her room. It was a good thing Chris drove an SUV, because they needed to space to bring all the stuff home.
They picked up a desk, a comforter and sheet set, as well as a second sheet set, a lamp, some cute pictures that she had marked in the catalog, and a bookcase. Then they went to Target, and got her a cute comfy chair to sit in, and a TV and mounting set, to mount it on the wall.
They got back home and sent it all up the service elevator on a cart, and brought it in. They decided to mount the TV, which was definitely a 2-person job and then David put together the desk, while Chris put together the chair, and they worked on the bookcase together.
They finally finished around 10 p.m., and it looked great! All her room needed was a mattress, with sheets and a comforter on it.
Chris looked around the room, and then smacked herself in the forehead. "I can't believe it- We forgot pillows!"
"I will pick some up on my way home tomorrow".
***The next day***
Chris and Mary Beth spent the day updating their case files. Feldberg finalized his plea agreements for Allyson and Savannah.
He agreed to charge Allyson with voluntary manslaughter, and give her credit for time served and a sentence of 2 years. With good behavior, she would be out in about 9 months. She readily accepted it, and asked him to please take care of her daughter.
Feldberg agreed to let Savannah out, provided she agreed to live with Rachel and take care of her siblings. That was part of his arrangement with her mom. Rachel agreed to it also, and Allyson agreed to turn the life insurance money over to her, so that she could set up the kids' college funds. Allyson was contacting a realtor to start the process of selling the house.
With David Simpson in jail, the business was going to be sold and Allyson would get the bulk of the profits.
Sean was charged initially with 10 counts of rape and child molestation. However, after the lab analyzed the videos found on the computers, those charges were upgraded to somewhere around 40. He was facing a very lengthy sentence, but Feldberg understood that he had been in a tight spot. So he cut him a deal of 12 years in prison, and registering as a sex offender. He took it.
Chris left work that day around 4, as she usually did on Wednesdays, now that they got Miranda on Wednesday nights. She met David at home and they went together to pick her up.
***Chris and David's apartment***
Chris and David had picked Miranda up and they all went to dinner at a seafood place. Afterwards, they went back to the apartment. Chris told Miranda to close her eyes, and she put a blindfold on her, and walked her into her new room.
"Ok, are you ready? This is all yours…." She took the blindfold off Miranda and readied herself for the screams. Sure enough, Miranda let out a couple screams.
"Our contractor built you this pocket bed. So try it out and if you don't like it, we will have him adjust it. And here is your desk, and you have your own TV".
"Thanks, guys! I love it!"
"You're welcome sweetheart! You always have a home here with us".
David took Miranda into the hallway.
"If you are ever here and someone breaks in, and you can't get to us in our room, I want you to come and push this button, the red one, right there. If you push that, it will set the alarm off and the police will come and the alarm company will call us on the phone, ok?"
She shook her head. "I don't wanna".
"Well, if it's an emergency, then it will be ok. I promise".
She nodded. They showed her the bathroom then, and she loved it, and was so excited.
"This place feels like a real home now!"
Chris and David nodded. "Yep, it sure does".
They hung out in the house for a little bit longer, and then David took Miranda home while Chris soaked in the tub.
She was in her pj's when David came home, and they went to bed.
She was thinking as she drifted off to sleep, that for the first time in a long time, she was content. She had just solved a major case that resulted in multiple collars; she had a sexy, hot, handsome husband who would do anything for her; she had a step-daughter that was so happy to be part of their family; and she was healthy, which several months ago wasn't necessarily the case. She realized that she was more than content; she was happy.
Blessed, and happy.