Chapter Three

The First Pieces of the Puzzle

Office of the Medical Examiner

Manhattan, NY

Tuesday, March 23

"Morning, Doc," Bernard greeted Dr. Rodgers.

"Detectives," Dr. Rodgers returned.

"What've you got for us?" Bernard asked.

"Typical case of blunt force trauma," Rodgers replied. "Your killer really wailed on this guy."

"You have a guess as to what the killer hit him with?" asked Lupo.

"Well, judging by the indentations the blows made his skull, I'd say your murder weapon is in the neighborhood of a pole or a crowbar—something like that."

Lupo nodded.

"All right," Bernard said. "Thanks, Doc."

***DOINK!DOINK!***

N.Y.P.D. 27th Precinct

Manhattan, NY

A few hours later—

Lieutenant Van Buren came up to Lupo and Bernard, who'd been working at their desks.

"Hey, Lieu," said Lupo, swallowing a sip of coffee and setting down his mug.

"What's up?" asked Bernard.

"How's the Dennehy case coming? You guys talk to anyone who knew more about him than his neighbors?" Van Buren asked.

"Well, he was born and raised in Connecticut and worked there for most of his life," said Lupo. "He was born in Vernon, he went to Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell—both for undergrad and seminary—and he worked for the Archdiocese of Hartford, mostly ministering at the Cathedral of St. Joseph."

"So Father Dennehy, then?" said Van Buren.

"Yep," said Lupo.

"So who'd you talk to?" asked Van Buren. "Family? Friends?"

"Our good friend background check," Lupo joked.

"His only living relative is a cousin, Helen Farley—lives in New Haven. Dennehy had her listed as his next of kin," Bernard said. "We talked to her about an hour ago. Said she hadn't seen Dennehy in years—not since the party Dennehy's parents threw for him after he got ordained. The last she heard of him was that he went to work for the archdiocese in Hartford."

"She know of any friends he had?" Van Buren inquired.

"Nope. They were a few years apart in age—she's older—so they didn't hang out with the same crowd," Bernard replied.

Van Buren nodded as she listened.

"How'd he end up in New York?" she asked.

"Must've just wanted a change of scenery," said Lupo. "He doesn't have a criminal background—not in Connecticut, not here."

"How long had he been here?" said Van Buren.

"He moved here back in 1993," Bernard answered.

"That's what, seventeen years?"

"Yeah."

"That's plenty of time to make an enemy of some sort," said Van Buren. "Did he work as a priest here, too?"

"Yeah—he worked at the Cathedral of St. Patrick—obviously for the Archdiocese of New York—until two years ago," said Lupo.

Van Buren nodded as she listened.

"So 2008," she then said. "Talk to the priests there. Somebody had to know the guy."

***DOINK!DOINK!***