Chapter 11:
Something Big
Jess pulled the blankets up over her head in an attempt to ignore the horrible blaring of the beeping alarm clock that was going off. She felt someone move next to her and suddenly the high pitch sound from the alarm clock had stopped. "Come on, sleepy head time to get up" Flack's voice drifted into her ear as he snuggled into her just cuddled back down under the blankets, she was too comfortable and still half asleep.
"Come on, we have our suspect to go interview" Flack reminded
"ummmm….sleep" Jess replied
"No, no more sleep…we have a 2 and ½ hour drive ahead of us…wake up" Flack saidJess finally opened her eyes "Fine I'm awake but I hate you at this moment." she said
"You're not a morning person are you?" Flack asked. He was amused by her sour mood"Ha ha ha" was her response as she found the energy to get out of bed "just need caffeine and I'll be fine"
"We'll get some on the way…pick you up in an half an hour" Flack said as he got out of bed. She nodded her head, it was obvious that he had slept in his clothes and now he desperately needed to go back to his place and change.
"I'll be ready" Jess replied. As she headed for the bathroom to get ready to go interview Mr. Pike.
Close to three hours later Don and Jess were pulling into the residence of Matthew Pike, "You know it probably would have been a better idea to have Erickson and Walker bring Pike to the station" Jess replied "I hate long drives"
Flack smiled at her "less threatening in his own home and the drive wasn't that bad"
Jess rolled her eyes as they both got out of the car and walked up the driveway, they knocked on the door. Already knowing he was home. Erickson and Walker had confirmed Pike was inside.
It took a few more loud knocks but Matthew Pike finally opened the door. He wasn't what Jess had expected but than again real life monsters rarely looked like the monsters from stories. Pike was a short, plump man with shaggy brown hair. But it was his eyes that caught Jess' attention; she could see the sadness that was concealed in them.
"Hi, I'm detective Flack and this is detective Angell" Flack said introducing them to Pike and holding up his badge. Jess held hers out too. "Sir" Jess said "We have some questions about the Rolands in New York; I believe you just did a job for them"
Pike nodded his head "May we come in?" Flack asked
"Sure though I don't know how much help I will be" Pike answered opening the door wider so the detectives could enter. "I heard about the Rolands deaths on the news" he said as they walked into his living room.
"You did a job for the Lewis and the Turners too" Flack said it wasn't so much a question as a statement
"That's right" He replied "They were all such nice people"
"What can you tell us about them?" Jess asked
"Well not much I was only their contractor. But they seem so happy. it's a real tragedy, epically the kids…I mean what kind of sick son of a bitch goes and kills those innocent children" Pike replied
"Well that's what we're trying to figure out" Angell replied
"We've been searching down connections between the families and to tell you the truth Mr. Pike, we were at a dead end until we came across the fact you worked with all three of our murdered families" Flack replied
"So I worked for the three families…I've worked for a lot of families in New York." Pike replied. Jess noticed he was shifting in his seat a little bit and she detected his voice suddenly turned irritated.
"That might be the case, but these three families reminded you of your own. Didn't it?" Jess asked
"How did you know about that?" Pike asked
"It's our jobs to know" Flack replied "It must have made you furious to see the Lewis` and Turners take their families for granted, after you losing your own`
`Wait, you think I had something to do with those murders?" Pike asked
"It has crossed our minds" Angell replied "It must have been a horrible reminder to work for people whose family was just like your own. And then it must have pissed you off when you realized that Blair Turner was beating the crap out of his wife or that Veronica Lewis had single handedly bankrupt her family. I mean you loved your family and they were taken from you and here are two families who are certainly not treasuring what they've been given." Angell stated "Plus you know the Roland's were murdered November 9th exactly five years after the accident"
"Can you tell us where you were the nights of November 9th, November 16th, and November 17th?" Flack asked
Pike smiled and said "Same place I am every night since I lost them; Lark's Tavern. I wasn't a great husband, Amy called me that night saying she was tired and she wanted to pull into a hotel I told her no…see I was a cheap basted and hotels are expensive so she continued to drive and now they are all dead" Pike answered "So I've been going to Lark's Tavern every night for the past five years…hoping to drown my regrets. The bartender knows me by name…you are welcome to check my alibi and now detectives I think I've cooperated enough please leave" He said getting up from the chair he was sat on indicating that the interview was over.
Jess and Flack got up and left the house, once they got into the car Flack looked at Jess and said "so what do you think?"
"I think we should head down to Lark's Tavern and check that alibi of his" She replied
"I agree" Flack said pulling out of the drive way and headed for Lark's Tavern. It didn't take them very long to pull into the bar since it was only three blocks away. "I have one request Jess, after this interview we get something to eat" Flack stated as they walked into Lark's Tavern.
Jess laughed at him "Flack, you do realized you are the one driving" she said
"I do" he replied as they walked up to the bar "excuse me" he said to the lady behind the bar whose name tag on her uniform told them her name was Jasmine.
"Hello" she said politely "what can I get for the two of you?"
"Nothing" Jess said holding out her badge "just hoping you could answer some questions"
"Umm..sure I guess" the Jasmine replied
"How long have you been working here?" Flack asked
"Six years…I usually work nights but I had to cover for a friend today. what's going on?" Jasmine asked
"Do you know a guy named Matthew Pike?" Jess asked
"Oh yeah, he's been coming here every night for the past five years. He arrives at 8 and don't leave until closing" she replied "did he do something wrong?" she asked
"That's what we're trying to figure out" Flack replied
"Can you remember if he was here on the nights of November 9th, 16th and 17th?" Jess asked
"Like I said he's here every night" Jasmine replied
"So he hasn't missed a night in five years" Flack said
"Not that I can think of…But I'll know for sure if he was here on those nights, I only have to check his tab" she replied
"Please do that" Jess said
"Don't you need a warrant or something?" Jasmine asked
"No, it's a matter of public record and you can choose to show it to us" Flack answered
"Ok, hold on, be right back" Jasmine replied, she walked into the back and she was only got a second before she was back with a stack of papers. "here is his bills from all three of those nights you asked for" Jasmine said passing the receipts to Jess and Flack.
"Here it is" Flack said "Pike was indeed here for all three murders. What time did Sid put TOD at?"
"Rolands at 9, Lewis at 12, and Turner's at 10. According to these he was here at 8 until closing on all three nights. No way he could be our guy" Jess said disappointed
"We're going to hold on to these" Flack told Jasmine
"Sure" she replied
"Thanks for your time" Jess said
They left the bar and headed back to the car "Damn it, I was sure Pike was our guy" Flack said
"me too" Jess said sighing
Just than Flack's phone went off "Flack" he said into the phone "uhuh OK, we're on our way back now"
"Who was that?" Jess asked
"Sid, he wants to see as ASAP, he discovered something big on Bryan Roland's body" "What?" Jess asked
"He wouldn't say" Flack said "only said that it was big"