Chapter 23
Munch, Fin, and Agent Schimanski arrived at the former home of the Sabatinis. The new family occupying the home was actually the second family to own it since the death of Mr. James Sabatini and the disappearance of his wife, Cassandra. Mrs. Susan Grinstein had wanted her kids to be at school before the FBI showed up. Agent Schimanski completely understood and the team had arrived after the school bus left.
"Do you guys want some coffee or anything?" Susan asked them as she watched from her back door as the FBI forensics team get set up in her backyard. She was about five foot six with graying brown hair and couldn't have weighed more than one hundred and fifty pounds. A single mom, she worked hard to provide for her teenagers, Samantha, fifteen, and Billy, fourteen.
"A cup would be swell. Again, we appreciate you helping us out," the FBI agent said.
"No problem Agent Schimanski," Susan smiled slightly.
"Please call me Joe," he smiled back.
"I'll help you with the coffee," Munch offered. Susan nodded and let the skinny older man help her out.
"So do you know of any changes made to the yard? You know like was there an old concrete pad somewhere or a well?" Munch wondered as he watched Susan put a pot of coffee on using her Mr. Coffee machine.
"No wells. Believe it or not, Bangor has been on public water since eighteen seventy-five," Susan said.
"That had to be a relief to know. I hear well water isn't so great," the detective said.
"At our old place, we only used it for washing clothes, dishes, and bodies. If you wanted drinking or cooking water, we bought it from the store," she nodded.
"Smart. Though you ate off the plates that were washed in well water," Munch said.
"Yes well we had a dishwasher. Needless to say, soap and one hundred and forty degree heat helps keep the dishes clean. I always washed in clothes in warm water, which was better than just the cold," Susan explained. Munch nodded as the smell of brewing coffee filled his lungs.
"That smells fantastic. The coffee we get in the city is terrible," he admitted.
"Bad water?" She wondered.
"Nope, mostly a machine that's older than I am," Munch smirked. Susan had a little chuckle but he could tell she was concerned.
"What if they find a body out there? I can't afford to move again," she told him.
"I'm sure that if we find something that we'll figure something out for you and your kids," he tried to reassure her. Things like this didn't happen in the city so he had no idea what the procedure was.
"You think that Mr. Sabatini really killed this poor Sarah girl?" Susan asked.
"It's the best theory we have. No trace of Sarah has ever been found since she went missing and our victim back in the city was using her ID," Munch said. Susan nodded as she poured coffee for Agent Schimanski, herself, and Munch. Fin had declined and the forensics team couldn't eat or drink while they worked.
Heading back outside, Susan handed over the cup to the FBI agent and then ducked back into her house. Munch stood next to the agent and discussed what, if anything, that they could do for the Grinsteins, if a body was found. Typically, the FBI didn't give out money to relocate. When they did searches, such as these, and something was found, it was usually up to the home owner to move, if they wanted. However, Schimanski promised to look further into it, if a body was actually found.
"So what if we don't find anything?" Fin asked.
"We're dead in the water. No way to ID your body in the morgue since Molly's DNA isn't in the system and she has no living relative to check her DNA against. There wasn't much left of her father after the accident, so they cremated him. Her mother is in the wind, which to this day bothers me. I mean no one has heard from this woman since the death of her husband and I can't figure out how she vanished without ever applying for a credit card or attempting to rent an apartment. No activity on anything, even after it happened, is just…" the agent didn't get to finish as one of the forensics team came over. He was a tall lanky Asian man, who didn't look old enough to shave.
"We've got something. The soil has definitely been disturbed," the tech said.
"That was fast Simmons. Are you sure that it's a body?" Schimanski asked.
"No way to tell but the disruption is only about three feet down. We're going to start digging," the man said.
"All right. Have the rest of the yard scanned in case it comes up a dead pet," the FBI agent told him.
"I'm leaving Stephanie on the machine. She'll keep plugging away while we excavate," Simmons said before quickly heading off to get the team started.
"Only three feet down and so close to the front of backyard fence? Sounds like someone got lazy burying the dead hamster," Munch said. The spot was only about ten feet from the back door.
"Or was dragging a teenage body and that was as far as their drunk ass could carry her," Fin frowned.
"Fin has a point. I'm drunk, I have to get rid of the evidence before the wife gets home, I put her in the closest and easiest spot. Then tell her some wild animal must have been digging around in the backyard," Schimanski said.
"And she believes him?" Munch raised an eyebrow.
"Guy was a mean drunk. Probably thought it was better not to question him," Fin said. Munch nodded. Hours would pass before they had something in the hole that the forensics team had started digging. In that time, Stephanie had marked at least two other places in the yard with disturbances.
"We're not going to be done by the time the kids get off the school bus. I'll talk to Susan," Schimanski said. He was about to head into the house when Simmons called out to stop him.
"We've got bigger problems. This just became a crime scene." There in the first pit, was a skull beginning to stick out of the dirt. One the other end, another technician had found feet.
"Yes we do," Schimanski nodded before heading inside to tell Susan the news.
To Be Continued…