The Children's Corner

Chapter 46

Michael's smarmy smile fades at the sight of Kate's badge. "I didn't call the police."

"No, Mr. Fink, you didn't," Kate replies, watching for Michael's reaction to his name.

He covers the shock in his face quickly, but not before Kate catches it. "I don't know any Fink."

Esposito steps forward. "No? This building is held by Bass Clef Enterprises, which we traced back to a sole owner, Michael Fink. If you don't know him, what are you doing here?"

As Michael stutters, Kate and Esposito push past him. "Wait! You can't just come in here."

Ryan holds up a warrant. "Actually, we can."

"And since you claim you haven't heard of the owner, we can arrest you for trespassing," Kate adds.

Michael throws up his hands. "Wait! All right! I'm Michael Fink. You can take me down to your station or whatever you do. I'll answer whatever you want."

Kate shakes her head. "Too late. You already lied to police officers and obstructed an investigation." She pulls out her cuffs. "We'll bring you in, but we're also going to search this place. Ryan, call unis to transport Mr. Fink here."

Hearing the noise upstairs, Myron struggles against his bonds, finally tipping his chair over. The sound of the crash against the concrete basement floor carries to where the detectives are securing Michael upstairs. Handing off her prisoner to Ryan, Kate runs toward the sound with Esposito at her heels.

Myron frantically pulls in air as Kate removes the tape from his mouth. "Thank God! He kidnapped me. He was going to kill me!"

"Are you saying your brother Michael kidnapped you, Mr. Fink?"

As Esposito rights the chair, Myron stares open-mouthed at Kate. "How did you know my real name or that he's my brother?"

"It's called police work," Esposito declares.

Kate snaps a picture of Myron's bindings before starting to strip them away. "Mr. Fink, we'll get the medics to have a look at you, but then I'll still have a lot of questions for you."

"The one you should be questioning is Michael!" Myron exclaims.

Kate nods. "Believe me. We will."

Michael's hands tightly fist as he jerks at the shackles chaining him to the interrogation table. "My brother is the one you should be arresting. He murdered our parents. I was trying to get him to admit it."

"Mr. Fink, if you had suspicions about the circumstances of your parents' death, you should have gone to the police at the time," Kate responds.

Links rattle as he slams the table. "I didn't even know they died! I was in California, and Myron used religion as an excuse to make sure they were buried within 24 hours with no autopsy. By the time I found out, it was too late."

"So why do you think he murdered them?" Ryan asks.

"Because they both died suddenly, and he got the estate. The medical examiner listed the cause of death as undetermined. I checked. They were in good shape for their age. For them both to die like that had to be murder. Myron probably poisoned them or something for the money. No way he could launch a career based on his talent. He couldn't even get a decent review at a birthday party. Without killing my parents, he could have never become Lazarus. You should dig them up and find out."

"Are you saying we should exhume your parents?" Kate queries.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," Michael insists. "And, as next of kin, I should have that right."

Kate shakes her head. "A judge will have to determine that, Mr. Fink. And the fact that the person asking is a kidnapper won't help."

"Then go to my aunt – somebody. I had a reason for grabbing 'the Magnificent Lazarus,' and the world should know it."

Kate gathers Esposito and Ryan around the murder board with her. "Do you think Michael's telling the truth?"

"I've never heard Lazarus sing," Ryan admits. "Not exactly my genre." He glances toward Esposito. "What do you think, Bro?"

"I have heard him sing. Michael could be telling the truth."

"We'll have to see if Markway will grant an exhumation order," Kate considers. "I'll text Rick. He always knows what snack will put the judge in a generous mood."

Rick quickly types an answer to Kate's query. Then, with the twins joyfully in their swings, he and Julia study the pre-school art supplies on Blinken's website. Rick grins at the screen. "There they are, paint smocks with pockets. There's even one that's red and blue. Someone must have had Lily in mind – or been patriotic. There's a little white on it too. Wow! Those are big packs of paints. One of them would be enough for Lily to throw a painting party for every preschooler in the neighborhood."

"Blinken's mostly sells to schools, churches, and daycare centers," Julia explains. "That's why I'm familiar with them. But if Lily gets bored with painting, you can always donate the leftovers. I can think of several non-profit programs that can use all the supplies they can get."

Rick rubs his hands together. "All right then! Point out the best choices, and we'll get this show on the road."

As Rick leads Lily across Blinken's parking area to pick up their order, he slows his pace noting a huddle of customers with perturbed expressions. He doesn't catch much of the conversation, but he picks up "destroyed animal art." The fire the night before leaps immediately to his mind. Could the blaze at the Schnelling house have been a crime, perhaps part of a pattern?"

Lily tugs at her father's hand. "Come on, Daddy! We need to get my smock and stuff so I can paint doggies."

At her urging, Rick quickens his steps. But his thoughts are still racing. The mutterings he heard were about animals in general, not just dogs. When he and Lily get home, he has some research to do.

Bliss lights Judge Markway's face as he inhales the sharp scent of a giant pickle. "When I was a kid, there was still one deli where they sold these from a barrel. But now the best you can get are the ones made in crocks – and not too many of those around either."

"That came from Kalinski's," Kate reveals. "And I saw the counter guy stick his tongs in a crock to get it."

Markway nods knowingly. "But I'm guessing that you want me to approve going after something that will take a lot more than tongs to bring to the surface."

"I have a man that claims his parents were murdered and nothing to disprove his assertions."

"Do you have reason to believe he's credible?"

Kate shrugs. "I don't know what to believe. The suspect claims he kidnapped his brother to get him to admit to the murder. So far, everything he's said tracks with the facts. And he has to know that if he sends us on a wild goose chase, the law's just going to come down harder on him for the kidnapping. So he may be right. And I also got permission from another family member. She would have every reason to say no if she didn't suspect we'd find something."

Laying his snack on its waterproof wrapping, Markway picks up his pen. "Then I'll sign off on it. But I'm not sure whether to hope the M.E. can find evidence of a murder or not."

Kate sighs. "That makes two of us. Enjoy the pickle."

"I intend to."