Major Crimes Mysteries
The Family McCoy
Chapter 15
Buzz and Amy pulled up in front of Eric's house. Jessica was right. It was a cute little bungalow, the perfect place for a bachelor. While the house looked plain, it was the decorations and landscaping that really made the house stand out.
As they approached the door, a man stepped out from behind the house. He was as surprised to see them as they were to see him. "Eric Mitteran?" Buzz asked. The good-looking man responded, "Yeah and who's asking?" Amy could see exactly what Jessica was referring to in discussing Eric's stunning personality. "The LAPD, that's who." Amy said in a terse tone that made Eric come to full attention. "I'm sorry, the LAPD?" Eric echoed back to her continuing his smug tone. "Yes. We need to talk to you about the death of your coworker and her family. Do you have a place we can speak privately? If you would prefer, Detective Watson and I would be glad to take you downtown to talk, if it makes you more comfortable." Amy told Eric. "What? No. Why? Because I am wondering why the LAPD would be at my house to discuss the death of a woman who wouldn't lift a finger to help her fellow realtors. I didn't like the lady and frankly don't give a rat's fluffy behind that she is dead. So, sorry detectives, but I can't help you solve your little murder." Eric told them with his tone dripping with condescension and sarcasm.
Amy was starting to get angry. She really wanted to take him downtown, but Buzz gently tugged on her sleeve. Normally, he would do this to let Amy know to pull back that she was getting too emotional with suspects and could lose them. That was one of the things that Amy loved about working with Buzz. He knew how to bring her down when she needed it. It didn't happen often, but this case and Eric's callousness was starting to get under her skin.
Buzz stepped around Amy and gestured for Eric to take them into the house without muttering a word to him about it. Eric took the cue and walked towards the door opening it. He held the door open for the detectives to walk through. Buzz looked around in amazement. What was a plain house outside was simply gorgeous on the inside. It was clear the house had been gutted and remodeled to make it suit to Eric's taste and he clearly had a knack for this type of work. Eric gestured to the living room for the detectives to sit down which they did. Eric then sat on the chair next to them.
"OK." Buzz told him. "Let's start over. Before we start though, do you mind if I record our conversation? Otherwise, we may need to take you down to the station and get it recorded and that will take tons of time." Buzz told Eric. "Nah, man. Record away. I really know nothing about her death so there isn't a whole lot I can tell you." Eric said in a much calmer tone. Buzz jumped on that. "Clearly you have issues with Rebecca McCoy. Can you tell us about those issues, Eric?" Buzz asked him. "Sure." Eric responded. "I have a dream to have a reality tv series on buying million-dollar homes. Everyone knows about it. These shows are the rage right now and I have the looks, personality, and drive to pull it off. I have to get into those listings though. Right now, Rebecca is." He paused "was the queen of those listings. I asked her if she would be willing to teach me her tricks of the trade and she told me no. What the hell? I have watched her mentor women in our office only to have them disappear. I begged her and begged her to help me. You know what happened then, detectives?" Eric continued without waiting for an answer. "She became rude about it. She told me that I was a rude, ungrateful little boy and that I would be the last person she would help." Eric said getting angry all over again.
"So, what did you do?" Amy asked him in an accusatory tone with the hopes of getting under her suspect's skin. "That had to have really irked you." Eric either ignoring or missing Amy's tone of voice shook his head." "Yes, it did. I think I called her a bitch. I was expecting to get called into the office, but I don't think she went to our boss."
"Eric, where were you the night of the murders?" Buzz asked him. Both Amy and Buzz had finally had enough of the smugness and contempt from someone who clearly had a motive to have done the damage to Rebecca that was done with her. Eric started to tell Buzz and Amy where he was, but Buzz interrupted him. "Hold on." Buzz told him. Buzz read him his Miranda warning.
"Uhm, wait. What?" Eric said with an incredulous look on his face. "You all think I have something to do with this? You all are barking up the wrong tree. I had left for and was in Costa Rica the day she and her family were murdered. I was nowhere to be found in this area. After our blow up, I decided I needed some R and R and took time off. My flight left at eight am that morning. Let me grab my passport." With that, Eric got up and left the room. Amy stood up to follow him. "Seriously, Detective." Buzz could hear Eric say from his office.
The two returned with Amy holding Eric's passport stamped that he entered Costa Rica that morning and some other papers in her hand that ended up being his receipts. Amy was also holding his phone that had his airline tickets stored in them. She was walking behind Eric as they walked into the room. She looked at Buzz with a disappointed look on her face and shook her head no. Buzz felt the air leave his lungs and a look of disappointment fell across his face, as well. He felt like a kid who just learned on the same day that both the Easter Bunny and Santa weren't real.
"So, as I was telling Detective Sykes here, I wasn't even in the country. Y'all can check, verify, do all the little things you need to do." Eric told them smugly.
Amy's anger got the best of her. "You know Mr. Mitteran, you are pretty smug for a guy who is a main suspect in a murder of an entire family including a three-year-old toddler. You might just want to check your attitude."
Eric not backing down, shot back "Rebecca pissed off somebody. I can promise you that, Detective. The rest of her family just got in the way and were collateral damage." His comment put Buzz into high alert. How would Eric Mitteran know that Rebecca was the main target unless he was there?
Buzz asked Eric for a DNA sample and Eric simply laughed at him. "Sure, Detective. You can have a DNA sample. I can promise you though that my DNA will not be found anywhere at that crime scene. Hell, I've never even been to the woman's house and had no desire to. The only place my DNA will be found for that period of time is on a couple of senoritas I had the pleasure of spending some time with the night Rebecca McCoy finally got her comeuppance." Eric told him looking straight into Buzz's eyes with a smirk on his face. Eric took the swab from Buzz and not breaking eye contact swabbed the inside of his cheek as instructed.
Amy had finally had enough. "Sir, several children died at that crime scene. How about you show a little bit of respect?" She felt herself breathe out to calm herself. Normally a suspect would never get under Amy's skin this way, but Eric Mitteran was a pig to say the least. One could maybe even make the case for a sociopath. Normally, Amy enjoyed playing with suspects as though they were the mice, and she was the cat needing some entertainment for a bit. Eric was a step above normal suspects.
"Collateral damage, Detective. Collateral damage. They have their mother to thank for being such a bitch. I have zero doubt that when you all figure out the true killer, cuz it isn't me, you will find out that Rebecca McCoy pissed someone off big time." Eric finally said. "Now, if y'all have any other questions for me, you can get ahold of me through my attorney.
Eric stood up and opened his front door. He gestured for the detectives to leave which they stood up to do. "If you'll excuse me, I have to figure out how to get these celebrity and high-end listings now that Rebecca is gone. I've got a tv show to figure out." Eric told them as they were walking out the door.
"I feel like my dog just died, Buzz. I wanted it to be him so bad. He is the perfect suspect with a stellar motive to boot." Amy told Buzz once they got into the car. Buzz agreed with her.
Both decided they would hold off in calling the Commander until they checked airport security cameras to ensure Eric did exactly what he said he did. They would look for any cracks in his story that would allow them to drag him back in. If only to make his life hell for a moment.
Amy ordered pizza for them to be delivered to the murder room. Despite the rules Buzz had implemented and Myra continued to enforce of no food or liquids in the electronics room, both sat at the monitors eating their pizza and drinking their sodas.
The two could clearly track Eric getting to the airport and onto the plane. There was not a shred of evidence to see that he got off. With each passing hour, the two lost any hope of even bringing him in to irritate him a little bit more.
As they were deep into video and records, they heard a woman clearing her throat from behind them. Both turned to see their commander in the doorway. "What are you doing here, Commander?" Buzz looked at his watch and said "Oh my god, Amy. It is eight o'clock in the morning!"
"The question isn't what am I doing here. It is what are you doing here in the same clothes as yesterday." Sharon asked them. The two filled Sharon in on what happened with Eric Mitteran and let her listen to some of the recording, as well as what they found from reviewing the airport video. Sharon asked for the recording to be forwarded to her, which Buzz did immediately.
"Well, clearly, he isn't a prince, but he doesn't sound like a murderer either." Sharon told them and the two agreed. "I want you two to go home and get some sleep. I really need you bright eyed and bushy tailed for the funerals tomorrow. When you come back tomorrow and not before, we will see if there is any other way we can see if he was involved." Sharon told them.
Amy and Buzz shut everything down and headed home. As they were heading out the door, they heard Sharon yell out to Wes to write up a search warrant for all of Eric Mitteran's financial and phone records. Amy and Buzz just looked at each other and both had big grins on their faces. It was clear their commander wasn't done with Eric Mitteran either and that is why they loved her so much.
EOC