Chapter 7: Disturbing News
October 31st – 5:25 PM
Police Chief James Miller was at a loss. He currently had two dead bodies, a killer that seemed to know every move his intended victim made, and capable of evading ten police officers and out witting a forensics team.
"It has to be someone close to her." Jim Miller stated in a low voice. In his office he had a corkboard that had Lizzie McGuire's picture in the center. Surrounding her were the photographs of David Gordon, Ethan Craft, Larry Tudgeman, Ronny Jacobs, Danny Kessler, Kate Sanders, Veruca Taylor, Parker McKenzie, Brooke Baker, his own daughter Claire, and the one that was worrying him the most, Lizzie's mother; Jo McGuire.
Each of these people had been in the Chief's life at some point in time or another. The children were all friends growing up, even if they have drifted apart over the years. It's true that people change over time but to think that any of them might be a psychopathic killer was beyond him. In addition to this Chief Miller was distressed at who his primes suspect might be. He had personally tried to get a hold of Mrs. McGuire after Lizzie was assaulted in the girl's washroom yesterday. He thought she'd want to know that her daughter was attacked but ok. The hotel that Jo McGuire was supposed to be staying at said not only had she not checked in but there were currently no reservations for anyone by that name. When he gave the clerk all the information he'd gained from the Roberta Gordon the clerk checked and found none of it to be true. No one by the names provided was having a meeting, nor were any scheduled.
"Chief, this just came for you." One of the police officers said bursting into the room. Normally this might upset Chief Miller but given that he was waiting for the information in the young man's hand he let it slide this time.
"I was afraid of this."
"What's that chief?" The young man asked.
"Get on the radio to all units and tell them to be on the look out for Jo McGuire." The chief informed the young man.
"Lizzie's mother?" He asked with a stupefied look on his face.
Chief Miller just nodded. "We just got her cellular phone records. All the phone calls that were made the night of the first attack on Lizzie were made from her phone. Also the lengths correspond with the time period that she wasn't in the house."
"You don't really think..."
"That she killed her son and now wants to kill her daughter? I honestly don't know. I've known Jo McGuire since all our children were infants. She was the nicest person, always willing to help out if you needed a babysitter in a pinch. But after the whole thing with her husband... it might very well have pusher her over the edge." Chief Miller said.
"Tell everyone that they are to use caution when approaching her if she's spotted. We're bringing her in for questioning, nothing more. If they try and arrest her it might make things worse. Just tell them if they spot her we have Lizzie and it's imperative that she come with them right away."
"I'm on it Chief." The young Hispanic officers stated as he began carrying out his orders.
~ * ~
"This all seems to easy." Miller said aloud as he continued looking at the board.
"Jo had opportunity, a potential motive..." if her mental well-being is in question, Jim thought the last part to himself.
He double-checked all the notes he had taken the night of Matt's murder. Something just didn't seem right.
"Jo... I hope this evidence isn't right. I hope that your husband's death didn't cause you to become someone capable of killing their own children."
Then he saw it, plain as day. Matt McGuire's cell phone was the phone that made the call's to the Bianco's home the night he and Melina were killed. Looking at the phone records again for that night before his estimated time of death Matt's phone had called the McGuire residence. Looking back at the notes it was Jo McGuire that had answered the phone that night. From the time of the call, and length she couldn't possibly have been the one to have made the calls and carried out the killings.
Unfortunately as he looked at the McGuire's phone record his heart suddenly sank again. The McGuire's it seems had that new feature where the home phone could send the signal to a cell phone. While the phone records don't show any such call occurring it could be because it was billed to the house, not the cell phone.
Then something else came to him. "If she made the call how in the world did she call the house when she was in it?"
Jim had been in the room when Lizzie answered the phone and received the threatening phone message. As had Jo McGuire.
The only way that would be possible was if she had a partner, but there are no phone calls to anyone save work, Lizzie's cell phone, the Gordon's and Sanchez's. Miller was pondering. When he looked up and saw one of his female deputies darting towards his door.
"Chief...." The office yelled bursting into James Miller's office, "We just got a call from the school. The custodians were returning from their break and saw something dangling form the football post. It... they found Principal Ungermeyer. She's dead. The killer hung her up and just left her there."
"Get a couple units and the forensics team over there. We don't want kids breaking curfew to come see this so it needs to be done quickly and quietly." James Miller ordered in a huff.
"Right away." The Asian police officer stated.
James Miller then got his keys and drew his sidearm from its spot in his desk drawer. He holstered the weapon and grabbed his hat as he prepared to head to the school.
That's three bodies in a month. We need a break in this case and we need it now! The chief of police thought as he fell into his chair rubbing his forehead.
October 31st – 5:25 PM
Police Chief James Miller was at a loss. He currently had two dead bodies, a killer that seemed to know every move his intended victim made, and capable of evading ten police officers and out witting a forensics team.
"It has to be someone close to her." Jim Miller stated in a low voice. In his office he had a corkboard that had Lizzie McGuire's picture in the center. Surrounding her were the photographs of David Gordon, Ethan Craft, Larry Tudgeman, Ronny Jacobs, Danny Kessler, Kate Sanders, Veruca Taylor, Parker McKenzie, Brooke Baker, his own daughter Claire, and the one that was worrying him the most, Lizzie's mother; Jo McGuire.
Each of these people had been in the Chief's life at some point in time or another. The children were all friends growing up, even if they have drifted apart over the years. It's true that people change over time but to think that any of them might be a psychopathic killer was beyond him. In addition to this Chief Miller was distressed at who his primes suspect might be. He had personally tried to get a hold of Mrs. McGuire after Lizzie was assaulted in the girl's washroom yesterday. He thought she'd want to know that her daughter was attacked but ok. The hotel that Jo McGuire was supposed to be staying at said not only had she not checked in but there were currently no reservations for anyone by that name. When he gave the clerk all the information he'd gained from the Roberta Gordon the clerk checked and found none of it to be true. No one by the names provided was having a meeting, nor were any scheduled.
"Chief, this just came for you." One of the police officers said bursting into the room. Normally this might upset Chief Miller but given that he was waiting for the information in the young man's hand he let it slide this time.
"I was afraid of this."
"What's that chief?" The young man asked.
"Get on the radio to all units and tell them to be on the look out for Jo McGuire." The chief informed the young man.
"Lizzie's mother?" He asked with a stupefied look on his face.
Chief Miller just nodded. "We just got her cellular phone records. All the phone calls that were made the night of the first attack on Lizzie were made from her phone. Also the lengths correspond with the time period that she wasn't in the house."
"You don't really think..."
"That she killed her son and now wants to kill her daughter? I honestly don't know. I've known Jo McGuire since all our children were infants. She was the nicest person, always willing to help out if you needed a babysitter in a pinch. But after the whole thing with her husband... it might very well have pusher her over the edge." Chief Miller said.
"Tell everyone that they are to use caution when approaching her if she's spotted. We're bringing her in for questioning, nothing more. If they try and arrest her it might make things worse. Just tell them if they spot her we have Lizzie and it's imperative that she come with them right away."
"I'm on it Chief." The young Hispanic officers stated as he began carrying out his orders.
~ * ~
"This all seems to easy." Miller said aloud as he continued looking at the board.
"Jo had opportunity, a potential motive..." if her mental well-being is in question, Jim thought the last part to himself.
He double-checked all the notes he had taken the night of Matt's murder. Something just didn't seem right.
"Jo... I hope this evidence isn't right. I hope that your husband's death didn't cause you to become someone capable of killing their own children."
Then he saw it, plain as day. Matt McGuire's cell phone was the phone that made the call's to the Bianco's home the night he and Melina were killed. Looking at the phone records again for that night before his estimated time of death Matt's phone had called the McGuire residence. Looking back at the notes it was Jo McGuire that had answered the phone that night. From the time of the call, and length she couldn't possibly have been the one to have made the calls and carried out the killings.
Unfortunately as he looked at the McGuire's phone record his heart suddenly sank again. The McGuire's it seems had that new feature where the home phone could send the signal to a cell phone. While the phone records don't show any such call occurring it could be because it was billed to the house, not the cell phone.
Then something else came to him. "If she made the call how in the world did she call the house when she was in it?"
Jim had been in the room when Lizzie answered the phone and received the threatening phone message. As had Jo McGuire.
The only way that would be possible was if she had a partner, but there are no phone calls to anyone save work, Lizzie's cell phone, the Gordon's and Sanchez's. Miller was pondering. When he looked up and saw one of his female deputies darting towards his door.
"Chief...." The office yelled bursting into James Miller's office, "We just got a call from the school. The custodians were returning from their break and saw something dangling form the football post. It... they found Principal Ungermeyer. She's dead. The killer hung her up and just left her there."
"Get a couple units and the forensics team over there. We don't want kids breaking curfew to come see this so it needs to be done quickly and quietly." James Miller ordered in a huff.
"Right away." The Asian police officer stated.
James Miller then got his keys and drew his sidearm from its spot in his desk drawer. He holstered the weapon and grabbed his hat as he prepared to head to the school.
That's three bodies in a month. We need a break in this case and we need it now! The chief of police thought as he fell into his chair rubbing his forehead.