Disclaimer: All previous disclaimers apply.
Chapter 14: Interrogation
Gabriel Knox Elementary School
Auditorium
2081 Derby Lane
San Francisco, CA, USA
November 02, 2031
7:00 pm
Dr. Thompson does not know if Captain Morris and his team want her to assemble everyone in the school or just the students and parents of Mrs. O' Keeffe's and Mrs. Jones' classes. So, she sends invitations to all of the parents to come to an unscheduled PTA meeting so that they can discuss what the Christmas season fundraiser should be. She also encourages the parents to bring their children with them so that the students can have some input into what the Christmas fundraiser will be. She has received calls from parents who are asking why she is calling an unscheduled meeting. She tells them that the schedule is tentative at best and that she has the right to change the meeting times and dates. Still, there are many disgruntled people.
So, she is surprised when all of the students and parents parade into the auditorium and sit in a theater seat that has a blue cushion that you have to push down before you sit in it. Lots of people who have never been to a PTA meeting are present in the crowd.
Dr. Thompson stands behind the mahogany podium. She clears her throat and stares down into the eyes of every person in the crowd.
Then, she says, "Good evening, parents and students! Welcome to tonight's PTA meeting! I have some sad news to tell you. Four days ago, I discovered the dead bodies of Mrs. O'Keeffe and Mrs. Jones, two of our kindergarten teachers. I called the police and they are investigating the murders. Let's take a moment of silence to remember Mrs. O'Keeffe and Mrs. Jones."
The men who are wearing baseball caps remove their caps. Silence reigns until Dr. Thompson picks up the microphone again and says, "I present to you a snapshot of the years Mrs. O'Keefe and Mrs. Jones have taught here at Gabriel Knox Elementary School.
In the video, Mrs. O'Keeffe sits in a rocking chair and reads a story to a group of students who are sitting on pillows around her. The picture changes and shows a picture of Mrs. Jones helping a student cut out an outline of the head and neck of a turkey and gluing the cut out pieces to a paper plate to make a picture of a turkey for Thanksgiving.
After the video ends, Dr. Thompson calls Captain Morris to enter the stage. Captain Morris walks up onto the stage from the stairs that are on the audience's left side and stands behind the podium.
"Thank you, Dr. Thompson," Captain Morris says as he takes the microphone from Dr. Thompson.
"I am investigating the murders of Mrs. O'Keeffe and Mrs. Jones, but I need your help. Raise your hand if you were sent to the principal's office or had to go use the restroom around 2:20 pm four days ago," Captain Morris announces.
Some students raise their hands.
"If you raised your hand, please walk out into the hallway," Captain Morris says.
A group of students exit the auditorium.
"Did any of you hear or see anything that might help our investigation?" Captain Morris asks.
Of the people left in the auditorium, nobody raises his or her hand.
Captain Morris glares at the crowd until Violet raises her hand and says, "There was that day that Mrs. O'Keeffe fainted in class and I woke her up by sprinkling water onto her face."
"Was there a reason why Mrs. O'Keeffe fainted?" Captain Morris asks.
"We were learning that 'A is for apple' when Mrs. Jones came into the classroom to tell Mrs. O'Keeffe to turn on the television. Mrs. O' Keeffe turned on the television and we watched the events of a trial that some hotshot lawyer won. When the picture of an old lady popped onto the screen, Mrs. O'Keeffe looked at the image and fainted," Peter says.
"Is there anything else?" Captain Morris asks.
"Mrs. O'Keefe's class joined our class this past Friday. Mrs. Jones stopped teaching us and rushed out of her classroom when she heard Mrs. O'Keeffe shout for Chris. We don't know who Chris is and we never saw him," Clara, a blonde-haired girl with a missing tooth says.
"Thank you. You have all been very helpful," Captain Morris says.
Then, he hands the microphone back to Dr. Thompson and exits the auditorium to question the people waiting out in the hall.
"Did any of you see the dead bodies?" Captain Morris asks.
Everyone shakes their head no.
"You are free to go," Captain Morris says.
"Did you find anything in their minds?" Wyatt asks Harry.
"No," Harry replies.
"They are all from classes on the other side of the building and their path did not take them by Mrs. O'Keeffe's or Mrs. Jones' classrooms," Harry continues.
While Captain Morris interrogates the people waiting in the hall outside of the auditorium, Dr. Thompson takes the microphone and the rest of the meeting is spent on ideas for the Christmas season fundraiser. Someone suggests a school dance, but someone else counters it by saying that the kindergarteners will not be able to participate. The meeting ends with everyone arguing about the Christmas fundraiser.
"What did we learn from today's meeting?" Captain Morris asks Wyatt and Harry when they are sitting in the police car after the meeting.
"I know you want to question Chris, but I can explain his involvement. Chris is Aisling's unofficial white-lighter. Mrs. O'Keeffe called Chris to help her when she saw the dart sail through the air. Chris' orbs probably frightened the murderer and the murderer fled. Chris told me through our bond that he tried to heal Mrs. O'Keeffe and Mrs. Jones, but the Elders would not let him," Wyatt says.
"That places Chris at the murder scene," Captain Morris said.
"Don't turn Chris into another James Young," Wyatt warns and he orbs away.
"What do you think?" Captain Morris asks Harry.
"I think you should listen to Wyatt this time," Harry says.
"What did the laboratory find when you sent them the darts?" Harry asks.
"They found traces of the poison that poison dart frogs from the Amazon rainforest excrete from their skin on the darts. They think that the poison killed Mrs. O'Keeffe and Mrs. Jones," Captain Morris replies.
"So, what's the next step?" Harry asks Captain Morris.
"I want to question Chris," Captain Morris says.
"That might not be a good idea. You need the Halliwells to help you with this case, but they will not appreciate it if you make Chris your top suspect," Harry says.
"He was at the murder scene. That makes him a top suspect." Captain Morris says.
"Why don't you try another angle? Maybe you can ask one of the Charmed Ones to use the dart to scry for its owner," Harry suggests.
"That doesn't seem like such a bad idea," Captain Morris says.
Once Harry is satisfied that Captain Morris will not question Chris, Harry apparates to P3.
P3
San Francisco, CA USA
November 02, 2031
10:00 pm
"How may I help you, Uncle Harry?" Chris asks after he hands a customer a margarita.
"One of the students told Captain Morris that Mrs. O'Keeffe shouted for you and that Mrs. Jones rushed to her aid on the day of the murder. Captain Morris wants to interrogate you, but I have given him another angle to pursue. In the meantime, be careful, Munchkin," Harry says as he sits on a barstool at the bar.
"What else is bothering you?" Chris asks.
"How are Miss Calloway and Mrs. O'Keeffe related? One of Mrs. O'Keeffe's students said that Mrs. O'Keeffe fainted after seeing Miss Calloway on the news broadcast," Harry says.
"Mrs. O'Keeffe told me what I am about to say in confidence, but I think she wouldn't mind if I told you. Miss Calloway and she are members of the same coven," Chris says.
"Then, the murderer is taking out the coven," Harry says.
"Aisling may be his next target," Chris says.
"Perhaps," Harry says.
"Who is the other victim?" Harry asks.
"Emily's grandmother," Chris replies.
"She must be the spare," Harry says as he thinks of the night when Voldemort returned with his blood and killed Cedric Diggory with the killing curse in the graveyard in Little Hangleton to obtain that blood.
"How is Emily coping?" Harry asks.
"Relatively well, since Wyatt and I told her about our magical heritage," Chris replies.
"Where is Emily?" Harry asks.
"She is playing video games with Wyatt at the Halliwell Manor," Chris replies.
"See you later," Harry says as he hands Chris a $20 bill and leaves.
Chris puts the money in his wallet and orbs the wallet to the secret storage area under one of the floorboards in his bedroom.
Aisling's House
San Francisco, CA, USA
November 03, 2031
8:00 pm
Mark arrives home to find Aisling setting the table for dinner and the smell of a vegetable stew that consists of carrots, peas, corn, zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, tomatoes and onions emanating from the kitchen. He follows the smell to the kitchen and finds Chris ladling the stew into a white bowl with little green flowers printed on it.
"Chris, what are you doing here?" Mark asks.
"Aisling and I have some news to tell you," Chris replies as he turns off the stove and brushes past Mark who is standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
Mark sits at the table in the dining room, while Chris finishes serving the stew to Mark, Aisling and himself. Then, they say grace and eat. After eating, Aisling, Chris and Mark sit in the living room.
"Dad, I have something to tell you," Aisling says as Chris squeezes her hand.
"What is it?" Mark asks.
"Mom was murdered last week," Aisling says quietly.
"Have the police found the culprit?" Mark asks.
"They are working on it," Chris replies.