Dial Emmy For Murder Part 27

"No!" he shouted, just as the light went on next to the front door and Adrienne Russell appeared.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"Nothing," Jakes said. "I was just asking your son some questions he can't seem to answer."

"He's arresting me, Ma!"

"I'm not arresting him," Jakes said. "I'm taking him in for questioning."

"What questions are you asking him?" she demanded. "I'm sure I can help."

"I doubt it, ma'am," Jakes said. "You couldn't tell me where he was today. How are you going to tell me where he was on the days of the murders?"

"I told him, Ma, I was either at an audition or at work," Nate yelled, still trying to pull free from Jakes's hold.

"Let him go!" she said. "I can give you the answers."

"Can you?" Jakes reluctantly released Nate's arm.

"It's all in my book," she said. "Nate, go to my room and get my book off my dresser."

"Your book?"

"Yes," she said, "the appointment book I keep all your auditions in."

"Oh, that book."

Nate went into the house. . . .

"Oh, Jakes." I closed my eyes.

"I know," he said, keeping his eyes on the road. I think he was ashamed to look at me. "I screwed up big-time."

"Did you look-"

"I looked for him," he said. "He obviously ducked out the back door."

"What about the mother?"

"She kept me busy out front. I guess I could've arrested her," he said.

"Then why didn't you?"

"I put a man on her," he said. "She's all Nate has. If he tries to contact her or if she tries to meet him, we'll know."

"And that book she was talking about?"

"There was no book."

"Wait," I said. "This murder we're going to now . . . how could she be involved if she's being watched?"

"She's either in the clear on this one," he said, "or she got it done before I put a tail on her. Which means she had to have had it planned a while to pull it off in that short a time."

"But that's only if this murder is the same as the others, right?"

"Right."

"Have you been there yet?"

"No," he said. "I got the call and immediately I called you."

"What about your partner?"

"He's going to meet me there."

"What if it's not connected?" I asked.

"I hope it is," he said. "It'll give us something fresh to work on."

"Wow, that's . . . terrible," I said, "but so . . . true."

Chapter 50.

As we pulled up to the crime scene, I asked, "Was your man in front of my house last night?"

"Of course."

"Then you know I had a visitor last night."

"I heard," he said. "I a.s.sumed it was Paul."

"It was."

He put his hand over mine, a gesture that I found both touching and comforting.

"Was it hard for you?"

"Actually, no," I said. "I mean, I was expecting a soap opera-esque breakup, but he made it very easy-easier than I deserved."

"Don't think about it," he said. "It's over. Now we have to move on."

He looked past me out the window at the house that was surrounded by both cops and yellow crime scene tape.

"Let's go then," I said, unbuckling my seat belt.

I could tell by the look Detective Davis gave Jakes that he didn't approve of my presence.

"We got a young man named Ben Tillman," Davis said. "He was an actor."

"Is he the same type as the others?" Jakes asked.

"Yup." Finally Davis couldn't contain himself. "Why is she here?"

"If the deceased is connected to soap operas, Alex will know," Jakes told him.

Davis grudgingly looked at me. "h.e.l.lo, Ms. Peterson."

"Detective."

"He's in here."

David led us into the house, into a high-ceilinged living room that had wooden beams. The young man was hanging by the neck from one of the beams.

"Can we cut him down?" a man from the crime lab asked.

"Give me a minute," Jakes said. "Alex? Why don't you wait outside?"

"I-I'm fine," I said. "You asked me to come." I didn't want him to think I was weak.

"Okay," he said.

He surveyed the room, taking it all in, and walked around a bit, hardly looking at the body. Me, I couldn't take my eyes off the poor man. His eyes were closed, his swollen tongue protruded from his mouth, but there was no blood.

Jakes now looked around, searching for something or someone in particular. "Doc?"

An older man wearing a white coat came forward. I guessed he was the medical examiner.

"What's wrong with this picture?" Jakes asked, looking up at the dead man.

"You mean the tongue?"

"Am I right that if he hanged himself, his neck would have broken? There'd be no reason for the tongue to be out like that."

"You're right," the doctor said. "That's a high beam. If he'd done this himself, his neck would've broken. The tongue hanging out is an indication that he suffocated."

"If he hanged himself," I asked, "where's the chair or stool he would've had to stand on?"

"She's right," Jakes said. "Whatever he climbed on to get up there would still be around."

The floor beneath him was bare.

"Murder," Jakes said. "Nice call, Alex."

I felt queasy but proud.

"I'll know more after I cut him down," the ME said.

"What are you waiting for?" Jakes asked.

The ME turned to his men and said, "Cut him down!"

Jakes came over to me. "Do you know him?" he asked.

"It's hard to say with his tongue protruding like that," I said. "He certainly resembles Jackson and the others. What are the differences from the other cases?"

"If this is his home . . . ," he said, looking over at Davis, who nodded, "then he was killed where he lives. None of the others were."

He meant none of the other actors. Henri was killed at home.

"I see."

"Do you want to wait outside?"

"No," I said, "I'd like to get a closer look at him, and then I'll step outside."

"Okay."

I watched as it took three men to cut the young man down, but eventually they had him lying on the floor. I moved closer. His tongue was still disfiguring his face, making it hard to see what he truly looked like. I was about to bend over when a voice called out sharply, "What is she doing here?"

I turned my head and saw Jakes's boss standing in the doorway, looking furious.

"Captain Carpenter-" Jakes started.

"Officer," she snapped at a nearby uniformed cop, "please escort Ms. Peterson from the premises."

"Yes, Captain."

"And I mean behind the crime scene tape!"

"Yes, si-uh, Captain."

"Now wait a minute," Jakes said. "This is my crime scene-"

"That may be true, Detective," the captain said, "but I believe I still outrank you."

I was escorted away without her ever speaking directly to me and without my being able to say anything to Jakes.

Chapter 51.