B008IFNJZM EBOK (4 page)

             
While that discussion was going on, another vehicle pulled into the area.  This one contained a person every one referred to as ‘Junior’.  He was a local veterinarian called to the scene to help with the identification of animal hair and to be later ordered to examine the claw  wounds in an effort to determine what animal if any, was responsible for the mutilation of the butler’s body.  He was always called ‘Junior’  to separate Doctor Bill Deckard from his father who was still working at the same clinic and having the same first and last name as his son who followed him into the business.  Junior had attended college at the same time as Elizabeth and her brother and they were all acquainted back then.

             
The detective grabbed one of his technicians and told him about the security system.  The technician went out to his van and brought back a hardware bag.  Elizabeth moved a sliding bookcase to reveal the security system.  The technician came in and set his hardware bag down and began to examine the system.

             
“Bad news detective… the only cameras operational are the two on the kennel and two on the heliport.  The only motion detection for recording was on the kennel cameras in the last twenty four hours.”

             
The detective looked up at the display monitor and only saw the dogs pacing back and forth in their enclosed area.

             
“Damn, I was hoping for a break… well make me a copy of everything on the system and mark it as evidence.  I’ll initial your backup for the records.  I don’t see any reason to pull the hard drive out at this time.  Shut it off just in case, and tape it as evidence and not to be turned on.”

             
The detective looked at Elizabeth as her brother ran in and hugged her.  He too, had tears in his eyes.  Tom looked at the detective.

             
“Anything on the security system detective?”

             
“No.  All we have are frames of your dogs in the kennel area.  Sam here will remove the power cord and leave the unit in place.   It will be tagged out of service and it will remain that way until we have completed our initial investigation.  No one is to activate this system.  If that is a problem, I will order my man here to remove the hard drive now.”

             
“No, we will make sure no one will use it.  I think we are now the only ones who even know where the controller is located.”

             
“Backup is complete detective.”

             
Wiggins looked around the study.

             
“Okay Sam, pull the cord and close this panel back up.  You can return to the scene just as soon as you pull Mr. Hart’s computer.”

             
The detective turned to the grieving children.

             
“We are going to have to take his computer and all his backups.  It will eventually be returned.”

             
“I understand.”

             
“Does he have any other electronic equipment that could aid us in our investigation?”

             
“Yes.  He also has a laptop and a cell phone.”

             
“Good I need the two of you to find those devices but don’t touch them.  Just show my men where they are and they will bag them up.  We will be fingerprinting and examining the contents of both.”

             
“They should be in my father’s bedroom.”

             
The detective turned to Sam.

             
“Could you go with Mr. Hart here and bag those items?”

             
“Yes sir.”

             
“And if the bedroom looks like it has been disturbed in anyway, stop and call the CSI folks.”

             
“Yes sir.”

             
The detective examined the contents of the desk wearing plastic gloves.  The crime scene was outside but he had to be sure that whatever happened, didn’t originate in the house.  Other members of his team entered and now all the rooms of the mansion were being examined.  It would be a long day and his team would then examine both the servant quarters and the kennel before anyone left the house.  Another detective went with the grieving children to the booth in the kitchen to take statements.

***

             
Junior has his hands full as he was given tagged fur and blood samples.  He would utilize his father’s expertise and then forward the bags to the FBI crime lab in Washington.  He was in the back of the corner’s van with the bodies.  He examined the marks on the butler and picked a few pieces of animal hair that was quickly bagged and tagged.  Doctor Edward Hunsinger supervised the few samples Junior was bagging.

             
“Given the claw marks what do you think?”

             
“Well we can go back to the kennels and check the dogs with your CSI people, but I can’t see anything to indicate that one of the dogs went rogue and caused these.  If I was a betting man, I’d go with a wild animal… maybe a huge dog, wolf, bobcat or a mountain lion.”

             
“Well you don’t have to worry about the dogs… The detective ordered them to be taken by you, tested for rabies and then destroyed.”

             
“But what if the dogs are clean and had nothing to do with whatever happened?”

             
“This is a multiple murder investigation, he has already signed the paperwork.”

             
Doctor Edward Hunsinger handed Junior the paperwork to test and destroy the animals.  At this same time, both of the children had already given their reluctant approval to the action given the loss of their father.  Elizabeth and her brother made funeral arrangements and by the time the sun was going down on that day, began to call everyone to let them know what had happened.  Their story was an accidental loss of their father and the others while being attacked by some big wild animal.  Elizabeth indicated that it would be a closed casket service and the other two would be laid out at the same time in adjacent rooms at the funeral parlor.  Doctor Edward Hunsinger would be doing all three autopsies and she would call back once the dates for the wake and the funeral could be ascertained.

             
They ate sandwiches and talked very little as the brother and sister examined pictures of their father and the others for the funeral parlor.  The only person insisting to meet with them that day was the corporate attorney representing their father’s corporation.  They also put through a call to the brother of their father, Uncle Joe.  They both wanted to see him later that evening after they met with the attorney.

***

             
The attorney, Mr. Lutz arrived around supper time with one of his paralegals and another attorney.  All the proper paperwork was signed and notarized.  The legal visitors covered all their business quickly knowing the stress and pain the pair of offsprings were confronted with.  They were long gone before Uncle Joe made his appearance.  The police, doctors and dogs were gone.  A single manned police vehicle was still there watching over the crime scene.  The entire front of the mansion was taped off.  Mr. Talbot would be returning in the morning with additional equipment ordered by the detectives.  A sign was up indicating that visitors and family members should use the back door entrance and Joe walked around and knocked.  Margaret let Mr. Hart’s brother in and to the booth where the two children had spent most of the day.  As soon as the children saw Uncle Joe they were both on their feet and in his arms.

             
“This is a terrible thing that has happened.”

             
The three surviving members of the immediate family sat down and discussed all that had transpired that day.  After a few hours Uncle Joe could see that the pair were exhausted and offered to either spend a night in one of the guest bedrooms or bow out.  Tom grabbed his hand.

             
“You have your wife and children to go home to.  We will be alright… Here, this is for you.”

             
Tom slid a pile of papers over to their uncle.

             
“You are no longer the vice-president of our dad’s company.  These documents along with all our shares are voting you in as the new CEO.”

             
“Are you sure neither of you want that job?”

             
Elizabeth put the tissue down from her face.

             
“My brother and I have careers and we could never run the corporation as well as you could.”

             
Tom added his thoughts.

             
“I am a teacher.  If I ran the company, my business skills would make the corporation run as bad as the United States Post Office…   We trust you to run it and make our dividend checks as large as possible.”

             
“Well I am sure you could do better than the Post Office… If it wasn’t for mismanagement, the Post Office wouldn’t have any management at all!”

             
“We not only love you uncle, we trust you.”

             
”With the number of shares in your control right along with my brother’s stock you two are the majority.  Did the lawyers help you with his insurance policy as well?”

             
“Yes uncle.  We have everything under control.”

             
Elizabeth held her uncle’s hand.

             
“There is one thing you can do for us now Uncle.”

             
“What is that dear?”

             
“Gather up any good pictures of our father for a slid show at the funeral.”

             
“I’ll do that right away.”

             
The children hugged their uncle and they walked him out to his car.  Uncle Joe continued to offer more services for the pair including having his wife and children move into the guest rooms to help them through this difficult time, but the pair refused and indicated they still had Carl and Margaret to help them.  He finally left after the police on duty told their uncle that he too, would have to make a statement for Detective Wiggins.

             
Tom fell asleep in one of the bedrooms to the sound of his sister crying in the bedroom next to him.

             
Elizabeth came down stairs and immediately went into the kitchen and sat down at the breakfast nook.  Margaret came over with a cup and a coffee pot.  She sat the cup down in front of the doctor.

             
“Thanks Margaret.  Is my brother up yet?”

             
“Yes he came down and went out front with Mr. Talbot and a pair of investigators from the FBI.”

             
“I thought Detective Wiggins completed his evidence gathering yesterday?”

             
“Yes.  These men are examining the chandelier and trying to determine why it fell.”  

             
“The corporate lawyers were curious about that as well.”

             
Elizabeth took a sip of her coffee and stood up.

             
“I think I want to hear what my brother has learned about that part of the incident.”

             
Elizabeth started walking toward the rear door and the cell phone clipped to her belt rang.  She stopped at the door and answered it.

             
“Doctor Hart Speaking...”

             
“Hi Elizabeth, its Ed down here at the coroner’s examining room.”

             
“Yes?”

             
“I need you and your brother to look at some of these findings.”

             
“You know I can’t render an opinion…”

             
“I know.  I just think you are going to find some of these findings interesting.  You only have to view the overhead tapes of the three procedures.”

             
“Alright, I’ll be down later this morning.”

             
“Please trust me Elizabeth and bring your brother.”

             
“What is causing your concern?’

             
“You both have to see this, I certainly don’t know what to make of any of this.”