Black Forest, Denver Cereal Volume 5 (2 page)

“
He used to wear something
on a chain around his neck,” Sandy said. “I would see it when we
worked out. I was never close enough to it to see what it was. The
chain looks the same and the medallion is about the same size as
what he wore.”

“
I stopped wearing it when
Sandy and I started dating,” Aden said. “I took it off after seeing
her at the hospital. You know, when Jake was in there. I figured if
I was going to have a chance at having Sandy in my life, I wasn’t
such a lost cause any more. Or something like that. Jake said
something about it… told me to take it off or something. And… I
took it off. I put it in a wooden box Nash and Noelle made for me.
It has my pocket watches and…”

“
That box is at the
Castle,” Sandy said. “Downstairs, in the storage room. We tried to
put all the personal items where we’d be able to find them. Sorry,
I forgot to tell you. Noelle and Nash know where it is. They about
making the box for you.”

“
We can go get it right
now.” Nervous, Aden jumped to his feet.

“
That’s all right, Aden.”
Seth tried to reassure him with a smile. “We can go when you’re
done here. I don’t mean to break up the party.”

“
Blane’s coming at seven,”
Sandy said. “The nurse will be in to shoo everyone out.”

Seth smiled to reassure Sandy.

“
I’m not hauling your
husband off to prison,” Seth said.

She lay back against the pillows. Her hands
plucked at the blanket with worry.

“
I guess I’m wondering,
Aden,” Seth said. “Where did you get it?”

Aden opened his mouth and closed it. He
shook his head slightly.

“
What happened?” Nash
asked.

“
I don’t remember,” Aden
said. “But you’re right. That’s the question isn’t it? Where did I
get it? I…”

His eyes drifted to the ceiling tiles. He
jerked, shook his head, and looked around. Everyone in the room was
looking at him. The nurse stuck her head in.

“
Time to go,” the nurse
said.

“
Come on, kids,” Aden
said. “I’ll take you back.”

“
But Dad,” Noelle said.
“We want to see the necklace.”

“
You remember my
necklace,” Aden said to Noelle. “You used to chew on the chain when
you were a baby.”

“
I remember it. You always
had it. All my life,” Nash said.

“
This is… big.” Noelle’s
eyes were round with interest. “We have a clue to a murder
investigation!”

“
It’s a mystery,” Teddy
said.

“
We want to help,” Sissy
said.

“
Why don’t you take the
gang to the Castle?” Sandy asked. “I’m sure Seth will want the
necklace for forensics or whatever. You can take them back after
that.”

“
You’ll be all right?”
Aden asked.

“
I’d like to see Rachel
before we sleep,” Sandy said. “You and I can go when you get
back.”

Aden nodded.

“
We’ll drop by the nursery
on our way,” Charlie said. “I think she’d like that.”

“
You’re talking for Rachel
now?” Sissy asked.

“
Yeah, she likes me,”
Charlie said.

“
She
loves
me,” Noelle said.

The children began arguing all at once.
Looking over their heads, Aden raised an eyebrow at Seth. He would
tell him when they were alone. Seth nodded in understanding.

“
Let’s go,” Aden said.
“Kiss Sandy good-bye.”

One at a time, the children hugged and
kissed Sandy. Uncomfortable, Teddy went last. He gave her a quick
hug and she kissed his cheek. Still arguing over who Rachel loved
the most, the kids made their noisy way out of the room. Aden
kissed Sandy and followed them.

“
Well…” Seth
said.

“
Seth, there’s no way he’s
involved in these murders,” Sandy said. “He’s been in prison or
working or…”

“
I know,” Seth said. “But
it’s a lead. My gut says Aden’s going to help crack this
case.”

“
You may have to get
Delphie to get it out of him,” Sandy said. “He’s deeply ashamed of
that time of his life. Doesn’t talk about it at all.
Ever.”

“
I’ve had plenty of years
like that,” Seth nodded.

Blane stuck his head in Sandy’s room to see
if it was clear. Seth waved him in.

“
I’ll see you, Sandy,”
Seth hugged her and kissed her cheek.

“
Love you Seth,”
Sandy

Blushing, he smiled, gave a little wave and
left the room. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked
down the hall.

For the first time, he felt like he had a
real chance at solving this thing. The thought made him smile. He
dropped by the cafeteria to pick up his forensics technician, Ava.
She hugged him hello.

“
The cookies were a big
hit,” Seth said. “Thanks for making them.”

“
You bet,” Ava said.
“Rachel is adorable. Tiny.”

“
Thanks for waiting for
me,” Seth smiled. “I’m not ashamed of you, it’s just…
new.”

“
I understand,” Ava
said.

Putting his arm over her shoulder, they
walked out of the hospital.

“
You seem oddly happy,”
Ava said. “Are we…?”

His phone rang.

“
O’Malley,” Seth said.
“I’ll meet you at the station, Norsen. Yes, call me when you’re on
your way.”

He clicked off his phone.

“
We’re working,” she
said.

He nodded.

“
Got a lead?”

He nodded.

“
Can I come?”

“
Sure,” Seth said. “But
you’ll want to work too.”

“
Why?” Ava
asked.

“
We have another pendant,”
Seth said.

“
Ooohh, I like that!” She
gave him a big smile. “With a chain?”

Seth nodded and Ava clapped her hands like
an excited child.

“
I have an interview,”
Seth said.

“
I have a pendant,” Ava
said. “When we’re done?”

“
Your choice.”

“
I really like this!” Ava
smiled.

“
Thought you would,” he
said.

Smiling, they walked to his car.

~~~~~~~~

Sunday night — 8:15 P.M.

Seth turned the corner to find the elderly
man whose presence called him to the front of the downtown Denver
Police station. The man’s deep chocolate-colored skin contrasted
with his cream colored cardigan sweater. He was tall, fit, and had
the look of someone who was well cared for. Seth spied a weathered
gold band on the man’s left hand.

“
Can I help you?” Seth
asked the man.

“
I’m looking for Aden
Norsen,” the man said.

“
Why would that name mean
anything to me?” Close to the man, Seth looked into his face. “Have
we met before?”

“
I used to be a probation
officer,” the man held his hand out for Seth to shake. “Bob
Proctor. We met a few times when you were a street cop, Detective
O’Malley. You were always with your partner… What was his
name?”

“
I remember now.” Nodding,
Seth shook Bob’s hand. “What do you want with this Norsen
person?”

“
I’m his sponsor,” Bob
said.

“
AA?” Seth’s eyebrows went
up with surprise.

Bob nodded.

“
Norsen’s not here yet,”
Seth said. “He’s on his way from the hospital. He stopped off to
see his daughter before helping his wife to bed. Norsen’s a good
man?”

“
He’s a very good man,”
Bob said.

“
How did you…?”

“
I was his probation
officer,” Bob said. “I’ve been his sponsor for almost twenty years.
I’ve known him since he was fifteen or sixteen.”

Seth nodded.

“
Well, you may as well
come back,” Seth said. “Would you like some coffee?
Tea?”

“
No thank you.”

“
Sir?” The desk Sergeant
yelled after them.

Seth turned around to look at him.

“
Aden Norsen,
sir.”

Seth walked with Bob back to the front to
get Aden. He stood back to watch the men greet each other. Bob
hugged Aden. Each man spoke a few words into the other’s ear as
they embraced. When they broke apart, Seth thought he saw the flash
of a father and son bond between them. Then it was gone. Seth
walked them through the police station to his office.

“
Do you have the necklace
with you?” Seth asked Aden.

Aden flushed, nodded, and pulled it from his
pocket. Seth took an evidence bag from his desk and held it open.
Aden set the chain and pendant into the bag. Seth sealed the bag.
He took a Sharpie from his pocket and filled out the evidence
label. He walked into the main room where Ava signed for the
envelope. She looked at the chain and pendant through the plastic
envelope.

“
Give me an hour, maybe
more,” she said. “Then we wait for DNA.”

“
Is this the same
pendant?” Seth asked.

“
It looks identical,” she
said. “But looks can deceive.”

Seth nodded. She smiled and walked away from
him. He turned toward his office and stopped.

“
I’m sorry but we’ll need
to go into an interview room,” Seth said. “It’s not warm or
friendly. But I need this recorded for evidence.”

Aden nodded. The men walked out into the
hall toward the interview room.

“
I’ve arranged for you to
get immunity from any crime you bring up, mention, or otherwise
disclose with the exception of murder,” Seth said. “I have that in
writing.”

He held an envelope out to Aden. Aden opened
it, read the letter, and stuffed it into his pocket.

“
When is Ms. Hargreaves
coming to join us?” Seth asked.

“
She’s right behind you,”
Samantha Hargreaves said. She thanked the Sergeant who escorted her
back. “May I see that?”

Aden gave Samantha the letter. She read it
and nodded.

“
I must protest your
interview with my client,” Samantha said.

“
I agree, Ms. Hargreaves,”
Seth said. “Aden, I can’t interview you. I’m too close to you and
this is too big a case to make any mistakes. I have two very
capable Sergeants waiting to speak with you. I will be behind the
glass the entire time. If you get into any trouble, I’ll interrupt
the interview. I’m willing to allow you to have Bob with you during
the interview if that helps.”

Aden nodded.

“
Ms. Hargreaves?” Seth
asked.

“
That will be fine,”
Samantha said.

Seth opened an interview room where two
police detectives waited for them. The younger detective was blonde
and seemed unsure of himself. The older detective had a muscular
body and the tan skin and sharp nose of the Cheyenne. Nervous, Aden
looked at Seth and into the room.

“
Come on,” Bob said.
“Let’s get this over with.”

Aden followed Bob into the room. The police
detectives stood to introduce themselves.

“
I’ll be right there,”
Samantha said. She closed the door to the interview room. “What do
you hope to get from him?”

“
Answers,” Seth said. “We
need someone who was there twenty years ago. Thirty would be better
but we don’t have that.”

“
He’s a good man, Seth,”
Samantha said. “He’s had a hell of a year. With the baby and Sandy,
he’s…”

“
I’m hoping that good man
will be able to help me find the trail of a monster,” Seth said.
“We have nothing, Samantha, nothing to identify this guy. Anything
Norsen says or knows will be one hundred percent more than we know
right now.”

Samantha nodded. She opened the door and
went into the room. Seth went around to the other side of the
glass. He wasn’t surprised to find the head of CBI, the Chief of
Police and his Captain waiting for him there.

“
You’re sure,” the Chief
of Police said.

Seth nodded. They settled in for what was
bound to be a long night.

~~~~~~~~

Sunday night — 8:40 P.M.

“
Sir, we have a copy of a
detailed background check done by Detective O’Malley last year,”
the young blonde detective said. “The background goes back to 1987
and stops.”

Aden nodded.

“
Detective O’Malley found
no record of you prior to 1987,” the older detective said. “Why is
that?”

“
I took the name Aden
Norsen in 1987,” Aden said.

“
What is your birth name?”
the blonde detective asked.

“
Gary Gilmore,
Jr.”

The detectives flinched.

“
Gary Gilmore? As
in
the
Gary
Gilmore?” the older detective said. “Utah. Firing
Squad.”

“
Gary Gilmore was my
father’s favorite cousin,” Aden said. “He was executed in 1977.
January. I was five.”

“
How…?” the young
detective started. The older man cleared his throat.

“
Maybe you should tell us
your story,” the older detective leaned back in his chair as if he
was waiting for a long story. “We have time. Start at the
beginning. We’ll interrupt if we need to.”