The Medusa File by Robert F. Clifton (popular books to read .TXT) 📕

“What about it?”

“Remember we found Winters face down on a blood soaked rug. Although he had a stab wound in the back of his left shoulder that wound was not the cause of copious amounts of bleeding, that soaked the rug. So, we rolled the victim over and onto his back. When we did we saw the stab wound in the stomach. Later, during the autopsy the pathologist confirmed that the stab in the stomach area also punctured the aorta, causing a death within minutes”.

“What did Captain Eppinger have to say about those findings?”

“Not too much. He couldn't very well argue with a pathologist report”.

“O.K., then what happened?”

“While Eppinger was giving orders to the Crime Scene Investigators I walked over to where the chest of drawers was located in the room. As I told you the hot plate on top of it was cold, but plugged in the electric socket. Then, I noticed taped to the wall was a calendar. At the time we believed that Winters had been killed on the night of October 15, 1968. Looking at the calendar I noticed that written on the date of October 9, 1968 were the words, “Met Pat”.

“Who was Pat?”

“I wish I knew. Find Pat and you find the missing element to solving this case”.

“Let's get back to Ed Dawson. Why wasn't he arrested?”

“That's easy to answer. As mentioned the cause of death of the three victims who died in the boarding house was from the ingesting of strychnine. When we dug into the life styles of the dead men we found that all three were not junkies”.

“Yeah, so?”

“All three were not cocain users, but they had snorted. Samples taken from their nasal passage revealed that the coke they used had been cut, using strychnine. We couldn't prove that Ed Dawson either sold or gave the drug to the victims”.

“Why would a dealer cut his supply using strychnine? I can understand cutting the stuff to increase profit, but don't they usually use milk sugar or baking powder, things like that?”

“Yes, normally, however when used in small dosages strychnine is a stimulant”.

“I didn't know that”.

“Yeah, just imagine. A guy blows coke because of the high he gets, then on top of it the strychnine kicks in and he goes even higher”.

“O.K. Let's go back to the Winters murder. You said that you found the words, “Met Pat” written on the calendar. I know you followed up on the lead”.

“Certainly. We went door to door in the neighborhood looking for anyone either named Pat or knew someone named Pat. We came up empty”.

“Then, my next question is whether this Pat is male or female?”

“Again, I don't know, but my assumption then and is still that this Pat was a female”.

“Why?”

“How many men do you know would write as guy's name on his calendar?”

“Personally? None, but have you ever considered gay men?”

“Of course. In checking Winters personal and private life I found that he was straight”.

“Or perhaps, he seemed to be”.

“Sorry to disappoint you, but I still consider the owner of the Name Pat on the calendar to be a female”.

“And you're probably right Uncle Bob, but I'm stuck with the fact that Pat could or can be Patriona, Patricia or Patrick. Once I determine what I'm looking for I can then begin looking for who I'm looking for. I hope you understand”.

“Hey, I'm sure you know how I operated. I never, ever took the position that my way was the only way to do things. Right now you might be right. If so, then I suggest that you follow up on your instinct. Pursue your ideas. Doing that may be just what you need to solve the case. If not, at any event it's documented in your reports. You covered another base, so to speak”.

“Good, that's what I intend to do. Since this was originally your case I'll keep you up to date on what I find. That is if you're interested”.

“ Certainly I'm interested. This unsolved murder and the way the investigation was screwed up has left a bad taste in my mouth for almost fifty years. Before they burn my dead ass in the crematorium I want to know that this case is solved and closed”.

Both men looked up when they saw Mary Wallace walk on to the porch. “ Put two policemen together and eventually they will tell each other stories of how they did it or are doing it. I think they're called war stories. Anyway, I've prepared lunch. Do you want it out here on the porch or inside at the dining room table?”

“Out here is fine Aunt Mary, providing that you join us”, said Kevin.

“Fine, first I have to check your uncles blood. I'll be right back with the glucometer”.

“Can I help you with anything?”, asked Kevin.

“No, thank you. I'll be just a moment”.

“So, Uncle Bob, besides still being in love with Aunt Mary why else did you leave Australia?”

“Two reasons. First my health. Second Doc Edwards has Alzheimer disease. Sharon, his wife has her hands full, so I decided to come home. Evidently and without my knowledge Sharon wrote to Mary and told her about my condition. As a result Mary then began first, suggesting that I come live with her in order for her to take care of me. Then second, after awhile she wore me down and here I am”.

“And it's good that you are”.

“Enough about me. How's your family?”

“Good Uncle Bob, good”.

Chapter Two

The Cinderella Hypothesis

On another, early September, Monday morning, Detective Sergeant, Kevin McKenna parked the unmarked radio car in front of a boarded up, old and deteriorating three story house.The front door and most of the windows were boarded up with sheets of plywood. Those windows on the second and third floors that weren't covered had become the victims of rock throwing juveniles.

McKenna reached down and picked up a flashlight along with a small crowbar that he had placed on the floor in front of the passenger seat. Exiting the automobile he locked the car and walked up three steps and on to the porch of 1600 Albatross Lane, Nautilus Beach, New Jersey. Standing in front of the boarded up front door he pried the old, weathered, sheet of plywood away from the door frame. It came away after making a moaning noise as it was pulled away from the entrance. Then, using one foot he kicked the door hard. The force he used was enough to open the door and it swung suddenly on its hinges, making a loud bang as it crashed against the interior wall. He stepped inside. He stood for a minute allowing his eyes to adjust to the semi-darkness. In front of him was a rolled up carpet. A musty smell came to him, a result of the house being boarded up and sealed, away from any circulating air. Kevin turned on the flashlight and moved into what was once the living room. He placed the yellow beam from the light on the walls that then revealed spots of mildew on sea foam green paint. Walking slowly from the living room he made his way through what could have been used as a dining room and then into the kitchen. There, the flashlight revealed rust spots in the sink, wooden cupboards, two still containing shelf paper and dead cockroaches and one housing a spider web.

He directed the light beam to the kitchen floor. That then revealed the worn out linoleum, it's black base appearing among the now dirty, original blue and white pattern. McKenna then turned and left the kitchen. Next, he made his way to the staircase and began to ascend slowly, not trusting the wooden steps that creaked and moaned under his weight. He reached for the banister and found that it was still solid and he used it until he stepped on to the second floor landing.

Standing a few minutes in the semi-darkness he used the flashlight to illuminate a dark hallway. Then, he noticed the doorways that he assumed were once the bedrooms. The first door to his left was ajar and he pushed it with his free hand. Once fully open he entered a large bedroom. By the size of the room he thought that this was the master bedroom, then theorized that it had probably been used by the owner, Edward Dawson. The other bedrooms on this and the third floor were the rooms rented to others.

The beam from sunlight revealed a floor cluttered with articles of a man's clothing. There was a soiled, shirt, one white sock, neckties, a roll of white adhesive tape and pages from a newspaper. Kevin bent over and picked up one of the pages and again using the flashlight saw that the date on the newspaper read, “Sunday, January 1980”. “Thirty five years ago. Has this house and this room been abandoned for this long?”, Kevin asked himself mentally. He dropped the newspaper and walked to a closet door. Opening it he used the light beam to explore the interior of the wardrobe. The top self was empty. There were several empty wire clothes hangers. Shining the light on the closet floor he found one, black, leather, woman's shoe. He picked it up off of the floor and using the light saw that it was a size ten. “Odd, the few articles of clothing on the bedroom floor indicate a man's wearing apparel. Yet, here in the closet is a woman's shoe, and it's a large size”,thought Kevin. “I'll have this thing tested for DNA”, he said aloud.

Find nothing else of interest Mckenna left the master bedroom and then entered the other two bedrooms located on this, the second floor. Once again, the two rooms held nothing of interest, even though he was sure one of the rooms was where Michael Winters was murdered. To be sure he re-examined the room directly across from the master bedroom. With his vision obscured by the lack of light he walked to the window. There he raised the cloth and paper roller shade. When he did sunlight entered and flooded the room allowing him to see. What he saw was and empty room, no furniture and no sign that anyone had ever inhabited the bedroom. What he did find was a mark on the painted wall. Looking closely he saw what he thought was residue from strips of Duct tape. The tape that in all probability held a calendar to the wall. Next, he examined the floor. Captain Wallace had said that Michael Winters had been found face down on a blood soaked rug. He looked closely, but was unable to find any signs of blood using the naked eye.

McKenna then climbed the staircase to the third floor. When he reached the third floor landing he felt the cool breeze coming in off of the ocean. He walked slowly to one of the rooms, gently pushed open a door and stood and watched as pigeons flapping their wings in fear flew out of the shattered windows. Now, with abundant sunlight he was able to examine the rooms with little effort, but found nothing of interest or importance to the case.

Returning to the street and his assigned vehicle Sergeant McKenna used his radio, contacting police headquarters and requesting that the City Public Works Department secure the front door of the house located at 1600 Albatross Lane. Since the property was City owned taken some time back in lieu of back taxes owed, securing the property in his opinion was no problem. Kevin then looked again at the black, leather shoe that now was on the passenger seat next to him.

Back at headquarters Mckenna sat at his desk and using the word processor typed and then printed his report containing his actions and findings at the Albatross Lane address. Then after marking the inside of the shoe with his initials got up and took it to the Forensic Unit. There he requested