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

“Speaking of the hotel, see if you can make contact with someone that knew him and when I say knew him I mean intimately.”

“When you say intimately just how intimate are you looking for?”

“As intimate as he got.”

“No problem”.

“Good, let's wrap this thing up. It's a shitty night with shitty weather and the only two dumb bastards out in it is us. See you at ten this morning in the office”.

At ten fifteen that same morning Sergeant Kevin Mckenna rubbed the fingers of one hand over a days growth of whiskers. He had over slept. To make up for lost time he showered, but decided not to shave. Still, not use to the growth on his face he felt unclean. He stepped off of the elevator and entered the office of the Major Crime Squad. When he did Detective Cynthia Adams called to him from across the room. “Sarge, Captain Myers wants to see you”, she said.

“Thank you', he answered as he turned and walked towards the Captains office. There he knocked lightly and when he heard the words, “Come In', he opened the door and entered Carol Myers office.

“Ah, Sergeant Mckenna. Have a seat”, she said.

“Something wrong?”, he asked.

“Probably, but I haven't heard about it yet. No, what I want to talk to you about is this cold case, what's it called again?”

“The Medusa File”.

“Oh yes. As I recall this case is what, fifty years old?”

“Forty seven”.

“In those forty seven years it has been an open, but unsolved case. In those forty seven years there is no doubt that any physical evidence is by now deteriorated or aged to the point where it is by now worthless. At the same time any witnesses are either dead or aged to the point where they can't remember facts important to the case. What I'm saying Sergeant is that in my opinion you, make that we, are wasting time and money on an ancient case that will take us no where. I suggest you close it out”.

“I don't mean to be argumentative Captain, but if you recall that what you call deteriorated or aged evidence produced two facts previously unknown, the gender of the wearer of a shoe and the fact that scopolamine was present and might have been used in any of the deaths that occurred at the rooming house on Albatross Lane, something that I think will prove to be very important as this case grows. As for witnesses, I grant you I have no eye witnesses to the exact crimes committed, but I did find those who are helping us to go in the right direction. I anticipate that eventually we will have a break through in this case and will be able to solve it”.

“I've read your reports and I must say I've read them with great interest. Why? Because I want you to succeed, but you are chasing dead people,. People who have been forgotten for some time. Alright, I'll give you more time, but not too much more time unless you can show me that you have something concrete leading to solving this case”.

“Thank you Captain”.

“You're welcome. Would you like some advice?”

“I'm always open to suggestions”.

“Good, try concentrating on the living for a change”.

“Captain the reason I came into this office at this hour is because I was concentrating on the living, Edward Dawson and his wife”.

“Good, it's nice to know that at last we are on the same page”.

“Yes Mam”.
Kevin McKenna walked back into the Major Crime Squad Office. When he did he saw John Collins sitting with his eyes closed. “Something wrong? Are you sick?”, asked Kevin.

“No Sarge, just tired. I didn't sleep to well when I got home”.

“Ah, I'm so sorry that I kept you out late. Well, this will wake you up. I want you to go to the city licensing bureau. Have someone help you look up the records of Edward Dawson having a permit to operate a rooming house. If possible see if you can ascertain anything about his background, such as where did he come from, references, things like that. Got it?”

“Yep”.

“Good, get your ass moving”.

“Sounds like you're in a piss poor mood this morning”.

“I am and not having a hot cup of coffee isn't making it any better.”

“One question”, said Collins.

“What?”

“How far back do you think Dawson applied for a permit?”

“Hard to say, The murder was in 1968. Start at 1959. IF you can't find it there keep going back in time. He had to have a permit and it has to show in the city records”.

“O.K. got it”.

After Collins left McKenna sat and dialed a long distance 800 number. He heard a female voice say, “Dexter and Morgan Casualty and Life. How may I help you?”

“I'd like to be connected to your investigative and security officer please”, Kevin replied.

“May I ask who is calling?”

“You may. I'm Sergeant Kevin Mckenna of the Nautilus Beach Police Department, located in New Jersey”.

“One moment please. I'll put you on hold”.

“For the next four minutes Kevin listened to music piped into his receiver. Finally, a male voice came on the line. “Sergeant, I’m Charles Mooney Chief Investigator for Dexter and Morgan. How can I help you”.

“Mr. Mooney at present I'm investigating a homicide and the investigation might reveal other questionable deaths that happened around the same time. The reason I'm calling you is to let you know that the widow of one of the victims told me that your company refused to pay on a policy she had on her husband”.

“And she went to the police hoping to collect?”, asked Mooney.

“No. Her problem came up during the investigation. According to her Dexter and Morgan refused payment because the death certificate stated that her husband died as a result of a overdose of cocain”.

“That's understandable. The subject of illicit drugs is written in the contract”.

“I understand. However, my question to you is if the insured was murdered with a dose of cocain containing strychnine would that then result in your company reconsidering payment to the policy holder?”

“Possibly Sergeant. Actually from what you have told me it might be a matter for our legal officers to examine and decide. Right now I need the name of the insured, the name of the policy holder and the policy number”.

“The name that should be on the policy is Harry Nichols. I will have Mrs. Nichols contact you with the rest of the information if that's alright with you”.

“Excellent. When she calls I'll look into the matter. Is there anything else you need at the moment?”

“No Mr. Mooney thank you for help”.

“Your welcome. Good day”.

McKenna then called Helen Nichols. When there was no answer he left a message on her answering machine.

He then turned in his chair and using his computer went on line and typed in the word, Scopolamine. He was becoming obsessed with wanting to know about this drug. In particular he wanted to know its criminal use. Most of the information he could gather related to criminal types in Columbia using it on tourists. After that, not too much more was offered. He did learn that scopolamine can be detected in the human hair after it is either administered or ingested. Other than that fact the only thing that was of importance to him was that the drug is active in low dosages. “Not too much here to go on”,he thought to himself.

As he sat deep in thought Detective Cynthia Adams walked up to his desk then sat down in the chair next to it. “How did you make out with the Captain?”, she asked.

Kevin looked at the small, blond woman attired in the required blue blazer, the same as the men wore. The difference was that male plainclothes officers wore gray, black or dark blue trousers and the females wore either skirts or slacks of the same colors. “Fine", he answered.

“I've been watching you. In the past three days you looked like something is bothering you. If there is can I help in some way?”, she asked,

“If anything is bothering me it's this case”.

“What in particular?”

“Originally this case began as a homicide, the result of a stabbing. Then, three drug overdose deaths were found to have happened at the same address as the stabbing. The three drug deaths were the result of snorting cocain and strychnine. Naturally the stabbing was done with a knife. What bothers me is that residue of scopolamine was found in a shoe. It doesn't figure. At least not to me right now”.

“ Did you ever consider that the woman who wore the shoe might have had some type of medical condition?”, asked Adams.

“Certainly, in fact every type of illness that would render a legitimate use of the drug including morning sickness”.

Their conversation was interrupted when Detective John Collins walked into the office. McKenna looked at Collins and said, “Well, how did you make out?”

“Fine, Edward Dawson applied for and was granted a permit to operate a rooming house at 1600 Albatross Lane on Friday, January 15, 1960. He also filed for and was granted a permit to operate the Dolphin Motel on Tuesday, March 24, 1970, which as we know he still operates today”, Collins reported.

“Right. What about his background?”

“It seems that he is from Boston originally”.

“That it?”

“So far”.

“Alright, send off a background check on Edward Dawson to the Boston Police department. Let's see if they have anything on him. Right now Dawson is a Caucasian Male, reported to be approximately eighty years old, married, no children. Add that information to your request. It might be beneficial”. Turning to Detective Adams he said, “I want you to do the same, do a background investigation on Mrs. Dawson, start with the Bureau of Vital Statistics. Take a look at the marriage license if there is one here in Nautilus Beach”.

“And if there isn't?”, asked Adams.

“Then start elsewhere. Right now all I know, make that what I think I know about Mrs. Dawson is that her maiden name was Rodriquez.”

“ I'll start right now Sarge”, sad Adams.

“Good while you're doing that, I'll dig a little deeper into the life and times of Michael Winters. However, I want to talk to Margaret Holmes and Norma Ferguson”.

That evening, after dinner McKenna reached for the telephone on the kitchen wall and then dialed the number for Margaret Holmes. When she answered she was surprised to hear from McKenna. “I didn't expect to hear from you again Sergeant”, she said.

“Sorry to bother you, but I have one question to ask you”, Kevin said.

“Yes?”

“Did your bother have a life insurance policy?”

“Not that I know of. I know I didn't have one on him. To tell you the truth he probably never even thought of having one. He was the type that lived for today and the heck with tomorrow. Why are you asking?”

“The matter of life insurance has come up in my investigation so I thought I's check with you and Norma Ferguson”.

“I see, but as I said, I have no knowledge of a life insurance policy on Sheldon”.

“Thank you Miss Holmes”.

“You're welcome. Good by”.

Later, after talking with Norma Ferguson Kevin got the same results. If there was a life insurance policy for NormanPeters, his daughter had no knowledge of it”.

Chapter Six

Telephone Calls

It was an unusually warm winter day, one of those kind of days when the people of Nautilus Beach tired of being shut-in because of the weather escaped confinement and wandered outside. On this day although wrapped in overcoats, hats and scarfs they walked the boardwalk. Others sat on the benches in the pavilions soaking in the sun. Boardwalk merchants who operated all through the year enjoyed sales, not brisk, but worth being open for business. In particular the hot dog vendors began heating their grills and made coffee and hot chocolate hoping that the aroma of hot dogs, hamburgers and french fried potatoes carried on the air would draw customers to their stands.

Sergeant Kevin Mckenna stood looking out at the ocean in the distance. From the large sealed windows of