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The Phantom Files Case 1 (Part 3)

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“I don’t understand it…” LeeAnne muttered, walking over the crime scene. Police moved around the room, taking pictures of the body, the blood, the gun, and everything else like a gang of mad paparazzi spooks. Ollie was making notes on the condition of the body in the mean time.
“Suicides usually feel that way.” Ollie muttered.
“Why’d he kill himself?” LeeAnne asked.
“Guilt maybe?” Ollie asked. “The M.E thinks he’s been dead for a day…maybe he got home from the scene of the crime, realized what he’d done, and couldn’t live with himself?”
“But he has a history of this kind of crime.” LeeAnne argued. “Arrested and jailed once…released and then arrested a second time…why the sudden guilt?”
“This was his first murder.” Ollie pointed out. “All the other times the victims lived.”
“That’s another thing…” LeeAnne noted. “Why’d he change his M.O this time? He’s never killed his victims…why’d he kill in this case?” Ollie shrugged and checked the gun silently.
“Like you said…it doesn’t make sense.”
“Detectives!” Both LeeAnne and Ollie glanced up as an officer walked into the room, a bloody baseball bat in his hand. “Found this tossed in the victims bedroom.”
“The murder weapon…” Ollie hissed. “I think we can definitively say that we have our killer.”
“I dunno partner, something doesn’t feel right about this…”
“Well what do you wanna do about it?” Ollie asked. LeeAnne groaned and walked into the kitchen scanning the cabinets and shelves, as if she could find some kind of clue or evidence to answer her questions. Ollie stood up from the body and followed behind her, but kept his distance, just wanting to observe her. He’d seen her like this before…but as Richard, not LeeAnne. Richard always had this habit of chasing his tail when a mystery wasn’t adding up. It was a good thing in some respects…because sometimes he found something to lead them down a new path and get to the bottom of the mystery. But this habit was a double edged sword…it often got Richard in a lot of trouble. Was it that habit that put Richard in the situation he was in now? Was LeeAnne the result of that habit?

“Ollie…what would lead you to murder?”
“Are you asking me hypothetically?” He asked. “You know I’m not a murderer.”
“No I mean what are the common states of mind that lead to murder? Something about the state of mind of this guy was off. What was it?” LeeAnne offered. Ollie walked behind her and rubbed his stubbled chin.
“Well in my experience, the most common would be anger.” Ollie explained. “Get a guy angry enough and they sometimes do things they don’t mean to or regret.”
“Anger…he was angry.” LeeAnne whispered. “I mean it had to take A LOT of rage to beat the hell out of a guy with a baseball bat and then rape a defenseless woman. But why was he so angry? What threw this guy off?”
“Something personal?” Ollie offered. “Maybe he and the victim knew each other?”
“Maybe we should have a talk with the family again. We can find out if they knew this guy from somewhere.” LeeAnne offered. Ollie looked past her and suddenly his eyes narrowed.
“Maybe not…” Ollie smirked. “Maybe we should be asking someone else…”
“Who?” Ollie reached up to the counter and grabbed hold of a small orange pill bottle for medicine pills. He turned it so the label was facing LeeAnne and pointed to the bottom where, in all capital letters, read a very familiar name.
“Let’s say hello to Doctor Reynolds.”


LeeAnne and Ollie both approached the door to Doctor Reynold’s office, their pace fast and their expressions sour. They had their connection now, and it was time that Reynolds explained it. Ollie knocked loudly on the door and waited. After a few moments, the old man opened the door and glanced out at the two detectives.
“Detectives? What’re you doing here?”
“We found some new information and we thought you’d like to be made aware of it.” Ollie spoke up. The doctor nodded and opened the door wider for them to enter. LeeAnne pulled out the evidence bag with the orange capsule inside.
“You’ll be happy to know we have found the killer of Mr. Lee and Ms. Gilbert.” She hissed. “His name was Christopher Palmer…a registered sex offender and criminal.”
“Well that’s excellent. Has he been arrested?” Doctor Reynolds asked.
“Afraid we can’t...see he’s dead.” Ollie pointed out. “But oddly enough we think you know him.”
“Well yes, I knew a Christopher Palmer…” Doctor Reynolds admitted. “He was a patient of mine. But are you saying the killer was THAT Palmer?” LeeAnne held out the bag for the doctor to see the capsule case.
“That’s your prescription bottle, doc.” LeeAnne growled. Reynolds sighed and closed his eyes, inhaling deeply and then returning to his desk.
“It seems there’s been some kind of misunderstanding…you clearly think I’m somehow involved in Olivia or Mr. Lee’s death.” He remarked. “I can assure you I had nothing to do with that.”
“Of course not…how convenient though that the murderer would be one of your patients…a patient who happens to be a sex offender.” Ollie snapped.
“Detective, any educated man could tell you correlation does not equal causation.” Doctor Reynolds explained, an edge of irritation in his voice. “After all, you two must ride in the same car most days, correct? Does that mean you two are married?”
“This isn’t the same thing, doc.” LeeAnne growled. “You can’t worm your way out of this one.”
“Worm my way out of WHAT exactly?” The doctor defended, “From having a patient who happens to have murdered another? How does that put me at fault!?” Reynolds demanded.
“I don’t believe in coincidences, doctor.” Ollie snapped. “Maybe you didn’t have anything to do with this, but if you really didn’t, why not provide us with proof.” The doctor stood up dramatically and held out his hands as if daring LeeAnne or Ollie to throw a pair of handcuffs on him.
“Then arrest me officers if you’re so certain…but I swear to you that I was nowhere near Olivia’s apartment the night she was murdered, and my last appointment with Mr. Palmer was 3 days before the murder. As for my whereabouts, I was on Staten Island with my brother Joshua who’s number I can gladly give you if you wish to ask him.” He announced. LeeAnne grimaced in disgust. She knew he had something to do with all this…Ollie knew it too. But the fact was that they didn’t have anything on him, and they all knew it.
“Have a good day, doctor…but we’ll be back.”
“Perhaps you could make an appointment next time?” Dr. Reynolds offered. “You both seem a bit high strung, in my professional opinion.”
“You want a professional opinion? Here’s one for you:” LeeAnne snapped. “You’re a real son of a bitch!”
“Down girl.” Ollie smirked before walking out with her.

“THAT ASSHOLE IS GUILTY!” LeeAnne shouted, back at the precinct.
“Cool it, LeeAnne. You’re not telling me anything I don’t know.” Ollie nodded.
“Damn it, he’s just LAUGHING in our faces.” She hissed. “What I wouldn’t give to smack him around a little.”
“Well maybe he’s right…” Ollie grumbled.
“You think he really didn’t do it!?”
“No I think you are a bit high strung.” Ollie laughed.
“Oh shut up.” LeeAnne sneered. “You’re just as pissed.”
“Yeah, but I’M trying to find a way to connect the dots. You could help me out, ya know?” Ollie chuckled.
“We’ve been through everything, Ollie! We called his brother Joshua who confirmed he was there the night of the murder, and there are 3 different eyewitnesses who say they saw his car in the drive way of his brothers house. His alibi checks out.” LeeAnne pointed out. “Plus the lab results are conclusive that it was Christopher Palmers sexual fluids we found on the skirt, and the blood on the baseball bat we found came back as a match to Eric Lee’s blood. It’s the murder weapon! There’s no question that Chrisotpher Palmer is the killer….so what is it that ties them all together!?”
“The pill bottle.” Ollie explained.
“What was the prescription for, anyway?” LeeAnne asked. Ollie picked up the evidence bag and took a look at the drugs.
“Lorazepam.” Ollie replied.
“And that’s English for…what exactly?”
“It’s a medicine to treat aggressive disorders and agitation.” Ollie replied. “Though…gotta admit it’s not the stronger stuff, and the dosage is pretty low for what I’d consider necessary.”
“In all fairness, Ollie, a pharmacist you are not.”
“No but I did work narcotics at one time.” Ollie smirked. “Lorazepam is a drug that can sometimes be found on the street by abusers. I’ve seen it a few times.”
“Damn…maybe…there really is no connection…”
“Hey! Stop talking like that.” Ollie snapped back. “We don’t believe in coincidences here. Doctor Reynolds is the only link between Olivia Gilbert and Christopher Palmer. There’s gotta be something here that makes the connection clearer.” LeeAnne walked back around to her desk and grabbed her phone.
“I’m gonna call up Dr. Cheng to see if he found anything on Christopher Palmer that might help.”
“Any luck you two?” Ollie and LeeAnne glanced up as a large black man walking towards them with a goatee and bald head. He had on a suit and tie, looking rather professional. His brown eyes traveled between Ollie and LeeAnne studiously. His name was Chief Simon Thompson. He’d been the chief since before Ollie and Richard had even made detective. He was still running strong in his position now. The department sometimes called him Simon “Iron Man” Thompson, because of just how tough and disciplined he was. LeeAnne shook her head.
“Sorry Chief…nothing yet.” She admitted. “We’re struggling to make a connection between the doctor and the two victims.”
“Are you sure there even is a connection?” He asked.
“If there isn’t then we’ll just have to take this case at face value…and too many things don’t add up.” Ollie replied.
“We can’t leave this alone.” LeeAnne continued. The chief crossed his arms and looked to the pill canister on the desk.
“You two both say this is the connecting component? The fact that this pill capsule was prescribed by your doctor?”
“Yes, a-AH! Hey, Cheng, did you get the autopsy results back from Palmer’s body?” LeeAnne went back to her call to Dr. Cheng leaving Ollie and the Chief to talk.
“Yeah, it’s filled with a drug for dealing with aggression and stuff.”
“You sure?” The Chief asked. "I remember one time when my pharmacist screwed up my prescription and put the wrong pills in my bottle." Ollie froze and stood up, yanking open the bag and looking inside at the pills.
“LeeAnne?” Ollie called.
“What?”
“These pills aren’t lorazepam!” Ollie sneered.
The Chief marched back to his office.
“I’ll get you a warrant to search this guys office for anything else that might help.” The Chief shouted.
“I’ll run down and speak to Cheng about the autopsy results.” LeeAnne said, getting up and running to the elevator.
“And I’ll call up Palmers pharmacy to see if there were any significant changes to his prescriptions aside from this that were sanctioned by that asshole. We’re gonna nail this bastard, LeeAnne.”
“Damn straight.” She gave a wink before stepping into the elevator. She then made a gentle movement of the lips, without a sound…mouthing three words that only Ollie could catch.
“Like old times.” Ollie nodded his response with a chuckle as he grabbed the phone next to his computer.
“Yeah, just like old times, Richie…”
Here's part 3 of the first case..........and there WILL be a part 4!!

In this one we realize there's a secret connection between the victim and the murderer and that there is still yet another culprit involved that Ollie and LeeAnne are determined to chase after. We also get the introduction of the Chief, Simon Thompson. 

I hope ya'll enjoy this part!
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juju712's avatar
That awkward moment when I wonder a key question before the characters...