A Hole In One, Paul Weininger [top novels to read txt] 📗

Both Sommerville and Pratt unloaded all the information about what they found in the backyard and shared it with the D.A. Then Jason continued, “As to how we learned about the body, the Rabbi’s neighbors detected something strange going on in his backyard and notified our department.”

“How long will it take us to get to his home so that I can do some investigating too?” she asked.

“About thirty-five minutes,” replied Sommerville.

“All right then, let’s not waste another minute. Why don’t you drive me to the scene,” said Helen.

Each detective took his own vehicle and D.A. Helen Stanford sat in the passenger seat of Pratt’s car. She had known Pratt for many years and felt more comfortable discussing everything with him.

They stepped out of their vehicles and the D.A. headed straight to the backyard, where she saw what appeared to be a large pile of ashes encircled in spots with some burnt pine needles and leaves that escaped the murderous arson.

She grabbed the neighbor’s borrowed rake that one of the officers had left leaning on the back wall of the house, took it to the pile and began raking hard. She was looking for possible additional clues that may not have completely burned, such as a watch, ring, or anything else that would help her. She stopped after a few heavy rakes of the pile of ashes, bent down and picked something up.

“Well, Detectives, I believe your officers need to go back to the academy and for additional rake training,” she said with a sarcastic tone. She retrieved a .45 caliber Glock with an attached silencer somewhere at the bottom of the ashes where the body was left. The weapon was severely burned, but there had not been enough heat circulating in the pyre to melt the gun or the silencer.

“Holy shit!” exclaimed Sommerville. “I can’t believe my guys missed that.”

“Neither can I,” added Pratt, “because I was watching them to see what they might find.”

She continued to rake and found pieces of soft blue rubber, which she believed must have come from some type of surgical or gardening glove, and a small red piece of hard plastic, which still had the odor of gasoline. She picked up each item, placed them into separate evidence bags and handed them to Sommerville and said, “Please have your lab test the remains for DNA and the other items for fingerprints and see if they can explain their origin. Anyway, you know what needs to be done.”

“I know, and believe me, I’ll have a discussion with my officers about their having missed key evidence. I’m embarrassed and pissed!” replied Sommerville.

“Well, don’t bite them too hard,” said Stanford. “Just make sure they understand you loud and clear about the importance of thoroughly inspecting sites that may contain potential useable evidence. Once they have the results, have your lab send these items to my lab in Sedona for their analysis. Depending on what they find, if the two labs come to an agreement on the evidence, it may seal the case. I’ll get a warrant to search the Rabbi’s premises.” She obtained the warrant within two hours and remained with the detectives at Bloom’s.

When forensics showed up to inspect the inside of the house, they put on removable shoe covers and rubber gloves that would not leave any foot or fingerprints. They didn’t have to ask Sommerville what they needed to do. They knew their jobs well and did them without a second thought. They took samples of the ashes and placed them into marked plastic forensics bags, along with small fragments of bones, and placed the skull in a large labeled bag. Then entered the inside of the home, checked inside the Rabbi’s closet, and took fingerprints along with fibers from the Rabbi’s clothing. During their search inside the home, one officer found a hole in the closet door directly opposite the front door. As the officer investigated the hole, he found a slug and dug it out with his pocket-knife and placed the slug in another plastic bag labeled “Evidence.”

Twenty

An hour later, the Rabbi arrived home following a two-night stay out of town. He saw the police cars in front of his house and walked up to Pratt, the only person on the scene he knew. “What are you doing here?” he inquired. “What’s going on here, Detective? Why wasn’t I told you would be coming to my home? Do you have a search warrant to search my property and my house without my permission?”

“We have a search warrant for the premises from the Flagstaff court,” Pratt answered. “You’re under arrest for murder and desecration of a body.” He told him this much because the coroner had already confirmed that what he found in the backyard was what appeared to be a cremated body and a head that had belonged to a male who had been dead less than twenty-four hours. Pratt then confiscated the Rabbi’s cell phone. He moved away from Bloom, got on his mic to call Sommerville, and asked him to come up front. “I’m going to arrest this Rabbi,” declared Pratt.

“Sorry, buddy,” Sommerville replied, “but you’re in my jurisdiction now and I get to arrest him.” He came up front to do so, approaching the Rabbi and very coolly telling him, “Rabbi, please turn around and place your hands behind your back.” Bloom did as he was told and then Sommerville cuffed him. Sommerville Mirandized the religious leader and then had a black and white drive Bloom to the Flagstaff county jail.

“I don’t understand what you’re doing,” protested the Rabbi. “Why are you handcuffing me? What am I being accused of? You gentlemen don’t know what you are doing. Do you have any idea who I am?” he asked indignantly.

In the black and white, the Rabbi asked the officer who was driving, “And who did I supposedly kill? What are these detectives talking about? What gives? Officer, do you