7026d51896537f7070e55fc097206916

“I’m going to give you a chance to prove to me you’re not lying,” said Chase as he placed a piece of paper on the table in front of Dominic. “These are the times of death of the four victims. I want you to think carefully and write down for me where you were at these times. And don’t tell me you don’t remember. You’re smarter than that.”

Dominic glanced down at the piece of paper.“I already told you.” He tapped a stubby forefinger on the document. “Woods, woods, home, woods.”

“So basically what you’re saying is that your wife and son are your only alibi.”

“And the trees,” said the man wryly. “Don’t forget about the trees.”

“Very funny,” said Chase grimly as he took the piece of paper and folded it.

Chase came out to take a break, and leaned against the table.“So what do you think?” he asked.

“I’m not sure,” said Odelia. “Though it doesn’t look good for him, does it?”

“No, it sure doesn’t,” Chase agreed. “And he’s not putting in a lot of effort to prove he didn’t do it either.”

“Almost as if he doesn’t care if he goes to prison or not.”

They both stared at the man, who sat hunched over, staring down at the tabletop.

Just then, an officer popped her head in.“Rick Careen is here. Says he wants to see you as soon as possible.”

Chase nodded curtly, and he and Odelia left the small room, followed by yours truly and Dooley, of course. We didn’t want to miss a thing!

Chase didn’t want to put Rick into one of the interrogation rooms, so he talked to the young man in his office instead, which was a lot less threatening or bleak.

Rick glanced around at the posters announcing that the police are your friend, and a warning that you shouldn’t give pickpockets the opportunity to go through your pockets. It seemed like good advice, though of course cats don’t have pockets, so we’ve got those nasty pickpockets fooled.

“So what did you want to talk to me about, Rick?” asked Chase.

“Is my dad still here?” asked Rick, gesturing in the general direction of the precinct.

“Your dad is helping us with our inquiries right now,” said Chase gently.

“I want you to let him go,” said the kid, nodding seriously.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

“I’m here to tell you that… that it was me,” said the young man.

“It was you what?” asked Chase, puzzled.

“It was me who did it,” said Rick. “I killed those men. Not my dad.”

“You killed them?” asked Chase, exchanging a look with Odelia.

“Yes, I did. I want to confess. So you see? You can let my dad go now. He didn’t do it. I did.”

“Okay, so tell me some more about that. Take me through the scene, if you will, Rick?”

“Well, first I… I killed… Jona Morro. Because he’s one of the men who killed my sister.”

“And how did you kill Mr. Morro?”

“I, um, I dropped a car on top of him.”

“And how, exactly, did you accomplish that?”

“Easy. I’m a forester. I’m used to cutting down trees. So I simply cut down that car and dropped it on top of him.”

“And Mr. Morro just lay there? He didn’t fight back?”

Rick thought for a moment.“That’s because I hit him first. Knocked him out?” He glanced over to Chase, to see how his words were received.

“Okay, and how about Joel Timperley? Did you kill him, too?”

“Of course. I killed all of them. All four.”

“So talk me through it, Rick. What happened?”

“I, um, I walked into his office and I said I wanted to talk to him.”

“When was this?”

“Um, two nights ago?”

“What time?”

“Ten, no, eleven o’clock.”

“So you walked into his office, and then what?”

“Then I said I wanted him to show me the display. You know, the display for the new Zeus movie? I said I was a big fan, and I wanted him to show it to me.”

“And he didn’t think that was odd? That you wanted to see the display at eleven at night?”

“No, because I said I was such a big fan, see. And so we walked down, and that’s when I hit him.”

“You hit him.”

“Yes, I knocked him out, then strung him up right next to his friend’s… model.”

Chase eyed the young man kindly.“Rick, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I’m afraid it won’t do your father any good.”

“But I did it!” Rick cried, jumping up from his chair. “I killed them!”

“No, you didn’t.”

Rick sank back down, as tears sprang to his eyes.

“It’s all right, Rick,” said Odelia softly. “You love your dad very much, don’t you?”

Rick nodded wordlessly.

“So he wasn’t with you the morning Jona Morro was killed? Or Dunc Hanover?”

Rick shook his head.“I don’t know where he went. He said he had some things to take care of, but he wouldn’t say what. I’m afraid—I’ve been afraid that…”

“That he permanently took care of the men he holds responsible for your sister’s death?”

Rick nodded.“He’s a good man, detective. He’s my hero. And if he did… something, I know he did it because he believed it was the right thing to do.”

“Rick tried to help his dad,” said Dooley. “But the only thing he succeeded in doing is putting his dad in even bigger trouble than he was already in.”

“Yeah, looks like Dominic’s alibi just blew up in his face.”

“Where was your dad when Joel was killed?” asked Chase.

“Out,” said Rick.

“Just like those other times?”

“Yeah.”