Nathan March Investigations - Book 1: Jaded Justice - episode 7
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Episode Seven
Judge Sheridan’s wife Miriam could taste the grilled salmon as she placed another spoonful in her mouth. It was so flakey and delicious, and so easy to swallow that she didn‘t notice that she was using clear plastic utensils, in order to eat it. The fresh broccoli and herbed potatoes were perfect, and the popover that came with her dinner was as light as air.
From her private patio she could smell flowers and hear crickets and as she enjoyed her first real dinner in a very long time, there was nothing that disturbed her, because as usual Elliot had picked the perfect place for them to vacation.
Comfortable in her own clothes with her hair feeling clean and full, she ate contentedly cutting her salmon and noticing the fine skin on her hands, and the perfect condition of her nails.
Her rage grew slowly, as she looked to see that her diamond ring was not on her finger. It was the staff at the hotel here, stealing and taking what wasn’t theirs and then trying to blame losing it on her. Well she wouldn’t have anything to do with that, she was the wife of a judge, a multi-millionaire and no one would steal from her, not ever.
When the screams for help came from the young nurse as Miriam bit into her arm and neck over and over again, they were answered immediately by two males who pried open Miriam’s mouth and then carried her over to her bed. Immediately metal bars came up from each side and restraints were put in place on her arms and legs. The leather piece applied to her mouth was tightened, looking painful but very effective.
The young nurse bleeding from her wounds was now on a gurney being wheeled out of the room by an orderly and another nurse, just as Miriam’s staff physician entered Miriam’s room. The injection he gave her was effective within minutes and when her psychiatrist finally arrived, he could see the other doctor was upset.
“Dr. Jefferson I left you a message reporting the first injury which Mrs. Sheridan inflicted on one of our male staff yesterday. She accused him of stealing her diamond ring. He said one minute she was fine and then she just lost it. Believe it or not she used a corner of his plastic I.D. card to slash his cheek. She forced it into his face like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I medicated her then and left orders she be restrained until you examined her,” said Dr. Geist.
“I’m sorry I had them removed this morning when I remembered Dr. Levin, her family doctor, was arriving to discuss her condition. If I hadn’t been so straight out, I would have picked up my messages and had her more heavily medicated. I not only discussed her condition with Dr. Levin today, I also did evaluations on two re-admits that took forever,” said Dr. Jefferson.
“Well you also need to know that a man called three times, and the operator paged me all three times today. He wouldn’t give his name and wouldn’t accept my answer because I wouldn’t confirm or deny she was even here. Finally, he called again an hour ago. This time I informed him that his voice was being recorded, and his phone call was being traced. I haven’t heard from him since,” said Dr. Geist.
“Get a hold of Dr. Levin and tell him we want her moved elsewhere today, or we’ll have her arrested for assaulting our staff. Christ we can’t have a rehabilitation patient wounding our people, it’s hard enough as it is to keep good staff for any length of time, because they can‘t stand dealing with the spoiled and enabled human beings we call our clients,” said Dr. Jefferson.
“Yes sir, I will sir,” said Dr. Geist already relieved.
“What a pity she’s quite beautiful actually, but then again so wasn’t the black widow,” said Dr. Jefferson glad she’d be leaving the center very soon.
At home in his study Elliot Sheridan hung up the telephone and sat back in his overstuffed leather chair. He was trying to clear his head and let the facts he’d just had clearly addressed to him by Nathan March, bring up the honest emotion that would be necessary, in order to keep himself from losing his mind.
“What are you talking about,” said the judge earlier, totally bewildered by Nathan’s statement.
“I’m saying that her pregnancy was real and unplanned but you weren’t the father, just the best choice to be the father. She remained married to Godfrey all the time she lived with you before your marriage. He got her pregnant. Elliot you’re a judge for God’s sake you should understand that in New Jersey the divorce laws call for a waiting period of one month from a divorce before a person can remarry legally. Your New Hampshire marriage took place on June 9th, but the first date you and Miriam where allowed to be legally married was the 20th of June, because her divorce from Lawrence Godfrey, was dated the 20th of May of the same year ,” said Nathan.
““When she told me she was pregnant I insisted we marry on June 9th just a few days later. That’s the date my parent’s celebrated their wedding anniversary and I thought sharing the same wedding date would bring us luck. Miriam claimed she already was my wife by common-law, so there really was no need to rush just to make it formal. I told her that even if New Hampshire had recognized common law marriages, which it doesn’t, if we didn’t marry on June 9th then I wouldn’t continue living with her at all. That time she knew I meant it, and I did. No child of mine was going to be a “bastard” I told her. It’s kind of pathetic when you think about all the lies and deception,” said Elliot.
Nathan ached for his friend Elliot, who was used to lawlessness of all kinds but in the past he could leave it behind in the courtroom. Now so much serious crime and mayhem was a part of his personal life starting with the death of his beloved sister, that if it weren’t for Rachel and her warmth, despair would have robbed Elliot of any sense of order in his life whatsoever.
Tyrone Carson headed toward the judge’s library without allowing all he knew about the debauchery which members of the judge’s household had brought on through greed and lust, reflect in his manner. It sickened him that the man coming and going from the judge’s home was the ex-husband of the judge’s wife and the judge’s sister Tina was profiting by blackmailing her sister-in-law for all the cheating she was doing. Adding to it was the murder of Chet Simpson, private investigator Wally Finch and now the recent death of Ursula Mills.
“Your honor Evie says dinner is ready,” said Tyrone on entering the library.
“Oh Yes, I promised our Evie that I’d try to do better in that department. Could you ask here to send me up a tray,” said the judge as he rose from his seat and headed out of his library and toward the staircase to the second floor.
“I sure will sir,” said Tyrone.
Upstairs in his bedroom, his cell phone rang and he answered reluctantly.
“Judge Sheridan, we have a problem,” said Dr. Levin.
The phone call lasted long enough for Elliot to give Dr. Levin permission to admit Miriam to a less residential and more traditional treatment program for the mentally ill, at one of New Hampshire’s state hospitals. That would definitely keep her out of jail for assaulting the two hospital workers. Her behavior was dangerous enough that tighter security was necessary, as was the more permanent placement of his wife. All of it was a lot easier to consider without any guilt, after what he’d heard from Nathan March.
Ninety minutes later, a shower and a change of clothes after a light dinner, had Elliot feeling good as he sat in the back seat of his car being driven by Tyrone to Dr. Rachel Martin’s home also in Concord for some more comfort and warmth.
Rachel realized she was fussing like a nervous twit. Her hair didn’t look satisfactory to her, and her complexion seemed dull and dry, and nothing she put on look right either. Then stopping her thinking process in mid thought, she reminded herself of the fact that she’d been given a second chance, and all she needed to believe was that eventually everything would come out alright. The purple two-piece lounging outfit she finally selected, highlighted her auburn hair and pink skin, but it was the glow behind her eyes and the joy spreading all over her that made her appear so beautiful.
When his car arrived, Elliot relinquished his cell phone to Tyrone who as his bodyguard insisted he drive the judge to Rachel’s home. When he knocked on the door of the modest ranch home, Rachel’s outfit and her warm smile delivered the message that she was eager for him and Elliot knew the feeling was mutual.
He closed the door behind him and swung the beautiful lady against the first wall they came to and kissed her soundly. Finding the overstuffed couch in her living room, Elliot held Rachel unable to keep from kissing her, as she rubbed his back and smiled each time he told her how he felt and how important she was to him. Now Rachel knew he loved her too, and that was all the reassurance she would ever need to freely speak of her love for him.
The genuine joy of his relationship with Rachel allowed Elliot to handle the rest of the ugly truth he had heard earlier over the telephone from Nathan after insisting that Nathan hold back nothing from him.
Nathan was obliged then to tell him that his sister Tina had hired a private detective named Wally Finch to bring her information about Miriam’s background, and then used that information to increase the hush money being paid by her sister-in-law originally so that Elliot would never know of Miriam’s behavior with his law clerks over the years. He also informed him that both Finch’s shooting death and Tina’s suicide, took place on the same day.
He further explained that the separate account for charitable purposes which Miriam oversaw gave her the ability to send smaller donations than she documented to the charities, while paying Tina to keep quiet.
The IRS ruined it all by flagging his return because of the large increase Elliot claimed to have donated to numerous charities during the year. Elliot’s accountant as usual had attached the documents provided for him as proof of Elliot’s donations when filing taxes this April. In June, he was notified his figures were disputed when on request, those charities provided the real figure donated to them in the judge’s name. In the end the real figure was $160,000.00 short of what was reported to the IRS.
When Tina learned about that just days ago during her fight with Miriam over the increased blackmail money which Tina was demanding, she realized from Miriam’s rantings that the blackmail money she’d received thus far was actually embezzled from her brother Elliot. Unknown to her, other than jewelry, Miriam had no real assets of her own. Nathan told Elliot that he honestly believed that’s what drove a very ashamed Tina to her suicide. She wasn’t able to face her brother, knowing the harm she’d caused.
With all the suppositions confirmed Elliot was no longer grieved. He was still angry when he let Rachel in on everything, realizing that with her by his side everything seemed possible again.
Domenic Desoto returned to Guilford where Dina Perry directed him to the kitchen to join Nathan and Mickey for dinner and a brainstorming session.
John, George and Sam now focused specifically on the whereabouts of Lawrence Godfrey, a task not unlike the retrieval operations that John in particular, was so masterful at organizing and carrying out. Elliot shared with Nathan that he was informed about a very angry male caller who was trying to find Miriam, and Nathan was certain it was Godfrey. Still he insisted that the men stay put because something important was trying to get through to him, and until it did he wanted all of his operatives close by.
Two police departments, one in Manchester and one in Concord, had given Lawrence Godfrey’s photo to their people and encouraged them to pick up anyone they even suspected to be him. Civilians in local “Crime Watch” groups were out in force, some replacing outside lights for older home owners and requesting repairs on public lamp stands that were out or order.
Tyrone Carson’s sixth sense was working overtime, keeping him unusually jumpy and hyper-aware of every sound and movement, as he sat in the BMW in front of an empty corner lot, across the street from Rachel‘s home. He wasn’t sure he hadn’t imagined it but he thought he’d seen the same car circling several times and because it bothered him so much, he left his automobile and found a spot so that he could see better. The old Toyota Camry made a slow pass again and this time it stopped three houses away from Rachel‘s. It was after one o’clock so it was dark but a streetlight was just overhead.
Like a cheetah, Tyrone covered the distance between him and the back of that Toyota in seconds. Instead of a psycho killer, he found two teenagers who were finding it very difficult to say goodnight. Knowing the car’s two inhabitants were too engrossed in each other, to see him peering through the back window, he fled back across the street, and got into his car.
That’s were Tyrone’s sixth sense failed him. Had he gone to the car preceding the streetlight just in front of the Camry, he would have spotted a lone man in the passenger side of a navy Volvo, watching the Martin residence and waiting for all lights to go out. Tyrone would have recognized that man as Lincoln Godfrey, and the nightmare might have ended there.
Instead, Tyrone took the canvas folding chair from the back seat of the BMW and made his way to the bushes on the right side of the Martin residence where he sat vigil wide awake, alert, and unfortunately totally made by Godfrey, who pulled out and slipped away in the dark, without disturbing the teenagers one bit.
These days the adorable young couple who had shared the weekend with Nathan and other guests at the Sheridan residence when Tina was found, were barely recognizable. Audrey Mason was more than five months pregnant yet Tom hadn’t even told his Aunt about the baby they were expecting and refused to let her tell her or her own father, who he resented bitterly for discouraging their marriage.
Tom’s personality had changed as he now got angry anytime Audrey mentioned the fact that he needed to be more responsible and stop spending money so freely. He complained that she was fat, and Audrey secretly knew he hated that in months he’d be a father. Standing in front of a mirror, the only extra weight evident on her entire body was a small bulge in the area of her solar plexus, where her son was growing. She knew she needed to eat something or again she’d suffer more weight loss, and her obstetrician would not be pleased.
At the table in the kitchen she sat in a bath towel drinking the hot cup of tea that she’d made with lots of honey in it. She drank it slowly forcing down two graham crackers to settle her stomach and help her to sleep. Minutes later as she stood up and headed for the kitchen sink, she felt a stream of something warm running down her legs.
When she looked down she saw that a puddle of blood was forming on the floor beneath her and then the cramps she felt became unbearable. She dropped her cup and screamed for Tom, but there was no response so she found her cell phone and dialed 911. Doubled over she placed a hand towel inside the sweat pants she got on and pulled on a top just as the ambulance arrived.
It took the two burly EMT’s to wake Tom, who was furious with Audrey for calling them and said so. That enraged the EMTs as they left without him since their patient needed serious intervention at the hospital. They reported that Tom had obviously medicated himself with something and would not be coherent for some time.
Because of the concern and respectful treatment she received from the men who rescued her, as she lay on the gurney in the hospital, Audrey understood that she had made a very big mistake marrying Tom Mason, and once her doctor saved her baby, she was going to make some changes.
Tom arrived at the hospital three hours later to be told by Audrey’s obstetrician that their baby didn’t make it, but Audrey was fine. His jubilation ended swiftly as the doctor also informed him that he couldn’t allow Tom to see, or talk with Audrey.
On cue two Providence, Rhode Island police officers introduced themselves and handed a copy of an emergency restraining order to Tom and offered to allow him thirty minutes at his address, to remove any personal belongings.
To the police, Tom Mason’s tears were understandable for a guy who just lost a baby and possibly his marriage as well. Of course only Tom knew that he was crying as he packed his belongings, because the gravy train named Audrey, had finally been permanently derailed. He also couldn’t stay at his Aunt Miriam’s because according to their housekeeper she was not in residence any longer.
The man answering his cell phone at 5:15AM was in no mood to be woken up. “It’s me” said Tom. “We need to talk,” he added.
Tom Mason sounded a lot more secure than he really was. He needed to speak with his very “silent” partner who owed him a fortune. That partner was more experienced and selected a fence to hold some very valuable assets liberated from their owners by both men in numerous and very simple burglaries. Now that things domestically had soured for Tom, his partner was now going to have to come up with Tom’s share of the profits, without delay.
A very worried Rory Sorenson flown from Concord to Rhode Island by helicopter, sat on the hospital bed of his daughter who had finally fallen asleep. He remembered the fights between his daughter and himself when he told her that Tom Mason was nothing but a fortune hunter, who had happily stumbled upon a truly beautiful heiress begging to be swindled. There was nothing he could point to specifically as even the private detective he hired had nothing bad to report, but still he was convinced that her husband would bring his only child nothing but misery.
“Father,” said a very sleepy Audrey.
“I’m here sweetheart, try to rest for me,” said Mr. Sorenson.
“Father my baby died, I lost my beautiful little boy,” she said.
“God will give you another, you’ll see Audrey,” said Sorenson.
“Don’t leave I have so much to tell you. Tom’s a very bad man, much worse than you know, that’s why I called you,” said Audrey at the moment resembling a wounded child to her father.
“I’m not going anywhere,” said Sorenson.
“You’ll let me come home won’t you?” asked Audrey.
“You know I will,” said Rory Sorenson holding his daughter in his arms, as she cried softly for all the dreams that wouldn‘t come true and because of all the nightmares she had endured for the past two years at Tom Mason’s hands.
The helicopter returned the next day and landed on the rooftop of the small hospital outside Providence, Rhode Island and an RN assisted in making Audrey comfortable aboard it. On route to Concord General Hospital where her family doctor awaited Audrey’s arrival, her father‘s heart was lighter than it had been in two years, since Audrey ran off with Tom Mason and refused to let him know her whereabouts. Rory Sorenson was amazed at the cunning and deceitful actions Tom Mason took to keep from being found back then, and knew it wouldn‘t be any easier for him to be found now either, but at least Audrey was out of harm‘s way.
There were more than one hundred and fifty people at the burial of Wally Finch in New Hampshire, including Nathan March and his entire crew. Domenic Desoto respectfully supported the arm of Wally’s wife Rose, as Wally’s coffin was lowered into the ground. Her sobs were genuine and anyone watching knew she was in pain and feeling the loss of a loving husband.
Rose knew what was suspected to have happened to Wally and as a former police officer’s wife she knew time would tell her the rest. It was putting her teenage twins through college that scared her the most right now. She remembered Wally’s reaction to her pregnancy back then.
“I’m forty five years old and you’re planning for us to start all over, I guess that‘s what I get for marrying a younger woman,” said Wally, only joking as he kissed her and was reminded that his romantic actions were how his wife got pregnant in the first place. Now it would be a while before she could really say goodbye to her first and only love.
It was hard to miss Nathan March as his height and powerful presence drew all eyes toward him at the grave-site. Several of the women present tried desperately to catch his eye, but Nathan simply watched Domenic and Wally’s widow interact. Wally’s boys were handsome and dressed in the brand new suits Nathan insisted Domenic buy for them. In fact all the funeral arrangements, the flowers, the expensive burial plot and the funeral reception, at the best Italian restaurant in New Hampshire, were all Nathan’s ideas. He had learned from Domenic that Wally was rich in friends and family, but very impoverished financially.
The March foundation would notify Rose Finch that college tuition was in trust for her two boys and hopefully that news would ease her pain somewhat. He also knew Domenic Desoto would be at her side for as long as she needed him. Dom’s feelings for Rose Finch were hardly platonic, which explained to Nathan why it was the handsome former cop admitted that he went without any other female companionship.
Before leaving the gravesite, Domenic introduced Rose and her boys to Nathan. Instead of taking Nathan’s hand Rose kissed his cheek and threw her arms around his neck whispering “for the suits, the flowers, this beautiful resting place for Wally and for the reception we‘re going to now, thank you Mr. March. I know you told Dom to keep it anonymous but I guessed, after all I was a cop‘s wife for twenty-five years,” said Rose.
“You are most perceptive and most welcome,” Nathan whispered.
Nathan and his team would bypass the funeral reception, but wouldn’t say goodbye to Domenic before Nathan and he spoke privately.
As Nathan approached him Domenic stood outside the limousine that would carry him, Rose, her married daughter and two boys to Wally Finch’s funeral reception.
“Well Dom, I can’t thank you enough for all the insight you provided us with, and I know that your experience is what will solve this matter in the not too distant future. I also know that Wally’s family needs you very much and I’m glad you have them to help you grieve his loss too,” said Nathan.
“Mr. March, I never thought I’d be grateful for getting caught tailing someone, but I’ve got to tell you for Rose’s sake and even more so for my own, I am more than grateful that it happened. You know at sixty I’ve seen more tragedy than I ever want to remember, but suddenly a stranger like you comes along to remind me that some of us don’t sell out our ethics. I also learned that money put in the right hands can do an enormous amount of good. Should you ever need me Nathan, please don’t hesitate to call and nothing will keep me away,” said Domenic.
“I’ll keep you informed my friend. Please take care of yourself Dom, this world‘s growing short of honest men,” said Nathan.
When Domenic took his seat inside the limousine Nathan could only smile knowing Rose would realize some day in the future, that all she‘d ever need she‘d find in Domenic Desoto.
Mickey noticed the scowl on Nathan’s face as the limousine pulled away and so did John Barry, who headed in his direction.
“Mr. March, you look like someone who finally got out whatever it was that was lodged between his teeth,” said John Barry.
“Perhaps you’re right. Mickey do you remember we took over an investigation from a colleague whose heart was giving him trouble. It was a few years ago or maybe less. That client’s name kept escaping me until just now, it was Sorenson,” said Nathan.
“Sure boss, Sorenson’s daughter’s name was Audrey, and she ran away with a man called T.J. Mason,” said Mickey flabbergasted by what that meant.
“This is a “eureka moment” said Nathan smiling. “We never found them then but we did spend a weekend with them not too long ago. Somewhere in our computer files we do have all the right phone numbers to find her father don’t we,” said Nathan knowing they did.
I never think of the future - it comes soon enough.
- Albert Einstein