Connections

[noazmale]

COLD CASE
Connections
By J. B. Tilton (a.k.a. NoAzMale) and Teri Thibeault (a.k.a. Tessalynne)
Emails:
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Rating: K+

* * *

Disclaimer: “Cold Case” and all related characters and events are the property of Jerry Bruckheimer and the CBS Corporation, except for those characters specifically created for this story. This is a work of fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

* * *

(Authors’ note: This story takes place between season 1 episodes “Gleen” and “Our Boy Is Back”.)

* * *

The team investigates a three-year-old murder where the main suspect is the son of another murder suspect who disappeared nearly 30 years earlier.

* * *

PROLOGUE

March 9, 2000, 6:14 p.m.

Justin Polanski picked up the alternator he had just removed and looked it over. It looked to be exactly what he had been looking for. The 1957 Cadillac he was currently working on was nearly finished. Just this alternator and both front and back bumpers and the mechanical part of the work would be finished. Then he could start on the paint job.

He turned to head back to the junkyard office he saw a man standing several feet from him. The man looked to be about 40 years old. His hands were in his pockets. He had a half smirk on his face.

Justin recognized him. He had been by the junkyard a couple of times talking with the owner. He didn’t know what they had talked about but he had gotten the distinct impression that the owner wasn’t real thrilled with his visits.

“No one is supposed to be here,” Justin said. “The yard closes at 5:00.”

“You’re here,” said the man.

“I have permission from the owner,” said Justin. “He lets me collect old parts for the cars I work on.”

“Yeah, that’s what he told me. My name’s Reggie. Reggie Perry. That mean anything to you?”

“No, should it?”

“My old man knew your old man. Way back in the day. Before all that trouble he got into.”

“I never knew my dad. He disappeared several months after I was born. After my mom died. I never knew any of the people who knew them.”

“Yeah, right. Your dad got away with a lot of money. Money that was never recovered. Now, I been checking on you. It seems you have all the money you need. Kind of makes someone wonder where you get all that money.”

“An insurance policy on my mom. My uncle invested it. That’s what I live on. What business is it of yours anyway?”

“Your dad and my dad, they had a deal. They were going to split the money your old man disappeared with. Only your old man took off without giving my old man his share. The way I look at it, you owe me that share. Seein’s as how you got plenty of money to live on. Only seems fair to me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Justin. “I told you the only money I got was my mom’s insurance policy. I don’t know about any money my dad might have promised your dad.”

“Oh, sure you don’t. You don’t know nothing about the 250 grand your old man disappeared with, do you? It was in all the papers.”

“I know what the police said. But I never saw that money. As far as I know no one else has either. My dad ran off with it and it hasn’t been seen since.”

“I don’t believe you. I think you know where it’s at. All I want is my fair share. The half your old man owed my old man. One hundred twenty five grand. The way I figure it you owe. I’m just here to collect.”

“Like I said, I don’t know anything about that money. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a caddy to finish restoring.”

“You ain’t leaving here ‘till I get my money, rich boy. Let’s not make this any harder than it has to be.”

“I don’t have that kind of money, I told you. Now get out of my way.”

“You want to do this the hard way, that’s okay with me. But one way or another I’m getting my money.”

Justin just stared at Reggie.

March 9, 2000, 10:22 p.m.

Detective Delaware lifted the sheet and looked at the body of Reginald Perry lying on the ground. The head was covered in blood. He checked the hands and found some cuts and bruising on the body.

“Defensive wounds,” said the coroner looking up from the clipboard he was writing on. “Not all of them, though. Our boy here was in a fight before he died.”

“Cause of death?” Delaware asked.

“Looks like blunt force trauma to the head. Someone bludgeoned him pretty good. I won’t know for sure until I get him on the table but the damage to his head is enough to have killed anyone. My guess the weapon is probably a tire iron or something along those lines. But we haven’t been able to find the murder weapon. Whoever did this must have taken it with them.”

“Well, it’s a big place. They could have stashed it in one of the cars.”

“Maybe. Good luck finding it. Anyway, I’d say your boy’s been dead 4 or 5 hours.”

“Can’t say I’m really surprise,” said Delaware. “I’ve picked him up a few times. Name’s Reginald Perry. Mostly petty stuff. Question is, what was he doing in a junkyard? Not much in here worth stealing.”

“Not unless you have a car to fix up.”

“We found something, sir,” said an officer, walking up to the two. “Looks like an old alternator. It has blood on it.”

“Get it to the lab,” said Delaware. “See if they can lift any prints off it.”

The office just nodded and headed for his police car. Delaware turned and moved toward the other detectives that were looking the scene over.

[longislanditalian2]

Good Start, but what part does it take place in?? I'm kind of confused.

[noazmale]

I'm not sure what you mean by what part.

[longislanditalian2]

Aug 2, 2009 15:24:34 GMT -5 @noazmale said:

I'm not sure what you mean by what part.

What part of Philly the story takes place in...

[noazmale]

Well, as I explained in the first story I posted, I'm not familiar enough with Philadelphia to know exactly where to place some of the scenes in the story. And personally I don't really think it matters in a lot of cases. The actual location is only important if it plays a major role in the story which, in this case, it doesn't. And since the story has all ready been written, and I'm constantly working on new ones, I don't really have the time to go back and edit in something like this unless it has a major bearing on the story.

[longislanditalian2]

Aug 2, 2009 18:16:11 GMT -5 @noazmale said:

Well, as I explained in the first story I posted, I'm not familiar enough with Philadelphia to know exactly where to place some of the scenes in the story. And personally I don't really think it matters in a lot of cases. The actual location is only important if it plays a major role in the story which, in this case, it doesn't. And since the story has all ready been written, and I'm constantly working on new ones, I don't really have the time to go back and edit in something like this unless it has a major bearing on the story.

I'm not from Philly either, but i use a lot of details and places that the show uses. It does help, but you should add more detail into the characters as well. It does help to create a picture into the readers mind, try watching seasons 5 and 6. It can really help, that's just my suggestions.


Building up the character development is important, especially for the readers to know who they are.. I For one write my fanfics, while watching the show it helps.

[noazmale]

ONE

October 9, 2003

Lieutenant Stillman came into the squad room with another man about his age. They were both smiling and apparently laughing about something. Lilly looked up at the clock on the wall. It was nearly 30 minutes past the time that Stillman usually arrived at work.

“Late night, boss?” she questioned, a smile on her face.

“No,” said Stillman. “I ran into Ray in the lobby. Lilly Rush, Detective Raymond Delaware. That’s Will Jeffries and Nick Vera over there.”

“Nice to meet you,” said Will.

“Well, it’s retired detective now,” said Delaware. “I retired in 2000. I was in town visiting my daughter and thought I’d stop by and say hello to some old friends I haven’t seen in a while.’

“You and the boss have history?” Lilly asked.

“We worked together in the 80s,” said Stillman. “One of the best cops I ever worked with.”

“I could say the same about you,” said Delaware. “But we had some good times back then. I kind of miss the old days.”

“I’ll bet you could tell some stories,” said Nick, glancing at Stillman.

“Well, none I’d care to share with him standing right here,” said Delaware.

“You better not,” said Stillman, still smiling. “While we were talking an old case came up. Involving a Justin Polanski.”

“Polanski?’ questioned Will. “That name is familiar.”

“Probably from his father,” said Delaware. “You were probably around then. It was 1975. Polanski was on trial for the murder of his wife when he jumped bail and disappeared. No trace was ever found of him.”

“Yeah, I remember,” said Will. “They said he ran off with a quarter of a million dollars in bearer bonds.”

“That’s right,” said Delaware. “Of course the prosecution’s case said he murdered his wife for the insurance money. He was a financier and the bearer bonds disappeared from his house one night. We always thought he stole them, and then staged the murder to look like a break in to cover it up. Claimed two men broke in, stole the bonds, and murdered his wife. Only there was no indication of a break in. That was the first case I worked on after I got my gold shield.”

“But if I remember correctly,” said Will, “Polanski’s name was Joseph, not Justin.”

“Justin was his son,” said Stillman. “He was only a few months old when his father murdered his mother.”

“So what does Justin Polanski have to do with his mother’s murder?” Lilly asked.

“Nothing as far I know,” said Delaware. “But oddly enough, the last case I worked on before I retired involved Justin Polanski.”

“Your first and last cases involved father and son?” Nick asked. “That’s got to be some kind of record.”

“Maybe,” said Delaware. “The one with his son involved a small time hood named Reginald Perry. He was always in trouble for one thing or another. Burglary, petty larceny, that type of thing. Never did amount to much. I always figured he’d end up in prison or dead.

“Well, in March of 2000 Perry was found murdered in a local junkyard. Emerson’s Auto salvage. Someone had beaten him to death. We never did find the murder weapon but there was an alternator from a 1957 Cadillac found near the body that had his blood on it. And there were prints on it that belonged to Justin Polanski.”

“I know that place,” said Nick. “They have a lot of really old cars there. A lot of mechanics use it to find parts that are hard to come by.”

“Yeah,” said Delaware. “Polanski claimed he was getting the alternator for a car he was restoring. Said that Perry accosted him and he hit Perry with the alternator in self-defense. Then he ran out of the junkyard. But he claims Perry was still alive when he left.”

“And you don’t believe him?” Lilly asked.

“There was no indication that anyone else was there that night,” said Stillman. “Without a murder weapon there was really no way to tie Polanski to Perry’s murder.”

“He admitted to striking Perry,” said Will. “Wasn’t that enough?”

“No,” said Delaware. “The coroner was able to match up the blow from the generator to a wound found on Perry’s head. But it wasn’t enough to have killed him. Without a murder weapon there just wasn’t enough evidence to prove that Polanski murdered Perry. The most we had was a weak case of assault and the DA at the time wanted to put Polanski away for murder.”

“Maybe we should take a look at the case again,” said Lilly. “Maybe something will have turned up in the last 3 years.”

“Well I really don’t have the authority to ask that,” said Delaware. “As I said, I’m retired now.”

“I do,” said Stillman. “And I think it deserves a second look. Things can change in three years. And I think it would be nice if we can close your final case.”

“I’d appreciate it,” said Delaware. “My first case as a detective is technically still open since Polanski ran before he could be convicted. Legally speaking that means the case is still open. Then I catch this case just before I retire and it goes unsolved. It would be nice if we could close one of them.”

“Well, there should be a box on it,” said Lilly. “Let’s go see what we can find out. It will be nice having the lead for the case right there. You might be able to answer any questions we have.”

“I’ll do what I can,” said Delaware.

* * *

“According to the file,” said Will as they were going through the file, “Perry’s body was discovered about 9:45 by the owner of the junkyard. He called the police as soon as he found the body.”

“Yeah,” said Delaware. “As I recall he said he was checking on one of his workers, someone named Marty. Marty Benton. I also recall that he was rather slow. Mentally. Friendly sort but a little slow.”

“Did you talk to him that night?” Lilly asked.

“Of course. Not much he could tell us. He had gone to the store and didn’t get back until late.”

“Did you have any other suspects in the murder?” Stillman asked.

“None that panned out,” said Delaware. “As far as we could determine only Perry and Polanski were there that night.”

“What about the owner of the junkyard?” Nick asked. “You said he was the one who found the body. Wasn’t he a suspect?”

“Initially he was,” said Delaware. “You know as well as I do that the person who finds the body is usually considered the prime suspect. But the coroner determined that the TOD was between 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. Lawrence Emerson, the owner, had an alibi. He was having dinner with some friends when Perry died. And there was no indication of any bad blood between the two.”

“What about this Marty Benton?” Lilly asked. “Any way he could have killed Perry and left then come back later?”

“I suppose it’s possible,” said Delaware. “But I seriously doubt it. Like I said he’s what we used to call retarded. I doubt he’d be capable of murder. Talk to him. You’ll see what I mean.”

“We’ll do that,” said Lilly. “It says here the murder weapon was most likely a tire iron. And it says the weapon was never recovered.”

“I suppose it’s still here somewhere,” said Delaware. “We searched the immediate area but didn’t find anything. And the place was just too big to search it all.”

“What was the theory for the murder?” Will asked.

“Well, that’s a bit of a stretch,” said Delaware. “Polanski and Perry had history of a sort.”

“What do you mean?” Will asked.

“Polanski’s father worked for a financial investment firm downtown,” said Delaware. “One of his co-workers was Nicolaus Perry. Reginald Perry’s father.”

“Did Justin know that?” Lilly asked.

“We assumed he did,” said Delaware. “During his trial Joseph Polanski claimed that he and Nicolaus Perry had planned to steal the bearer bonds. But at the last minute he backed out. Perry denied any involvement in that scheme. It was some pretty damning evidence at Polanski’s trial.

“Anyway, I always figured that Justin found out about it and decided to pay Perry back. In his mind Perry had taken his father away from him so he decided to take Perry’s son away from him.”

“So you think it was premeditated?” Stillman asked.

“It was the best I could come up with,” said Delaware. “But as I said, there was no evidence to back up the theory.”

“What did Polanski say when you questioned him about Perry’s death?” Nick asked.

“He claimed that Perry showed up at the junkyard after it was closed,” said Delaware. “Made some claim to being owed half the money from the bearer bonds that Polanski’s father disappeared with. He told me that Perry demanded half the money. Even pulled a knife on him to force him to turn the money over to him.”

“What happened then?” Lilly asked.

“He told Perry he didn’t have that kind of money,” said Delaware. “Perry didn’t believe him. Said he was going to get the money one way or another. Then Polanski claims he hit Perry with the alternator he was holding and ran off. Later Perry was found dead in the junkyard.”

“Well, there doesn’t seem to be a lot to go on here,” said Lilly. “Anything else you can remember from the case? Maybe something that wasn’t in the file?”

“Not much,” said Delaware. “I kept tabs on Polanski for a few weeks after that. Never did get anything on him. Then I retired. Not much I could do about the case after that.”

“Well, we’ll take a look at it,” said Lilly. “Reinterview the participants. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“John says you’re real good at solving these cold cases,” said Delaware.

“We’ve been lucky,” said Lilly. “Anyway, we’ll let you know what we find out.”

“John has the number where I’m staying in Philly,” said Delaware. “I’ll be here for a few more days. I hope you can find out something before I have to go back to Tampa. I’d really like to close this one out if we can.”

“We’ll do our best,” said Will.

“I’m sure you will,” said Delaware, looking at his watch. “Well, I need to be going. I have to meet my daughter and her husband for lunch. John, I’ll call you later. Maybe we can get together for a drink.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” said Stillman.

“Where should we start?” Nick asked.

“Well,” said Lilly thoughtfully, “I think we should talk to Justin Polanski. Maybe after 3 years his story has changed. Might give us a new direction in the case.”

“The file says in 2000 he worked at Carlisle Exotic Imports,” said Will. “I know the place. They specialize in high end cars.”

“We can start there,” said Lilly. “If he doesn’t work there anymore they might know where he is working. Otherwise we’ll have to go by his house.”

“Will, why don’t you and I check out Nicolaus Perry,” said Stillman. “See if he knows of what his son and Justin Polanski might be doing together.”

“Good idea,” said Will.

“We’ll see you back here when you’re finished,” said Stillman.

[longislanditalian2]

I have a suggestion for you, you should try reading Toddsmitt's fanfics, to get more of an idea for a case fic. He's really good, I'm not putting you down at all. Your stuff is really great, and well written, mine could use a beta. It could give you some ideas that might help..

[noazmale]

Aug 2, 2009 18:26:35 GMT -5 longislanditalian2 said:

I have a suggestion for you, you should try reading Toddsmitt's fanfics, to get more of an idea for a case fic. He's really good, I'm not putting you down at all. Your stuff is really great, and well written, mine could use a beta. It could give you some ideas that might help..

Well I'm not sure exactly what you mean by "more of an idea for a case fic". If you mean ideas for stories, I'm never at a loss for those. ;D If anything I may have too many ideas. I had that trouble when I was writing Charmed fan fics. Still have a lot of ideas for it but have realized they aren't in as much demand now that the show has been off the air for a while. But I appreciate the input. I may check out Toddsmitt's fan fics when I get the chance.

[longislanditalian2]

I meant by how the structure of the storyline is set up, case wise. That's all..

[noazmale]

Actually I think my structure is just fine. I start by giving the background during the time period the crime takes place. As usual I set up the background and then cut to them finding the body or whatever without giving any specifics of who did it or how it was done. Then I make the main body of the story the actual investigation set in the present. Next, after they've solved the crime, I go back to the background and show exactly what happened and fill in the blanks. Finally I tie up the story and try to close up any loose ends that may have been left out. It's exactly as they show in the program.

[longislanditalian2]

You should check out my stuff as well, I used a lot of things that have been mentioned on show, but throw in some personal storylines of the detectives as well. I try to stay with what the show is currently doing. It could help with the flow of it...

[noazmale]

TWO

Lilly and Vera went by Carlisle Exotic Imports to talk to Justin Polanski. They were told that he was currently at Emerson’s Auto Salvage trying to find some parts for a special order. They immediately went to Emerson’s to see if they could find him. As they entered the junkyard they saw Polanski talking to an older man who was dressed in some dirty work clothes.

“Justin Polanski?” Lilly questioned.

“Yes,” Polanski responded.

“Detective Rush, Philly homicide,” said Lilly. “This is Detective Vera. We’d like to talk to you about the death of Reginald Perry in 2000.”

“I’m Lawrence Emerson,” said the other man. “I was the one who found the body.”

“Why don’t you and I step over here and have a chat?” Nick suggested as he led Emerson away from Lilly and Justin.

Justin was holding a piece of equipment that Lilly didn’t recognize. As Nick and Emerson walked away, he placed the part on the ground and took out a handkerchief from his back pocket and started wiping his hands with it.

“How long are you guys going to hassle me about this?” Justin said, more than a hint of anger in his voice. “I told that last detective – I think his name was Delaware – everything I know. I was here getting an alternator for an old Caddy I was fixing up and Perry stopped me. He kept ranting on about some money he said my dad owed his dad and that I was going to pay it. Then he pulled a knife. I thought he was going to kill me. So I hit him with the alternator – in self-defense – and took off. That’s the last I saw him. And he was alive when I left here.”

“That’s not what the evidence says,” said Lilly. “The evidence says that Perry was beat to death with a tire tool. And you were the last one to see him alive.”

“Except for whoever killed him. Look, I didn’t know this Perry. I hadn’t seen him before that night. Well, that’s not exactly true. I saw him speaking to Mr. Emerson a couple of days before that night. But I had never met him before. He just showed up that night ranting about the money my dad owed him, like I said. He came at me with a knife and I defended myself. I don’t know how he ended up dead.”

“What money was he talking about?”

“I don’t know for sure. My guess is it was about the bearer bonds my dad supposedly stole and took off with. He mentioned a quarter of a million dollars. That’s the amount my dad took off with. He thought I knew where they were.”

“Do you know where they are?”

“Like I told him, no, I don’t. The money I live on were investments my uncle made with the insurance policy on my mom’s life. One hundred thousand dollars. His investments paid off pretty well. That’s the money I had. But it’s nothing near a quarter of a million dollars.”

“So he was alive when you left here?” Lilly asked.

“Very much so. Oh, he was going to have one hell of a headache in the morning. I hit him pretty hard with that alternator. I was afraid he was going to stab me with that knife. But I swear to you, when I left here he was still alive. And he was cognizant. Kept calling me names and telling me how I was going to pay for what I did. All I could think of was to get out of there as fast as I could.”

“What about this Marty Benton? Our information is that he works here, too. Do you know where he was at that night?”

“I don’t think he was here. It was a Thursday night and Marty always goes to the store on Monday and Thursdays, regular as clockwork. You don’t think he could have done it?”

“If you didn’t he’s the next likely suspect. He does work here. And my information is that he lives here too. Maybe he saw the fight and came by and finished Perry off after you left.”

“That’s not possible. Marty is little more than a child. He trusts everybody. And he couldn’t hurt a fly.”

“You’re sure about that?”

“Ask Mr. Emerson. Marty works around here cleaning up, collecting aluminum cans, and sometimes getting parts for Mr. Emerson. He knows this place real well. And he’s real helpful. But he couldn’t kill anyone. It’s just not in him.”

“How did Perry know who you were?” Lilly asked thoughtfully.

“I don’t get your meaning.”

“I mean how did he know you were Joseph Polanski’s son? And why would he think you knew where those bearer bonds were? You father had disappeared 25 years earlier. No one’s heard from him since. Why would he think you had any idea where those bonds were?”

“I don’t know. My dad’s trial was in all the papers. My uncle showed me old clippings of it. Maybe he found some of those clippings.”

“But how would he know where you were? My partner and I didn’t even know you were here until your boss told us. Do you come down here on a regular basis?”

“Not regular. Only when we need some parts that are hard to find. I’ve known Mr. Emerson since I was a kid. And I’ve worked on cars since I was a kid. He lets me come in whenever I want to get the parts I need.”

“So how did he know you would be here that night?”

“Can’t answer that. All I know he showed up and the rest you know.”

“Okay, thanks for your time. We’ll be in touch.”

Lilly turned and headed for Nick and Emerson.

* * *

“You found the body that night?” Nick asked.

“Yes,” said Emerson. “My wife and I had gone out to dinner with some friends. I got a doggy bag to bring back to Marty afterwards. He doesn’t go out much and I thought he’d like it. I do that sometimes for him. I was making my way back to his shack when I came across the body.”

“Did you see anyone else here that night?”

“No, no one. We close at 5:00 and other than Marty there’s not supposed to be anyone here.”

“Justin was here.”

“I let Justin come by whenever he wants. He’s a good mechanic and sometimes he works on my vehicles free of charge. So I let him come in and get parts when he needs to. It’s a good arrangement.”

“Anyone else you let come in here when you’re closed?”

“Just Marty and Justin. Marty lives in an old building on the back of the property. He’s better than a guard dog. He’s honest and respectful and he does a good job. He’s kind of slow but he’s a nice guy.”

“You think he could have killed Perry?”

“Not a chance. Marty couldn’t hurt anyone. He’s kind of timid. Besides, on Thursdays he goes to the store to buy groceries. Every week. He has since he started working here.”

“How long has he worked here?”

“Oh, about 17 years or so. I found him sleeping in an old station wagon one night when it was raining. At first I was tiffed because he had snuck in. But as soon as he opened his mouth I knew he was special. So I offered to let him stay in the old shack in return for doing some odd jobs around the place. And I give him some money each week so he can guy things he needs. It’s been a very good arrangement.”

“Did you know Perry? The guy that got killed that night?”

“Not really. He came in a couple of times looking for parts for his car. About two days before he died he noticed Justin getting some parts and asked about him. It seemed innocent enough. In hindsight I guess it wasn’t such a good idea.”

“What kinds of questions was he asking?” Nick asked.

“Oh, just who he was, how long he had been coming here, that sort of thing. He said he looked familiar. Like he was an old friend he used to know. I told him he could go talk to Justin if he wanted to but he said maybe another time. He said something about having to go see his father or something.”

“And you never saw the two of them together before that?”

“Like I said, he came in a couple of times looking for parts for his car. That’s it. The next time I saw him he was lying on the ground dead.”

“Okay, thanks. I may be back if I have any more questions.”

“You can usually find me here.”

“By the way, where is this Marty?”

“Follow the main path through the yard straight back. You’ll probably find him in the building back there. It’s an old storage building. That’s where he spends most of his time. When he’s not doing odd jobs for me.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Nick turned and headed for Lilly. She was all ready walking toward him.

“Get anything?” he asked.

“About the same as Delaware told us. Not much new. What about you?”

“Nothing that would be helpful. I did find out that this Marty character lives in an old storage building on the back of the yard. Emerson said we could go speak to him. Said he’d probably be there.”

“Well that will save us a trip. From what I’ve heard he may not be much help. He’s kind of slow.”

“Yeah, that’s what Emerson said. But it can’t hurt to talk with him.”

“Let’s go,” said Lilly. “Let’s see what he remembers about that night.”

[longislanditalian2]

You could add more about the character they are interviewing, for instance if their life is a wreck or success, which could add into the storyline line better. On the show they do it, it would be a good formula, but everyone writes different. I'm not picking on you or anything, I just thought it would a good idea to use.

[noazmale]

THREE

“What do you want?” Nicolaus Perry asked after Stillman and Will had identified themselves. “I’ve never been in trouble with the police. Can’t imagine what you might want to talk about.”

“We’re investigating your son’s death in 2000,” said Stillman. “Just want to ask you a few questions about it.”

“I don’t know anything about that. I was home drunk that night. I told that other detective all about it.”

“We know,” said Will. “We just want to know if you might know anything that could help. Like if your son and Justin Polanski knew each other.”

“Not that I know of. As far as I know they never met.”

“But you knew Polanski’s father,” said Stillman. “Joseph Polanski.”

“Yeah, we worked together. From 1973 to 1975. When he murdered his wife.”

“So how is it your son ends up being murdered by his son?” Stillman asked.

“Can’t answer that. Bad luck I guess. All I know is he did and the little bastard got away with it.”

“Do you have any idea what your son might have been doing in the junkyard the night that he was murdered?” Will asked.

“I don’t know. Getting parts maybe. Used parts are cheaper than new ones. And sometimes you can get a good deal on them. He used to go to junkyards whenever the car needed fixing. He must have been there looking for some parts for the car. I do remember it wasn’t running at that time.”

“We understand you were involved in his father’s trial,” said Stillman. “That you testified against him.”

“Yeah. He was their golden boy. Made a lot of money for them. One day he comes to me and says he has this deal working. He told me he knew about a quarter of million dollars worth of bearer bonds that he could get out of the business.

“But he needed help. He said if he was to get away with them they’d have to disappear. So he said he’d split them with me if I’d start a fire. That way everyone would think they were burned up and they wouldn’t be looking for them. Then we’d split them fifty-fifty.”

“Why didn’t he just set the fire himself?” Will asked.

“He said he needed an alibi for when the fire was set. If he was connected to the fire they might suspect what he had done. He said he would take the bonds home with him one day and I was to set the fire that night. He’d be home with friends so he’d have an alibi and no one would suspect him.”

“What about you?” Stillman asked. “Weren’t you afraid they might suspect you?”

“Not really. I didn’t have access to the bonds room. No way to connect me to it. He was going to give me his key so I could get in. Then all I had to do was rig the electrical system so it looked like there was a short that started the fire. Once it was over we’d wait a few months and then we’d split the bonds. He said bearer bonds were easy to dispose of because they weren’t registered to anyone.”

“According to the trial transcript, you decided not to go along with the scheme.”

“That’s right. I thought it was too risky. I worked maintenance in the building and I was afraid if they investigated too closely they might figure out the fire had been set. If they did, I’d be the first one they suspected. I didn’t think it was a good bet.”

“What did Polanski say when you told him you didn’t want to go along with the deal?” Will asked.

“He was mad. Mad enough to chew nails. He said it was too late to back out. That he had all ready taken the bonds and he couldn’t return them without raising suspicions. He said if I didn’t hold up my end of the deal we’d both go to prison.”

“But you hadn’t done anything,” said Stillman. “How did he figure you’d go to prison for what he had done?”

“I don’t know,” said Perry. “All I know is that he said he needed the money and there wasn’t anything he could do about it. I told him I wasn’t going to risk prison for him or anyone else. I told him I wouldn’t set the fire for him.”

“What did he say then?” Stillman asked.

“He said he’d get the money he needed somewhere else. Said he had a backup plan and that he’d have a hundred K in no time. I never asked about his backup plan. To be honest I didn’t want to know. I figured it was best if I didn’t know.”

“A hundred K,” said Will. “That was the life insurance policy on Polanski’s wife.”

“Can’t speak to that,” said Perry. “All I know is when his wife ended up dead the police came and talked to me about it. I told them the same thing I told you. Then he was arrested for her murder and I had to testify. That’s all I know.”

“What about your son?” Stillman asked. “How much of this did he know?”

“All of it. I didn’t have any secrets from him. My wife kept all the news clippings about the trial. Reggie found them in an old box one day and asked about them. So I told him.”

“When was that?” Will asked.

“Oh, let me see. I guess about a year or so before he was murdered. My wife and he were cleaning out the attic and came across a box with the clippings in it. She started bragging to him about how his old man had helped bring a murderer to justice. Even though he took off with the bonds.”

“He learns about your involvement with his Polanski’s father and ends up dead a year later supposedly killed by Polanski’s son?” Stillman questioned. “That seems pretty coincidental.”

“You think Reggie might have gone looking up Justin Polanski?” Perry asked. “Why would he do that? It’s not like he had any kind of axe to grind or anything. Nothing ever happened to me. I just testified at the trial.”

“Maybe he thought Justin knew what his father had done with the bearer bonds,” said Will. “Maybe he thought he could cash in on those bonds. We checked up on your son. He was in trouble with the law quite a bit. Breaking and entering, burglary, petty larceny, that sort of stuff.”

“I know,” said Perry, rubbing the back of his neck. “I can’t explain where my wife and I went wrong with him. From the time he was 14 he was always in trouble with the cops. We tried to talk to him but they fell on deaf ears. Nothing we did seemed to work. Then we got that call in 2000 saying he was dead.”

“According to Justin, Reggie kept saying that his father owed you half the money he stole,” Stillman said. “Said he had come to collect it. Any idea what he meant by that?”

“No idea. Like I said, I didn’t want to go along with the plan. It was too risky. So since I didn’t do anything he didn’t owe me anything. I can’t imagine why Reggie would think I was entitled to half the money.”

“Did he tell you how he was able to get the bonds out of his office without anyone finding out about it?”

“Something about a client wanting to sell off the bonds or something. I don’t know much about financial things. I was just a maintenance worker.”

“Why did he approach you?” Stillman asked. “It seems to me that the financier types don’t really mix with the blue collar types.”

“Not usually,” said Perry. “One day I was doing some work in his office and we got to talking. Come to find out we had a lot of things in common. After that he was pretty friendly to me. Not like some of the others there. Most barely even noticed me. He would go out of his way to say hi, things like that. That’s all there was too it.”

“So why do you think he chose you for his scheme?” Will asked.

“My maintenance skills I guess. I can’t see how he might have known what to do to make a fire look accidental. So I guess he figured I could do it for him.”

“Can you?” Stillman asked.

“I suppose so. I never tried. But I suppose it wouldn’t be that hard to cause an electrical fire and make it look like an accident. I guess any half decent electrician could do it.”

“So you and he get friendly and he knows about your expertise in maintenance. So he approaches you about this scheme to steal a quarter of a million dollars in bearer bonds. Bonds that can’t be traced to anyone.”

“That’s what it sounds like to me,” said Perry. “Only I wouldn’t go along with his plan.”

“But that doesn’t explain how Reggie and Justin ended up in that junkyard together that night. Or how Reggie ended up dead.”

“That punk Justin killed him. You guys just can’t prove it.”

“Well, thanks for your time,” said Stillman. “We can see ourselves out.”

“Interesting man,” said Will as they walked to the car. “Not much to go on, though. I didn’t really think he’d know much. But it was worth a shot.”

“Let’s get back to the office,” said Stillman. “Maybe Nick and Lilly have had better luck.”

* * *

“Marty?” Lilly questioned when they had gone to the small building at the back of the yard.

“Yes?” replied the man standing in the doorway. He looked to be about 50 and his clothes were old but serviceable. He had a full beard and his hair hung over his ears. “Mr. Emerson doesn’t let anyone back here alone. I’m supposed to watch over the place for him. He treats me real nice.”

Lilly recognized the speech pattern. She had heard it numerous times from the kids who played in her neighborhood. She judged that his mental capacity was probably close to that of a 12-year-old.

“It’s okay,” she said, holding up her badge. “I’m Lilly and this is Nick. We’re with the police.”

“The police?” questioned Marty, becoming agitated. “I ain’t done nothing wrong. I been good. Just ask Mr. Emerson. He’ll tell you. I’m always good.”

“We know,” said Lilly. “We just want to talk to you. About something that happened here about 3 years ago. The night that man died here.”

“Oh, that,” said Marty. “Yeah, that was a bad night. Mr. Emerson said that someone hit him and he died.”

“He told us you weren’t here that night,” said Nick.

“No. I had to go to the store. Every Thursday I buy my milk and vegetables and fruits. There’s a store three blocks down the street. I go there every Thursday and buy milk and vegetables and fruits. Sometimes I buy eggs, too.”

“Did you know the man who was killed here?” Lilly asked.

“No,” said Marty. “Mr. Emerson said his name was Reggie. He also said that Mr. Justin hurt Reggie but I don’t think so. Mr. Justin is a nice man. Sometimes he brings me things. Things I can’t afford.”

“You like Justin?” Lilly asked.

“Oh, heck yes,” said Marty, smiling. “He’s a real nice man. One time he brought me this big box of chocolates. I can’t afford to buy much chocolate. And Mr. Emerson says it’s not good if I eat too much of it. Mr. Justin is always nice to me. I don’t think he would hurt anyone. All he does is come here and gets parts for cars. Sometimes I help him.”

“The man who was killed,” said Lilly. “Did you see him around here before the night that he got hurt?”

“Umm, maybe once or twice,” said Marty. “He came and got some car parts from Mr. Emerson. A 1978 Monte Carlo. A yellow one. He was real specific. Knew just what he wanted.”

“Have you worked here long?” Nick asked.

“Seventeen years,” said Marty, “in November. I had just moved here. I had been living in El Paso. That’s in Texas. But my mom died and I didn’t have anyone there. My mom once told me I had a cousin that lived in Philadelphia so I came here to find him. Only I couldn’t find his house. I got tired and found a car in here. So I laid down and went to sleep.

“Then Mr. Emerson came out and found me in the car. Boy, was he mad. He scared me. So I told him I would go away and he wouldn’t have to worry about me no more. Then he said he wasn’t really mad. And he said I could stay here and all I had to do was do some work for him. It was cold out so I said okay. He treats me real good. Even pays me for the work I do for him.”

“Yes, that’s what he told us,” said Lilly. “Now, think real hard, Marty. Are you sure you never saw the man who got hurt here before he got hurt? Or that he wasn’t with Mr. Justin?”

“No, I would have known that,” said Marty. “Mr. Emerson, he doesn’t let people go back into the yard. He says it’s too dangerous. But he says I can. He says I can go in there because I know how to be real careful and not get hurt. When that Reggie man would come in Mr. Emerson would tell me what he wanted and I would go get him for him. I never saw him and Mr. Justin together.”

“This is an old suit,” said Nick looking at a suit that was hanging in a corner. “It must be twenty years old.”

“I found that in a car that was brought in a few years ago,” said Marty. “It’s real nice so I decided to keep it. It fits me real good too. Oh, I didn’t steal it or nothing. Like I said it was in a car they brought in. I didn’t do nothing wrong. Mr. Emerson said if I find anything in the cars I can keep it. Mostly I just find junk and stuff. But sometimes I find some neat stuff. I didn’t steal, honest.”

“No one is claiming you stole it,” said Lilly, smiling at the man. “And if Mr. Emerson said you could keep it then you can.”

“I got some other stuff, too,” said Marty. “One time, I found this radio. It didn’t work too well but Mr. Emerson, he got it fixed for me. It works real good. I have it by my bed. You want to see it?”

“No, that’s okay, Marty,” said Lilly. “Thank you for talking to us. We appreciate it.”

“Mr. Justin ain’t gonna get in trouble because of what I said, is he?” Marty asked. “He’s real nice. And he gets me stuff sometimes. I don’t want to get him into trouble.”

“No, he’s not going to get in any trouble because of what you said,” said Lilly. “We’re just trying to find out who hurt Reggie Perry.”

“Okay,” said Marty. He looked up at a clock hanging on the wall. “Oh, I have to go. There’s a woman who washes my clothes for me and I have to go pick them up. I’m not real good at doing laundry. So Mrs. Wilson does it for me and I make sure her yard stays clean.”

“Thanks again, Marty,” said Lilly.

“I can see what Emerson means,” said Nick as they walked out of the yard. “I doubt that guy would be capable of hurting anyone let alone killing a hardened criminal like Perry.”

“You’re right,” said Lilly. “More than likely he’d just run and hide if there was any trouble. Especially if it involved someone he didn’t know too well.”

“Which doesn’t get us any closer to finding out what happened the night Perry died,” said Nick. “I wonder what the boss and Will found out talking to Perry’s dad?”

“Let’s go see what they found out,” said Lilly. “Hopefully they found out something useful.”

[longislanditalian2]

A little more devolopment with Polanski wouldn't hurt, like his age. I'm having trouble understand his character, and a little main character personal storyline might help. There's just the case, it's kind of bland. I'm not trying to put down your story or anything, but it needs something to flow in.

You should revise and edit before posting, that way you can go back. It's crutial with writing.