Cold Case 8-7: Care Givers

[valrush]

COLD CASE: CARE GIVERS

A woman opens up old wounds for two families when she asks Lilly and the cold case unit to reinvestigate her brother’s death—originally ruled a suicide.

PREVIOUSLY ON COLD CASE:

Vera and Jeffries were out walking the street. “You said your yearly physical is next week?” asked Vera.

“Don’t remind me. Talk about a pain in the ass, literally,” Jeffries replied.

“Well, I wouldn’t bring it up at all, except I could have sworn your yearly physical was last month. Is something going on?”

Jeffries stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. “Nobody else knows, but I have to go in for more tests. The doctor found something on my chest x-ray; it’s probably nothing, but at my age they like to be cautious. I say I’m already old; why waste the time I have left?” They started walking again. “I don’t want anyone else to worry, so don’t say anything.”

“Have it your way,” said Vera.

“Nick, I’m serious. I don’t want anyone to know until I know what I’m facing,” insisted Jeffries.

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1

The following story is fictional and

does not depict any actual person or event.

The Rembrandts: “I’ll Be There for You”

September 21, 1995:

Mitchell Davis, standing somewhere around 5ft. 9in. and wearing his usual denim jeans and blue sweatshirt, turned to the girl next to him on the tan sofa. “I don’t know, Quinn. I just don’t see Ross and Rachel getting together,” he said in reference to the premier of the second season of ‘Friends’ playing out in front of them.

“Please, there clearly into each other,” Quinn Jennings insisted. Quinn was almost as tall as Mitchell and was dressed in a red skirt and white blouse with a strategically opened top button.

“Yeah, you can tell by the way he’s with another girl right now,” Mitchell fired back.

“You are so naïve; they won’t last,” she said as she turned to him. “They’re nothing like us.”

Mitchell ran his hand through Quinn’s ebony curls and down the side of her face. He leaned in for a kiss when they heard footsteps from upstairs. “I knew it! I knew this punk-ass fool was down here poisoning my little sister!”

“Let me guess, Terrance. Dad’s working the late shift at the restaurant again, and he asked you to spy on us. I’m almost 18. You have to accept that my boyfriend is going to kiss me,” insisted Quinn.

“I wasn’t talking about that. I’m talking about how only idiot white boys watch ‘Friends’,” said Terrance. Terrance Jennings, usually referred to as ‘T. J.’ was wearing black jeans and an Eagles shirt. He reached for the remote on the mahogany coffee table, but Quinn’s left hand pulled it away from him.

[valrush]

 Friends Episode 201: “The One With Ross’s New Girlfriend”

“Let he who doesn’t still have a crush on Kelly Bundy change the first channel,” insisted Quinn.

Mitchell laughed briefly and then kissed Quinn. “Mitch, are you really letting her…”

“Yes T. J., because the idiot white boy’s girlfriend is right. I’ve seen your room; you still have the Christina Applegate poster on your wall,” Mitch explained.

Mitch and Quinn kissed again as Terrance shook his head. “Whatever.”

They watched in moderate silence until the show cut to the end credits. “Good. End credits, I can finally go to the little girls’ room,” said Quinn.

Mitchell chuckled. “’Little girls’…’ Why do you still call it that when you’re in your own house?”

“Because that’s what it is, and I’m trying to remind T. J. of that. You have your own damn bathroom; stop using my damn shower every morning,” Quinn replied. She propped herself up with one hand and slowly rose to her feet; the motion caused a small, metal cane standing next to the sofa to fall to the floor. Terrance and Mitchell both jumped to their feet, but Quinn just waved them off. “You don’t have to hit the ceiling. I can see it.” She slowly went to where the cane fell dragging her right foot as she walked. They watched as she bent down to retrieve the cane, balanced it in her left hand, and slowly walked toward the steps.

“Are you sure you don’t need my help with the steps?” asked Mitchell.

“Do you want to follow me into the bathroom too? I make this trip at least three times a day; I think I’m good,” Quinn replied as she limped her way up the steps.

Terrance walked up to Mitchell. “Seriously, do you really want my crazy-ass sister for a girlfriend? She’s the one you love; the one you just can’t live without?”

Mitchell shook T. J.’s hand. “You know it, T. J.”

Cold Case Soundtrack: “Yo Adrian”

Mitchell Davis’s body was found next to a silver Nissan on a trail in East Park with two stab wounds to the chest.

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Nearly all of the homicide division was watching as a blonde woman slowly guided an Afro-American woman through the narrow spaces between desks. The pair approached Detective Nick Vera. “I’m looking for Lilly Rush. A John… Stillman said she would be in today,” said the blonde.

“Yeah, she’s just over that way,” Vera said pointing to his right.

The blonde woman pointed to a folded white cane hanging at the other woman’s side. “Quinn is going to need more specific instruction.”

“Oh… turn around and… go two desks up… and then one desk… to your right,” replied Vera. The two ladies turned around. Vera got up to follow. “Great. It’s going to be the school for the deaf all over again.”

The group finally reached the desk of Lilly Rush. John Stillman was already there. “Detective Rush, meet Nora Davis and Quinn Jennings,” John announced.

“They told me this unit deals with old murders. I was hoping you could help me regarding my brother Mitchell,” Nora asked.

“Right, John showed me the file. It says your brother’s death was ruled a suicide,” Lilly explained.

“That’s just it; I never really bought that. I’m a professional nurse, and he was my brother who was staying with me at that point. If he was suicidal; I would have seen it. Plus they said he didn’t leave a note,” insisted Nora.

“They don’t always leave notes, and they don’t always show signs either,” Nick replied.

“Yeah well, after talking to Quinn, there’s a few other things that don’t add up,” Nora explained.

“Quinn, you knew Mitchell?” asked Lilly.

“Yeah, boyfriend/girlfriend for more than a year before he died,” said Quinn. “That’s what brought us in here.”

“We stayed in touch after Mitch died. Quinn is getting married in a few weeks, and she made me her maid of honor,” Nora explained.

“Congratulations,” Nick mumbled. John turned in his direction. “What? Just because my marriage went to hell doesn’t mean hers will.”

“Anyway, through the course of planning this wedding, we started talking about Mitchell again. And that’s when we realized a few things that didn’t make sense. For one, where the body was found,” Nora explained.

“It says he was found next to a silver Nissan on a nature trail in East Park; a lot of young kids use those trails as a lovers’ lane,” Vera informed.

“He never took me there,” insisted Quinn.

“I know this is difficult, but could there have been another girl?” asked Lilly.

“Well, when he wasn’t in school, he spent most of his time at my house. So, I doubt he had much time for a second girlfriend,” Quinn explained.

“I highly doubt there was another girl. Mitchell never really dated much, so he fell pretty fast for Quinn,” Nora added. “Even so, he still would not have taken her to East Park. My brother was a lot of things; an outdoor lover was not one of them.”

“Maybe he fell too fast. They didn’t find a note at the scene, but they did find a small, velvet box containing a ring in Mitchell’s pants pocket. The theory at the time was he proposed, his girl, which would have been Quinn, rejected him, and he stabbed himself in the heart,” said John.

“I’ve heard that too, and that’s another thing. He never proposed to me. I didn’t even see him the night he died,” Quinn informed.

A smirk ran across Vera’s face. Stillman sneered at him again. “What?” asked Vera.

Lilly rose from her desk and faced John. “The file says a park security guard called 911 when he found the body. There was nobody else around,” John explained.

“Alright, let’s play out the original theory. Mitchell proposes to Quinn, Quinn rejects him, Mitchell kills himself, … and Quinn bolts without even calling for help? I may have just met her, but I don’t buy it,” Lilly insisted.

“They came to me first; I don’t think that girl is ‘bolting’ anywhere. But that doesn’t prove it wasn’t a suicide,” John responded.

“Did they find the weapon?” Lilly asked.

“Actually yes, it says they found a pair of hedge clippers next to the body… but there were no fingerprints on them. So, the guy plans to commit suicide if his girl turns him down, and puts on gloves first? Have you ever heard of that before?” asked John.

“I don’t think so, plus he’s not wearing gloves in any of these photographs. Besides, shouldn’t there be a lot more blood here?” Lilly replied.

“East Park wasn’t the crime scene; it was the dump site,” added John.

Lilly studied the picture for a moment longer. “It’s ultimately your call, but I say we reopen this one. Other girl or not, somebody did not want these two to get married.”

[valrush]

2

Will Jeffries, Scotty Valens, Kat Miller, and John Stillman were huddled over the file. “Mitchell Davis, age 19, son of Colleen and Eric Davis, and sophomore at Temple University where he was an English major. The body was found in East Park on December 9, 1995,” Miller read from the file.

“Where are the rest of us?” Scotty suddenly asked.

“Rush was on the phone last I saw,” Jeffries informed. “As for Vera, turn around.”

Scotty turned around to see Vera walking blindfolded straight into a desk. “Damn it!”

“What the hell is he doing?” asked Scotty.

“Do you remember that case a few years ago about that school for deaf kids, and how some of them gave him crap about his sign language? Vera says he wants to know what it’s like to be blind like Quinn Jennings so he won’t seem to be such an idiot around her,” Jeffries explained.

Vera headed slowly in the direction of Will’s voice, but not before tripping over a waste basket. “Son of a b*tch!”

“Yeah, there’s definitely no danger of that happening,” insisted Miller. “Vera, take that thing off so you can look at this file!” Nick approached Kat and removed the blindfold.

“Here’s what I don’t get; who kills themselves by stabbing their chest?” asked Scotty.

“The girl he loved supposedly turned him down. At the time it was viewed as a symbolic thing,” Kat explained.

Suddenly Lilly appeared on the scene. “Okay, first the bad news. I tracked down the security guard who found the body, but he’s not talking. He died of a stroke four years ago,” she told them. “The good news is I spoke to Quinn again, and we may have another lead. Jake Asher, a kid who worked in the Temple student union. She said he used to give Mitchell a lot of grief regarding the two of them being together.”

“Well, it’s a slim lead, but it’s something. Miller and Vera, see if you can track this guy down,” John commanded.

“I’ll be ready in a few minutes,” said Vera as he placed the blindfold back over his eyes and walked off.

“I guess I’m driving,” said Miller as she followed him.

“Jeffries and I will start trying to put together some kind of paper trail for this kid. Rush and Valens, the file says Mitchell’s father was deceased at the time, but his mother was still living; find out where she is and let her know we’re looking into this again,” John ordered.

“Great, nothing I love more than pissing off old ladies,” said Scotty as he left with Lilly.

Along the far wall of the office, Vera was about to go through a door when Miller called out, “Nick!” He stopped as Miller caught up with him. “You’re about to enter the ladies’ room. Turn around, follow the wall the other way, … and take that blindfold off before you liquefy your shoes!”

[valrush]

Nick and Kat arrived at Big Dan’s Used Cars where they spotted a dark-haired man washing cars. “You sure your eyes are adjusted to the sunlight again?” asked Kat.

“Yes, so let’s do this. Jake Asher!” Vera called.

The car washer turned around. “Who wants to know?”

“Philadelphia P. D.,” said Vera as the pair flashed their badges.

“Crap. Look, I just need time to get the money together, but I swear I’m going to pay those parking tickets,” insisted Jake.

“We’re not here about that. We’re actually here about Mitchell Davis; a kid who’s body was found in East Park back in 1995,” Miller explained.

Jake froze for a moment. “Yeah, I think I remember that, but what does that have to do with me?”

“We’ve been speaking to Quinn Jennings, Mitchell’s former girlfriend,” Kat explained.

“She says you used to hassle them a lot; that you liked to give them crap about the black/white thing,” Nick explained.

Jake shook his head. “Okay, as you can tell, I didn’t exactly make the grade in school. My parents cut me off, and that’s how I ended up cleaning floors at the student union.”

“And that explains the racism?” asked Miller.

“I was a angry moron; I did a lot of dumb crap at that time,” Jake replied.

“Was killing Mitchell Davis part of that ‘dumb crap’?” asked Vera.

“Killing! … Look, I had some arguments with Mitchell, but I didn’t kill him! Believe me, he had a lot bigger sharks than me coming after him!” Jake insisted.

“Like who? Give us a name,” Miller demanded.

“Off the top of my head, I’d be looking at that girl’s father…”

[valrush]

Montell Jordan: “This Is How We Do It”


“I was doing my rounds mopping the floor of the student union when I saw them seated at a table; it was Mitchell, that girl Quinn, and some other black guy they kept calling T. J. As I moved closer I could hear them a little more. I think Mitchell said something like, ‘So girl, you’re turning 18 next week. What would you like for your birthday, and keep in mind I’m not exactly rich?’

“’Don’t bother, I’ve been asking about that for the past two weeks,’ that T. J. guy said.

“’Like I told T. J.; I’ll be happy if I get a piece of cake this year. You know, as opposed to those doughnuts he bought me last year that I couldn’t eat,’ Quinn said.

“’For the last time, I didn’t know they were all filled with strawberry jelly,’ T. J. yelled back.

“I was coming closer to the table with the mop, and when I got there Mitchell just about backed over me with his chair. ‘Next time look out, spade lover!’ I yelled.

“Like I said; not my finest hour. That set Mitchell off; he stepped up to me saying ‘If you have a problem with me, okay, but back off my girlfriend or I’ll back you off!’

“You didn’t see the look in his eyes, but I did. He would have gone twelve rounds for that girl, so I backed up saying ‘Easy, I… I didn’t mean nothing! Look, it was stupid, okay! I’m sorry!’

“’You better be, because if you come at us again with that stuff I won’t be so forgiving!’ he shouted.

“Then the main doors busted open and another big black guy charged past everyone until he got to T. J., ‘T. J., I thought I told you to keep your friend away from Quinn!’

“’Mitch is cool, dad!’

“’Dad, I’m about to turn 18; that means I can date whoever I choose, and I choose Mitchell!’ Quinn shouted.

“’Look Quinn, I have to get to class anyway. I’ll call you tonight,’ Mitchell said.

“Then he tried to leave, but that girl’s dad just kept making it difficult. ‘Mitchell, I’m saying this for your own good, find another girl and stay away from Quinn!’.”

[valrush]

“Then Mitch left and psycho-dad followed,” Jake finished.

“You are a first class piece of work, Jake. You can be damn sure we’re going to check this story out,” insisted Miller.

[valrush]

Nick and Kat parked their car in front of Al’s, a restaurant in North Philadelphia. “Jeffries said this was the place. Let’s hope the owner is in,” Vera said.

The two entered the restaurant when they heard a man call out as he was running, “Yes Shirley, that’s why I have an assistant manager, to run this place when I’m out! I have to meet my daughter at the wedding planner!”

“Are you Alfred Jennings?” asked Vera.

“Yes, but I don’t recognize you,” insisted Alfred.

The pair showed their badges. “Detectives Vera and Miller, Philadelphia homicide, we’d like to talk to you about Mitchell Davis.”

Alfred froze briefly as if trying to remember. “Mitchell Davis, I haven’t heard that name in sixteen years; I remember when they said they found his body on the news. My daughter fell apart; he was her first real love.”

“We’ve heard that. We’ve also heard that you weren’t too happy with the match,” insisted Vera.

“We heard something about you threatening him in front of half of Temple University one day. Tell me, what is it about a mixed race couple that scares everyone?” asked Miller.

Alfred reached into a pocket and retrieved his wallet. “Do you see this picture? This is Quinn and her new fiancé who you will note is white; so you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“Then point us in the direction of the right tree, Mr. Jennings,” Vera said.

“It wasn’t a race thing; it was an age thing. When they met, Quinn was still 16 and Mitchell had just turned 18. He was barely a year older than her,” Alfred explained.

“But that’s old enough; a mature adult man meets an innocent young lady. Believe me, I have a daughter, and I understand the need to protect her. A jury probably would too; if you come clean with us now,” insisted Miller.

Alfred took a step back. “I didn’t kill Mitchell,” he said. “Plus I don’t think you do fully understand the situation. How much do you really know about Quinn’s condition?”

“You mean the fact that she’s blind?” asked Vera.

“The blindness didn’t come until later, but the partial paralysis on her right side was practically there since birth. Quinn was born with a birth defect; they call it congenital hydrocephalus. It’s a condition that causes excess spinal fluid to build up in

the skull and puts pressure on the brain. They had to do surgery on her to put a plastic shunt in her head that would allow the excess fluid to drain out of her skull. We didn’t know if she would make it,” Alfred explained.

“You’re right, I don’t know what that’s like,” Miller added. “But whatever your true concerns were, the end result is still the same; ‘for your own good, find another girl and stay away from Quinn.’. You’re not even original.”

“I didn’t mean that as a threat. I meant it. I wasn’t just trying to protect Quinn; I was trying to protect him too. I thought Mitchell was a well-intentioned kid who got in over his head and didn’t even know it,” Alfred informed. “At least, that’s what I thought until I spoke with Terrance.”

“Your son, how did he change your mind?” asked Vera.

“He told me about what happened before I showed up; he told me how Mitch stuck up for Quinn. After hearing that, I figured I at least owed Mitch an explanation regarding why I flipped out the way I did,” Alfred explained. “So I found his address and went to see him the following day. Then when I got to the house I saw Mitchell had his own mess to deal with, and she was a lot harder to handle than Quinn…”

[valrush]

Soul Asylum: “Misery”

 
“I parked my car at the far end of the driveway and started to walk up to the house. As I walked up to an archway created by some trees, I saw what looked like a white Labrador retriever barking its head off in the front window. But they must have been used to that, because they seemed to pay it no mind. They were too fixated on an argument they were having over how to fix a broken fence.

“’Damn it Mitchell, I told you! You have to hold it straight or I can’t tighten the bolts!’

“’And I told you that when you bang on the damn fence with the wrench, it throws me off! It’s basic physics; if your side of the fence moves so does mine!’ Mitch said.

“’You understand basic physics, but you don’t understand ‘hold it steady’!’

“’Mom, what do you want from me! I’ve told you how many times that I am not good with my hands! Dad was the contractor, not me!’ Mitchell shouted. I only got a glance at Mitchell’s mother, but she looked like she was a darker shade of blonde. She had on old torn jeans and a sleeveless white shirt that looked like it had seen better days.

“’No kidding! Maybe if you had spent five minutes with him instead of that computer, we could have fixed this thing an hour ago!’ she yelled.

“’Don’t start, because trust me, nobody wants this stupid fence fixed more than I do right now!’ Mitch yelled.

“’Let me guess, you made another date with her!’ she sneered.

“’Actually no, I do not have a date with QUINN! I do however have to get her birthday gift yet!’ Mitchell replied.

“’Why do you continue with this relationship? She is not the girl for you!’ his mother replied.

“’Really, what’s today’s reason?’ Mitchell asked. ‘You know, I don’t even care! I’m tired of listening to you rip apart my girlfriend, so if that is where this is going then I’m out of here! Fix your own damn fence!’ He dropped the piece of chain link

they were working on and started down the driveway.

“He didn’t notice me until he turned the corner. ‘Mr. Jennings. You’re a little late; my mom already chewed me out about Quinn.’

“’I’m not here to chew you out. Terrance told me what you did yesterday, and I appreciate you defending my daughter,’ I told him. ‘I don’t think you’re a bad person; I just don’t know if you understand the risks involved with Quinn. That plastic shunt in her head may have saved her, but it can also be like a time bomb. We never know if it might malfunction, or the damage it could cause if it did. It could leave her a lot worse off than she is now; it could even kill her.’

“’I may be young, but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand suffering. My dad passed away two years ago from lung cancer. My mom’s been trying to hold it together ever since. If watching her struggle on her own has taught me anything; it’s that I want a girlfriend. I don’t want to be alone forever and I wish my mom would move on too. I can handle anything Quinn can dish out,’ Mitch explained.

“He was being honest with me, so I figured I had to tell him my story. ‘When T. J. was five and Quinn was three, my wife Stella went into kidney failure. Dialysis worked for awhile, and we tried for a transplant but that never came through. All I could do was watch her get worse and worse every day. I guess that’s why I’m a little overprotective; my kids are all I have now,’ I told him. ‘Why don’t we check out the mall and look for Quinn’s birthday present together? I’ll even pay; it’s the least I can do after what you did.’ We got in my car and drove off.”

[valrush]

“That day I realized Mitch and Quinn were a lot more alike than I thought. At the time I figured he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon,” Alfred said.

“What kind of car did you drive back then?” asked Vera.

“I’d have to go through my photo albums to make sure, but I think it was a blue Pontiac,” Alfred informed.

[valrush]

Across town, Scotty pulled the squad car up to the Davis residence. Lilly was finishing up a phone call. “Okay well, we just got here so we’ll call back when we’re done here,” she said as she hung up. “That was Vera with some interesting information. It seems that mom did not approve of her son seeing Quinn.”

“So you were right. There was another girl, but do you really think she killed her own son?” asked Scotty.

Lilly turned to him and said, “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

[valrush]

3

Colleen Davis had aged somewhat since her son’s death. Lilly looked around the green walls at the pictures of Colleen’s younger days and then back to Colleen. Her face had a few more lines on it now and her hair was starting to go gray. “I still remember having to go down and identify the body. Mitchell wasn’t always happy here, but I never figured on him killing himself,” explained Colleen.

“That’s why we’re here. New details have come out that suggest that it wasn’t a suicide,” Lilly responded.

“Are you going back to school?” Scotty asked when he saw an NYU brochure sitting on the glass coffee table.

“Oh no, that was Mitchell’s. It was his first choice school. He got accepted, but then his father passed on and he ended up at Temple. I guess I still have a lot of Mitch’s stuff scattered around this house,” Colleen explained.

“How was your relationship with Mitchell?” asked Lilly.

“All parents and children argue, but it didn’t get really strained between us until my first husband died,” insisted Colleen.

“First husband?” asked Scotty.

As if on cue, a white-haired man in trousers and a plaid sweater appeared from the adjacent hallway. “Honey, where’s the damn flashlight? I’m trying to fix your ceiling fan, but I’m losing the sun… oh, I thought I heard other people.”

“Harry, these are detectives with the Philadelphia P. D. They say they have new information about my son. As for the flashlight, try the kitchen where you were using it last,” Colleen informed.

“Oh right, from fixing the dishwasher last week. Thank you, babe,” said Harry.

“Anyway, after my son died, I realized it was just me. My husband was gone, my son was gone, my daughter had her own life, and so I started dating again. I remarried six years ago,” Colleen explained.

“Let’s just say on my tombstone it will say ‘GOD BLESS VIAGRA’,” insisted Harry.

“Our first time was long overdue for me too; me dating again was a sticking point for me and Mitchell,” Colleen added.

“What about Quinn Jennings? Was that another sticking point?” asked Rush.

Colleen let out a long sigh. “Many fights lead back to that girlfriend of his. If I ever get nominated for Mother of the Year, that time period will not be on the highlight reel.”

“Did any of these fights ever go beyond words?” Scotty asked. “Mrs. Davis—“

“It’s ‘Logan’ now.”

“Mrs. Logan, there were bloody hedge clippers found next to your son’s body, and, judging from the flower bushes and vegetable plants I saw in the front yard, I’m guessing you do a lot of gardening,” Scotty insisted.

Colleen stood up from her chair. “I never hurt my son!”

“You think she did this! On our first date, I brought up the subject of my children, I asked her about hers, and I had to pull the car over for 30 minutes when she broke down in front of me! She did not kill her son!” Harry yelled.

“Well, from what we’ve heard, Mitchell could get pretty aggressive when it came to protecting Quinn; maybe you didn’t really mean to kill him! Maybe he came at you and you stabbed him in self defense; in which case you have nothing to fear!” informed Lilly.

“That isn’t what happened! My son never threatened me… at least not with violence,” Colleen replied.

“What do you mean?” asked Lilly.

“We had another famous argument about Quinn; I think it was around the time of her birthday. Looking back, I should have seen that we were just moving in two different directions. I was too busy looking back, and he just wanted to move forward…”

[valrush]

Tracey Chapman: “Give Me One Reason”

 
“It was about midday on a Sunday as I recall. I was asleep on that very couch you’re sitting on. I was woken up by the front door opening and then closing. After I cleared the sleep from my eyes I saw that it was Mitchell in the same jeans and Temple sweatshirt he had worn the previous day. ‘You’re a little late.’

“’Quinn’s party ran longer than I thought it would. It was late and I didn’t want to drive your car home, so I stayed at Quinn’s,” my son said. Then he looked down at the coffee table. ‘Why is the Scrabble board out?’

“’It’s out because you said you would be home by 10:00 and I thought you were going to give me a rematch. You could have called me,’ I said.

“’I said I would most likely be home at 10:00. I didn’t know for sure,’ he said.

“’You still could have called me,’ I repeated.

“’How was I to know you would be waiting up for me? I’m 19, you can’t exactly enforce a curfew on me anymore,’ he said.

“’You could still give me some courtesy; maybe I thought we had plans,’ I replied.

“’You never shared this ‘plan’ with me,’ he said.

“’Saturday night is family night. We always play a board game,’ I said.

“Mitchell backed up. ‘Saturday night used to be family night, and yes when it was the four of us I liked Scrabble! But it’s not the four of us anymore! Maybe I’d rather be with Quinn then playing lame board games all of the time!’ he shouted.

“I took a few steps toward Mitchell and yelled back, ‘First of all, I’m well aware of the fact that it isn’t the four of us anymore! You don’t need to remind me of that! Secondly, what did you end up getting her anyway; something from the ‘I’m Settling For You’ store at the mall?’

“’Mom, it’s been a year! Give it a rest; I love Quinn and she loves me! Accept that fact and everything will be so much easier!’ he shouted.

“’You love her! How can you possibly love her? There is no future with a girl like her! She’s dead on one side!’ Harry will tell you. I can be pretty b*tchy when I first wake up.

“’Shut up!’

“’Mitchell, be practical! How much can she possibly… do with you?’ I asked.

“’I don’t know! We haven’t crossed that bridge yet!’ Mitch insisted. Then he picked that NYU brochure off the table. “Do you have any idea how badly I wanted to go away to NYU? But I took a year off and then I started commuting to Temple every day instead because I felt I had a responsibility to be here for you after dad passed. I’m not saying I regret that; after all I wouldn’t have met Quinn if I had left. But I can’t keep living in the past like you. I have to move on, and I wish you would too. You need a man in your life again whether you’re willing to admit it or not, and Sir Barkley doesn’t count,’

“’Not this again…’

“’Do you know what it’s like to watch you every night? You sit on this couch and stare at that picture of dad for hours on end sometimes!’ he said pointing at the frame behind you. ‘I can’t watch you sit here pining for a ghost after all this time; it’s like you’ve given up on love! Well, I haven’t!’ All I could do was shake my head. ‘I love you, but I’m making this simple. You can either accept Quinn, or I can look into moving on campus next term.’ Then he went back to his old room.”

[valrush]

“He looked into campus housing and saw how expensive it was, so then a few weeks later he packed some bags and moved in with Nora,” Colleen added.

“I don’t get it. Mitchell wanted you to find someone else?” asked Valens.

“Like I said, me backward, him forward,” insisted Colleen. “By the way, if you want to know about somebody who owned hedge clippers; start with her brother.”

“Terrance Jennings? How do you know about him?” asked Rush.

“I hired him. His name was on a flyer I found in the city; it turned out he was working his way through school as a landscaper. That’s ultimately how Mitchell met Quinn,” Colleen informed.

“Are you satisfied now detective? She’s answered all your questions,” said Harry.

“Just one more question; what kind of car did you drive back then?” Scotty asked.

Colleen turned away in thought. “When my son wasn’t borrowing it, a green Mazda.”

[valrush]

Back at the station, Vera was walking the halls blindfolded again when he stopped suddenly. “What the hell… Who’s trying to be funny?”

“Fool, what are you talking about?” asked Miller.

Vera pointed down. “This garbage can that just brushed against my leg; it wasn’t here two minutes ago.”

“Cleaning staff came through and emptied them and brought them back,” Miller explained.

“Oh well, … give me some warning next time,” Vera insisted. He sat down at a desk and removed the blindfold.

“He hasn’t given up; I’ll give him that,” Jeffries added. “So I ran local DMV records for the fall of 1995. They confirmed both Alfred and Colleen’s stories: blue Pontiac and green Mazda. Then I tried it the other way searching for someone who actually did own a silver Nissan back then. Guess whose name came up,”

Vera looked over the documents that Will handed to him. “Well, looks like sis is today’s big winner.”

[valrush]

Vera and Jeffries were in their car on their way to see Nora Davis. Jeffries was driving; Vera was blinded. “Who’s cooking hotdogs?” Vera asked.

“The… hotdog stand… five blocks ahead of us. How did you…”

“I can smell them from here. It’s weird, but ever since I’ve been in the dark it’s like my other senses have kicked into overdrive. It’s like a whole other way of seeing,”

“Well, unless your new found senses can tell why Nora Davis lied to us; I take the blindfold off,” insisted Jeffries.

Vera removed the blindfold and turned to Jeffries. “Have you heard anything yet?”

“Talk about being in the dark. No, it’s been two damn weeks and I’m still waiting on my test results,” Jeffries informed as he slowed the car to a stop. “This is where Quinn said they would be.”

The pair entered Lynn’s Bridal Fashions in North Philadelphia when they spotted Quinn. “We’re coming up behind you, Quinn,” said Vera.

“Detectives, we’re about to get fitted for our dresses. What can we help you with?” asked Nora.

“We were just curious; how does that old poem go? Something borrowed, something blue, something old, something new. Is that about right?” asked Vera.

“Something like that. Why exactly are you here?” asked Nora.

“Quinn told us you would be here, and I was just thinking if she still needed something old you could give her the keys to your old Nissan: your old silver Nissan,” Jeffries replied.

“We ran the DMV records, Nora. The car found next to Mitchell’s body was registered to you,” Vera explained.

“Oh yeah, I guess it still would have been in my name,” said Nora.

“’Still’,” Vera added.

“That car wasn’t hers anymore,” insisted Quinn.

“What do you mean?” asked Jeffries.

“She gave him that car. Nora, how could you possibly forget that night?” Quinn asked.

“Tell me about it; that was the night I caught you two…”

[valrush]

Toni Braxton: “You Mean the World to Me”

 
“I had just come home from my shift at the hospital. I walked into my apartment and saw a light on in the back room where Mitchell was staying. But I was more interested in what I was hearing; as usual Mitchell was in the back bedroom blasting his music. I walked back to his room saying, ‘Mitchell, there is a noise clause in my lease. If the other tenants complain… WOAH!’

“Now, from what I remember seeing, I think they were actually done by the time I walked in, but nonetheless I still saw a lot more of my brother than I ever wanted to see. ‘Crap! Nora, … I… didn’t think you would be home… this soon!’ he shrieked. He was really freaked; he jumped off that bed and started rummaging through clothes like someone possessed.

“I on the other hand was too busy covering my eyes to make conversation. ‘Oh … gees … bad timing! But you … could close the… door now!’ He closed the door and I ran to my living room.

“Two minutes later a fully dressed Mitchell and Quinn came out of the room. ‘I’ll be down in a minute to take you home,’ he said as he kissed her on the cheek. Quinn limped out the door on her cane and Mitch turned to face me. ‘Okay, I didn’t realize how late it was. Quinn said she wanted to; I thought we had more time…’

“I put my hands on Mitchell’s shoulders. ‘Mitch, you’re 19 and you have an apartment to yourself. I assume you might bring your girlfriend here, but the red blouse she just left in was mine.’

“Mitch shook his head. ‘You still haven’t moved all of your old clothes out of there. I must have given it to her by mistake.’

“’So that’s Quinn. Pretty girl, I can see why you would fall for her. Just answer one thing, do you love her?’ I asked.

“Mitch leaned back against my wall. ‘Yeah, I do, and yes, six years of your nursing school lectures must have gotten in my head. I did cover it—‘

“’Yeah, I… saw that. My point is that if you say you’re in love, then I’m not going to judge. I’m not mom,’ I said. ‘How did you get her here anyway?’

“’She took a bus to campus, I met her there, and we took another bus back to here,’ Mitch explained.

“I shook my head; I never did feel safe on the city buses. That’s when I reached for my purse on the floor. ‘I have a better idea. As you may have seen, I just bought a new car, so I think it’s only fitting that you take my old one.’

“Mitch nearly stumbled over his feet as he moved toward me. ‘Seriously!’

“’A college kid needs some way to get around,’ I said.

“’Thank you, I really do appreciate that!’ he said. Then he hugged me and left shouting, ‘Hey Quinn, you’ll never guess!’.”

[valrush]

“That reminds me; I never did get that blouse back,” she added turning to Quinn.

“It never occurred to you to transfer the title to Mitchell?” asked Jeffries.

“I didn’t think about that at the time. We just had an understanding; my old car was his,” Nora explained. “The new car I purchased was a red Ford; check your DMV records for that.”

[valrush]

“We checked; in the fall of 1995 Nora Davis was the proud owner of a new Ford. She was telling the truth,” insisted John Stillman.

“Well, if Nora gave Mitchell that car, then that means anyone could have gotten to him. We’re back to square one,” insisted Miller.

“Maybe not, I looked at bank records from 1995; Mitchell Davis had a savings account. At least he did until he transferred all $1,500 from it on November 21, 1995 to a checking account. Three days later, he makes a check out to KAY Jewelers for that same amount,” John explained.

“The engagement ring, but we already know about that,” insisted Scotty. By now the whole team was huddled around Stillman.

“Did they get any evidence off of that ring?” asked Lilly.

“Just the prints on the box that they matched to Mitchell,” explained John.

“Well, we have newer technology now. Maybe we should run the ring through again,” Lilly added.

“That ring isn’t exactly in evidence anymore. They returned it to his mother when she claimed the body,” said John. “My thinking is this; who just wakes up one day and decides to move everything around like that? He had to have thought about this for some time; maybe he told someone his plan.”

“Probably not his mother, at least not right away; Quinn’s father would have also been risky. Nora, maybe?” asked Lilly.

“Or T. J. Maybe that’s what did it,” Scotty spoke up. “Think about it. The weapon of choice was hedge clippers, and we know he worked as a landscaper. I say it’s time we find him and ask him how he felt about being a brother-in-law.”