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THE FALL MOON

Copyright 2019 by Blake Banner

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ONE

You remember the Redfern case?

Dehan spoke to the bacon on her plate as she cut into it, frowning. I leaned back comfortably, holding my coffee cup halfway to my mouth.

Sure, it was Bob Lindseys case just before he got shot. I scratched my chin. Six, seven years ago? Couple killed in their home on Ellis Avenue, few doors down from the Glory of Christ church, as I recall. Daughter disappeared, presumed killed too. Bobby died. The shooting was unrelated to the case. Case went cold. I sipped my coffee. Outside, birds were singing in the warm, summer Sunday morning. You want to look at that case?

She shrugged and pulled a face at the same time. I was always curious. She eyed me while she wiped her mouth with her napkin. I have a feeling about that case, Stone. It was seven years ago this fall She tapped her temple with her finger. And its still up here. I dont know why we never looked at it. She took the same finger and wagged it at me. There is more to that case that meets the eye, and you knew it at the time. I could see it, writ large on your ugly face.

Thanks.

Your face isnt ugly. Dont get sensitive. You know what Im saying.

Yeah, it caught a lot of peoples attention at the time. But what can I tell you? It wasnt my case. They hit a dead end

He got shot.

That didnt help. Whats your point, Dehan?

She laid her knife and fork across her plate, picked up her cup and frowned into her coffee.

There was more to that case than that couple getting stabbed to death. I was interested at the time, but I was a rookie. I wish Id been your partner back then. We should have taken the case. There were threads that were never followed. I knew you were thinking back then that the case should never have gone cold.

How could you know that?

She smiled. I was aware of you.

Really? Back then?

Sure, you were this wiseass, smartass with a bad attitude who had a kick-ass record for solving hard cases.

So it was all about the ass?

You know it.

I shrugged and then followed up with a nod. Its true, I did think that at the time. Bobbys partner I thought for a moment. Sanchez. He kind of sat on it for a while. Then it went cold. I had cases of my own

You know what? She frowned. There were aspects to the case I often thought could have made it a federal case.

I was surprised. I thought back, trying to remember. It had been six years ago and the details were hazy. Im not sure, Dehan. I cant think of anything off hand that would take it out of the purview of the NYPD and bring it within the jurisdiction of the Bureau Talk me through.

She poured herself more coffee. I held out my cup and she refilled mine, too. Then she sat back, holding her cup in both hands, her eyes became abstracted and she started to recite from memory.

Karl and Christen Redfern, 2163 Ellis Street, first floor apartment. Occupied by them and their daughter, Amy. Some time between the night of Saturday the 22 nd and the small hours of Sunday 23 rd September, 2012, somebody entered their apartment and killed Karl and Christen. His body was found in the kitchen. He had been stabbed in the right kidney, once, with a long, broad, sharp blade, probably a kitchen knife. He was then stabbed in the heart, through the fourth and fifth intercostals. However, bleeding from the kidney had been profuse, whereas he had bled little from the heart, suggesting the wound to the heart was perimortem.

Christen was killed in their bed while she was sleeping. There were between fifteen and twenty stab wounds to the heart. It was hard to be precise because the area was so damaged and badly lacerated, the ribs themselves had been fractured and broken. Bruising, pre, peri and post mortem was extensive. She also had bruising to the face, and other parts of her body, suggesting the attack went on some time while she was dying, and after she was dead.

Amy Redfern was not found at the house, or anywhere else. No trace of her has ever been found.

She sipped her coffee and set down her cup with care, like she was centering her ideas on the tabletop. She went on:

Of note are the fact that the prints found at the scene were predominantly Karl and Christens, Amy and her boyfriend Charlies. That is to be expected, but there were no prints that were attributable to a killer on the kitchen knives, the surfaces or the victims themselves.

One large kitchen knife was found in the drying rack by the sink. There were no traces of blood or fingerprints on it. Normally, when crockery or cutlery is washed, some prints are found, but this knife had been polished clean. The blade was consistent with the weapon used to kill both of the Redferns and was probably the murder weapon.

I grunted. Do I remember correctly that the lock had been very crudely forced? Hadnt the wood had been hacked away from the latch with some kind of blade, like a screwdriver?

She nodded. Thats right. And, final point of interest, both Karl and Christen had cannabis, coke and alcohol in their systems.

I gazed out the window, across the living room, wondering why we couldnt spend Sunday morning like normal people, going to the park, or driving out to the country. But the case was coming back to me, and I had to admit, it was interesting, and had intrigued me at the time. Absently, I said, No motive ever became apparent either, did it?

Nope.

She stood and walked over to the window Id been looking out of and stood with her hands in the back pockets of her jeans, gazing at the street. After a moment, she turned and sat on the sill.

There was no cash found in the house, which may or may not be significant. According to neighbors, they struggled to get by and spent whatever disposable income they had on booze and drugs, mainly weed. She shrugged. If I were going to burglarize a house, I would not have chosen theirs. You wouldnt need to go very far to find a better candidate.

I watched her lean down and grab her bag from beside the sofa. From it she pulled a case file, gave me a guilty grin and brought it to the breakfast table. I sighed and reached for it as she handed it to me.

Dehan, its Sunday. The day even God kicked back and put his feet up.

I know, Stone, but I started rereading it and it got under my skin. What happened to that girl? You know what I mean. I know you do.

I opened the file and she lifted out the crime scene photos till she found the photographs of the two bodies, his in the kitchen, slumped on the floor in a dark pool of blood, and hers face down on the bed. We both studied them for a minute. Then I smiled to myself because I knew she was thinking the same as me.