Illumination Book Chapters
The Yellow Hibiscus — Chapter 35
“All cleared up except one at 5001 Morris Park Avenue. Simon and Helen Shade died in that one.”
Chapter 35
Three policemen sat in the basement at 1 Police Plaza in New York City.
“Okay,” Captain Andy Powell said, reviewing a stack of files in front of him.
“Another victim killed by a diamond! What do you have?” he demanded.
Sgt. Daniel Booker sneezed.
“Lorna’s still here?” Captain Powell asked, looking up from the files in front of him at Sgt. Booker, annoyed.
“Who is Lorna?” Detective Paul Saunders whispered to Sgt. Booker.
Sgt. Booker blew his nose and imparted, “She’s my cold.”
Det. Saunders peered at him through thick lens glasses and wondered aloud, “You name your cold?”
Sgt. Booker faced him and relate, “I can’t seem to get rid of it,” stifling another sneeze
Det. Saunders nodded, “so why not give it a name.”
Sgt. Booker smiled in approval.
“Booker, the only reason why you are still on this case, is because you are the best man I have. Now give me what you got,” Captain Powell commanded. “I mean now! Otherwise, the mayor and governor will have my job.”
“The third victim is a female. Same MO as the second victim, all Hawaiians. Victims had no arrest, not even a jaywalking ticket. The security guard at the Hawaiian Tourist Board said a blonde-haired, blue-eyed female went up shortly before the fire. This conflicts with the description the eyewitness at the first gave,” Sgt. Booker said.
“Think it's two persons?”
“See for yourself,” Sgt. Booker said, handing both sketches to Captain Powell.
Captain Powell viewed them. “They look different. What about their height?” he asked, examining both sketches carefully.
“The stories conflict,” Sgt. Booker told. “The building had cameras, but an electrician was working on it, and it was turned off. We have contacted Hawaii.”
“What does Hawaii know about the diamond and the fire it caused?”
“They are still checking.”
“What about those old fires you were checking?” Captain Powell continued.
“Ten in Brooklyn, fifteen in the Bronx, eight in Harlem, the other boroughs are good. All cleared up except one at 5001 Morris Park Avenue. Simon and Helen Shade died in that one. That’s all the Feds have told us,” Sgt. Booker reported.
“You think it’s connected to this case?”
“If you mean did they have the mark of the diamond? No.”
“Then what’s wrong with that?” Captain Powell asked, in annoyance, aimed at Sgt. Booker’s inability to provide him with results.
“Nothing, but why would the Feds be investigating a fire?”
“Stay away from their cases,” Captain Powell warned. “And focus on our cases; that’s what we are paying you for. What else do you have?”
“Not much, we have alerted all the jewelry stores, diamond merchants, ‘fences’ and florists. Porter thinks we should work with the first sketch.”
“Why?”
“Because the florist had a better and longer view. The security guard didn’t even see her leave.”
“What do you think?”
“I’d go for the blonde sketch, the florist’s eyes are bad, and she wasn’t wearing her glasses, so she said,” Sgt. Booker proposed.
“I say stick with both, any more sightings of Lady X?”
“Yes, ten, and none of them checked out.”
The phone rang on Captain Powell’s desk. He grabbed it, then handed it to Sgt. Booker. He listened for a while then handed it back to Captain Powell. Ten minutes later Captain Powell said, “Booker, you have four hours to catch American Airlines Flight 16 at 3:34 p.m. to LAX, then Flight 19 at 2:15 a.m. to Honolulu International Airport. Hawaii PD will meet you there!”
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