Dream Gate...Grabbing Air
Romantic Suspense-Thriller Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
No one ate any of the tuna sandwiches or drank any of the iced tea.
Olivia didn’t remember hearing anything else her father said after the word, skeleton. She felt like she was underwater with all sound muffled around her.
Police arrived in two patrol cars and one unmarked cruiser. All three vehicles appeared with sirens squealing and lights flashing just as Collin finished breaking news of their discovery to Phoebe.
A longtime friend of Aunt Nora’s had been the only customer in the store when three police officers hurried through the front door. The first two uniformed officers had their handguns ready.
Shaken, Phoebe blurted, “My uncle told you the skeleton was dead, right!”
Collin wrapped both arms around Phoebe.
The plainclothes officer dressed in a long sleeve blue cotton shirt and grey wool slacks, motioned to the uniformed officers. “It’s okay. Bryan secure the store’s front door, Casey check the back-alley entrance.”
“I’m Detective Peter Finley.” He presented his identification then checked the 911 message forwarded to his phone.
“Are you the Greg Jamieson who called in the sighting?” He looked at Collin who kept a firm hold on Phoebe.
“I’m Collin Michaels, Detective, but I was with Mr. Jamieson when the skeleton was found.”
Detective Finley added Collin Michaels’ name to his notes. “And you miss?”
Phoebe had stopped shaking enough to appreciate the fine-looking, visual assets of the third responding officer. “I’m Phoebe Jamieson. Greg Jamieson is my uncle.”
“Were you present when the human remains were discovered?”
“No,” Phoebe shook her head. “I was down here with customers.” She looked up at Collin. “Was Olivia in the den with you and Uncle Greg?”
“No.”
The detective frowned. “Olivia?”
“Olivia Jamieson is my cousin.” Phoebe suddenly felt exhausted. “My Uncle Greg is her father.”
“And she was where, when you and Mr. Jamieson found the skeleton?”
“There’s a complete apartment on the second floor upstairs,” Collin explained. “I think Olivia was in the kitchen making sandwiches for us.”
“And you ma’am?” Detective Finley turned to the family friend who had remained mute and as invisible as she possibly could at the far end of a display counter.
“I’m Bonnie Holt, an old friend of Phoebe’s late aunt. I was down here in the store with Phoebe.”
“Do you believe the remains upstairs to be that of your aunt?” Detective Finley switched his attention back to Collin and Phoebe who stood beside the till.
Phoebe shook her head. “My Aunt Nora died this past June, Detective. Her remains are buried in the new section of the Grandview Cemetery…”
“The guy we found,” Collin interrupted. “At least we think it was a guy, has been in a space behind a bookcase for quite some time.”
Two vans stopped on the street in front of Satin & Silk. The Larimer County Medical Examiner walked into the store followed by a Crime Scene forensics team.
Through the wide front window Collin and Phoebe realized that a crowd of several dozen people had already gathered.
Detective Finley addressed Bonnie Holt. “All I need from you ma’am is your address and phone number then you may leave anytime if you like.”
Bonnie Holt gave the officer her card then reached across the glass counter to Phoebe. “I’m happy to stay if you’d like me to, dear.”
“Okay, yeah, maybe for a little longer.”
Collin led Detective Finley, the M.E. and C.S. team to the stairs. Mrs. Holt walked with Phoebe to the rear dressing room area to sit in chairs away from crowd curiosity in the front street.
In the second floor sitting room at the top of the stairs Greg Jamieson sat beside his daughter, holding her hand.
Olivia struggled to process this implausible incident that immediately spun their reasonably well-ordered lives out of their control.
Movement in the room caught her attention and her father took her elbow to help her stand. When she stood up the first face, she saw was that of Detective Peter Finley. Immediately Olivia felt a shift, but more than that she immediately felt safe.
She saw compassion and confidence in his deep brown eyes. He was about the same height as her father, five-nine, but with broader shoulders. His close cut sandy-brown hair hinted that it might have been completely blonde as a young boy.
Collin made introductions. “Detective, this is Greg Jamieson and his daughter Olivia.”
The detective extended his right hand to Mr. Jamieson then to Olivia. She looked pale and the hand he held was cold. “You might sit down again Ms. Jamieson.”
“I’m Detective Peter Finley and this is Dr. George Parsons, Larimer County Medical Examiner, Caroline Blanco and Juan Panadero, are two of our Crime Scene techs.”
“Mr. Jamieson,” Detective Finley checked the time on his phone. “I realize the remains you found are not that of a recently deceased however, your call has created a new suspicious-death case, so we’re going to treat the scene as current.”
Greg Jamieson nodded. “I understand, this way then.”
Fifteen feet down the hall the entire group of six crowded between the double French doors of the apartment’s den.
The wall of bookshelves had originally been built in three sections. The far-left section was removed with a two foot by two-foot hole cut into the plaster wall.
Greg Jamieson took a large flashlight from his toolbox then handed it to the detective.
Finley shone the light in through the darkened hole carefully fanning it from left to right then up and down to get a sense of the entire space. It was narrow, no larger than a typical bedroom closet.
He then rested the round band of light on the remains for a full minute. The skeleton was in a sitting position, fully clothed. Though covered in dust the detective could see a double-breasted brown pinstripe suit, complete with brown felt hat and lace up leather shoes.
The style of the skeleton’s brown suit reminded the detective of photographs of his grandfather wearing his good suit. The suit he wore for Sundays, weddings and other special occasions like the christening of Peter’s father, in 1944.
Detective Finley backed away from the opening and passed the flashlight to the M.E.
……………….
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