Chapter 8

Moses was already at his desk when Chip came into the squad room with coffee obviously not from the pot in the coffee room. He waited until Chip had gotten settled at his desk and brought out the case files on the hanging man. Then, "I see we have floating red pubic hairs again this morning."

"Yes, we do. And hopefully they will be floating on my body tonight if we can wrap up this damn case. I've got all my notes and I'm ready when ever you are."

"O.K. what have we got. One we have a mutilated body whose missing cock and balls get thrown onto the porch of one of the prime suspects."

"So she says. If you wanted to divert attention from yourself it would be a good thing to do. And who else would have motive for this kind of crime. Normally you just shoot the asshole and be done with it. And where the hell is Helen?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. We have the pulley and the knots that point to someone who knows something about ships and the sea. The uniforms could find nothing at the scene and no one they questioned heard or saw anything. Kane's job was no help nor were the people at the apartment complex where he lived."

"He was supposed to register as a sex offender but there is no record that he ever did but I don't see that that helps either way. The time of death doesn't point anywhere without a suspect with no alibi for that time. Where the hell is Helen? By now she could have an alibi even if she were eye balled killing the president. And what about the brother?"

"The brothers ship sailed at midnight on the night of the murder but we can't nail down what time he got there. Lots of people say they saw him they just don't remember what time it was. They are used to seeing him so with nothing special when has no meaning for them."

"We know the sisters and Helen and Hank Jr. had motive. Did they have opportunity? I say yes. Helen could have slipped in and out of town. The sisters alibi each other which isn't very strong. Hank, Jr. had plenty of time to do the deed and get to his ship. The only in that group with an alibi is Elsa who the neighbors saw and heard with her kids that night. Maybe the other four did it together. Although I don't put Hank, Jr. cutting his cock and balls off. I would think that would be especially hard for a man to do. Hazel has the razor. Mrs. Thurston was as close to Helen as a mother and I think would do most anything for her. And don't forget the rohypnol which was also used on Helen.

"But why cut off his cock and balls," asked Guinea who had been listening to the discussion. "And what about his recently having sex I heard you'll talking about. You think Helen fucked him then denutted him. I can't see it."

"Neither can I but I can see the aunt having sex with him to set him up for the kill. He didn't know her unless some way he connected them in court and that's been five years ago. And the cutting makes more sense for one of them to do it than a stranger or some one he screwed that night."

"Unless he raped them and then they got the drop on him afterwards" Moses interposed. "Maybe he used a scalpel to threaten them. But why would a stranger throw the baggy on Helen's porch. And how would she know the contents belonged to Kane."

"Look we have motive. We have opportunity. And with the razor we have means. This was not something that just happened it was very well planned and executed," said Chip.

"Yea, but what we don't have is enough evidence to charge Helen or any of her relatives."

"And what you no longer have is a theory," said Jap from across the room. "I just took a call from a uniform and there's another one hanging over on Dockside.