"The Awol Phone"
"The AWOL Phone"
A Trom Girl Mystery
10/15/2007
I.
As soon as the front door opened at her knock, Megan Salenger held up her leather billfold to reveal her credentials. "Porter Shimkus?" she asked.
"Yes, that's me." He peered past her at the couple standing on his porch. "Claudia? Mel? What's going on here?"
"Mr and Mrs Crosley have hired me to look into the murder of your wife," Megan said. "I am a licensed Private Investigator for the State and City of New York, as you can see. May we come?" She clapped the billfold shut and returned it to the inner breast pocket of her jacket.
"Huh? Oh, sure, sure." Shimkus stepped aside to allow the three entry into the rather cozy and cluttered living room. He was a rather too well fed man in his late fifties, wearing pajama bottoms and a white T-shirt on this Sunday morning. An unfortunately large and tuber-shaped nose did not distract from a pair of sharp analytic eyes.
Moving to flank Megan on either side, Claudia and Mel Crosley regarded Shinkus without warmth. The woman folded her arms and said, "It's been nearly a week and the police have been useless, absolutely useless. Mel and I do NOT intend to let poor Darlene's murder become another cold case that ends up forgotten."
"Oh, I understand that," Shimkus replied. "They've been here a dozen times, looking under every piece of furniture and taking thousands of photos but for what? So I can see why you might bring someone in on this. Although to be honest, Miss Salenger, you look more like a college student than a hard-boiled detective."
"I am twenty-eight, you may see my credentials again if you wish." It was true that the Trom Girl seemed younger than her years. Only five feet three and slim, her narrow inquisitive face under a tousled shock of black hair had the alertness and intensity of youth. She moved across the living room and through the kitchen beyond to gaze out of the back door at a metal drum standing on the lawn.
Porter Shimkus had followed her and saw where she was looking. "I'm not sure what I can tell you that I haven't already told the police a thousand times over. Claudia and Mel can agree with that. Every second of that day, every word we said, every move we made, has been gone over many times."
"Yes. I spent much of yesterday discussing the case with Lt Joseph Montez of Homicide and with your in-laws," Megan said, turning away from the door. "Perhaps everyone would like to be seated. I have some tentative conclusions I wish to share."
Rearranging the scattered SUNDAY TIMES into a rough pile, Shimkus gestured for Mr and Mrs Crosley to take the couch, whil3e he settled into an overstuffed recliner and moved an empty coffee mug out of the way.
Mel Crosley spoke for the first time. "I had heard of Miss Salenger because of her work with the Kenneth Dred Foundation. My law clerk work had made me familiar with their excellent record and with hers. Claudia and I contacted her and she agreed to investigate."
Megan remained standing, moving to the center of the room where she could watch everyone. "Please correct me if my understanding of events is inaccurate. Last Tuesday at four-thirty PM, Mr and Mrs Crosley arrived here to take you and your wife to dinner. Mrs Shimkus was in the house but you were in the back yard burning leaves and stray branches in that barrel."
"Yes. Yes, that's correct. It's quite legal, you know."
"Local ordinances allow the practice between October 1st and March 31st," she replied. "You said your wife should be ready at any second. A loud woman's scream was heard coming from within this house. The three of you ran in to find Darlene Shimkus lying dead at the foot of the stairs right there. A long thin knife had been driven into her heart."
"Oh God. No matter how many times I hear the details, they still hurt," Shimkus moaned.
"Stop pretending!" snapped Claudia. "You two were miserable together. You've hated each other for years. Don't think everyone doesn't know about that bleached blonde slut you've been seeing."
"Well, JoAnna didn't care. All she wanted was reach the end of still another wine bottle as soon as possible. Yes, we fought. Our marriage was a failure. But that doesn't mean I don't have feelings, for God's sake."
Megan interrupted, still restrained and analytical. "The police arrived quickly but made little progress. The cheap unremarkable knife could have purchased in any dollar store. There was almost no blood from the clean insertion, no signs of a struggle. The front door was ajar but no prints were found anywhere."
"So far, you've got everything straight," Shimkus admitted. For ten hours, the police searched the house and made us repeat our stories over and over until it was hard not to scream."
"That's their way of trying to catch you in a detail that doesn't match." Megan glanced over at the rear door again. At one point, Lt Montez said that the burning leaves should not be left unattended. You went outside and placed a metal lid over the barrel to suffocate the fire. Is that right?"
"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I was in a daze at that point, shocked at everything. They had covered Darlene up at the point and EMTs were getting ready to carry her out to an ambulance."
The Trom Girl nodded. "What interests me is that your wife's phone has not been found."
"That again? The cops keep mentioning it. I don't know where she left the damn thing. What difference does a phone going AWOL matter?"
From the couch, Claudia put in, "She never let that phone get out of reach. Between Facebook and Twitter and God knows what else, she was always checking it out."
"I understand that you called your sister at four-ten that day?" asked Megan.
"Yes. We said we were on our way and she said she was working on her hair. That.. that was the last thing my baby sister ever said to me, such a trivial detail to be remembered by."
"As it is now stands, the police are going on the assumption that while you three were i the back yard, an unknown person entered through the front door to kill Darlene Shimkus and immediately run back outside again. None of the neighbors who have been contacted saw any such person on the street at that time."
Shimkus started to get up, but sank back down dejectedly into the chair. "I figure the killer snatched up Darlene's phone but for what reason I can't imagine."
"I agree," Megan said. "The murderer did take her phone. But he did not leave the house."
II.
Seeing from their faces that all three were struggling let that sink in, she continued, "I have advised Lt Montez to request a court order for Mrs Shimkus' phone record. He agrees there is probable cause to justify such an action and expects Judge Walmach to provide the authorization today."
"Miss Salenger, please! Maybe it makes me out to be a bad person but I did snoop through Darlene's phone once in a while. She wasn't seeing anyone. All her social life was online. And her checking up on me was why I started using disposable burner phones."
"I expect to find that the records will show that Mrs Shimkus received a brief call at the exact second you heard the scream, a call she did not answer. And I further think that the incoming call will be pinpointed to this area."
"And where does that get you? Dammit, don't you think the police have considered this? If the killer knew Darlene as he obviously did, getting her number would not be difficult. She gave out all kinds of personal information online."
Turning back to Claudia and Mel, the Trom Girl asked, "You say that Mr Shinkus was outside burning leaves when you arrived and it was several minutes before the scream was heard from inside the house?"
"Yes, yes, what are you leading up to?"
"a clever attempt at using you two as an alibi. Even if her phone was destroyed and is now a melted ruin in that barrel, along with the disposable phone used to call her, records will show that a new ringtone had been downloaded that morning. A skilled technician such as myself should be able to retrieve that ringtone. I expect it to be a recording of a woman's scream."
"Oh, Porter!" wailed Claudia, "How COULD you! You could have got a divorce or a separation or something. You didn't have to kill my baby sister."
"Don't listen to her, she's not making sense...."
"I believe I am," Megan said. "You murdered your wife after she talked to Mrs Crosley at ten minutes after four. You were both careful and lucky not to get any blood on you. Then you hid the phone near the inside of the rear door and added more leaves to the fire. When Mr and Mrs Crosley arrived, you unobtrusively reached into your pocket and hit speed dial to call your wife's phone. Her ringtone was the scream everyone heard."
"This is crazy! Elaborate plans like that don't really happen..." Shimkus began.
"In my experience, they happen all too frequently. When you went outside to cover the barrel, you managed to throw both your wife's phone and your own in there. Since that day, you have had ample time to dispose of that evidence. But even if the physical devices were destroyed, your carrier service still retains the needed information."
"That's all nonsense!" Porter yelled as he shot up to his feet. "It's ridiculous. I want you out of my house right now, I can't deal with this right now."
Megan stood her ground, confident and unruffled. "I believe it will be accepted as evidence in court, Mr Shimkus. My investigation is just beginning and more evidence will certainly be uncovered. I will be glad to testify."
"That's amazing," said Claudia. "To figure this out just like that, well, you must be a genius."
Megan remained completely deadpan. "That is in fact an accurate statement and not a figure of speech."
11/16/2022
A Trom Girl Mystery
10/15/2007
I.
As soon as the front door opened at her knock, Megan Salenger held up her leather billfold to reveal her credentials. "Porter Shimkus?" she asked.
"Yes, that's me." He peered past her at the couple standing on his porch. "Claudia? Mel? What's going on here?"
"Mr and Mrs Crosley have hired me to look into the murder of your wife," Megan said. "I am a licensed Private Investigator for the State and City of New York, as you can see. May we come?" She clapped the billfold shut and returned it to the inner breast pocket of her jacket.
"Huh? Oh, sure, sure." Shimkus stepped aside to allow the three entry into the rather cozy and cluttered living room. He was a rather too well fed man in his late fifties, wearing pajama bottoms and a white T-shirt on this Sunday morning. An unfortunately large and tuber-shaped nose did not distract from a pair of sharp analytic eyes.
Moving to flank Megan on either side, Claudia and Mel Crosley regarded Shinkus without warmth. The woman folded her arms and said, "It's been nearly a week and the police have been useless, absolutely useless. Mel and I do NOT intend to let poor Darlene's murder become another cold case that ends up forgotten."
"Oh, I understand that," Shimkus replied. "They've been here a dozen times, looking under every piece of furniture and taking thousands of photos but for what? So I can see why you might bring someone in on this. Although to be honest, Miss Salenger, you look more like a college student than a hard-boiled detective."
"I am twenty-eight, you may see my credentials again if you wish." It was true that the Trom Girl seemed younger than her years. Only five feet three and slim, her narrow inquisitive face under a tousled shock of black hair had the alertness and intensity of youth. She moved across the living room and through the kitchen beyond to gaze out of the back door at a metal drum standing on the lawn.
Porter Shimkus had followed her and saw where she was looking. "I'm not sure what I can tell you that I haven't already told the police a thousand times over. Claudia and Mel can agree with that. Every second of that day, every word we said, every move we made, has been gone over many times."
"Yes. I spent much of yesterday discussing the case with Lt Joseph Montez of Homicide and with your in-laws," Megan said, turning away from the door. "Perhaps everyone would like to be seated. I have some tentative conclusions I wish to share."
Rearranging the scattered SUNDAY TIMES into a rough pile, Shimkus gestured for Mr and Mrs Crosley to take the couch, whil3e he settled into an overstuffed recliner and moved an empty coffee mug out of the way.
Mel Crosley spoke for the first time. "I had heard of Miss Salenger because of her work with the Kenneth Dred Foundation. My law clerk work had made me familiar with their excellent record and with hers. Claudia and I contacted her and she agreed to investigate."
Megan remained standing, moving to the center of the room where she could watch everyone. "Please correct me if my understanding of events is inaccurate. Last Tuesday at four-thirty PM, Mr and Mrs Crosley arrived here to take you and your wife to dinner. Mrs Shimkus was in the house but you were in the back yard burning leaves and stray branches in that barrel."
"Yes. Yes, that's correct. It's quite legal, you know."
"Local ordinances allow the practice between October 1st and March 31st," she replied. "You said your wife should be ready at any second. A loud woman's scream was heard coming from within this house. The three of you ran in to find Darlene Shimkus lying dead at the foot of the stairs right there. A long thin knife had been driven into her heart."
"Oh God. No matter how many times I hear the details, they still hurt," Shimkus moaned.
"Stop pretending!" snapped Claudia. "You two were miserable together. You've hated each other for years. Don't think everyone doesn't know about that bleached blonde slut you've been seeing."
"Well, JoAnna didn't care. All she wanted was reach the end of still another wine bottle as soon as possible. Yes, we fought. Our marriage was a failure. But that doesn't mean I don't have feelings, for God's sake."
Megan interrupted, still restrained and analytical. "The police arrived quickly but made little progress. The cheap unremarkable knife could have purchased in any dollar store. There was almost no blood from the clean insertion, no signs of a struggle. The front door was ajar but no prints were found anywhere."
"So far, you've got everything straight," Shimkus admitted. For ten hours, the police searched the house and made us repeat our stories over and over until it was hard not to scream."
"That's their way of trying to catch you in a detail that doesn't match." Megan glanced over at the rear door again. At one point, Lt Montez said that the burning leaves should not be left unattended. You went outside and placed a metal lid over the barrel to suffocate the fire. Is that right?"
"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I was in a daze at that point, shocked at everything. They had covered Darlene up at the point and EMTs were getting ready to carry her out to an ambulance."
The Trom Girl nodded. "What interests me is that your wife's phone has not been found."
"That again? The cops keep mentioning it. I don't know where she left the damn thing. What difference does a phone going AWOL matter?"
From the couch, Claudia put in, "She never let that phone get out of reach. Between Facebook and Twitter and God knows what else, she was always checking it out."
"I understand that you called your sister at four-ten that day?" asked Megan.
"Yes. We said we were on our way and she said she was working on her hair. That.. that was the last thing my baby sister ever said to me, such a trivial detail to be remembered by."
"As it is now stands, the police are going on the assumption that while you three were i the back yard, an unknown person entered through the front door to kill Darlene Shimkus and immediately run back outside again. None of the neighbors who have been contacted saw any such person on the street at that time."
Shimkus started to get up, but sank back down dejectedly into the chair. "I figure the killer snatched up Darlene's phone but for what reason I can't imagine."
"I agree," Megan said. "The murderer did take her phone. But he did not leave the house."
II.
Seeing from their faces that all three were struggling let that sink in, she continued, "I have advised Lt Montez to request a court order for Mrs Shimkus' phone record. He agrees there is probable cause to justify such an action and expects Judge Walmach to provide the authorization today."
"Miss Salenger, please! Maybe it makes me out to be a bad person but I did snoop through Darlene's phone once in a while. She wasn't seeing anyone. All her social life was online. And her checking up on me was why I started using disposable burner phones."
"I expect to find that the records will show that Mrs Shimkus received a brief call at the exact second you heard the scream, a call she did not answer. And I further think that the incoming call will be pinpointed to this area."
"And where does that get you? Dammit, don't you think the police have considered this? If the killer knew Darlene as he obviously did, getting her number would not be difficult. She gave out all kinds of personal information online."
Turning back to Claudia and Mel, the Trom Girl asked, "You say that Mr Shinkus was outside burning leaves when you arrived and it was several minutes before the scream was heard from inside the house?"
"Yes, yes, what are you leading up to?"
"a clever attempt at using you two as an alibi. Even if her phone was destroyed and is now a melted ruin in that barrel, along with the disposable phone used to call her, records will show that a new ringtone had been downloaded that morning. A skilled technician such as myself should be able to retrieve that ringtone. I expect it to be a recording of a woman's scream."
"Oh, Porter!" wailed Claudia, "How COULD you! You could have got a divorce or a separation or something. You didn't have to kill my baby sister."
"Don't listen to her, she's not making sense...."
"I believe I am," Megan said. "You murdered your wife after she talked to Mrs Crosley at ten minutes after four. You were both careful and lucky not to get any blood on you. Then you hid the phone near the inside of the rear door and added more leaves to the fire. When Mr and Mrs Crosley arrived, you unobtrusively reached into your pocket and hit speed dial to call your wife's phone. Her ringtone was the scream everyone heard."
"This is crazy! Elaborate plans like that don't really happen..." Shimkus began.
"In my experience, they happen all too frequently. When you went outside to cover the barrel, you managed to throw both your wife's phone and your own in there. Since that day, you have had ample time to dispose of that evidence. But even if the physical devices were destroyed, your carrier service still retains the needed information."
"That's all nonsense!" Porter yelled as he shot up to his feet. "It's ridiculous. I want you out of my house right now, I can't deal with this right now."
Megan stood her ground, confident and unruffled. "I believe it will be accepted as evidence in court, Mr Shimkus. My investigation is just beginning and more evidence will certainly be uncovered. I will be glad to testify."
"That's amazing," said Claudia. "To figure this out just like that, well, you must be a genius."
Megan remained completely deadpan. "That is in fact an accurate statement and not a figure of speech."
11/16/2022