Chapter Twenty-Six
The phone call Detective Sloan had made to Seth Crawford’s office had the desired effect, and he was soon put on the schedule to meet in person at the Crawford residence. On the drive there, Sloan thought much about the scenery and wondered about the sorts of secrets that are kept behind closed doors inside the large villas lined up along the bay.
There is something about access to a water body that draws the ultra-wealthy. He couldn’t see himself living that close to the water. Although he never articulated his reasoning out in the open, he would admit it was the perfect avoidance strategy to keep himself from envying the ultra-rich.
“Welcome, Mr. Sloan. Mr. Crawford will see you in the reading room,” the butler announced welcoming him into the house. The high ceiling and large chandelier hanging in the middle with curving staircases leading to the upper floors caught his attention. Everything spoke of wealth and immaculate taste.
Sloan was led through the side door into a spacious and airy room surrounded by bookshelves all around. Seth Crawford was seated by the window reading the latest issue of Boston Globe.
After exchanging pleasantries and declining the offer for drinks, Sloan went directly into the business at hand. He had thought about this part carefully. To get the maximum benefit out of the situation, he realized his best strategy is to shock with the news of the family connection and then sweep in to provide an opportunity for exacting revenge.
The situation played out exactly as he planned. Seth Crawford watched the detective clinically describe the details of the DNA evidence with an ashen face. His paternal hunch had given him cause for suspicion before, and the fierce anger of not acting on his intuition was killing him.
“I knew it! I knew it!” Seth Crawford screamed. At that moment, he had no worry or concern about the impact his confession might have on the case the detective was trying to build.
“I am so sorry, Mr. Crawford. This is the most troubling news imaginable. Would you elaborate more on what you know?”
“I can’t do that now. I will kill that son of a bitch! He destroyed my child. He will pay for it!”
“Sir, I would strongly urge you not to take matters in your own hands. Let’s handle it.”
“It’s all Linda’s fault! I knew he was a predator from early on. There was some aura about him I was uncomfortable with.”
“Linda, your wife?”
“Yes, of course. My own wife had brought this evil man into our lives, and he had bewitched my daughter from the get go with all his artistic and bohemian ways. I bet that it is him. Oh god!”
Seth Crawford was so worked up with rage that the meeting couldn’t proceed in the orderly manner that Sloan anticipated. This was certainly more cooperation than he expected. He was pleased the case was going to be uncomplicated and with the cooperation of the family, he could soon close on who the perpetrator of the crime is.
Sloan’s confidence level was so high that he went directly to the Newton address after getting assurance from Seth that he wouldn’t act on his rage. He was welcomed with the hollowed echoes of his knock at the door. There was no one to ask his inquiries at the house of Bernie Lindberg. Calls to the phone numbers he received from Seth went unanswered. On the testimony of Seth Crawford, Sloan imagined he had sufficient probable cause to get a subpoena to inspect the house. Casing around the neighborhood, he couldn’t see or find a single soul. It was quieter than a cemetery.
As soon as Sloan left the house, Seth had called Linda to rant about the DNA evidence.
“Are you happy now? It is not enough that you destroy my life and take so much away from me. You couldn’t let my daughter grow in peace, could you? She had to be destroyed, too.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Bernie. Who else? The detective was just here telling me in gruesome detail about the DNA evidence. How my daughter was carrying the shameful fetus of the same man who had destroyed her…”
“You are not making sense, Seth. Bernie isn’t here. He went to Europe many days ago.”
“It has to be him. No one else would do such a thing. You thought he would be a mentor and good influence. Guess what, he took your bait and destroyed my daughter.”
“She is my daughter, too. Don’t talk to me like that! What evidence is there to incriminate Bernie? Or, is it still about your wild and crazy hunches?”
“Can’t talk to you like this. I will kill him. Just know this. I will kill him. I can’t live my life knowing he is roaming around freely destroying the lives of other innocent girls.”
“Seth, watch your mouth. Don’t do anything stupid now.”
Seth had put down the phone and immediately called in his private security adviser to find Bernie Lindberg as soon as possible. The adviser took background information on the case and put down the phone to start a worldwide manhunt for a target number one. Only after ending the call with the adviser did Seth remember what Linda had said. That Bernie was away in Europe… How could that be? In his confused state of being, he ran around the reading room aimlessly. He hadn’t slept in many days, and with the burial ceremony coming up there was no chance he would be able to rest without finding the killer of his daughter.
Hundreds of miles away, Senator McKenzie increased the volume on the TV screen in his office. Nancy Smith had started with the lead of the day.
“In the interest of informing the public and protecting the public good, we bring you two news stories today. Before we do so, we assure you we have approached these topics with the utmost integrity. It is not every day that we come across something as impactful as what I am about to tell you.
Story one, a trusted source has informed our news report that a tell-all book is in the works covering the inner workings of government. We will have details on that story in the next segment.
For now, I should warn you to keep your children away due to the sensitive nature of what I am about to reveal. It is with a grave heart that we share the news of the suspected murder of a young girl of twenty years. We have come to know the family of the Crawfords through their successful business enterprises. Our condolences for the loss of this pretty young lady. Today and in the coming days we will give you a behind the scene access to our reporting as we seek justice and reveal some of the unsavory cultures dominating institutions of higher learning.”
That newscast would immediately kick off speculations about what the tell-all book might be about. In the hours and days that followed, the entire political establishment would be transfixed by the piecemeal revelation of the dirty secrets of power. Alex followed the proceedings with nervousness, concerned that he might have unleashed a beast he could no longer control.
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