Diamond in the Rough(2)

“I am right here.” Chirped a mousy haired woman who looked to be no more than twenty.

How did she get a job here? She is just a kid! She appeared to be far too excited to be at a murder scene for the detectives taste but he could not control who the lab sent over.

“Please lift prints from the filing cabinet first and then try to pull some from the crystal tumbler. Also, Jones, please make sure that the contents of the coffee pot, the cub and the tumbler to the lab for testing.”

After walking through the remainder of the office building, Brian decided that the scene was contained to the office of Charles Wingate. He waited until the coroner removed the body and ordered the scene to be cleaned up. The employees would be getting there in the next two hours and Detective Brian Russell wanted to be prepared for their arrival.





Chapter Two

Jason Turner lunged across the desk. Detective Brian Russell instinctively placed his hand on his service revolver as he said, “Mr. Turner, I know emotions are running high, but I advise you to sit back down and answer my questions.” Jason slowly lowered himself back onto his chair but perched on the edge as if he were getting ready to spring across again.

“Are you accusing me of something, Detective?” He said as his eyes narrowed to mere slits on his face.

“I am simply trying to get the facts, Mr. Turner,” Russell replied coldly and methodically. A smirk forming at the corners of his mouth.

Sometime during the night, Charles Wingate had been murdered. He was the patriarch and owner of Wingate Drilling and had been found slumped over his desk with a single gunshot wound to his right temple. Once the employees had been let back in, Detective Russell had questioned all except, Jason Turner.

On this particular morning, Jason had been late to work. As the company’s Chief Financial Officer, that would not have normally been an issue, but on this morning it would be catastrophic for the young executive. Jason’s late arrival had drawn suspicion from the detective who was now questioning him with vigor, demanding to have a full accounting for his activities.

Both men stared each other down as though they were wild animals ready to fight. The detective’s eyes narrowed and one fist was clenched by his side while the other hand rested at the ready on his revolver. Jason remained ready to pounce and so combative that he had almost bit a whole in his lip. The two seemed to be natural enemies from the start. There was an animosity that was pretty apparent, as it shimmered through the air, and the room vibrated with energy.

“How did you begin working for Mr. Wingate?” Russell growled.

Jason thought for a moment and replied, “I was a floor hand on one of Mr. Wingate’s rigs when I was seventeen. He saw more in me than I did in myself and he took me under his wing. As I moved up in the company, we grew close to each other, and he soon felt that he needed me to work in the office the rest is history.”

“Do you know of anyone who would have wanted to hurt Mr. Wingate?” asked Russell.

“No,” Jason replied as he balled his hands in a fist so hard that his knuckles turned white.

“Mr. Turner, this is off the record, but I can tell that you want to hit me. Your fists are balled up in plain view. Anytime you feel like getting that out of your system, please let me know. I would be more than happy to oblige you. Punks like you make my job fulfilling and keeps me on my toes.”

“Where were you last night between one and three a.m.?” Jason’s expression grew angry again. Detective Russell sensed that he had struck a nerve.

“Mr. Turner, I will ask you again where you were.”

“I was home alone, asleep,” Jason stated.

After a moment to absorb the information, Detective Russell decided to let Jason be for now and ended the interview.

“If you can think of anything that may help us, please call me. My number is on the business card that I left with your assistant.” Brian Russell was in no mood for games. He rarely had time for foolish antics but today he was especially touchy.

“Also, do not leave town. I may have more questions for you.”

Brian was about to leave when he turned and asked, “By the way, we are trying to locate Mr. Wingate’s next of kin. Can you help us with that?”

Jason eyed the detective for a moment “No. Charles did not have any family. His parents died years ago and he was an only child.”

“Then, he never married nor had any children?” Detective Russell questioned.

“No. Not to my knowledge.” Jason added after thinking for a second.

With that, Detective Russell left. He had gotten nowhere. No one knew or saw anything; at least, nobody was telling him anything. This was the part of the job that he liked the most. He could sense that there was something that he was missing. He would figure it out. He always did.