He exhaled, “Man, there is nothing like a decent cup of coffee.” Kellen said as he sipped his second cup.
“Guess you don’t have that when you’re forced to make your own.” Andy jested.
“Okay back to the drawing board, none of your notes are included in the file or in the paperwork?”
“Not unless they supported his version of the story. Look at this, here are copies of my notes included in the paperwork package, there are even numbered pages missing…”
“But there’s nothing other than good guesses that link him to Blue Richards or Ian Justyn or give any other reason why he’d be so anxious to close a case that he’d leave out details that would keep it open.”
“None.”
Kellen shifted through a few things. “Okay let’s go back to basics…next of kin?”
“Girlfriend, Ella Myerson, shared an apartment on Fifth and Greene.”
“Anyone speak with her?”
“Balouche and I. Seemed pretty shocked and afraid…I think she knows more than she let on.”
“Follow up?”
“None. Peyton didn’t see the need. I’ve slipped over twice myself. She’s gone… clothes…the whole thing. Didn’t even claim the body.”
“Lends itself to knows more than letting on, but still nothing concrete…wait a minute, how did you get the address and next of kin?”
Andy sat back in the chair, “I just assumed Balouche fished it out of the wallet…”
“And the wallet would be…?”
“No where to be found.” Andy sipped his coffee and thought a moment. “I guess that someone from the scene could have told him, didn’t the girlfriend work with Ian?”
Kellen nodded. “But I’m the only one who was conscious who knew that connection and I didn’t say anything. At that time I just assumed that Blue had a wallet on him or one close by. From the time Blue and Ella arrived, they pretty much went their separate ways. I never saw them together once.”
“And we never found any personal effects, although we assume that the socks and shoes he was wearing were his, everything else had been taken from Justyn’s closet. Sweats, shirt and ski mask all had Justyn’s name written with a laundry marker on the tag. Wasn’t wearing underwear.”
“It’s like he showed up naked…and he didn’t. I answered the door when he arrived. He was wearing khaki shorts and a blue button up. Of course the next time I saw him he was naked…in the Shores pool. That’s the last time I saw him…”
“What about her?”
“Sitting around with others while Ian had the power pow wow, haven’t seen her since then. How did you get to her apartment?”
“Balouche…said let’s go talk to next of kin, he drove, we arrived…”
“There’s your connection, Balouche had been there before…”
“But why?”
“Still a mystery…Richards worked as a bartender, but at a trendy night club, if Balouche had ever been there I’d have known about it.”
“I’ve never been there either, but I swear I’ve seen him somewhere before…just can’t put my finger on it though…”
“When you remember it may be nothing….”
Andy looked down at his feet. “I need to ask a personal question….”
“Shoot...”
“You and Balouche…from what you said at the station, you guys had a personal relationship that went sour?”
Kellen laughed. “Sorry, but that’s putting it mildly. Let’s say our wives had a very close relationship for a little over a year. Our wives are still a couple…”
“Is it possible that Balouche has been stalking you?”
“Very doubtful…”
“Why?”
“Because my dog hates his guts. Growls and tries to bite him anytime he’s near. I can pretty much guarantee you that if his car pulled up in the driveway, Ralphie would start foaming at the mouth…”
“Thought maybe he’d been caught by Blue watching you when he was watching Ian…”
“We still don’t even know that for sure. Were DNA tests done on the semen?”
“Never saw any reports, in fact, never saw the area, was just told about it and saw it written in the report…”
“Could be as bogus as the report then…”
“Could be…”
“I’ve got to get to the hospital. My turn to stand guard….”
“You’re with me on this then…”
“Absolutely. Let’s keep quietly digging on our own. We’ll meet up on the sly and exchange notes and theories. Maybe together we can figure this out quickly.
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