Chapter 6 -- Death in the Desert
Steve, Paul and Sarah had begun to spend more and more time with us at our place. Ellen often had her man stay overnight and we all decided it was better if the kids spent more time with Rick and I. There were three bedrooms in the back, but only two of them furnished. So, we had bought a bed and a dresser and fixed it nicely for Sarah, so all three of them had their own rooms. I was becoming quite the `family man;, and enjoying it. It was late evening, the kids were in bed and Rick and I were snuggled up next to each other watching YouTube, when I caught the unmistakable sight of red and blue flashing lights coming up the driveway. "Holy shit!" I said loudly as I stood up. "It's police, coming up the driveway!". Rick stood up. "Yeah, it looks like two vehicles! What do we do?" "Well, we're going to turn on the front porch light and go out to meet them". "But we just smoked some pot, they'll smell it!". I gave him an exasperated look. "It's legal, it's not a problem". "Oh, right. After so many years of having to sneak around with it it's easy to forget it's finally legal now".
We walked to the front door. I turned on the front porch light, opened the door, and we stepped out onto the front porch. "Spread your arms out a bit, your hands and fingers outstretched". "Huh?" "So it's obvious that we're not armed and pose no threat to them". "Oh, right". Two officers appeared in the light, they were sheriff's deputies. One had his hand on his holster. "Good evening, officers" I greeted them. "What can we do for you?". "We're looking for a Rick Richardson". "That's me" Rick spoke up. "I'm Rick Richardson". "And my name is David Parsons" I volunteered. "I own this property. Rick lives here with me". The deputy nodded. "Mr. Richardson, when was the last time you saw your wife, Ellen Richardson?" "Whaat?" Rick stammered. "Um, around 4 o'clock this afternoon. I stopped by to pick up our kids". "Ah, your children are here with you?" "Yes, they're asleep, in the back bedrooms". Rick nodded in that direction. I spoke up. "Um, officers? Would you like to come inside to discuss the reason for your visit?" "You're inviting us into your home, of your own free will?" "Of course. Any law enforcement is always welcome in my home at any time". "Thank you, we appreciate that".
We sat down at the dining table, one officer took a seat while the other remained standing. "I'm officer Rodriguez, and this is officer Kelly". We both nodded our heads in greeting. "So, you say that your children are here with you?" "Yes, they're asleep in their bedrooms down the hall". The standing officer began to walk down that way. "Please don't waken them, they have school tomorrow!" Rick pleaded. "I'll just crack the door open, sir, and verify that they're here, and safe". "What's this all about, officer?" I questioned. He ignored me, and brought a small black electronic device out from one his pockets and placed it on the table. "I'm going to record our interview, if you have no objection". We both nodded our consent; he switched the device on. "So, Mr. Richardson, you state the last time you saw your wife was around 4 o'clock this afternoon?" "Yes". "And can you describe her physical appearance at that time?" Rick shrugged his shoulders. "She looked the same way she's always looked". "She had no injuries?". Rick shook his head. "Did she appear upset or distraught over anything?" "No". "And can you verify you whereabouts since you last you last saw her?". "I brought the kids here, and we've been here the entire time". "I came home around 5 o'clock" I volunteered. Rick, the kids and I have been here the entire time". The other officer returned and nodded to the other officer, indicating the children were there, asleep and safe. "Mr. Richardson, I'm afraid there's no easy way to tell you this, but your wife has been murdered". "Oh my God! Oh my God. "What happened?'
"We responded to a noise complaint at your home. The caller identified themselves as a neighbor. They believed a domestic disturbance was occurring, they said they heard very loud shouting and yelling, and then screaming. When we responded no one would answer the front door. Officer Kelly here went around to the rear of the house and found the back door open. We found your wife dead on the living room. She had obvious signs of significant head trauma, and other injuries. Frankly, there was quite a bit of blood. Your wife's body has been taken to the county morgue, for a post-mortem by the Coroner's office. There was no one else in the house". I put my arm around Rick, pulled him to me and hugged him. "The kids are going to be devastated. Just devastated" Rick sighed. "Um, Mr. Richardson? Do you have any idea who might have done this?" Rick shook his head. "We've been separated for several months, living apart. I've been living here, she's been living at our house. We filed for divorce a couple weeks ago, I haven't heard anything back yet. My attorney says it can take several weeks to be finalized". "And do you know the date you filed for divorce?" "Hmmm, I think it was March 7th. Dave, wasn't it March 7 when we stopped by and picked up the rest of my things, and Ellen signed the papers?" I nodded. "I dropped them off at my attorney the next day" Rick told him. "And you have joint custody of your children?" "Why no. Actually, I gave Ellen sole custody. I figured that would be easier than arguing who gets who on which day". Officer Rodriguez nodded. "Is that important?" Rick questioned. "It might be, but probably not. If your divorce isn't finalized yet it will be denied -- you can't divorce someone who is deceased". "Oh, right".
"So, you don't have any idea who might have done this?" Rick shook his head. "Please speak your response, so it can be recorded". "No' I have no idea who might have done this". "Do you know anything about anyone your wife might have been seeing?" "Well, I heard one name bantered around. But my boy Steve is 17, a senior in high school. He usually know more about what is going on in my life and Ellen's". The officer glanced at his wristwatch. "It's only 10 o'clock. I'm thinking you'll probably want to keep your kids home from school at least for tomorrow to deal with your grief. May we talk to all three of your children?" "Only Steve," Rick insisted, "he'll know the most about who Ellen was seeing. Paul is only 13, and Sarah is 12. I want them to have a good night's sleep, and we'll deal with this in the morning. If they know anything more than Steve about who Ellen might have been seeing, or who was coming to the house I'll call you". The officer took a business card out of his pocket. "Here's my card, call me if you learn anything more, anything at all". "Would you like my cell number?" The officer took a notepad out of his pocket and wrote it down. Rick stood up. "I'll go get Steve".
Rick led Steve out from the bedroom. He was dressed only in shorts, and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He stiffen to attention when he saw the sheriff's deputies. "What's going on?" Rick put his arms around him. "Someone brutally attacked your mother tonight. I'm afraid she's gone". "Mom's dead?" he said in disbelief. "Yes". Rick told him what the officers had told him. "The officers here would like to ask you a few questions about who your mother might have been seeing." "Um, Ok". "Take a seat, please" Officer Rodriguez directed. "Now, Steve -- do you know who your mother was expecting to have over this evening?" Steve shrugged. "Probably this guy Carl". "No `probably' please, only state what you only know for a fact. Did your mother tell you who she was expecting over?" "No". "Did you see anyone?" "No. We left the house around 4. Mom was fixing dinner, so she probably was expecting him around 6. But mom has pretty much just been only seeing this guy Carl since she and dad split up. And that was her routine, get dad to pick us kids up, fix dinner for him, and then make whoppee, I guess". "Ok, Carl? What is his last name?" Steve shrugged. "Don't know. Big, burly guy who works at the hardware store". "Ah, Carl Vanderyackt?" "Don't know for certain. But if he's a big burly guy who works at the hardware store and if his first name is Carl, that's your guy". "We know of him. He's had a run in or two with the law before. Anyone else? Anyone hold a grudge against your mother?" "No. Mom didn't have a lot of friends. She did belong to a bridge club with this bunch of ladies. They'd take turns playing bridge at each other houses and gossip about folks. Who was cheating on who, that sort of thing". "Any names?" "Um, Mrs. Rutgers was one of them. And Mrs. Elliot, I remember".
The officer stood up. "Well, I believe that does it for now". "Um, can we go to the house tomorrow?" I asked. "Well, it's cordoned off as an active crime scene. Why would you want to go there?" "The kids were expecting to just be here tonight. They will be staying here with us from now on. We need to go get their clothes and anything else they need". "Ah yes, of course. I'll let the officer on duty know to expect you". "And one more thing? The actual place where Ellen was killed, the blood on the floor. Can that be covered up with a tarp or something? I don't want the children to see anything that will upset them". "Of course, I'll let them know. And Mr. Richardson? If you could check around while you're there, and see if you see anything missing? It certainly doesn't appear to be burglary, just an argument that got out of hand. But best if you check to make certain". Rick nodded.
After the deputies left the three of us sat there, no one saying anything to anyone. "I can't believe mom is gone" Steve finally said. "Life can be so crazy. One minute someone is in your life, always has been a part of life, and the next minute they're gone, gone forever". "Well, sometimes it's better when it happens quickly. Think about those people with Covid being on a ventilator for months keeping them alive, but unconscious and unable to speak. Their loved ones visiting them, wondering if they'll ever get to hear their voice again, or see them smile. Sometimes quick is just better, for everyone". Steve sighed "I just hope mom didn't suffer before she died". Rick got up. "I need a really good stiff drink. Anybody else up for one?" "Count me in" I quickly agreed. "Can I have a drink too, dad? Steve asked. "I'd like to get comfortably numb, so I can go back to sleep. And hopefully when I wake up in the morning this will all just have been just a bad dream". Rick brought us three tumblers and a bottle of Jose Cuervo. He poured a hefty shot in each glass. Steve quickly reached for his, and downed it in one gulp. "Oh God!" he gasped, "that is really nasty stuff! How do you stand it?" "Rick!" I admonished, "we got to do this properly. I went into the kitchen, quickly assembled the ingredients, and came back with a bowl of sliced limes and a box of Morton's salt. "Now, Steve, watch. You squeeze just a bit of lime juice on top of your wrist like this, so the salt sticks. Then you pour a nice line of salt, like this. Then you Lick, Shoot, Suck. Lick the line of salt, down the shot, and suck on the lime". Rick and Steve prepared their lines of salt, and got their limes handy. I gritted my teeth. But it was the right thing to do for Rick, but especially for Steve, who just lost his mother. "Now, I propose a toast: To Ellen Richardson, fare thee well, may she be at rest, in peace. Salud!" We licked the salt, downed our shots, and sucked on a lime in unison. "Oh yeah, that's not nearly so bad" Steve admitted. Several shots later we were all feeling better, like the end of the world had not crashed on top of us. "Ok, let's not get too wasted, we got a lot to do tomorrow, we got to go get your stuff and get you set up here, this is your home now. Our home".
Normally we got the kids up at 6.00am to get them ready for school, but we let them sleep in. Paul wandered out first. "What the hell? It's 7.30, I'll be late for school. "No school today" Rick announced. "Snow day". "Snow day? It's late April!, and it's sunny and bright out". Then he looked at our stony expressions. "Ok, what's up?" Rick told him what had happened. Paul was very stoic, not letting us see his feelings. He ate a bowl of cereal silently, and then went back to his room. Rick went to wake Sarah, but cracked the door open to check on Paul. He was bawling his eyes out. "Good" Rick nodded, "let it out, let it out". Sarah took it the hardest, crying without end. She refused to eat, saying she wasn't hungry. Steve staggered out last. "Oh crap" he said when he saw us. "It wasn't just a bad dream. And geez, I feel like crap this morning". I chuckled. "Welcome to what's called a hangover. You don't have much tolerance for alcohol yet, but you soon learn how much you can handle without feeling like crap the next morning.
A hangover is rarely worth the couple hours of feeling happy. Try some coffee, that usually helps".
We left for the house mid-morning to gather the kids' belongings, we took both Rick's and my pickup to have plenty of room for their things. The kids busily packed up their things while Rick checked around. "Yeah, there are a couple things missing" Rick told me. "On that shelf there, Ellen had a really nice fruit bowl and tray. It was pure sterling silver, with a frilly lace border on the edge. She treasured it, it was her grandmother's, and probably worth a chuck of change. And in her room her gold necklace and big diamond ring are gone, they were her mother's". I nodded. "Whoever did this to her probably looked around real quick for anything of value worth grabbing, to take to Tucson and dump it at pawn shop for cash". We loaded up all the things the children wanted and headed home.
Rick was outside loading up a box when the sheriff's deputy SUV pulled up the driveway. He waited as officer Rodriguez got out and walked up. "Hi, what's up?" "Well, we interviewed Carl Vanderyackt. He denies ever being at your house last night, he says he was over at a friend's house, drinking. He gave us the name and we questioned him; he collaborates Vanderyackt's story. I don't believe either one of them, but with a collaborated alibi, there's not much else we can do at this point". Rick nodded. "And, Mr. Richardson . . .". "Can you please just call me Rick?" Rick interrupted. Officer Rodriguez smiled. "Sure, Rick. And my name is Alex. So look, Rick -- watch out for that bunch. They're a far-right extremist group. They call themselves `God's Patriots', there's at least a dozen or so of them around here, and you don't want to get on the wrong side of them. They don't like any people of color, including Hispanics like me. They hate Jews, liberals -- anyone that doesn't look like them, and think like them. And they have a helluva lot of guns. That guy who collaborated Vanderyackt's alibi? We responded to a domestic dispute call at his place last year. We got him for an unregistered Glock semi-automatic handgun. He hates my guts, that's what makes me think he'd say anything to back up his buddy. When I busted him for the unregistered gun? He called me a dirty effing Mexican, and I should go back to Mexico. My family has been here over a hundred years before Arizona ever became a state. Anyway, Vanderyackt probably figures it was you who gave us his name. So, avoid any contact with him and stay out of his way". Rick nodded. "Oh, and Rick? The preliminary autopsy report came back. The head trauma was apparently caused by Ellen hitting her head on the edge of a coffee table when she fell. That might have led to death eventually, and it knocked her unconscious. But she also had several broken ribs. One of the broken ribs punctured her lung. That was the actual cause of death, she drowned in her own blood".
Rick nodded. "Well, at least she didn't feel anything after she hit her head. Oh, and there were some things missing from the house -- a silver bowl and some jewelry. I filed the report with the officer who was on duty. So, Alex, anything else?" "Well, Vanderyackt accuses you of killing your wife. He claims she told him you used to beat her regularly". Rick shook his head. "I would never raise my hand to Ellen, or any other woman. If you talk to my kids they can verify that". Officer Rodriguez nodded. "I'm sure of that". Rick sighed. "When Ellen got into one of her foul moods she had at least twenty different ways of telling you that how worthless a piece of shit you were, not worthy of being in her presence. When she would start in on one of those tantrums I'd just walk away, usually walk down to Joe's tavern and have a beer or two. Whoever did that to her didn't know enough to just walk away". Officer Rodriguez nodded. "Well, that's all I have for now. Take care, Rick. And watch your back".