Chapter Twenty-Eight - Asako Kato
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Asako Kato
ASAKO PEERED AROUND the crowd that had formed at the base of the bell tower. She couldn’t see much, she was blocked by the yellow tape that cordoned off the base of the tower, several uniformed officers stood nearby, their radios squawking occasionally. Something big happened, but what? Irritation flurried in Asako’s chest.
She pushed her way through the throng of onlookers, finally spotting Detective Janine Farmer near the end of the cordon, a small notepad in her hand speaking to a group of officers all wearing Denver Police Department coats. She looked grim, her demeanor sharper than usual. Asako tried to lip-read the detectives whispered conversations. She pushed herself to the front of the crowd the tape grazing her chest.
“Detective Farmer!” she called, her voice sliced through the murmurs of the crowd of concerned students. Farmer did not seem to notice Asako, or she was ignoring her altogether. Asako was not deterred.
“What happened? Is this about the missing girl?” She said, her voice raising.
She heard students begin chattering in low whispers.
Farmer turned, her eyes narrowing on Asako. “Kato, not now,”
“The people have a right to know!” Asako pressed, she pulled out her phone clicking the voice record feature, “Was she found? Is it Naomi Halston?”
Farmer sighed and uttered something to a uniformed officer who nodded. She stepped towards Asako, “Ok, Kato. Do you want to play in the big leagues? Follow me,” Farmer said, raising the yellow tape up.
Students stepped away, parting behind Asako.
“You’re not gonna like what you’re gonna see, but since you want to so bad. I’m going to show you.”
Up close, Farmer looked tired, as she tilted her head in the direction of the commotion. Asako took no time, she stepped under the yellow tape and followed Farmer.
Asako was scribbling furiously on her notepad and trailing beside Farmer, “What happened?”
“You’ll see,” Farmer said, “Just this way.”
Asako and Farmer walked through the gaggle of officers, EMT, and forensic technicians, Asako’s boots clacked as they walked off the pavement that circled the Spire and onto the hardened ground into a small wooded area that encircled the Spire. A narrow dirt path meandered through the trees, flanked by tangled underbrush and shrubbery. A small canopy of towering maples and pines formed around the base of the Spire. Soon they came upon a large blue tarp.
“Brace yourself,” Farmer said, crouching down beside the blue tarp. She pulled back to reveal Naomi Halston’s lifeless body. Her blond hair was dirty, her face was colorless, and her lips cracked from the harsh dry cold air.
Asako put her hand over her mouth in horror, “Oh my God. What happened?”
Farmer pulled the tarp back over Halston’s face, “We’re calling it a suicide. She jumped from the top of the Spire. ” She said, pointing directly up. The Spire soared dozens of feet in the air, the pink-purple dusk sky behind it.
“How? What? I don’t understand.” Asako said, struggling to put words together.
She’s been out here for a few days, hidden under the canopy of trees. The groundskeeper found her and reported it just a bit ago.
Asako looked dubious, as she wrestled with the oily feeling in her stomach, “How has she been out here all this time and no one has reported the body? Students walk these trails every day.”
“Good question,” Farmer said. “But, it doesn’t matter, the university considers the matter of Naomi Halston closed.”
Asako looked at her incredulously, “You’re kidding me. There’s not gonna be an investigation?”
Farmer shrugged and crossed her arms.
“Detective Farmer, this can’t be it. She’s been missing for weeks. Last seen with Dr. Richard Bellamy who is now under investigation by the university and you’re telling me this whole thing is being ruled a ‘suicide?’ This is such an obvious cover-up!”
Farmer’s expression hardened, “Kato, don’t start with the conspiracy theories. We will notify Ms. Halston’s next of kin. The case is closed.”
Her tone of finality ripped the wind from Asako’s sails. Grinding her teeth, Asako stepped closer, lowering her voice, “Is it? Or is that just what your bosses want you to say? A student’s death tied to the bell tower, body found on campus, a noted professor under investigation. This kind of press will tank the university’s reputation. Donors would bail faster than the crew on the Titanic.”
Farmer’s lips thinned, her eyes darting briefly toward the gathering students, local news stations were setting up vans just out of view of the crime scene.
“Listen,” Farmer said, her tone low and warning, “I got a job to do, kids to feed, so my hands are tied. But, if you want to chase this story and take on the ‘powers that be’ then fine. I’m getting pressure to close this case up with a tidy bow. The university president is pushing hard for us to clean this up quietly. Turns out the Denver PD’s commissioner is buddy-buddy with the university president and they’re not pushing a deeper investigation.”
Asako’s heart raced, “Okay, but unofficially? What do you think, detective? This is a girl’s life. She was a foster kid, she had no one.”
Farmer exhaled sharply, then pulled a small notepad from her pocket and scribbled something down. She tore the page off and handed it to Asako.
“Sil Clearwater. I gave you the name, but I take it you weren’t able to find much on her?” Farmer said holding the paper to her chest.
Asako nodded, “She’s basically a ghost.”
“Yeah, that’s because she’s doing some private work for some powerful people who don’t want her to be found. I was able to find some information on her, but that took some digging. Rumor was she helped government agencies find kids to do some wild experiments on. She won’t return my phone calls, but maybe you’ll have better luck. Even went to her house, but no one was home. This is the last bone I’m throwing you, you got me, Kato?” She finished handing Asako the note.
Taking the note, Asako’s eyes widened, as she stared at the name and contact information. “Thank you, Detective. I owe you one.”
Farmer smirked humorlessly. “You owe me nothing because this does not tie back to me. Got it?”
Asako nodded and made a beeline out of the clearing. The face of Naomi Halston still lingering in her mind. Sil Clearwater had to tie all of this together, she just had to. She might not talk to Detective Farmer, but Asako had one card left to play, she felt cheap even considering it, but if she wanted to get Naomi Halston justice and find out what happened to her sister, Izumi.
She was going to play it.