25
D etective Martin returned to the station after his lunch break to the sound of his desk phone ringing. He hurried to pick it up before it went to voicemail.
“Hello,” he answered.
The receptionist from the front desk was on the line. “I have a caller who wants to report a possible missing person. He’s requesting a wellness check.”
Martin sighed, slightly annoyed. “Okay,” he said. “Assign it to one of the rookies.”
“I was going to,” the receptionist replied, “but when the caller gave me the person’s name, I thought you might want to handle it yourself.”
“Who’s it for?”
“Maggie Culliver.”
“Put the call through,” Detective Martin said.
The receptionist put the call through, “Hudson County Police Department, Detective Martin speaking.”
“Hello, my name is Dr. Samuel Lucas from the Hudson County Health Clinic. I’m calling regarding one of our employees, Maggie Culliver. She hasn’t shown up for work, and no one has seen or heard from her in three days. This is highly unusual for her, as she’s never missed a day without calling. I’m becoming quite concerned and was hoping someone could conduct a wellness check on her.”
“Thank you for contacting us, Dr. Lucas. I will conduct a wellness check on her residence today and let you know of any findings. If you receive any updates about her whereabouts in the meantime, please notify us immediately.”
“I will, thank you.”
“Goodbye.”
“Wait, don’t you need her address?”
“We’ve got it,” Detective Martin said, placing the receiver back on its base.
Detective Johnson, seated at the desk across from Martin, overheard the conversation and raised an eyebrow. “You’re doing a wellness check?”
“It’s for Maggie Culliver,” Martin replied.
Johnson’s eyes widened. “Don’t you believe she’s on the run?”
Martin nodded. “I do. Maybe a clue in her house can tell us where she went.”
Johnson stood up, grabbing his jacket. “Can I come with you?”
“Sure,” Martin said, heading towards the door. “Let’s go.”
In no time at all, Detective Martin and Detective Johnson arrived at Maggie’s apartment and knocked loudly on the door.
“Maggie, it’s Detective Martin from the Hudson County Police Department,” he called out. “We’re here to conduct a wellness check. Is anyone home?”
After receiving no response, Martin said, “We’re concerned for your safety. If you can hear us, please respond.”
Receiving no answer, Martin reached for the doorknob and slowly turned it. The door was unlocked. He carefully pushed it open and stepped inside.
“Maggie are you here?” he called out, his voice echoing through the silent apartment.
The detectives had barely entered the apartment when they spotted Maggie sprawled on the living room floor. Staring down at her, Martin noticed her face was gray, and her lips were purple—clear signs of a lifeless body. Nonetheless, he felt for a pulse. Finding none, he looked up at Johnson and shook his head somberly.
After contacting the paramedics, the coroner, and the crime scene lab, Detective Martin stood over the body, carefully assessing the scene. A woman’s scarf was tightly wrapped around Maggie’s neck, and there were no visible bullet wounds or signs of blood.
“It looks like strangulation, and she’s been dead for a while,” Detective Martin observed grimly.
Minutes later, the paramedics and crime scene technicians arrived, filling the small apartment with activity. Martin turned to Johnson and said, “They’ve got this covered. Let’s interview the neighbors and see if anyone saw or heard anything.”
No one answered the first two apartment doors they knocked on, which didn’t surprise them; it was midday, and most young residents were likely at work. They got lucky at the third apartment. After knocking, the door cracked open as far as the chain would allow, and a little old lady peered through the narrow gap.
“Hello,” she said cautiously.
“Hello, ma’am.” Detective Martin held his badge close enough so she could see it. “We’re from the Hudson County Police Department. We’d like to have a word with you.”
“Just a minute,” she replied, closing the door to remove the chain. A moment later, she reopened it wider, allowing them to see her fully.
The lady exited her apartment and glanced around at the fleet of emergency vehicles and flashing lights surrounding the complex. Her eyes widened knitting her brows together.
“What’s going on?” she asked, wringing her hands nervously.
“I’m afraid there’s been an incident in apartment three,” Detective Martin said gently.
“Maggie’s apartment?” the lady asked, her voice trembling. “Is she okay?”
Detective Martin shook his head. “I’m afraid not. She’s deceased.”
The lady gasped, throwing a trembling hand over her mouth. “Oh, my God. She was so young.”
“Yes, ma’am, she was,” Martin replied. “We were wondering if you happened to have seen or heard anything unusual over the past several days—any unusual visitors to her apartment? Did you hear any fighting?”
“No, I’m sorry. My hearing is not what it used to be. The only visitor I saw was her nice boyfriend; I don’t know his name, but he would always wave hello when he saw me. He’s quite handsome. Do you think he had something to do with her death?”
“We have just begun investigating, but it is possible. When was the last time he visited Maggie’s apartment? Do you remember?”
She scratched her head thoughtfully. “Oh, that’s a tough one. My memory isn’t what it used to be either. It might have been a few days ago.”
“And when he was here, did you happen to hear any arguments or disturbances between them?”
“No, as I said, my hearing isn’t what it used to be. I wouldn’t have heard them even if they had been fighting.”
“That’s all right,” said Detective Martin, handing her his business card. “Here’s my card. Please call me if you remember anything else.”
“Do you think this was a random act of violence? Should I be worried?”
“There were no signs of forced entry, which might suggest that Maggie may have known her assailant. However, keeping your doors locked is always wise, just to be safe.”
“I will, thank you, officer,” the elderly lady replied before heading inside. Detective Martin heard the locks clicking shut. A moment later, he saw her at the window, pulling back the curtains to watch as the coroner wheeled Maggie’s sheet-covered body into the hearse.
After knocking on several more doors, Detective Martin finally found another person at home— Anna Stevenson, a stay-at-home mother of three.
After introducing himself, and showing her his badge, Anna let the officers into her apartment, “What can I do for you, officers?” she asked.
“I’m sorry to inform you, but your neighbor in apartment three is deceased. Have you noticed anything unusual over the past few days?”
Anna placed a hand over her mouth. “Was she murdered?”
“There appears to be some foul play involved, yes.”
Anna sank into the couch, her voice trembling. “This is all my fault. I should have called the police.”
“It’s not your fault,” Detective Martin reassured her gently. “Just tell me what you witnessed.”
“It was a couple of days ago—Tuesday, I think. I had just put the kids down for their nap when I heard an argument coming from the apartment above me. It was so loud that I was afraid the kids would wake up. But then, it suddenly stopped. I went outside to check the mail, and on my way back from the mailboxes, I saw a woman running down the stairs. She practically knocked me over as she rushed past. She must have come from Maggie’s apartment.”
“Can you describe this woman you saw?”
Detective Martin pulled a small notepad and pen out of his front pocket and jotted down notes as Anna spoke.
“Brown hair, shoulder-length, about my height, 5’6”, medium build, attractive. Oh, and she was pregnant.”
“Do you think you could identify her if you saw her again?” Detective Martin asked.
“Yes, I saw her face clearly,” Anna replied.
“Thank you, Anna. This information is very helpful. I’ll need your phone number; we may need you to come in for a witness lineup procedure.”
Anna rattled off her phone number and said, “Sure.”
Detective Martin finished interviewing the neighbors. After ensuring everyone had left the apartment, the detectives headed directly to the county jail. Their next challenging task was to inform Michael, the victim’s next of kin, about her passing.