And I'm pretty sure I know who committed the murder of Martin, Adelia and Quinton.

Sean had been very quiet while Sam & Ben rehashed Clark's statement, but then suddenly interrupted them, "Wait, rewind that last part."

Sam pushed the rewind button and looked at Ben quizzically.

"Stop, right there" Ben paused as if to remember something, "He said he got a text  to meet Martin at Whitney's.  How do we know who sent the text?   Was it Martin or was it the murderer?  Was he being set up?  Or is he lying?  I don't think he knows who I am, let me in there to ask him some more questions, I have an idea."

Ben responded quickly, "Are you sure Sean?  I don't want to take any chances with this.  If he is the murderer I don't want him to get off on a technicality because you aren't on the force any more."

"Call me crazy Ben, but I don't think he is the murderer, but if I can ask him the right questions, I think we just might find out who is, or at least be much closer to finding out who is, closer to finding the truth."  Ben looked so serious, and maybe a little bit sad.

"Do you know who it is Sean?" Sam seemed a little on the cautious side too.

"No, well, not for sure, but I have my suspicions of the right direction to look in, and it's not in Clark's direction.  I don't think he knows he holds the key, but I'm sure he does or at least a clue where to find the key, and the murderer."  Sean suddenly got a very determined look on his face.  "I need to do this Ben, I have to do this!"

Ben looked at Sean steady for a few seconds, long enough to see the Irish fire in his eyes, "Ok, let's do it Sean.  Sam, I want you to go in with him, introduce Sean as a special investigator with our homicide team.  If Clark asks where I am, just say that we had some new lead come in and I'm checking into it.  Nothing more, nothing less.  In fact, don't wait for him to ask, after you introduce Sean, bring it up yourself, look at your watch and let him know we should have some answers, more evidence in a matter of just an hour or so."  

This time Sam grabbed the folder they'd put together on Martin's murder, including the graphic pictures of his body,  they were turning up the heat and taking off the gloves on this one.   They were all three just a little tired of Whitney and Ginny hanging in limbo, their family being threatened, not knowing the truth.  

Sean walked into the interrogation room first and just stood across the table from Clark, glaring at him.  Clark looked up at him first, but when he saw Sean's glare, he looked down and avoided his gaze.  Sam came in a few minutes later,  appearing to read information in the folder, slowly shutting the door behind him, walked over by Sean, still reading the folder.

Sam slowly closed the folder and handed it to Sean.  "Clark, this is Sean, a special investigator with our homicide team and he has a few questions for you."

Before he could bring up Ben's absence, Clark did, "Where's the other guy, your chief, I'd rather talk to him?"  Obviously Sean's glare was doing the trick, making Clark feel very uncomfortable.

Sam responded, "Sorry guy, the Chief got called away to investigate a new lead that just came in.  We should have some definite answers within an hour or two, after that, we might not need you or your information.  You better hope the information doesn't point to you or you could be spending a lot of time with us, if you know what I mean?  At this point cooperation is probably is in your best interest."  

Sam sat down in the chair in front of him.  

Sean started walking back and forth behind the table, then slowly started walking around the table.  The second time around he stopped behind Clark, a little to his left, and leaned on the wall.  He purposely stood far enough to the left, but still behind, so that Clark could see when he opened the folder, looked at the pages within and then closed again, holding it down by his side.

"Clark, I just have one question for you, hmmmm, maybe two, depending on your first answer, and for your sake you'd better answer me honestly the first time I ask.   Did the text directing you to that address come from the same phone?"

"Ummm, I don't know off hand, I'm not sure,"  Clark was stumbling over his words, more nervous than before.  "I have my phone in my pocket, do you want me to check?"

Sean interrupted before Clark could reach in his pocket for his phone, "If you're not sure if it was from the same phone number, then how do you know it was from Martin?  How soon did you the message before you went to that address?  Why were you seen outside of the local elementary school?  What were you doing there?  AND, why did you tell us some lady  gave you directions to the library when we already know that wasn't you she was talking to?"

Clark looked like he'd been hit with a sledge hammer instead of just a barrage of questions.  He started to reach in his pocket for the phone.

Sam stood up and pulled his weapon from his side holster, aimed squarely at Clark's chest.

Clark turned white as a sheet, "I'm just getting out my cell phone, to look at the number"

"Slowly, very slowly and lay it on the table in front of you,"  Sam instructed. 

Clark was rattled, that much was sure.  Sean moved in for the kill shot, "So, do you have some honest answers to my questions or not?  Or should we just arrest you and let the courts decide your guilt?"

"NO, wait, please.  Ok so part of what I told you wasn't the truth.  I didn't want to tell you I was lurking around the house and overheard the conversation between that lady and the other guy.  My guess is that was Martin?  But honestly I did get a text telling me to meet him there.  I saw him walk away after their conversation, the lady got in her car, made a phone call on her cell, then drove away.  I was about to leave, through the alley and get back in my car when I saw another man heading up to the house.   He tried the front door and when that didn't budge he went around back.  I heard some loud noises and assumed he was breaking in.  About that same time the first guy (Martin?) walked up from the other direction and hearing the same noise I heard, he ran around to the back side of the house.  You know come to think of it, they looked a lot alike, maybe older and younger brothers?  When the 2nd man came running out of the front door and it looked like he had dirt or something on his fresh white shirt, I left as soon as he was out of sight.  I ran down the alley and got in my car and took off."  By this time Clark had placed his phone in the middle of the table and Sam had picked it up and opened it.  

Clark continued, "As to why I was at the school.....   When I was supposed to meet Martin at the steak house and he didn't show, I got in my car to drive back to my hotel room and I noticed I was being followed, at least I thought I was.   I decided to check it out and pulled into a car dealership, parked in with the other cars and ducked down as low as I could and still watch for the car I thought was following me.  Sure enough it circled the parking lot twice.  When it left I followed it, at some distance since my car sticks out like a sore thumb, well, at least a silver thumb anyway, hard to miss.    When I saw the car park in the school parking lot, I parked some distance away too.  I couldn't see exactly who it was going into the school since it was so far away, but it was a man, could easily have been Martin but I didn't see his face.  Come to think of it, it could have been that other guy too.  I was parked right outside the school playgrounds and at first didn't notice the kids, but while I was waiting for the driver to come back out, some kind of ball hit the fence and this young boy came up to the fence to retrieve it.  I was startled by how familiar he looked and began watching him. I was trying to figure out why he was so familiar to me when I realized the driver had left and I lost my chance to follow him some more.   I saw another boy watching me, he looked a lot like the other little boy, I acted like I got a call and had somewhere to go, then I left.  That's all I  know until after you pulled me in here."  

Sean moved around to Sam's side of the table, kicked the chair out and sat down, opened the folder and looked at it some more while Sam perused through the phone calls and messages.

Sam turned the phone so Sean could see it and looked at Clark.  "So I see here the text you got, but I don't see an incoming call with the same phone number.   When did you get that call?"

Clark answered him and Sam found the call.   "I guess you talked directly to him?  No voice mail?"

"No voice mail, and it was a short call.  To be honest, I guess anyone could have made that call and said it was Martin."  Clark was starting to sweat a little bit, even though Sean and Sam knew the room temperature was a comfortable 'coolish' 68.  "Is it ok if I take off my jacket? Clark asked.

Sam looked at him and put his hand back on his revolver in it's holster where he'd put it after the phone was on the table, "Slowly."

Sean finally spoke, "I'm going to take this out to our tech guys and see if we can get some information off of it.  If you're innocent, you'll get it back.  Let's take a little break Sam.  Can we get you anything Clark, a hamburger, soda, anything?"

Clark finally looked at Sean, "yea, maybe a soda, and a sandwich?  hamburger all the way?"  

"Sure" Sean replied, "we'll get you some fries too.  Just relax, if your story checks out, we could be almost done.  I'll have someone bring your soda in a few minutes and your burger and fries here in a little bit.  Just one more question.  Which of the guys would you say was younger, the man who ran out of the house? or the other one? or the one who stayed in the house?"

Clark looked straight ahead, thinking, "The guy who came out of the house was the older one, by quite a few years I would think.  The younger guy was about your age."  He nodded at Sam. Then he looked at Sean,"The older guy was closer to your age sir, but not quite as old maybe, sorry about the old thing."

Sean nodded in response, then he and Sam both left the room, shutting the door behind them.  Sam stopped at the clerks desk and gave directions for Clark's soda and burger and for an officer to be stationed in the room with Clark, and one in the observation room, just in case.  Sean stepped down the hall to give the tech team the phone and tell them what he needed.  Then Sean, Ben and Sam walked into Ben's office.  They all sat down, Sam and Ben turned to look at Sean.  

Ben tapped a pencil on his desk, still looking at Sean asked, "well?"

Sean looked from one to the other then began, "I know who it was, at least who it was that made the call to our man Clark in there.  And I'm pretty sure I know who committed the murder of Martin, Adelia and Quinton.  As soon as we get back the information I need from the phone"