driveway.”
“I hate this part of the job,” she exclaimed as they parked, “but today, damn-it, I hate it even more.”
Together, they walked up to the door; it was made of expensive-looking hardwood.This neighborhood, located in Scottsdale, was one of the wealthier vicinities surrounding Phoenix.
Charlie rang the doorbell.
After some few seconds, the door opened.A well-groomed woman in her early fifties was standing there.Seeing the two, she immediately asked, “Yes?”
“Mrs. Jo Ann Williams?”Angelina asked.
“I’m Mrs. Williams.”
“I’m detective Ramos and this is Sergeant Nash.We need to talk with you.”
Alarm came over her immaculately kept face.
“Why?Has something happened?”
“Please, can we come in?” Angelina insisted.
She nodded her consent and the trio moved into the living room.Mrs. Williams took a seat on the couch.
“Has something happened to Jim?”
“I take it Mr. Williams is not here?” Charlie spoke up.
“It’s Brice.Something has happened to Brice?”
The saddened look on their two faces was enough of an answer!
Tears begin streaming down her face.“No, no!Not Brice.”
Angelina reached out with a Kleenex drawn from her purse.
“Oh God, is he hurt badly?”
The faces of the two went unchanged.Angelina looked into Charlie’s face, and was about to speak, yet before she could, Mrs. Williams continued.
“Oh, God!God, he’s not dead?” deep anguish registered in her outburst.
She buried her face in her hands and began to heave great sobs.
Angelina moved to put her arm around the grieving woman, attempting to offer comfort.
Right then, the front door unexpectedly opened.In walked a tall man, past middle age, carrying clubs, apparently coming from some golf course.
Seeing his grieving wife, he rapidly drew to her side.
“Ann?”
Hearing his voice, her sobs grew even louder.
“You’re Mr. Williams,” Charlie asks.
“Yes!”Surprise and adrenaline drove his response!
“I’m sorry to have to tell you this,” a grave tone is in Charlie’s remarks, “your son Brice is dead.”
“Dead?God, that can’t be.I just talked with him Thursday after the game.”
Both Angelina and Charlie nod in the affirmative.
“God in heaven!How can my son be dead?”
He reflected for several seconds, “Are you sure?”
“Yes, unfortunately Mr. Williams, we’re sure,” spoke Angelina
A tear, then another, began to stream down his chin.
For several minutes the four said nothing.The husband and the wife sat grieving, shedding their respective tears, but apart from one another.
Finally, the silence was broken as Mr. Williams spoke up.
“Where was the accident?”
“There was no accident, Brice was murdered,” said Angelina.
“Murdered?”The word was expressed in unbelief.
“Somebody murdered Brice?” Mrs. Williams asked, communicating the same stunned sentiment.
“Oh, God,” uttered Mrs. Williams.
“Tell us,” Angelina spoke, “did you know your son engaged in bi-sexual or homosexual acts?”
Enormous shock suddenly registered on the face of Jim Williams!
“What the hell kind of question is that to ask us?” Mr. Williams’s words were spoken loudly as tension began to fill the room.
Charlie spoke. “Your son was murdered last night in a gay bath house over on the west side of Phoenix.At a place called The Bulge.Preliminary indications are that he was strangled to death.An autopsy will give us the specific details.”
Angelina spoke up, “This is what we know right now.Around midnight, while having sex with another man, and at the point of orgasm, apparently he was strangled.”
“My God, you have the nerve!Coming into my house and saying this in front of me and my wife!That my son was some sick faggot?Damn you!”The man’s face was flushed bright red!
“Now, Mr. Williams,” Angelina tried to calm him, “we did not say that.We simply need to ask you about your son, to obtain help in finding out who might have done this.And why he might be at that place on a Friday night?We need to know if you have any knowledge at all about this.We are not here to hurt you, or your son.”
“You get this straight! Damn it!My son was no queer.He played baseball at State, for God’s sake!He was an athlete!A hell-of-a athlete.How on earth could you say such about him?At a time like this?How!”The man shouted his words.
His wife, no longer sobbing, gazed down into her hands.
She spoke.“I remember when these hands held him that first time.”
“You need to leave,” Mr. Williams angrily urged, in strong terms.“You need to leave my house now!”
Angelina opened her purse and pulled out a card.She placed it on the coffee table.
“This is my card.I’m detective Ramos.I’ll be handling your son’s case.If I can do anything to help, please let me know.And if you think of anything that might help me solve this case…”
Mr. Williams finished her words, but with mockery, “Oh yeah, I’m sure we will call you to talk about how much of a faggot Brice was!”
He promptly stood up and showed them the door.Charlie and Angelina were barely outside before the door before it slammed hard at their backs.
The two said nothing until they got into the car.
“Well, how do you think that went?” Charlie asked.The way he uttered his question betrayed that he already felt he had his answer.
“Did you notice how quiet Mrs. Williams got when we broke the news about her son’s death at a bath house?I watched her.She knew about her son’s sexuality.I could feel it.”
“You
