Final Justice (Badge of Honor 8)

“Come in and I’ll show you,” Joanne said, and motioned the two policemen into the apartment. Both nodded at Herb, and Herb nodded back.

Officer Hyde looked at the broken mirror.

“What happened?”

“That’s what we would like to know,” Joanne said. “That’s why we called you.”

“You don’t know what happened to the mirror?” Hyde asked.

“Herb, my husband, and I were sound asleep when it happened. ”

“I told her I thought it was probably a sonic boom,” Herb said.

“That’s nonsense,” Joanne said. “It came from in there.”

She pointed at the wall.

“What’s in there?”

“The next apartment,” Joanne said.

“What do you think came from in there that broke your mirror?”

“You tell the officers, Herb.”

“This was your idea. You tell them,” Herb said.

“Sometimes you make me sick,” Joanne said. “You really do.”

“Why don’t you tell us what you think happened, ma’am?” Officer Cubellis suggested.

“Well, all right, I will. So far as I know, she’s a very nice girl. Her name is Cheryl Williamson. But she… every once in a while she entertains in there, if you know what I mean. Most of the time, there’s absolutely no problem, but once or twice-more than once or twice-she, they have gotten sort of carried away with what they’re doing, and it gets a little noisy, if you take my meaning.”

“What’s that got to do with your mirror?” Officer Hyde asked.

“It broke,” Joanne said, as if surprised by the question.

“And you think the people next door are responsible?”

“Well, Herb and I certainly aren’t,” Joanne said.

“Jim, why don’t I talk to the lady next door?” Officer Cubellis suggested.

“Why not?” Hyde said.

“Maybe something happened to her,” Joanne said.

Officer Cubellis left the McGrory bedroom.

“I don’t know how much it will cost to replace that mirror, but it won’t be cheap, and I don’t see why we should pay for it,” Joanne said.

“Yes, ma’am,” Officer Hyde said.

Five minutes later, Officer Cubellis returned and reported that it didn’t appear anyone was home in the next apartment. He had both rung the bell and knocked at Cheryl Williamson’s front door, and then gone outside the house, up the side stairs, and knocked at her back door. There was no doorbell button there that he could find. There was no response from either place, and he could hear no sounds from inside the apartment, or see any lights.

“I know she came in,” Joanne said. “I woke up when she came in. Her screen door squeaks. It was a little after midnight. ”

“Possibly she went out again,” Officer Cubellis said.