Professor Law

Chapter 6

Detective Carlos Garcia got out of the car and wiped the sweat off his brow. He was slightly overweight but handsome, with jet black hair and a charming smile. Carlos was a product and success story of Miami Dade County. His parents had moved to Miami from Cuba when Carlos was only ten. Carlos worked his way through college and went on to earn his master’s in forensic psychology. He joined the police force and moved up the ranks quickly. It was not without its challenges, given the state of the police department, which was known for corruption and misdeeds. But Carlos was known for his hard work and integrity. Unlike many of his colleagues, he kept his nose clean. He stayed away from unprincipled officers and focused on his own cases and problems. This was his tenth year working as a homicide detective.

Carlos adjusted his aviator sunglasses and looked up at the blue sky. The South Florida sun was not always conducive to wearing a black suit. Miami was always hot, and his girth made it difficult to be outside too long. He grunted as he made his way into the high-rise building on North Miami Beach.

“They’re in apartment seven-hundred-and-four,” said the woman working the front desk.

Carlos took the elevator to the seventh floor and jogged to the apartment. He quickly opened the door.

“Hello, Detective Garcia,” said one of the local police officers, who was busy collecting evidence.

“Good to see you, Detective Garcia. Wish it were under better circumstances,” said another police officer.

“Hey, fellas. What do we have here?” asked Carlos.

“The victim is a forty-year-old Caucasian woman,” said the lead officer on the scene. “Her name is Victoria Lane. She’s a divorce attorney.”

“Cause of death?” asked Carlos.

“Seems to be strangulation,” responded the officer. He lifted the sheet covering her body. “We found her hanging from the ceiling. Her office manager called the apartment complex because Victoria did not show up for work for two days. The building manager opened the door and found her like this.”

“Yo, Carlos. Where’s your partner in crime, you know, the cowboy? He’s always good for a laugh,” asked one of the officers.

“He’s stuck in court. I’ll brief him when he’s out,” said Carlos.

Known for her stylish suits and sharp wit, Victoria Lane was a courtroom brawler. She battled hard for her clients. Victoria had always known that she wanted to be a divorce attorney. Her father had left her mother when Victoria was only five years old; he went out for a drink one day and never came back. Victoria’s mother always used to joke that it must have been a great drink. She never forgot the trauma that this caused her and fought hard for her clients to receive a fair deal.

“I’d imagine that this lady has enemies. I’ve seen her name plastered on the billboards throughout the city,” said an officer.

Carlos walked around the apartment. It was immaculate and had a terrific oceanfront view. He took a deep breath as he stared out into the Atlantic.

“Married? Children?” asked Carlos.

“No. She didn’t believe in marriage. I’d bet that working as a divorce attorney convinced her that marriage is overrated,” responded one of the officers.

Carlos looked at the body. “This looks like a suicide. Did you find any notes?”

“No notes.”

Carlos gazed around. “There is no sign of forced entry. Nothing appears to have been stolen. I’m going to contact her office. Maybe she had a boyfriend or someone that knew her well. Perhaps she was depressed, and the pressure of the job got to her. She seems to have everything anyone would ever want. Doesn’t make much sense to me why someone like her would commit suicide.”

“Detective, this looks like a run-of-the-mill suicide. Don’t go crazy here, keep it simple. The crime scene unit is on the way and will dust for fingerprints. There is no forced entry. Nothing was stolen. There doesn’t appear to be any foul play.”

Carlos took a deep breath again and remained quiet for a moment, thinking. He finally broke the silence, letting out a quiet belch. “I agree. I’m out of here, guys. I’m going to head down to the victim’s place of business. Dang, I’m starving, and I need a drink. I also think that I need a new suit. I lost half a gallon of sweat walking from the police station to my car. Let’s go out for a beer sometime, fellas. It’s been too long.”

“See ya,” said the officers in unison as Carlos left the apartment.