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Chapter 45. A whole melodramatic youth campus idol drama incident
They met Councilman Howard in one of the East District Branch's waiting rooms.
The East District was clearly well-funded; its waiting rooms were furnished like private club lounges, complete with individual compartments designed to provide a discreet communication space for influential families.
Theodore didn't particularly like Councilman Howard, but he appreciated the message the man brought.
Councilman Howard assured Theodore that they needn't worry about external pressure or political interference; they should focus solely on uncovering the truth, and no one would obstruct their investigation.
The Howard family had deep roots in Felton, particularly within the police force, where their influence ran considerable.
Councilman Howard spoke with quiet authority, emphasizing that he was meeting with Theodore as a concerned father, not as an elected official.
Theodore decided on directness. "Based on our preliminary scene examination, Anthony Howard II appears very likely to be the perpetrator."
"Mr. Howard, I should warn you that my investigation may ultimately only uncover more evidence of Little Howard's guilt."
Councilman Howard fell silent. Ricky, who had been heading toward the door, nearly stumbled. Bernie, standing nearby, looked like he wanted to applaud.
The older man sighed heavily. "At the end of the day, I'm still his father."
Theodore studied him with surprise, unable to determine whether the emotion was genuine or performed.
"I understand," he replied noncommittally, not wanting to waste more time on family dynamics. He stood and gave Howard a brief nod. "Mr. Cullinan, let's examine the forensic facilities."
He harbored serious concerns about 1960s forensic capabilities. If Samuel hadn't been attending some wedding in Oregon, Theodore would have requested the body be transferred back to the West District for a proper autopsy.
Ricky glanced uncertainly at the elder Howard.
The councilman rose and shook hands with each of them in turn. "I have other appointments, so I won't impose any further."
He gestured to a staff member waiting by the door. "Keller will remain to assist with your investigation. Let him know if you need anything."
Keller appeared appropriately deferential, greeting everyone before positioning himself respectfully behind the group.
After seeing Howard off, Ricky kept shooting Theodore looks of obvious admiration.
Once they confirmed that the forensic pathologist was competent to handle trace evidence analysis, Ricky led all four men to a conference room.
This served as the temporary office the branch had prepared for Theodore's use.
Now they were primarily waiting for the lab results.
If the stab wounds matched Little Howard's height and the applied force seemed natural, there would be little need for further investigation.
If the wounds didn't match his physical profile, or if the force patterns seemed abnormal, it would suggest Little Howard's story might be truthful and point toward another perpetrator.
Honestly, Theodore found himself hoping for the latter scenario.
The crime scene had struck him as surprisingly methodical and intriguing. If this turned out to be a simple case of jealous rage, it would feel like a wasted opportunity.
Rather than idle away their time waiting, Theodore suggested to Ricky that he'd like to interrogate Little Howard directly.
Little Howard was promptly escorted to the interrogation room.
He displayed obvious signs of anxiety, nervous fidgeting, darting glances, restless energy, but his upbringing compelled him to maintain a veneer of politeness despite his distress.
When he spotted Keller, his posture visibly relaxed.
Theodore noted this reaction and asked Ricky to yield his seat to Keller, positioning the family representative directly across from Little Howard.
The young man's tension decreased noticeably.
With Keller's presence providing psychological comfort, the interrogation proceeded smoothly.
Little Howard had planned to confess his romantic feelings to Emily Grant the previous evening.
He'd enlisted his friend and follower, John Davis, to monitor Emily's movements and alert him when she was alone.
Around eleven o'clock, he received a note from John directing him to the attic.
Upon arriving at the attic, Little Howard discovered victim Teddy Santos lying motionless on the floor. When he approached to investigate, he found the man was already dead, with a knife protruding from his chest.
He immediately recognized the weapon as identical to the birthday gift Teddy had given him earlier that year.
He pulled out the knife, causing blood to spray across his clothing, which was precisely when Paul Miller and James Carter witnessed the scene.
With Keller facilitating the process, Theodore was able to interview John Davis after lunch.
John Davis was the third heir to the Davis Department Store fortune. He'd been Little Howard's companion since elementary school, essentially a playmate strategically placed to maintain family business relationships.
He'd even participated in Little Howard's recent excursions to Rose Street's brothels, sharing in the expenses.
Such arrangements weren't uncommon among America's wealthy families. Theodore's predecessor had maintained several similar relationships.
John Davis brought disturbing information about Little Howard's recent behavior around the city.
A month prior, Little Howard and the victim had agreed to a competition, with the loser agreeing to withdraw from pursuing Emily.
The challenge involved determining who could first win over their classmate Teresa.
Teresa became the victim's girlfriend the very next day.
The victim then publicly humiliated Little Howard at a local bar, leading to a physical confrontation that patrons eventually broke up.
Teresa then launched into a vicious verbal attack on Little Howard, while the victim not only failed to intervene but actively encouraged her mockery.
This caused Little Howard to completely lose control. He drew his knife to stab the victim but was physically restrained by the crowd and ejected from the establishment.
Furthermore, at the time Little Howard received the mysterious note, John Davis had been monitoring Emily near the villa's back entrance.
He observed Emily secretly hiding in the backyard with several other girls, smoking marijuana. Only when he noticed the crowd rushing upstairs did he follow out of curiosity, discovering Little Howard in the attic, covered in blood.
John Davis's account was corroborated by Teresa herself.
The reason Teresa had been so easily "won over" by the victim was straightforward, he'd paid her a thousand dollars to pose as his girlfriend and promised to protect her social standing during college.
Her reason for attacking Little Howard was equally simple: his expression had clearly communicated 'Say yes to me quickly so I can dump you and pursue my real target.'
Teresa had also helped the victim catch Emily smoking marijuana and engaging in other questionable behavior, causing him to lose interest in Emily and successfully positioning herself as his replacement.
Ricky dispatched detectives to verify John Davis's list of girls involved in the marijuana incident, and the information was quickly confirmed.
The fact that Teresa had become the victim's girlfriend was also common knowledge at school and easily verified.
Taking advantage of the remaining work hours, the team gathered in the conference room to discuss the case.
The entire incident seemed to have devolved into a crime of passion committed by jealous teenagers.
What made it noteworthy was the prominent social status of everyone involved.
This assessment was unanimously shared by Ricky, Bernie, and even Keller, though Keller didn't explicitly voice agreement, he raised no objections.
Theodore chose to abstain from this consensus, quietly reminding Bernie that reaching premature conclusions could compromise objective judgment.
Before the end of the workday, they visited the forensic lab to check on the trace evidence analysis progress. The lab informed them that results should be available by tomorrow afternoon.
Leaving the forensic facility, they found it was already quitting time.
The East District apparently had no culture of working overtime.
Ricky immediately switched back to his casual demeanor, gathering his belongings to leave. Before departing, he reminded Theodore to definitely try the restaurant and dessert shop he'd recommended earlier.
Keller needed to report the day's progress to Councilman Howard. They separated in the parking lot, agreeing to reconvene in the conference room the following morning.
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