I pull into the parking lot in front of the flower shop. There is a light breeze blowing and my coattails play at my legs like the hands of children. Inside, the store is cool, cooler than it should be, and redolent with the scent of roses. Roses never go out of style, or season.
A man is bending down, carefully checking the thick waxy leaves of a small green plant. He rises up slowly and painfully as I enter.
“Evening,” he says. “Help you?”
“I’d like some of those roses. Give me a dozen. No, better make it two dozen.”
“Two dozen roses, yessir.” He is heavy–set and bald, maybe in his early sixties. He walks stiffly, hardly bending his knees. The joints of his fingers are swollen with arthritis.
“Air–conditioning is playing up,” he says. As he passes by the ancient control unit on the wall, he adjusts a switch. Nothing happens.
The store is old, with a long glass–fronted hothouse along the far wall. He opens the door and begins lifting roses carefully from a bucket inside. When he has counted twenty–four, he closes the door again and lays them on a sheet of plastic on the counter.
“Gift wrap ‘em for ya?”
“No. Plastic is fine.”
He looks at me for a moment and I can almost hear the tumblers fall as the process of recognition begins.
“Do I know you from someplace?”
In the city, they have short memories. Farther out, the memories last longer.
? ? ?
Supplemental Crime Report
NYPD
Case Number: 96–12–1806
Offense:
Homicide
Victim:
Susan Parker, W/F
Jennifer Parker, W/F
Location:
1219 Hobart Street, kitchen
Date:
Dec. 12, 1996
Time:
Around 2130 hrs
Means:
Stabbing
Weapon:
Edged weapon, possibly knife (not found)
Reporting Officer:
Walter Cole,
Detective Sergeant
Details: On December 13, 1996, I went to 1219 Hobart Street in response to a request by Officer Gerald Kersh for detectives to work a reported homicide.
Complainant Detective Second Grade Charles Parker stated he left house at 1900 hrs following argument with wife, Susan Parker. Went to Tom’s Oak Tavern and remained there until around 0130 hrs on December 13. Entered house through front door and found furniturein hallway disturbed. Entered kitchen and found wife and daughter. Stated that wife was tied to kitchen chair but daughter’s body appeared to have been moved from adjacent chair and arranged over mother’s body. Called police at 0155 hrs and waited at scene.
Victims, identified to me by Charles Parker as Susan Parker (wife, 33 years old)and Jennifer Parker (daughter, 3 years old), were in kitchen. Susan Parker was tied to a kitchen chair in center of floor, facing door. A second chair was placed beside it, with some ropes still attached to rear struts. Jennifer Parker was lying across her mother, faceup.
Susan Parker was barefoot and wearing blue jeans and white blouse. Blouse was ripped and had been pulled down to her waist, exposing breasts. Jeans and underwear had been pulled down to her calves. Jennifer Parker was barefoot, wearing a white nightdress with blue flower pattern.
I directed Crime Scene Technician Annie Minghella to make a full investigation. After victims were confirmed dead by Medical Examiner Clarence Hall and released, I accompanied bodies to hospital. I observed Dr. Anthony Loeb as he used rape kit and turned it over to me. I collected following items of evidence:
96–12–1806–M1: white blouse from body of Susan Parker (Victim No. 1)
96–12–1806–M2: blue denim jeans from body of Victim 1
96–12–1806–M3: blue cotton underwear from body of Victim 1
96–12–1806–M4: combings from pubic hair of Victim 1
96–12–1806–M5: washings from vagina of Victim 1
96–12–1806–M6: scrapings from under Victim 1’s fingernails, right hand
96–12–1806–M7: scrapings from under Victim 1’s fingernails, left hand
96–12–1806–M8: combings from Victim 1’s hair, right front
96–12–1806–M9: combings from Victim 1’s hair, left front
96–12–1806–M10: combings from Victim 1’s hair, right rear
96–12–1806–M11: combings from Victim 1’s hair, left rear
96–12–1806–M12: white/blue cotton nightdress from body of Jennifer Parker Victim No. 2)
96–12–1806–M13: washings from vagina of Victim 2
96–12–1806–M14: scrapings from under Victim 2’s fingernails, right hand
96–12–1806–M15: scrapings from under Victim 2’s fingernails, left hand
96–12–1806–M16: combings from Victim 2’s hair, right front
96–12–1806–M17: combings from Victim 2’s hair, left front
96–12–1806–M18: combings from Victim 2’s hair, right rear
96–12–1806–M19: combings from Victim 2’s hair, left rear
? ? ?