P. Parrish - Heart of Ice

A tap on the glass drew their attention to the door. An officer opened the door and looked to Flowers.

“Ross Chapman is here,” he said.

Flowers turned the photograph facedown. “Send him in,” he said.

Flowers came around the desk. As Chapman came in he gave each man a quick look before settling back on Flowers.

“Thank you for coming, Mr. Chapman,” Flowers said. He quickly introduced Rafsky and Louis, then offered Chapman the only other chair in the small office.

Chapman slipped off his raincoat and folded it over his knees as he sat down. He was wearing a pale yellow cashmere sweater, dress shirt, and gray trousers. Louis had the thought that despite his polished veneer the man looked like he had been punched in the gut.

“Mr. Chapman,” Flowers said, “before we go on, I’d like to apologize for contacting your family before a positive ID has been made.”

Louis glanced at Rafsky, who had retreated to a corner of the small office, arms crossed. He seemed willing to let Flowers take the lead.

“No apologies are necessary, Chief Flowers,” Chapman said. “If there is any chance this is my sister, I want to be here.”

Chapman’s voice was calm, but his hazel eyes never stopped moving-from Flowers to the officers outside the glass to the closed folders on the desk. They finally came back to Flowers’s face.

“I was told my sister was found with no skull. Is this true?” he asked.

“Yes, sir, I’m afraid it is,” Flowers said.

“My father also said you found her school ring, but he isn’t in any state to give me any other details,” Chapman said. “Could you update me on what other evidence you have that leads you to believe this is my sister?”

“Right now, the ring is all we have,” Flowers said. “Except for the fact that the remains are roughly the same height and age as Julie.”

“Could I see the ring, please?”

Flowers produced the ring from a drawer. Chapman turned it over, looked at the initials. “I remember the day she got this,” he said.

“You were there?” Flowers asked.

Chapman nodded. “There’s a ceremony at Kingswood when the juniors get their rings. It symbolizes the girls becoming women and leaders. It’s a big deal, and the girls wear white dresses and the families are invited to breakfast to see it all.”

He paused. The ring looked tiny in the palm of his hand. He let out a long breath and handed it back to Flowers.

“This isn’t enough, is it?” he said.

“Not for a positive ID,” Rafsky said.

Louis knew they would have to bring up DNA testing but decided Flowers had to handle this in his own way.

“What about her clothes?” Chapman asked. “Wouldn’t they help in identifying her?”

“No clothing was found,” Flowers said.

Chapman stared at him. “You mean it all rotted away?”

“No, sir. We found no clothing at all anywhere near the remains.”

It took a moment for this to register, but when it did Chapman’s eyes darkened. “Was Julie sexually assaulted?” he asked.

“We don’t know,” Flowers said. “The lack of clothing implies it is a strong possibility.”

Chapman put a hand to his mouth. Louis subtly gestured for Flowers to continue.

Flowers cleared his throat. “There’s one more thing, Mr. Chapman, something we didn’t tell your father. Your. . the victim was pregnant.”

Chapman slowly lowered his hand. “What?”

“Your sister was pregnant.”

“I thought you only found bones. How do you know?”

Flowers hesitated, turned over the photograph of the fetal bones, and slid it across the desk.

Ross stared at it for a long time. Whatever composure he had brought into the room was gone. His eyes welled up.

“May I have a glass of water, please?” he asked softly.

Flowers went to the door and hollered out to one of his men. An officer came back quickly, bearing a coffee mug of water. Chapman drank it in one long draw.

“Do they. .” Chapman paused. “Can they tell how far along she was?”

“Four to five months,” Flowers said.

Louis felt compelled to break in. “We know your family was here that summer, so we know your sister got pregnant while she was here.”

“Anything you can tell us about your sister’s life here at that time would be very helpful,” Flowers said.

“Life?” Chapman said.

“Boyfriends,” Louis interjected.

“Julie didn’t have any boyfriends,” Chapman said.

“You never saw your sister with anyone that summer?” Louis asked.

Chapman shook his head slowly.

“This is a small island,” Louis said.

“And you and your sister ran with a small, exclusive group of kids,” Flowers added.

Still Chapman said nothing. Then he let out a long breath. “Okay,” he said. “I didn’t think about it at the time, but something was different that summer. Julie was very moody. One minute she was sky-high, the next she would lock herself in her room and cry.”

Louis noticed Flowers nodding. “I have teenage girls. What you’re describing sounds pretty normal.”

“Except she got pregnant,” Rafsky said.

Chapman’s eyes swung to Rafsky. “I don’t remember Julie seeing anyone or even talking about anyone that summer.”

“What about a girlfriend, someone she might have confided in?” Flowers asked.

“I. . I don’t know, really. We were at separate schools at Cranbrook,” Chapman said.

Flowers reached into his drawer and pulled out the yearbook from Kingswood. “Could you take a look, please?” he asked. “Maybe you’ll see someone whose face rings a bell.”

Chapman hesitated, then took the yearbook. The office was quiet as he turned the pages. After a few minutes he closed the yearbook. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t recognize anyone. It was a long time ago.”

“What about here on the island?” Louis asked.

Chapman shook his head. “I don’t remember seeing her with anyone special.”

“Your father mentioned a housekeeper that came up here with you every summer,” Louis said. “We’ll need to talk to her. Can you tell us where we can find her?”

“She’s at the cottage with my father.”

Louis glanced at Rafsky. He had assumed that the black woman with Edward Chapman had been a health aide.

“How long has-?” Louis paused, unable to remember the housekeeper’s name.

“Maisey,” Chapman said.

“How long has she worked for your family?”

“Forever,” Chapman said.

“Can you be more specific?” Rafsky asked.

“Since I was two,” Chapman said.

“Would Julie have confided in her?” Louis asked.

Chapman shook his head. “No, Maisey’s just the housekeeper.”

Louis had seen the tenderness between Edward Chapman and Maisey. This woman was not just a housekeeper. He made a mental note to talk to her later-alone.

Chapman set the mug on Flower’s desk. His eyes were fixed on something on the wall over the desk. He seemed to be staring at an old photograph of Mackinac Island’s Main Street. Finally he looked back at Flowers.

“When can I take my sister home?” he asked.

Rafsky stepped forward. “I’m sorry, but the remains cannot be released until we have a positive ID.”

“So you’re telling me there’s nothing I can do?” Chapman said.

This was wrong, Louis thought. Wrong and unnecessary. Ross Chapman just wanted to take his sister home and bury her. Edward Chapman had waited twenty-one years and didn’t have time to wait any longer.

“Actually, there is something you can do,” Louis said. “Have you heard of DNA testing, Mr. Chapman?”

Louis could feel Rafsky’s eyes on him, but he kept his own on Chapman.