The Hung Jury

Chapter One

Sunshine illuminated the living room and swept across the TV, glaring over the image of Jennifer Lopez who was making a special performance on Dancing with the Stars. It was the beginning of the final four selection process. Morgan Cooper watched, not caring that the picture was distorted by the light. He wasn’t a fan, not even a casual watcher. He hated TV. It was only seven p.m., but he had already stripped down to his boxers and a T-shirt. A glass of pinot noir teetered on the leather ottoman where he placed it off balance as if to test the forces of gravity, knowing that it would eventually fall if not attended to. He watched and waited, hoping he would be able to intercede once it headed for the floor.

Special Forces sent Osama Bin Laden’s soul tumbling into the hereafter on Sunday night. Morgan was glad he was dead, but the news coverage was becoming annoying. Talking heads rambled on endlessly putting their own spin on it, heaping praise upon President Obama without revealing that it was the very policies he objected to in his campaign that had brought Bin Laden to justice.

Either way, Bin Laden was dead, and it was a triumph for the country. Morgan didn’t believe in the afterlife, so eternal peace didn’t seem at all appropriate for a man who had killed several thousand innocent people and sent the world into an extended state of anxiety. For Bin Laden’s sake, Morgan was willing to believe for a moment in divine castigation, if only hypothetically, in order to pour a hefty portion of hellfire and brimstone onto his head. To see him as an earthworm squirming around in a bed of embers in everlasting torment seemed a more suitable finale.

Morgan was bored. Molly was in Wisconsin with their son, Ryan, where she had been staying for the past two weeks. When she was home they were both bored, but somehow monotony was more tolerable when she was there. Molly was filling in for Ryan’s babysitter who had quit, leaving him scrambling for a new one. Molly went to the rescue, subbing until a replacement could be found. Molly’s purpose in life was family, so the detail was a blessing.

Everybody has a purpose in life. Morgan couldn’t believe it was his purpose to sit on the couch and sigh in exasperation for lack of anything better to do. At sixty-three, he had been a police officer for the greater part of his life in Willoughby Hills, Illinois, a small town in the middle of the state. He had retired when he was eligible at fifty-five, and then worked for two years as an investigator for the state’s attorney’s office. When that job turned into a paper-pushing nightmare, he took the Illinois Private Detective test. He acquired a license, established a clientele, and worked until his mustache and hair turned gray. The greater part of his business was mostly contractual work for the two larger cities that bordered Willoughby Hills. He and his three employees were responsible for serving process for municipal code violations and other insignificant details. Occasionally they were directed to help the uniformed officers serve search warrants and stand by while arrestees were perp-walked to the hoosegow, which was as eventful as watching grass grow.

Morgan had written and published two novels. Neither of them had garnered fame and fortune, but he had acquired local notoriety and padded his savings account a little. Now as he sat on the couch contemplating death and the afterlife, the notion of writing another novel was creeping into his head. He might write it if for nothing more than to occupy his time.

There was a story that had bounced around in his mind for over thirty years. It was suitable for a novel, but there were so many unsolved details that he wouldn’t dare write it for fear that he would have to write The End in the middle of the book without ever having tied up all the loose ends. It was a tale about treachery and murder at a time when murder and treachery were less common than in 2011. It would be based on a true story—an event that Morgan experienced firsthand, a tale of suspense and danger.

At the time Morgan was twenty-six years old and had been at the Willoughby Hills Police Department for five years. A local college student by the name of Roderick Constance was convicted of killing a young grocery clerk, his wife, and their unborn child in a shoplifting case. Morgan was the arresting officer. The victim had the misfortune of seeing the theft and took the appropriate action of chasing Constance down. He and his wife were ambushed in their home late at night when they returned home. So, in essence, his wages for being a good citizen was death. His pretty young pregnant wife was collateral damage. A shotgun blast sent them both forever into the abyss.

Morgan was young and cocky, and never imagined himself as a sixty-three year old man sitting on his living room couch in his boxer shorts and a T-shirt, bored into apathetic blankness. Now as Jennifer Lopez twisted herself into an unnatural yet appealing position, purple and gold stage light glistened in her hair like a psychedelic lioness poised to pounce. Morgan’s eyes were fixed on her, but his mind had retreated in time a span of thirty-six years, back to 1975.

In addition to the grocery clerk and his wife, Constance was suspected of killing a second witness in the case. The lead investigator believed he also killed his college roommate in a separate incident. The cases were intricately interwoven with the shoplifting case but the evidence was insufficient to prove the connection. Constance was found guilty of murdering the grocery clerk, his wife, and also their unborn child, but he wasn’t charged with the other two murders. He was aggressively interrogated but denied any knowledge of their deaths or whereabouts. Morgan didn’t know there were two other victims who had died at Constance’s hands, and those stories would never be told.

****

At the time of Constance’s trial, the death penalty in Illinois had been suspended, but the legislature was trying to reinstate it. Constance was given a 600-year sentence, but he surely would have fried if the chair had been an option. Soon thereafter capital punishment was resumed but Constance had escaped being put to death. Although capital punishment had been resumed in Illinois, it was constantly under fire from death penalty opponents. Periodically, investigators questioned Constance in prison about the missing persons, but he continued to deny any knowledge of them. In all probability, Constance suspected if he confessed to the two additional murders and revealed where the bodies had been deposited, he would have been tried for those murders. He would be in jeopardy of being sent to death row, so he steadfastly refused to cooperate. The chief detective who investigated the murders worked for years trying to give the families closure, but he retired without ever knowing where the two bodies were buried. In 2011, the Illinois legislature rescinded the death penalty. Three Illinois governors were involved as it traveled through the repeal process. It had been put on a moratorium under Governor George Ryan, and it was a front and center issue with his administration, but he was distracted by corruption charges and eventually went to jail for extorting money and illegally selling license plates to unauthorized trucking companies. It was still under moratorium when Rod Blagojevich took the governorship, but he was distracted by corruption charges, and eventually he was impeached, convicted of lying to the FBI, and was tried for a multitude of other violations. Beyond the time frame of this writing, he, too, was convicted and sent to prison. Under Governor Quinn the death penalty was finally abolished. Quinn’s most egregious crime was to display a picture of himself in all governmental offices where he was at least forty pounds shy of his actual weight. Vanity not being an impeachable offense, Quinn survived the process, and the death penalty became a thing of the past.

To Morgan, the question begged, would Constance talk about the missing bodies now that the threat of being executed had been taken away? Maybe he could interview Constance and get him to confess to the other two murders? It was about as likely as jumping a six foot fence with your pants wrapped around your ankles, but the notion had been hatched and weighed on his mind. If he tried and failed, he would at least have a conclusion to his story.

Chapter Two

After Constance was convicted, thirty-six years passed under the bridge while his life dwindled away in prison. Morgan moved on, married Molly, and had two children—a boy, Ryan, and a girl, Alison. He went to college and graduated while working at the police department. The kids grew up and then onto lives of their own. Now the house was empty. Molly was in Milwaukee, and he was there alone reflecting on those ancient memories as though they were only yesterday.

In the beginning there must have been a reason for the madness. Perhaps it was just a wicked thought or a fantasy conjured up and not intended for the real world. It might have been no more than a whim, but it grew into a plan and finally into a twisted reality. It was something only Constance understood. Morgan knew now that Roderick Constance created a deadly and wicked world, and found a way to reside in it without guilt or remorse. He could waste someone’s life with less concern than swatting a fly. Those are the kind of thoughts that haunt a policeman’s soul long after he has tucked his children in and kissed his wife good night. It stays with you even after hanging up your badge.

Morgan met Constance when he was a Willoughby Hills College student. He was dispatched to take a burglary report at one of the dormitory rooms on the main campus. His memory reverberated through time and his senses were assaulted by the stench of old pizzas and stale marijuana odors. He remembered how several doors crept open as he passed by, with students poking their heads out to make provoking remarks. Morgan was accustomed to the insults and occasional oinks and walked on unconcerned, or at least he concealed his irritation. Most of his fellow officers resented calls to the college and avoided them whenever they could. Memories of the Viet Nam War lingered there as fetid as a wet mangy dog. There was anger behind the student’s eyes, and they wore it on their faces like a badge of honor. Many officers were war veterans, and the students were the benefactors of anti-war sentiments promoted by previous classes who were active in protests and unrest. Although the war was over and President Nixon had resigned in disgrace, the students were still openly antagonistic toward anyone wearing a uniform.

The veterans were offended by such twisted naivety and ignorance. They had been drafted into the military and sent to a country they knew nothing about, with patriotism in their hearts and love of country as their guiding principal. They endured in a steaming jungle where they fought for their lives and the dignity of their fellow citizens. Ten thousand of their ranks were shepherded into the hereafter, and thousands more were crippled and maimed. When they returned home they were greeted with invectives like, war monger and baby killer. It had been a painful experience for soldier and student alike, but the veterans knew who got the dirty end of the stick.

Morgan would have gotten in on the war under normal circumstances, but for reasons unknown to him he wasn’t sent in country. He stayed stateside, working in the induction station in St. Louis. When he came home he started classes at Willoughby Hills College under the G.I. Bill. He was accepted in the police department and finished school by attending night classes. He was only slightly older than the average student, so he understood their ideals and subsequently he was less annoyed than most of his coworkers.

As he approached the room where he was sent to take the report on that fateful day, he saw a crowd had gathered and were blocking the doorway. The boys parted slowly but not before breaking his stride and delaying his entrance. They wanted to show him and prove to each other that they weren’t intimidated by authority. Morgan recognized their sluggish movements just as they were intended. He smiled at each boy as they stepped aside. Morgan had learned early in his career not to take anything personal. It was just part of the job.

Inside the room several boys were milling about. The apparent victim was standing near a window glaring at a broken lock. His hair was wet with sweat and a towel was draped around his neck. He had been to the gymnasium playing basketball and when he returned he found the broken lock and his room a shambles. He was a rich kid, they all were, but that didn’t mean they were smart. Getting into Willoughby Hills College was about as hard as getting into a PG-rated movie.

The youthful and somewhat arrogant victim pulled the towel from around his neck and threw it across the room in disgust. Are you the one who called? Morgan asked. The boy glared at Morgan with raised eyebrows as if to say who else? Morgan didn’t wait for an answer. He opened his folder and took out a theft report form.

When did the theft take place? he asked. A voice whispered from the crowd, Hide the dope in there, Kyle. The room filled with laughter, some of it nervous, and some of it just to be annoying. Morgan smiled, knowing pot-smoking was commonplace in the dorms, but he also knew they would have scoured the place before they called for a police officer. There were no Einsteins there, but they weren’t stupid. Still they giggled like fifth graders who had just said a dirty word to the teacher in pig Latin. Marijuana in those days was taken a lot more seriously. In 2011, less than thirty grams was a Class A misdemeanor, and anything above thirty was a felony. Being caught with it was no joke. Knock it off! the victim shouted. My stereo’s been ripped off. It’s not funny! More snickers.

Morgan realized he should have isolated the victim from the others, but it was only a preliminary report and he would be finished in a few minutes. Just scribble down the details and get back on patrol, he thought. The laughter continued as other curiosity-seekers pushed their way into the room. A muscled, shaggy blonde-haired kid pushed past Morgan, giving him a slight nudge without excusing himself. Man, would I like to pitch to a pair of these, he said, pointing to a Playboy centerfold taped to the wall, simultaneously plopping onto the unmade bed. He was athletic and strong, his declaration predictable. A kid like that had to announce he was important. He was a jock, a pitcher, a big man on campus.

Your name, please, Morgan asked politely, directing the question to the victim.

Kyle Brasky, he spouted angrily. The snickering and ridicule was getting to him. Although he probably hadn’t spent a dime of his own money for anything in the room, like anyone in that situation, he felt violated. Someone had broken into the room and rummaged through his stuff.

Morgan had decided in that moment to clear the room. He didn’t believe things would get violent, but he remembered that Ed Woodson had responded to a similar call and let things get out of hand. Before it was over it flared into a mini-riot, and it took the entire night shift squad to get things under control. Suddenly it became quiet, and the only sound was the rhythmic smacking of a fist into a baseball glove by the jock while Morgan logged the information into his report. The lull in the bantering was distracting. He glanced up to see a lone figure standing in the doorway, a boy Morgan would come to know as Roderick Constance. The other boys were quietly filing out of the room. He was leaning against the doorframe staring at Morgan with washed-out blue eyes. He was rail thin, clad in an unwashed baggy flannel shirt and jeans with long black hair that clumped in strings held together by weeks of accumulated scalp grease. The knees in his jeans were worn through, his pallid white skin visible through the holes. It was a throwback look popular during the Viet Nam war, but styles were beginning to normalize by the mid-seventies. He looked out of place, on more than one level.

What’s going on, he stated, more as a demand than a question. His piercing stare was focused on Morgan. His cheeks were sunken, and his face gaunt and sallow. He had no reason to be there other than insolence.

Has anyone shown an unusual interest in your stereo? Morgan asked, ignoring the boy’s question.

I don’t know. Everybody on this floor hangs out in here.

Morgan glanced back to the doorway. The boy’s eyes were still fixed on his face, a stare that could only be regarded as a challenge. Morgan’s neck was getting a little warm, his brow furrowed, lips tightened as he returned a glare of his own. The boy’s lips curled up slightly, turned away from the door, and started off down the hallway.

The fist pounding the leather glove stopped. Real asshole, huh?

He sure is, Morgan agreed.

He’s not real popular around here. You probably noticed how everybody cleared out when he showed up.

Yea, but he did me a favor, getting those clowns out of my hair, Morgan said. He’s my roommate. His name is Roderick Constance.

I feel sorry for you, Morgan said.

Hey, how about my stuff? Is it coming back by itself? Kyle Brasky interrupted.

Morgan ripped off his copy of the crime report, handed it to the contemptuous lad, and headed for the door. What am I s’posed to do with this? he asked. Morgan hesitated, wanting to state the obvious but answered politely that CID would be contacting him later in the week for more details. In just a few moments he was in his squad car and back on patrol.

Chapter Three

The November wind whipped through the streets and debris swirled against the red brick building, mounting skyward. When Morgan swung the door open into City Hall, the wind followed him in, scattering parking tickets into the foyer and down the hallway. The matronly woman sitting inside a booth marked Parking Meter Department shouted, All right, now! and smiled over the narrow ledge that separated them.

Sorry, Gladdy, Morgan said as he hurried to retrieve the stream of yellow tickets fluttering down the hallway. The tiny room she occupied was no larger than a coatroom. It had been attached to the outer wall of the city clerk’s office eight years ago as a temporary parking meter department. Because it also blocked the hallway to the city clerk’s office, it was reasonable to expect better accommodations somewhere down the road. But in reality, its permanency was undeniable. Despite her organizational skills and careful planning, the multitude of paper overflowed into the lobby just inside the main entrance to the building. The main door’s opening and closing caused the inevitable vacuum and result.

Burr, its cold out there. It’s gonna be another bad winter, Gladdy. It already feels like January, he said as he stacked the loose papers back onto the pile.

Don’t talk like that, kid. I don’t think these old bones can take another year like last year, she said. Scientists were talking about a new ice age advancing on the horizon. The seventies had been unusually cold, and each year it seemed to be getting worse. There was even talk about placing a giant mirror in outer space to deflect light onto the earth to warm it up if worse came to worst. Gladys’s little office might as well have been right in the middle of the jet stream by the way the cold gusts streamed past her window. For her the ice age was already upon us.

Morgan approached the police department entrance and pushed his foot against the doorplate, but the door was locked. It was designed to open automatically when the doorplate was depressed, but it seldom worked as designed. Willoughby Hills City Hall was built in the 1800’s, and although it had served its citizens well, the place was falling into disrepair. The city clerk’s office and the police department occupied the lower level while the fire department personnel were housed on the second story. There was a third level, but it had been abandoned years ago and now collected artifacts and one lone enclosure designed as an evidence locker.

Collectively the three departments created a circus-like environment for locals who had to do business there. Enraged sewerage customers arguing discrepancies in their bills, belligerent motorists with parking tickets, and complaints about garbage pickups kept the hallways ringing. There was always a chance of being run over by firemen who were hurrying through the building responding to an alarm, but the police department was the topping on the cake. At least once a week some unruly arrestee had to be wrestled down the hallway from the booking room to the holding cell. Privacy was nonexistent in Willoughby Hills City Hall. It was hard for the average Willoughby Hills citizen to believe that conduct expected on a TV episode of Bad Boys could actually occur in their little town.

Morgan continued to stand at the entrance into the police department’s squad room. Theoretically, the malfunctioning lock was to release once the doorplate was depressed but as usual it was stuck. A buzzer had been installed to alert the communications officer when it failed. The com officer needed only to hit the remote switch to allow entrance. The system was to be known only to police personnel, but anyone in the lobby would figure it out the first time they saw it in operation. Ironically, the communications officer’s desk was situated in a location where all traffic into and out of the squad rooms could be monitored. Roy Helman was the communications sergeant on duty. He had been there since Abraham Lincoln was President, and was quite set in his ways.

Morgan had touched the doorplate with his foot and simultaneously lunged into the door trying to catch it just right, but each time he was denied. Roy avoided eye contact with Morgan for no other reason than stubbornness. Morgan threw up his hands and gaped at Roy who pretended not to see him. "How am I s’posed