Relationships and Secrets

Chapter 75

They walk out of the elevator into the lobby and go into the cafe.

Frost: I found someone who worked with Ulrich six years ago. He said he was a good guy but kept to himself.

Maura: Did he know what he'd been doing since he lost his job?

Frost: Someone on the plant floor said that they saw him go into a soup kitchen near the steelyard awhile back.
Word was he lost his house and was living out of a storage unit.

Maura: Did you check it out?

Frost: The unit was empty. Manager said he'd cleaned it out two days ago. I also went to the soup kitchen. Minister told me that he'd been in there last week. He was upbeat because he just landed a new job.

Maura: Where?

Frost: Minister didn't know. Can I get you a cup of coffee?

Maura: Yeah, sure.

Frost: Uh, decaf, right?

Maura: Frost.

Frost: Yeah?

Maura: I'm not the one who's pregnant. You can give me regular. But, don't worry about it because it's time to go to lunch.

She walks into the bullpen.

Korsak: We got a hit on the rifle. It belongs to John Brooks, a 39-year-old white male with a record of drunk and disorderly conduct and assault.

Maura: We have a current address?

Korsak: Yeah, D street in Southie.

Maura: I guess lunch will have to wait.

Korsak: Guess again.

In the Car on D Street In Southie

Maura: That's the best reuben I've ever had.

Korsak: Also is with the meat. O'Malley's cures their own corned beef.

Maura: Why do they call it corned beef? I mean, what's corn got to do with it?

A guy pulls up in a car.

Korsak: That's John Brooks' car.

Maura: And that looks like our guy.

They get out and walk to him.

Maura: I got him.

She grabs him and pins him to his car.
He groans.

Maura: Boston police.

Man: What the hell's going on?!

Korsak: Are you John Brooks?

Man: No. I'm Ralph Comstock.

He groans again and Maura gets his wallet and looks at his license.

Maura: That's what his license says.

Korsak: Why are you driving Brooks' car?

Ralph: We were roommates. I bought it from him. I just, uh, haven't gotten around to re-registering it.

Korsak: Where is he?

Ralph: John? I don't have any idea. That's why I called you guys a year ago.
That's when he went missing.

They take him to BPD.

R&I

At BPD:Interrogation Room

Ralph: I'm telling you, John's no killer.

Maura: Then how did his rifle end up at a murder scene?

Ralph: I don't know. But I know John. We we've been best friends since we were kids. We grew up in Southie, played Mighty Mites baseball together.

Maura: Well, then, you know about his criminal record. He's not exactly an altar boy.

Ralph: Sure, but that was because of his drinking. He cleaned up his act way before he went missing.

Maura: So, what happened a year ago?

Ralph: John got a new job. He was gonna be a caretaker on a farm.

Korsak: Who was he working for?

Ralph: I don't know.

Korsak: Where was the farm?

Ralph: I'm not sure.

Maura: Ah, come on. You got to do better than that.

Ralph: I wish I could. All I know is he answered an ad on the internet. He interviewed, got the job, packed up all of his stuff his clothes, his tools.

Maura: His rifle?

Ralph: Everything. He even took our Mighty Mites baseball trophy. Said it would remind him of the good times.

Maura: If he applied for a job online, whose computer did he use?

Ralph: We shared an old laptop.

Maura: Did he take it with him, or do you still have it?

Ralph: I have it. I spilled coffee on the keys. It fritzed up.

Maura: We're gonna need to see that.

Ralph: Sure. It's in the closet of my apartment.

Maura: What else can you tell us about John?

Ralph: (sighs) He loves dogs, pizza, hmm he's diabetic. Look, I know he made some bad choices, but I'm telling you, John Brooks was a good guy. Whatever you think he did, you're wrong.

In the Bullpen

Korsak: Both these guys are similar.
Both grew up in Southie, both out of work. Both down on their luck when they find a new job.

Maura: And then, one's dead and the other goes missing.

Frost: When did Ralph say that Brooks went missing?

Korsak: March 23rd, last year.

(computer beeps)

Frost: Shot alert recorded a single gunshot near Blackstone Park. Unit responded but didn't find anything.
It's a big park. I'll organize a team to search it tomorrow.

Maura: Alright. I guess that means we're done for the day.

Korsak: Well, there is one other thing we have to talk about.

He hands Maura a folder.

Maura: What's this?

Korsak: It's a file with the names and the service records of potential detectives for the squad.

Maura: What?

Korsak: Brass gave it to me this morning. Said we need another detective in homicide to help. I wanted you to have a say in it.

Jane: Okay. Why'd they give it to you and not have Cavanaugh pick.

Korsak: I don't know. I'll go organize the search for tomorrow.

He walks out. Jane comes upstairs. Her and Maura leave and go home.