Chapter 644
Luke picked up his cell phone and the contact shown on the screen was named Sharon Frank.
Luke pressed the answer button and put it to his ear to listen as a woman’s voice came from the opposite side of the phone, “Thank God, Ellie, you finally answered the phone.
If you hadn’t answered the phone, I was going to call the police, haha.
Are you feeling better?
Seeing that you didn’t show up today, I’ve taken your vacation time, so you don’t have to worry about the old woman asking you to talk to her alone.”
Luke didn’t reply.
The other end of the phone said, “Ellie, do you hear me?”
“I’m sorry, I’m not Ellie Bergman.”
The girl was surprised, “Who are you? Why do you have Ellie’s cell phone?”
“I’m a police officer.”
“The police? What happened? Why do you have Ellie’s cell phone?”
“Ellie Bergman is dead.”
“Jesus Christ, are you kidding me?
Just give Ellie her cell phone and stop this hateful prank, it’s not funny.”
“I’m serious, are you a friend of Ellie Bergman’s?”
“Yes, we went to school together, the close kind.”
“You’re at school now?”
“Yes.”
“Is Ellie sick?”
“Yesterday, we had a date to hang out.
In the evening, we went to see her and she said she wasn’t feeling well.”
“What time did you go to her house at night?”
“Around nine o’clock.”
“Was there anyone else besides you?”
“Marissa Hocking, she was in our class too, but not in the same class.”
“Are you all at school now?”
“Yes.”
“I will be coming to your school in a few minutes to ask some questions about Ellie Bergman, do you need me to contact your guardian?”
“No, I’ll let them know.” Sharon Frank sighed and choked out, “I still can’t believe …… Ellie is really dead?”
“I’m sorry about that too.” Luke finished and hung up his cell phone.
Blackie asked, “Why don’t you let them talk to the police station?”
Luke asked back, “Do you think her parents would be willing to let her go to the police station to assist in the investigation?
Besides, I didn’t just go to the school to talk to her.”
The footprints that Luke found by the window sill were suspicious, and by analyzing them the owner of the footprints was a male between the ages of fifteen and eighteen, and there was a high probability that this person could be a classmate or friend of Ellie Bergman’s who attended Malaboia High School.
After the tech team arrived on the scene, Luke barked a few words of advice and then rushed to Malaboa Middle School with Blackie.
Ten minutes later, Luke and Blackie drove to Malaboa Middle School.
Ramon and Jenny also rushed over to meet them.
Luke was no stranger to this school, having investigated a school homicide here before, and he made quite a splash.
Blackie chatted with the doorman for a few minutes, and the four of them walked into the campus without any problems.
Compared to the last time, this time the school’s cameras and security personnel increased significantly, after entering the campus Luke four people were once again subjected to screening.
Luke didn’t really care, the school’s security did its job and avoided some unnecessary trouble.
“Hey Luke.”
Luke had just walked under the school building when he heard a familiar voice.
A small, fat boy carrying a blue school bag walked up to him.
“Oh, if it isn’t my dear brother.” Luke sized up the little chubby guy, wondering if it was psychological, it felt like his face had lost some weight again.
“Hey Detective Marcus, can I borrow your partner for a few minutes?”
“Sure, you guys talk.” Black answered with a smile and turned to Luke, “We’ll meet you out front.”
Luke nodded, “What can I do for you my dear brother?”
“Uh …… the day you invited me to the ball game ……,” the little fat man stammered, wanting to speak.
“What’s wrong?” Luke glanced at his watch, “If you’re not in a hurry you can talk about it tonight, I have work to do.”
“I said, did you invite Maggie to watch the game with you the other night?”
Luke was a little surprised, “How did you know Maggie was at the game?”
“I just knew.” Fatty didn’t want to say he saw it on TV.
“It’s been a couple days, you’re still pretty stoic.” Luke laughed, “I was a little upset when you rejected me that day, so I didn’t bother inviting anyone else, so I went alone.
Before the ball started, I saw Maggie getting into an argument with someone, so I went over to help.
Then, when she realized you weren’t coming, there happened to be an empty seat, so she sat down.”
“Wait, who did Maggie get into an altercation with? A guy or a girl?”
“Nothing major, it was an argument with her aunt, and after the show broke up, she followed her aunt home.”
“Aunt?
How come I didn’t know she had an aunt?”
Luke shrugged, “I didn’t ask.
Maybe her aunt came to LA around the time you guys broke up.”
The chubby guy was a little lost, “Yea, we really haven’t been in touch in a long time.”
Luke said, “I invited you, and if you had been at the ball game that day, it would have been the two of you sitting together.”
“Yes, you did invite me, but you invited me to go see Laker Girl with you.”
Luke smiled, “The Laker Girls were really good the other night, I should go again.
Do you want to come along?”
Chubby waved his hand, “I don’t want to talk about it right now, not in the mood.”
“OK, then you’d better study hard and fulfill mom’s dream of getting into the Ivy League soon.”
“You’d better kill me.” The little fat man grunted and asked back, “What are you doing at our school?”
“That’s so nice of my brother to remember to care about me now.” Luke teased.
“Actually, I know even if you don’t tell me, you must be here to investigate the case, who died this time?
Teacher?
A student?
Could it be the principal?
Geez, that’s big news.”
Luke grunted, “It’s none of your business, better think about your grades.”
Luke was about to leave when he was stopped by the little fat man again, “Hey, old man.”
“What’s up?”
“If, and I mean if, you invite Maggie to an NBA game, do you think she’ll go?”
“I’m busy as hell, why would I invite her to a ball game?”
“Let’s say I was there that night, maybe the two of us could have a nice chat.”
“I don’t want to get involved in your little kids’ relationships, give me a break, old man, please.”
“This could be about my happiness for the rest of my life, are you going to stand by and do nothing? My dear brother.”
“Are you sure it’s the rest of your life and not the rest of your body?” Luke waved and left.
The chubby little man shouted, “You’re the one who likes to see the Laker Girls, not me.”
The four of Luke found Ellie Bergman’s teacher, a white woman in her forties with short shoulder-length hair, dressed in formal attire and looking somewhat serious.
Luke explained the reason for his visit.
The teacher raised her glasses and sighed, “I heard from Sharon and was a little disbelieving.
Ellie is a good student, she is still so young ……
God shouldn’t have taken her away so early, it’s so unfair.”
Luke offered, “Sharon Frank and another student, Marissa Hocking, were good friends of Ellie’s, and I’d like to talk to them.”
“That’s fine on my end, but only with their guardian’s permission.”
“OK.”
Half an hour later Luke met Sharon Frank and her father in a classroom.
Jenny and Raymond were in the next classroom talking to Marissa Hocking.
Sharon was also a white girl, tall, wearing a white jersey and light blue jeans.
She seemed to have just cried and her eyes were a little red.
Her father, a middle-aged man in a suit with meticulously combed hair, looked down at his watch and whispered something else to Sharon Frank.
He then looked over at Luke, “Officer, may we begin?”
Luke nodded, “Sir, you are Sharon Frank’s father?”
“That’s right, my name is Aled Frank.”
“Thank you for taking your valuable time to assist the police in their investigation.”
Aled Frank nodded, “I’ve met the girl and she often plays with my daughter.
They were very good friends.
It’s too bad.
I’d like to do something for her too.”
Luke looked at Sharon Frank again, “You met Ellie Bergman last night?”
“Yes.”
“What was her condition? Was there anything different than usual?”
Sharon Frank recalled for a few moments and said, “We had a date last night, so Marissa and I drove over to her.
Her mother wasn’t home and she was alone.
Originally, we had arranged to go to Marisa’s house together to spend the night, but Ellie said she wasn’t feeling well and wasn’t going.
Marissa and I were a little disappointed, but didn’t push it and left.”
“What time did you leave?”
“We arrived around nine and didn’t stay long, we must have left in less than ten minutes.”
“Where did you go?”
Sharon Frank’s eyes flickered and she paused for a moment, “To Marissa’s.”
“What kind of transportation did you take?”
“A blue Tesla sedan.”
Luke recorded, “What did you do at Marissa Hocking’s house?”
“Didn’t do much, took a shower, talked about school for a while, and went to bed.”
Luke felt as if the other woman was hiding something and tried, “Ellie was sick and her mother wasn’t home.
Why don’t you guys stay at her house for the night and still take care of her.”
Sharon Frank licked her lips, “We didn’t want to interfere with her rest.”
Luke pressed, “Or maybe there was another reason?”
Sharon Frank looked at her father and shook her head.
Luke also looked aside at Aled Frank, “Mr. Frank, could you give me a moment alone with your daughter.”
“Why? Is there something I can’t know?
I don’t think that’s necessary.” Aled Frank shrugged with no intention of leaving.
Luke pressed, “Did you see anyone suspicious around Allie’s house that night?”
“No.”
“Do you think Ellie was really uncomfortable, or was it something else?”
“I felt like she was in pretty good shape and it wasn’t serious enough to leave.
Besides, she felt a little different that night.”
“What was different?”
“I can’t say. ……”
“Does Ellie have a boyfriend?”
“I don’t think so as far as I know, but she has a great personality and good looks, and she has quite a few suitors.”
“Can you tell the names of those suitors?”
“Bolko Cooper, Yann Columbus, those two should still be courting her these days.”
Aled Frank asked coldly, “Do you have suitors, dear?”
Sharon Frank rolled her eyes, “I refuse to answer that.”
“How is Ellie’s relationship with her mother?”
Sharon Frank frowned slightly, “As far as I know, they’re not on very good terms, Ellie hates her mother’s new boyfriend, and always thinks he looks at her strangely.
But her mother doesn’t believe it and is obsessed with her new boyfriend, and a while back, mother and daughter had a huge fight over it.”
“You know about Ellie calling the police about the domestic violence?”
“Yes, I think this matter is more complicated, Ellie’s mom didn’t hit her, but ……
sometimes her mom gets cold feet and Allie hates it.
She loves her mom, she just doesn’t know how to show it.”
Aside, Aled Frank reminded, “Honey, calling the police is not the right way to express love.
Effective communication is.”
“I know, Dad.”
Luke handed Sharon Frank a business card, “Feel free to contact me if you remember any new leads.”
“OK,” Sharon had just taken the business card when Aled Frank, who was next to her, took it away, “I’ll keep it for you so you don’t lose it.”
Aled Frank then stood up, “Officer, can we leave now?”
“Sure.” Luke escorted the two out of the classroom.
After a while, the teachers opened up next to them.
Jenny and Ramon finished their questioning as well, and Marissa Hocking left, accompanied by her mother.
The four of Luke gathered together to compare notes on the questioning.
Sensing that Sharon Frank was hiding something, Luke asked, “Tell us about their whereabouts last night?”
Jenny said, “According to Marissa Hocking’s description, they arrived at Ellie Bergman’s house last night around nine o’clock and were supposed to go to Sharon Frank’s house together, but Ellie wasn’t feeling well and didn’t go.
Afterward, Marissa and Sharon drove to Sharon Frank’s to spend the night.”
“A sleepover at Sharon Frank’s house?” Black raised a thick eyebrow, “But when we questioned Sharon, she said she went to Marissa Hocking’s house to spend the night.
What exactly did the two of them do that night?”