CHAPTER 2

Det. Wilson put a lot of time and effort into going through the missing-person files. He got in touch with the Missing Persons Bureau of the New York City Police Department to see if any white females with the general height, weight, and age description of his victim had been reported missing in New York City either just before or just after the body parts were discovered, but the chances seemed remote without fingerprints or a face. He certainly spent the following few days searching Vinegar Hill for hints. Nobody recalled anything unusual that they saw or heard.

Then, as if by magic, an unstoppable lead struck. He received a call from the 52nd PCT informing him that two ladies who had lately been reported missing and fit the basic description of his victim were Lillian Schaefer, age 61, of Queens, and Mary Jordan, age 61, of the Bronx. Det. Wilson decided on Mary Jordan because her description matched that of his victim despite Schaefer's height and weight being drastically different from that of his victim. The detective in charge of looking into Mary Jordan's disappearance was then summoned, and he requested that he perform a brief check on Mary Jordan. During this investigation, it was found that Mary Jordan maintained a real estate company in the Bronx at 3070 Bainbridge Avenue and had assisted Aleksa Vidic and Vitro Matic in a child custody dispute by translating in court. The police discovered she had a brother named Alesandro, who was then a representative of an American corporation in Europe, and a sister named Amanda, who lived in Chicago, despite the fact that her style of life suggested she had no known relatives. Amanda was approached by the police. So she got in touch with Alesandro.

 * * *

At 10.00 a.m., Det. Wilson set up a meeting with Amanda, Victoria Leith, and himself at Victoria Leith's residence. Johnson Edmond, who identified himself as Amanda's son, joined them. A shared coffee table was positioned between two white seating pieces in this tidy living room that were only for the comfort of four. As a result of window views, the furniture's hue imitates that of the walls. Accent cushions on the seating pieces were highlighted by an area rug with a pretty pattern. Flickering fireplace flames and window-framed vistas took center stage, and they served as the cue for the big standing TV that was mounted above the fireplace and extended from wall to wall. On the table, Victoria set a pot of boiling coffee and poured herself a cup. Det. Wilson introduced himself as she took a seat next to the others.

You understand why we are here. He took a mouthful of coffee and swallowed. "There is a lot we need to do right away to solve this riddle, crack this case, and find the murderer before it's too late. I need any and all information you can give me about this situation. Nothing is too trivial to know. Mary's missing-person report was created by you, Mrs. Leith. What kind of connection did you have with her?"

"She was one of my closest friends," Mrs. Leith lamented. Det. Wilson pulled out his journal and started taking notes.

"When did you discover she was missing, exactly?"

The 17th of September. My acquaintance and her neighbor called me to let me know that Mary hadn't been seen since September 14th. Mary was my closest pal. I contacted Lola, a resident of the floor above Mary's store, and she confirmed that Mary didn't open on Friday, the 14th. She usually opened for business on business days, so it was unusual. Additionally, Lola claimed that Mary and she had a scheduled business meeting on that day. He continued by saying that Mary missed several other people's appointments in addition to their own, so she didn't only miss their appointment."

"What more did Mary's neighbor whom you mentioned tell you?"

"Nothing else she said was really significant. We are all aware of Mary's daily ritual of taking her dogs for three walks. She stated that she had previously advised her, just like she had done with her pals that she should be searched for if ever she wasn't seen any day walking the dogs. "

'Never would I allow my dogs to go hungry.' The neighbor phoned me when Mary skipped her morning stroll and the dog began to scream.

Det. Wilson nodded while grinning.

He remarked, "This is very considerate of her."

"What else did you accomplish?"

"I reasoned that Mary might perhaps still be in the area. So I organized a gathering of her friends so we could look around the area for her 1989 Plymouth Voyager. On September 18, we practically spent the entire day doing this, but to no avail. On the 19th, I believed that going to the police and filing a report was my only remaining alternative. I made the report there after traveling to the 52nd PCT."

"Now there's a problem, sighed Det. Wilson. There must be a link between Mary and those physical components. The victim's identity is blatantly unknown without her head and hands. And how can we track down the murderer if we don't know who the victim is? Everything we do will be completely pointless and meaningless."

"Mary shattered her left ankle two years ago," Amanda said. "Additionally, she underwent surgery to remove a cyst from her thigh ten years earlier. She was probably seen at Montefiore Hospital, I think."

"Oh, how lovely! Det. Wilson gurgled stealthily. This meeting is not at all a waste of time. Everyone is appreciated for their input. I'll give you updates as the investigations progress."

Det. Wilson hurried to the Bronx, New York's Montefiore Hospital after leaving the conference. He left his car parked in the hospital's lot and went to the front desk. He was shown to the registrar at the front desk, who took him to the hospital records division after a protracted conversation with him. Mary's medical file was located after a search by the registrar and record keeper. According to Mary's medical history, she previously underwent surgery to remove a cyst from her left thigh, the same leg whose ankle had been broken two years prior. Det. Wilson got copies of the x-ray images used to treat Mary Jordan's broken left leg as well as the medical records used to document her surgical removal of a benign cyst.

Dr. French at the Kings County Morgue received the films and documents from Det. Wilson. Mary's left leg needed a second x-ray, so Dr. French returned to the mortuary. Dr. Jonathan Arden, the director of the Kings County Morgue, and he compared the new x-rays to the ones Det. Wilson had brought from Montefiore Hospital when he reappeared with them. Both Dr. French and Dr. Jonathan Arden came to the same safe conclusion that the body parts found in the different garbage bags on that fateful day from different locations in the Bronx were those of Mary Beal based on the location and shape of the fracture as well as the distinctive six-inch long scar on her leg from the removal of a cyst. Det. Wilson was then brought down to the mortuary where Dr. French showed him the six-inch scar where the cyst had been removed from Mary's left leg.

 * * *

Mary told Sofija, Vitro's sister, "Vitro makes me very sad. Nobody ever hurt me so badly in my life."

"Mary, calm down. This time, what is it?" Sofija queried.

"Why won't your brother repay the loan? Is he abusing me in some way? Is he mistaking my kindness and compassion for a sign of weakness?" Mary groaned. "And more importantly, why has he started drinking these days? Does he have anything to conceal from me?"

"I've always warned you about my brother, Mary, haven't I? My brother is enigmatic and erratic; a man with a volatile temperament who once flung a woman outside from the fifth story! Such a man is inappropriate for you. He'll eliminate you. I've always been curious about your opinion on him. Break things off if he hurts you. Period! Sue him and get your money back."

By 00.15 that morning, Mary and Nadja departed Sofija's home. Prior to heading to her own house, she was supposed to drive Nadja home. The dirty one, Mary thought, as Nadja sat next to her in the front seat.

Nadja's only emotion toward Mary was envy. She was pondering the woman who owned this Voyager, owned her own home, owned a real estate company, and worked as a court translator in addition to speaking Serbo-Croatian, English, and four other languages. She even lent Vitro $10,000, which he used to purchase our own home! If only I were half as good as she was! She was making plans.

Nadja remarked in Sabo-Croatian, "Mary, there's something I want to discuss with you."

Mary continued, "Yes, darling," looking startled. Mary called everyone darling. I'm interested in hearing whatever you have to say.

"Can we have a private conversation in your home? But in truth, I'm starving right now.

"Anything you want, darling," Mary said. She then took her vehicle to a neighboring restaurant, where she placed an order for roasted sweet potato, Kale, and black bean enchiladas, while Nadja placed an order for crock-pot garlic parmesan potatoes. Mary paid the bill by 00.40 hours, and they immediately drove to her home on East Moshulu Parkway North.

While Mary was making coffee, Nadja sat in the living room. Mary must be worth millions of dollars, Nadja reasoned after mentally weighing Mary's living room. Mary turned on the electric fireplace and the massive TV to the left of the fireplace as Nadja began to sip her coffee. Mary left the room and went to the restroom.

She wore a nightgown and came out of her bedroom invigorated after approximately 20 minutes.

"Nadja, you may now go take a shower and change," she said. "My bedroom is beyond that door over there, next to the restroom. Put on something that makes you feel comfortable."

"Thank you," Nadja said before stumbling into the restroom.

She sipped more coffee before entering her wet bar and preparing some drinks.

She drank and changed the TV to a different station just in time to see the late episode of her favorite soap opera, Another Life.

She soon found herself in the drama's romantic scene. She was so engrossed in her laughter and the joy and calm radiating from her face that she failed to notice Nadja, who was sitting next to her and smiling like an angel at her while wearing her red pajamas. She didn't begin until Nadja spoke to her in Serbo-Croatian and asked about the drama. She swore to herself that Nadja was a character she would never be able to comprehend. She was deep, secretive, and quiet, with soft manners. Without being talked to, she would never speak. She had never heard her talk without being spoken to first, until today. She appeared shabby, sluttish, and grumpy at times, and clean, lovely, and good-natured at other times, as she did this evening. She didn't smile often, but when she did, she shone with the perfection of heavenly beauty. People like her, who teetered between the heavenly and the infernal extremes of passion, might be unpredictable and hence potentially dangerous. Nadja was a Muslim woman from Albania who had recently wedded Vitro Matic, a Muslim acquaintance of Mary's who ran a cab company. Mary first met Vitro when she served as the court interpreter in a child custody dispute between Vitro and Aleksa, a former spouse of Vitro's. Vitro and Nadja came from Montenegro.

To be fair, Nadja was a tall, slim, and stunning woman with an oval face, wide-set grey eyes, a narrow, long, straight nose, and flowing lips. Her long, curly, dark hair was usually carelessly pulled back from her shoulders and was typically covered by her hijab, but not today. Whether she decided to wear a hijab or burka at any given time, it made a huge difference to how she looked and behaved.

Mary called her darling and attempted a smile before telling her about the drama. "I have always secretly admired you," Nadja concluded. You're a really cheerful, outgoing, and friendly woman. You're warm and extremely accomplished. We weren't used to getting along well, but now we can be friends. I want to socialize with you, be friends with you, and act honorably like you.

Mary gave her a bear hug and a kiss on the head, saying, "Oh, darling, "you amaze me. Why not? I had no idea you're such an angel. I used to think of you as a distant, irascible, reserved, and taciturn woman – anything, but amiable and gregarious. I agree to be your friend. What a totally unexpected change is here! Mary cried, "I feared we'd never get along.

I really like and admire you, Nadja chuckled. That, in my opinion, explains the situation. I believe I too grew weary of acting rudely while I watched you celebrate with Sofija. I reasoned, 'Why not me?' I just need to get rid of my antisocial side."

"Ha ha!" Mary chuckled. Isn't that how you are?

Pointing to Mary's glass, Nadja mumbled, "I want to drink."

She was shown to the wet bar by Mary, who pointed out her preferred drinks. She then mixed a strong drink for herself and her pal.

Nadja thought, "I'm not so good at strong drinks, but I want to learn." She drank a bit.

The telephone rang.

Mary quickly reached the stand and raised the receiver.

"How are you doing, mom?" She said in the mouthpiece.

"Over here, everything is fine. How are you, my love?" It was Mrs. Emilia Erikson, her mother.

"I'm good. Everything is alright, the usual things. Nothing has altered. How are Johnny and Lena?"

Johnny has gone to work, Lena back to school. Do you call Laura? How is she?" Mrs. Erikson asked.

"Mom, I'm sure she's alright. She rarely returns my calls and never calls. She believes she can take care of herself now that she is a big girl. You shouldn't be concerned about her in any way," Mary assured her.

"Oh, today's girls should exercise extreme caution! Mrs. Erikson bemoaned. "Laura shouldn't continue in this manner. Her recklessness makes me sad. I hope she changes for the better."

"Hopefully she does. As a mother, I'll always try my utmost for her. I'm afraid there won't be much I can do if she rejects me again. You are aware of my love for her."

"Yes, I do. Don't give up on her, though. Keep up your prayers for her. I'll continue to pray for all my children. Frank sent me some money last week. He's doing extremely well. I hope you guys still get along well."

"Yes, mom, we talk quite a lot. He says he'll visit next summer."

"Excellent! He told you that? I can't wait to have all of you come together again!"

"Mom, I hope you still take your medications as directed and get the recommended amount of sleep? Don't get yourself worked up again, please. Stop worrying about us. We're fine, ok."

"O.K. I'll remember that. Have a good night."

"Good night." Mary hung up.

Mary returned and smiled. "That was my mother. Good, go ahead and drink if you feel like it. You can drink as much as you want and go to bed because we're at home.

Nadja nodded. "We have every reason to be friends," she said, after taking a swig.

Mary leaned back, made an interjection, and looked her over.

"Yes, I have something that you really desire, and you also have something that I need," Nadja said. She couldn't believe she said it. She was relishing her Dutch courage. "Any justification why we shouldn't be the closest of friends?"

"Ugh!" Mary sensed blackmail. She thought, as her eyes widened and her nerves jumped, "She has something I want? Was she possibly being serious?"

Mary took two long draughts to soothe her tense nerves. She shrugged and seemed to concentrate on the TV show she was watching. You also have something that I need. How would that work?

After finishing her drink, Nadja strutted up to the wine cabinet to get a new one. She said, "I know you and Vitro love each other," as she stumbled back. "Therefore, it's time for you two to quit playing hide and seek like some bunch school children."

Mary was clearly agitated.

"How did you find out?"

"Hahaha!" Nadja chuckled. I frequently secretly listened to your phone chats.

"I got enchanted with the way you talk and think you're someone worth being intimate with. To be sure, you're not away from the person I imagined you were. I like to know everything about people when I'm interested in them," Nadja remarked hesitantly, her eyes dour.

Mary apologized, "Here we are now, but to say we adore each other is not totally accurate. I enjoy him. That's given. Vitro, however, adores anything that is dressed in a skirt or a blouse. That's the difference. I only enjoy him in bed."

They both giggled.

"We are a Muslim family, Nadja reminded Mary. Muslim ladies are considerate to other female family members. We can halt all of his promiscuity and make him adore only us if you and I work together."

Do you believe that's possible? To be honest, I don't believe Vitro's promiscuity can be reined. Any man who womanizes like Vitro, without the least compunction, cannot be controlled."

"It's entirely feasible, Sadija stated. He loves you, I know, and wants to win your favor. He adores every aspect of you, but he's not sure how to get you to understand it. We discuss you frequently at home."

"Hmmm. Do you really think that? Why then does he not want to repay the loan I gave to him? Why does he run around with women so much, knowing that I hate it? Have you not noticed that he drinks excessively these days?"

"I believe that you should get closer because of this. The door is now completely open."

"Thanks. But I'm not promising anything. I'll only go with you and enjoy myself and then see how it goes. That all I can promise you now."

"You'll leave your car in our garage and spend the day with us after you drive me home in the morning. You should be willing to put your new relationship ahead of your day's work. Every minute is worthwhile."

"What?" Mary yelled in alarm. "Darling, you are aware that your request borders on absurdity and complete madness, right? I must go to work. I have a lot of appointments that cannot be passed up. In any event, I'll let you know my thoughts later this morning, what and what I'll be able to do. Is that all right?"

 "It's okay, Nadja said with a smile. Mary gave her a kiss. She thought, "I have nothing but respect for this woman, and I won't call her dirty any longer."

 * * *

When Mary backed her Voyager out of the garage, she realized one of her windows wasn't latched. "Darling, did you really believe a busy woman like me would be able to spend the whole working day with you guys?" she questioned Nadja. This is really naughty of me. In the past 20 years, I have never left my house or missed a day of work. I have a long list of appointments today, so I'm really busy. You can see that I have left my window open and that I am missing my spectacles and meds. Well, the fact that I'm doing this is all because you. In all honesty, I'll not be able to spend more than 2 hours with you. I'll accompany you upstairs, but I want to get to work before 10 a.m. I've re-scheduled two appoints.

Nadja laughed joyously, her eyes sparkling.

After backing out of the driveway and into Pelham Parkway, Mary trod on the gas. A burka-clad lady raced up to the car and started banging on the roof with a heavy stick while screaming, "Fuck you, asshole! Fuck you asshole!"

"What?" Mary yelled as she peered through the window. "Are you insane?" She quickly added pressure on the gas pedal and the Voyager surged forward, out of the reach of the crackpot.

"Who's that? Do you know her?" Mary screamed.

"Aleksa, Vitro's ex-wife. She always believes that I hire ladies for Vitro and that I am the reason he hasn't re-married her in spite of all her efforts."

"Awww..!" Mary screamed. "I feel bad for the poor lady. Why is she here this early?"

"I have no idea. In a way, I also feel bad for her. But I won't put up with her threats any longer. I believe she went too far this time. I'll inform the 49th PCT about her.

* * *

Det. Wilson responded to 220 E. 201 Street in the Bronx after receiving a report of an order of protection violation in the 49th PCT. There didn't seem to be anyone home when he got there. However, he rang the doorbell several times. When nobody answered, he moved to the neighbor's house at 218 E. 201 and pressed the doorbell. A man who introduced himself as Sammy Chuna answered the door and let him in.

"Are you familiar with the neighbors at 220?"

"Yes, I do know them, Chuna said."

They left a few weeks ago.

Do you recognize them by name?

"Joe is the name of the man. The name of the wife sounds like Nadije."

Then Det. Wilson produced some images of Mary Jordan, Vitro, Nadja, and Aleksa Matic. Chuna recognized the image of Vitro, the man he called Joe, as the home's owner right away. The images of Aleksa or Nadja didn't look familiar to him. However, he was able to identify Mary Jordan in the picture as the broker who had assisted him in finding his own house.

Chuna acknowledged, "I've also seen Mary enter Joe's residence a few times."

"How long have you known Joe?" demanded Det. Wilson.

"While Joe purchased the other apartment and moved in with his wife in July of 1990, I purchased my home and moved into it in June of that year."

"When was the last time you saw them?"

"A couple of weeks ago. Joe and his wife recently relocated. It's not like they moved out or something. It appears as though they simply left for a store and never returned."

Det Wilson showed Chunna a calendar he brought out of his briefcase. He enquired if he could be more explicit about when he last saw Joe. Joe picked up the calendar and started reading it. He then had an epiphany.

He exclaimed, "I remember it now vividly. "On Saturday, September 15, my son celebrated his birthday. I wanted to pull jokes on him. Around 22:00, I recall sneaking into my backyard to hide his birthday present. In his own backyard, I saw Joe. He greeted me with "Hello!" and we chatted briefly.

"Have you ever observed any movements inside or outside of his home since then?"

"A few days ago, my door was pounded on. I let a black man in by opening the door. He warned me that there would be some noise since the flooring at 220 E. 201 Street was going to be sanded," Chuna said.

"Did anyone notice the name of the business that completed the work?"

Chuna's wife jumped in, saying, "Yes."

I noticed a white van with "NEW YORK FLOOR" written in either blue or black letters on the side of the vehicle. I don't remember what else came after the word FLOOR, she said stutteringly.

Det. Wilson's investigation had evolved into a search for Vitro by the end of September. Chunna claimed to have last seen him last on September 15. About that time, he and his wife Nadja went to the store and never came back. That period also, Vitro hired a construction foreman from the Bronx to sand and refinish the floors in his home. The contractor demanded the living room furniture as payment when the job was finished and there was still a balance due because Vitro and Nadja had left.