Who Framed Tucker Randall?

Susannah arrived late in the morning in the police department and approached an African-American policewoman in her black uniform. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"Yes, I'd like to report a missing person. Do you think I can see George Costa?"
Walking across the hall, George looked down in the lobby to find Susannah and walked towards her. "Susannah?" he called. Susannah turned her attention to the detective and went to him. "It's ok, I got this," the detective told the policewoman at the desk.
"George, I'm glad you're here. I need to speak with you. My sister's missing. She was supposed to come at 8:30 for breakfast but she never showed up. I called her office building and got nowhere and I called my mom and friends. No one's seen her and I swung by her place Her door's locked and I don't see a sign of her. I'm worried, George."
"Ok, why don't you come down here in an interview room," George said, leading her into a room with glasses as he opened the door for her. "Take a seat. I'll be with you in a minute."
George closed the door and went across the hall into his office. Another officer glanced at Susannah in the interview room then stood by George's office door.
"Is that the murder victim's family?" he asked.
"Yeah, that's her sister," George said, grabbing up a file folder.
"How's she taking it?"
George shook her head. "I haven't told her yet, Andy." The detective went out of the office to go back into the interview room with Susannah. He took a seat across from her in front of a table.

"When did you notice she was missing? When was the last time you spoke to your sister?" George asked her, opening the file folder and clicking the pen in his hand.
"After you followed me home, I called her at her office building. I knew she'd be there, she's always working late after midnight. So I called her and she said she was on her way out and heading home. That's the last I heard of her."
George wrote some notes down. "What time was that?"
"Uh, it was close to 1:00. Maybe 12:45 or something. We agreed to have breakfast at my place and that's when I was waiting. She didn't show up so I got worried."
"What time was she supposed to come by your place?"
"I told her to come by at 8:30 this morning. I called everyone, even her office building but I got a recording, saying the building wasn't open for business. They were supposed to be open at 9:00."
"Where does she work?"
"At the Merle Norman Studios. They sell all kinds of cosmetics products. She's in management."

George flipped a paper over and pulled out a picture, showing it to Susannah. It was the same picture George found of her with her sister, Christy. "Is this her?"
Susannah examined the photo. "Yeah, where'd you find this?" she asked.
George closed the folder with a sigh. "Susannah, we got a call about a woman this morning from the Merle Norman Studios. The security guard arrived there at 8:00 this morning to inspect the building before they open business at 9:00." At that point, Susannah's heart rate went up, fearing for the worst then George continued. "When we got there, we looked into it and there was a woman covered with blood and she had a knife in her back."
George stopped for a quick second then Susannah's body went numb and her mind suddenly blanked. "I found this picture in your sister, Christy's office and the woman with blood all over her is the woman who was in that picture with you. Christy was discovered by the guard... and she was murdered approximately 1:00 this morning, only moments after you spoke to her on the phone."
At that moment, Susannah was so numb and she couldn't say anything right away. The event of how it could happen went into her mind before she talked again. "A knife?" Susannah asked, shakily, only able to let a couple words escape from her mouth.
"Your sister has been murdered."
"She's dead? You're saying my sister's dead?"
George nodded. "I'm sorry." He watched her reaction then Susannah looked back then put the photo back on the table and shook her head.
"Uh... wait a minute. This is a mistake. She got along with everyone. You must have it wrong, Christy couldn't be dead," Susannah said, her voice shaking.
"Susannah, the woman that was found is the one with you in that photo. I spoke with the director where Christy worked and he identified her as your sister and talked about you. He said he knows you, knows that you work at the strip club and that you came to see Christy often."
Susannah couldn't take the moment anymore as she started getting up as did George. "Um, I'm sorry, I have to go. I need to find out what's going on, it has to be a mistake, no one would kill her." Susannah headed for the door.
"Susannah," George started, walking after her.
"No!" Susannah snapped at him. "No, no, she's not dead! How could she be?" she started sobbing.
"I'm sorry, Susannah," George said, putting his hands on her then Susannah had her hands up against George.
"No!! No, no, George! No!" Susannah burst out, crying hysterically as she went down to her knees with George when he gently wrapped his arms around her. Susannah wept in his chest. "No! No.... oh, Christy..." Susannah sobbed. George tried to calm her down, gently stroking the mourning sister on the back.

It had taken Susannah nearly 45 minutes before she could mostly composed herself then she asked where she can find a phone to call her mother. George directed her to a phone then Susannah went up closer to the lobby to find a pay phone. Another officer, Andy went to George who was heading back to his office as he noticed Susannah picking up the phone. "Is she gonna be ok?" Andy asked.
George sighed, sitting back behind his desk. "I don't know. She and the victim were very close so you can imagine how devastated she is."
Andy crossed his arms across his chest, leaning on the door. "Yeah, I can. It never gets easier telling a person that a family member had died... especially when they've been murdered and they're gone so unexpectedly."
"Yeah, I had that feeling when my uncle told me my parents were dead."
"Automobile accident four years ago, right?"
"Yeah. They slid on the ice and slammed into the telephone pole just off the interstate."
"Right, right," Andy nodded. "Well, I wonder what strip club Susannah's working at. I knew there was new one, just opened."
"Yeah, it's the new one called the Dancers Club. She works there."
"She told you right before you gave her the news?"
"No, I just met her last night at the club when she was working. It's funny that I'm seeing her again the next morning about her sister. She seemed very nice and sexy and now... her sister's gone. I met her when some bastard attacked her. I think he tried to rape her."
"Did she file a sexual assault report?"
George shook his head. "She didn't want to. She just wanted to call her sister and go to sleep. That was the last she heard of her sister, they were gonna have breakfast at Susannah's place when Susannah waited up for Christy and she didn't show up."
"You know, George, I never heard of you talk of a woman and call her sexy."
George paused for a minute, looking at Andy, uncomfortably. "Well, she's a strip dancer. All strip dancers are sexy."
"Think you can handle this murder case of this woman's sister?"
"Sure, I can. Hey, I know how to keep it professional. Her sister has nothing to do with how I feel about a strip dancer. I mean, she danced and stripped for me. What am I supposed to feel?" Andy looked at George with a doubtful expression then George stood up, closer to Andy. "I'm gonna keep it professional and I plan to keep a boundary between us. I have my feelings but I'm not gonna let it show."
"You better not. You can't get involved with a family member whose sister's murder case that you're investigating."
"I know, Andy, I know. I can handle it, trust me."
Andy put a hand on the detective's shoulder. "Alright, if you're sure."

Susannah went back to Andy and George in George's office with tears smeared over her cheeks as she sniffed, with a tissue in her hand. "Everything ok?" George asked.
Susannah shook her head. "Uh, no, my mom's falling apart and I'm gonna go over later on. Um, I'm in no condition to call them and I don't know the numbers but can you call the cab company? I can just leave my car here and come back and pick it up later, can't I? I just can't drive right now."
"You don't have to call a cab. I'll drive you back to your place," George offered.
"How are you gonna come back here?" Susannah asked.
"I can followed you guys in a police car and bring George back," Andy suggested to them.
"Thanks, Andy,"

George and Andy grabbed their coats and George got in Susannah's car to drive her back to her house while Andy followed them in a police car. As George pulled up in Susannah's driveway, he turned off the engine then looked at Susannah. "Want me to walk you to your door?"
Susannah nodded then they got out and George told Andy that he would be back in a minute to ride back to the police station. George walked Susannah to her door then Susannah unlocked her house.
"Are you gonna be alright? Is there anything I can do?" George asked.
"Uh, no, I just have to get some things done. I have to call the funeral home and get things arranged and that kinda thing. First, I have to call work and let them know I can't work for a while."
"Alright. Well, you can call if you need anything."
"Thanks."
George started to walk away then he turned back, handing her the car key. "Might want to have this. And uh..." George continued, reaching in his pocket for a picture. "Thought you'd like to keep this." He handed her the picture of her with Christy. Susannah started to feel tears in her eyes again when she saw her sister in the picture.
"Thanks," Susannah said quietly, her voice cracking.
"Did Christy get along with everyone?"
Susannah looked up at George. "Yeah, she was easy to get along with. I mean, she got out of a bad relationship three months ago but she seemed to be getting over that."
"Your doctor?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?"
"Christy's director, Mr. Whiteford told us. Do you know what happened?"
"Well sure I do. He was seperated from his wife and he was planning to back to her. Christy said she was going to tell his wife about them because she got tired of it being a secret."
"Dr. Randall didn't want her to tell his wife then?"
"Well, he wasn't crazy about it... but he understood how she felt. He asked her not to tell his wife and Christy said she'd back off but she was really broken-hearted."
George nodded, fixing a look on Susannah then Susannah knew from his expression, he was suspecting her doctor. "George, I know Tucker and have known him for over 30 years. He loved Christy and cared about her. He wouldn't do anything to hurt her."
"Ok."
"So you'll do your best to find out who did it?"
"Absolutely. I'm gonna go back and check on a few things. I"ll call if I know anything new that might interest you."
"Thanks, George."
George nodded then started walking away to the police car Andy was driving. Susannah stood there, looking at George for a second before walking into the house. The two officers drove away in the car out of the driveway. Susannah walked into her bedroom and climbed into her bed as she studied the photo of her and Christy again. Susannah felt herself sobbing. "Oh, Christy... who's done this to you?" she said quietly.