made contact with Bloodsworth and that Bloodsworth had acted nervous. When Capel and Ramsey got word, they arranged to meet Cottom the next day.
W EDNESDAY , A UGUST 8 was another scorcher. The sun rose large and pulsing over the town of Cambridge and quickly baked hot the black macadam asphalt of the streets. There was nobreeze, and the flat river simmered in the heat. The air was thick and sultry.
Kirk had hooked back up with Tommy Tyler the previous night, and the two stayed up late smoking pot, drinking beer, and listening to music. He slept till noon and was still groggy when he fixed himself a sandwich in Roseâs kitchen. His clothes were disheveled, and he soaked his shirt through with sweat before he finished eating. In the kitchen, he rolled a joint, stuffed the redbud back in his sneaker, got stoned, then went outside for a look around. He was more than surprised when Detective Cottom pulled up again, this time accompanied by a heavyset detective heâd never seen before.
Robert Capel introduced himself. He told Kirk that he wanted to talk to him about a missing persons report his wife had filed. Capel was polite. He seemed nice enough. He then said he also wanted to ask Kirk about the murder of a little girl at Fontana Village, near Baltimore. And he said heâd like to take a Polaroid of Kirk.
Kirk realized for the first time that they might be thinking that he had something to do with that murder in Baltimore. Heâd heard about it, as had everybody. Heâd also seen the composite and knew it favored him some. But this . . . Shit, he thought to himself. He gulped down some air.
Kirk said to Capel that heâd read about the murder in the
Times
and seen something about it on TV. This didnât seem to help. Capel just nodded, studying him.
Kirk was uncertain what to do. He was also nervous about the reefer in his shoe.
Capel asked him again if he could talk to him and take a picture, down at the Cambridge station. It wouldnât take too long, he promised. Kirk thought about it. He figured why not. He nodded, okay; sure, heâd talk to them and they could take a picture, but he asked if he could change his shirt first. He also wanted Capel to promise that they wouldnât make him go back to his wife in Baltimore. Kirkhoped he could get rid of the pot when he changed his shirt. Capel agreed to what Kirk asked but stayed with him while he went inside to change. There was just no chance to ditch the pot.
Back outside, Capel escorted Kirk to an unmarked police car. Before Kirk really understood what was happening, he was being whisked away. He noticed that other police cars had pulled up and that officers were going into Rose Carsonâs house and starting to search it. Sitting in the back of the unmarked cruiser, he wondered how heâd gotten tangled in this one. He mostly worried about the pot, though. When the detectives seemed preoccupied, he tried to push the rolled-up plastic bag of redbud further down into his shoe.
Before arriving at the Cambridge Police Station, Ramsey and Capel had stopped off at the local Kmart and purchased a pair of little girlâs panties and a pair of dark blue shorts matching those Dawn was wearing on the day she was killed. Ramsey had also picked up a piece of loose concrete from the parking lot. This was their gambit. According to agents at the FBIâs Behavioral Science Unit, Dawn Hamiltonâs killer would have a strong reaction if confronted with these items. An innocent person would have no reaction. Ramsey placed the panties, shorts, and rock on the center of a wooden table inside the police interview room before Kirk arrived. When Kirk was brought into the small room, he displayed no reaction to the items on the table. Ramsey then picked the items up and placed them in a corner, out of Kirkâs sight.
Kirk saw the items clearly and immediately assumed that the rock must be the murder weapon. What else could it be? He was
W EDNESDAY , A UGUST 8 was another scorcher. The sun rose large and pulsing over the town of Cambridge and quickly baked hot the black macadam asphalt of the streets. There was nobreeze, and the flat river simmered in the heat. The air was thick and sultry.
Kirk had hooked back up with Tommy Tyler the previous night, and the two stayed up late smoking pot, drinking beer, and listening to music. He slept till noon and was still groggy when he fixed himself a sandwich in Roseâs kitchen. His clothes were disheveled, and he soaked his shirt through with sweat before he finished eating. In the kitchen, he rolled a joint, stuffed the redbud back in his sneaker, got stoned, then went outside for a look around. He was more than surprised when Detective Cottom pulled up again, this time accompanied by a heavyset detective heâd never seen before.
Robert Capel introduced himself. He told Kirk that he wanted to talk to him about a missing persons report his wife had filed. Capel was polite. He seemed nice enough. He then said he also wanted to ask Kirk about the murder of a little girl at Fontana Village, near Baltimore. And he said heâd like to take a Polaroid of Kirk.
Kirk realized for the first time that they might be thinking that he had something to do with that murder in Baltimore. Heâd heard about it, as had everybody. Heâd also seen the composite and knew it favored him some. But this . . . Shit, he thought to himself. He gulped down some air.
Kirk said to Capel that heâd read about the murder in the
Times
and seen something about it on TV. This didnât seem to help. Capel just nodded, studying him.
Kirk was uncertain what to do. He was also nervous about the reefer in his shoe.
Capel asked him again if he could talk to him and take a picture, down at the Cambridge station. It wouldnât take too long, he promised. Kirk thought about it. He figured why not. He nodded, okay; sure, heâd talk to them and they could take a picture, but he asked if he could change his shirt first. He also wanted Capel to promise that they wouldnât make him go back to his wife in Baltimore. Kirkhoped he could get rid of the pot when he changed his shirt. Capel agreed to what Kirk asked but stayed with him while he went inside to change. There was just no chance to ditch the pot.
Back outside, Capel escorted Kirk to an unmarked police car. Before Kirk really understood what was happening, he was being whisked away. He noticed that other police cars had pulled up and that officers were going into Rose Carsonâs house and starting to search it. Sitting in the back of the unmarked cruiser, he wondered how heâd gotten tangled in this one. He mostly worried about the pot, though. When the detectives seemed preoccupied, he tried to push the rolled-up plastic bag of redbud further down into his shoe.
Before arriving at the Cambridge Police Station, Ramsey and Capel had stopped off at the local Kmart and purchased a pair of little girlâs panties and a pair of dark blue shorts matching those Dawn was wearing on the day she was killed. Ramsey had also picked up a piece of loose concrete from the parking lot. This was their gambit. According to agents at the FBIâs Behavioral Science Unit, Dawn Hamiltonâs killer would have a strong reaction if confronted with these items. An innocent person would have no reaction. Ramsey placed the panties, shorts, and rock on the center of a wooden table inside the police interview room before Kirk arrived. When Kirk was brought into the small room, he displayed no reaction to the items on the table. Ramsey then picked the items up and placed them in a corner, out of Kirkâs sight.
Kirk saw the items clearly and immediately assumed that the rock must be the murder weapon. What else could it be? He was
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