on the blood work they did showed there was no alcohol in your system. I’ve got to go. I’ve already told you more than I should.” The Sarge extended his right hand and gave me a firm handshake and a nod of reassurance.
Shaking his out stretched hand without a word, I thought his actions to be sincere. Although we weren’t the closest of friends, his belief and confidence in me was a source of comfort. He told me more than he should have and he knew the consequences if the details of our conversation ever got out. It was an awful lot for one man to lay on the line for another. The fact that the chief sent him here led me to believe there was another friend in my corner.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Time moved slowly for the rest of the morning. I flicked around the dial with the remote in the endless wasteland that passes itself off as morning television. I really don’t even know why I bothered.
My mind wasn’t really on it any way. I was trying to go over the events of Saturday night and the ramifications of the conversation with the sarge. Although it was hard for me to swallow, I had to accept the fact that the evidence against me couldn’t be ignored. Someone was framing me for murder and doing a damn good job at it. But why and who? Was Miles the intended victim? Over the years we put a lot of bad people away, could be anyone of a hundred lowlifes that we sent up. I could accept the fact that they were going after me but why muddy the waters with Miles. That really pissed me off.
I was deep in thought when the nurse rolled in the trolley cart with my lunch. “I see from your chart that your appetite is back.”
“Yeah, I was hungry this morning, what have we got for lunch?”
“Chicken breast, rice, and a mixed vegetable, milk and custard for dessert.”
“Not bad. A meal fit for a king.”
“Maybe you’d like to hold back on your comments until you’ve tried it.”
The nurse smiled back at me with a self-amused expression at her humor. At least she was trying.
“You need anything else, Mr. Law?”
“A good attorney.”
“What?”
“Nothing, just a bad joke. I’m fine, thanks.”
“I’ll check back with you in about twenty minutes.”
“Thank you.”
When I was done with lunch, I tried the phone. It wasn’t working. The crack about the attorney although said to the nurse in jest, was now a serious consideration. Although the patrolman’s union would have to provide me with an attorney, I wasn’t interested. A cop accused of killing his partner; I’d never be able to trust him. If the sarge was right and there was going to be a rush to judgement, I couldn’t take the chance of being represented by a second string hump who may not even have my best interests at heart.
I needed an attorney who wouldn’t blink and had one agenda only: to get me off, no deals and no bullshit.
When the nurse returned, I asked about getting the phone turned on. She said she’d have it activated at the main desk and that it should be on around 2 p.m. Then she pushed the trolley out of the room and disappeared down the hall.
At precisely 1:30 p.m. more visitors showed up; the chief and two suits. I recognized the taller man. He was a young assistant district attorney eager to prove himself by the name of Francis Harping.
Miles and I had worked a case with him about six months back. Miles didn’t like him and neither did I. He was an arrogant self-assured bastard who was only motivated by politics. As they say in Texas, he was all hat and no cattle. I didn’t recognize the second man with the mawkish grin, assumed he had to be the guy from Internal Affairs. The chief asked how I was doing and then quickly introduced the suits. The guy from IA went by the name of Mike Alcala. While the chief was talking, I recalled an old saying from back home in Bayou Cane, ‘Never waste time with introductions to a rat’. Unfortunately I couldn’t share that sentiment with them. I’d have to sit back and play it cool, couldn’t tip my hand.
“Pleased to meet you gentlemen. Before we start, how’s Abbe holding up?”
“Not good Mooney. It hit her pretty hard,” the chief responded.
“Who broke the news to her?”
“It was my responsibility, I did. I took Mavis over with me. In fact she’s been with Abbe ever since helping out.”
“Thank Mavis for me. She’s a good kid. Now, what can I do for you gentlemen?”
My straightforward approach seemed to catch them off guard; Harping and Alcala just looked at one another while the chief cleared his throat and then nervously muttered, “We’ve got some questions for you about the other night, if you’re up to it.”
“I feel fine, Chief, ask away.”
The chief then turned to Harping, “Why don’t you lead off?”
Harping nodded and then stepped a little closer to the edge of the bed while the chief just slinked back against the side wall of the room. I’d known the chief for a good ten years and could sense his nervousness: he didn’t want to be here but then neither did I. Harping was now perched above me on the side of the bed looking down on me like some type of ghoul with a sinister grin. Harping seemed to be enjoying this.
“Detective Law, why were you and Detective Bowman, in that part of town on Saturday night, the 2rd of February?”
“We’ve been on the trail of the serial killer for the past five weeks. We had a hunch that the killer would show up in that part of town.”
“What hunch was that?”
“We thought there was a pattern to his killings.”
“What pattern?”
“After mapping out the previous crime scenes, we concluded he might have been killing his victims in a pattern that would result in a five pointed star when connected.”
“A star? Now I’ve heard it all.”
“Look it was a shot. We had nothing better to go on.”
“Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?”
“Ridiculous or not, that’s why we were there.”
“Okay, Detective Law. Did you share your hunch with any of your fellow detectives or the chief?”
“Just Miles, and a junior officer named Mavis Poladin.”
“Then the answer is no.”
“No, I did not tell any other senior detectives or the chief.”
“I understand from the chief that he had you and your partner in his office before you went out on your shift.”
“That’s correct.”
“Didn’t he ask you if you had any leads at that time?”
“Yes
